The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018 by The Voice of Pelham

Region: yes on provincial exam request page 3 Pelham's pot powerhouse page 16 Stable owner sentenced page 13

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Pelham Citizen of the Year: Judy Reid Column Six A Valentine's Day story

With half-century of work behind her, beloved volunteer has more ahead

Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, but memory never fades

BY SAMUEL PICCOLO

The VOICE

The Fonthill and District Kinsmen have named Judy Reid their 2017 Citizen of the Year, marking the award’s 20th anniversary. Reid, who is presently vacationing in South Carolina, said that when she saw the message from Kinsmen President and award committee chair Brian Iggulden her immediate reaction was shock. “I was reading though the email, and I must have made some sort of sound,” she said. “My travelling partner though that someone had died by my reaction,” she said. “Then a warm and humble feeling took over, as I feel that is it very special to be honoured by my home community. I’m still settling in to being nominated and selected, as I know there are so many other deserving individuals,” she said. Reid, who will turn 74 while she’s in Myrtle Beach, has a volunteering career that stretches back nearly a half century. “It all started when I began teaching at E.L. Crossley in 1969,” she said. “I joined the Agricultural Society, and soon was on the board, and then I was the president.” After a handful of years at Crossley, Reid moved

BY BILL ELUCHOK

Judy Reid relaxing last week in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. to Westbrook Secondary School in Welland. At Westbrook, she was responsible for organizing a restaurant in which students could ac-

quire food preparation skills for the general public. “The were always a lot of people coming through there. I met a lot of peo-

ple and made a lot of connections during my time at Westbrook.” To Reid, the key to volunteering is identifying a

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niche and then finding a way to help others in it. Initially, her niche was workSee REID Page 19

DEBBIE PINE

OR YEARS I WOULD often drive out of my way and head down Highway 20 through Fonthill on regular visits to my parents' home, if only to relive a brief summer's romance from years past. For me, it was a departure from routine on those trips from London, Ont., where I was living, just to remember a girl I met way back in 1955. Heading east along the highway, past the once-plentiful orchards and fruit stands that I fondly recalled as a teenager, fed my appetite for nostalgia. It made me yearn for my lost youth, and for my first true love, a girl I should have worked harder to win over. Her name was Brenda and she lived nearby, down Haist Street and along Pancake Lane. I had laughed at what I assumed was a such a pretentious name for a local road—that is, until she told me why it had been called so. (Cowpats.) See COLUMN SIX back page

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The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

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IN THE NEWS

PUBLISHER’S CORNER by Dave Burket

In last week’s Publisher’s Corner we mused about who might be running for what, and asked you to choose among five theoretical mayoral candidates (no one has yet declared) then vote as if the election were being held now, assuming that current Mayor Dave Augustyn was not a candidate. There was also a write-in option. As of the poll’s close on Monday afternoon, a total of 154 votes had been cast. The clear winner was former Town Councillor Marvin Junkin, taking nearly twothirds of the total with 79 votes. See the table below. A distant second was Fonthill Sobeys owner and community volunteer Ron Kore, with 25 votes. Former councillors Malcolm Allen and Sharon Cook came in at 17 and 12 votes respectively. Sitting Councillor Richard Rybiak earned 5 votes. Four respondents seemed not to get the memo and wrote in various spellings of “Augustyn.” Other write-ins included “A boot,” Uwe Brandt, Matt Holmwood, Mike Hunt (don’t overthink that one), Brian Baty, “Larry,” and, “Sfghg.” To prevent the stacking of decks, multiple-voting was, in theory, prevented through the use of cookies and IP address matching. Now that we’ve more-or-less gotten the hang of our new polling capabilities, this week’s questions are follow-ups. We take the top finishers from last week and match them against the incumbent. So have at it, voters! If the election were held today, who would you vote for— Augustyn, Junkin, or Kore? Find a link to the poll on our website, or go directly to it here: http://www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/mayor2 Look for results in next week’s issue of the Voice. A fine pick: The choice of Judy Reid as Fonthill and District Kinsmen 2017 Pelham Citizen of the Year was universally praised last week. The winner herself couldn’t quite believe it at first. The award dinner is on March 6 at Old Town Hall, and tickets are on sale now at the Sun Life office on Highway 20, opposite Mossimo’s restaurant. The evening promises to sell out, so get your tickets ASAP…Enduring love: I have a soft spot in my heart for grizzled old news guys, and they don't come with more grizz than Bill Eluchok. The former London Free Press editor's Column Six tale is perfect for Valentine's Day. Enjoy.

Thorold child porn charges

In November 2016, the Davis County Sherriff's Office and the Davis County Attorney's Office located in Farmington, Utah began an investigation after receiving a complaint through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding activity between two users on a popular online messaging platform. As a result, in September 2017, the Davis County Sherriff's Office and the Davis County Attorney's Office arrested 55-year-old OBGYN Doctor Nathan Ward, along with 41-year-old Robert Edwin Francis for child pornography charges. The Davis County Sherriff's Office and the Davis County Attorney's Office continued to investigate the men, and related contacts, in relation to the sharing of child pornography and child exploitation material through a popular cloud storage application. In December 2017, the Davis County Sherriff's Office and the Davis County Attorney's Office contacted the Niagara Regional Police Service's Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit for as-

Police Service Internet Child Exploitation (I.C.E.) Unit began an investigation into the online sexual exploitation of children. The investigation led investigators to a Welland residence. On February 1, members assigned to the I.C.E. Unit, the Technological Crimes Unit and the Cybercrime Unit executed a search warrant at a Welland home. A number of computer systems and storage media were seized and forensically examined. As a result of the investigation, 41-year-old Jason Kimberley of Welland was arrested and charged with two counts of Possession of Child Pornography; one count of Accessing Child Pornography; one count of Making Child Pornography; one count of Distributing Child Pornography; one count of Attempting to Commit an Indictable Offence; and one count of Making Available Child Pornography. Members of the public can report suspicious internet activities relating to child exploitation to the Niagara Regional Police Service, or online at www. cybertip.ca.

sistance in investigating a Niagara resident connected to the ongoing investigation in Utah. The investigation led investigators to a Thorold residence. On February 7, members assigned to the I.C.E. Unit, the Technological Crimes Unit and the Cybercrime Unit executed a search warrant at a Thorold home. A number of computer systems and storage media were seized and forensically examined. As a result of the investigation, 37-year-old Marc Seguin was arrested and charged with Possession of Child Pornography, Accessing Child Pornography, and Distributing Child Pornography.

Welland child exploitation arrest

In November 2017, members of the Niagara Regional

RESULTS: If the 2018 election were held today, who would you choose?

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Column Six

Growing up British

Vol.20 No.32

Wednesday October 12, 2016

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BY JULIE MANNELL

Special to the VOICE

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

Public meeting tonight on school issues BY VOICE STAFF As questions continue to mount regarding an email that Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn quietly sent to a District School Board of Niagara trustee last summer, Augustyn has agreed to address the issue at a public meeting scheduled for this evening, Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Fenwick. Nancy Beamer, speaking for “Names Matter,” a Pelham citizens group lobbying the DSBN to reverse its decision to rename a local public school, conﬁrms that the meeting will be held at Fire Station #2, known locally as the Fenwick Fire Hall, starting at 7:00 PM. While the Mayor has agreed to ap-

Under pressure, Mayor to address email revelation, other E. W. Farr matters pear, says Beamer, DSBN oﬃcials associated with the school-naming process have either declined to attend or have not yet responded to the group’s invitation. DSBN Chair, Dale Robinson, to whom Augustyn’s email was addressed last June, has declined to appear, says Beamer, asserting that she would be

“on holidays.” The Voice was unable to independently conﬁrm Robinsion’s intentions. She did not respond to repeated requests for comment on E.W. Farr-related matters before presstime. Beamer, whose group maintains an email list of some 580 residents, says that all members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting. “We would especially welcome parents and children who are unhappy with the name change,” she says, referring to the contentious decision by the DSBN to consolidate two Pelham See MEETING back page

HEN I WAS young, my father and I would go for long drives along the rural routes of Pelham. We’d blast George Thurgood and roll down the windows because we loved the smell of the breeze, the sensation of crisp Niagara wind beating our cheeks and tangling our hair against our summer-kissed skin. My father was not a sentimental man. He worked in factories and had a Gordon Lightfoot mustache and never shed tears over injuries. Yet something about the Pelham landscape, the hilly backdrop to his childhood and the childhoods of our ancestors, drew him in. He’d stop by a farm or a gathering of woods and, surrendering his manly veneer, tell me a story about the town. This place is precious. This is the earth that granted us life. Here is the place where we happened upon love or here is a site of devastation. On one particular drive sometime in the late ‘90s we stopped at a tree with a plaque. “This tree looks dead,” I said to my father. “It sure is getting there, Julie.” The Comfort Maple is supposedly Canada’s oldest See COLUMN SIX Page 14

Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation

BY VOICE STAFF

A construction error was discovered following the opening of a traffic calming chicane on Haist Street north of Hwy 20 last Monday that prevented large vehicles from passing through. One resident living in the neighbourhood said he contacted the Town after seeing a small schoolbus get stuck as it tried to get through the new traffic calming measure. Later that day while driving behind a cement truck, he said that he became concerned for the public’s safety when the truck had to turn around because it couldn’t get through. “If a small school bus and a cement truck can’t make it through what about a fire

BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER

Special to the VOICE

Repair measures underway last week to correct a construction error in the chicane. truck or an ambulance?” he said. While waiting for the contractor to return to ﬁx

the mistake, the Town has taken measures to temporarily allow passage for vehicles through the neigh-

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bourhood in the short-term. Manager of Public Works Ryan Cook said that after discovering the issue with

the chicane the morning it ﬁrst opened, the Town See CHICANE Page 5

Petition-inspired changes coming to 2017 Summerfest BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

Representatives from the Pelham Summerfest committee Candy Ashbee and Bill Gibson presented council with a ﬁnal report on the 2016 Summerfest at the Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 21. Prompted by a story in the Voice in August about a merchant petition to move Summerfest from Pelham Street, in September Town staﬀ met with various stakeholders to hear their complaints, promising at the time that changes in the way Summerfest was mounted would be con-

sidered. The main concerns identified during the community engagement process were security, parking, ensuring customer can access all businesses in town, and liability for damages. How to get all Pelham Street businesses to participate and finding ways to make it beneficial for them to set up a booth were also determined to be of high priority for the committee as they plan for next year’s event. Gibson told Council that the committee is addressing these concerns in a variety of ways. To improve parking, they intend to create bet-

ter signage for out-of-town visitors to designated parking areas and shuttle services. To make participation in Summerfest more enticing to local businesses, they plan to implement a tiered-charge for booths. Under the new system, Pelham Street business owners will be charged the least, other local businesses will pay a slightly higher fee, and vendors from outside Pelham will pay the most. In response to more speciﬁc issues for individual businesses, they will also slightly alter the footprint of the event and make adjustments to security. Another way the committee plans

Debbie

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to improve the 2017 Summerfest is by sponsoring and working with the organizers of the Thursday Night Bandshell Concert series to select the artist performing on the ﬁrst night of Summefest. They also intend to make more use of the smartphone app they launched in 2016. "We are really going to push it this year," Ashbee said. “It really helps to get people to see what events there are so they can plan out where they are going. We will be able to actually help the merchants and local businesses adSee CHANGES Page 5

FTER LUNCH ON Saturday, Mum and Dad had my afternoon cut out for me. Mum had more brass than anyone I knew, and it had to be cleaned. In addition there was the set of silver ﬁsh-knives and forks which were never used, but which had to be cleaned and put back in their velvetlined box. Next was a walk to the newsagents to pay for the daily delivery of the Daily Mirror. As I said, Dad was a printer, but when he was 37 he had been rejected for a job, as being too old, by the printers of the Beano. For that reason, my favourite comic was not allowed in the house, but while I was paying the papers, the newsagent let me have a 'shoofty' at the Beano. I'd explained my predicament and he understood completely. Sundays were diﬀerent again. Dad would play golf on summer mornings and billiards in winter. Then he'd stop for a 'refresher' at the local and would pick up the prawns, cockles, winkles or whelks we'd be having for tea later. Meanwhile, Mum was roasting the 'joint' and potatoes. I got to make the Yorkshire pud, and mint

See COLUMN SIX Page 14

Full service. Full-time Realtor. Your Fonthill real estate connection.

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While shopping in Fonthill between Friday and Sunday, keep an eye out for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in front of local stores with bushels of apples. As part of the annual Apple Day campaign, Scouting youth of all ages will be trading apples for donations. The yearly fundraising drive is an important way for young Scouts to connect with the communities they are serving, says Leah Marie of Scouts Canada. “The Apple Day campaign holds a great tradition of being able to have youth interacting within the communities they live in,” she says. “All of the Apple Day donations stay directly within the group that re-

The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and well-rounded individuals

ceives them, enabling youth to have experiences that build character, challenge them, and allow them to try new things. The goal is to have these youth develop into conﬁdent and wellrounded individuals, better prepared for success. Apple Day helps to achieve that.”

“Any money raised during Apple Day goes towards improving the Scouting program by providing more outdoor adventures for youth, camping equipment, canoes and paddles, training and many other endeavours that the youth want to experience,” says Marie. Scouts Canada has some 100,000 members across Canada, and carries out programs for boys, girls

Joining their principal, Karen Simpson, at the Sept. 19 Council meeting as part of a delegation from EL Crossley Secondary School, students Abby Loewen and Neenah Williams presented Council with a list of reasons that they should immediately approve the construction of the new sidewalk proposed along Hwy. 20. The asphalt side-

walk/trail is slated to be built between the south side of the road from Timmsdale Crescent to the high school. Because of the large volume of motor vehicle trafﬁc travelling at high speeds through this area, and because of the necessity for students to tread this path on a daily basis, many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later. After delivering to Council a petition containing

Many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later the names of 450 students calling for a safer walk to school, Simpson handed the

podium over to Loewen and Williams to plead their case. Loewen told Council that because there are a lot of students who have work placements and coop placements during the school year, this is the only route for many of them to travel. As one of the students facing this predicament, Williams said she has had no other option but to walk along the dangerous highway.

www.pennylanesold.com

H EATHER AND P ENNY L ANE S ALES R EPRESENTATIVES

BY JOHN SWART

VOICE Correspondent

and youth ages 5-25. This year the 3rd Fonthill Group, which includes Beavers to Ventures (youth ages 5- 25) will be hitting the streets to drum-up support. Over the weekend, Scouts will be set up in Fonthill outside Sobeys, Tim Hortons, Target Gas station, Fonthill Shopping Plaza and the Pioneer Gas station at the corner of Hwys 20 and 24.

Town Council approves sidewalk to serve E. L. Crossley BY NATE SMELLE

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Second year Beaver with the 3rd Fonthill Group, Russell Letford offers a fresh apple to shoppers in Pelham during the 2015 Apple Day campaign. SUPPLIED PHOTO A longtime Canadian tradition, Apple Day began in 1932 in Saint John, New Brunswick, when Scouts handed out 21,000 apples as a way to say thank you to the community. In return for their generosity, many people oﬀered them donations. From then on Scouts have reached out through Apple Day to raise funds for their programs.

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Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn

Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932

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Request made of community still peeved at name change

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Column Six

BY VOICE STAFF The District School Board of Niagara is requesting that the Town of Pelham cede a portion of Cherry Ridge Park for use as a soccer field to serve the students of the new Wellington Heights Public School, formerly the E. W. Farr Memorial Public School, in Fenwick. Currently under renovation and expansion, the new school will combine students and staff from the previous school and Pelham Centre, where classes are being held while construction continues. Two letters, containing virtually identical text but signed by different authorities, were sent last week to nearby residents of the park, as well as to parents of Pelham Centre students. “The DSBN is currently building onto Wellington Heights Public School on Alsop Drive,” states the letter. “The size of the school's addition means the existing small soccer field will be eliminated. The Town and the Board have been discussing the possibility of working together to create a field for both the school and the

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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. Michelle C. HEPBURN, 49, Niagara Falls David S. MULLINS, 56, Port Colborne Harold E. CUFF, 71, Niagara Falls Jean PANOUTSOPOULOS, 67, Niagara-on-the-Lake Michael A. MANDER, 42, St. Catharines Emilie M. LEDWIN, 21, Warwick NY Monika MARESCAUX, 41, Toronto Onur SERTER, 23, Toronto

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.

Congratulations

Jane White and Annette Kernicky, with Annette’s grandkids Ryan and Paige Graszat in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Ah, feel that breeze!

NRPS impaired driving charges

“I start work at 2:30 PM and school lets out at 2:15 PM so I can’t take any other route,” Williams explained. “I have had friends, family, teachers and other community members reach out to me in the past about how this is unsafe and how there should be another alternative for us.” Looking ahead to winter, when she will need to walk this path three or four times See SIDEWALK Page 2

HERE IS NO BETTER time to cycle than Fall. It matters not whether you’re new to the sport, a seasoned recreational cyclist, racer, touring rider or mountain biker; we all have reason to look forward to autumn. Summer’s heat has faded, and the streams of sweat that ran from soggy helmets into our eyes are now just slight perspiration. Fitness is peaking from lots of saddle time, making those tough climbs of Spring a breeze in Autumn. It’s hard to beat the feeling of beginning a crisp, cool Fall ride with a slight shiver, knowing your efforts will soon warm you perfectly. The hues of Autumn are outstanding. A Pelham route as simple as following our southern boundary is one that would make most Toronto cyclists jealous, especially when our forests and fields are ablaze with colour. Begin from Harold Black Park, and zig-zag south along Effingham Rd toward the Welland River. If you’re new to cycling, it’s important to know south is the direction away from any hills. If you avoid the morning and evening weekday rush hours caused by those travelling through Pelham between Wainfleet See AUTUMN Page 3

Indulgence Bakery Mossimo’s Pelham Street Grille Sobeys Fonthill Peter Piper’s Pubhouse DeVries Fruit Farm Beamer’s Hardware & TV Fonthill Library PenFinancial Credit Union Bob’s Boys Antiques Moku’s Family Health Pharmacy Fonthill Fitness Fenwick Pie Company McDonald’s Fonthill Legion Semenuk’s Gas Bar Target Store Tim Horton’s Giant Tiger Pelham Town Hall Pub on the Hill Zee Lube Express Care Food Basics Minor Bros Stores Avondale Stores A-1 Market Sobeys South Pelham Grill on Canboro Pelham Library Ridge Berry Farm Circle-K

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The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

Page 3

Regional Council votes support for provincial exam of Pelham Marathon three-hour debate ends with approval of Pelham Councillor Brian Baty's endorsement motion BY SAMUEL PICCOLO

The VOICE

In front of some 100 Pelham residents—and another two dozen in an overflow room—and after three hours of debate last Thursday night, Niagara Regional Council voted to support a request for the Province of Ontario to examine the Town of Pelham’s finances. The 15-12 vote to support a motion tabled by Pelham Regional Councillor Brian Baty came after extensive comments from delegations, including former Pelham Town Councillor Marvin Junkin, and members of the advocacy group Pelham DEBT. Though Regional Council was originally going to consider a recommendation from the Audit Committee, which called on the Ontario Municipal Board to investigate the Town, the Region instead passed Baty’s motion. The motion quoted directly from KPMG’s reports and cited Town Council’s refusal to hold another public meeting, before expressing Regional support for the resident petition that asks the Minister of Municipal Affairs to conduct an audit of Pelham. The Municipal Affairs Act allows for the province to consider an investigation upon the receipt of a petition with 50 signatures, and the petition referenced by Baty’s motion had received well over 200. “There is no witch hunt,” said Baty, speaking for the motion. “We need that objective third-party, we need openness and transparen-

cy, and we need to re-insert trust into the community.” The Pelham residents who presented to Council asked the Region to support Baty’s call. There were no delegations opposing it. “We are not a political organization,” said Alan Morgan, of the DEBT group. “We are not Mayor Augustyn’s political enemies.” Paul Bryant, who presented with Morgan and has lived in Pelham for 30 years, said that he felt “marginalized and disrespected” given Council’s decision to cancel a promised public meeting. While Bryant and Morgan acknowledged that some members of DEBT had met with Town staff, Morgan said that the meeting produced only “partial answers,” and that they were still waiting for follow-up responses. Resident Bernie Law, who also presented for DEBT, said that Town staff talked in “circles and circles” during the meeting. Councillor Tony Quirk, who is chair of the Audit Committee, offered Regional Councillors a more technical explanation of why he thought the motion should be supported. “We signed off on a $37 million debenture with information that was not accurate,” said Quirk, alluding to the Town’s undisclosed internal borrowing, revealed publicly late last autumn, with the shock resignation of former Councillor Marvin Junkin. During Junkin’s presentation on Thursday, Council-

As a packed gallery looks on, former Pelham Town Councillor Marvin Junkin speaks before Regional Council. lor David Barrick asked him about the borrowing. “Were you aware of the reserves being used?” asked Barrick. Junkin said that Council was not. “In budget debates, the former Treasurer would go through and say all of the reserves were healthy.” “If you weren’t aware of this, then certainly Council didn’t authorize it,” said Barrick. “Let’s support the motion and let’s move on,” he urged the rest of Regional Council. Quirk also condemned Pelham’s decision to keep this information secret after learning of it during a closed-door meeting on September 5. “They got this report [that showed depleted reserves] and then they lawyered up,” he said. “It’s painful to know that [Pelham] Councillors were working cooperatively to deceive one of their partners.” Quirk also pointed to KPMG’s review of an 3.3 acre East Fonthill land transaction, which despite the review’s limitations still highlighted areas of concern.

“The CAO sole-sourced a contract to a developer…and entered into an agreement that could have violated a certain sections of the Development Charges Act. Why should that not be investigated?” said Quirk, referring to the Town’s credit-forland scheme, whose legality KPMG termed uncertain. “They got their accounting advice from a legal firm...and they got legal advice from accountants,” Quirk said. Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn, who opposed Baty’s motion, accused other Councillors of cherry-picking from the KPMG reports and of amplifying these cherry-picked parts out of proportion. Augustyn argued that a provincial audit would pose another needless expense to the Town, since under legislation the municipality would be responsible for footing the bill. On his Facebook page over the weekend, Augustyn asserted that Baty had said that he had not read the KPMG reports, and that someone else had “verified” the motion for him. Baty said

that this was false. “I think that Dave is making a leap,” said Baty in response. “I did not tell him that I had not read the reports. I said that I was having others fact-check the motion for me, since I do not have extensive experience in the quasi-legal language used by accountants.” An accounting expert who has advised the Voice saw the Facebook claim. “I can't believe the Mayor would make a post like that on Facebook—especially when so many people say they do not trust him. Posts and comments like that are exactly why they do not believe him." Augustyn also objected to Pelham DEBT’s continued presence at the Region. “The group has never presented to Pelham Town Council. I emailed Mr. Harley and others, and none of them accepted. The Town has always been reacting to the Region,” said Augustyn, reiterating what he characterized as an ongoing invitation to the DEBT group to meet and answer their questions. This assertion drew jeers

Short term gains Long term goals

VOICE PHOTO

from the gallery, packed almost exclusively by Pelham residents, prompting Chair Alan Caslin to remind the audience that they were to remain quiet. Caslin had to remind the crowd of this on multiple occasions, including when there were bursts of applause. Of the 11 Regional Councillors who voted with Augustyn, none of them appeared to defend the state of Pelham’s finances. Instead, they justified their vote by arguing that the Region was not the right forum for the concerns of Pelham residents. “I would encourage you not to give up,” said Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton, telling Pelham resident Bernie Law that he and Pelham DEBT should continue to try and engage with the Town. “But I won’t be supporting the motion because we have nothing to offer you [at Regional Council].” Councillor Bart Maves, who supported the motion, pushed back against Easton and others who suggested that Pelham residents keep See MARATHON Page 18

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Page 4

The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

OPINION

The opinions expressed in submitted commentary and letters to the editor are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Voice of Pelham.

The Voice of Pelham is a 1211858 Ontario Limited publication David Burket, Publisher 2-1428 Pelham St., P.O. Box 1489, Fonthill, ON L0S1E0

As We See It A modest request: Council, dial it down a notch

OM ETI M ES R E A L life turns too absurd for parody. At the most recent Pelham Town Council meeting, all councillors but one, the newcomer Jim Lane, tripped over themselves to support billing the Region for costs Pelham incurred in “defending itself” over scrutiny of, among other things, a land transaction that looked very much like illegal bonusing of a Toronto real estate developer. "We could copy the bills that we've received," said Councillor Gary Accursi, "and respectfully request that they forward us a cheque for $165,287." Never mind that this figure itself is overblown. Staff apparently forgot to deduct some $33,000 owed to the Town after KPMG found it overpaid the Allen Group— again, we are not making this up—a fact that may well not have come to light were it not for KPMG's review. Accursi’s passionate call was particularly ill-considered in light of the Town’s refusal last autumn of a $50,000 offer to pay for an audit. Developer Rainer Hummel said that he would pay for

an independent, third-party audit that had teeth. He knew—as did residents and Regional Council—that if the Town had anything to do with it, any “audit” would

Staff apparently forgot to deduct some $33,000 owed to to the Town merely prove that dandelions were yellow. Hummel, Regional Council, and the residents were right. What Pelham Town Council received in December was not a forensic audit, but a “report,” by KPMG’s own description—a report in which the firm concluded it was unsure whether the Town violated the law in its real estate dealings. The Town commissioned a report designed to propagate what it keeps telling

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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca PUBLISHER & EDITOR Dave Burket publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca NEWS WRITER Samuel Piccolo ADMINISTRATION Lori Gretsinger office@thevoiceofpelham.ca CONTRIBUTORS Carolyn Botari, Larry Coté, Colin Brezicki, John Swart, Kirk Weaver

us is true. The result? Pelham residents are now burdened with the worst of both worlds. Not only did they not get a genuine investigation out of KPMG, now they’re on the hook to pay for a failed propaganda effort. (Hummel offered $50,000; the Town says KPMG charged $117,000. Considering Pelham’s track record for irresponsible overpayment, we have a feeling that if a true third-party audit had been put out for tender—the Town did not do so— the cost would have come in closer to Hummel’s number.) Accursi’s umbrage had not yet peaked. In the same meeting last week, he asserted that it was “interesting” that Councillors were being criticized both for spending too much money, yet also for trying to find ways to cut staff at the community centre before it opens. Residents aren’t upset with Council for trying to find creative ways to make the community centre run more efficiently—Lord knows we’ll need all the brainstorming we can get on that score. See EDITORIAL Page 6

Letters Town's response to odour complaints disturbing I find the Town’s response to the Redecan odour complaints quite disturbing if not insulting [Pot odour leaves some residents fuming, Feb. 7, p. 1]. The Town knows (or should know) full well the requirements and setbacks for all agricultural facilities. This municipality is built on agricultural entities of all types. How is it possible that our Town leaders do not know? Mr. D’Amico has a challenging task ahead of him. All licensed medicinal cannabis facilities are required by Health Canada to have an adequate odour control system in place. A system of trial and error experimenting with masking agents is not considered adequate, nor should be accepted

by the municipality as adequate. Masking agents such as the “citrusy, lemony smells” described by Mr. D’Amico could also trigger allergic symptoms in residents. Masking agents are simply not the solution. I hope Redecan, with the help of Mr. D’Amico and the guidance of our Town leaders, will arrive at an odourless solution to this obnoxious odour problem before the heat of summer arrives. If there is no solution before the heat of summer arrives, Mr. Ottaway is going to be looking at 75% of the homeowners in this town wanting drastic property tax discounts! See ODOUR Page 6

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament

Electoral District: Niagara West

Dean Allison, MP 4994 King Street Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 Dean.Allison@parl.gc.ca 877-563-7900

Mayor of Pelham David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Members of Pelham Town Council

Member of Provincial Parliament

Ward 1 Councillor Richard Rybiak rrybiak@pelham.ca 905-892-2105

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

Councillor James Lane jlane@pelham.ca 905-892-2607

Electoral District: Niagara West-Glanbrook

Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Councillor Brian Baty brian.baty@niagararegion.ca 905-892-5317 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607

Ward 2 Councillor Catherine King cking@pelham.ca 905-658-8599

The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man who stops the clock to save time. Thomas Jefferson

Councillor Gary Accursi gaccursi@pelham.ca 905-892-5528 Ward 3 Councillor John Durley jdurley@pelham.ca 905-892-5388 Councillor Peter Papp ppapp@pelham.ca 905-328-6008

Community Centre project updates: www.pelham.ca/pcc

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcome. Letter submissions should contain the writer’s full name, address and telephone number. Names only will be published. Names may be withheld if compelling reasons are provided. The newspaper reserves the right to change, condense or reject any contribution for brevity, 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.

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The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

Page 5

OPINION Letters

FOLLOW THE MONEY By Jim Pitt

continued

Wait, who's subsidizing what now? For what exactly, Mr. Ottaway, are the residents of Fonthill subsidizing those of us in rural Pelham? Our infrastructure? We have no municipal water, no septic service, no storm sewer, no sidewalks. Well, actually in North Pelham we do have the remnant of an ancient sidewalk, but you'd have to know where to look for it. It’s more of an historic artifact than a walkway. Please leave it just the way it is. We did receive a new tennis net this past year for our North Pelham Park. Thanks everybody for chipping in. And I'm sure with all of our businesses leaving from "downtown" North Pelham that we'll need help subsidizing the annual installation of our dozen Christmas decorations. Thanks again for that.

But to say that the taxes we pay aren't even enough to cover the cost of plowing "their streets" is preposterous.

We did receive a new tennis net this past year

It’s quite apparent that everybody from town makes use of all of the town's roads. Perhaps that could be documented by tracing back the origin of all of the

Credit, market corrections, and a money-saving suggestion

HERE HAS BEEN AN enormous amount of financial news of late. Most of this news is not very positive, at least not for Canadians. It seems that we, as a nation, are not particularly good at saving money. We are very good at spending money, especially borrowed money. A report from CIBC stated that people between the ages of 45 and 64, the pre-retirement, better-get-savingfor-the-golden-years crowd, are in very bad shape. One third of them have nothing saved for retirement. One in five has less than $50,000 saved. Most have no formal retirement plan: only 32% of men compared to 22% of women are actively engaged in planning for what could be 30 years or more of not

working. Nearly three-quarters of the workforce have no employer pension plan and, outside of civil servants, very few have a defined benefit plan. That’s the type of pension that guarantees an annual payout linked to inflation. The CIBC report indicated that Canadians thought that they needed $756,000 to retire comfortably, yet have only saved an average of $184,000. CPP and OAS will cover the bare necessities for some, but most seem to be relying on lottery winnings or selling their homes. The January jobs report saw a decline of 88,000 part-time jobs, mostly in Ontario and Quebec. This is the biggest monthly drop since 2009, and 2009 was not a good year, if you remember.

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Tickets for the Tuesday, March 6th Dinner and Award Ceremony are now available at the Sun Life office on Hwy 20, opposite Mossimo’s, 9AM-5PM, Monday to Friday. $20 per person. Advance sales only. There will be no ticket sales at the door.

It could be seasonal—Christmas retail and delivery jobs disappearing—or it could be related to the recent increases in the minimum wage. Every extra cost on business has a consequence. A retailer or restaurant can either raise prices and risk being uncompetitive or reduce labour costs or both. The stock markets in North America have been experiencing a correction lately. These corrections are normal and necessary. When stock valuations rise too fast, a small trigger is all that is needed to bring things back to reality. The trigger this time is the spectre of rising interest rates, especially in the U.S. The recent tax cut in the U.S. was a signal to the markets that in-

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NEWSFLASH Tell us your story! Column Six presents tales of personal triumph, adventure, strange-but-true stories, life-changing events, and looks-back at our past. Did you conquer Everest or kick a bad habit? Did you meet your spouse-to-be in jail or on an African safari? Do you know where Hoffa’s buried? Write it down, send it in: publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca (You won’t get rich, but you will get paid.)

Page 6

The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

DEBT KUDOS

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Letters

Town then used this sale to create a false land value, whih was then used in their business plan to obtain the $36 million dollar debenture from the Region and Infrastructure Ontario. What other reason could there have been to spend a million an acre for land they could have bought weeks earlier for $300,000 an acre. In unconfirmed reports, the recent land auction of the surplus 18 acres was

a dismal failure. The reserves were not met. 7.7 of continued from Page 12 the 18 acres are not clearly owned by the Town, but the corner of Highway 20 restricted by an option held and Rice Road in Fonthill. by the Allen Group. Will this land deal earn the It is rumoured that altitle of “Corrupt or Stupid though the reserve was not II”? met the Town has taken to Rumours abound that the negotiate a sale with bidTown tried to artificially ders. The lands had a pubinflate land values when lic offering made with a they purchased a 3.3 acre reserve bid. If the bidders parcel of land for nearly did not deliver on the rea million dollars an acre. serve then what happens Speculation is that the is that the vendor (the Town) should then publicly rewrite the terms of the offering with a revised reserve. If the reserve and Local nursery nursery growing requires container truck driver with AZ License. Poconditions are altered there Wholesale grown perennials, is seasonal but could be full time if applicant You’recould Invited be interested bidders vines,sition flowering shrubs, evergreens & dwarf trees seeking has other who skills, i.e. welding, plumbing, tractor that did not like the first individuals desire a careercarpentry, in horticulture. We are in and offering. repairs, maintenance. Deliveries need equipment of general labourers as well as those skilled inare thewithin DEBT will be monitoring growing, management and shipping of nursery stock. Ontario and the northeast US. Must have clean abstract, and asking questions such Plant professional knowledge and experience is be an customer asset. If friendly. you are Will appearance and as: an individual who to has organizational skills andRates dedication be required assist in unloading truck. are hourly • Who showed interest as well as competitive. a willingnessResumes, to work astogether a team player, we lookcan be and with abstract • How many bidders forward to hearing from you. Wages will commensurate emailed to jane@willowbrooknurseries.com or dropped with experience. Resumes may be dropped of between the • Was the reserve met off between the hours of 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m.. Mon.-Thurs hours of 8:00a.m.-4:30p.m. Monday to Thursday or 8:00a.m • How could the town

offer for sale the 7.7 acres currently held by option by the Allen Group • Why isn’t the offer to sell not being revised and reissued publicly to all bidRequests declarations of intention ders or for new bidders. That is the normal protoBased on the extensive to leave. col. reporting on the ongoTo save the Mayor, CounFinally, there seemed to ing activities of the Mayor cil and taxpayers the exbe a resounding suggestion and members of Council, pense of getting a legal from the Regional Horseit would be interesting to opinion, let me assure them shoe that Pelham residents know what their intentions that they have not breached should begin looking forare concerning the upcomtheir fiduciary responsibilward to October and the ing elections in October. ity legally, morally or ethimunicipal election where The honourable thing cally by remaining silent on they can all cast a vote for them to do would be to this matter. for change and bring our announce their intentions It would just be the hononce desirable community NOW so other residents ourable thing to do under back to its rural roots and of Pelham with the "right the circumstances. charm. stuff" could challenge the Frank Feeley www.edwardjones.com We thank the residents incumbents or fill the voids Fonthill for having the nerve to vacated by those who wish stand up and for the support shown to the DEBT group. Hopefully we can SUBSIDIES begin the return to our peaceful community lifecontinued from previous page style. Curt Harley beer cans tossed in our ditches. Just sayin'. Pelham DEBT We certainly can sympathize with the residents of Poth

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EDITORIAL continued from Page 4 Residents are upset with Council for years of sleeping on the job, for not realizing that millions of dollars in “internal borrowing” was occurring right under their noses, for clumsily playing at real estate development and getting outfoxed at every turn, and for trying to cover up the sorry state of Town finances once it was inescapably brought to their attention. Council may now be soaring fiscal hawks, but they dug the hole they’re attempting to fly out of.

Member – Canadian Investor Protection Fund

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MKD-3058B-C-AD

Wholesale nursery growing container grown perennials, vines, flowering shrubs, evergreens & trees is seeking individuals who Wholesale nursery growing container grown perennials, like to flowering work with shrubs, plants. evergreens We have opportunities for part time vines, & dwarf trees seeking (April, May, June) and fulla time positions. Plant knowledge individuals who desire career in horticulture. We areand in experience is an asset but notas necessary. We have openings in need of general labourers well as those skilled in the the following areas: • Grower, Management, • Tag Printing, growing, management and • shipping of nursery stock. • Tagging Plants, and • Shipping. If you isareananasset. individual who are has Plant knowledge experience If you organizational as well as a willingness to work an individual skills whoand hasdedication organizational skills and dedication as awell teamasplayer, we look forward to hearing fromplayer, you. Wages will as a willingness to work as a team we look be commensurate withfrom experience. Resumes be emailed to forward to hearing you. Wages willmay commensurate jane@willowbrooknurseries.com or dropped off between the hours with experience. Resumes may be dropped of between the of 8:00a.m.-4:00p.m. Monday to Thursday 8:00a.m -12:00 noon hours of 8:00a.m.-4:30p.m. Monday to or Thursday or 8:00a.m on Fridays at: on Fridays at: -12:00 noon

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Wholesale nursery looking for Office Support Staff for the Wholesale nursery growing container grown perennials, shipping season. Responsibilities vines, spring/summer flowering shrubs, evergreens & dwarf trees seeking would include assisting shipping, data entry, preparing individuals who desire in a career in horticulture. We are trucking in paperwork, printing tags, andasgeneral office duties. need of general labourers as well those skilled in the The successful applicant possess good organizational growing, management andmust shipping of nursery stock. be capable of multi-tasking and be Ifable work as Plant skills, knowledge and experience is an asset. youtoare part of awho team. position would working longer an individual has The organizational skillsrequire and dedication spring season. Position as wellhours as a during willingness to shipping work as a team player, we could look lead to to full-time office will commensurate forward hearing fromemployment. you. WagesWages will commensurate with experience. can beofemailed with experience. ResumesResumes may be dropped betweento thejane@ dropped off between the hours hours willowbrooknurseries.com, of 8:00a.m.-4:30p.m. Monday to Thursday or 8:00a.m 8AMon to Fridays 4PM, Mon-Thur, or 8AM-12N, Fri, or mailed to: -12:00ofnoon at:

Yes, the odour travels that far! It is the municipality’s responsibility, as documented and directed by Health Canada, to manage location issue facility compliances. I hope the ignorance of our Town leaders does not mess up the opportunities this new medicinal industry offers. Louis Damm Fonthill

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And let no one forget that one Councillor gave his colleagues two months to come clean to the public, then quit when they didn’t. Acts of honour like this are rare to the point of non-existent in politics at any level. Councillor Peter Papp crowed in January about Council’s creation of a legacy, saying that Councillors should “embrace, fully endorse, and be very proud of” what they’ve done. As Regional Councillor Brian Baty has said, our Town has done much that it should be proud of over the past decade. But the trust broken in the process is more significant than any bricks-and-mortar additions to the landscape. No Town Council should take pride in actions that propelled hundreds of residents to demand a provincial investigation. No Town Council should be proud that it spent $100,000-plus in taxpayer money on a pretend effort at finding the truth. “My community is hurting,” Baty told Regional Council last week, before it voted to support a resident petition for provincial help. We share Baty’s hope that an OMB investigation will provide the truth that allows for a reconstruction of trust between the Town and its residents. In the meantime, a little bit of self-reflection on Council, and a lot less doubling-down on their fake outrage, would help get the process going. 

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

Page 7

Scouts seek fair vendors Group fundraising for trip to 2019 World Jamboree BY SAMUEL PICCOLO

The VOICE

Three Scouts from Fonthill’s local troup are fundraising in advance—well in advance—for their 2019 trip to the World Scout Jamboree in Glen Jean, West Virginia. The cost for each Scout to attend is $3850, and it’s for this reason that the group is planning so far ahead. The Scouts are currently seeking vendors for a craft show on April 14 at Fonthill United Church. “They have to raise all of it,” said Kent Ratcliffe, the Scouts’ leader. Assisting Ratcliffe in the fundraising efforts is Erin Snow, whose son Liam is one of those planning on attending the jamboree. Ratcliffe said that part of the Scouts’ responsibility is to find ways to come up with the money. “This isn’t about us fundraising for them,” said Ratcliffe, referring to himself and Snow. “This is about them raising money for them. We can facilitate the process, but it’s the Scouts who are really doing it.” “We’ve already done a bottle drive and raised five hundred and three dollars,” said Connor Kimberley, who is 12 and joined the Fonthill troup after moving from Hamilton. “We’ve shovelled some driveways, too.” Liam Snow is 13 and started in the Beaver program when he was just five. “We started off then just playing games and making crafts, but once I got into Cubs and Scouts I started to spend more time outside and learning survival skills. My favourite thing to do is build structures,” he said.

His younger sister Sydney is in Girl Guides, and their mother said that she has fond memories of her time spent in the Guides. “It’s probably the leadership skills that stick with you most,” said Snow. Ratcliffe spent his youth in the Scouts as well. “I still have my mess kit,” he said. “Not my uniform though.” The World Jamboree will feature 161 national Scout groups representing 223 countries and territories, with an expected attendance of somewhere between 30,000 and 35,000. “It’s the same basic Scout structure all over. Of course there are cultural differences, and that will be one of the things that will be great for our Scouts to see,” said Ratcliffe. The Jamboree’s venue in West Virginia, the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, is the permanent host of the American National Scout Jamboree. Spread over 14,000 acres, the reserve is the product of about $100 million in donations. There are ten different adventure areas, with mountain biking, BMX, skateboarding, archery, rifle shooting, and zip lines, among other activities. “There are man-made lakes,” said Ratcliffe. “The place is like Disneyland for outdoorsy kids— so really nothing like Disneyland.” Scouts are to attend the event in a nine-to-one ratio with an adult leader. Because there are only three local Scouts planning on going in 2019 (Fonthill is a small troup), the group has teamed up

Scouts Connor Kimberley, Liam Snow, Girl Guide Sydney Snow, and Scout leader Kent Ratcliffe. with Scouts from Newfoundland, who will make up the remainder of the troup’s nine. The Newfoundland Scouts have been doing their own fundraising, including, Ratcliffe said, an online auction that Scouts here intend to come up with items for. “Once we’re down there, we’ll be joined-up to camp with three other groups of ten from elsewhere in the world, and the Scouts will have a real opportunity to get to know each other,” said Ratcliffe. He expects that this experience will remain with them for their whole lives. “When Liam was going doorto-door to talk to people about

the bottle drive, he ran into a man who had attended the 1955 World Jamboree in Niagara-on-the-Lake,” Ratcliffe said. “You can only ever go once in your life, since it happens every four years and you have to be between fourteen and seventeen to go—no exceptions.” Ratcliffe said that he hopes the Scouts will come back from the 2019 event and tell current Cubs how great an experience it is. “They’ll be the toe in the water, and then they can convince the Scouts to start thinking about fundraising for 2023 in South Korea.” The Beaver level of the Fonthill troup is overflowing, said

VOICE PHOTO

Ratcliffe, with a sizeable waiting list. But there are just a handful of Scouts. “We’ve tried to resuscitate the program, and we need to have more kids come up the pipeline into the Scouts,” said Ratcliffe. “We need more adults, too.” Ratcliffe started volunteering with the program when his kids joined it, thinking that it would be a good way to spend time with them in a non-sport context. Erin Snow said that vendors sought for the fair are primarily purveyors of handmade goods, but she said that anyone will be considered. Those interested may contact her by email at heirloomshow@gmail.com.

Pelham Arena site to undergo Niagara economy among best in Canada planning approval process Region second to Councillor Papp votes against, asks for another public meeting BY VOICE STAFF Tow n Counci l has voted to aut hor i ze t he preparat ion of an officia l plan, and zon ing changes, to t he current Pelham A rena site. T he plan, as it stands now, ca l ls for redevelopment of t he arena and its park ing lot, w it h nearby soccer fields to be reta ined as g reen space. Counci l lor John Durley ca l led it a “w in-w in sit uat ion,” pra ising t he ma intenance and en hancement of park space. But Counci l lor Peter Papp voted aga inst t he mot ion. “I t h in k t he t im ing is not r ight,” sa id Papp. “I t h in k we should w a it. My understanding w as t hat t here would be anot her meet ing. In essence, I can’t suppor t it r ight at t h is stage. We should w a it unt i l we’ve sol idi fied our plans in East Font h i l l.” Papp w as a lone in h is opposit ion. “It rea l ly is a co-de-

sig n,” sa id M ayor Dave Aug ust y n. “Fol k s have come up and sa id t hat t hey rea l ly l i ked t hat plan. In ter ms of t he t im ing, why w a it? W hy not ta ke t he asset and redevelop? How else do you get t he invest ment back out of t he commun it y?” Aug ust y n a lso asser ted t hat residents backing on to t he area were look ing for w ard to t he site’s redevelopment. Counci l lor Gar y Accursi echoed Aug ust y n, say ing t hat he t hought it w as an “e xcel lent plan.” “It incor porated input from t he surrounding commun it y,” he sa id, and suggested t hat t h is consultat ion would cont inue dur ing t he zon ing amendment process. T he development plan for t he proper t y, created by t he Plann ing Par t nersh ip, a Toronto-based fir m, incorporates a blend of sing le detached homes and tow n houses.

A recent study released by the National Bank of Canada ranked Niagara’s economic momentum as the second strongest in the country over the past year, with Hamilton assuming the top spot by a significant margin. Niagara was ranked ahead of 18 other metropolitan areas that were part of the study. The National Bank of Canada’s Metropolitan Economic Momentum Index (MEMI) gauges the current economic momentum of 20 areas across the country. The index considers six economic indicators: employment and unemployment levels, housing starts, home sales, non-residential building construction, and housing prices. Niagara’s ranking can be attributed to strong growth in two main indicators: housing prices, which rose 28 percent during the period of the study, and non-residential building investment which grew by more than 30 percent. After years—even decades—of departing manufacturing jobs and a stagnant population, Regional Chair Alan Caslin said that Niagara’s surge is “the first in a long time.” “This independent report affirms what we have been feeling for some time in Niagara. The wind is at our backs and we have the economic momentum to continue to create real prosperity for our communities,” said Caslin. Caslin, who has been Council Chair since 2014, pointed to the growth all around the Golden Horseshoe, and said that “the pressure is finally coming through to Niagara, where we’re feeling it most on the west

Hamilton in national momentum ranking; some questions remain BY VOICE STAFF

side—in Grimsby, Lincoln, and West Lincoln.” Despite this positive news, there is some concern among Niagara residents that the cost of housing is increasing at a greater pace than local jobs. Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce President Mishka Balsom told the St. Catharines Standard, “housing prices are not an economic activity. We are not producing more goods, we aren’t creating more jobs, we aren’t generating new services.” Indeed, in the third quarter of 2017—the most recent data included in the study—Niagara’s unemployment rate actually ticked up by 0.3 percent, while home sales decreased by five percent, though this is a paltry amount compared to Toronto’s 34 percent shrinkage. But Caslin is confident that if people come first, jobs will soon follow. “We’re already seeing that,” he said. “There’s still good value in Niagara homes, since prices here are much lower than in the Toronto area.” Caslin said that the apparent cooling that’s has occurred in the past six months can be attributed to a stabilization in the Niagara housing mar-

ket, which was increasing at a high rate for several years previously. “We thought that 2016 was going to be the high watermark for housing construction and building permits. But 2017 looks to have beaten it out completely,” said Caslin. Caslin attributed some of Niagara's strong economic growth to the strategic priorities passed by Regional Council in 2014. "We wanted to make Niagara a place that businesses want to come to," said Caslin. "It's already such an attractive area—the location, the amenities, and the low costs." Caslin said that while such features have always been selling points for Niagara, only in the past few years have people really taken notice, likely a result of the sky-high costs in Toronto. "I've been going to the bike show in Toronto for the past five or six year, where we have a booth and give out maps," he said. "Last year was when we really noticed a difference of people coming over and talking about how they're planning to move to Niagara, or know someone who has moved to Niagara." Clearly, Niagara's strong housing market is as much a result of pressure from Toronto as any specific regional policy, and some observers of the market have expressed concern that the boom may be nearing an end. An IPSOS poll released in January showed that many Canadians face immense burdens of debt, which could pose a severe problem should interest rates rise further. See RANKING Page 14

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The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

FOLLOW THE MONEY

OBITUARY

continued from Page 5

SENSKE, Barbara Jean (Seburn)

flation is back and the cost of borrowing is going up. Stocks do not like rising interest rates and reacted accordingly. Where the market finally settles is unknown, but this event is not like the Great Recession that started in 2008. The Bank of Canada will continue to raise rates, pretty much in lockstep with the Federal Reserve in the States, which has indicated at least three increases in 2018. This will further erode house prices as it reduces the amount of money people can borrow for a mortgage. The recent rule changes for mortgage lending in Canada have already taken one out of five prospective buyers out of the market. The January real estate sales numbers have been trickling out and the trend remains the same: down. I will not bother you with all of the statistics this time because January is a slow month and it was really cold. Suffice to say sales are slowing, listings are rising and prices are dropping in the GTA, Hamilton-Bulington and other surrounding communities in Ontario. Niagara sales prices are difficult to gauge because sales were low and the numbers are easily skewed when a couple of high-priced homes

After a lengthy illness peacefully at St. Catharines Hospital surrounded by her family on Saturday, February 10th, 2018 in her 91st year. Beloved wife of the late Max Senske (2016). Loving mother of Kathie Briggs and Mark Senske. Dear grandmother of Jordan McArthur, Brad (Clarissa) Nelson and Katelyn Briggs. Barbara worked at Bell Telephone as an Operator Supervisor before leaving to raise her family. She was a life member and long-time officer of DeCew Falls Women’s Institute and was actively involved as a member of Grace Community Church. Special thanks to the wonderful St. Elizabeth Nurses, Care Partners PSWs, St. Catharines Hospital Nurses and Doctors, Dr. Ralph and Rev. Boyd. The family will receive friends at the HAINE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 26 Ormond Street South, Thorold on Tuesday from 7:00-9:00pm. Funeral Service will be held at Grace Community Church (241 St. David’s Rd., Thorold) on Wednesday, February 14th at 11:00am. If so desired, donations to Grace Community Church or Help A Child Smile would be appreciated by the family.

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sell in a small community. Reports from two preeminent sources came to the same conclusion. The Federal Reserve in Dallas and the Financial Times in London identified Canada as having the fastest rising house prices in the world up to April 2017, and now as having the fastest falling prices in the world. Much like the stock market when prices rise too fast, they fall at an equally fast pace. A recent and much touted, at least by local politicians, report from National Bank identified the Niagara Region as having the second- highest economic performance in Canada. The criteria for this great honour seem to have been primarily based on the housing market. The CEO of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, Mishka Balsom, rightly takes issue with this report. “Housing prices are not an economic activity,” she said. “We are not producing more goods, we aren’t creating more jobs, we aren’t generating more services." In fact I would add to this that rising house prices are creating more debt, shutting more people out of the housing market, giving people a false sense of wealth and allowing people to borrow far more money than is sensible, to either buy houses or renovate the house they're in. This level of borrowing and spending helps explain

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why Canadians went from net savers a generation ago to prolific spenders today, with no plan for retirement and little reserve capital for a rainy day. Speaking of no reserve capital for a rainy day, last Thursday the Region decided to help the taxpayers of Pelham with their ongoing struggle with Town Hall. After a long and complicated struggle, we finally got the Region to support calling for a full, genuine forensic audit of the sorry state of the Town's finances. Two things stuck in my mind from the meeting. The group of townsfolk that attended were, on the whole, of an older age demographic, the age group from the previous generation that experienced the effects of high interest rates, housing busts and too much debt. Their experiences were ignored by the Mayor and Council. They were marginalized and some even demonized by the Mayor. They should have been consulted and valued for their knowledge. Instead of a Town that is divided and angry, the Mayor could have created an atmosphere around the many changes in Pelham in which citizens could have participated and taken a level of ownership and pride. Instead, he gave us empty promises, platitudes, and marketing slogans, and he has repeated-

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ly dissembled information concerning Town finances. The second thing that stuck in my mind was a comment from Mayor Sendzik of St. Catharines. He rightly pointed out that the arenas will be built, the money spent and the debt will need repayment. He then asked: What are we going to do about it? There are two things that Town Hall can do: raise taxes or cut spending. Taxes have already been set for this, an election year. This is a caretaker budget that does not fully address the debts the Town has taken on in the name of growth. There are certain cost reductions that could be made immediately. I would start by terminating the contract of the CAO. He seems to be one of the main proponents of the Town's spending binge. His arrogance and off-putting attitude towards taxpayers has even rubbedoff on the Mayor and Councillors. When mentioning why Poth Street would not be repaired, the Mayor asserted last Thursday in St. Catherines that it would not reflect enough “value” for money. When asked about the repair to Poth Street two weeks ago, the CAO replied, “Is the repair going to create wealth? Do the nine parcels create wealth?” It seems that the Mayor and the CAO regard us as but parcels, to be measured against an unknown formula. (Presumably commercial zoning automatically moves one to the front of the bus.) If we parcels do not generate wealth for the Town then we are a liability to be ignored and marginalized. I would argue that the CAO is not value for money, and neither are a number of the people on the Sunshine List in this small town. We can’t afford them. We never could afford them and they must go. When times are tight— as they seem to be getting —the sensible thing to do is to put your house in order before it gets repossessed. Time to get cracking. 

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The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

A message from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

OPP Confirms No Wrongdoing at NPCA Citizen’s claims unfounded

In a statement released January 25th, 2018, The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have cleared the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) of any criminal wrongdoing. The OPP was approached by Niagara Regional Police (NRP) Chief McGuire to investigate claims brought forward by Mr. Ed Smith of St. Catharines, who claimed there was illegal activity occurring at NPCA. Upon completing a yearlong investigation, the OPP found no basis for the claims brought forward. “It doesn’t surprise me that Mr. Smith was found wrong again. His allegations of cor-

ruption have all been commaintained all along. This is pletely debunked by a Supeanother important step in rerior Court Judge, and now affirming our commitment to the OPP. The NPCA does openness and transparency. If great work, by great people. people aren’t outraged at the The repeated statements that incredible amount of public Mr. Smith resources was sued for wasted in “We are glad to finally ‘simply asking investigating see this misguided, questions’ is Mr. Smith’s unfounded issue pass as ridiculous. baseless it has publicly cast a Mr. Smith has claims, they shadow over our been focused should be. organization.” on ruining AccountabilCAO Mark Brickell the NPCA’s ity goes both reputation ways. As the by repeatedly saying goes, uttering false accusations, everyone is entitled to their deliberately misleading own opinion, but not to their statements, and relying on own facts.” a forged document,” said NPCA Board Chair San“The OPP is a world-class law dy Annunziata. “OPP has enforcement agency. They confirmed what we have had our complete coopera-

tion, and we thank them for their investigative excellence. We are glad to finally see this misguided, unfounded issue pass as it has publicly cast a shadow over our organization. We have a lot of work to do to move forward on our eight initiatives announced in October, and along with our dedicated staff, we will require the involvement of all of the people of the Niagara watershed,” added NPCA CAO Mark Brickell. For more information on the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, please visit www.npca.ca. Follow on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

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Letters

The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

TOWN COUNCIL NEWS

continued

Part-time view of full-time fiasco As a part-time resident of Fonthill, I’ve been casually watching this fiasco with the Town of Pelham’s finances mushroom over the past few months —thanks in no small part to the dogged Washington Poststyle reporting of the Voice. Now far be it from me as an “elite” city dweller (I live in Toronto most of the time) to chime in on this, but I’ve noticed that consequences of the Town’s alleged malfeasance are beginning to show. Last Saturday, I drove into town to find that most side streets had not been plowed, despite 6-7 inches of snow and the fact that the precipitation had clearly stopped hours earlier. I guess they’ll get to it in the morning, I thought. Except they didn’t get to it in the morning, or on Sunday afternoon. By Monday some side streets had been done, but by then a layer of ice had formed on the compacted snow on the streets that weren’t done. Later on Monday morning, an apparent water main break on North Strathcona Drive brought out Town crews. That’s service. What wasn’t service was the fact that the water was shut off to entire street for several hours without residents being informed. It is blatantly clear to this observer that corners (costs) are being cut by the Town, probably the result of their fiscal adventuring. This may not be just a Town of Pelham problem; I drove in track bare conditions on the QEW to get here Saturday, despite the snow having stopped and no

Page 11

plows in sight. A friend of mine who lives in Fonthill and works in Buffalo has told me several stories of driving to and from work on an unplowed QEW.

It is blatantly clear to this observer that corners (costs) are being cut by the Town There is no excuse for this decline of service in a community the size of Pelham, with the tax base it has (and an apparent coming tax hike). At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I’ll leave you with this thought. When the government (at any level, anywhere) begins to fail its citizens on basic items, anger emerges and that acrimony opens the door for manipulators and bad actors. It’s part of the reason why bureaucracy, that most boring of industries, is now being referred to by many around the world as “the elite.” Yet it’s not about elitism. It’s about sheer incompetence. Pelham has natural growing pains. But for the Town to begin failing on its most fundamental responsibilities is alarming and unacceptable. John Chick Fonthill

BY VOICE STAFF At their meeting last Monday night, February 5, Town Councillors mused about the possibility of sending a bill to the Region for the total costs incurred responding to concerns about Pelham finances. A report from the Corporate Services department asserted that the Town spent $117,078 on the KPMG report, $34,826 on legal costs, and $13,383 on the “Evening with the Experts” event. “I think we should give some consideration to Councillors demonstrate the Town's assertion that $1.5 million sending the bill to the Rein pledges have been made towards the community centre’s gion. We could copy the bills $3.3 million fundraising goal. Large pledges are typically that we’ve received, and remade payable over a period of several years. Last month, spectfully request that they Town Treasurer Teresa Quinlin told residents in a private meetforward us a cheque for ing that the Town had collected only $350,000 in actual cash $165,287,” said Councillor to date. VOICE PHOTO Gary Accursi. Councillor Richard Rybiak agreed. its all-important terms of from the Region, and sug“Is there any legislation reference, or what was to be gested that Pelham had that we can hang that one, examined and who would been victimized so that it’s not just a shot? be interviewed. “If this happened to Pelhe asked. “That would be At the time, Rybiak called ham, then it could happen great if it could be covered.” the idea of accepting Humanywhere else,” he assertLast autumn the Town mel’s money through the ed. “We’re the hardest-hit rejected an offer to pay for Region “sleazy.” victim. We need to do some an independent, third-parMayor Dave Augustyn action on this.” ty audit. In September the said, “Do we want to be Only Councillor James developer Rainer Hummel, the type of community that Lane, who wasn’t on Counwho blew the whistle on grants wealth great privicil when it rejected Humthe potential illegality of lege? No.” mel’s offer, expressed the Town’s credit-for-land Critics responded that skepticism. scheme, offered to under- the Town was refusing “At the end of the day, we write an examination. Hummel’s offer only so that had a choice to do this or “I am willing to pay the the Town itself could dicnot do this. We didn’t have $50,000-dollar estimated tate the terms of reference. to [call in KPMG],” he said. cost of a forensic audit from Indeed, when KPMG re“We could have got our my own pocket, so not to leased its findings in Debacks up and said, ‘We’re further burden the ratepay- cember it became clear not going to do this.’” ers of Pelham,” he wrote in that it had not conducted Councillors also rumia Voice Op-Ed. a forensic audit, but rather nated briefly on the 2018 Hummel repeated his a “report,” which collated budget, discussion of which offer at a Regional Audit but did not verify the achad occupied several meetCommittee meeting, where curacy of information from ings in January. he brought a cheque ad- Town staff and the Town’s “I want to emphasize that dressed to the Region in lawyers. none of the discussion was Trust. Hummel’s single directed at being critical of B:10.25” Councillor John Durley condition for paying for the said that other towns were staff,” said Councillor Gary audit was that he approveT:10.25” at risk of the same actions Accursi. “It was directed

at doing our job, and being robust in discussion of alternatives to come up with the best course of action. We try to be on our game as much as we can.” Accursi asserted that Council had been criticized for its discussion of alternatives, and called it “interesting” that Councillors were being criticized for both not doing its job and spending too much money, and for trying to “circumvent spending money” on the community centre. Council also addressed the matter of Poth Street, a week after a Poth resident said Town CAO Darren Ottaway told him that he, “could sell his house and move.” Ottaway also told a group of Pelham residents that a home in a rural location like Poth was a “bad investment.” Councillor Peter Papp offered some hope that a solution to Poth could be found, saying, “There has been another alternative suggested to us with respect to Poth Street. If that is possible to be done, we’ll be asking for a report on this action.” Papp declined to say publicly what this option would be, though called it a “tentative, interim solution.” Ottaway said that the issue with Poth is that the consultants’ recommendation of a $1.2 million fix is “unacceptable,” and said that staff could have a report on Papp’s “other option” by the end of March. Fire Chief Bob Lymburner addressed recent concern about odour emanating from RedeCan Pharm’s marijuana production facility on Foss Road. LymSee COUNCIL Page 17

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The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

Letters

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

continued

Get priorities straight

Kudos from DEBT

I attended the February 8 Niagara Regional Council Meeting. I would like to thank Council for supporting our quest to get an accurate picture of Pelham’s finances. I have to agree with the Mayor about the money “wasted” on the two KPMG reports. The job was not put out to tender, as the Mayor admitted, so it's entirely possible that we overpaid for the reports and the cost of the subsequent meeting to answer all of the questions. The other side of it is that the residents were asking for a complete forensic audit, but what we got was a “report” based on the information the Town provided, with no questions evidently asked. Seems to me that the Town figured if they just gave us “something,” then we would all be grateful and go away happy. Then, in an affront to the residents, Town Council cancelled plans to hold a question-and-answer meeting. Could it be that they don't have the answers, or do they know just how unpalatable the answers are. Now over to Poth Street, a “rural” road with limited traffic. This does not make an existing thoroughfare any less valuable. What an insult to a longtime res-

ident of Poth Street, when the CAO commented that he could just sell and move, and then the Mayor suggesting applying for tax relief. That does not solve the problem. Has the CAO invested in this community by purchasing a house here? Investing in a community makes you look at things differently. We have subdivisions, some with culde-sacs with only six or eight houses on them. Imagine how little traffic there is. If a sink hole happened to open up in one of those, would this be more of a priority than a “rural” road? I understand there is a much less expensive way to repair Poth Street, but that it's "only" a 40-year fix. Hmm, what's the expected lifespan of the new sports complex again? It's time to get our priorities in order. If we can't afford to maintain our current infrastructure, should we be building more? Just a little side note for the Mayor: How about, in the interest of clarity, communication and transparency, you reinstate all of us who you have blocked from commenting on your Town Facebook page. Marianne Stewart Fenwick

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Residents can rest easier today knowing that democracy does work. In a last frantic attempt at damage control, Mayor Augustyn took his KoolAid roadshow to the 11 municipalities telling his story of “poor me, I’m being bullied,” so as to solicit support from those towns against the residents of Pelham. In his usual arrogant manner coming into the Regional Headquarters chamber Thursday night, he was greeted by the largest crowd of residents ever that spilled out into the hallways and to an overflow room. It was comforting to spot former Town employees, other politicians, and residents from other communities come and offer their support to Pelham residents. DEBT had four presenters, along with Pelham’s Regional Council representative Brian Baty and former Pelham Councillor Marvin Junkin. As DEBT representative Bernie Law made clear, we are there with proof, not allegations, not stories, but proof as he unloaded several large binders packed with hardcopy evidence. Council-

ors Baty and Junkin began with their accounts of intimidation and bullying against them over the last three years. Former Councillor Junkin spoke of internal secrecy, and how the financial plans had no substance and could not be sustained. DEBT representatives spoke of residents’ fear and distrust of the Mayor and councillors. The delegation pointed to the binders of evidence and two years of directing questions to the Town and receiving few or no answers. Mr. Law pointed out that although the Mayor claimed he wanted to meet DEBT and discuss the community concerns, there were two meetings set up by DEBT and confirmed by the Town which DEBT attended but the Mayor did not. Mr. Law also brought some humour to the chamber when he referred to Pelham Town Councillors boasting they have built an incredible legacy arena complex. Mr. Law said that this was true, then he invited Regional Councillors, staff and the large crowd to come to the arena when it opens and see the 41 new toilets installed on

the ground floor. Mr. Law said that if those become full then visitors could take one of two elevators to the second floor, where they can find more toilets. Mr. Harley closed the DEBT presentations by pointing to the full house, stating that the majority of residents in Pelham and beyond had lost all trust in Mayor Augustyn and his Councillors, but they would still continue attempt to engage with the Town to seek answers to the many important questions of the community. The crowd supported his statement with a loud “Yes.” At the end of the session, Regional Council understood the truths that were brought to the Regional Chambers and they voted to support DEBT’s sending a request to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, along with a signed petition from hundreds of Pelham residents, calling for a full forensic inspection of Town finances back to 2014. Going forward, DEBT, on behalf of the residents, will be submitting questions to the Town focusing on the sale of our surplus lands at See DEBT KUDOS Page 6

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Page 13

Pelham stable owner put on sex offender registry

A lot of parents wrote letters for the court, supporting his character

Sentencing for James Corbett upsets an alleged victim BY SAMUEL PICCOLO

The VOICE

A North Pelham stable owner has been given 12 months probation and will be placed on the sex offender registry for a decade, following his October conviction for sexual assault of a teenage girl. James Corbett, 61, the owner of Cedar Ridge Stables on Sixteen Road, was charged in 2015 for fondling an 18-year-old member of the stable’s riding team. The girl alleged that Corbett put his hands on her back inside of her shirt. After being rebuffed by the girl, Corbett put his hands on her buttocks and tried to kiss her. Last October Corbett was convicted for sexual assaulting the girl, as well as on two counts of assault by unwanted hugs. After the sexual assault charge was laid in November 2015, numerous other allegations against Corbett were made, and he was eventually charged with eight counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual interference, and three counts of sexual exploitation, though Judge Tory Colvin did not convict Corbett on all of these charges. Colvin found that inconsistencies in the accusers’ testimony meant that he could not find Corbett guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Corbett admitted only to hugging the woman and to giving here a peck on the cheek. The Crown did not respond to a request for comment.

One of the women whom Corbett was not convicted of assaulting is Cassie Dawson, now 22. “It’s pretty tough to swallow,” said Dawson of the judge’s dismissal of her allegations against Corbett, as well as the fact that Corbett was sentenced to a year’s probation rather than jail. Dawson, who rode at Cedar Ridge for three years, alleges that Corbett assaulted her twice. Both occasions occurred when she was 16 and Corbett was in his mid-50s. “The first time he gave me a hug and then put his hands on my bum,” said Dawson. “Then he tried to kiss me, I turned my head away, and at that point he grabbed my face with both of his hands so that I couldn’t get away, and started kissing me until I finally got away.” Dawson said that she ran out of the barn, where the incident allegedly occurred, right to her mother’s waiting car. She didn’t tell anyone at the time. “I was super-embarrassed. I felt guilty,” she said. “I had been in and out of the hospital for suicide attempts, and Jim knew that. I was in a vulnerable spot, and I didn’t want anyone to think that I was doing it for attention.” Corbett could not be reached, while his lawyer, George Walker, did not respond to a request for comment. Dawson attempted to kill her-

Cassie Dawson, 22, seen here last autumn, alleges that James Corbett assaulted her when she was 16. SUPPLIED PHOTO self afterward, and spent a month in the hospital recovering. “I’m not going to say that Jim is the sole reason that I tried to commit suicide, but it was a part,” Dawson said. On her first day back at the barn after getting out of the hospital, Dawson says that Corbett again hugged her and put his hands on her buttocks, telling her that he was happy that she was back. This time, Dawson says, she held on to a nearby horse until Corbett let go of her, something she says he didn’t do for nearly half a minute. According to Dawson and her mother, Nicole, the judge said that Corbett had taken advantage of Dawson’s vulnerability—and that he had done it to another girl, too. “For one of the convictions, the judge even said that what Jim had done to [another girl] was the same that he’d done to Cassie Dawson,” said Nicole. Even after the assault that allegedly occurred after Dawson returned from the hospital, she didn’t tell anyone. Not until a few

years later did she learn that other women were pressing charges against Corbett. Nicole recalled Cassie calling her at work one early morning. “She told me that Jim had been charged with sexual assault. I said that wasn’t right, that it couldn’t be true. Then Cassie said, ‘It’s true mom. He did it to me, too.’ And then I just started crying.” At her mother’s urging, Cassie went to the police. Since Corbett was charged, and even since his conviction last fall, Dawson and her mother say that many in the horse circuit continue to stand by him. “A lot of parents wrote letters for the court, supporting his character,” said Dawson. “He’s still hosting horse shows. No one thinks that it’s true.” “I can understand why they’re on his side,” said Nicole. “I didn’t believe it when Cassie first told me that he was charged, until she said it happened to her. We don’t want to believe that someone we know would do things like that.”

Nicole said that given Corbett’s influence in the Niagara Cup Series, many people are willing to sweep the issue under the rug. “If Cassie hadn’t told me about what happened to her, would I still be on that side?” said Nicole. “I’d like to think that after all these girls came forward, after the court case, after the guilty verdict, that I’d believe it.” She wonders what it would take for those standing by Corbett to change their minds. “He’s on the sex offender registry,” she said. “I wish that it was made public, or printed in the newspaper. Maybe if people saw it in black and white they’d see that it’s real. They think it’s a game, or, I don’t know, that these girls are mad because Jim didn’t let them ride a certain horse sometime.” During the lead-up to the trial, Dawson was not permitted to know the names of the other women testifying against Corbett. But since the trial, they have remained in contact. “It’s tough to go through this at any age, but it’s particularly hard when you’re that young,” she said. During the sentencing, Judge Colvin said that while the victim was “seriously emotionally See REGISTRY Page 18

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The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

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A.K. Wigg raises $10,000 for Haitian school School holds assembly to celebrate Me To We milestone BY VOICE STAFF A.K. Wigg Elementary School held a celebratory assembly last Wednesday afternoon, officially announcing that it had reached its $10,000 goal to sponsor a Haitian classroom. Three years ago the school’s 40-member Early Act club—which partners with the Fonthill Rotary club—thought that it would take five years to raise the entire amount, but ended up making it in just two. “We were shocked by how much money we raised,” said William Grant, a Grade 8 student in the group. “We raised most of it through our Wigg Winter Classic hockey tournament, where we sold hot chocolate and snacks from Tim Hortons, and charged two dollars for an entry.” During the assembly, A.K. Wigg teacher and Early Act organizer Tim Droppert said that the idea for the hockey tournament came about when thinking of how the school could match a passion to a cause. “We all know that there’s a real passion for hockey here,” said Droppert. “We’ve used that passion for hockey to do good.” The 300 or so students of A.K. Wigg sat in neat rows in the gymnasium as Grant and fellow senior Early Act member Emma Jensen introduced Jordan Lipton, from Me To We, the organization through which A.K. Wigg sponsored the classroom. It had taken Lipton four hours to drive to Pelham from Toronto during the snow squalls, but her enthusiasm wasn’t dimin-

ished by the travel. “I’m so so excited to be here,” she said. “At Me To We we’re all about trying to making doing good doable, and it’s super-cool to see what you’ve been able to do.” She pointed to the screen behind her, on which photos of Haiti were projected. “Do you know what happened in Haiti in 2010?” she asked. Someone in the crowd told her. “That’s right, an earthquake,” she said. “The earthquake hurt a lot of people and damaged a lot of buildings. Forty thousand schools were broken down after it happened.” Lipton moved on to Manac, the small village in Haiti where the $10,000 raised by A.K. had gone. “This is the most isolated community that Me To We has ever worked with,” she said. “Not just in Haiti, but anywhere else in the world. There are no roads there— imagine that! Teachers have to walk for three hours to get to it, and the path is only wide enough for one donkey. To outsiders, it feels like the middle of nowhere. But it’s not. It’s Manac.” Manac is so remote that it cannot be searched on Google Maps. Lipton showed the students a picture of what the village’s school looked liked before Me To We had helped to build a new one. She made specific mention of the tin roof and the noise any rain would make upon it. She also showed a picture of the interior, a single room with walls made of crumbling field stone and a rocky

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A.K. Wigg students watch the assembly attentively, in front of the trophies awarded in the Wigg Winter Classic. VOICE PHOTO floor. “This is two classrooms with just a little divider between the kids,” she said. “What are some of the challenges that could come from this?” “Crowded,” said one student. “Bigger kids might bully the littler ones,” said another. “Can’t learn,” said another bluntly. “That’s right,” said Lipton. “I’m just looking at all the pebbles on the ground and can already tell that you’d be playing with them within five minutes,” she joked to the primary grades at the front of the gym, who were impressively attentive but nevertheless fidgety. “Now let’s see at what the new school looks like.” She flipped the slide to show a brightly painted new building. “There are classrooms A, B, C—and the one that you’ve spon-

sored, classroom D. We’re all so so thankful that you helped this community get that new school,” she said. Before the assembly, Grant and Jensen talked about how much they’d learned by working on the fundraising project. “Other than the hockey tournament, we also visited businesses in small groups to ask for donations,” said Grant. “Some of them said yes, and some of them said no. It was very interesting—I don’t have asking-for-money skills.” But despite Grant’s humbleness, Fonthill Rotary President Paul Snack called the A.K. Wigg group incredible. “We did not do a whole heck of a lot here,” said Snack. “These kids are amazing.We need them to join our group.” Snack explained that the Rotary club sponsors youth charity

groups at a number of different levels. Early Act, like the group at A.K. Wigg, is for elementary students, while Interact is for high schools. “Then there’s Rotaract, for college and university kids up to age thirty,” said Snack. “So we have students graduate from Early Act to Interact to Rotaract.” Snack also praised A.K. Wigg Early Act’s future plans. “They want to take on a water project. I’m not sure where, but they’re going to do a great job fundraising for it.” At the end of the assembly, Lipton amped-up the crowd for this next initiative. “Water touches everything,” she said. “What happens if you don’t drink it?” “You die,” called out a student. See MILESTONE Page 17

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The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

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Pelham cannabis producer shares industry insights Rick Redekop is bullish on pot potential as Canada draws closer to finalizing legal recreational distribution; local upside seen in demand for skilled workers

BTAINING A LICENSE to grow cannabis commercially is not quick or inexpensive. First you fill out reams of paper applications to Health Canada, the Federal government department responsible for medical cannabis licensing and regulation. You'll then be in contact with Health Canada numerous times to answer questions or provide more information. There will be detailed facility plans to submit. You'll be subject to intensive and extensive character background checks and security checks, which can take six to eight months. Financial checks and qualifications will be reviewed, and then if everything goes well, you'll get a license to grow. The process takes about a year, and is expensive. Rick Redekop, President of Redecan Pharm in Pelham, suggests the process is "made difficult to weed people out." He can't resist the pun. As a licensed grower, you'll have to build your facility, then apply for a license to sell. That's correct. You build a new facility, or retro-fit an existing greenhouse, so that it can be inspected by Health Canada to ensure everything's in compliance, with no guarantee you will get a license to sell your cannabis. For this stage of the application process, Redekop was fortunate. His local, family-owned farming business already had an existing greenhouse operation growing strawberries, cucumbers, and other familiar crops. Still, he had to risk $1 million dollars to retrofit and upgrade their existing facility before he could apply for a license to sell medicinal cannabis. Prior to applying to be a com-

mercial grower, Redecop was a regulated "designated grower" of medicinal cannabis, one of thousands in Canada. A designated grower produces strictly controlled small amounts of cannabis for individuals who are approved to use medicinal cannabis, but are unable to grow it themselves. This practice, which allowed the government to begin regulating and taxing cannabis many years ago, was the norm before medicinal cannabis distribution was sanctioned on the large commercial scale it is today. Because of his experience as a designated grower, Redecop saw the financial potential in cultivating medicinal cannabis early. Redecan Pharm was established when he received his license to grow in June 2014, and a license to sell, applying only to his original 15,000 sq ft facility on Effingham Road, was granted in March 2015. This was prior to the election of Justin Trudeau on October 19, 2015, and well before any certainty there would be a recreational cannabis market in Canada. Redecan was the 14th licensed grower in Canada. There are now 89 across the country, with 48 in Ontario. Their Effingham Road operation includes all aspects of production: germination by cloning, growing, packaging, and retail shipping to customers throughout Canada. The only function they don't do in-house is laboratory work, because all testing must be done by federally approved and regulated labs. When questioned about government-mandated membership in cannabis organizations, Redekop said there were none. Redecan is however, one of a dozen professional growers who have voluntarily formed the Canadian Medical Cannabis Council. They have their own code of ethics, are

BY JOHN SWART

VOICE Correspondent

Computer controlled water and fertilizer tanks in a spacious work area of the Foss Road facility. in regular communication with Health Canada to stay abreast of legislative changes, and share best practices. "Health Canada used to be here every 3 or 4 weeks, checking our records, inspecting, making sure everything was in compliance. Now we only see them every couple months," states Redekop. One has the sense Redekop is trying to follow all the rules, and working diligently to correct problems as they arise. Redecan's Foss Road facility is

If you walk up to the property, even before you get near the compound fencing, we know you're here, 24/7 an immense 130,000 sq. ft., and cost $12 million dollars to construct, including land, building, and major equipment. Add another million for small equipment and incidentals, and you have a significant investment in Pelham. When questioned about how much of that amount was spent in locally, Redekop was quick to reply, "All of it." He reminds me that Redecan is locally financed, his family has an agricultural farming history in Pelham, and roots to the local community. "The cement all came from DM Concrete in Fenwick, the electrical contractor was from Pelham," he continues. "We had to go to

Vineland for the plumbing contractor," Redekop says, almost apologetically. Redekop, in his 30s, is a graduate of Guelph University, where he began in engineering, then switched to general sciences with a horticultural major. Tim D'Amico, in his late 20s, is Project and Site Manager. He was part of the second-ever graduating class in biotechnology from McMaster University. Redekop designed the Foss Road facility himself, reducing costs and keeping expenditures local. D'Amico, who had previously worked for Tweed, a large Ontario cannabis producer, joined Redecan in 2016 as Project Manager for Foss Road, bringing his industry experience to overseeing the facility's construction. He is now managing an expansion which will triple the facility's size. "When it is finished, Redecan will be one of the top five in Canada for production footprint [capacity]," says Redekop. Redekop and D'Amico shared drawings of their new office building which will be constructed at the Foss Road location, in front of the greenhouses, and mentioned that fees and development charges would contribute approximately $150,000 to Town of Pelham coffers. Redecan currently employs 40 people, and is adding staff monthly. When the greenhouse expansion is completed, and their license to sell is approved this spring, they will have more than 100 employees. Many are skilled positions, and Redekop confirms that wages in cannabis production are generally higher than in other facets of agriculture. "All staff must go through a federal government security check, which takes months," says

JOHN SWART PHOTO

Redekop. "Having certified staff is critical. No one is allowed in any room containing cannabis, during any phase of the operation, without a certified employee present." Redekop and D'Amico prioritize employing locally. More than half of Redecan's staff live in Pelham, and it's a trend they want to continue. All their employees come from Niagara and the area, which provides benefits for Redecan. "If there's problems to address, extra staffing needed, whatever, employees are right around the corner. Makes life easier, but also improves customer service and product quality," states Redekop. Niagara College has announced that it will offer a post-graduate program in cannabis industry disciplines, in part at the suggestion of local producers eager to ensure a knowledgeable workforce. "Redecan expects to be involved as a facility that provides co-op experience to the students," claims D'Amico. "One of the professors is already a regular visitor." From the gated entrance and barbed-wire perimeter fencing to the countless outdoor cameras, it's clear security is a significant part of any cannabis facility operation. A tour inside confirms the impression. It feels like entering a maximum security prison. To venture anywhere beyond the offices, the facility must be entered through secure locker rooms, where employees must change to clean clothes that have not been worn outside the facility, and everyone else dons coveralls, booties, hairnets, beardnets, and gloves. No biological invaders or contaminants of any kind are See REDECAN next page

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

REDECAN continued from previous page welcome. This regimen is Health Canada-mandated through Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations ( ACMPR), and D'Amico supports it. Product quality is paramount at Redecan, and any contaminants that can affect purity and control, or interrupt the production process, are protected against. Once inside, experiencing the facility's scrub protocol is eye-opening. There's less dust in this operation than in a hospital. There are 176 cameras on the premises, all high definition, and Redecan must archive every image for two years. "If you walk up to the property, even before you get near the compound fencing, we know you're here, 24/7," says D'Amico. At every door, you must scan a control panel with the chip in your identification badge and enter your individual PIN code. Once you're in, you must close the door and repeat. An alarm screams if you don't accomplish all this in 30 seconds. The facility's vault is overthe-top. It is for storing processed product before shipping, and securing 50gram samples of all crops, which ACMPR demands be retained for two years for testing and inspection purposes. The vault cost half a million dollars, and is a patented design made of pre-cast concrete. The floor is 45 centimetres thick, reinforced with re-bar, and the concrete walls contain twelve seismic sensors wired to sirens. The first step of entry into the vault is via a locked,

electronically-encoded steel door, which allows you into a narrow chamber facing a woven steel wire cage. This cage has a traditional key lock, which only Redekop has access to at this time. Next is another electronic lock, which, when opened, allows you access to a safe-like tumbler lock, mounted in another six foot steel door. If you get through this, you've made it into the vault, where you are watched by eight more cameras, and monitored by motion sensors. As we're exiting the vault, Redekop remarks, "We're glad we've got it, but if you're building a new facility now, you don't need a vault." Incredulous, I ask for clarification, and he replies that Health Canada regulations are changing, and the mandate for a vault has been removed. I suggest that regulations and compliance in this new industry must be a moving target, and he just smiles. Being one of the first to build a facility has cost him $500,000 that his late-arriving competitors won't have to spend. "The regulations on the number of cameras has been significantly reduced too," Redekop says with a shrug. Next stop is a growing room, which is totally computerized using a system designed in-house. Computers monitor natural light and add artificial lighting for intensity only as required. Blackout screens cover the sides and ceiling of the greenhouses, controlled by computers that monitor outside light and temperature. The screens can be closed to retain heat or reduce any artificial light escaping into the neighbourhood. Irrigation water

MILESTONE continued from Page 15 “A.K. Wigg, you get straight to the point,” said Lipton, smiling. “I like it.” “Water is the most important thing for a community, especially for women and girls, because they’re often the ones who spend hours each day carrying heavy

COUNCIL continued from Page 11 burner said that while the Town could have a bylaw that covered the smell, it would not have the means to enforce it. “If I lay down orders, it could be years in court and hundreds of thousands in legal dollars,” said Lymburner. He said that the bylaw officer is not “walking away and saying, ‘That’s not our problem,’” with the smell, and has been engaged in ongoing discussions with the facility as it tries to make changes to control the odour. Deloitte, the Town’s official auditor, also made a brief presentation to Council on its plan for the 2017 general audit. Deloitte’s Trevor Ferguson said that since the Town switched Treasurers mid-year, as it fired Cari Pupo and hired Teresa Quinlin, the firm would “test the internal

The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018 and fertilizer application is computer controlled specifically for each plant type, and the floor is heated to reduce temperature fluctuations. D'Amico tags each plant, and identifies each batch of cannabis, so that every plant's history is tracked for reference. The vegetation phase, during which foliage and plant size grow rapidly, lasts approximately four weeks. During this cycle the plants receive 18 hours of light each day. The flowering stage follows, during which the plants are trimmed and growth is focused on the buds. This phase lasts eight to 10 weeks, and the plants receive 12 hours of light. Upon entering the flowering room, I receive an education on the importance of controlling the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) levels in the product, and learned that the stereotypical image associated with cannabis use, getting stoned or wasted, is not necessarily accurate. All medicinal cannabis now sold displays THC and CBD content on the label and in marketing material, something that will continue in the recreational market. THC is the psychoactive chemical compound that produces a euphoric high, while CBD does not produce a similar sensation. Redekop points to various plants, shows me small differences in appearance and aroma, and begins, "Those will make you want to jump up and do the dishes and mop the floor." Pointing to a different area in the greenhouse, he says, "Those will make you want to eat potato chips all day, and those over there are a perfect replacement for a

jugs of water back from a source. And if they’re out carrying water, then they can’t be in school.” Lipton said that she had wanted to bring a water-cooler jug to the school to show just how heavy it is, but that she couldn’t carry it on her own. She put on the screen the various amounts needed to provided clean water for parts of a village. “Manac already has clean water,

controls, before the transition, during the transition, and after the transition.” Councillor Papp told Ferguson, “It’s been a challenging year,” and asked whether KPMG’s review of the Town would be covered by Deloitte. “That’s not within the scope of our work at all,” said Ferguson. Council also heard a presentation from Niagara Regional Housing’s CEO Donna Woiceshyn, who provided an overview of the organization’s work before turning to the Pelham-specific part of her report. Woiceshyn used an example of a single mother with two children, living on a monthly income of $1960, or about minimum wage. “Affordable housing should cost no more than thirty percent of monthly income,”said Woiceshyn. In Pelham, that number would be $702 per month for a two-bedroom apartment. “That’s not available in

glass of wine." The next room was for harvesting and processing, a facet of the operation without activity during my visit. On Redecan's website, the company claims it has a unique method of production that reduces costs and improves quality. When questioned for details about this, D'Amico said, "We can't tell you about it." Well, Colonel Sanders never gave up his secret Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe either. This led to a discussion of marketing, and where Redekop and D'Amico predict the cannabis market is headed. I suggest that with so many producers building facilities there might be an oversupply in the future, and that prices will become very competitive, making turning a profit difficult. Redekop and D'Amico do see a potential profit squeeze coming, but have a different perspective. They believe the market for recreational cannabis will eventually be as big as alcohol, so don't see lack of demand as being a problem anytime soon. They believe the medicinal market will stay strong too. "Insurance companies are starting to cover the cost of medicinal marijuana now," states Redekop, "so it's less out-of-pocket money for the consumer. Veterans' medicinal cannabis, if they qualify, is 100 percent paid by the government." The recreational market is where they think profits will be squeezed, and Redekop says Redecan is well poised to endure lower recreational pricing, in large part because of their unique growing system. Using broad-brush estimates, Redekop and D'Amico say that the average medicinal can-

so we’ll find another community for you to help,” said Lipton. “Do you think you can do that?” The school—and especially the younger students in front— screamed in the affirmative. As Lipton wrapped up her presentation, another teacher carried over a water cooler jug to show students just how much water some have to carry for hours. Droppert pointed to a kinder-

Pelham,” she said, explaining that the average market rent for an apartment of that size here is $902. Woiceshyn said that Niagara Regional Housing doesn't even have units in Pelham, other than one-bedroom seniors apartments. For apartments, there are 244 on the waiting list, though Woiceshyn said that only a handful of those are currently Pelham residents. Councillor Rybiak asked for specifics about Regional Housing's waiting list process. "Anecdotally, I get people telling me, 'I'm on the waiting list, I've been on it for a long time, I don't know where I am,'" he said. "Could you explain that process a little bit? What sort of advice can we give people that have questions about the waiting list?" Jeannette McKay, the organization's housing access supervisor, said that it's a difficult thing to explain, "There are two hundred

Page 17 nabis sale today earns the producer $9.00 to $10.00 per gram. The government's two main arguments for recreational cannabis sales through government licensed channels are: en-

Insurance companies are starting to cover the cost of medical marijuana hanced consumer safety because of better quality control; and a reduction in black-market sales and organized crime involvement. In order to achieve this, government will keep prices low. Yet growers have no doubt that various levels of government will work to extract as much tax revenue as possible from sales as the market grows, a move Redekop thinks will drive producers' prices as low as $4.00 to $6.00 per gram. "Because of our growing system and rigorous cost controls, Redecan can still be profitable at these lower prices," says Redekop. In fact, Redecan markets itself as a high-quality, low-price producer already, and has had to stop accepting new customers until the Foss Road facility is licensed for sales and comes on-stream because of product shortages. At present, the legal cannabis trade in Canada is relatively protected from international competition. Canada is a known leader in the industry, and for

gartener in the front row. “Come and try and pick this up,” he said. The boy came forward, put his hands around the neck of the jug, struggled for a minute, and then sat down again. Droppert pointed to another boy, a few rows back and a few years older. “Max, you come try and pick this up,” he said. The boy came forward and

different lists," she said. "So a person could be [in one place] on the waiting list for Pelham Non-Profit, but could also be [in another place] on other waiting lists around Niagara. It can be really confusing for people, though it is a chronological

prepared medicinal products Canada is increasing its export market agreements to include Australia, Germany, Denmark, Brazil and Uruguay. When asked about trading with the United States, the reply was quick. "Not while Trump's there." In Ontario, cannabis for recreational use will be sold through the Cannabis Control Board of Ontario (CCBO), managed by the LCBO, in stand-alone stores designed for the purpose. While speculating how shipments from producers to the CCBO in Ontario might be handled, Redekop expects a system similar to the way spirits are sold to the LCBO. Each cannabis package will have a seal much like you see on liquor bottles, proving taxes have been paid. Redecan, and other operators, will have to buy the seals before any product can be shipped, ensuring taxes have been paid by producers well before the product is retailed. Speculation within the industry sees the product being merchandised like cigarettes in Ontario. Recreational consumers will not be able to view any product in the CCBO, which will be behind screens, and purchasers will be served by a "bud-tender,” a CCBO employee. Redekop envisions consumers that know their products and strains making purchases within the store on a tablet-like device. There’s little doubt that the agribusiness of cannabis in Niagara, and Pelham, is an important, and rapidly growing sector with professional operators contributing multi-millions of dollars, and hundreds of new jobs, to our local economy.

picked the jug up a few inches off the ground. “Now walk to the door,” said Droppert. The students watched attentively as Max walked smoothly over to the side of the gym. “Now walk all the way home,” said Droppert. “Okay!” said Max, smiling and moving out into the hall. “No, no,” said Droppert. “I’m just kidding. Come back.”

system, slightly modified. We give special priority to victims of violence, and ten percent of vacancies are offered to homeless individuals." Rybiak followed up by asking what councillors coulc do when asked for

advice on finding housing, considering that such a long wait list exists. McKay replied that in such situations Regional Housing attempts to refer people to various community agencies in a position to help.

Fundraising is an integral part of our business at the Pelham Public Library. The majority of our funding comes from the Town through the property tax base. These funds allow us to successfully meet our general operating needs in serving the community. In 2018, we continue to do our part to minimize our impact on taxpayers. As a result, we are dependent on the generosity of local community supporters to fundraise a portion of the annual budget. The community support that the Library receives in Pelham is impressive. Whenever there is a need identified there is always a strong community response. This year our focus is on building our capacity to connect with the community. Specifically, funds raised will support the purchase of equipment and materials that help us better participate in community events in the

BY KIRK WEAVER

CEO Pelham Library

Town. For example, we plan to have an activity center in the new Pelham Community Centre in partnership with the Rotary Club of Fonthill. Fundraising support from the community is important to ensure that we have the flexibility to respond to emerging community needs. We also need to consider our long term sustainability and larger capital projects. In 2018 this will mean a need for funds to replace our aging circulation desk. In future years more significant basement renovations will be needed to allow changes to the main floor that will accommodate more space for public use. If any of these projects seem like things you would like to support we have multiple opportunities for you to contribute. We will have two major book sales this

REGISTRY

year, along with our annual clothing sales. We are planning a euchre tournament this spring, and our annual trivia night will return this fall. Financial gifts can also be made at any time through our website or at either branch. Equal in importance to the financial support is the incredible volunteer support we receive. We have a registry of close to 150 volunteers who have said they are willing to give their time and talent to make sure the Library remains a strong community asset. If this is something you feel drawn to, we are always seeking new volunteers. We truly appreciate all of the support we get from these individuals. For more information on opportunities to support your local library, please contact Melanie Taylor- Ridgway at mtaylorridgway@pelhamlibrary.on. ca or 905-892-6443.

do. Or at least I think they do.” Nicole is dismayed that Corbett has been permitted to remain involved at his stable. “His lawyer fought really hard against having any sort of counselling be a part of the sentence,” she said. Nicole was emotional as she spoke. “He was someone that the girls looked up to—he was their coach. It’s a position like a teacher.” “I don’t think that this is going to be any deterrent for him. He’s showed no remorse, and he’s never admitted anything he did was wrong. He’s not going to be rehabilitated,” she said. She said that she’s been continually disappointed that no body or agency has prevented Corbett from continued involvement in the horse training circuit, and said that a similar conviction for a hockey coach would be the end of his time near an arena. The effects of what happened to Dawson still linger, something that adds to her frustration that people continue to stand by Corbett. “I’m scared to be alone in a room with my family,” she said. “They can deny it all they want. What happened isn’t going to go away.”

continued from Page 13 scarred by this incident,” the sentence was required to be appropriate for the acts committed. “You are no less talented, no less intelligent, and no less capable than before you were victimized,” he told Corbett’s victims. A source familiar with the Niagara horse circuit told the Voice that Corbett had a reputation for being “handsy” prior to his arrest, but that victims were unwilling to go to police—in at least one case for fear of not being believed without a corroborating witness. In a 2010 profile in Niagara This Week, Corbett advised that parents looking for riding lessons for their children should “thoroughly do their research” to find “an accredited coach or instructor.” Much of the piece revolved around Corbett’s deep love for horses and his apparently preference for them over people. "If things are going kind of crummy, or I'm up in the middle of the night, I can always go out and shoot the breeze with one of the horses,” he said. “And they understand a hell of a lot more than most people

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trying to get answers from the Town. “The fact of the matter is that they don’t trust the answers they’re getting,” said Maves. “Why would another meeting with the Town help that? They’ve found the answers to be less than forthcoming…Don’t keep saying, ‘Go talk to them.’ They’ve done it all. They don’t believe what comes out of [the Town’s] mouth. They want to go to the province.” Former Councillor Marvin Junkin, who resigned and revealed that Council had been informed of the Town’s precarious financial state and decided to conceal it, was the first presenter of the night to call on Regional Council to pass Baty’s motion. St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik told Junkin that Pelham residents were wasting a lot of Regional time by repeatedly bringing the matter before Council, and said that since there were just seven months before the election residents ought to wait until then. Junkin replied by saying that Regional Council could “wash its hands” of the matter by voting to support a provincial investigation. In the lead-up to Thursday’s meeting, Augustyn lobbied councils in other municipalities to pass res-

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tives, longtime Liberal Paul Grenier spoke in support of Baty, and former Liberal MP and current Port Colborne Mayor John Maloney voted with the majority. Councillor Gary Burroughs and Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati, both of whom are Liberals, also voted for the motion. Some Councillors appeared unsure. Councillor Tim Rigby, who was formerly the Mayor of St. Catharines, said that he had “mixed emotions” about the resolution. “This is one step closer to opening the door to the Region looking after all finances in the future,” said Rigby. “Then we’d be closer to being one city, which I do support.” He smiled at his own contradiction. At the conclusion of the Pelham discussion, the dozens of residents who sat through the three-hour ordeal gathered in the lobby. There, they thanked Baty for his motion. “We should be celebrating in our community,” said Baty, pointing to the upcoming opening of the community centre. “But instead, we’re hurting.” During the meeting, he had attributed this “hurting” to “the obfuscation of Council and the Mayor.” “Residents feel that they’re being talked at. There’s not an open dialogue,” said Baty, who offered to serve as a mediator between the Town and residents. In a statement on Friday, Town Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald expressed the Town’s displeasure with the Region’s vote. “Unfortunately, Regional Council’s attempt to initiate yet another frivolous investigation will burden Pelham taxpayers with a huge, unnecessary expense,” wrote MacDonald. “Council and staff remain committed to our common vision that Pelham becomes the most vibrant, innovative, and caring community in Niagara.”

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olutions voicing support for Pelham Town Council’s defiance of the Region, and rebuking the Region for involving itself in a town’s finances. Councils in Welland, Port Colborne, St. Catharines, and Thorold all passed motions to this end. But on Thursday, Regional Councillors who supported Baty’s motion pushed back against the idea that it was inappropriate for them to discuss Pelham’s finances. Maves said that an interplay on jurisdictions is common. “Welland’s not happy with our Development Charge policy, and St. Catharines wanted us to tear up a garbage contract,” said Maves. “It happens all the time.” He said that there is good reason that the Region has never taken such an interest in a town’s finances before. “We’ve never gotten this involved, and the reason why is because no one has ever taken on this kind of debt for this size of town. No one has brought forward this very odd land deal. We’d never heard of that,” said Maves. Both Maves and Barrick made reference to loans applied for by other municipalities. “We debate loans for municipalities—we’ll be debating ones for West Lincoln and Port Colborne tonight, and I’ll be supporting them,” said Barrick. “Of course you will,” heckled a councillor from the other side of the room, apparently referring to the inevitability that Barrick would vote in favour of a loan for Port Colborne, his town. “Yes, because they did things right,” Barrick shot back. While there was specualtion that the mayors on Council would vote with Augustyn, in the end five mayors voted to support Baty’s motion. Support for the resolution also crossed the perceived partisan lines on Council. While Maves and Quirk are both Progressive Conserva-

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Regional Councillor Brian Baty. VOICE PHOTO

The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

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continued from Page 1 ing with young people. “I’ve always wanted to support youth, to help make sure that they can have the best first steps as possible. They’re the ones who are going to be looking after the community—and me—and it’s so important that they start off well in life.” From Westbrook, Reid went to working for the DSBN directly, programming evening classes and other activities for adults. “In 1992, there was so much unemployment all across the country,” she said. “And we were trying to help out people affected by that.” Reid retired from this position in 1998, ending a career that, as she puts it, was “a maternity leave short of thirty years.” In Reid’s current work with Niagara Nutrition Partners, an organization that provides breakfast programs in schools, she pairs up with Fonthill Sobeys owner Ron Kore, the winner of last year’s Citizen of the Year. Kore said that he was “thrilled” that Reid had been selected. “For the last six years, Judy and I have worked closely on the Sobeys annual golf tournament benefitting the Niagara Nutrition Partners. Together we have raised over $50,000 for this great charity,” said Kore. “Judy was in charge of getting donations of silent auction items and collecting funds from ticket sales, and acted as the master of ceremony each year. She has put in a lot of time and hard work and is one of the primary reasons that these golf tournaments have been so successful, year after year.” Kore also praised Reid’s work on the spaghetti supper fundraiser for the Welland/Pelham Special Olympics, on which he also partners with her. “She can always be counted on and is more than willing to lend a helping hand,” he said. “Judy really cares about kids and works tirelessly to help whenever she can.” Reid spoke just as highly of Kore as he did of her. “I was just a regular customer in Ron’s store,” said Reid. “I’d be in there a lot to buy things for events and meetings, and started talking to Ron. He gets really worked up thinking about kids going to school hungry. And he said, ‘We need to find a way to raise money for these kids.’” Reid was circumspect when considering the past winners of the award whom she’ll be joining. “I’ve attended the event for the last few years, and I’ve known many of the winners well, from Sandra Warden to Gordon Klager,” she said. “There are so many people doing good work in Pelham—all of the churches and service clubs, and all of the people just getting involved on their own.” Though Reid said that the volunteering initiative is strong in other towns as well, she speculated that Pelham’s senior population helps it to stand out. “Our aging population has a lot of expertise, and a

Page 19

We need your help. Subscribe to the Voice. Gayle Baltjes-Bazinet, left, volunteer with the Fonthill Bandshell Concerts, pins a 2016 bandshell button on Judy Reid, donor to the concert series. VOICE FILE PHOTO lot of energy, and there are a lot of people willing to step up to the plate and do something,” said Reid. Brian Iggulden said that the Kinsmen had 12 nominees this year, a record number. “Judy had multiple nominations, too,” said Iggulden, though stipulated that this is not one of the criteria for selecting the winner. “She does so much in the community, from Touch a Truck, to the seniors advisory committee, to the golf tournament she organizes with Ron Kore that raises money for kids to eat,” said Iggulden. “I run a business, and I’m involved with the Kinsmen, so sometimes people ask me if I have any free time,” he continued. “But I pale in comparison to Judy. Does she ever have the time to sleep?” Iggulden emphasized that despite Reid’s impressive work, it was still a tough decision for the committee.

“All of the nominees were so outstanding,” said Iggulden. “But it was Judy’s time.” Reid will officially be recognized at a dinner on March 6, at Old Town Hall. “We don’t sell tickets at the door,” said Iggulden. “They’re now on sale for $20 at Sunlife Financial, across from Mossimo’s. If they don’t sell out beforehand, we’ll stop on March 2.” Reid, who won an award in 2014 from the Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals with Special Needs, said that she’s looking forward to the evening. “I’m presently smiling and pleased to be selected with many thoughts swirling that I need to process over the next few days. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the other deserving people, and whether I’ve done as much as them,” said Reid. “But then a family member told me that I should stop that and just say ‘Thank you.’ So that’s what I’m doing.”

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The Voice of Pelham, February 14 2018

The author's favourite photo of Brenda, taken outside her Uncle Jim's brand new home on Haist Street, summer 1955. In colour, how the house now appears in Google Streetview. VOICE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

COLUMN SIX continued from Page 1 Life was sweet and golden that summer. I hitchhiked from my home in Port Colborne with a group of friends. Jobs were scarce. I was 16, she was nearly 14. Just a pair of teenaged kids with stars in their eyes. I noticed Brenda with her short, pixie-cut blonde hair almost immediately. She was with a group of local girls, all cheerful and friendly. My buddies and I playfully teased them throughout the afternoon as we filled basket after basket with luscious dark cherries. At one point, I caught Brenda around the waist and we fell to the ground under a tree. A soft kiss was exchanged, then youthful awkwardness. I walked her home late that afternoon, the sunshine

glistening in her hair. I was hopelessly in love. Our romance grew over the next two weeks as we moved from farm to farm. I would often walk her home as my pals tagged along, on one occasion crossing part of the Lookout Point golf course. We took off our shoes and caressed our aching feet by walking across exquisitely soft greens. Then, wearily, I and my friends would try to catch rides back home. Those warm, blissful summer days slowly slipped into autumn. I had managed to get a job back home as a theatre usher. Then it was back to school. I saw Brenda only a few times, whenever I could borrow my dad's car but not often enough to suit either one of us. She and her friend Vera came to visit me once at the Strand Theatre, taking the trolley from Stop 17. But

it was never quite the same again. There had been Christmas cards from her, and a letter. “I’m having a wonderful time. We’re just outside of Washington, D.C. tonight,” she wrote on one postcard to me while on a family vacation. “Tomorrow we’re starting for Boston . . . .” In a letter, she took note of the absences in our relationship, such as it was. “I don’t really know what to say; it’s been such a long time,” she wrote me in June 1958. “It certainly doesn’t seem like two years [since we last saw one another].” Still, she acknowledged: “There were a lot of good times then. I wish we could do it again.” If only, I thought to myself. Brenda and her family moved near Montebello Park in St. Catharines in the fall

of 1956. I saw her for the last time two years later, parking my dad’s car near her house and trying to work up the courage to knock on her front door. As I waited, a car drove up. I caught a quick glimpse of Brenda in the front passenger seat and quietly assumed the driver to be a new boyfriend. Despondent, I drove home. In my second year at Western University, a classmate who had known Brenda told me one day that she had married and had a child. I took the news dispassionately. Within a year, I myself was married. A career in newspapers, the birth of children and the usual responsibilities that tag along followed. Years passed, but I never forgot Brenda, often wondering where time and life had taken her. She was someone I just couldn’t seem to forget,

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca despite the decades, miles and circumstances between us. Little did I know that she had also thought about me. One day in 1987 a greeting card came to me at the newspaper. It bore the greeting, "I've Been Thinking of You," and inside carried the written notation, "Thanks for the Christmas card many years ago. Still think of you from time to time." It was signed simply, "Brenda." There was no return address. I kept the card at my desk, surprised and flattered that she had remembered me. I thought about placing a classified ad in several local newspapers seeking her out but had dismissed the notion as intrusive. Still, I briefly toyed with the idea of hiring a private investigator. About the same time I had nearly persuaded a colleague assigned to cover a major murder trial in St. Catharines to flush out her address, offering $100 as a finder’s fee, but to no avail. I brought the card home when I retired, storing it in a desk drawer, where it sat until one day in 2012, when I was attempting to reduce the amount of material building up in my home office. It was at this point that I resolved to find Brenda, if only to return the card to her. In the meantime, I had discovered an online condolence in a newspaper obituary notice for one of Brenda's cousins. It carried both Brenda’s maiden and married names. Finding where she lived came easily. I learned she was still living in the region, married for nearly 10 years to a man I knew nothing about. Intruding into this relationship wasn't something that appealed to me. I also was married, and had been for nearly 54 years, to a woman who was now deep into the throes of Alzheimer's disease. I had been caring for my wife for nearly a decade. What to do? I wasn’t at all

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I saw her for the last time two years later

“Found this card while sorting through several cardboard boxes in my study,” I wrote. “It gave me a pleasant surprise when I received it so many years ago…. Those were good times. I hope you are well.” Then I waited. And waited. It took more than a year before I received a response ‑— and the return of the card. Since I had held onto it for so long, she had determined in a note, “You should keep it.” But that measure simply opened up a line of communication between us —and her eventual acceptance of my request to meet for coffee. (It took a few tries.) One coffee led to another, and another. We shared each other’s joys and unhappinesses. Each of our lives, we agreed, carried complications that we knew would take time to resolve. But one thing was certain: We now knew that we truly loved one another. It had taken all these years to find Brenda, who was almost 14 when I first met her, and nearly 74 when I found her again. And when I did, it only confirmed to me that this was the woman with whom I wanted to spend the rest of my life. It was really that simple. Bill Eluchok is a retired London Free Press editor and reporter now living in Welland.

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