The Voice, December 22 2021

Pride benches stolen, then returned

DEBBIE PINE SALES REPRESENTATIVE 905.892.0222 NRC Realty, Brokerage

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SELL phone: 905-321-2261 www.pineSOLD.com

debbiepine@royallepage.ca

Many voices share their 2021 thoughts

page 9

Sulphur Spring reopens

The Voice Z

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

Independently Owned & Operated

page 3

of Pelham and Central Niagara

Vol.25 No.51 

DECEMBER 22 2021

Published every Wednesday

page 14

Darcy Richardson, CPA, CA | Broker

DARCYRICHARDSON.CA darcy@darcyrichardson.ca 905.321.6292

Column Six

A few flakes?

'Sno problem!

A time capsule on tap Thoughts of Christmases past spring from a forgotten relic

BY BILL ELUCHOK Special to the Voice

A

s she drives her car west past Haist Street along Highway 20, she has to strain to spot something she has noticed many times before — a remnant from the past, a thing that seems to no longer fit . . . an endearing time capsule.

Christmas is days away.

She steers the vehicle past the familiar enclave of commercial businesses that have sprung up over the years on both sides of the roadway where fruit orchards and farms once thrived. A retirement residence fills one corner of a block.

Gone are the majestic chestnut trees and maples that stood along the south side of the highway, gone now for so many years. They once provided summer shade for long-forgotten orchard workers — cherry pickers like herself, then a teenager

BRING IT ON! Undaunted by the cold, four-year-old Cora puts in some serious winter playtime hours.

FUNERAL HOME LTD. CREMATION & BURIAL SERVICES Formally James L Pedlar Funeral Home

1292 Pelham St, Fonthill, ON

Our family is blessed to live in a community that values legacy and fully appreciates good neighbours. So to all, we wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Festivus for the Rest of Us. Tina

D. HOANG

See COLUMN SIX Page 24

Page 2

The Voice

A December 22 2021

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

NRPS impaired driving charges ~

THE VOICE POLL RESULTS

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

by Dave Burket

Pace yourselves: There’s no need to rush through this week’s paper, which is our last of the year. We now go on a two-issue break, with our next edition coming out on January 12. So take it a few pages at a time here, make it stretch. There’s certainly enough meat to feed the hungriest of news appetites, not least of which comes in the form of essays and commentaries that look back at the last 12 months, and forward to the year ahead. Every single contribution is rewarding in its own way. I particularly draw your attention to relative newcomer Mike Breaton (p.9) and our resident grizzled newsroom vet Bill Eluchok (p.1), both of whom look at the wider import of Christmas in their lives, past and present. My own favourite holiday memories are of Christmas Eves, three or four years running, from about age 9. I grew up in a Pennsylvania town a lot like Pelham, divided between post-WWII suburban tract homes (and many much nicer, much older estates), and a substantial agricultural community (also to the west). The Dutch were around, too, most specifically in the form of a toweringly large man (it was years before I learned that on average the Dutch were the tallest variety of human) who had emigrated from Holland after the war and married a local girl. He had been some sort of minor tennis star as a younger man, and so among other jobs he taught tennis at local country clubs. The family lived behind us in an ancient farmhouse, all that remained of a large orchard (apples, I think) from the 1800s, upon which now sat early ‘50s starter homes, barely two-story brick Cape Cods. He also fathered two daughters—and it was the younger of which who was my second serious crush, as serious as it can be before the hormones kick in. She was a curly blonde cutie with an independent attitude and a tendency to fall asleep against me on an A-frame porch swing after long summer afternoons trekking their wooded lot with her sister and mine. It was in their TV room, in that farmhouse, where I spent those memorably snug Christmas Eves. The girls were upstairs, the adults were in the adjacent sun room, which ran the length of the house and was heated by a fireplace. Windows between my space and theirs allowed for the firelight to flicker in as Andy Williams and his Christmas special unfolded in colour. We tended to return across the yard to our place pretty late, much later than we kids were usually allowed to stay up, my parents weaving along the way. So yes, I have a soft spot for memories of Christmases past, especially of the kid variety, before innocence is replaced by reality, and life dares you to hang on if you can...Switching to KN95s: We're upping our face mask game, and I hope you do the same. Please see Dr. Hirji's commentary on where we are (p.16) and where we're headed very quickly...On to 2022: On behalf of the paper's shareholders, staff, and capable carriers, I wish you the merriest of holidays and happiest of New Years. Now I'm off to try that Beet Risotto recipe on p.25, then kick up my feet for awhile.

(Oh, and the prize is a $20 Minor Bros. gift card. Say what? Ooh, figure it out!) See you January 12. ◆

Voice

What's That

SIREN Pelham Fire Department Weekly Calls

SATISFACTION WITH GOVERNANCE: Local, Regional, Provincial, Federal

BY VOICE STAFF

Friday, December 10, Remote alarm, Pelham St., Station 1

Last week we asked readers to tell us how satisfied they were with the performance of each level of government this year, from federal down to municipal. We also asked whether readers would like to see their current elected official-holders return for another go in 2022. There were 278 qualified responses. Respondents were asked to rate their approval of each office-holder on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

Saturday, December 11 Electrical fire, Burton Ave., Stations 1 and 2

AVERAGE APPROVAL RATING

Arcing hydro lines, Cream St., Station 3

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau MP Dean Allison Ontario Premier Doug Ford MPP Sam Oosterhoff Niagara Region CAO Jim Bradley Regional Councillor Diana Huson Pelham Mayor Marvin Junkin Councillor Lisa Haun Councillor Bob Hildebrandt Councillor Ron Kore Councillor Wayne Olson Councillor Marianne Stewart Councillor John Wink

34% 49% 52% 39% 51% 53% 63% 35% 39% 32% 62% 36% 52%

Carbon monoxide alarm, Pancake Lane, Station 1

Arcing hydro lines, Effingham St., Station 2 Sunday, December 12 Medical assistance, Station 1 Monday, December 13 Remote alarm, Lookout St., Stations 1, 2, and 3 Tuesday, December 14 Remote alarm, Hwy 20, Station 1 Motor vehicle accident, Foss Rd., Station 2 Wednesday, December 15 Medical assistance, Station 1 Medical assistance, Station 1 Friday, December 17 Medical assistance, Station 3

Continued on back page

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on vacation!

The Pelham Fire Department responded to 12 calls for assistance from Friday, December 10 to Friday, December 17.

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Our next issue will come out on

JAN 12!

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Santa and his trusty dog Snowball enjoy the Voice each week at the North Pole.

Safe travels on Christmas Eve, Santa!

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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.

Steven P. BRETZLAFF, 47, Niagara Falls Jesse A. MARTIN, 30, Wainfleet John J. ALLAIN, 66, St. Catharines Theodore B. RENDALL, 23, Lincoln Martha O. DOBBIE, 65, Thorold Tara M. YULE, 36, Thorold The Niagara Regional Police Service is committed to reducing impaired driving offences through education and the apprehension of offenders through enforcement programs like RIDE. Impaired driving is still the leading cause of criminal deaths in Canada and destroys thousands of lives every year.

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Page 3

A December 22 2021

Stolen previous weekend, Pride benches reappear

BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor As Christmas miracles go, this is a minor one, but still a reason to be thankful.

Two of Pelham’s Pride benches, stolen the weekend of December 11-12, have been found.

The rainbow-themed benches had been approved by Pelham Town Council in April and installed in June at Peace Park and near the Meridian Community Centre.

Ryan Cook, Pelham’s Manager of Public Works, told the Voice that the two pilfered benches were recovered, undamaged, near the storm water management pond at Rice Road and Highway 20.

“These are very heavy benches, that were secured with lag bolts,” said Cook. “Definitely a multiple-person job. Whoever took them came prepared with tools and a big

vehicle.”

Cook said that the Town may consider relocating the benches, but for now will reinstall them at their previous sites.

Mayor Marvin Junkin expressed relief that the benches were located, but had no explanation as to who would remove them, or their motivation. No note was attached to the benches when they were retrieved, but it would appear clear enough that the act was meant as an affront to members of the LGTBQ2S+ community.

“I guess whoever stole the benches had second thoughts, maybe guilty consciences,” said Junkin.

Pelham CAO David Cribbs expressed the same thought, adding that perhaps the perpetrators realized that selling such readily identifiable objects would have been next to impossible without the thieves being identified.

Yvon Audette and Beth Cotter display donated gifts at Fire Station 1.

DON RICKERS

Toys light up Christmas smiles

BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor

The benches were discovered on Wednesday, Dec. 15, hanging from a fence near the MCC.

It’s all about putting smiles on kids’ faces on Christmas morning.

Retired volunteer firefighter Yvon Audette has been involved for the last seven years with the annual toy drive for Pelham Cares, an event that has been a Christmas staple in the municipality for 32 years. He chairs the event

this year, aided by Pelham Cares receptionist Beth Cotter.

“Pelham Cares has got a list of families, with their children's names, and what kind of toy they are looking for,” said Audette.

“We try to make sure that there's at least one thing on that list that gets into their hamper for Christmas morning.”

Cotter said that “client parents will be coming on

Thursday to Pelham Cares to pick up a food hamper, and then will stop by Fire Station 1 on Highway 20, where the firefighters will greet them and bring out the presents for the kids.

The firefighters enjoy it as much as the kids do, I bet.”

The haul of toys this year totals almost thousand, all donated by members of the community.

SUPPLIED

Wishing you a

Merry Christmas

, and Blessed New Year s

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The Voice

A December 22 2021

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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

COTÉ'S COMMENTS Larry Coté

The joys of Christmas should be for everyone

W

e are quickly closing in on Christmas Day. For many of us it will be a day filled with joy and in the company of family, friends and relatives. However, there are others who will spend their day dispirited and missing the company of those who have been important parts of their lives.

The pandemic will likely diminish the joy for some and worsen feelings of sadness felt by others who suffer some misfortune.

There are many facing the loss of loved ones and no longer feel entitled to the joys of the Christmas season. They recall memories of past Christmases to ease the pain of loss but that does not come close to the feelings of joy they once celebrated. Should you know of such persons it would be generous if you could share some of your joy with them in some way.

Perhaps a visit, an invitation or some other token might lift their spirit and ease their pain just a little.

To change a grim face to a grin is a remarkable and uniquely human accomplishment.

Perhaps among those who suffer the most are the homeless. Not only are they without shelter but are without food, companionship and good health.

Perhaps this year we could

To change a grim face to a grin is a remarkable and uniquely human accomplishment

make an effort to support those shelters so these poor souls have warmth, comfort and nourishment during this our season of joy.

Due to the pandemic hospital visitations are restricted to very few cases.

Those who are hospitalized likely feel downhearted and lonesome due to their confounded medical condition. They very much miss the warmth, assurances and companionship of

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Gambler’s Anonymous 905-351-1616 Kids Help Phone Service for youth.

416-586-5437 800-668-6868 (Crisis Line) www.kidshelpphone.ca

Assaulted Women’s Helpline Mobile calls to: #SAFE (#7233) 1-866-863-0511 (Toll-free) Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) www.niagaratips.com Text - 274637 (CRIMES), keyword Niagara, then your tip

The Voice

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Duc, sequere, aut de medio fiat

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

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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca PUBLISHER Dave Burket publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca CONTRIBUTING NEWS EDITOR Don Rickers

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION Lori Gretsinger

CONTRIBUTORS Jane Bedard, Carolyn Botari, Colin Brezicki, Rosemary Chambers, John Chick, Larry Coté, Brian Green, Miriam Han, Megan Metler, Bill Potrecz, Bernie Puchalski, John Swart, Helen Tran, Mike Tucker, Rob Weatherby. Proof Sleuth: Julian Fitch NEWS INQUIRIES & TIPS editor@thevoiceofpelham.ca LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@thevoiceofpelham.ca ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@thevoiceofpelham.ca

their partners, family and friends. While you cannot visit them in person, perhaps if you send them some token that demonstrates your caring and admiration, their downtrodden spirits might be lifted for a moment or more. If so, every little bit matters.

Actually, there are a number of convenient ways to contribute to the comfort and joy of those facing a less than joyous season.

There are many organizations devoted to helping the downtrodden in our community. Pelham Cares, the Hope Center, many churches, and the Salvation Army are just a few of such charitable entities that can make excellent use of your gift in support of their efforts.

Meanwhile, as the big day arrives many of us will be fortunate enough to experience the true meanings of the joys of Christmas. The tradition of gift-giving and receiving will add moments of delight and feelings of joy more than any other day of the year. We will be among friends and relatives we cherish and admire. We will enjoy special treats See EVERYONE next page

Letters A special thank you to Mark As you know, Saturday a week ago was very windy. My husband went out to pick the newspaper up at the end of the driveway and was blown over by the wind.

I ran out in my stocking feet to get him up. He is a big man, and I couldn’t help him up by myself. No one was home at the neighbours.

Next best thing was to wave down a passing car on Canboro Road. Of the dozen or more cars that sped by no one would stop.

Finally one gentleman did — Mark—who pulled into our driveway. It was all the two

7

of us could do to get him up and back into the house.

I am speechless about those who chose not to stop and help. My husband is 77, he’s banged-up but mending.

A heartfelt thanks to Mark, the only one who did stop to help.

Karen and Gerry Letford Fenwick EDITOR'S NOTE We are relieved to learn that the newspaper in question was not the Voice!

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 Member of Provincial Parliament

Electoral District: Niagara West

Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755 Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 905-658-2987 Councillor Diana Huson diana.huson@niagararegion.ca 905-324-3094 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607

Mayor of Pelham Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 905-658-2986 Members of Pelham Town Council Ward 1 Councillor Marianne Stewart mstewart@pelham.ca 289-821-0840 Councillor Wayne Olson wolson@pelham.ca 905-933 6033 Ward 2 Councillor Ron Kore rkore@pelham.ca 905-933-3805

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Have an Opinion?

BARRISTER, SOLICITOR & NOTARY LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcome. Letter submissions should contain the writer’s full name, address and telephone number. Names only will be published. Names may be withheld if compelling reasons are provided. The newspaper reserves the right to change, condense or reject any contribution for brevity, clarity or legal considerations. All material in this publication is protected by copyright. Reproduction is prohibited without express, written permission of the publisher. ADVERTISING: The Voice of Pelham regrets any errors or omissions that appear in advertisements in this newspaper, however, we will not be held responsible for more than one absent or incorrect insertion or for any damages beyond the cost of space containing the error. The Voice is an independent, locally owned and operated publication.

The Voice is a member of the National NewsMedia Council, a voluntary self-regulatory organization that deals with journalistic practices and ethics. If you have an unresolved complaint about news stories, opinion columns or photos, please visit their web site at mediacouncil.ca or call 1-844-877-1163. If you have a complaint about delivery or membership problems, please contact our office at (905) 892-8690. For a summary of Voice ethical guidelines, see www. thevoiceofpelham.ca/ethics

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The Voice

Page 5

A December 22 2021

OPINION Charlie's very blessed life It wasn’t until I read the Dec. 8 edition of the Voice that I found out who all those people were who walked quickly up the driveway at the Pelham Animal Hospital and turned left at the sidewalk. [Protest disrupts Christmas Market, Dec. 8, p.12.]

As I watched them, I had a bad feeling that they were up to no good.

We were at the veterinarian for Charlie the dog’s end-

of-life appointment. Charlie had a good life. He was a very lucky dog. Thank you for the condolences from those who knew Charlie.

Horses, dogs, cats, and other animals have care, food, water, and a warm bed. A great life! If all the people in this world had this treatment, they would be so very blessed.

Susan Grimwood Fonthill

PELHAM AND COVID-19 Mayor Marvin Junkin

Despite pandemic, the Town held its own in 2021

W RIP Charlie the dog.

GRIMWOOD FAMILY

Slow down, relax, curb the impatience I found two items in your latest issue extremely offensive. Does the letter writer actually promote speeding and ignoring traffic laws and insult “geriatric” drivers? [“Modest proposal to increase road safety— fewer oldies,” Letters, Dec. 15, p.5.]

I do agree that the older generation tends to drive slowly and more carefully, and I agree that some of them should not be driving at all. It is, however, “confident” drivers like him that cause more accidents. He likes to Google and if he would Google statistics by the National Safety Council he would see that the majority of people killed in motor vehicle crashes are between 15 and 64 years old. Drivers over 70 could be slow and annoying, but most of them do not drive on the QEW. They do short, necessary local drives for groceries or appointments, trying to be independent and ease the burden on their children, neighbors and relatives.

We always seem to be in a hurry. It leads me to the second item, about “Karen” and

EVERYONE

continued from previous page and foods that continue the feelings of joy throughout the day.

Hopefully, we will take a moment to appreciate our good circumstances and

“Terry.” [“But the sign says,” Column Six, Dec 15, p.1.] No, my name is not Karen or Terry but I fi nd this insulting for them. I do understand impatience while standing in the long grocery line while somebody is being difficult. I too fi nd it irritating but I do not call anybody derogatory names, not even as a joke. It was meant to be witty but somehow I don't fi nd it very funny.

As a whole we are an irritable, impatient generation. Always in a hurry to get someplace, to do something, to be better, to be smarter, to be fi rst, and we don't have time to enjoy good moments in life.

Why waste energy on such petty grievances.

We should take a lesson from poet Kahil Gibran: I have learn silence from the talkative / tolerance from intolerant / kindness from the unkind / I shall not be ungrateful to those teachers.

Dana Stefko Fenwick

to wish better fortunes for those who have less. Having contributed to others who may be troubled by misfortune will humbly add to your level of joy this Christmas.

It is well known that making someone happy gives back. It makes you

feel good about yourself and gives more meaning to your life.

May you and yours have a joyful Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year. ◆

ow! Hard to believe that another year has gone by as head of council in Pelham!

Year Three of a four-year term was not without its challenges, and yet once again this council has taken many positive steps to improve not only the municipality’s financial health, but also to make our town a better place in which to live.

The departments whose projects the residents would see on a day-to-day basis would most likely be Public Works and the Recreation, Culture and Wellness departments. Two of the biggest Public Works projects were the continued reconstruction of Pelham Street, south of Pt. Robinson Road, and the environmentally challenging road repair project that lead to the re-opening of Sulphur Spring Drive. This road had been closed for over five years due to extreme erosion after a large chunk of the road was wiped out.

The urbanizing of Pelham Street, which involves the addition of curbs, sidewalks, storm drains, and better street lighting, saw its second year of a fouryear project this past year.

When this project is complete, Pelham Street will be urbanized past the Quaker Road intersection. The Town received $4.2 million dollars in upper govern-

tion firm owner Bill Duffin and an employee. Meticulous attention was given to all aspects of this project. The end result? Residents received an extremely well-constructed road with no harm being done to the nearby Twelve Mile Creek.

We are pleased to report that the most scenic drive in all of Niagara is once again open as a thoroughfare. nother two very noticeable projects completed under the Recreation, Culture and Wellness banner are two splash pads that will both be completed for the hot summer months of 2022. For many years Pelham councillors have heard from town residents the need for these structures, but due to budgetary restrictions the projects were forever being placed on the back-burner. With the improvement of Town finances, and upper government grants, this council felt that the time for these highly anticipated splash pads was now. With the town’s ever-growing population, I am sure that both of these splash pads will be greatly enjoyed for years to come.

Locations for these splash pads are Centennial Park in Fenwick, and in Fonthill near the pool at Marlene Stewart Streit Park. ouncil has also been involved in passing many

A

The most scenic drive in all of Niagara is once again open as a thoroughfare

commute for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. he Sulphur Spring project was unique in a couple of ways. First, before any construction could proceed, work permits had to be obtained from three government agencies, which proved to be no small chore.

Second, unlike the Pelham Street project, where, at the height of construction, multiple machines and workers were seen, Sulphur Spring was completed with only two workers ever being on site—construc-

T

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See MAYOR Page 7

Professional SERVICES Directory GREATER NIAGARA TAX SERVICE Know where you stand Advanced mock returns

Thank you for your support over the past year.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and All the best in 2022.

ment grants for this project.

The original projected cost for this project completion was $8.4 million. Unfortunately, with unforeseen additional work required for infrastructure and inflationary pressures, the revised cost is somewhat higher.

When completed this road will be a safer

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The Voice

A December 22 2021

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Shop Local Discover Pelham Family-run shops, restaurants, retailers, service providers, and more!

When you shop local, you are helping... a a a a

child take lessons... business to support jobs... sports team to get a jersey... neighbour to put food on the table...

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For a listing of area business locations visit www.pelham.ca/shop

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MAYOR

continued from Page 5 initiatives that are not apparent on a walk around town. Staff efficiency improvements in part due to Covid and lockdowns led to new software being added that lets the staff answer their phone from their computer when not in their office. Council also passed an improved succession management plan policy. This last item should help to ensure that as senior staff members retire, the Town will have qualified people to move into these positions.

An Asset Management Plan that was dictated by the Provincial government will be coming before council on December 20. This plan, when fully implemented, will identify to staff and council what assets owned by the Town are nearing the end of their functional life and must be replaced or repaired to return them to top condition. On the list of assets are Town buildings, equipment, roads, culverts, underground infrastructure, culverts, and storm management ponds.

Working with residents, council updated the Town’s tree policy, which over time will improve our tree canopy. Council also, in conjunction with the Cannabis Control Committee, developed policies and bylaws for the cannabis industry located within the town. Due to Covid the bylaws have not had their day in court. This situation should change as the new year unfolds. n initiative that I am most pleased with is the Town’s Secondary Dwelling Unit Policy. Yes, it was mandated by the Province, but this council supported it in principle from the get-go. With this policy, a dwelling—either an interior apartment or a completely separate unit—can be created on the same lot as the primary residence. When viewed province-wide, I believe it will make a small dent in the province’s evergrowing housing crisis by providing more rental units and care for our senior loved ones at home.

Both the Region and the Town of Pelham have recently set their levy increase for property taxes for 2022.

The Region’s levy increase is 2.8 percent, our increase when blended with the Region’s is below 3 percent as well. eing head of council has allowed me to meet many of the town’s residents on a one-to-one basis, either to guide them to the right staff member for assistance and problem solving or to guide them to the right agency at the Regional level. Meeting and talking with the residents of the town is the most enjoyable aspect of this job. It continues to amaze me how so many of our residents volunteer their time and their efforts to improve the community for all. I contend that while, yes, we are experiencing growth, the friendly and caring attitude of our own citizenry continues to give the town that small-town feel.

Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous New Year to all! ◆

A

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The Voice

Page 7

A December 22 2021

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW

Anosan to Zavitz—names and events issue-by-issue A look back at what made the news over the past twelve months

BY VOICE STAFF

January 13

 Pelham Town Council supports Ward 2 Councillor John Wink’s motion to ban vehicle crossings over the Steve Bauer Trail between Port Robinson and Merritt in Fonthill.  Pelham Regional Councillor Diana Huson is appointed to the hiring committee charged with finding a new Region CAO. In September, acting CAO Ron Tripp—already on the job for three years—is made the permanent hire.

January 20

 With council’s decision not to support a Bauer Trail vehicular crossing, it is noted that one of only two other alternatives to connect the long-planned Kunda Park subdivision expansion with the existing road network is to traverse environmentally sensitive wetlands. Mayor Junkin objects to this.

January 27

 GoFundMe page established for three-year-old Emmett Gervason of North Pelham, who required a rare restorative ear surgery procedure in California.  Michael Ruhle pens an account for the Voice about growing up at hi family’s Sun Valley Gardens nudist resort in Pelham from the 1950s to the 1970s.

February 3

 Animal rights activists continue to take aim at an annual Indigenous ritual and treaty right in Niagara, a white-tailed deer hunt, that has stirred emotions on both sides of the debate since the first harvest took place in Short Hills Provincial Park in 2013.

February 10

 Area nurses demand better personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies.

“Police officers are supplied with bulletproof vests, and no one questions that ... so why do front-line nurses and healthcare staff not receive the PPE they require to keep them safe during the pandemic?” asks Niagara nurse Jules Morosin.  Fenwick Flossie predicts an early spring. The rodent may have been correct; daily high temperatures in Pelham average almost eight degrees Celsius from March 7-21.

sentencing in the incident was seen by some community members as too lenient.

April 14

tends to close its doors. In mid July it does so. By the end of December, the building sells for approximately $1 million dollars, according to real estate sources.

March 17

 The Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) rejects an application to tear down a house on Alan Crescent and replace it with two new homes —months after being rejected by both Pelham Town Council and its Committee of Adjustment.

February 17

 Longtime Town Clerk Nancy Bozzato’s career is profiled following her retirement after some 40 years in municipal service — including 22 in Pelham.  Roland Road resident Robin Zavitz is interviewed by the CBC for a documentary about police accountability. She recalls the nearby scene of the cop-on-cop shooting that occurred in November 2018 between two Niagara Regional Police officers. A trial in the case finally started this summer, and has been continued to early 2022.

February 24

March 24

 Award season for Town of Pelham bureaucrats: CAO David Cribbs picks up a special Ontario Municipal Administrators Association honour for leading Town staff during the pandemic, while Treasurer Teresa Quinlin-Murphy captures a national award for financial reporting.

March 10

 It is reported that Fonthill’s TD Bank branch in-

April 21

 The third wave of Covid-19 hits a crescendo as vaccinations begin ramping up, with confused messaging from the Provincial government over protocols, which, eight months later, doesn’t sound familiar at all.

April 28

March 3

April 7

 Faith Flagg and her mother speak to the Voice’s Helen Tran about Faith’s life-altering 2015 ordeal, when the then-17-year-old was struck by a drunk driver on Canboro Road, a man whose

May 5

Pelham’s active Covid-19 case counts hit a record of 139. (As of Sunday, Dec. 19, this figure is 30.)  Fonthill resident Drew Campbell collects $326,000 in Ontario Lottery winnings.

May 12

 Arson is suspected after a fire at the former Sun Valley Gardens nudist resort on Roland Road.  The Pelham Farmers Market opens for the season with a limited number of vendors.

May 19

March 31

 Pelham Town Council opts to kill a townhouse development design in East Fonthill based on its design, which the builder says is geared towards affordable housing.  Holly Willford in named Pelham’s new Town Clerk.

 John Swart profiles the East End Boys of Nursery Lane and their “metal monster” snow blowers.  Don Rickers recalls the St. Catharines Orioles, Ontario’s first all-Black hockey team.

 Pelham Cares and the Fonthill Lion’s Club raise public alarm about severe erosion from a culvert leading from the East Fonthill stormwater management pond to their properties north of Hwy. 20.

 A mass-vaccination clinic at the MCC launches April 8. More than 1,000 Niagara residents— the vast majority seniors — got shots the first day, according to Niagara Health.  Pelham Ward 3 Councillor Lisa Haun takes aim at the Voice, claiming that the newspaper mischaracterized her remarks during council discussion over the so-called affordable housing development in East Fonthill.  For the paper’s “Voice on Vacation” feature, reporter John Chick contemplated taking a copy of the Voice to display on a Manhattan newsstand alongside the New York Post and Daily News during a trip later in the year, but ultimately forgot to take a copy with him, an oversight that will haunt him at unexpected moments for the rest of his life.

olfi’s Covid diagnosis and subsequent death from undisclosed causes.

 The Voice wins six Ontario Community Newspaper Association awards, including two first place finishes for a series about Ward 2 Councillor Ron Kore’s determination to punish Mayor Marvin Junkin for raising funds for the volunteer Bandshell Committee, as well as coverage of Kore’s positive Covid-19 diagnosis and subsequent conduct in April 2020, on the heels of fellow Councillor Mike Ci-

 In one of the more bizarre Pelham crime stories in recent memory, Lookout subdivision resident Anosan Kugathas is arrested on mischief charges after he allegedly sent professional sex workers to a neighbour’s front door on multiple occasions as part of an ongoing dispute.

May 26

 Residents along Hurricane Road object to noise coming from the Pelham Car Wash on Hwy. 20. The situation is ultimately resolved by the construction of a sound barrier some weeks later, a barrier the residents say was to have been erected several years previously as part of a site plan agreement with the municipality.

June 2

 Fish fry to raise funds for Emmett Gervason draws a large crowd May 28 at Centennial Park in Fenwick. By now, almost $180,000 of the family’s $250,000 goal has been reached.

See LOOK BACK next page

Letters continued Symbolism hard to miss

Disappointed with them all

I’m very happy the stolen Pride benches have been recovered, however, I wish whoever took them told someone their motivation. [Story, p.3] Maybe it’s just me, because I’m gay, but seeing the benches hanging on that fence brought back memories of Matthew Shepard. For those who don’t know, Matthew Shepard was a 21-year-old college student who was beaten, tortured, and left tied to a barbed-wire fence to die in Wyoming in 1998, because he was gay.

I hope this was not the intended message but rather an unfortunate coincidence. I don’t want to believe that there are people in the town of Pelham who would want to send this type of message to the LGBTQ+ community.

Trent Crick Ottawa

Each level of government has been a disappointment for different reasons [The Voice Poll, “Satisfaction with governance,” Dec. 15, p.2].

The Federal bunch are spending too much imaginary money. The Provincial bunch are owned by the developers and real estate interests. The Regional bunch tax too much and will not rein-in hiring. The local bunch seem to be at the mercy of our bloated administration and spend too much time bickering and posing. They are taxing us too much as well.

These are trying times for all but I see no government rising above chaos and leading.

Jim Pitt Voice website

Page 8

The Voice

LOOK BACK

continued from previous page  A naughty man nabs nearly-five-year-old Luke Braun’s egg cart from his family’s driveway in Ridgeville. (The naughty man later turns nice when he returns it with a note expressing his apologies.)

June 9

 The sexual assault trial of longtime Pelham doctor Charles Duncan begins with witness testimony.  For Pride Month, Pelham native Trent Crick writes a personal account of growing up gay in a community that hasn’t always been tolerant.

Tyler Cook provides a similar account in the June 16 issue.

June 16

 Former Pelham Councillor Gary Accursi dies June 7 at the age of 72. Accursi served on council from 2010-18. His earlier donation to the community centre fundraising effort saw a multipurpose room at the MCC named after him and his wife when the facility opened.  Council belatedly approves the city of St. Catharines to spend $250,000 of

their own money on Twelve Mile Creek remediation work in Pelham.

June 23

 Pelham Soccer kicks off their season after the entire 2020 campaign was erased due to the pandemic.  Secondary Dwelling Units (SDUs) move a step closer to legalization in Pelham after a June 14 Committee of the Whole meeting.

A December 22 2021

lowing the summer’s discovery of mass Indigenous residential school graves across the country, and the ongoing pandemic.  Pelham communications manager Marc MacDonald moves to greener employment pastures at the City of Welland.

June 30

 The Town’s two new Pride benches are unveiled outside both Town Hall and the MCC. They are stolen, then returned, last week.  Three former CannTrust executives are charged by the RCMP and the Ontario Securities Commission with infractions ranging from fraud to insider trading.  Naturalist and writer Adam Shoalts looks into whether rattlesnakes have moved into Pelham—bottom line, possible but not prevalent.

July 7

 High school student and occasional Voice contributor Megan Metler writes about a scaled-down Canada Day celebration in Pelham fol-

Sending Sincere Christmas Greetings To All Our Customers & Friends

July 14

 Mature trees along Pelham Street are spared being cut down as part of infrastructure upgrades, “for now.”

July 14

Redevelopment of the old Pelham Arena site on Haist Street begins, with plans for 25 townhouses and bungalows to be online by 2022.

July 28

 Marlene Stewart Streit Park unveils a mural of its namesake golfing legend, painted by E.L. Crossley art students. Stewart Streit attends the ceremony virtually from her home in Aurora.

August 4

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 A four-hour Pelham Town Council meeting July 26 saw its familiar political bloc of Haun, Hildebrandt, Kore, and Stewart vote 4-3 to rescind a 2015 decision to transfer responsibility for the Niagara Central Dorothy Rungeling Airport to Niagara Region.  Don Rickers reports on the emerging trend of a hot new theft item—a vehicle’s catalytic converter.

August 11

 Ear surgery a success for

Holiday Waste Management Services Garbage, Blue Box, Grey Box, and Green Bin collection will not be delayed by Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Collection will occur on your regularly scheduled collection day.

Holiday Garbage Exemptions During the garbage collection week following Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, households may place two extra bags or cans of garbage out without a garbage tag on their regular collection day.

Jan. 3-7: Grimsby, Lincoln, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne and Welland

Christmas Tree Collection During the week of January 10-14, 2022 on your regular collection day • Trees must be at the curb by 7 a.m.

• Trees wrapped in plastic or buried in snow will not be collected

• Artificial trees will not be collected, these can be booked separately for large item collection

• Remove all ornaments and decorations

niagararegion.ca/waste Space provided through a partnership between industry and Ontario municipalities to support waste diversion programs.

Waste Info-Line 905-356-4141 or toll-free: 1-800-594-5542

September 29

 Former Pelham Mayor David Augustyn announces he will run for the NDP in the riding of Niagara West in the 2022 provincial election.  The Voice pays tribute with a centrespread to Lloyd Beamer.

October 6

 Tenth delay in sexual assault case against Country Corner market owner Rick Lowes.  Construction commences on the new splash pad at Centennial Park.

 Pelham marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Sept. 30 with an orange-shirt ceremony outside Town Hall.

October 13

August 16

August 25

 Protesters greet start of annual Short Hills Deer Hunt.  Longtime Fonthill hardware store owner and retired teacher Lloyd Beamer passes away Oct. 14 at the age of 82.

 Mayor Junkin contacts CHCH-TV in an attempt to get broader media coverage on the long-delayed Sulphur Spring Drive repairs. His gambit appears to work—for awhile.

 The community pays tribute to late Pelham Mayor Ron Leavens, who passed away August 13 at the age of 75.  Sexual assault charges against Country Corner Market owner Rick Lowes come to light, some fourmonths-plus after his initial arrest.  Chinese restaurant HoHo’s closes in Fonthill.

October 20

September 8

 Niagara West MP Dean Allison comes under fire for seemingly endorsing Ivermectin— a medication predominantly used for horses in industrialized countries—as a Covid-19 treatment.  Sixth delay in the sexual assault case against Rick Lowes.

September 15

 Council passes bylaw making Secondary Dwelling Units (SDUs) legal in Pelham.

 Work on the long-awaited Sulphur Spring Drive repair halted by the NPCA. Contactor Bill Duffin accuses the conservation authority and other bodies of “colluding” to the keep the road closed.

November 24

December 1

 Brian Green profiles the long-forgotten nearby hamlet of Canfield—which was once a predominantly Black settlement at the end of the Underground Railroad—and some area filmmakers’ work to tell its story in a new documentary.  The most recent court appearance for the two men accused in the October 2020 death of Pelham resident Earl Clapp. The case involving Matthew MacInnes and Jason Lusted is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 21.

December 8

September 1

 It is announced Pelham will launch a free walkin mental health clinic for youth at the MCC, commencing Sept. 7.

November 17

 Conservative Dean Allison is elected to a seventh term as Niagara West MP with 46 percent of the riding’s votes in the Sept. 20 federal election.  Local residents complain about speeding on Port Robinson road.

 Final summations are made in the sexual assault trial of Charles Duncan. A verdict is expected in January.

September 22

Holiday Waste Collection

Dec. 27-31: Fort Erie, Niagara-on-theLake, Pelham, St. Catharines, Thorold, Wainfleet and West Lincoln

three-year-old Pelham resident Emmett Gervason. The family raised approximately $227,000 for the operation in California, because he was too young to qualify for the surgery under OHIP rules.  The long-awaited return of the Fonthill Bandshell concert series starts, resuming August 5 after a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic. An estimated 1,000 people attend.  Haist Street speed bumps get high-visibility markings after reader complaints to the Voice that the humps were hard to see.

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

October 27

 Councillors Bob Hildebrandt and Marianne Stewart vote against the Town requiring proof of vaccination for elected officials, something required of all staff.

The measure passes anyway, 5-2.

November 3

 The MCC servery is renamed in honour of late Councillor Mike Ciolfi. A dedication event is held featuring senior staff, the Mayor, and members of council, after Councillor Lisa Haun— who headed the dedication committee— initially did not invite them.

November 10

 It is announced that a vintage Avro Lancaster bomber will overfly Pelham during Remembrance Day ceremonies.

 Pelham’s Christmas Market returns after a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic with some 1,500 visitors. The festivities are interrupted for a time by a group protesting the use of horse-drawn carriages.  The Rotary Club of Fonthill awards eight citizens at an in-person dinner, including posthumous honours for late public servants Gary Accursi, Mike Ciolfi, and Ron Leavens.

December 15

 Council nixes the idea of a grade-separated road crossing of the Steve Bauer Trail between Port Robinson and Merritt in Fonthill, upholding its ban on a vehicular traverse.  Local writer Barry Boothman wins an award for historical non-fiction.

December 22

 The Voice invites a range of leaders and community members to contribute their thoughts about the year coming to a close and the year ahead.  Sulphur Springs Drive reopens to traffic along it entire length. ◆

To You And Your Family May the Christmas lights and decorations brighten your spirits and bring joy to your heart.

We consider ourselves very lucky to have you for a customer.

Thank you for brightening our holidays.

Our very best wishes to you in this exciting new year, and we hope 2022 brings all good things.

Thanks for your support.

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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice

Page 9

A December 22 2021

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW Nancy Beamer, DSBN Trustee

Some thoughts at year's end EDITOR'S NOTE Earlier this month, the Voice invited a selection of elected officials, community members and our own writers to contribute their thoughts about yet another unparalleled year coming to a close. We present their responses in alphabetical order, and thank each respondent for taking the time to write such

T

he first four months of the school year are coming to an end.

And guess what—the pandemic is still here and once again causing more disruption in everyday lives. But even though the schools have experienced some cases, we are still

thoughtful, insightful essays.

We begin with Nancy Beamer, District School Board of Niagara Trustee for Pelham.

(While all of Pelham Town Council was asked to participate, Councillors Hildebrandt, Stewart, Haun, and Kore did not acknowledge the Voice's invitation.)

moving forward.

In the secondary schools, we have reverted to pre-pandemic academic scheduling. Any of the students with whom I have spoken are very happy with this change. Most felt they did not like online or cohort learning. Intramural sports

have resumed, as has inter-school competition. The E.L. Crossley Senior Boys volleyball team travelled to North Bay and won silver at OFSSA. Congratulations to coach Michelle Gibson and the team.

E. L. Crossley Secondary students also received two awards from the town’s Beautification committee — one in the Green Industries category for designing, building and planting a corner of the sports field that was often filled with weeds, and another award in the Visual Arts. In this category the students were challenged to paint a mural dedicated to Marlene Stewart-Streit, located at

the park named for her in Fonthill. The project, which took six students 36 hours to complete, was both educational and a lots of fun.

Both of these projects helped students to develop a sense of school and civic pride and to contribute to the community. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated teachers and students who are talented in so many areas that are often overlooked.

Across the board area, there have been some significant developments. The new West Lincoln secondary school is proceeding on schedule and should open the fall of 2022. Also

the DSBN has been approved for funding for a new elementary school in south Niagara. With all the building going on in Thorold and Niagara Falls, this school is definitely needed. The building of the coterminous school in Wainfleet is also on schedule. In keeping with our budgetary planning (two schools per year), two more secondary schools, Port Colbourne and Thorold, will be having their sports fields upgraded to the synthetic turf that the students at Crossley have been enjoying. At this time, discussions are also taking place to fix the muddy kindergarten play area at Glynn A. Green

school.

The Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) has lined up some interesting speakers for their online presentations in the new year.

Check the DSBN website for dates.

At this point we are not sure what the new year will bring for our staff and students. With case numbers going up as rapidly as they are, parents should be aware that an extended out-ofschool time and a return to online learning is a strong possibility. Let’s hope it won’t happen, but we should be prepared.

In the meantime, stay safe and enjoy the holiday break. ◆

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW Mike Breaton, Column Six contributor

Dancing in the dark Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow…

E

very year around this time, without fail, this old Robert Frost poem starts to repeat in my head, ear-worming its way through my life like the refrain of a song that

I just can’t shake. I walk down the street silently chanting it to the cadence of my footsteps. It was first inflicted on me by my marmish Grade 7 English teacher (may she live to be a hundred) and I’ve loved it ever since. If you don’t know it, do yourself a favour and get thee to Google and read it.

Don’t panic; it’s short.

When I was a fresh-eyed Grade 7 student, bookish and nerdish, more interested in words than

sports and devouring the written page like my sanity depended on it, I loved the Santa Claus feel of the character in the poem. Here was the old elf, a couple of nights before the annual trek, tired out by all of the work that had gone into the preparation but heartened by the sight of the end. Just a few more things to sort out and then he could rest; give Mrs. Claus a squeeze, plop down into his favourite chair with a nice cup of

cocoa, and put his feet up by the fire. Maybe read that book he’d been putting off since the summer. If he’s anything like the rest of us at this time of year, he’ll end up snoring in the chair with his glasses halfway down his face. It doesn’t matter. In the end, the poem is hopeful. Sure it’s dark, but only for now. Once we get through these last few things, we can rest, and all will be well.

But this year, I find that the ca-

dence of “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” keeps getting interrupted by the equally seductive rhythms of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven,” with its markedly more sinister and hopeless tone. That one’s a bit longer, so I’ll give you the short version: a man who’s broken-hearted by the death of his love resorts to “quaint and curious volumes of forgotten lore” to ease See BREATON Page 11

Thank you to our community for all of the support and kindness you have shown us this year.

Best Wishes for 2022.

From the Community of Lookout Ridge

1505 Lookout Street Fonthill, ON L0S 1E5 lookoutridge.ca (905) 892-9218

Page 10

The Voice

A December 22 2021

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

2021 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review Building the Foundation for Ontario’s Recovery and Prosperity

PROTECTING OUR PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS OF ONTARIO’S PLAN TO PROTECT OUR PROGRESS INCLUDE: PROTECTING PEOPLE’S HEALTH • Providing hospitals with over $1.8 billion in 2021-22 to support 3,100 new and additional beds, including $53,383,900 in working deficit funding for Niagara Health, as well as $1,411,837 in infrastructure renewal funding for Niagara Health and $1,208,524 in infrastructure renewal funding for Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre.

• Investing in the operation of a new MRI machine at Niagara Health.

• Investing $342 million to add over 5,000 new and upskilled registered nurses and registered practical nurses, as well as 8,000 personal support workers, including positions at Niagara Health and West Lincoln Memorial Hospital.

• Investing an additional $548.5 million over three years to expand home and community care, including $8,203,800 million to expand the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program in Niagara,

$1 million to support a new mobile mental health and addictions clinic in rural Niagara, and over $1 million to reinforce the support for the expansion of a mobile health clinic to care for individuals experiencing homelessness in Niagara.

PROTECTING SENIORS • Extending the Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit to 2022.

• Providing an additional $72.3 million over three years to increase enforcement capacity, including doubling the number of long-term care home inspectors across the province and in Niagara.

PROTECTING STUDENTS • Providing more than $1.6 billion in resources to protect schools against COVID-19.

• Allocating over $600 million to improve ventilation and filtration in schools, including $7,536,600 to the District School Board of Niagara and $8,473,600 to the Niagara Catholic District School Board.

BUILD ONTARIO HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S PLAN TO BUILD ONTARIO INCLUDE: BUILDING COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE

BUILDING HOSPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE • Investing $30.2 billion over the next 10 years to build, expand and enhance hospitals, including rebuilding West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Grimsby and building a new South Niagara Hospital in Niagara Falls.

• Doubling the annual investment in the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund program. This additional multi-year investment of $1 billion will bring the total investment to nearly $2 billion over the next five years to provide certainty and predictability to 424 small, rural communities, including Grimsby, Lincoln, Pelham, West Lincoln and Wainfleet.

BUILDING SCHOOLS AND CHILD CARE SPACES

• Key community infrastructure investments in Niagara West include $16 million to expand and renovate the Peach King Centre in Grimsby, $1,064,476 to support the rehabilitation of Marlene Steward Street Park in Pelham, $529,322 to support the renovation of the Wainfleet Community Complex, $88,632.80 to build a children’s educational gallery at the Lincoln Museum and Cultural Centre and $302,288 for a play space resurfacing project in Lincoln.

BUILDING HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ACCESS FOR EVERYONE

• Investing about $14 billion in capital grants over 10 years to build more schools, improve existing facilities and support education-related projects, including building new schools in Lincoln and Wainfleet, as well as new child care spaces in Grimsby.

• Making a historic commitment of nearly $4 billion over six years to provide all regions of Ontario with access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet by the end of 2025, including the expansion of broadband Internet to Lincoln, Pelham, West Lincoln and Wainfleet.

BUILDING MORE LONG-TERM CARE BEDS • Investing an additional $3.7 billion to build an additional 10,000 net new long-term care beds and upgrade 12,000 existing beds to modern design standards, including upgrades for Albright Gardens in Beamsville, the United Mennonite Home in Vineland, and new beds and upgrades for Shalom Manor in Grimsby.

WORKING FOR WORKERS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S PLAN TO WORK FOR WORKERS INCLUDE: • Protecting and creating jobs in the automotive sector by securing investment commitments of $5.6 billion from major auto manufacturers for electric vehicle supply chain capacity.

• Creating a new provincewide two-year $40 million Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness stream, which is part of the Regional Development Program.

• Proposing to increase the general minimum wage to $15 per hour effective January 1, 2022.

• Supporting businesses and the workers they employ by enabling an estimated $10.1 billion in cost savings and support in 2021, with with more than 60 per cent, or $6.3 billion, going to small businesses in the province.

• Supporting the recovery of the tourism and hospitality sectors by proposing a new temporary Ontario Staycation Tax Credit for 2022, including visits to Niagara Wine Country and popular local attractions in West Niagara.

SAM OOSTERHOFF MPP - Niagara West

4961 King St. E, Unit M1 • Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 T: 905-563-1755 • TF: 1-800-665-3697 • Email: sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org

“I hope this helps illustrate the facts about the changes the government is making. As always, you are encouraged to contact my office for any assistance you may require.”

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice

BREATON

continued from Page 9 his pain. The poem suggests that he has attempted to breach the veil of death to reach her, but instead he accidentally summons something horrible from beyond that arrives in the shape of a “ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore” — the raven of the title. In the end, the character in this poem is driven to madness and despair by the raven repeatedly taunting him that he will know happiness “nevermore.”

I know why this poetic competition in my head is happening as well as you do.

Here we are, what, two?... three?...50? years into Covid? I’ve lost track.

The holidays are nearly upon us, and we should be feeling festive. Chestnuts roasting and all that. And yet, here we are, with the Doom of Omicron looming over us. Our politicians are opening and closing things based on the latest poll numbers, telling us to do this or not do that, while they do as they please. The political and social Left and Right are locked in an endless cycle of churlish hatred. The economy is circling the drain. The environ-

ment is feeling vengeful. “Come on!” we want to scream. “All we wanted was Santa Claus, but we got the damned raven instead!” It feels a lot like a stocking full of coal to me.

It’s not just about Christmas, though, or Yule, or Hanukkah, or whatever. It’s about light, and all that it represents. For all of our temptations and tendencies to the contrary, we humans are creatures of the light. We crave it.

We seek it out. We miss it when it’s gone. We feel vaguely uneasy as the nights get longer and the warmth drains from the world at the end of every year. We feel the darkness closing in, tightening its grip on us. But our species is old, and we’re wise to the ways of the darkness. We know that if we’re patient, if we don’t give up hope, if we deserve it, the light will return and bring with it all good things.

Christmas, before it became an orgiastic celebration of consumerism, was the rebirth of hope in a hopeless time, and eventually early Christians moved it to Yuletide to buy (ha-ha) into the symbolism that came with the winter solstice. Yule, in its turn, was a pagan celebration of fertility and renewal at this most bar-

lamp that was nearly out of oil burned impossibly for eight nights, its tiny flame pushing back the darkness with a singular courage still echoed today with every lighting of a menorah. People after people, culture after culture, back and back into human history we have done this. We look into the darkness and say: “Yes. But there will be light again. Let’s dance.”

In Robert Frost’s poem, the character pushes on despite his weariness because he’s got promises to keep. If you think about it, a promise is just Hailey, age 8 a deal that we make with the future; a commitment

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TOWN OF PELHAM to fulfi ll an obligation sometime then, when the time is right, usually in ren time of the year; a determiexchange for something now. I nation to be alive in the midst of will gladly pay you Tuesday for a death, to celebrate rather than to hamburger today. At its heart, a despair. Fires were lit across the promise is an expression of hope. land to show our defiance of the In the poem, the weary traveller’s dark, and people danced. Hanuk- simple act of continuing on dekah is a celebration and rememspite his weariness is a declarabrance of a victory against all tion of hope. A declaration of his odds, the recovery of a lost home, belief that things will get better, the reaffirmation of faith in a and then he can rest. ruined temple where one small

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I think of these things and it makes me want to run out into the streets like some demented Scrooge: “You, boy, what variant is this?”

“Why, it’s Omicron, sir!”

“Clever boy! Now go and buy me a turkey, and keep the change!”

I want to hug strangers, and pat dogs, and throw snowballs — if only we had any snow. I want to dance in the street. I want to remember that people are basically good, that despite the madness that seems to be consuming the world, most folks are decent, commonsense sorts, who mean well. They’ll smile if you do. Try it if you doubt me. Sure, there’s another stupid Covid variant. And you know what? There’ll be another one after that. And another.

We’ve miles to go before we sleep.

But that’s okay. We’ll get there; we always do. It’s what we do. We just have to keep the faith in ourselves and in those around us. We need to re-believe that the light, symbolic as well as literal, is still out there and can be regained if we just deserve it hard enough. We’ve got to shut the window against the raven and stay Frosty. After all, even though the woods are dark and deep, they’re still lovely. I promise you. ◆

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A December 22 2021

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Page 12

The Voice

A December 22 2021

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW John Chick, Voice correspondent

An impossible dream

I

am going to use this space to present to you a grand vision that has as much chance of happening as Amazon enlisting a battalion of flying pigs to deliver online purchases to your house.

This is not about the Bills winning the Super Bowl or the Maple Leafs the Stanley Cup (two things that may currently appear plausible in the new year, but let’s face it, won’t happen).

No, with all the transit talk flying around here lately, I have decided that the time has come to construct a high-speed rail tunnel underneath Lake Ontario between Niagara and Toronto’s Union Station.

In addition to all the good environmental and forward-thinking infrastructure-building reasons to do this, I am also sick of the fast-food options along the QEW between Niagara and the GTA. With all due respect to the Five Guys in Stoney Creek or Arby’s in Burlington, diverse choices are limited.

Anyway, in all seriousness, I’ve had this idea in the back of my head for two decades. I originally envisioned it as a highway tunnel, connecting the QEW/406 junction with the 427/Gardiner Expressway

interchange on the west side of Toronto. However, what with sustainability sensibilities these days, a true high-speed rail option might actually convince some drivers to leave the car at home as they venture back and forth between here and the Big Smoke (not to mention fostering further growth and tourism in Niagara, likely to the chagrin of some down here).

Did you know that Canada is the only G7 country without regular high-speed rail service?

While I’m well aware my idea has zero chance of happening when this country— which too often cannot innovate its way out of a wet paper bag — can’t even build such a surface line between its two largest cities of Toronto and Montreal, I also have doubts that the long-discussed, all-day GO Train service between here and the GTA will ever happen either.

While the pandemic understandably reduced the number of commuters for a time, it is a fool’s errand to believe that a Golden Horseshoe region expected to grow to a population of 15 million by 2051 will not need comprehensive infrastructure upgrades.

With Doug Ford’s government seemingly more in-

The author, at a Burlington Arby's. terested in building highways through empty fields northwest of Toronto, it’s clear, as usual, that Niagara is primed to once again get the short end of the stick.

But even if that all-day GO service does one day come to fruition, it won’t be ideal. As someone who used to take VIA, Amtrak and weekend GO Trains back and forth to Toronto, I can tell you the services did not save time. At an average travel duration of well

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over two hours, it was often faster to drive. All trains would slow to a crawl as they passed through Hamilton, and anyone who has ever taken a GO Train will probably tell you that the seats can become quite uncomfortable after about 45 minutes perched on them.

Meanwhile, the notion of a large-scale commuter ferry connecting Niagara and Toronto appears to be thwarted by the harsh realities of winter. The

high-speed jetfoil ferries employed in places like Asia don’t have to deal with the winds and potential ice buildups on the Great Lakes in January.

And therein lies the reality. In order to get people to seriously consider options other than gridlocked traffic, you need to offer a faster, affordable alternative.

Now, I am clearly not an engineer, but such a massive project to tunnel underneath a large body of

water has precedent. The length of the English Channel tunnel, or “Chunnel,”is 50 kilometres. The distance from St. Catharines to Toronto across Lake Ontario is 51 kilometres.

Therefore, one would think if two national entities such as the United Kingdom and France (who historically have almost been as hostile to each other as Niagara and Toronto have) could get together and build something so large, so could we.

Of course, the $21 billion US price tag of the Chunnel is probably where you’ll start to lose people.

Most politicians on this continent can barely think past a 24-hour news cycle, let alone dare budget for anything that won’t be completed until long after they’ve left public office.

Ultimately that’s sad, because while there’s a really good chance that my possibly harebrained scheme here is prohibitively expensive, it could be argued that it would pay off in the long run. It’s also big and cool— but unfortunately, we don’t do big and cool.

It’s fun to dream though, and what better time of year than the holidays to let your imagination run wild.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. ◆

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The Voice

Page 13

A December 22 2021

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW David Cribbs, Pelham CAO

Growth is both blessing and curse

T

he year 2021 did not unfold as envisioned. Like many other civic administrators, I felt confident that the worst of Covid was behind us and that the Town would be operating in closer to normal fashion. Reality was far different. Town facilities were closed far longer in 2021 than they were in 2020. The Provincial and federal governments were generous in late 2020 with financial support, and all of that has now been spent to cover losses and provide safe working environments. If 2022 looks like 2021, difficult choices will have to be made, as the higher orders of government seem to have taken a step back from direct financial assistance.

The Town continues to experience considerable growth, which is both its blessing and its curse. This is an extremely attractive community which draws new residents as fast as homes can be built (faster in fact: Town staff believe that there is a waiting list for each development, and that several have sold out instantly).

Managing this is a fundamental challenge for council and staff: how to hit the Provincial/ Regional growth target without damaging all that’s good about the community. Pelham has no choice but to grow (again, upper government mandate), but there is some control over how it grows, and this is the art and science of local governance.

Council has juggled these conflicting priorities in admirable

and program were introduced, and have already produced results — both the new Town Clerk and Deputy Clerk were internal promotions, as is the new Supervisor in Recreation, Culture and Wellness. Almost two years into the Town’s first collective agreement with CUPE Local 1287 there is only a single grievance outstanding between the parties. Later this month the new asset management plan will be unveiled, which is a major accomplishment that will financially benefit this community for years to come by supporting better budgeting and better decision-making. Legal costs have been reduced by the successful introduction of a part-time Town Solicitor.

Through all of this I am proud of the work and performance of Town staff. There is not a single major service that Pelham stopped providing to its residents in 2020 or 2021, apart from those temporarily prohibited by law.

The municipal corporation is in better financial shape now than it was at the start of the pandemic and is better positioned, by a combination of the utilization of technology, the addition of new talent to the workforce, by the new financial software, and with the advent of a robust asset management system. I'm now wise enough not to try and predict the future, but here’s hoping for a healthier, but equally productive 2022. On behalf of Town administration, I wish all residents a healthy, happy and successful 2022. ◆

fashion: the Town keeps growing, but at a human scope and human scale.

As a municipal corporation, the Town has made some progress in improving its understanding of the challenges faced by First Nations residents—new initiatives include mandatory all-staff training (largely accomplished), land acknowledgment at the start of meetings, participation in Truth and Reconciliation Day, and hosting the REDress exhibit.

Staff are exploring some exciting new engagement opportunities for 2022, which hopefully will include a speaker series and possibly a cultural/artistic event for all residents to experience, enjoy and from which to learn.

The community has also made its wishes quite clear over the past year. Strong support for Pelham’s trails, and for maintaining, if not enhancing them, drew many delegations, emails, phone calls and plenty of media coverage. Similarly, and closely related, community advocates for the tree canopy helped push work forward which has resulted in a new tree policy and greater emphasis upon the health of the tree canopy. Council heard these concerns and made strategic decisions which appear to further the objectives identified by residents.

On the administrative side, and notwithstanding the general operating challenges posed

by Covid-19, the Town was able to complete many of the items identified in the strategic plan.

A succession management plan

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continued from Page 16 time of year will super-charge this variant’s spread. The federal government has advised against international travel, and I strongly agree with that—even travel to the US will increase our own and our community’s risk. The provincial government has issued new gathering limits as well: a maximum of 10 persons indoor or 25 persons outdoors. As difficult as it is so close to the holidays, I ask everyone to respect these gathering limits and keep holiday gatherings as small as possible, within the 10 person cap, and ideally with only one household visiting over the holidays. Being around fewer people will starve the virus of opportunities to spread.

Fourth, since the virus can travel through the air, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces is key. Small rooms that get stuff y are spaces where virus can build up in the air. Larger spaces where the air can dilute and ventilated spaces where air inside is frequently removed are safer. The ultimate is being outdoors where there is infinite space and natural ventilation. Winter activities can be a refuge from Omicron.

Finally, we can redouble our efforts at keeping two metres distance from others. The farther we are from a person, the less we will breathe the air they exhale. It is easy to get engrossed in a conversation and end up closer to someone than intended.

Unlike with bad breath, we can’t tell that we are getting too close. But like with bad breath, that distance will protect us.

None of the above is going to make us 100 percent safe; each is imperfect. But if all of us do all five of them consistently, we can get pretty close to perfection.

In past waves, the government has used lockdowns to stop the spread.

Lockdowns are a blunt tool to force us to avoid being around others (places to go are closed)—that’s forcing us to avoid crowds, preventing us from being with non-family in poorly-ventilated rooms, stopping us from travelling, and effectively keeping us physically distant (if you’re not in the same space, you are far more than two metres apart!).

With a variant as efficient as Omicron, a blunt tool like a lockdown may not work so well. A much finer, more nuanced approach is for all of us to practice the behaviours outlined above.

There’s a trope in horror movies where near the end, with everyone exhausted and injured, the monster appears defeated, only to suddenly surge to life back for one last scare.

In the horror show that is this pandemic, Omicron is the final, sudden scare. I truly believe that once we defeat the Omicron variant, we will have defeated the pandemic and be able to transition back to normal life.

While we are all exhausted from Covid-19, we also have 21 months of experience beating it back, and more knowledge and technology (e.g. vaccines, medications) to aid us in that fight. Our resolve as a community is the only remaining ingredient we need. If we dig deep, stick together, and personally practice the five measures above, we’ll put this pandemic in its grave this winter in time for a spring full of opportunity. ◆

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Page 14

The Voice

A December 22 2021

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Centrespread

Sulphur Spring Drive

BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES Inset, Sulphur Spring Drive, facing north, in D Main photo: It's all over except for the hard last week.

SARA D

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

vee reopens

S December 2020. paving, the roadway

DUFFIN PHOTOS

The Voice

Page 15

A December 22 2021

I

t was an early Christmas present for the residents of Sulphur Spring Drive. A section of the roadway, which runs between Effingham Street and Roland Road just south of Short Hills Provincial Park, was washed out in May 2016, and has been closed to vehicle traffic ever since. Duffin Contracting won the bid to repair the road in May of 2020, but—faced with numerous government agency-driven delays—contractor Bill Duffin saw the window of opportunity closing in on him on the cusp of winter. Yet by working overtime, he and his crew finished the job the first weekend in December. He also credits the help of Town staffers Jason Marr and Derek Young for facilitating the project.

The valley traversed by Sulphur Spring (or “Springs,” depending on which road sign you prefer) lies at the headwaters of the Twelve Mile Creek watershed, an environmentally sensitive area that is a spawning area for trout. The stream is prone to soil erosion, sedimentation, and road salt contamination.

Duffin told the Voice that he “purposely employed strategies that considered the environmental sensitivities of this area. The logistics of this project included constant environmental monitoring, as well as using state-of-the-art environmentally friendly materials.”

A great deal of attention was placed on the foundational work, said Duffin, which is not visible at road-level, but was nonetheless critical to the reconstruction. Approximately 160 feet of non-compactable, swamp-like organic material was removed to a depth of some eight feet, filling 70 dump truck loads. The roadway was then built up in stages using cutting-edge geogrid systems, which provide additional stability.

An underground drainage system called a French drain was employed, along with a storm sewer.

Precise placement of natural armour stone was a challenge, given the restricted width of the road in which a crane could operate. Duffin brought in seven truckloads, with up to 11 armour stones in each load, weighting 4.5 tons each.

“In the spring, we’ll start planting shrubs and ground cover, to help anchor the soil,” said Duffin. “Even if there's a strong rain, you're not going to see any erosion, because the subsoil matting will hold it in place.”

A surface netting, composed of natural coconut shell material, is visible on the graded sections of the rebuild. The netting will disintegrate by the time the shrubs have matured.

Duffin preserved as many of the trees already in place as possible, and added that “when I remove one tree, I try to plant two.”

Numerous adverse conditions were encountered in this project, according to Duffin.

“The road had deteriorated further since its closure in 2016, and the work area was only six metres wide, which left little room to perform some of the heavy-equipment excavation.

We also had overhanging hydro wires to contend with.”

The reconstruction was not without its drama.

Duffin received a permit to undertake the work from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which was necessary given the roadway’s close proximity to Twelve Mile Creek. However, significant delays were triggered by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) and Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC), which balked at providing the necessary permit to allow the work to proceed.

An exasperated Pelham Mayor Marvin Junkin contacted CHCH-TV in Hamilton, and mustered a press conference onsite to convey the sense of urgency. Perhaps influenced by the potential for negative media attention, the NPCA issued permits the same day. Junkin had previously stated that because safe passage of fire-fighting equipment could no longer be guaranteed to residents on Sulphur Spring, he was prepared to declare a state of emergency, which would have empowered the Town to authorize the roadway repair work without approval by the government agencies.

“There was no damage to the stream during the construction period, so I would think everyone should be happy,” said Duffin, who added that in addition to the physical repairs to the road, he wanted to restore the natural beauty of the site as well.

“As one of the most scenic drives in the Niagara Region, preservation of this unique Short Hills area was a priority.

Using natural materials, such as the armourstone, the road is not only stable, but blends in as part of the natural landscape, allowing for the therapeutic sound of the trickling stream to continue.”

Phase two of the roadway construction, on a smaller section nearby, will occur in the spring.

Page 16

The Voice

A December 22 2021

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW Margaret Ferguson, Column Six contributor

A year of discovery about myself

P

erhaps it is a good thing to have to look at ourselves deeply every once in awhile and whittle out the useless parts of our nature. As I look around me and hear my friends talk, I realize that they, too, are busy sorting out the important things in their lives. So, here is my attempt to clarify my life adventure during this Covid time for everyone.

One important thing is about balance. Usually we think of balance in a physical way, but I urge you to go deeper and think of balancing inner thoughts and emotions. Learning to juggle our sadnesses and disappointments, not necessarily with great happiness, but with understanding.

I have had several experiences with this during Covid, and have been forced to learn this lesson if I

wanted to experience any pleasure in daily living.

Another thing is trust.

We have to trust ourselves that our physical actions are solid and true. But much more than that, we need to go deeper and learn to trust our inner feelings.

I have had trouble many times with trusting my own decisions, but with practice I know that this trust is basic for our nature. This year has been a great learning

time for my inner life.

I also know that it is vital to take time to relax and reflect on life and to see what can be accomplished by letting go. We do not need to carry a heavy load all the time. The times that I have had over this year to be still and just enjoying the moment, have been very precious, and are becoming a little easier to experience.

It is a time of learning patience. I cannot become that

patient person if I am impatient to get to that point.

I want it now—but life is not like that. I need to cultivate patience with myself and my thoughts—not the easiest thing for me. It is such a privilege to observe ourselves as we all have powerful recollections. Being inside more during this year has allowed for more introspection and hopefully more improvement. I know I have to cultivate more

ability to balance these important life attributes for the good of all life. This had been an opportunity to learn flexibility of body and mind.

What a wonderful world this would be if we all learned to be conscious of others but also of our inner selves. It is a step forward when we can see ourselves as part of the world’s humanity, and each work toward that end. ◆

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Acting Medical Officer of Health

We can end the pandemic for good, now

T

his is not the end-of-year message I had planned to write.

After 21 months of a difficult pandemic, I had hoped to outline a positive outlook for 2022 as we geared up to celebrate the holidays with friends and family.

For some, this would have been the first proper family event in two years.

The Omicron variant has dashed all our plans. As you are no doubt aware, this variant is spreading rapidly in Ontario and Niagara, just as it spread at lightning speed in other countries before us. By the time you read this, we may already be setting record high numbers of Covid-19 cases. If not, it will happen within days.

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As cases rise exponentially, it may begin to feel that we are hopeless to stop this pandemic.

We are not. The virus needs us to survive, and that gives us some control over it. We do not need (or want) the virus, so it has no similar control over us. The virus’s biggest advantage is that we are tired of this pandemic after 21 months, yet it doesn’t get tired at all. However, if we can power through our fatigue, we have 21 months of learning that shows us how we can defeat the pandemic.

First, thanks to science, we have vaccines and new medications.

While the Omicron variant can evade the protection of the vaccine somewhat, two doses of vaccine still reduces our risk of in-

Emmersyn, age Half 11.

fection, and very strongly reduces our risk of severe illness. Thanks to 76 percent of Niagara residents becoming fully vaccinated, the virus is going to have more trouble spreading. A booster dose further improves our immunity against this variant. While we can’t give boosters to everyone in a few days, we can protect our children and those who are older and most vulnerable to severe illness quickly.

Let’s make sure we let the older members of our community get their boosters right away before Emmersyn, those of us who are younger get age in 11a few weeks. Let’s make ours sure our children get their vaccine.

And if we haven’t yet got our first or second dose, now is the time to get that too.

Page Program(5.5”x4.25”) TOWN OF PELHAM

Second, masks are a nuisance, but they really work. Let’s keep wearing them. Most important is to have a mask that fits well, making a good seal around the face without gaps. The mask should also have at least three layers.

A medical mask that is moulded around the nose fits the bill, but so do some cloth masks. If you want the ultimate protection, a KN95 or N95 respirator will do the best job filtering virus that might be in the air.

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The Voice

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW Tim Nohara, CCC chair

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW Councillor Wayne Olson

A Cannabis Control Committee update

T

o the residents of Pelham, I hope this short note from the Cannabis Control Committee (CCC) finds you well as we approach the Christmas season.

It has been a challenging time for many of us, and I pray easier days lie ahead in 2022.

As the pandemic has prevented us from gathering at council chambers for an update, your fellow CCC volunteer members Carla Baxter, James Steele, Jim Jeffs, John Langendoen, Louis Damm, Bill Heska, and I would like to report to you on where we are at with the Odorous Industries Nuisance Bylaw (OINBL) adopted by Pelham Town council in March 2020, and the cannabis Official Plan Amendment (OPA) and Zoning Bylaw Amendment (ZBA) adopted by council in July 2020.

The OINBL

It’s hard to believe it has been over a year since the last official update we provided you on the OINBL. As our Town’s Bylaw Enforcement team were just starting to use their Nasal Ranger to take odour measurements, I discussed, in the October 29, 2020 issue of the Voice, how to file an odour complaint using the Town’s Public Service Request (PSR) system. The article can be found at: https://bit.ly/3eb4sbG I know that council and staff are aware that many of you are unable to properly use the PSR system and that improving the system is a priority, which

hopefully will occur in 2022.

This past spring 2021, CannTrust and Redecan brought an Application to Quash the OINBL with the Superior Court of Justice. As a result, the contractor-conducted Ambient Neighbourhood Odour Monitoring Program never got started and is on hold. This program was designed to have odour professionals take regular odour readings around the cannabis facilities to track odour emissions that are a nuisance to neighbours.

Unfortunately, this legal action will likely not make it to court for at least a year or more, which means that it will likely be handled by the next Town Council.

The OPA and ZBA

You may recall that CannTrust, Redecan and Woodstock Biomed appealed the OPA and ZBA to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) in late summer 2020. The Voice reported on this on June 23, 2021.

The article can be found at: https://bit.ly/32kNDby LPAT is now called the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).

The appeal of our OPA and ZBA will be heard and decided by the OLT in just a few weeks on January 24-27, 2022. The OPA and ZBA were designed to ensure a public process for any new cannabis and industrial hemp facilities in the town; and provide policies, required studies and standards including setbacks to ensure harmonious coexistence. The good news is

Page 17

A December 22 2021

In the colour of hope

that the goal posts will (hopefully) finally be decided by the OLT just a short time from now.

What can residents do?

The OLT hearing will be held via video conference for four days on January 24-27, 2022.

Residents may observe the proceedings at https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/287108853.

Persons who only wish to listen to the event can connect by telephone at 1-888-455-1389 (toll free). The access code is 287-108-853.

I encourage you to attend the OLT hearing via video conference or telephone. You will hear arguments from each of the cannabis companies, and you will hear our own lawyers and experts defend the OPA and ZBA that were approved by our council and the Niagara Region.

This is your chance to better appreciate the issues that will determine the outcome which will impact our community for years to come.

I also encourage you to write to the Mayor and to your councillors and thank them for their continuing support in seeing this legal effort through. Or write into the Voice. Pelham is indeed punching above its weight, and the goal posts set by the OLT will not only inform and help Pelham and the CCC, but all municipalities in Ontario, as the rules will finally be clear regarding what municipalities can and can not do to ensure harmonious coexistence.

Merry Christmas. ◆

N

ext year is the Year of the Garden 2022. It will be an opportunity to remember our agricultural heritage and to continue to harness the creative horticultural genius of our residents. One only needs to see the displays for Christmas to see the pride in our town. I don’t believe it’s my imagination but there seems to be many more lights and decorations this year.

Horticulture, as a global industry, got its start right here in Pelham.

The same fine soils and climate have given rise to our vibrant agriculture, landscape and golf course industries.

Starting with our Indigenous friends, people have always come to Niagara for food.

There is an opportunity to celebrate true business success and to honour the ongoing stewardship of these important lands. Our businesses are leading the way out of the pandemic and taking all manner of innovative steps to address climate change and the new complexities of business.

Federal and provincial policies only “get real” at the municipal level. It couldn’t happen without our superior staff and volunteers. They play a huge role in making Pelham a preferred place to live.

They are masters of the warm welcome, the helpful response and voluntary cooperation with each other and the public. Our staff consistently clears the superior service bar and raises response to the level of strategic asset.

In my experience, succession planning and activation is one of more challenging activities in an organization. Many things need to be right: recruitment, hiring, fairness,

evaluation training and retention for succession to work. I am quite happy to observe that our succession plans are functioning well. It delights me to see that many of our positions are filled from within.

I want to acknowledge and appreciate the great work done by our service clubs, volunteers and faith communities. They have also contributed to beautifying our Town and addressing climate change. To all of our wonderful volunteers, we are grateful for your valuable contributions.

I am always inspired by the Voice articles about our young people and their support for food drives, the lemonade stands, the ornament sales and the growing small businesses. There is a vitality, a life force, a special energy and an openness in the way in which our young people go into action to alter conditions of hunger, homelessness, abuse, addiction, oppression, and isolation.

As a community, a focus must be to See HOPE Page 22

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The Voice

A December 22 2021

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW MPP Sam Oosterhoff

We all benefit when supporting our community

T

he spirit of generosity and compassion was shown by so many across Niagara West in the historic year of 2021. 2021 was also a year characterized by both perseverance in the face of continued difficulties, and optimism about what the future holds for our families, local communities, and for our province as a whole.

Earlier this year, the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines radically changed the game in our collective fight against the virus and its variants. The vaccines approved

by Health Canada are overwhelmingly safe and effective at stopping severe illness, hospitalization, and even death from Covid-19 and its variants.

Across Niagara West—including Pelham— a very high percentage of residents stepped up to protect themselves and their community by getting vaccinated, a key step to moving beyond the pandemic and moving back towards normalcy.

Slowly but surely, more and more activities which were cancelled because of Covid in 2020, have

SIEGEL

continued from Page 20 tive forms of public transit which have become a part of the Regional system. This will make it easier for peo-

started up again this year. Even the Canada Day and Santa Claus Parades have been able to return once more — although in slightly altered and socially distanced forms.

In Pelham, organizations such as Pelham Cares, Branch 613 of the Royal Canadian Legion, and the local Kinsmen Club have stepped up and worked with many individuals, churches, and community advocates to support vulnerable seniors and other individuals. It is remarkable to see the innovative ways that people throughout the community continue to reach out and look out for each other.

Unfortunately, local businesses continue to suffer negative economic consequences from health restrictions and lockdowns. Please consider giving a gift to the entire community by taking your Christmas shopping list to local shops, restaurants, and artists in Pelham, supporting families and jobs in our local economy.

Helping provide guidance and resources to local residents and businesses through various pub-

ple to get to work, school, shopping, medical appointments, and just visiting friends. This increased mobility will enrich the lives of residents.

Second, this is an example of area municipalities

lic health measures and government support programs was a major priority for my team and me during the past year. We continue to work to ensure that our many job-creators are supported and able to thrive post-pandemic, and that they in turn can provide good jobs to workers across Niagara.

I also worked closely with the Region of Niagara and the Town of Pelham on delivering substantial expansions of broadband internet —an absolute necessity in today’s increasingly digital world —as well as the issuing of an RFP for the new South Niagara Hospital. This billion-dollar hospital will provide world class healthcare —with cutting- edge technology—to the residents of south Niagara, including Pelham.

Additional resources are also being provided to the municipality through a doubling of the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, which will help ensure modern roads, bridges, and community infrastructure.

On a personal note, in January of this year my wife, Keri, and I were

cooperating with one another to deal with a regional issue. This is not the place to argue about governance issues like “one Niagara,” or amalgamation, but it is important for residents to start seeing Niagara as one region

blessed with the birth of our first son, Sullivan. As he approaches his first birthday, Sullivan is already learning to walk and comment on the political landscape! You should be receiving a Christmas postcard from my family soon.

As a Christian, the Christmas season is an especially important reminder of the great love of God in sending his Son to earth to die for the sins of the world. This holiday season also serves as a reminder to love our neighbours and those around us, especially in

that transcends the interests of each separate municipality. Transit is an example of the 13 municipalities in Niagara working together to accomplish a shared goal.

This was a learning process that can be extended to other

Sam Oosterhoff, MPP

these challenging times.

I am very thankful to serve the families, seniors, and job-creators of our community; it is an honour and responsibility I do not take lightly. It is also so important for me to hear from you about the issues that matter most to you and your family, so that I can advocate for your concerns at Queen’s Park.

As we continue through the Advent season and approach the end of this year, I wish you and your family a very blessed Christmas, and a happy and healthy New Year! ◆

services for residents. Maybe Niagara residents and their representatives will start thinking about Niagara as one region. That would be a major change.

Neither one of my ideas about major events for 2021 is actually a done deal yet.

Both are in transition in some way. I think they are moving in a positive direc-

Niagara West

Merry Christmas, And a blessed and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas &a Blessed 2022 to the people of Pelham - Councillor Bob Hildebrandt

Beamsville Town Centre

4961 King St. E, Unit M1, Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 905-563-1755 • 1-800-665-3697 samoosterhoffco@pc.ola.org • www.samoosterhoffmpp.ca

䐀攀愀渀 䄀氀氀椀猀漀渀 䴀攀洀戀攀爀 漀昀 倀愀爀氀椀愀洀攀渀琀 昀漀爀 一椀愀最愀爀愀 圀攀猀琀 眀眀眀⸀搀攀愀渀愀氀氀椀猀漀渀⸀挀愀 簀 ㄀⸀㠀㜀㜀⸀㌀ 㤀⸀㌀㌀㈀㘀

tion, but it falls to the prime actors involved in these areas to continue down what I see as productive roads in both cases. At the national level, minority governments can be made to work in the long term, and, at the local level, inter-municipal cooperation in service delivery is certainly a positive step.

Happy New Year. ◆

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice

Page 19

A December 22 2021

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW Teresa Quinlin-Murphy, Pelham Treasurer

POETRY

Organizations and events of note

T

his has been an incredible year. The Town has been busy applying for grants.

I am happy that there will be two new splash pads next summer, one in Fenwick and the other in Fonthill. This request has been made by residents at several Budget Open Houses in the past few years.

It has been a challenging year for staff due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I am proud of the outstanding work from staff in the past year providing great service to our community.

I would like to highlight the three organizations that I support: Women’s Place of South Niagara, Niagara Health Foundation, and Niagara College’s Nourishing Minds Fund.

The pandemic has created a dangerous situation for women and children affected by abuse. Gender-based violence has increased by 30 percent, and the severity of cases reported has also increased. Thankfully, Women’s Place continues to offer their lifesaving services, and has some exciting updates to help address this urgent demand. Women’s Place will be consolidating their two shelters and is undergoing an expansion of the Nova House from a 20-bed to a

40-bed shelter is part of a plan to meet the growing need for domestic violence services in Niagara. This project will increase the total shelter capacity by 25 percent. Women’s Place will be opening a new outreach office operating out of the Hope Centre in Welland, accessible to the community five days a week. Also, there is a new Prevention and Public Education Manager, who will help increase education and awareness as they work on preventative measures. A total of 106 women and 52 children have lived in shelter in 2021, while hundreds more benefited from the outreach programs, including 24/hour support lines, transitional housing and legal support, counseling, and safety planning. Work to end gender-based violence is far from over and everyone can play a part in achieving this mission.

To learn more visit www. womensplacesn.org.

The Niagara Health Foundation has played a pivotal role in supporting Niagara Health during the pandemic. As the charity responsible for securing funds to purchase vital patient care equipment, the Foundation has adapted, been agile, and thrived in 2020-2021.

For example, alongside Mr.

Lillian, age 7.

TOWN OF PELHAM

Tom Rankin, the Foundation successfully raised over $2.8 million in just over two months to purchase a third MRI in Niagara, which will drastically reduce wait times for Niagara residents. The Foundation also saw incredible success in its “Ride from Home” Big Move Cancer Ride, raising over $414,000 for the Walker Family Cancer Centre. In addition, the Foundation has grown its Niagara Health Community Lottery and awarded over $302,000 to winners and across Niagara in 2021.

Lastly, the Foundation has launched the “It's Our Future” fundraising campaign for the new South Niagara Site of Niagara Health and has already secured over $18 million in pledges. To

learn more visit www.niagarahealthfoundation.com.

I established the Nourishing Minds Fund at Niagara College as a gift to the students at my retirement in 2015. This fund supports the needs of struggling students with their financial ability to purchase food. To date this fund has raised over $275,000, which has Lillian, served more than 70,000 age 7 and 200,383 food breakfasts vouchers in various denominations from $25 to $250. I am so happy to see that people have continued to support this important cause addressing the needs of students. To learn more visit www.niagaracollege. ca.

I was honoured to receive recognition as a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario this year. I want to thank all the wonderful people I have worked with in my career who have contributed to my success and have made going to work a joy.

On a personal note, it has been a magical year.

I married the love of my life, Dom Murphy, in September and we visited the Canadian Rockies for our honeymoon. The mountains, lakes and wildlife were spectacular. We are truly blessed to live in such a beautiful country. ◆

On Adopting “Sam” What do you think New pet of mine As you stretch on my floor In the bright sunshine?

As you stare at the wall, What do you see, Afraid of others, Afraid of me?

How long will it take For you to know This process can be Very Slow?

For trust is felt And I learned each day, Dear Sam, Please know You’re here to stay.

Under my bed Like a tiny ball, Do you fear for your life When you hear me call?

As you peer in your bowls Of water, food, Have you found a life To treat you, “good”?

How do you feel As I stroke your fur, And hope I’ll hear The slightest purr?

and a

HAPPY NEW YEAR Wayne Olson

May this season of joy mark the start of a blessed and peaceful year to come.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

You were a stray, But now you’re ours.

So everything Within our power, We’ll do To give you A safe home Dear Sammy You need never roam Again.

S. M. Lazareth July 2021

Best wishes for a

y s r r e M ristma h C

We won’t give up, Abandon you, It’s not the thing Your folks will do.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR JOHN WINK

Councillor - Ward 2

Mayor Marvin Junkin and Family

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Best wishes to you and your family this holiday season.

DIANA HUSON | REGIONAL COUNCILLOR diana.huson@niagararegion.ca

Page 20

The Voice

A December 22 2021

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

OBITUARY

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW David Siegel, Political Science Prof. Emeritus

Minority governments here to stay, Niagara transit inches closer

T

he Voice’s invitation to write about my perspective on the past year was both tempting and daunting, but I couldn’t resist this kind of interesting assignment. Of course, Covid is the obvious news story of 2021, but so much has been written about this important topic that I felt that I had little to add. Instead, I will turn my attention to politics, and write about two events, one at the national and one at local level that I see as having lasting import.

Canada had its second federal election within a two-year period, and it resulted in relatively little change. So, why is this something to write about? Canada has had minority governments before, and the sky hasn’t fallen.

The return of two minority governments in a row, with a particular configuration of parties indicates a basic shift in the way that we will be doing politics for the foreseeable future. Canada now has four parties

operating at the federal level that are capable of winning a significant number of seats, and all four appear rather firmly established in their current positions. The fifth party, the Greens, has not yet made a major breakthrough, but it will be growing in strength as more young people who are concerned about the problems associated with climate change start voting. The People’s Party of Canada has not yet won a seat, but it will be attractive in some regions of the country.

As long as we have a four-, or five-, or six-party system, the math is fairly clear. It will be difficult for any party to win a majority of seats. As mentioned earlier, Canada has had minority governments before, but these have usually served as a transition between majority governments. For example, in the 2004-11 period we went from a Liberal majority, to a Liberal minority, to two Conservative minorities, to a Conservative majority.

Some European countries have had minorities for extended periods.

It’s not a catastrophe, but it does require a different way of governing.

The parties will need to learn how to work together to provide some level of stability. This could even result in a coalition government. This is a fairly common occurrence in Europe, but not so in Canada.

My second point is closer to home. It’s not final yet, but we seem Brayden, Brayden, Grade 6.

TOWN OF PELHAM to6be very close to agreement on the grade establishment of a Regional transit system. This is significant at two The combination of the politics levels. and the math means that we are now First, it will provide a service to on the threshold of a period of relalocal residents that has been needed tively permanent minority governfor some time. It not only provides ments. (Nothing is truly permanent greater mobility between major in politics.) This means that we will population centres, but it has also need to learn to govern with miencouraged less densely populated nority governments not as a tranplaces that could not sustain their sitory phenomenon, but as a more own conventional transit system, permanent feature. This is not the like Pelham, to develop innovacatastrophe that some would make it. Parliamentary systems are built See SIEGEL Page 18 to function in minority situations.

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW Helen Tran, Voice correspondent

Learning how to look forward timism.

I began 2021 feeling like I had already jumped the biggest hurdles life could place in my path. I had already faced sudden single-parenthood while pregnant, and moved myself and two young children into a new home during a pandemic.

I had logged hundreds of hours in therapy, and come to surprisingly good terms with the end of an 11-year relationship.

I had leased a brand-new town home a few months prior. The lease was for one year, with the expectation of signing a longer lease if all went well. The pandemic clearly wasn’t ending anytime soon, so I threw myself into my new life with gusto.

C E L E B R AT I N G Y E A R S

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With my landlord’s blessing, I planted hundreds of flowers, transforming my blank lawn into a floral paradise. I built a playhouse for my kids. I mowed the grass.

I bought an outdoor dining set, with the hope of hosting some small meals outside for my friends and family.

I got this handled, I remember thinking, covered in sweat as I painstakingly hauled boulder after boulder to build flowerbeds for my daughter to plant dozens of pansies.

Did I mention that I was optimistic?

I’d always been a naturally happy person, able to smile no matter what happened to me. I always try to see the good in any sit-

Friends and family got vaccinated.

Some didn't.

Rifts ensued.

uation, or any person. It is a weakness as well as a strength.

Looking back on how 2021 went, there were just as many highs as lows, alternating and altering my life with no discernable pattern:

My daughter started school. My son started saying “mama.”

I started going professional with my photography. Moderate success.

I fell in love more than once. I also fell out of love.

More than once.

The self-help books continued gathering dust on the shelf. Oh, well.

I got vaccinated. Socializing occurred. Adventures were had.

Friends and family got vaccinated. Some didn’t.

Rifts ensued.

I continued teaching, while worrying as my hours were cut again and again.

And again.

The Rotary Club of Fonthill is honoured to sponsor our second annual free winter holiday public skating event at the Fonthill Meridian Community Centre on January 7th, 2022 from 7:30-9:30 pm.

Please come and join us for some family fun over the holidays and consider supporting the Rotary Club of Fonthill and the Niagara Rotaract Club in their inaugural food and fundraising drive in support of Food4Kids Niagara. Food4Kids Niagara provides packages of healthy food for children up to 14 years with limited or no access to food each weekend.

Both the food and fundraising drives start December 27th, 2021. Food donations will be accepted up until January 15th, 2022 and the monetary drive will continue until March 31st, 2022.

Come out on January 7th and meet Food4Kids, Rotaract and Rotary members who will be happy to accept your donations in person.

Can’t make it?

More ways to contribute food and donate: www.rotarycluboffonthill.ca/donate/food4kids-donation CONTRIBUTIONS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A TAX RECEIPT. Please help us to make a difference for the youth in Niagara during this holiday season!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM NIAGARA ROTARACT AND THE ROTARY CLUB OF FONTHILL.

January 7, 1920 December 9, 2021 The Lord has come to her and given her peace. Marie went to be with her Lord and Saviour on Dec 9, 2021 at Shalom Manor, Grimsby in her 102nd year. Marie was predeceased by her husband Pieter (1986), her son Robert (2007), daughter Carol ( 2011), daughter-in-law Linda (2018) as well as all of her siblings. She is survived by 6 children Pieter, John (Bonnie), Gerda Misdorp, Janna White (Charles), Marie and Ed (Lori Eden), 8 grandchildren Stephen Barends (Arlene), Patricia Gemmell (Jesse), Krista Copeland (Kevin), Brandon Barends (Andria), David Misdorp (Jenn), Lora Lupa, Aaron White (Deanna), Stephanie Lockhart (Don) as well as 11 great-grandchildren.

She was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands as Marie Maissan and immigrated to Canada in 1954. She spent most of her married life living in Fenwick Ontario, raising her 8 children. She faithfully attended Fenwick United Church and was active in the choir and Women’s groups until she moved into Shalom Manor for care. She participated readily in all the activities provided by Shalom staff. Many thanks go out to all her caregivers at Shalom for their care, attention, kindness and support. Cremation has taken place. A celebration of Marie’s life has already been held. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations online to Fenwick United Church, Pelham Cares or Shalom Manor and Gardens, Grimsby, ON. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Lampman Funeral Home. www.lampmanfuneralhome. com

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t the close of 2020, I made a series of promises to myself: to plant flowers in the spring, to live cautiously where it concerns Covid, but let life continue to surprise me.

My to-do list for the new year was both big and small: finalize my divorce, enjoy my new home, focus on rebuilding my career after two rounds of maternity leave.

Write a few stories. Snap some good photos. Read the self-help books gathering dust on my shelf. Live a little. Maybe fall in love. Despite the pandemic, life at the start of 2021 felt like a fresh page in a new book, ready to be written upon.

Ah, the sweet smell of op-

BARENDS, Marie

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The Voice

Page 21

A December 22 2021

FORWARD

when I was feeling down—thank you.

You helped me keep my sanity. continued from previous page To those who read my stories and articles, listened to my jokes, and enI started going professional with couraged me to laugh and let laugh, to my writing. Reasonably moderate write and let live — thank you. You resuccess. minded me of my self-worth.

I worked on some stories for To my daughter, who writes my the Voice that I am truly proud of: name by combining “mom” with “Breaking her silence,” a piece deher imagined spelling of “Helen” tailing the courage of Faith Flagg —thank you, thank you, thank you. and her long road towards recovery “MAHM” loves you and your brother after being hit by a drunk driver, so much. and “Don’t call me a hero,” a piece As this bittersweet year nears its in which nurse Annie Mazmanian end, I ask myself: How long will this described the tribulations of the pandemic continue? Will we ever go nursing profession during Covid back to the way things were before? To and brought awareness to mental the first question; I don’t know. To the health issues. second; I think my answer is no. We Divorce proceedings dragged out can’t. But that doesn’t mean that the into months, into yet another year. future isn’t good, or can’t be good. One Morale? Low. Legal Fees? High. can only rebuild with the materials As summer turned to fall, I of what came before. There is a harsh planned to use the winter season to beauty, and some comfort, in that. rest, to lick my wounds, to nurture A special alchemy takes place in the memories of parts of the year ourselves when we practice accepthat had been successful, to let my tance, gratefulness, and compassion heart hibernate, and allow the few (for others, and also for ourselves) in magical moments of 2021 to sustain the face of adversity or suffering. Or me, to keep me sane. when we reach out to help others, unYou got this handled, I remember asked and without reward. thinking, as I cleaned up my yard in I know my story is only one of many. preparation for winter.

Many have struggled and undergone Did I mention that I wanted life unimaginable losses during the panto still surprise me? If I had a fairy Page 14 THE VOICE of Pelham Wednesday, August 27, 2 Maude, age 12.

TOWN OF PELHAM demic — so much of Covid has been godmother, she would have said: Be about uncertainty, and dealing with careful what you wish for. monumental changes to life that noMy year-long lease ended, after reality a very stressed-out mommy. While If I have learned anything from this year, body asked for. which it was abruptly announced that inshe was learning how to write my name at it is that I am loved and supported by many.

To all who have experienced hardship and stead of renewing the lease, my unit would school, while my son was babbling happily at 2021 was an exercise in letting life lead me in grief this year, this is what I want to say: All be listed for sale. My home, so snug and safe, daycare, I was spending my days and sleepunexpected directions, and a proving ground of what you felt and still feel is real and valwas now just a house. For me, the sale of my less nights trying to keep our life together. for what I was capable of. It was also the year id. You have been through so much. You are home, which I had worked so hard on, was Legal fees crept higher.

The “forLIBRARY’S sale” date in which my friends and family showed me PELHAM COMPUTER CLINIC strong, you are brave. You can do this. You the last straw. The spell had broken. loomed closer. My job seemed more precarthat love is woven from many threads. loved. You are valued.

Excavating contractor. 7 SPRU with aTovolunteer tutor. help with webare browsing, ious than ever. I was“One-to-One exhausted, tooHelp” tired to those whotech bought myGet photo calendars y daughter, who is very opinionated cry. ande-books, cards, trusted me media, with family and wedwebmail account set-up, social editing and sharing your Water, sewer upgrades, FONTH Dear 2022, for a four-year-old, describes me thus: Somewhere in the midst of it all, I found ding photo shoots, and referred me — thank foundation holds, repair, I accept water it, withitems, photosDays and more. of laptop or BYOGsingle (bringmother your ownWhatever gadget).the future “Mommy you are very interesting, even the strength to continue. turned Includes to you. use You helped a struggling cautious hands butproofing, an opendrainage heart. systems, clothes though you forget things all the time.” weeks. Weeks became months. I12:30 survived; pay bills, rent, andpay legalahead fees. in person. $5.00 per 1/2 Saturdays – 3:30.

Register and Please be good to all of us.

I am grateful that she describes me this am surviving. A tree weathering a storm. A To those who dropped off food, cooked me quarry stone supply, place- sonable Yours truly, hour.

Visit www.pelhamlibrary.on.ca or call way, that this is how she pictures me. The rock remaining steady, braving wave after meals, played with my905-892-6443 children, made for me more details. ment. 905-384-1972. P18-23 30, 8AM “MAHM” “forgetful” mommy she remembers was in wave. I didn’t do it alone. laugh, called or emailed or video-chatted

Maude, age 12

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Food4Kids food-drive/fundraiser

The Rotary Club of Fonthill and the Niagara Rotaract Club are collaborating on a food and fundraising drive in support of Food4Kids Niagara. FFood4Kids Niagara provides packages of healthy food for children up to 14 years old with limited or no access to food each weekend. According to a Rotary Club media statement, the organization is meeting the needs of 450 children throughout the Niagara Region, with 27 additional schools on the waiting list.

The food drive will begin on Monday, December 27, and will run until Saturday, January 15. Food donations may be made by sending an email to info@rotarycluboffonthill.ca. Additionally, the Rotary Club of Fonthill will sponsor a Family Skate on January 7 at the Meridian Community Centre and will accept food goods at that time.

Rotary said that the most urgent need is for tuna, soup and chili.

While the monetary drive will also start on December 27, it will have a longer duration and is tentatively intended to conclude on March 31. Anyone interested in contributing may make a donation through the Rotary Club of Fonthill, at: rotarycluboffonthill.ca/donate/food4kids-donation Donations may also be made by cheque

are provided. At time of registration, please enquire about tools needed.

Tues., Sept. 16 10 – 12:30.CUSTOM $10. Please register ahead.

Visit FOR www.pelhamJOKES SALE MILL library.on.ca or call 905-892-6443 for more details.

Portable sawmill service.

For Sale

payable to the Rotary Club of Fonthill, with I will come to your home or Joke Books. A Treasury of a note that it is for the Food4Kids Niagara farm and custom mill your Funny Jokes For Kids, $3.00.

FABULOUS FENWICK LIONS FISH FRY fundraiser. The mailing address is: Rotary logs. Firewood & lumber also 15 Highland Avenue. Excellent Club of Fonthill, c/o Gail Levay, 2035 Hollow Tasty treats with funds heading straight back into the Haddock, available. Call Rob Patterson, Forcommunity.

Gifts and Stocking Stuffers.

Road, Fonthill, ON L0S 1E6 905-401-4948, french fries Runs Sept. 9 from 4-7 p.m.

All contributions are eligible forand a taxmuch re- more. riverwoodportablesawmill@ FRESH TREES ceipt. gmail.com

CHRISTMAS TREES

PELHAM Holiday cheer from FonthillMINOR Rotary HOCKEY EQUIPMENT SALE You Cut. Good Selection.

FARM FRESHatPRODUCE Centre to Street sell or trade used equipment the Pelham Arena.740Aimed provide and E.L.Buy, Crossley

Fenwick Nearly 20 families in Niagara will for get players Williams Orchards.

Open 9 season. Runs cheaper options in this upcoming Sept. 6 from to have a festive table of food and gifts to AM - 6 PM, 7 days a week. We 9-12 in the morning. share, thanks to the efforts of the InterCLEANER WANTED have Honeycrisp Apples and act Club and the Crossley Student Council, lots of other varieties; Honey; HOUSE CLEANER WANTED which encouraged home room classes to Brown Eggs; Cider; Grape PELHAM MUDFEST House Cleaner Wanted in adopt families in need as identified by the Juice; Squash; Preserves and Salvation Army. Staff , students, and CrossFenwick.

1 – 2on days week, is Men and women will beApple backFirewood. in the mud as the second run theperyear 1724 Pelham ley families purchased gifts for the children $20.00 per hour.

Street North, Fonthill. Phone helditems at Bissil’s and non-perishable food for theHideaway. fam905-941-4282 905-892-5811. ily. Many also included gifts and treats for the parents/grandparents. Gift cards for NIAGARA REGIONAL EXHIBITION local grocery stores will help families to purchase the remaining items neededand for alive entertainment headline this years exciting event. It Rodeo, games festive dinner. runs from Sept. 11-14 at the Welland Fairgrounds.

Last Friday, members of the Rotary Club of Fonthill, who had adopted two of the families, came to the school and in short BIG MOVE CANCER RIDE order all the boxed items were loaded by the The Big Move Cancer Ride is a non-competitive ride taking place on Sept. students into cars for delivery to the collection site, Holy Trinity Church in Welland.

7. Proceeds for the Big Move stay in Niagara and support the Walker Fam-

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Support WALKING CLUB your local Interested in walking in Pelham? Join them Tuesdays at the Pelham Arena service clubs from 9-10 am and Thursdays at Fonthill Bandshell for 9-10:30 am. There

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Page 22

The Voice

A December 22 2021

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

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Bethany Christian Reformed Church www.bethanycrc.ca

First Presbyterian Church 602 Metler Rd., North Pelham

Holy Trinity Anglican Church holytrinityfonthill.org

Pelham Evangelical Friends Church www.pelhamfriends.ca

Concordia Lutheran Church 105 Welland Rd., Fonthill

Fonthill Baptist Church www.fonthillbaptistchurch.ca

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 1369 Rice Rd., Fonthill

Ridgeville Bible Chapel ridgevillebiblechapel.com

Fenwick Church of Christ www.fenwickchurchofchrist.ca

Fonthill United Church www.fonthillunited.com

Kirk on the Hill Presbyterian Church kirkonthehill@outlook.com

St. Alexander Roman Catholic Church www.stalexander.on.ca

Fenwick United Church www.fenwickunited.com

Glad Tidings Church of God www.gladtidingschurchofgod.com

Pelham Community Church (United Church) www.pelham.cc

St. Ann Roman Catholic Church www.stannfenwick.com

FAITH LIFT

continued from Page 27 people “Christians.” But notice it goes beyond an intellectual faith that simply says, “I’m not an atheist; I believe that God exists.”

It says that God rewards those who earnestly (sincerely, genuinely) seek Him.

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In the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 9:6, one of the names given to Jesus is “the prince of peace.” When Jesus arrived over seven centuries later, he declared, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 16:33) Notice how Jesus distinguished between his peace

and worldly peace. His peace is internal, spiritual and eternal. The world’s peace is external, political and temporary. Quite a contrast. Take your pick.

So, how do we get the peace that Jesus offers?

Romans 5:1 tells us how — “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We receive it by sincere faith believing that Jesus is God’s Son and our Savior and making him Lord of our life.

Do you have this true Christmas peace? It’s the best Christmas present you’ll ever receive. ◆ Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor and wishes you a peace-filled Christmas.

HOPE

continued from Page 17 help our young people get everything they desire out of the experience of giving. Our young people live in the domain between the current reality and their vision of a better future.

We’ll need them to help us unloads the burdens of the past.

So many things need to be re-imagined in this challenging environment.

There are no magic pills but there are clear paths.

I chose to be inspired by the examples provided by our young people and their willingness to struggle for a better place for everyone.

We have all faced unprecedented challenges and uncertainty which have

required us to re-examine our priorities, but our community values remain the same. We need to continue to question ourselves about how to share and cede space so that others can fully participate and be heard.

The colour of Year of the Garden 2022 is yellow, the colour of hope. I know that I will be looking for yellow in the spring for the garden. Hope is what we need in this important moment.

Many thanks to the Voice for this opportunity to speak to you. I wish everyone the joy of the season with family and friends.

Finally, it is an honour and pleasure to be able to serve you. I am deeply grateful for your confidence and trust.

I’m having a great time.

Stay safe! ◆

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice

Page 23

A December 22 2021

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW Councillor John Wink

Much to do, but 47 Zoom meetings later much was done

I

cannot believe council has completed three years of our mandate. 2021 was a very productive year for your council and staff. Council met via Zoom 47 times this year including regular and special council meetings as well as public meetings.

Covid-19 has been on all our minds the past 22 months and staff had to pivot to deal with ever-changing regulations. Many staff had to work from home and for a number of months the public had restricted access to all Town facilities. Two years ago I had never heard of Zoom but now it has been the way that we can still meet and do business.

The Meridian Community Centre was closed for five-and-a-half months in 2021, which severely impacted our revenues. Thankfully the Town had received grants in the latter part of 2020 and we were able to apply the Safe Start Funding grant to offset the revenue losses. The MCC has been home to vaccination clinics where over 70,000 vaccinations have been administered. We have not received any funding from Niagara Health as yet and we are hopeful to recover the additional costs of utilities, cleaning, and staffing for the clinics.

As much as we have all been inconvenienced through

BALANCED LIFE

continued from Page 26 granddaughters and granddogs. We can tire out the dogs, but not the girls — their energy supply is inexhaustible.

The girls won’t nap, but they can be tricked. A half hour watching Power Rangers, Abby Hatcher, or Peppa Pig allows us some down time. The dogs don’t do television well. Downloading squirrel videos has them barking wildly and bouncing off the family room walls, yet they ignore birds or waterfalls. Fortunately they usually curl up and fall asleep.

The dogs tend not to be involved in their meal preparation, but no matter where they are in the house, they can hear the crinkling plastic sound when their bag of kibble is opened.

They come scrambling to stand at our feet, following

Covid-19, Town activities are starting to return. The Farmers Market, Summer Chill Series, and the Bandshell Concert Series were revived with certain restrictions. The Christmas Market held recently was well-attended and had that feeling of pre-Covid times. Unfortunately the Santa Claus Parade was cancelled due to the weather event but I sense it would have also been well-attended. Finally, the Pelham Summerfest Committee has commenced meeting to plan for our 2022 event. We are all looking forward to having some normalcy to our lives.

As chair of the Finance and Audit Committee, I can report that we met five times this year. Our Town debt has been reduced by approximately $2 million this year and I am pleased that we did not have to borrow by way of debentures in 2021; there are no plans for debentures in 2022 as well. We still have concern over our underfunded reserves, which the Town is trying to replenish the best it can. The committee has been pleased with the progress we are making with our fi nances and are appreciative of our Corporate Services staff.

Under the guidance of our Town Treasurer Teresa Quinlin-Murphy and Deputy Treasurer Charlotte Tunikaitis, they have pro-

every step we take, looking up with soulful huge brown eyes, sniffing the air. Vegetable kibble, wet food with meat, a few pieces of fatty pork, we daren’t miss an ingredient. They don’t drool slimy slobber like their Golden cousin, which is an endearing plus.

Our granddaughters love helping with food preparation providing there’s ingredients to mix, dough in need of rolling, or seasoning and liquids to be measured and added.

They’re all equally picky when their food hits the plate. The ingredients must be as agreed, the cooking just right, or they’re pushed aside by granddogs and granddaughters alike.

The dogs sniff and dig through their meals with skeptical noses. The girls examine each offering on their plates too, but are much more skilled at making dinner a battle of wills if the offering doesn’t suit

Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year The staff of Dekorte’s Landscaping DeKorte’s Landscaping Ltd. 905-892-6908

cured over $1.7 million in grants this year alone, and more applications are waiting for approval.

While the accomplishments of this year are many, I would like to highlight a few. At the beginning of this year council made a motion to preserve the Steve Bauer Trail and Gerry Berkhout Trail as they currently exist. In other words, no new road crossings are allowed. We have had this come before us a few times throughout the year but I am proud that council has had the resolve to hold our position. I cannot speak for all of council but I had more positive support from town residents, by way of phone calls and emails, on this issue than anything else we have dealt with over my three years on council.

I would also like to point out that council approved a Tree Maintenance Policy this year.

I commend staff for listening to concerns of the Pelham Tree Preservation Society. While all recommendations were not approved, the collaboration by all parties helped create this bylaw.

Thank you to all involved.

The Second Dwelling Units (SDU) bylaw was well-discussed by the public with strong comments coming for and against.

So why was this necessary? The Provincial government made changes to the Planning Act

their mood. Endless cajoling and negotiation may ensue.

Bath time is definitely more fun with the girls.

They prefer our oversized tub for playing and bathing together with their toys and bedtime snack of raspberries and melon. They can drag out the experience for an hour.

The dogs are less keen on bathing, especially at this time of year, when we have to clean them in our shower rather than outdoors in the sun. They know what to expect, and stand stoically as they’re scrubbed and lathered, wondering why they must endure this indignity to travel for 24 hours in the cargo hold of a jet. No matter how hard we try to dry them completely, they know exactly when our guard is down and it’s time to shake those last few drops of wa-

tensification and maintaining neighbourhood character.

One of the concerns that the Active Transportation Committee had this year was that the Town approved a Traffic Calming Policy last year—however staff, councillors and the committee continued to receive concerns from residents, and there is a process that concerns must go through. The Town now has the Neighbourhood Traffic Management Policy on the front page of its website and there will be periodic reminders in our local papers.

Elia, here is still much to do. Some age 8 of the hot topics for the early part of next year are the amalgamation of Regional transit, the joint venture of Pelham and Lincoln Library Boards, the Rice Road Stormwater Pond Erosion concern, and parking in our urban communities, as well as resolving additional parking at the Meridian Community Centre. Stay tuned.

I would like to commend the efforts of council for the amount of work we completed this year.

More importantly, I would like to thank all Town staff for all their hard work and efforts they put forth daily for the betterment of our community. My family and I would like to extend our warmest wishes to you and your families over the holidays. Be well and be safe. ◆

T

Elia, age 8.

TOWN OF PELHAM

through Bill 108/Regulation 299 of the Province of Ontario (More Homes, More Choice Act, 2019) on June 6, 2019. The More Homes, More Choice Act requires that the Town permit additional dwelling units on a property containing a single-detached, semi-detached, or street townhouse residential dwelling, and permitting these units in an accessory building.

The Provincial government identifies affordable housing as a “fundamental need,” and second dwelling units were identified as one of the least expensive ways to increase affordable housing supply while encouraging in-

ter all over the walls and us.

Come sunrise, whether it’s dogs or kids we’re minding, an alarm clock is superfluous. “Gramma, grampa,” comes the call from our three-year-old granddaughter, loud enough to rattle the windows and wake her older sister. If our response is too slow, the two of them will sprint into our bedroom and body slam onto our stomachs like Hulk Hogan or the Rock leaping from the top ringside rope.

No time to waste, they’ve got so many plans for each day.

The dogs are much more subtle. The older one plods down the hall, waking us when his wagging tail exuberantly thumps the wall and door trim as he enters our room. We have to act quickly, manoeuvring our hand to accept a wet slop-

py lick rather than receive a full-on face kiss from a tongue which we have no idea what it has been up to.

I pop out of bed and gather their leashes, not wanting to risk an accident in the house should I tarry too long. As soon as the leashes appear, the male bounds upstairs to wake his “sister” and explain that their morning walk is soon departing.

Complain and joke as we may, we’re blessed to have such a wonderful family of pets and kids, with lots of

love to go around. The enthusiasm and joy our granddaughters and granddogs bring us each day when they visit is a perfect tonic for all that is difficult this holiday season. They melt our hearts (most of the time).

Sharing the excitement of each step as the dogs sniff their way along a Pelham trail, or pushing our granddaughters as they giggle with joy on the park swings, reaffirms all that is right in our world.

Happy holidays and the very best in 2022. ◆

We at Sweet Thoughts would like to like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a healthy new year!

CELEBRATE

We have been truly blessed by our community this year to keep us going through these uncertain times.

THE BIRTH OF THE KING

As I have listened to your stories this past season of purchasing gifts and treats to cheer, support and to love on to others may this Spirit of Christmas continue into next year!

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Page 24

The Voice

A December 22 2021

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

COLUMN SIX

continued from Page 1 — taking a midday break and a refreshing sip of cold water obtained from a nearby farm well.

Summer then, winter now.

The snow is falling gently on this particular December day, melting almost instantly as the thick flakes collide against the windshield, quickly swept away by the incessant movement of wiper blades.

It’s not as cold today as she remembers the weather being back then, this close to Christmas — when the entire family gathered at the farm.

Ah, the old farm. A memory stirs. The farm was situated on the south side of the highway, where the two Lookout Village condominium residences now stand.

She remembers there were far fewer cars and trucks on 20 Highway back then. So few, in fact, that Terry, her grandparents’ old farm dog, decided one day to plop down in the centre of the roadway, indifferent to the occasional cars passing by, their drivers slowing down, driving around to avoid him.

That wouldn’t happen today, she tells herself. Not on this fast-paced artery.

Not anymore.

Now a woman of 80, Brenda Sauer was a young girl then, living in Welland, being dropped off by her working mom and dad several days a week to visit her grandparents on the farm, and — more important to her — to spend time simply playing with her same-age cousin Virginia (everyone called her Ginny), who was then living with her grandparents “How old was I then?” she ponders. “Five? Six?” Pause.

“How I miss those days.”

Now, as the site of where the farm stood approaches, the thought of those longago Christmases evokes a shiver. They were the festive holidays that she remembers most fondly. Christmas Days spent at the farm. It’s a nostalgia that seems to be fed this time every year.

Craning her head toward the driver-side window, Brenda suddenly spots it — a solitary water pump, its wooden handle pointing to the sky like a gnarled old finger. As a child, she used it to pump water from an un-

Above, John Perkins moves a team of horses to work up the soil among his sweet cherry trees in this photo taken in the 1960s by his daughter-in-law, Gilda Perkins. The image was later used as the cover of the 2001 Pelham Historical Calendar. John Perkins died in 1975, at the age of 83. Right, Family members gather around the dining room table for the Christmas Day meal in 1957, with John Perkins seated at far right. His granddaughter Brenda Sauer sits across from him at left with her mother Pauline in foreground. Later, more family members and their children would arrive and the celebration would continue into the evening.

PERKINS FAMILY

derground cistern. Now the pump sits frozen in time. The sight becomes a locked-in image in her mind as the car continues down the highway.

“Why is that thing still there?” she wonders. The farmhouse, barns, the entire orchard — all gone. Gone for years, condo apartments now in their place. The water pump and several old pine trees are the only evidence of the farm that remain.

It has been scores of years since the pump was last used.

But Brenda remembers vividly the sight of her grand-

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father, John Leroy Perkins, using it daily to quench the thirst of his two farm horses.

“He watered the horses in the morning and the evening, and if they had been worked hard he’d use the water from the house well as well.”

As children, she and Ginny were forbidden to drink from the pump “because it was mainly rainwater from the farmhouse roof. And any groundwater that might have seeped in.”

She remembers the two of them washing their mudcaked feet at the pump. Having dirty feet was hardly unusual for two small girls on a farm, whose daily play-

time included forays in the barns, climbing trees, running through the picturesque ravine behind the farm, and tending to the usual array of farm pets and other animals.

Brenda was an only child, so the opportunity to spend

a day at the farm with Ginny was something she looked forward to. Later, as the girls grew older, their grandmother, Alice May Perkins, assigned them the inevitable chores that needed to be done, if only to keep the pair

out of mischief.

The two girls regarded one another as the sister neither had.

“I couldn’t wait to get there. We had the entire farm to ourselves mostly.

We fed the chickens, watered the horses, tending grandmother’s garden. And, yes, we got into trouble occasionally.”

Like the time Brenda locked Ginny inside an outhouse, a two-holer used for the fruit pickers, during one of their not infrequent childhood spats.

“My mother had knitted me a pair of red woolen mittens and Ginny threw them down the hole. So I locked her in from the outside.”

And then she forgot about her. Fortunately, noticing Brenda playing quietly alone about an hour or so later, their grandmother inquired about Ginny’s whereabouts and Brenda had a sudden epiphany.

Or the time the two girls daubed green house paint onto their grandfather’s new black DeSoto automobile, usSee COLUMN SIX next page

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Voice

The Voice

Page 25

A December 22 2021

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

4 Roasted Beet Risotto

The main course may get much of the fanfare during holiday dinners, but that doesn’t mean side dishes need to play second fiddle. They can shine in their own right, especially when ingredients are cleverly crafted to make a gourmet side.

This recipe for “Roasted Beet Risotto with Walnut and Goat Cheese” from “Cooking Light Fresh Food Superfast” (Oxmoor House)

by The Cooking Light Editors is a creamy dish full of nutrient-rich root vegetables that is hearty and flavorful.

Roasted Beet Risotto with Walnuts and Goat Cheese Yield: 6 servings 2 1-1⁄4 1 1-1⁄4 1⁄4 1⁄2 1⁄4 1⁄2

Roasted Beets (see below) teaspoons olive oil cups Arborio rice 32-ounce carton organic vegetable broth cups water teaspoon salt cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat or feta cheese, divided teaspoon freshly ground black pepper cup chopped walnuts, toasted Parsley leaves (optional)

1. Prepare the Roasted Beets.

2. While beets bake, heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add rice; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly toasted.

3. Combine broth, 1-1⁄4 cups water, and salt. Add broth mixture to pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. (NOTE: Or sous vide at 185 degrees for one hour.)

4. Stir 1⁄4 cup goat cheese and pepper into rice mixture. Divide mixture evenly among 6 plates. Top evenly with Roasted Beets, remaining 1⁄4 cup goat cheese, and walnuts. Garnish with parsley leaves, if desired.

Roasted Beets 1-1⁄2 2 1⁄4 1⁄4 1⁄4

pounds beets (about 7 small), peeled and cut into wedges teaspoons olive oil teaspoon salt teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Cooking spray cup fresh parsley leaves

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. 2. Combine first four ingredients on a large rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 F for 25 minutes or until tender, stirring once. Toss with parsley just before serving.

The old farm water pump as it exists today, with Highway 20 in the background.

COLUMN SIX

continued from previous page ing sticks for brushes.

“Grandpa had been painting the farmhouse trim parkbench green and he must have left the open can of paint unattended. We would hear about the incident for years to come.” s they got older, the girls would help with the annual harvest of sweet cherries, raspberries and varieties of apples and pears that Perkins grew on the farm, selling some of the fruit at a small wooden stall along the highway. Occasionally, some of the Perkins’ family of seven children, as well as the younger generation like Brenda, Ginny and a host of other grandchildren, would partake in the tree pruning, fruit spraying and the harvest itself, work that needed to be done.

“That’s the way it was then,” she remembers. “The way we were. You were fami-

A

ly and you helped out.”

Work was forgotten on Christmas Day, however, when the family all came together, some arriving early for “a basic Christmas dinner,” usually a turkey prepared by Sauer’s grandmother, while others sauntered in later, after dinner, and after their own family obligations had been addressed.

“We were all just happy to be there, to talk to everyone.

We filled every room. There was always something going on — in the kitchen, the dining room, whether it was music, cards being played, drinking, smoking. We were together as a family and just enjoying one another.

“No one just came in as a guest. We all pitched in. And there was always laughter and music. Everyone joined in and sang Christmas songs.

It was a happy occasion. The house was just alive.”

One particular Christmas evening, she was surprised

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to see her grandfather come into the dining room with a violin, something she had never seen him with before, and join in on carols with his son Coleman (known as Bud) on guitar and his daughter Bette on piano.

It was 1945 or 1946. Brenda was a young child. The Second World War was over and three of Perkins’ sons — Bud, Mickey and Hollis (called Cy) — were home from overseas.

“It was just that one time.

He went upstairs and brought down this violin from his room. I never knew my grandfather played the violin until that Christmas . . . and I never heard him play it again.”

Bud, who had been in the Air Force and survived 33 bombing missions over Europe, was to perish a few years later at the age of 30 in a civilian air crash. Bette contracted multiple sclerosis in her early 20s and eventually succumbed to the disease. or the younger children, there were always chocolates and soft drinks, and a well-stocked supply of cigarettes and adult refreshments for the others, even though Alice May Perkins frowned on drinking on Christmas Day. And especially so in her kitchen where card games

F

— euchre, poker, and something Brenda remembers as “tinkle-tinkle” — were taking place once the dishes had been cleared.

Tinkle-tinkle was so named for the sound of loose gambling change landing in a saucer placed in the centre of the kitchen table.

“My grandmother, who wasn’t all that happy about the drinking and gambling, would simply absorb herself in her favourite Christmas pastime,” Brenda recalls, namely munching on chocolate-covered ginger from Laura Secord and dipping into a large jar of pickled pig’s feet. “She just sat there by herself, away from the noise and singing. She was in heaven.”

“One Christmas there were five babies a year-and-under there. The women would usually be in the front living room, the men in the kitchen playing cards, always in the kitchen. Ginny and I would pull up a chair and just watch them. Everyone was happy.”

There comes a time, though, when everything unalterably changes.

In the 1970s, John Perkins fell off a ladder in his orchard, punctured a lung and suffered a stroke after being administered aspirin, dying within the year. Alice May Perkins, her daughter Bette and son Hollis soon followed, all passing away a short while later.

The farm was sold and the household goods and farm implements auctioned off, embittering some family members who felt they should have had a role to play in the dispersal of the property. Needless to say, the deaths and sale of the farm brought an end to what had been a long family tradition.

“Everything seemed to change so quickly. Those family gatherings just ceased to exist for many of us. It was sad in a way.”

Still, the memories of those Christmas days and evenings linger in her mind and Brenda can’t ignore them.

Not all memories fade.

Some can be stirred by the sight of a simple water pump. ◆ Bill Eluchok, a teenager then, spent part of July 1955 picking cherries at an orchard across from the Perkins farm.

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Page 26

The Voice

A December 22 2021

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

THE BALANCED LIFE

by John Swart

Granddaughters and granddogs—lots of love for all

T

he discussion went something like this.

“Hong Kong has extended their quarantine for foreigners arriving by air to three weeks from two, and they are strict. We will not be able to leave our hotel at all, which means we can’t take the dogs with us. I’ve arranged for them to be flown into Hong Kong a month after we arrive. Can you and mom get them to the vet, take them to CFIA [Canadian Food Inspection Agency] to get their export papers and then deliver them to the Cathay-Pacific air cargo terminal at 9:30 PM New Year’s Eve? And will you keep them

for us until then?” asked my son.

“Of course,” said my wife and I. What could we say?

They’re our granddogs, and hadn’t we offered to have our granddaughters visit for a few days last spring when our daughter and her husband desperately needed a breather from all Covid’s protocols and extra demands? Fair’s fair, even-Steven.

We’re three weeks into minding the dogs now, and are noticing a surprising number of similarities between hosting the granddaughters and the granddogs. For starters,

our granddaughters are three and six years old, the granddogs are three (female) and seven (male). It should be noted that the three females are perceptive and smart, while the male is into televised sports and generally declining with age in a gender-typical manner.

When they arrive at our home, girls and dogs seem equally excited to see us.

The girls undo their seat belts, jump out of the SUV and run up the sidewalk for hugs and kisses. The dogs need help unfastening their seat belts, but once undone, they bound toward our front door with tails wagging out of control.

The girls are a marginally more composed than the pups, which means they’re capable of dashing into the kitchen looking for grandma’s treats and a bathroom

Was that a squirrel or a chipmunk? Raccoon? Fox? Coyote? Where’d it go? simultaneously.

The dogs rush in and out the door in utter confusion, unable to prioritize the streetlight pole and the aroma of the fake plant-based bacon that awaits them inside.

An immediate visit to Woodstream Park is top of

everyone’s list. The girls love the swings, slides and climbing apparatus, and the bicycle ride to the park is slightly downhill, providing a swift, fun adventure. The dogs are equally enamoured of the stashes of park-side branches and darting squirrels when they arrive, while

JOHN SWART

inspecting aromatic cable boxes, small shrubs and tree trunks make the walk magical for them too.

An exploratory trip home along the Steve Bauer Trail illuminates one significant difference between the See BALANCED LIFE Page 23

V oice HOROSCOPE ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, the stars have been keeping you on your toes lately.

There has been much going on but somehow you have been able to wade through it all like a rock star.

TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 Others are asking you to stretch yourself beyond normal limits, Taurus. Do your best, but weigh the effects that this could have on your overall well-being.

GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Aim to be honest and direct with others as much as you can this week, Gemini. If you can prove you are trustworthy, then more people are likely to follow you.

CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, you may be introduced to someone who is the ideal partner for you at work. This pairing can lead to the successful completion of projects new and old.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 Prioritize your actions to maximize peace and quiet, Leo. You have been under pressure lately, so take every opportunity to enjoy some quiet time.

VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, your intuition is telling you that there are tensions growing at home or at the office. You will have to find ways to diffuse any situations that may grow out of control.

LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Continue to lean into an optimistic mindset, Libra. It will enable you to be a bright light when others are feeling a little down. Boost good moods.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 You are naturally compelled to look deeper into any circumstance you find yourself in, Scor-

pio. Always dig below the surface to unveil the truth, even if it takes work.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 Be direct about any frustrations you may be harboring, Sagittarius. Share your feelings with others who are willing and able to help. Releasing this burden will prove liberating.

CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 This week is packed with cosmic action, Capricorn. All of this energy has you a bit restless. Rest easy, as you will soon figure out how to juggle your personal and professional lives.

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 Aquarius, you’re on a truth-seeking mission and you’re ready to question everything you see. Take a step back and figure out your strategy, which will require finesse.

PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Pisces, try to smooth over something that has been a thorn in your side for some time. Keep at it and you’ll persevere.

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The Voice

Page 27

A December 22 2021

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

FAITH LIFT

by Pastor Rob Weatherby

Do you have the Christmas peace?

F

inland has many meaningful Christmas traditions.

My wife was born and raised in this delightful Nordic country and we spent one Christmas there back in 1987. Christmas Eve is their big day. Since the days are short during winter we began by visiting the local cemetery mid-afternoon after sunset. There we lit a candle in memory of a loved one and enjoyed the beauty of the hillside aglow with hundreds of candles.

We then came home and went to the sauna (Finland’s cultural icon) to warm up. After getting thoroughly sterilized, we enjoyed a Yuletide feast of roast beef, ham, codfish, smoked salmon, rutabaga casserole, boiled potatoes, carrot-beet salad, herring salad, kahvia (coffee), pulla (sweetbread) and many other kakkua (cakes). After eating all that, you begin to look a little bit like Joulupukki (who the Finns claim lives in Lapland).

By this time the children are getting excited so we then gathered around the Christmas tree (decorated with strings of little Finnish flags along with bulbs) to listen to the Christmas story read from the Gospels. The gifts under the tree are then given out and everyone goes to bed. But one distinctive Finnish tradition I especially like is about a church and its bells.

throughout the land as everyone prepares for all the wonderful activities described above.

The praise of angels

On the first Christmas, an angel appeared to lowly shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem. The angel announced the birth of the Messiah and invited them to visit. Then we read that the angel was joined by a great company of angels who proclaimed this message to the awestruck shepherds — “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”

(Luke 2:12-14)

Read the message carefully. You’ll notice that God’s peace is not promised to everyone but “to those on whom His favor rests.” Another version says, “among the people who please God.” This begs the question, “Who are the people who please God?” Hebrews 11:6 provides the answer — “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

People with sincere faith please God. We call those See FAITH LIFT Page 22

The peal of bells

At noon on Christmas Eve, everyone tunes in on their TV or radio to listen as the “Christmas peace” is rung in. This takes place at the Lutheran cathedral in Turkku, Finland’s third largest city. As the church bells are tolled loudly from the bell tower, “Christmas peace” is proclaimed

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Word Search: North Pole P K S S V T I Y I L K J H R M H B P U B

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CROSSWORD

X X O C A R S I K D 0 V S D C K W D I L

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

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Voice

289.686.1856

GARDEN CITY REALTY INC. BROKERAGE

A December 22 2021

Percentage of respondents wishing to see the Mayor and Pelham Town Council re-elected in 2022 YES

SATISFACTION WITH GOVERNANCE: Local, Regional, Provincial, Federal

NO

UNSURE

(Only largest response indicated)

Mayor Junkin When it comes to returning elected officials to office, over half of respondents said that they would not favour re-electing the Ford government. Similarly, there was little enthusiasm for seeing most of Pelham Town Council return. Councillor Ron Kore fared the worst, with nearly 64% preferring that he not run again. In the centre was Councillor John Wink, with opinion evenly split between “Yes” and “Unsure” as to whether he should seek re-election.

The most positive responses were for Councillor Wayne Olson and Mayor Marvin Junkin, with “Yes” at 51.4% and 52.9% respectively, although many respondents were also on the fence and unsure about both.

Lisa Haun

Wayne Olson

Bob Hildebrandt

Ron Kore

Marianne Stewart

John Wink

ADVISORY: While safeguards are in place to eliminate multiple votes, this is a self-selected poll, meaning it has no scientific validity compared to a formal random survey undertaken by a professional polling firm.

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If the next provincial election were held today, how likely would you be to vote to return Ford/ Oosterhoff to government?

(1 is lowest)

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Balfour

THE VOICE POLL RESULTS

The Voice

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