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Wednesday, December 13, 2017
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Column Six
Give words to the loss BY COLIN BREZICKI
E
confirm nor deny this version of events, asserting only that he asked Chair Alan Caslin “whether the police should be called.” “Your mayor was the only one that insisted the police be called,” said Niagara Falls Councillor Bart Maves. “All councillors remained
VERYTHING I KNOW about grieving I learned many years ago from my English professor. Dr. Wilders (pronounced like builders) wasn’t a grief counselor, the name we now give to trained professionals who visit schools and workplaces to provide therapy for the distraught. He was just a teacher at my university in England, and he had this quaint notion that grieving is the therapy. As a Shakespeare scholar and my graduate advisor, he taught me much. And, often the way with great teachers, his best lessons continue to “impact” on me years after. We became friends in our time together, and despite being 20 years older, he could give me a good workout on the squash court as well as across the seminar table. After a match we would withdraw to his college rooms and rehydrate with a gin and tonic or two—no ice, England, remember. And, okay, it was a long time ago. Following a summer break back home in Toronto, I returned to England for the new term and rang Dr. Wilders to discuss my struggling thesis.
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See COLUMN SIX Page 17
Santa comes to Fenwick Page 10
Niagara Region staff seize journalists' devices Mayor Dave Augustyn "insisted" police be called to Regional headquarters; staff's heavy-handed action draws national attention, widespread condemnation At a meeting of Niagara Regional Council last Thursday evening, Council elected to go into closed session to discuss a matter related to an “identifiable individual and receive legal advice as permitted by the Municipal Act,” according to a Region news release issued early Friday afternoon. During the closed session,
two electronic devices were located on the news media table. Both devices were operating and one appeared to be recording. Making unauthorized recordings of closed sessions is not permitted. “In order to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the closed session where an identifiable individual
BY VOICE STAFF and legal advice was being discussed, the meeting was halted, the devices were photographed and the Niagara Regional Police Service was called,” says the release. Multiple Councillors, speaking both on the record and not for attribu-
tion, have told the Voice that Mayor Dave Augustyn openly urged that the police be called, and was the only councillor to do so. At Augustyn’s prompting, staff made the call. Despite repeated requests for clarification over the weekend as comment from other councillors came in, Augustyn would neither
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The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
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IN THE NEWS
PUBLISHER’S CORNER by Dave Burket
Learn to save a life
Very early in my journalism career, an old and wise editor gave me a piece of advice: “You’re a reporter. Not a P.R. flack. Don’t take any [nonsense] from anyone.” He sure didn’t—not from politicians, not from listeners (this was radio), and not from staff (above or below). This advice has served me well over the years, if not to everyone’s liking. (Journalists who need to be liked actually do tend to end up in public relations.) We received an abrupt email last week, without so much as a hello-how-do-you-do, criticizing the Voice for not covering a certain event. As reasonable readers can appreciate, with one reporter we can't be everywhere. The tone of the email was cranky. I don't respond well to cranky, and especially not to unwarranted cranky. I replied with a tart message of my own. Well, the digital tiki torches and pitchforks came out over the weekend, when a relative of the cranky email author posted my response on Facebook—but without also posting the original email I was replying to. Unfair? Obviously. Predictably, people did not react well, but then they weren’t given the entire story. That’s social media in a nutshell, and why it’s a terrible source for truth. (And yes, we would have eventually covered the story anyway; whether we do so now is up for the subject to decide. If he says no, then I guess that’s a win for the pitchforks. So...hooray?)… Showdown at Micky-D's: Speaking of getting “lit up”—in the words of former Pelham senior staffer Craig Larmour, who contacted the Voice out of the blue (we hope for a coffee date soon)—the paper's Facebook page has been the scene in recent weeks of increasingly uncivil commentary. Matters came to a head when challenges were extended for what could have turned into a confrontation in the Fonthill McDonalds parking lot. Big Macs and a duel at dawn? Comments will now be actively moderated. The Town of Pelham has moved in the same direction with its own Facebook page, though arguably taking a heavier hand. What’s not arguable is that social media can readily fuel a mob mentality, where reason gets lost in the indignation and ire, even—or maybe especially—in a small town… Reason truly gone MIA: The Region’s decision to call in the police during last Thursday’s Council meeting was bad enough, but the decision by Regional staff to confiscate the equipment of St. Catharines Standard reporter Bill Sawchuk went beyond all bounds. Multiple councillors have said that the police were initially summoned at the suggestion of Mayor Augustyn. See the story on page 1. I suspect that someone along the line told a young Bill Sawchuk not to take any [nonsense] either. Good for him, and good for the Standard for responding immediately and forcefully to this breach of press freedom, no matter how theoretically well-intended to protect the privacy of in camera discussion. Candidly, all of Niagara, not least of which Pelham, needs a hell of a lot less discussed behind closed doors anyway, and a lot more discussed out in the sunshine.
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The holidays can be a busy time for everyone. From shopping, Christmas parties and time with family, we can forget how quickly accidents can happen. With so much hustle and bustle, would you know what to do in an emergency? St. John Ambulance says it can help you be prepared for the unexpected this holiday season with the gift of first aid training. With two locations for training and a variety of class dates to choose from, rest easy knowing that you
how to help themselves or someone else in the event of an accident or emergency,” says Mallory Lauder, Client Services Coordinator at the Niagara Region Branch. “Whether at work or home, having the right training could be the difference between life and death.” Proceeds from St. John Ambulance training support local community services programs. To register for your first aid training, or for more information, call St. John Ambulance, Niagara Region Branch at 905-685-8964
will know how to handle any situation not only through the holidays, but all year long. St. John Ambulance first aid certificates are valid for three years. “We believe it’s important for everyone to know
BEST OF THE BUNCH The winners of Pelham’s 2017 Christmas Card Design Award pose with Mayor Augustyn and Deputy Mayor Papp at Council’s meeting last Monday night. The winners’ work will appear on the Town’s official Christmas card this year. VOICE PHOTO
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Vol.20 No.48
CELEBRATING OUR 20TH YEAR
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
DSBN wants portion of Town park
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The Comfort Maple myth
Vol.20 No.39
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
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Oops: No fire trucks for you
Haist Street traffic-calming measure a little too effective
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Column Six
Growing up British
Vol.20 No.32
Wednesday October 12, 2016
FREE
Apple Day comes to Fonthill
BY JULIE MANNELL
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W
BALLOONING INTEREST Grade 6 student Jinja Shepherd explains her experiment on static electricity at the Glynn A. Green Public School's annual science fair last Friday. See story, page 3. NATE SMELLE PHOTO
Public meeting tonight on school issues BY VOICE STAFF As questions continue to mount regarding an email that Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn quietly sent to a District School Board of Niagara trustee last summer, Augustyn has agreed to address the issue at a public meeting scheduled for this evening, Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Fenwick. Nancy Beamer, speaking for “Names Matter,” a Pelham citizens group lobbying the DSBN to reverse its decision to rename a local public school, confirms that the meeting will be held at Fire Station #2, known locally as the Fenwick Fire Hall, starting at 7:00 PM. While the Mayor has agreed to ap-
Under pressure, Mayor to address email revelation, other E. W. Farr matters pear, says Beamer, DSBN officials associated with the school-naming process have either declined to attend or have not yet responded to the group’s invitation. DSBN Chair, Dale Robinson, to whom Augustyn’s email was addressed last June, has declined to appear, says Beamer, asserting that she would be
“on holidays.” The Voice was unable to independently confirm Robinsion’s intentions. She did not respond to repeated requests for comment on E.W. Farr-related matters before presstime. Beamer, whose group maintains an email list of some 580 residents, says that all members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting. “We would especially welcome parents and children who are unhappy with the name change,” she says, referring to the contentious decision by the DSBN to consolidate two Pelham See MEETING back page
HEN I WAS young, my father and I would go for long drives along the rural routes of Pelham. We’d blast George Thurgood and roll down the windows because we loved the smell of the breeze, the sensation of crisp Niagara wind beating our cheeks and tangling our hair against our summer-kissed skin. My father was not a sentimental man. He worked in factories and had a Gordon Lightfoot mustache and never shed tears over injuries. Yet something about the Pelham landscape, the hilly backdrop to his childhood and the childhoods of our ancestors, drew him in. He’d stop by a farm or a gathering of woods and, surrendering his manly veneer, tell me a story about the town. This place is precious. This is the earth that granted us life. Here is the place where we happened upon love or here is a site of devastation. On one particular drive sometime in the late ‘90s we stopped at a tree with a plaque. “This tree looks dead,” I said to my father. “It sure is getting there, Julie.” The Comfort Maple is supposedly Canada’s oldest See COLUMN SIX Page 14
Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation
BY VOICE STAFF
A construction error was discovered following the opening of a traffic calming chicane on Haist Street north of Hwy 20 last Monday that prevented large vehicles from passing through. One resident living in the neighbourhood said he contacted the Town after seeing a small schoolbus get stuck as it tried to get through the new traffic calming measure. Later that day while driving behind a cement truck, he said that he became concerned for the public’s safety when the truck had to turn around because it couldn’t get through. “If a small school bus and a cement truck can’t make it through what about a fire
BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER
Special to the VOICE
A
Repair measures underway last week to correct a construction error in the chicane. truck or an ambulance?” he said. While waiting for the contractor to return to fix
the mistake, the Town has taken measures to temporarily allow passage for vehicles through the neigh-
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 See CHICANE Page 5
Petition-inspired changes coming to 2017 Summerfest BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Representatives from the Pelham Summerfest committee Candy Ashbee and Bill Gibson presented council with a final report on the 2016 Summerfest at the Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 21. Prompted by a story in the Voice in August about a merchant petition to move Summerfest from Pelham Street, in September Town staff met with various stakeholders to hear their complaints, promising at the time that changes in the way Summerfest was mounted would be con-
sidered. The main concerns identified during the community engagement process were security, parking, ensuring customer can access all businesses in town, and liability for damages. How to get all Pelham Street businesses to participate and finding ways to make it beneficial for them to set up a booth were also determined to be of high priority for the committee as they plan for next year’s event. Gibson told Council that the committee is addressing these concerns in a variety of ways. To improve parking, they intend to create bet-
ter signage for out-of-town visitors to designated parking areas and shuttle services. To make participation in Summerfest more enticing to local businesses, they plan to implement a tiered-charge for booths. Under the new system, Pelham Street business owners will be charged the least, other local businesses will pay a slightly higher fee, and vendors from outside Pelham will pay the most. In response to more specific issues for individual businesses, they will also slightly alter the footprint of the event and make adjustments to security. Another way the committee plans
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to improve the 2017 Summerfest is by sponsoring and working with the organizers of the Thursday Night Bandshell Concert series to select the artist performing on the first night of Summefest. They also intend to make more use of the smartphone app they launched in 2016. "We are really going to push it this year," Ashbee said. “It really helps to get people to see what events there are so they can plan out where they are going. We will be able to actually help the merchants and local businesses adSee CHANGES Page 5
FTER LUNCH ON Saturday, Mum and Dad had my afternoon cut out for me. Mum had more brass than anyone I knew, and it had to be cleaned. In addition there was the set of silver fish-knives and forks which were never used, but which had to be cleaned and put back in their velvetlined box. Next was a walk to the newsagents to pay for the daily delivery of the Daily Mirror. As I said, Dad was a printer, but when he was 37 he had been rejected for a job, as being too old, by the printers of the Beano. For that reason, my favourite comic was not allowed in the house, but while I was paying the papers, the newsagent let me have a 'shoofty' at the Beano. I'd explained my predicament and he understood completely. Sundays were different again. Dad would play golf on summer mornings and billiards in winter. Then he'd stop for a 'refresher' at the local and would pick up the prawns, cockles, winkles or whelks we'd be having for tea later. Meanwhile, Mum was roasting the 'joint' and potatoes. I got to make the Yorkshire pud, and mint
See COLUMN SIX Page 14
Full service. Full-time Realtor. Your Fonthill real estate connection.
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While shopping in Fonthill between Friday and Sunday, keep an eye out for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in front of local stores with bushels of apples. As part of the annual Apple Day campaign, Scouting youth of all ages will be trading apples for donations. The yearly fundraising drive is an important way for young Scouts to connect with the communities they are serving, says Leah Marie of Scouts Canada. “The Apple Day campaign holds a great tradition of being able to have youth interacting within the communities they live in,” she says. “All of the Apple Day donations stay directly within the group that re-
The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and well-rounded individuals
ceives them, enabling youth to have experiences that build character, challenge them, and allow them to try new things. The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and wellrounded individuals, better prepared for success. Apple Day helps to achieve that.”
“Any money raised during Apple Day goes towards improving the Scouting program by providing more outdoor adventures for youth, camping equipment, canoes and paddles, training and many other endeavours that the youth want to experience,” says Marie. Scouts Canada has some 100,000 members across Canada, and carries out programs for boys, girls
Joining their principal, Karen Simpson, at the Sept. 19 Council meeting as part of a delegation from EL Crossley Secondary School, students Abby Loewen and Neenah Williams presented Council with a list of reasons that they should immediately approve the construction of the new sidewalk proposed along Hwy. 20. The asphalt side-
walk/trail is slated to be built between the south side of the road from Timmsdale Crescent to the high school. Because of the large volume of motor vehicle traffic travelling at high speeds through this area, and because of the necessity for students to tread this path on a daily basis, many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later. After delivering to Council a petition containing
Many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later the names of 450 students calling for a safer walk to school, Simpson handed the
podium over to Loewen and Williams to plead their case. Loewen told Council that because there are a lot of students who have work placements and coop placements during the school year, this is the only route for many of them to travel. As one of the students facing this predicament, Williams said she has had no other option but to walk along the dangerous highway.
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H EATHER AND P ENNY L ANE S ALES R EPRESENTATIVES
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and youth ages 5-25. This year the 3rd Fonthill Group, which includes Beavers to Ventures (youth ages 5- 25) will be hitting the streets to drum-up support. Over the weekend, Scouts will be set up in Fonthill outside Sobeys, Tim Hortons, Target Gas station, Fonthill Shopping Plaza and the Pioneer Gas station at the corner of Hwys 20 and 24.
Town Council approves sidewalk to serve E. L. Crossley BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
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Second year Beaver with the 3rd Fonthill Group, Russell Letford offers a fresh apple to shoppers in Pelham during the 2015 Apple Day campaign. SUPPLIED PHOTO A longtime Canadian tradition, Apple Day began in 1932 in Saint John, New Brunswick, when Scouts handed out 21,000 apples as a way to say thank you to the community. In return for their generosity, many people offered them donations. From then on Scouts have reached out through Apple Day to raise funds for their programs.
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Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn
Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932
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BY VOICE STAFF The District School Board of Niagara is requesting that the Town of Pelham cede a portion of Cherry Ridge Park for use as a soccer field to serve the students of the new Wellington Heights Public School, formerly the E. W. Farr Memorial Public School, in Fenwick. Currently under renovation and expansion, the new school will combine students and staff from the previous school and Pelham Centre, where classes are being held while construction continues. Two letters, containing virtually identical text but signed by different authorities, were sent last week to nearby residents of the park, as well as to parents of Pelham Centre students. “The DSBN is currently building onto Wellington Heights Public School on Alsop Drive,” states the letter. “The size of the school's addition means the existing small soccer field will be eliminated. The Town and the Board have been discussing the possibility of working together to create a field for both the school and the
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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.
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“I start work at 2:30 PM and school lets out at 2:15 PM so I can’t take any other route,” Williams explained. “I have had friends, family, teachers and other community members reach out to me in the past about how this is unsafe and how there should be another alternative for us.” Looking ahead to winter, when she will need to walk this path three or four times See SIDEWALK Page 2
HERE IS NO BETTER time to cycle than Fall. It matters not whether you’re new to the sport, a seasoned recreational cyclist, racer, touring rider or mountain biker; we all have reason to look forward to autumn. Summer’s heat has faded, and the streams of sweat that ran from soggy helmets into our eyes are now just slight perspiration. Fitness is peaking from lots of saddle time, making those tough climbs of Spring a breeze in Autumn. It’s hard to beat the feeling of beginning a crisp, cool Fall ride with a slight shiver, knowing your efforts will soon warm you perfectly. The hues of Autumn are outstanding. A Pelham route as simple as following our southern boundary is one that would make most Toronto cyclists jealous, especially when our forests and fields are ablaze with colour. Begin from Harold Black Park, and zig-zag south along Effingham Rd toward the Welland River. If you’re new to cycling, it’s important to know south is the direction away from any hills. If you avoid the morning and evening weekday rush hours caused by those travelling through Pelham between Wainfleet See AUTUMN Page 3
Indulgence Bakery Mossimo’s Pelham Street Grille Sobeys Fonthill Peter Piper’s Pubhouse DeVries Fruit Farm Beamer’s Hardware & TV Fonthill Library Black Pearl Fish & Chips Bob’s Boys Antiques Moku’s Family Health Pharmacy Fonthill Fitness Fenwick Pie Company McDonald’s Fonthill Legion Semenuk’s Gas Bar Target Store Tim Horton’s Giant Tiger Pelham Town Hall Pub on the Hill Zee Lube Express Care Lazy Loon Minor Bros Stores Avondale Stores A-1 Market Sobeys South Pelham Grill on Canboro Pelham Library Ridge Berry Farm Circle-K
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E. L. Crossley holds Grade 8 Open House Future students and their parents tour school, meet faculty BY VOICE STAFF E.L Crossley Secondary School held its annual Grade 8 Open House on Monday night, Nov. 27, inviting prospective students and their parents to the school for an evening of information. After presentations outlining the opportunities available at the school, the students and their parents were able to roam the halls, visiting classrooms and speaking with teachers about the courses on offer. The school’s head of guidance Janet Cripps called the night an excellent chance for grade 8s to see what Crossley has to offer— and to prepare for the big transition next year. Before the presentations, the main foyer was filled with prospective students milling about, standing hesitantly beside their parents as they checked-in at the tables arranged for each of Crossley’s feeder schools. A wireless audio speaker sat on a bench in the centre of the foyer, blasting music with impressive force considering its diminutive size. Michelle Gibson, a teacher in the guidance department, held up her phone while talking to a former student. “I’m the DJ,” she said. “I have to get back to my job.” There were many former Crossley students present—or at least their faces were. The school set up a series of posters around the foyer with photographs and brief lists of accomplishments by alumni, above the hashtag “remarkabEL.” Some were familiar, such as the explorer Adam Shoalts, who graduated in 2004. But also included were Jennifer Higgins, a cardiac surgeon, from the class of 2000, and Callie Doucette, an electrician who finished at Crossley in 2009. Just after six o’clock, a voice on the loudspeaker directed students and their parents to the gymnasium for a brief presentation. The school’s principal, Karen Simpson, addressed the masses, outlining the structure of the Crossley community. “Academics are important,” she said. “But you do have to get involved. Years from now, you’re not going to remember the mark you
got on that English essay, but you will remember the friends that you made in the clubs and sports you joined.” An emphasis on extra-curriculars persisted through the speakers’ list, though Head of Guidance Janet Cripps did speak to the process for selecting courses for grade 9. “At 8:01 tonight, I’ll unlock Career Cruising for all those eager beavers out there who can’t wait
This school has so much to offer. You're going to love it here.
E.L. Crossley’s main foyer after the big rush at its Grade 8 Open House. to get on it,” she said, referring to the online service that allows students to match their interests to an occupation, and an occupation to high school classes. Crossley’s resource teachers Ivan Jugley and Don Lockhart, who help students having difficulties in classes, tried to make their part of the presentation memorable. “I know that you’re getting a lot of information tonight,” said Jugley, “so I have a rhyme to help you remember. ‘Before things get ugly, come see Mr. Jugley.” The crowd laughed, though it wasn’t clear if it was the parents or the students encouraged by the joke. One of the last speakers was current Crossley student John Avery, who was introduced as one of the leaders of the Crossley LinkCrew. LinkCrew is a new program at the school, and it connects senior students with entering grade 9s in an effort to make the transition to high school easier. Avery hammed it up as the
For further information, please contact:
Nancy J. Bozzato, Town Clerk and Returning Officer Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 (905) 892-2607, ext. 315 njbozzato@pelham.ca
teacher introduced him, pretending to dance when school dances were mentioned, and rubbing his stomach when hot chocolate was mentioned. “I can’t tell you enough about all the friends I’ve made in LinkCrew,” said Avery. After Avery finished, chair of the Crossley parents council Lynn Shatford said she had the answer “to the question that’s on everyone’s mind. John in six-sevenand-a-half-feet tall. I know because I asked.” Avery, who had returned to tower over one wall of the gym, nodded. The crowd was released to find teachers waiting to talk to parents and future students in their classrooms. Technology teacher David Csikos had his two rooms open— one with drafting tables for the hand-drawing of architectural designs, and the other a computer
VOICE PHOTO
lab where drawings could be done digitally. “I have some students in here working on projects,” said Csikos, pointing to some sort of structure being built. A boy passed by him with a red sauce on his hands. “And this guy here…he’s eating chicken wings,” said Csikos, looking surprised. “Well, we have pizza,” said the student. “You can’t have pizza without the wings.” Csikos smiled and shrugged, and moved over to the other room, where two three-dimensional printers were whirring away. “They melt the plastic down, and then can shape it into anything,” he said. “This little model of a house is incredibly detailed, and here are two German tanks that a student built. This one’s only half done, so you can see the honeycomb pattern on the inside.” A father and his son walked
through the door, and Csikos started talking to them about the courses he teaches. Back down the hall in the main foyer, Shatford stood talking to the mother of a prospective student. “My son already goes to Crossley,” said the parent. “But he just started in September, so he doesn’t know the school, and I don’t know the school. My daughter will be coming here next year.” “What sorts of things are you interested in?” Shatford asked the daughter. “Cats,” she replied. Shatford laughed. “Well, do you like to draw them? Or write about them? Or dissect them? Well, maybe not dissect…” Shatford trailed off. The mother laughed. “No, we like science too,” she said. “Okay,” said Shatford. “That’s great. The school has so much to offer. You’re going to love it here.”
Important Information for Candidates Amendments made to the Municipal Elections Act, 2001 will affect the timing and process of the 2018 Municpal Election to be held October 22, 2018. Those wishing to be a candidate for election are advised to note the following:
stating they are eligible to vote in the municipality/ region on the day they signed the endorsement.
Nomination Period Anyone who wishes to be a candidate must file a Nomination Paper. The nomination period will begin May 1, 2018 and end on July 27, 2018. Nomination Papers must be obtained and filed with the Regional or Municipal Clerk, as noted below, by 2 p.m., July 27, 2018.
Direct Election of the Regional Chair and Filing Nomination Paper For the first time in Niagara, the Regional Chair will be directly elected in the 2018 Municipal Election by general vote. Nomination Papers for the Office of Regional Chair will be received by the Regional Clerk during the nomination period as described above at the Office of the Clerk, Regional Headquarters, 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, Ontario.
Nomination Procedures 1. The Nomination Paper must be accompanied by a filing fee in cash, certified cheque, debit or money order payable to the Region or appropriate Area Municipality, in the amount of: • $200 for the Office of the Regional Chair or Mayor • $100 for the Office of Regional Councillor, Municipal Councillor or School Board Trustee 2. There is a new requirement that each Nomination Paper must be signed by 25 supporting voters. The individuals providing signatures must sign a declaration
3. Each candidate must provide proof of Canadian citizenship in a form acceptable to the Clerk. The onus is on the candidate to file a bona fide Nomination Paper.
Where to file your Nomination Paper Nominations for the following offices will be received by the Town of Pelham Clerk, in the Office of the Clerk at the address set out below: • Office of Mayor/Regional Councillor (one to be elected) • Regional Councillor(s) (one to be elected) • Municipal Councillors – Wards One, Two and Three • School Board Trustees
Page 4
The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
OPINION
The opinions expressed in submitted commentary and letters to the editor are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Voice of Pelham.
The Voice of Pelham is a 1211858 Ontario Limited publication David Burket, Publisher 2-1428 Pelham St., P.O. Box 1489, Fonthill, ON L0S1E0
COMMENTARY / OP-ED Larry Coté This "Me Too" is making a difference
T
HERE IS A SOCIAL movement taking place that is a disparaging commentary on the moral fiber and misconduct of some men in our so-called enlightened society. It is also a further dissemination of the women’s liberation thesis. This newest social phenomenon is gaining widespread recognition in the social media as #MeToo. For those unfamiliar with the #MeToo hashtag, it is the digitally-based proclamation used by a growing number of females to publicly disclose how they have been debased by the other half of the population. As this movement progresses more and more females are reporting incidents in which men have discriminated against them and may have taken advantage of the fairer sex in unimaginative ways. Such ravishment spans a spectrum of unwanted interactions ranging from callous ogling to horrific non-consensual physical assaults. For years such decadent behaviors inflicted on girls and women by some males has gone unreported and unpunished for a variety of reasons. Perhaps upper-
most among those reasons is that in many cases the assailant was in some real or perceived position of power relative to the victim. These men in powerful positions are from the ranks of leadership in churches, education, medicine, politics, business and the media. Whatever the purported power, it resulted in the impression that the assailant had the wherewithal to escape culpability. The perpetrator would tend to be believed in any he-saidshe-said argument. Often, they also had the ability to defame the accuser so as the victim would lose credibility in the eyes of the judiciary or society-at-large. In other words, such unbridled power was the embodiment of the adage “to be able to get away with murder.” Among other reasons many assailants got to go scot-free is that the incidents were often embarrassing for the victims. They did not wish to endure a public airing of the assault and be forced to relive that nightmarish happening. As unhealthy as it may be, some buried the assault deep inside and
NEED HELP? MAKE THE CALL Distress Centre For depression, distress, and crisis. 24 hour help line: 905-688-3711   Mental Health and Addictions Access 1-866-550-5205 (Toll Free) Gambler’s Anonymous 905-351-1616
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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 NEWS WRITER Samuel Piccolo ADMINISTRATION Lori Gretsinger office@thevoiceofpelham.ca CONTRIBUTORS Larry Coté, Nick Saltarelli, Carolyn Botari, John Swart, Kirk Weaver
worked hard to forget the incident. Such memories are not easily forgotten nor forgiven. So then the #MeToo social movement has begun to change the silence of past practices and openly proclaims the truth will be told. Many well-known men who have taken unwanted and unwarranted liberties or advantages of girls and women are being publicly outed. It is expected they will pay the price for such indiscretions in one way or another. Their former fame may become their future infamy. Potentially, these current outings will serve as deterrents to misogynists and curtail the debasement of females at all times and in all forms. Perhaps more significantly, the #MeToo movement has emboldened a growing number of females to come forward to be seen, and see themselves, not as victims but as maltreated equals in our society. Larry Coté is a retired professor of business studies. He has been awarded the Governor General’s Medal for his community involvements.
Letters Loss of RBC branch a sad day for many I am writing this letter today on behalf of some of our community’s seniors, about the closing of their beloved Fenwick Royal Bank Branch in April of 2018. We, as a small town, feel that our needs are being taken away from us, first the hardware store, now the bank. What is next for Fenwick, our Avondale Post Office? The RBC in Fenwick has been a part of our small town for 112 years. Many seniors do not drive and/or do
not like driving to Fonthill with all that heavy traffic. Also, the customers from Wainfleet and Wellandport that use the Fenwick Branch are not happy that they now have to drive eight more minutes (more like 15 minutes) to Fonthill. The Fenwick RBC Branch is like no other in the area. You can go in and they greet you by your name without looking at their computer for your information. Customer service today is go-
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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 or legal reasons. 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.
See RBC next page
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
Mayor of Pelham David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Members of Pelham Town Council
Member of Provincial Parliament
Ward 1 Councillor Richard Rybiak rrybiak@pelham.ca 905-892-2105
Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755
Councillor James Lane jlane@pelham.ca 905-892-2607
Electoral District: Niagara West-Glanbrook
Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Councillor Brian Baty brian.baty@niagararegion.ca 905-892-5317 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607
Richard
Brown
Office: 905-892-0222
Cell: 905-651-5143
rbrown@royallepage.ca • www.homesniagara.com
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Call for a free, no obligation one hour consultation.
Ward 3 Councillor John Durley jdurley@pelham.ca 905-892-5388 Councillor Peter Papp ppapp@pelham.ca 905-328-6008
Community Centre project updates: www.pelham.ca/pcc
NEWS INQUIRIES & TIPS editor@thevoiceofpelham.ca LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@thevoiceofpelham.ca
ing away because of new technology, but in Fenwick the ladies know and care about their customers’ needs and wants. That same small town caring is not felt in Fonthill, which is why many still come to this branch. Also, as mentioned, the Fenwick branch services the people of Wainfleet and Wellandport and outlying areas, these people are just as upset as all of Fenwick is. Parking and traffic is the
905-933-0730 www.seniorsonthemoveniagara.com seniorsonthemoveniagara@gmail.com
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Well don't just sit there. Share it with the Voice! letters@thevoiceofpelham.ca
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The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
Page 5
OPINION Letters
continued
Where are the actual audits I would like to know when these audits will be made available to the public. It's impossible to ask questions about the audits if we don't have access to them. We were told there would be a follow-up meeting approximately two weeks after the November 29 meeting, where the public would be able to ask questions about the two audits, but I have not been able to find a scheduled date for that. I would also like to know the cost for the two audits—that information was supposed to be released at the November 29 meeting. Marianne Stewart Fenwick
People's Republic of Niagara? Last week Regional Councillor Quirk was quick on the draw to comment on the Pelham KPMG audit calling it a ''nice dog and pony show.” After watching the fiasco which took place at last Thursday’s Regional Council meeting involving the confiscation of reporter Bill Sawchuck's laptop and him being escorted out by police, I think Mr. Quirk should take heed of the phrase, “People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.” Do we have to remind the Region that this is Canada and not North Korea, and the press should be treated with respect? As Judge Ramsey stated
Do we have to remind the Region that this is Canada and not North Korea in a recent NPCA vs. Smith decision, this might happen in some third world country but “not in our beloved dominion.” Robert Milenkoff Welland
RBC continued from previous page other issue. It is hard to get into the Fonthill branch, as Highway 20 is a nightmare to drive at almost any time of the day anymore. They say they are working with the Town and the Region to come up with a plan to make things better. I, for one will believe that when I see it. The parking lot is too small now. How are the buses going to get in there with the workers that are now going to have to be transported to that branch from Willowbrook and other area farms? And with RBC gone, now the Avondale and our local restaurants will lose that business as well. The workers from the area farms and Willowbrook either walk or ride their bike to Fenwick, eat at local restaurants, send money orders from Avondale. What is going to happen to those businesses? What is going to happen to our small town? It is apparent that big businesses do not care about what has
You can go in and they greet you by your name without looking at their computer
Regional councillors, in their own words Following the unprecedented events in Regional headquarters last Thursday evening, in which journalists' equipment was seized by Regional staff, and police called in at the urging of Mayor Dave Augustyn, the Voice reached out to request comment from all Regional councillors. The responses we received appear below.
Dave Augustyn The police were called to investigate the matter of the concealed taping machine. The concealed taping of a conversation may have been a crime or an offence and should have been investigated by the police. Unfortunately, despite calling in the police, staff did not allow that investigation. It was not appropriate for staff to confiscate personal materials (of Mr. Haskell) or media material (of Mr. Sawchuk).
Annunziata indicated that he observed a light on a device at the media table under a peaked cap. From my vantage point that location had formerly been occupied by [blogger] Preston Haskell. The CAO gave directions that the device be taken by staff and secured and that the owner not be readmitted to the Council Chamber. One councillor indicated that someone should photograph the device, and Councillor Augustyn suggested that the police be called with regard to the matter. The meeting continued for several minutes when the CAO observed additional equipment at the media table. The position of those items corresponded to the seating location of Standard reporter, Bill Sawchuck. The CAO asked that that equipment also be secured by removal from the Council chamber. I do not recall that instructions were given to staff other than the removal of the equipment from the Council Chamber. It is my opinion that the directions given to act on the first device were inadvertently applied to the second device. This was a serious error and rightly a cause for concern. To prevent any such errors in the future, it is my recommendation that when required to vacate the Council chambers, all people be asked to take all personal belongings with them.
Brian Baty Regional Council properly went into a closed session on Thursday night to discuss a matter related to an identifiable individual. My seat is located the furthest distance away from the media table so my comments are directed more to what I heard than what I saw. As usual, all members of the gallery and media are requested to exit the Council chamber during a closed session. Early into the session Councillor
Frank Campion The handling of this situation by Regional staff is completely unacceptable. The press are our partners in serving our constituents and deserve to be treated fairly, with respect and with dignity and this did not happen. Personally I have the utmost respect for Bill Sawchuk, and I know he is an ethical and competent professional. He should get an unqualified apology, but it needs to be more than that, as real change is required and I'm sure we will be working on that. I know I will.
Alan Caslin A troubling incident occurred Thursday during a closed session of Niagara Regional council. After concerns were raised, it was found that a device was being used to record the closed session portion of the meeting, and at that time Regional staff secured all of the media devices that were left in closed session. I wish to apologize wholeheartedly and unreservedly to reporter Bill Sawchuk on behalf of Niagara Region, its employees, and its councillors. What happened was wrong and I am sorry for the events that occurred. Freedom of the press plays an integral role in Canadian democracy. Niagara Region understands this. I have asked staff to develop a plan to review all policies and protocols to prevent such an incident in the future.
Pat Darte In my estimation, the actions were completely appropriate. After things were clarified, everything that should have been returned, was. I am very disappointed [resident] Haley Bateman had to be extremely inconvenienced due to certain individuals personal actions.
It was not appropriate for staff to confiscate personal materials (of Mr. Haskell) or media material (of Mr. Sawchuk)
Sandra Easton I was not at the meeting but on my way home from Asia having attended a very productive business delegation lead by the premier that included five agricultural businesses and the Town of Lincoln. Having only read about the events that apparently took place, I am limited to commenting in principle and largely from my own play- book. Let me say that the media play an extremely important role as conduits to our residents, who rely on that third party perspective. It is not enough at this point to say this was an unfortunate incident. Policy and procedure may provide guidance so this does not happen again in the future, but first we have to clearly establish the primacy of freedom of speech. See COMMENT next page
Professional SERVICES Directory Dr. Ken Sawatzky Dental Surgeon
been going on in our town for last 112 years. As we all feel it is starting to fall away because the all mighty dollar is saying, cut costs so we can pay our CEOs more money. With record-breaking profits this year, RBC needs to close our branch to continue this trend. This is so not right. To the ladies of the RBC Fenwick Branch: we are all going to miss you. Sherry Rusin Fenwick
905-892-5002 1428 Pelham St.
Joe Della Marina DD,LD Denturist 905-892-1414
Family Dentistry
1428 Pelham Street, Fonthill www.drkensawatzky.com
NEWSFLASH Tell us your story! Column Six presents tales of personal triumph, adventure, strange-but-true stories, life-changing events, and looks-back at our past. Did you conquer Everest or kick a bad habit? Did you meet your spouse-to-be in jail or on an African safari? Do you know where Hoffa’s buried? Write it down, send it in: publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca (You won’t get rich, but you will get paid.)
Page 6
The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
Town Council responds to Region's request for audit results
COMMENT continued from previous page
Maintains no misstatements made; Audit Committee members remain unmoved BY VOICE STAFF Last Monday night, Pelham Town Council passed an official response to last month's Regional Audit Committee motion that called on the Town to "share the summer 2017 KPMG audit" with Regional staff, and deferred any discussion of future Pelham debt until the release of the audit. The Regional motion further stated that it would notify lenders that "there may be a material change" in the Town's financial position. The Town's motion on Monday "requests that the Region of Niagara rescind the November 16 Audit Committee recommendations." The Town's response made no mention of the summer 2017 KPMG review of the Town's finances, instead focussing on the fall audit and its release on November 29, even though the Audit Committee motion was not concerned with the fall audit. The Town's motion did, however, make reference to the Town's general financial health, saying "there has not been a material change in the Town's financial position as suggested in the Regional resolution, and further that there have been no misstatements in the Town of Pelham's statements.” Regional Audit Committee chair Tony Quirk disputed that the information made public on November 29 cleared the Town. “The KPMG presentation confirmed that the 2016 financials did not tell the full story of Pelham’s financial position, and confirmed that the Town has booked $3.6 million in future revenue as accounts receivables,” Quirk told the Voice. Quirk said further that the presentation “confirmed that the ‘municipal credit scheme’ constituted a liability or an obligation by the Town to the developers and its own DC charges, and this was not disclosed.” He also asserted that KPMG “confirmed that the land deal was corrupted by the use of the Parkland Dedication by-law to provide a ‘back door’ bonus to the developer, and further that the CAO solicited the deal with the developer, not the other way around.” Pelham Town Council described things differently during discussion of the motion. "It's my hope that this will be the last of this motion-counter-motion exercise [with the Region],” said Councillor Richard Rybiak. "The fact is that it must be clear to Regional Councillors that there is nothing going on here in Pelham that
requires them to express any kind of concern about." Rybiak also advised Regional Councillors to "take their wisdom and their maturity and their experience to calm and comfort troubled minds, rather than to poke and stoke and encourage the troubles to continue." Rybiak said Regional councillors know that there are good reasons for in camera meetings to be held, and that to "express concern about what might have happened [in camera] is misplaced, because they know that they ought not understand what goes on there, because it's not meant to be public." Councillor Gary Accursi said that in the days preceding Monday night's Council meeting, he had spent "a considerable amount of time drafting amendments which were much more agressive" to the motion. But Accursi said that he had one of those "aha moments" Monday afternoon. "There's a saying I always brought forward when coaching kids. 'If you lose, say nothing. If you win, say even less.' If you know you were wrong, say nothing. If you know you were right, say even less. I'm going to take the high road and say even less." Accursi did request that Town staff prepare a report to account for "the cost [to Pelham] of the Region's involvement in the Town's affairs," in which Accursi included staff time, consultants, and meeting time. After the motion had passed unanimously, Rybiak asked about the previously-discussed follow-up meeting, at which residents would be permitted to ask questions, which was not allowed on November 29. Treasurer Teresa Quinlin told Council that the Town had yet to receive KPMG's full report, and was expecting it at the end of the week or early this week. Regional Councillor David Barrick, who authored the Audit Committee’s motion to which the Town was responding, was disapointed by the Town’s response. Barrick called it “nothing more than a PR stunt and an arrogant attempt at further distraction. The fact remains that the Pelham Mayor and Council still have not provided the information that Regional Council and Pelham residents have requested and continue to request.” “Those who have nothing to hide,” he said, “hide nothing. We’re still waiting."
James Lane appointed to Town Council Three-time appointee fills Ward 1 seat vacated by Marv Junkin BY VOICE STAFF James Lane was officially appointed to Council last Monday night, filling the Ward 1 seat left vacant after Marvin Junkin’s resignation in early November. Lane had previously been appointed twice to fill vacancies on Council, in both 2008 and 2013. Following his appointment, Lane told the Voice that he was happy to have returned to Council and is looking forward to the year ahead. “I’ve been following what’s been happening, and I know the issues in Ward One, and I’ve been somewhat active, so I’m not a bit alarmed about stepping in and getting up to speed,” he said. “To be honest, I haven’t heard of any pressing issues in Ward One, other than the road closure on Poth Street, under the radar,” Lane continued, saying that he’d not yet had a chance to inquire further about the culvert replacement on Poth. “It’s been pretty quiet out here—there’s other
issues that have been taking more focus,” he said, referring to the ongoing scrutiny of Town finances. “ I’ve been following what’s going on, but I know no more that anyone else does at this point in time.” Lane has been an outside observer of the proceedings up until now, but from this point forward will be an active participant. “We’ll have to see how it unfolds. I went to the meeting, I thought that the information’s been out there. But it’s too early for me to make too many comments. I know no more than the average person,” he said. “The Community Centre is being built, and it’s going to be completed, and we’ll go from there. We’re going to pay for it— at the end of the day, it’s going to be paid for, and I believe things are going to work out fine,” he said. Lane added that he has yet to have his orientation with Town Hall.
Lane is sworn in by Clerk Nancy Bozzato. Lane ran for the Ward 1 seat in three consecutive elections, and a by-election, finishing one spot out each time. In the 2006 election, Lane finished third in Ward 1, then found himself appointed to the seat when Councillor Malcolm Allen resigned to serve as Welland’s Member of Parliament. In the 2010 election, Lane finished third behind Debbie Urbanowicz and Larry Clark. When Urbanowicz resigned in 2011, Lane finished sec-
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VOICE PHOTO
ond to Richard Rybiak in the by-election to fill her seat. In 2013, Clark resigned and moved away, and Lane was once again appointed to the seat. In the 2014 election, Lane made it a four-peat, again finishing one spot out, this time behind Rybiak and Junkin. Once again he finds himself about to represent Ward 1 without having been elected to do so. Lane, who lives in Fenwick and is in his early 70s, is a retired factory manager.
Otherwise the process is useless and we will never get beyond the complete inadequacy of how the circumstances were handled. I would also add that how we demonstrate our attitude and regard for freedom of speech every day and in every interaction, of which some are quite simple, must also be transparent, or the spirit supporting the policy and procedure will have no substance, no truth to it. Those with the power who are privileged to serve will always carry the responsibility to respond to the media. I am very glad with the sincere apologies that have been extended to Bill Sawchuk and look forward to seeing him again at the table along with bloggers and others who bring their perspectives to the public forum. In closing, the most important principle for me in all these things is that we never attack the individual but go hard on the issue, and I hope this is where all of our chatter over the past few days is going. Tony Quirk If a deliberate attempt was being made to surreptitiously record the closed session that would have contravened the Criminal Code of Canada. Given the seriousness of that potential act, I believe that staff acted appropriately in trying to ensure that no such recording was made. Unfortunately, there was no specific policy to follow because such a blatant or flagrant attempt to circumvent the confidentiality of closed session had not been contemplated by Council or staff. However, it underscores the need for greater clarity in our rules and procedures. Sandy Annunziata A device was concealed under a hat. It was on the recording mode and was recording. That device was six inches away from another device, an open and turned on laptop. So we have a concealed recording device at the media table, recording a closed session meeting. (That point seems to get lost in the Standard’s coverage). Councillor Augustyn made the suggestion that staff call police. I was focused on the in-camera session and can't comment on what transpired in the hall. Serena Volpatti Freedom of the press is a bulwark of our democracy. Not allowing a free press to cover our meetings, and all media coverage for that matter, is not acceptable. However, we had a situation last Thursday evening, at our Council meeting, where we found it necessary to go in camera to discuss information about an identifiable individual, and to hear legal advice about this individual. This discussion was confidential and fully supported by the Municipal Act as being confidential in nature. At the outset of the in camera portion, after everyone who was not authorized had left the chamber, one of our Council members who was passing by the media desk, noticed that reporters had left their electronic devices, and that some of these devices were on. Indeed, the clerk who went to the desk immediately to investigate, saw that there was a recording device on, and also that the other devices were on and
could have been recording. The decision was made by our CAO to confiscate all of the equipment temporarily so that we could continue with the meeting. I don't think that anybody knew whose equipment was whose, etc. There had been three reporters at that desk before the doors were closed.
A device was concealed under a hat. It was on the recording mode and was recording.
I do know that the recording device which was on has been turned over to the NRP. It is really unfortunate that all the devices had to be seized, but no one really knew whose was which, and whose was actually recording. I also know that the devices which were not recording were returned to their owners as soon as possible. Obviously, we need better protocols about the leaving of electronic devices when we are dealing with in camera situations. Freedom of the press, and of all media, is critical to our democracy, albeit with certain limitations. Walter Sendzik Via Facebook While Council was justifiably concerned about the discovery of a recording device located underneath a hat at the media table that was at the time of discovery found to be recording the in-camera discussion about an identifiable person, Council did not direct staff to locate and remove Mr. Sawchuk. The recording device was not the property of Mr. Sawchuk. As a member of Regional Council, I am disappointed by how Mr. Sawchuk was treated. In the confusion of the other recording device that was found to be recording the in-camera Council discussion, it was understood that staff were going to request that Mr. Sawchuk show that his computer was not recording any of the in-camera discussion. How it turned into staff refusing to give back Mr. Sawchuk’s computer and why he was asked to the leave the building is beyond comprehension. I believe strongly that freedom of the press is a fundamental principle of democracy. While government has the ability to go in-camera for very specifics reasons as regulated by law, I don’t believe government should have the right to seize property of the media or remove reporters from government offices. I believe Regional staff greatly mishandled this situation, and as a Regional Councillor I will request actions to be taken to ensure this never happens again. This is a stain on our image as a Region. Simple apologies are not enough— we need to ensure that the CAO of the Region of Niagara and support staff are held to account for this, and policies and procedures are adopted to prevent such egregious mistakes from ever being made again.
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
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Offer valid for a limited time only. Customers can receive up to $1,500 in total Holiday Bonus incentives with the application of a GM Card. Total incentives consist of manufacturer-to-dealer credits (tax-exclusive) and the GM Card Application Bonus (tax-inclusive). GM Card Application Bonus applies to individuals who apply for a Scotiabank ® GM ® Visa* Card or current Scotiabank ® GM ® Visa* Cardholders. Credit value depends on model purchased. This offer may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives. Conditions and limitations apply. Void where prohibited. See Dealer for full program details. GM Canada reserves the right to amend or terminate offers for any reason in whole or in part at any time without prior notice. <GMC Holiday > total value valid toward the retail purchase or lease of one eligible new 2017 or 2018 model year <GMC> delivered in Canada between December 1 – January 2, 2018. Total Value consists of $500 manufacturer-to-dealer Holiday Bonus (tax exclusive) delivery credit and manufacturer-to-consumer GM Card Application Bonus (offer applies to individuals who apply for a Scotiabank ® GM ® Visa* Card [GM Card] or current GM Card cardholders) (tax inclusive). GM Card Application Bonus credit value depends on model purchased: $500 GM Card Bonus on new 2018 Terrain, $750 GM Card Bonus on new 2017 Terrain, Canyon (excluding 2SA), Acadia, Savana, $1,000 GM Card Bonus on new 2017 & 2018 Yukon, Yukon XL, Sierra LD & HD. As part of the transaction, dealer may request documentation and contact General Motors of Canada Company (GM Canada) to verify eligibility. $500 Holiday Bonus is applied against eligible 2017 & 2018 MY vehicles purchased during the program period. 2017 & 2018 MY vehicles not eligible for this offer are: exclusions outlined under GM Card Bonuses above, Spark, BOLT EV and all Cadillac models. This offer may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives. Certain limitations or conditions apply. Void where prohibited. See your GM Canada dealer for details. GM Canada reserves the right to amend or terminate offers for any reason in whole or in part at any time without prior notice. Void where prohibited. See dealer for details. (Lease) Eligible 2018 GMC Sierra Double Cab Elevation Edition: Lease based on suggested retail price of $45,550, includes, $1,000 manufacturer-to-consumer GM Card Application Bonus (offer applies to individuals who apply for a Scotiabank GM Visa Card [GM Card] or current GM Card cardholders) (tax inclusive) and a manufacturer-to-dealer $500 Holiday Bonus (tax exclusive) towards the retail cash purchase, finance or lease for an eligible new 2018 Sierra Double Cab Elevation Edition at participating dealers. Bi-weekly payment is $199 for 48 months at 2.9% interest rate for 48 months on approved credit to qualified retail customers by GM Financial. $3,200 down payment is required. Total obligation is $23,894, plus applicable taxes. Taxes, license, insurance, registration and applicable fees, levies, duties and, except in Quebec, dealer fees (all of which may vary by dealer and region) are extra. Option to purchase at lease end is $20,533. See dealer for details. Discounts vary by model. Dealer may sell for less. Limited time offer, which may not be combined with certain other offers. General Motors of Canada Company may modify, extend or terminate offers in whole or in part at any time without notice. Conditions and limitations apply. Offers may not be redeemed for cash and may not combined with certain other consumer incentives. ®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. 2017 Acadia SLE-1 AWD Total Value $6,250. Limited time offer available to qualified retail customers in Canada. $6,250 Total Value is a combined total credit for finance purchases on select 2017 Acadia SLE-1 AWD; includes: $5,000 non-stackable manufacturer to dealer cash credit (tax exclusive), $500 manufacturer-to-dealer Holiday Bonus (tax exclusive), $750 GM card application bonus (this offer applies to individuals who have applied for the Scotiabank ® GM ® Visa* Card [GM card] and to current Scotiabank ® GM ® Visa* Cardholders) (taxes included). (Lease) Eligible 2018 GMC Terrain SLE FWD: Lease based on suggested retail price of $32,040, includes $500 manufacturer-to-consumer GM Card Application Bonus (offer applies to individuals who apply for a Scotiabank GM Visa Card [GM Card] or current GM Card cardholders) (tax inclusive) and a manufacturer-to-dealer $500 Holiday Bonus (tax exclusive) towards the retail cash purchase, finance or lease for an eligible new 2018 GMC Terrain SLE FWD at participating dealers. Bi-weekly payment is $159 for 48 months at 0.9% interest rate for 48 months on approved credit to qualified retail customers by GM Financial. $1,500 down payment is required. Total obligation is $18,076, plus applicable taxes. Taxes, license, insurance, registration and applicable fees, levies, duties and, except in Quebec, dealer fees (all of which may vary by dealer and region) are extra. Option to purchase at lease end is $13,799. See dealer for details. Discounts vary by model. Dealer may sell for less. Limited time offer, which may not be combined with certain other offers. General Motors of Canada Company may modify, extend or terminate offers in whole or in part at any time without notice. Conditions and limitations apply. Offers may not be redeemed for cash and may not combined with certain other consumer incentives. ®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia.
Page 8
The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
NIAGARA HEALTH EMPLOYEES RAISE $78,714 FOR UNITED WAY Compassion, optimism and a commitment to achieving ambitious results. All of these things have proven to be key components of another successful employee-giving campaign. Niagara Health employees raised $78,714 during its United Way Workplace campaign in October. In addition to one-time donations and payroll deductions, staff placed change jars on their units and purchased “A Healthier Niagara Starts Here” T-shirts to wear on Dress Down Fridays to show their support. A highlight was a Gift Card Mania Draw that was held on the last day of the cam-
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The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
Page 9
TOWN OF PELHAM FORENSIC AUDITS: Unanswered questions
Nearly two weeks on, audits still not released BY VOICE STAFF Following the KPMG and Town presentations on November 29, the Voice sent a series of follow-up questions to the Town, to the accounting firms KPMG and Deloitte, and to Daniel LLP, the Town’s legal firm. KPMG and Daniel LLP have not responded to or acknowledged the Voice’s inquiries. On official stationary, Deloitte sent a letter saying that it would not discuss confidential information without “proper cause and specific authority.” When asked whether the Town would grant Deloitte this authority, Mayor Augustyn said, “Given the response from Deloitte, only Council would have the authority” to approve the request. (In a meeting on November 6, Augustyn suggested that the Voice direct questions about Pelham’s financial statements to Deloitte.) This leaves the Town. Questions sent to Treasurer Teresa Quinlin and CAO Darren Ottaway were ignored, and a resubmission (and reminder) to the Town’s Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald elicited only, “I anticipate the KPMG report will yield the answers you’re looking for.” As of press time, nearly two weeks after KPMG’s presentation of what were said to be the results of its audits, the audits themselves had still not been released. What follows are important open questions that need to be answered.
Where did the Town acquire the $3 million used to buy out development credits from Fonthill Gardens in 2016? Why did the Town not choose to buy all 8.9 acres of the land in 2015, for just $1.7 million, only to buy just 3.3 acres of that land a year later for over $3 million? Councillor Peter Papp has said that this transaction was not ideal. After the presentations on November 29, a resident approached Papp and said, “They negotiated like you’re idiots. You could have bought that whole property, kept that little bit, and then sold it.” “That one was not well-handled,” replied Papp. “You’re not kidding,” the resident said. “No, I’m not kidding,” said Papp. “I can’t comment—it’s part of another situation…Could it have been done better? Yes. Absolutely. So, we move on." Accounting entry: Was the accounting journal entry recording a revenue amount for "Contributed Assets of a Developer" and a related Accounts Receivable an appropriate journal entry given that the Town paid Fair Market Value consideration for the land? After the agreement with Fonthill Gardens, the Town added the cost of the land to fixed assets, and its payment of the cash and credits were recorded as offsetting figures. But the Town also recorded a second entry that shows that Fonthill Gardens provided the land without compensation.
An accounting expert consulted by the Voice said, “They are really recording the Parkland Cash In Lieu fees they hope to collect from a large number of new houses to be built throughout the Town. These are not payable until the builders apply for a building permit. This will take a number of years.” The amount that builders will be required to pay could not have been calculated, since it is a percentage of the lot value when the building permits are issued. “I think it is inappropriate to book such an entry,” the source said. “If the real estate market stays hot it could still take four or five years or more to collect these amounts. If the market tanks, it could take ten years or more to collect them—that’s why they should only record them when the building permit has been issued and they are collected.” The expert told the Voice that “this entry likely improved a number of their ratios that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs is looking at for 2016 and later years. It also made it look like they had a big surplus for 2016, when they really likely did not. It increased the assets and revenue by one lump sum amount instead of what likely should be done—record them as an increase in cash and booking of revenue over a large number of future years.” Replenishment risk: A full analysis of the risk involved in the Town’s current plan to replenish the reserves raided and spent on
...we can't run a five or six hundred thousand dollar debt every year
capital projects is required. During her presentation, Town Treasurer Teresa Quinlin was asked by a resident if property taxes were going to increase. Quinlin gave a little laugh, said “Okay,” and ignored the question. Much of the financial plan presented by Quinlin involved the Town acquiring funds through development charges and property taxes from new homes. After the meeting, Councillor Papp said, “We hope that the construction out there is rapid. And, I hate to say it from my old healthcare days, if we can fill the beds, fill the homes, get the taxes.” Papp acknowledged that the cooling of the real estate market could adversely affect this plan. “It could happen. If people don’t come here, and they can’t afford the housing—sure the developer’s buying, but it sits vacant. I went through that in 1983 when I moved here.” Papp said that other municipalities have made investments on future developments charges, “but
sometimes you can never catch up. Always the risk is that if the development never came, you’re stuck.” During discussion over the Community Centre plan in 2016, Papp voted against the immediate construction of a twin-pad arena, a position he continued to stand by on November 29. “We should have staged it. I said to them specifically, hold off, because other communities like Ancaster had waited until everything had been filled in.” Operating costs: During the same November 29 interview, Papp also raised concerns about the operating costs of the community centre. “If there was no debt on the Community Centre right now, if they gave you a cheque and paid for it, my biggest concern is the operating cost,” he said. Independent analysis of projected operating costs done for the Voice by an accountant indicate that the $200,000 yearly estimate is likely understated. Papp’s comments indicated that he too thought that operating the facility could prove to be a financial burden. When asked about the implications of the emptied reserves, he said, “One is, you hate the cliche, but tighten up the belt….if you can’t operate two arenas, then you operate one. And other communities have done that. They’ve come to a point where they say, you know, we can’t run a five or six hundred thousand debt every year.”
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Page 10
The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Mr. Claus arrives to enjoy his parade in Fenwick BY SAMUEL PICCOLO
S
The VOICE
anta Claus was towed into downtown Fenwick on Saturday. Having substituted his reindeer for an elf on an ATV, Mr. Claus came rolling in at the end of the annual Fenwick Santa Claus parade. Organized by the “Fabulous” Fenwick Lions, the parade moved down Canboro Road in the early afternoon, passing by hundreds of residents lining the street. Some sat on lawn chairs closer to the parade’s origins at Balfour Street, but the majority congregated in the downtown.
Just before the hour, a father walked with his daughter toward the shops, answering her questions about holidays. “Christmas isn’t a religious holiday for everyone,” he said. “But most people still celebrate it.” “What about Easter?” she asked him. “Easter is a religious holiday too,” he said. “And St. Patrick’s Day?” “No, St. Patrick’s Day is a time for Irish people to party,” he said, smiling. “And drink beer. Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.” While they waited downtown, the two could have picked up free hot chocolate at Friday’s Child, the vintage shop that had its door open. Inside, owner Spencer Burton and his wife, Baillie Maxwell, bantered with the line-up as they waited for the kettle to boil. “We haven’t had any of it yet,” said Bur-
ton as he handed the freshly made cups to those in line. “So it might taste mostly like water. Or it might be heavy on the chocolate. Either way, there are a bunch of marshmallows in there.” As one girl left with her cup in hand, Burton called after her. “Do you want this candy cane to put in your hot chocolate?” She returned to take it from him, and said thank you. “The plastic’s still on it thought,” said Burton. “So make sure you take it off before you put that in your cup.” Maxwell said that they’d had the store open last year, but didn’t hand out hot chocolate. “This year we knew so many kids were coming, so we thought that we’d have it here for them,” she said. Once the parade’s floats started to appear out of the window, both Burton and
Maxwell abandoned the hot chocolate station and joined their own children outside to watch. They—and everyone else—were met by several formidable blasts from the fire trucks heading the charge. The trucks were followed by the reliable floats: the Lions and their collection of cartoon characters, a police contingency with the Grinch in Whoville Jail, MP Dean Allison and his accompanying car plastered with cardboard cut-outs of Parliament’s Centre Block. MPP Sam Oosterhoff was present, too, bounding around with an armful of candy, shaking hands as he went. The horse-drawn carriage typically occupied by the “Mayor of Fenwick,” Gary Chambers, was this year taken up by Mayor Augustyn and the rest of Council. At times, traffic at the end of the route slowed up floats further back, and at one point Chambers walked into the middle of
the road to have a chat with the driver of an antique pick-up truck. Toward the end of the parade came the less conventional participants. “Rural Internet Access” had a car, and Revel Realty made a nutritional choice and handed out clementine oranges instead of candy. Popeye the Good News Man, who has long ridden in the parade on a float for Transport for Christ, sailed in on his boat float near the parade’s end. His presence as inexplicable as ever, Popeye was still clearly a crowd favourite, posing gamely for the crowd and biting down on his pipe. E.L. Crossley’s marching band led in Mr. Claus, who was without Mrs. Claus this year. He made up for her absence by waving with both hands, jingling bells in one of them, calling to all who would listen, “Merry Christmas.”
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Top left: There was no confusing the parade’s Tim Horton’s float for anything else on Saturday. Top right: Sam’s car, Dean’s cardboard. MP Dean Allison’s mock-up of Centre Block was affixed to the sides of a car with MPP Sam Oosterhoff’s decals. The two walked side-byside in the parade, waving to the crowd. Center right: Looks like the heat was on in there: Agape Valley’s tractor operator and his little helper wave to the crowd. Right: Pelham Beavers had an extra layer to keep them warm on the frosty day. Far right: It wasn’t too cold for some clowning around during the parade. More photos next page SAMUEL PICCOLO PHOTOS
The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
Page 11
The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Top left: A prop or a person, hard to say. Top right: A year later, and the Grinch is still in jail. Bottom left: E.L Crossley’s marching band plays in Santa Claus. Above: Popeye the Good News Man (aka Deene Kornechuk) poses for the crowd as he steers his boat. Opposite page, top: Agape Valley sugar bush had a tractor-pulled wagon in near the parade’s beginning. Bottom left: The Pelham Area Girl Guide group carried their flags down Canboro Road. Bottom right: Steel drummers added a Caribbean flair to the conventional Christmas music along the parade route.
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The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
Page 13
SAMUEL PICCOLO PHOTOS
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The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Rural routeman John Phillips of Osgoode, Ont., delivers farm mail from the Vernon, Ont., Post Office. April, 1947. CHRIS LUND PHOTO
Pelham's rural mailmen
PELHAM
Pieces From Our Past
BY DOROTHY RUNGELING
Special to the VOICE
In the 1920s, the rural mailman was still driving a horse and buggy on his mail route. The mail train arrived at Fenwick station at 10:15 AM and a familiar sight in the village was that of Alan VanAlstine pushing a two-wheeled cart down the street to the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo (TH&B) railway station to meet the mail train. The bags of mail were piled on the cart and he pushed it back to the post office, a half mile distant. Here Frank Tunnacliffe, the postmaster, stamped all the arriving mail by hand and it was sorted and each mailman set out on his route.
Our mailman for Rural Route 5 was Harry Elliott, a World War I veteran. You could almost set the clock by his arrival each day and it took a lot of bad weather to stop him. A buggy behind the horse in summer and a cutter with lots of robes to keep warm in the winter always saw the mail through. Getting the mail was always a highlight, even though it happened every day but Sunday. There was always an air of mystery about it and during the quarter-mile walk from the house to our mailbox, one could See MAILMEN Page 19
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The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
Page 15
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Pay $11.60/hour, 40-60 hours per week, must have own PELHAM LIBRARY CARD MAKING WORKSHOP Looking for seasonal/ transportation, must be able Putting on an event? full time help. Applicant Make six cards with fall a variety of techniques. Materials tothemes, handle 50learning lbs. comfortably, must be able to work Tell the town! working in rural area outdoors min. hours/week are40-60 provided. At time ofall registration, please enquire about tools needed. Community Event Classified weather conditions. Planting, in any weather condiads are available in blocks Tues., Sept. 16 10 – 12:30. $10.irrigating Pleasecrops register Visit www.pelhamcultivating, and ahead. tions and weekends. of 30 words, including hoeing crops strawberries and Lifting 50 lbs com-or call 905-892-6443 library.on.ca for more details. apples. Apply in person, 1367 headline for $8.85 + HST. fortably is required. Balfour Street, Fenwick Ontario Jobs included pruning, Ad booking and payment 10 – 5, Monday – Friday Planting trees, thinning deadline is Thursday Noon FABULOUS FENWICKfrom LIONS FISH FRY and harvesting fruit, to week of publication. Tastyand treats with funds heading straightMILL back into theprior community. Haddock, packing sorting CUSTOM Payment may be made over fruit.No Experience french fries and much more. Runs Sept. 9 from 4-7 p.m. the phone by credit card, Portable sawmill service. I will required. Must have or in person at our office by come to your home or farm and own transportation. Min custom mill your logs. Firewood cash or check. wage $11.60/hour. PELHAM MINOR HOCKEY EQUIPMENT & lumber also available.SALE Call Please drop resume Thanks for supporting Patterson,at905-401-4948 offBuy, at 825sell Canboro Rd, used Rob or trade equipment the Pelham Arena. Aimed to provide riverwood@primus.ca. your Voice! Fenwick Ontario L0S
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WALKING CLUB Interested walking in Pelham? JoinEvents them Tuesdays at the Pelham Arena Places of inWorship and from 9-10 am and Thursdays at Fonthill Bandshell for 9-10:30 am. There First Presbyterian Tidings Church of God please contact jcook@ Pelham Evangelical Friends Church is no Church fee for this program. For Glad more information, 602 Metler Rd., Fenwick 1 Pancake Lane, Fonthill 940 Haist St., Fonthill pelham.ca or call 905 892-2607, ext 329. Fonthill Baptist Church 1414 Pelham St., Fonthill
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HAMPER DAY FOR PELHAM CARES Kirk on the Hill Presbyterian Church St. Alexander’s Roman Catholic Church 1344 Fonthill or bring a non-perishable 50 Pelham Town Sq., Fonthill Purchase fresh fruit and vegetables atHaist theSt.,Market foodChurch item to fill the hampers at the Pelham Farmers Fonthill United Pelham Community Church Market on Sept. 4. St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church
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The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
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LOOKOUT RIDGE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY TRAINING OPPORTUNITY We are currently accepting registrations for our CARE WORKER CERTIFICATION course, which could lead to possible employment with our facility. The course content includes learning how to assist the elderly with daily care needs. Applicants should possess good customer service skills as well as enjoy working with seniors. Please send RESUME to the attention of: CWC Course. FAX: 905-892-9488 E-mail: lindsayrandall@lookoutridge.ca
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Keeping libraries sustainable BY KIRK WEAVER
CEO Pelham Library
Recently the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL) and the Ontario Library Association (OLA) held a Library Day at Queens Park. This was an opportunity to meet with key cabinet ministers and senior staff to highlight the importance of libraries in Ontario. Some key facts from the material used are worth sharing here. Every year 4.2 million people of all ages access 242,000 programs through their local public library. Libraries support education by providing students with access to cutting edge digital resources, assisting in developing critical literacy skills Libraries support the reduction of poverty impacts by providing access to community resources and supports, and give children the chance to participate in programming delivered by passionate library staff. Libraries foster economic development by providing job skills programing and resources. They also provide space for entrepreneurs to launch
businesses. Libraries are consistently ranked among Ontario’s most trusted institutions. Given the significant and widespread positive impact libraries have on communities, it is critical that there is a sustainable and consistent funding model to ensure continuation of these important services. Public libraries receive the majority of their funding from the local municipality. In Pelham, the Library Board presents a budget annually for Town Council to consider. While we don’t always get everything we request, in general, Town Council provides incremental cost increases to help us meet the needs of the community. The same cannot be said for the provincial funding model. Each year, the province provides a $33 million operating grant which is divided between all public libraries in Ontario. While this seems like a large number, when spread out over all the li-
braries in the province, Pelham’s share is just over $23,000. This figure has not changed since cutbacks were made in 1996. This has meant that local taxpayers have been contributing an increasing percentage of the funds required to deliver the important community benefits noted above for over 20 years. During this time, the province has also offered periodic grant programs. While these are helpful in the short term, they do not offer long term certainty of continuation once the grant period runs out. This is not a sustainable model. In advance of the next provincial budget in 2018 the OLA and FOPL will be making a push for additional and predictable provincial funds to be invested in libraries. We welcome your support in this effort. We encourage you to share the importance of the library in the community with your local provincial and municipal representatives.
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COLUMN SIX continued from Page 1 He had worse news of his own. His 18-year-old daughter, Catherine, had died in a hiking accident in Denmark a fortnight earlier. She was stepping across a makeshift footbridge over a shallow creek when a loose plank came loose, causing her to fall and strike her head on a rock. She never regained consciousness. I couldn’t find any words to say, despite being an English major, and so Dr. Wilders took over. “Let’s play some squash,” he said. “And then we can talk about your thesis.” He dominated the court that afternoon, smacking the ball with deadly accuracy, and sending me all over the floor to retrieve his shots. He won every game. After our match, we sat in his study and sipped our gin and tonic. He spoke quietly about his family’s grief—his wife’s, his young son’s, his own. He smiled when he mentioned that on the day he and his wife were informed of their daughter’s fatal accident, a letter addressed to Miss Catherine Wilders arrived at their house. It was from the University of York, congratulating her on being awarded a scholarship to read English. Was his smile a tip of the hat to life and death getting up to their usual tricks? I didn’t ask. Maybe he was just proud of her. I wanted to ask if he was angry with God, because I’ve always wondered about God since the time my brother, Michael, aged seven, died of brain cancer. Being only five at the time I was too young to know what it all meant, and I still didn’t know.
I didn’t have to ask him about God, because Dr. Wilders went on to say that he had turned to Shakespeare, not God, to find a shred of meaning in his daughter’s senseless death. To summon the strength to speak at her funeral, he had re-read King Lear, always his favourite, he said, and now his lifeline. The only way he could survive his personal wheel of fire, and find some way to carry his family through the ordeal, was to experience all over again the senile king coming to terms with the sudden death of his youngest daughter who had never given up on him despite being banished by his stupid decree. "Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, and thou no breath at all?" the aggrieved king murmurs to Cordelia, as he holds her lifeless body in his arms and kisses her stone-cold face. Listening to Dr. Wilders I came to realize that he had found in a fictional character who was every inch a King, now reduced to Everyman, a match for his own profound grief. My professor recited Lear’s words. Thou wilt come no more. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. “And that’s been my comfort,” Dr. Wilders said. “Now tell me about your thesis.” Today, I’m older than Dr. Wilders was then, and with the scars of my own share of life’s knocks, I’ve come to understand what he was telling me. He took comfort in knowing, maybe for the first time, that death comes to us all, even kings, in many different ways, and when it does we lessen our pain by grasping just that—it comes to us all. We still lack the technology, even in a time
The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017 when technology has all the answers, to stop death happening or to make it go away. A wise man named Bernard Levin wrote something, way back then, when computers were just a speck on the horizon: Although the microelectronic technological revolution may usher in a paradise upon earth, it will usher it in with the serpent already in residence. The silicon chip will transform everything, except everything that matters, and the rest will still be up to us. “Give words to grief,” counsels a nobleman, observing the King on his knees. And Lear finds words that say it all. The greeting card industry supplies us with words for all occasions—births, marriages, anniversaries and deaths. And at other times we find ourselves saying there are no words. It’s a common refrain on social media. But we must have words. Without words to express our feelings, we turn and face a wall of incomprehension. Dr. Wilders found the words he needed in Shakespeare’s grieving monarch. The Bard himself is hardly flavour of the month now, though he was never an easy gig. Today, however, he carries a “trigger warning.” Red flags appear next to his name on university course lists— Shakespeare will be spoken during this class, students are cautioned. When did this happen? At what point did a writer whose understanding of the human heart offered a flotation device to the afflicted when the unthinkable happened and torpedoed their lives, a writer who drew a bead on the selfishness, greed and cruelty that fuel man’s inhumanity to man—when exactly did this writer, and others like him, become
Page 17 best teachers said, quite to the contrary, that if I couldn’t engage my emotional response I would never grasp the work. Is this perhaps why, in a postmodern classroom or lecture hall, the literary canon is required to carry the banderillas of the bullring—flags to caution the student that their feelings might be engaged, tested and challenged? I don’t know. We live in sloganized times. I only remember being taught literature in a way that explained my emotional life to me and helped me get closer to understanding myself. And I remember Dr. Wilders’ invaluable example whenever I need a King Lear to help me weather the storm.
But we must have words. Without words to express our feelings, we turn and face a wall of incomprehension
triggers of trauma? Maybe it all began when the justice crusaders in academe surgically removed feeling from the study of literature and replaced it with a politicized agenda. I recently read, in a Cambridge university professor’s otherwise reasonable defense of trigger warn-
ings for the susceptible, that literary criticism is a discipline that can train students to suspend emotional response and apply analytical skills to that response so they can better understand it. I never had a teacher who asked me to suspend my emotional response. The
Charlie is wishing all his friends, two-legged and four-legged, a very good Christmas.
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The Comfort Maple myth
Request made of community still peeved at name change
See DSBN Page 9
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BALLOONING INTEREST Grade 6 student Jinja Shepherd explains her experiment on static electricity at the Glynn A. Green Public School's annual science fair last Friday. See story, page 3. NATE SMELLE PHOTO
Public meeting tonight on school issues BY VOICE STAFF As questions continue to mount regarding an email that Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn quietly sent to a District School Board of Niagara trustee last summer, Augustyn has agreed to address the issue at a public meeting scheduled for this evening, Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Fenwick. Nancy Beamer, speaking for “Names Matter,” a Pelham citizens group lobbying the DSBN to reverse its decision to rename a local public school, confirms that the meeting will be held at Fire Station #2, known locally as the Fenwick Fire Hall, starting at 7:00 PM. While the Mayor has agreed to ap-
Under pressure, Mayor to address email revelation, other E. W. Farr matters pear, says Beamer, DSBN officials associated with the school-naming process have either declined to attend or have not yet responded to the group’s invitation. DSBN Chair, Dale Robinson, to whom Augustyn’s email was addressed last June, has declined to appear, says Beamer, asserting that she would be
“on holidays.” The Voice was unable to independently confirm Robinsion’s intentions. She did not respond to repeated requests for comment on E.W. Farr-related matters before presstime. Beamer, whose group maintains an email list of some 580 residents, says that all members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting. “We would especially welcome parents and children who are unhappy with the name change,” she says, referring to the contentious decision by the DSBN to consolidate two Pelham See MEETING back page
HEN I WAS young, my father and I would go for long drives along the rural routes of Pelham. We’d blast George Thurgood and roll down the windows because we loved the smell of the breeze, the sensation of crisp Niagara wind beating our cheeks and tangling our hair against our summer-kissed skin. My father was not a sentimental man. He worked in factories and had a Gordon Lightfoot mustache and never shed tears over injuries. Yet something about the Pelham landscape, the hilly backdrop to his childhood and the childhoods of our ancestors, drew him in. He’d stop by a farm or a gathering of woods and, surrendering his manly veneer, tell me a story about the town. This place is precious. This is the earth that granted us life. Here is the place where we happened upon love or here is a site of devastation. On one particular drive sometime in the late ‘90s we stopped at a tree with a plaque. “This tree looks dead,” I said to my father. “It sure is getting there, Julie.” The Comfort Maple is supposedly Canada’s oldest See COLUMN SIX Page 14
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Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER
Special to the VOICE
A
Repair measures underway last week to correct a construction error in the chicane. truck or an ambulance?” he said. While waiting for the contractor to return to fix
the mistake, the Town has taken measures to temporarily allow passage for vehicles through the neigh-
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 See CHICANE Page 5
Petition-inspired changes coming to 2017 Summerfest BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Representatives from the Pelham Summerfest committee Candy Ashbee and Bill Gibson presented council with a final report on the 2016 Summerfest at the Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 21. Prompted by a story in the Voice in August about a merchant petition to move Summerfest from Pelham Street, in September Town staff met with various stakeholders to hear their complaints, promising at the time that changes in the way Summerfest was mounted would be con-
sidered. The main concerns identified during the community engagement process were security, parking, ensuring customer can access all businesses in town, and liability for damages. How to get all Pelham Street businesses to participate and finding ways to make it beneficial for them to set up a booth were also determined to be of high priority for the committee as they plan for next year’s event. Gibson told Council that the committee is addressing these concerns in a variety of ways. To improve parking, they intend to create bet-
ter signage for out-of-town visitors to designated parking areas and shuttle services. To make participation in Summerfest more enticing to local businesses, they plan to implement a tiered-charge for booths. Under the new system, Pelham Street business owners will be charged the least, other local businesses will pay a slightly higher fee, and vendors from outside Pelham will pay the most. In response to more specific issues for individual businesses, they will also slightly alter the footprint of the event and make adjustments to security. Another way the committee plans
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to improve the 2017 Summerfest is by sponsoring and working with the organizers of the Thursday Night Bandshell Concert series to select the artist performing on the first night of Summefest. They also intend to make more use of the smartphone app they launched in 2016. "We are really going to push it this year," Ashbee said. “It really helps to get people to see what events there are so they can plan out where they are going. We will be able to actually help the merchants and local businesses ad-
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Column Six
Haist Street traffic-calming measure a little too effective A construction error was discovered following the opening of a traffic calming chicane on Haist Street north of Hwy 20 last Monday that prevented large vehicles from passing through. One resident living in the neighbourhood said he contacted the Town after seeing a small schoolbus get stuck as it tried to get through the new traffic calming measure. Later that day while driving behind a cement truck, he said that he became concerned for the public’s safety when the truck had to turn around because it couldn’t get through. “If a small school bus and a cement truck can’t make it through what about a fire
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Column Six
BY VOICE STAFF The District School Board of Niagara is requesting that the Town of Pelham cede a portion of Cherry Ridge Park for use as a soccer field to serve the students of the new Wellington Heights Public School, formerly the E. W. Farr Memorial Public School, in Fenwick. Currently under renovation and expansion, the new school will combine students and staff from the previous school and Pelham Centre, where classes are being held while construction continues. Two letters, containing virtually identical text but signed by different authorities, were sent last week to nearby residents of the park, as well as to parents of Pelham Centre students. “The DSBN is currently building onto Wellington Heights Public School on Alsop Drive,” states the letter. “The size of the school's addition means the existing small soccer field will be eliminated. The Town and the Board have been discussing the possibility of working together to create a field for both the school and the
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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
See CHANGES Page 5
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Wednesday October 12, 2016
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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.”
The VOICE
Joining their principal, Karen Simpson, at the Sept. 19 Council meeting as part of a delegation from EL Crossley Secondary School, students Abby Loewen and Neenah Williams presented Council with a list of reasons that they should immediately approve the construction of the new sidewalk proposed along Hwy. 20. The asphalt side-
walk/trail is slated to be built between the south side of the road from Timmsdale Crescent to the high school. Because of the large volume of motor vehicle traffic travelling at high speeds through this area, and because of the necessity for students to tread this path on a daily basis, many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later. After delivering to Council a petition containing
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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
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-
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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
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 SIDEWALK Page 2
See AUTUMN Page 3
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Page 18
The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
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The man behind the miniatures Paul Ryan's Christmas buildings take shape in his basement workshop, one structure at a time BY SAMUEL PICCOLO
The VOICE
Paul Ryan, who is 79 and lives in Fonthill, is often in his basement workshop, and was there last week. “I haven’t been told that it looks like Santa’s shop,” he said. “But I have been told that it’s a mess. It’s a good mess though.” Behind where Ryan was standing, his head barely clearing the low ceiling, was stacked a pile of wood pieces up to his shoulders, and two feet deep. On a table sat part of the train station that Ryan built for the Christmas display in Peace Park. The windows were without glass. “This is part of the NTS—Niagara, Toronto, St. Catharines—station,” he said. “I’m just repairing it now. Some kids busted the whole thing up, knocked off the shingles and everything. I’ve got the whole building in the garage and am fixing it bits at a time.” Ryan has been building miniature structures for the Peace Park display for 15 years. The arrangement is organized by the Rotary Club, not the Town, and Ryan said that he’s always been happy to help. “I’ve worked with all of the service clubs. But I’ve never joined any of them. I don’t like meetings, and I can’t sit still. I don’t take orders well, either, but I do like to work on stuff.” In addition to the miniatures, Ryan also assembles 500 “swags” each year, the pine boughs tied together with a red bow and affixed to hydro poles in Pelham. Over the past decade and a half, Ryan has built in miniature an Anglican Church, Sharpe’s and Klager’s Delis, the library, the bandshell, and Keith’s. “The closest I’ve got to doing this professionally was doing some work on houses going up,” he said. “I’m just a dumb dirt farmer.” Though Ryan, who also cut meat at both Sharpe’s and Klager’s, may be self-effacing, the sophistication of
his work makes it clear that he is not “just” anything. “When I was a kid, I had a neighbour called Dick Leavens. He was a carpenter, a blacksmith, and everything else. If I was good, he would let me come over and teach me—he taught me how to cut wood and temper steel. If he caught me running in my mother’s garden chasing a baseball, he wouldn’t let me come over for a week.” What Ryan learned from his neighbour more than six decades ago has remained with him his whole life. “I was taught to always be able to do things with my hands,” he said. When his kids were young he built toys for them—wooden trains and planes—and afterwards he made hundreds of the toys for the Pelham Fire Department’s toy drive. (Ryan was once a volunteer firefighter in Fonthill.) “Kids now are not taught to work with their hands,” he said. “So they do this.” He mimed holding a phone and texting furiously. He blamed this lack of handiness for the vandalism of his Peace Park displays. “They’ve been set on fire before, too. There are cameras, but they don’t have any film in them, I guess. If they tried to catch them, then they’d have to write up a report. But it’s too bad, because it always happens. It’d be nice if the police could get on it,” he said. Ryan speculated also that he was busier as a kid, growing up in the ‘40s and ‘50s. “The only time that we’d be standing around town is if we were playing Kick the Can or Retrieval. All the rest of the time we were playing hockey or baseball in the street.” In the 1990s, Ryan was in a serious car accident and was left in severe pain. “I had to learn how to use power tools then, since with my shoulder I couldn’t push a planer.” Two years ago, he had a shoulder
Paul Ryan at work. replacement, and since then has acquired a second childhood. “It was the first time in decades that I could raise my arms above my head,” Ryan said. “I feel great.” He is certainly as busy as he ever was as a kid. This year, Ryan built 600 birdhouses for Habitat for Humanity. In addition to the miniatures and swags, Ryan also creates wreaths that he gives away to friends and family. “A lot of people help me out, so I like to give them a wreath back at Christmastime,” he said.
He looked at a half-finished wreath that was sitting nearby the NTS Station parts under repair. He kicked a piece of wood out of the way and picked it up. “We grow the holly here,” he said, pointing to the red berries. Most of Ryan’s other materials are donated, and the wood in particular comes from a window and door shop in Parry Sound, where Ryan has a cottage. “They throw it all away, but it’s not junk wood. I go in every Friday to pick it up. There’s cedar, walnut,
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The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
MAILMEN continued from Page 14 try to imagine what was waiting. There were always letters, since my mother was a great letter writer and had correspondents all over the continent. The arrival of Eaton’s catalogue was a momentous occasion. Days could be spent just looking at all the beautiful things in it and dreaming about the day when perhaps we could buy them. The day when a mail order from Eaton’s arrived was indeed a day to remember. More than likely the carton was much too large to go in the mailbox, so Mr. Elliott would simply hang it on the post, knowing that we would be eagerly watching for it and come out to claim it right away. One summer day I had walked across the fields to our mailbox a little earlier than usual. I knew the mail would not be there yet, but it was one of those lovely, lazy summer days when a child just likes to be out in the fields. The family cat had followed me, rubbing her whiskers on my legs every time I stopped to examine a flower or a bug. I opened the mailbox door, knowing full well that there was no mail yet, and then sat on the concrete bridge abutment to wait for its arrival. Sitting and waiting can be a dangerous thing for an 11-year-old child to do: something has to happen. Only a few minutes had passed when a fiendish plan evolved in my mind. I picked up the cat, put her in the mail box and shut the door. Then, being a tomboy, I climbed high into a nearby maple tree to watch the proceedings. After about 10 minutes (which must have seemed hours to the cat), Harry Elliott came into sight on Cream Street with his familiar horse and buggy. Rounding the corner onto Foss Road, he pulled up his horse, gathered up the
The day when a mail order from Eaton's arrived was indeed a day to remember Wetherald mail to be placed in our box and opened the door. Out flew a furry fury. She lit on the mailman’s head and with one quick glance, decided the easiest route to terra firma and freedom was via the horse’s back. One jump and she dug her claws into the horse as she tried to avoid slipping on his shiny coat. The horse, not about to stand still and take this kind of treatment, made a wild bolt and took off down the road at a full gallop with Mr. Elliott grabbing mail
bags with one hand and tugging at the reins with the other, vainly trying to get things under control. It was a good show. I just had to share it with Nan (my mother). After all, what experience is worth anything unless you can share it with someone else? She really should have put me over her knee and used the proverbial hairbrush but being Nan she didn’t. She no doubt admonished me, I really don’t remember. But I rather think that she was still young enough at heart to also think it was a good show. P.S. I don’t think we got our mail that day.
Page 19
OBITUARY
GALVIN, Kerry Richard 1940-2017
We sadly announce the peaceful passing of Kerry on Sunday, December 3, 2017 at the age of 77. He leaves his beloved wife Janet (Roberts), his daughter Christine (Galvin) Fulton of Fonthill; his son, Vince Galvin (Richard Belward), Fonthill; step-son, Hal Slominski and his wife Jill Slominski of Hong Kong; step-son, Mark Slominski of Waterdown; nine Grandchildren. Kerry will be forever remembered for his creative woodworking skills, an amazing handyman to all family and friends and his true love for sports, especially the Maple Leafs. Kerry was loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. www.smithsfh.com
We invite you to experience the joy of Christmas through music, scripture and community
Dorothy Wetherald Rungeling was born in 1911. She grew up in large farmhouse on Foss Road in Fenwick. Dorothy has written many articles and books on her life growing up in Pelham. She recently celebrated her 106th birthday. This article was originally published in 1978.
Spend the Christmas season with us! We’ve got a lot planned this December and you won’t want to miss it! Stay after the Service, enjoy a cup of coffee, and make new friends. Dec 9: “Star of Wonder” Children’s Musical - 3:30 pm Dec 10: Worship Service - 9:30 am plus “Star of Wonder” Children’s Musical - 11 am Dec 17: Worship Service - 9:30 am followed by Family Crafts & Pizza Lunch Dec 20: Wednesday Worship Service for Seniors - 2 pm
Dec 24th - Christmas Eve “ThE ChriSTMaS STory” Worship Service - 9:30 am Family Service - 4 pm Scripture & Song - 7 pm Dec 31st - “LET iT Go” Worship Service with Communion - 9:30 am Children’s Program every week Nursery care provided for 0-3 yrs.
Pelham Community Church 461 Canboro Road, Fenwick 905-892-5922 www.pelham.cc
Opening 2018
“
“
The new Pelham Community Centre will provide a much-needed space for all generations to come and celebrate our sports and cultural activities.
-Victoria Morrissey President, Pelham Minor Hockey Association
Learn more about this vibrant, innovative, and caring project by visiting:
www.pelham.ca/pcc
Page 20
The Voice of Pelham, December 13, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
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SEIZURES
will be reviewing its policy and protocols in order to prevent further incidents,” says the release. “As part of this review, the Region will be inviting local media to participate in this process.” Niagara Region said late last week that it had provided the second device to the Niagara Regional Police Service for investigation. The second device belonged to blogger Preston Haskell. Haskell has not responded to requests for comment. On his blog, Haskell posted an account of returning from the washroom to find that Council had gone into closed session while he was away, and while his personal belongings, including the recorder, were left in Council chambers. “It turned out that security had my hat, scarf, coat, camera and even the recorder pouch but no recorder,” wrote Haskell. “Dangling the recorder pouch in my face security asked if the recorder for the pouch was mine. I answered in the affirmative. He said it was too bad because it was confiscated and I wouldn’t be getting it back.” Voice reporter Samuel Piccolo, who had covered the meeting until it went into closed session, left the premises before the incident occurred. However, Piccolo recalls that those at the media table were told that they could leave their equipment in place while the in camera portion of the meeting was
continued from Page 1 seated throughout, except Sandy [Annunziata], who got up to find the hidden recorder and the opened and running laptop. Staff took over from there and no councillor ventured outside the chamber that I saw, so no councillor gave any other instruction nor knew what happened to the equipment nor the reporters.” Annunizata confirmed this account, saying, “There was no mention of police involvement until Councillor Augustyn made the suggestion.” On-site security and staff took possession of the two electronic devices from the area with the intention of turning them over to the police for investigation. After receiving assurances from the St. Catharines Standard’s legal counsel that their journalist, Bill Sawchuk, was not recording the closed session, the one device, his laptop computer, was returned. “Niagara Region apologizes for this inconvenience caused to Mr. Sawchuk,” says the release. Sawchuk has not responded to a request for comment, apart from confirming that he routinely leaves his equipment on the media table when short, closed-door sessions are called. “The Region takes this matter very seriously and
underway. In a separate news release, the Niagara Regional Police Service confirmed responding to a call from Regional Headquarters. “Our officers were called to Niagara Regional Headquarters on Thursday December 7, 2017 at 8:13 in regards to an unwanted male who was allegedly recording a confidential portion of council,” reads the release. “Due to call volume, we responded at 8:37.” Police say that Haskell left the premises prior to police arrival. However, while the officers were on scene, Sawchuk was also asked to leave the premise by Region staff. “Our officers had no interaction with him, nor did they seize his laptop, notes or any other property.” In the days following the incident it received national attention, with reports carried by the National Post, Toronto Star, and the CBC. The organization Canadian Journalists for Free Expression released a statement condemning the Region’s actions, saying, “The actions of Niagara Regional Council members and police are an outrageous assault on media rights, and evidence of a disturbing disregard for the role of the press in a democracy.” The group also expressed its support for Welland MPP Cindy Forster’s call for the Minister of Municipal Affairs to investigate the incident.
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