The Voice of Pelham, February 21 2018

Fact-checking the facts page 3 Legion's young speakers score big page 9 Coldest Night of the Year coming page 11

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Column Six Madness in the Method all too real BY COLIN BREZICKI

Special to the VOICE

S

Kasey Mayher speeds toward the ring—sans sweepers—in the human curling event at Glynn A. Green's Winter Olympics.

To mark the quadrennial games, Glynn A. Green Elementary School held its own Winter Olympics last Wednesday, squaring students off in five different sports in the schoolyard. "We were going to have it on Thursday, but it's going to pour rain. It's perfect out today—only a little bit windy," said the school's principal, Pam Voth. Just after lunch, Grades 5 and above assembled in 10 different groups outside on the snow-covered basketball court. Each group was assigned a nationality, and the Grade 8 team captains held homemade flags above their heads, while the rest of the team had country colours painted on their faces. "To be honest, we chose the countries that had the easiest flags to draw," said Voth, pointing to the French tri-colour in a student's hands. "Russia, Netherlands, Japan, France—all of these are very simple. Trying to paint a Canadian maple

School hosts own version of the winter event BY VOICE STAFF leaf on a face would have been so much more difficult." Each group attempted to roar louder than the last when their nation's name was called out. The students didn't seem to mind that they weren't representing their home country. (The number of mercenary athletes at the real Olympics seems to grow ever larger anyhow.) After giving competitors a rundown of the events— hockey, luge, human curling, snowball carry, and slingshot shooting—the teacher provid-

VOICE PHOTO

ing instructions offered a reminder. "Remember—you get twenty minutes at each station the longer it takes for you to settle down and listen at each event, the fewer runs you get.” The kids seemed to listen, and when they were released, all ran off to their first assigned station. Voth wandered past the human curling location on her way to luge. "They pushed all the snow from the parking lot here," she said. "I thought, 'Oh great, just what we need here, a berm.' But it's worked out perfectly for the games." The Grade 8 in charge of curling demonstrated the proper technique, sitting himself in a tube sled and trundling down the slope towards a bright green hula-hoop in the snow. See OLYMPICS back page

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TAGE A ND SCREEN actors alike are known to undergo bizarre and often harrowing routines to achieve realism in their art. Leonardo DiCaprio ate wild bison liver, waded in freezing rivers, and slept inside an animal’s carcass, so he could better understand the character of Hugh Glass in The Revenant. For this, and a lot of grunting, he won his Oscar. The movie won Best Picture. I won nothing for staying to the bitter end, despite a preference for movies with dialogue. I never saw Suicide Squad, but read that Jared Leto did all kinds of weird things to get into the character of the Joker. He spent time in an asylum, gifted the cast a dead pig and Margot Robbie a live rat, sent bullets to Will Smith, slept in a prison, and totally isolated himself from the rest of the company, which likely made them happy. Anne Hathaway dropped 25 pounds so she could play Fantine in Les Miserables more convincingly. Rumours of Dustin Hoffman depriving himself of See COLUMN SIX Page 14

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The Voice of Pelham, February 21 2018

IN THE NEWS

THE VOICE POLL Results

PUBLISHER’S CORNER by Dave Burket

A community newspaper should not be a pep rally in print What is a community newspaper, and how does it differ from a larger paper. More to the point, should there be a difference? Of course, all newspapers are community newspapers, in that each newspaper serves its own community of readers, whether of common interest or common geography. The smallest particle in newspaper physics is the location-based community weekly. It serves a defined geographical area, in our case, the Town of Pelham and a bit beyond. It tries to serve all readers within its reach, as we do for you, with the same level of diligence as readers would expect from larger publications. Inevitably, though, there are those who argue that a “community paper” ought not to poke too much, that it ought to swim politely with the big fish in the small political pond. This, of course, isn’t journalism. It’s puffery. It’s Chamber-of-Commerce boosterism. Here’s the main difference between a big city daily and a community weekly: The people whose names appear in the big city newspaper are abstractions, but the people whose names appear in a community weekly are your neighbours. No one wants to think ill of their neighbours. We instinctively feel protective of them. It’s much harder to believe that our neighbour is accepting bribes, for example, than believing it of some unknown name in Quebec or B.C. Yet the truth is that corrupt business operators, politicians on the take, and garden-variety incompetents all have to live somewhere. Whether urban or rural residents, their ill-effects on the community are the same, just on a different scale. Last week the Voice learned that it has won an award for investigative news reporting. There’s a brief mention at the top right of this page. In Olympic terms, we won’t know until April whether it’s a gold, silver, or bronze, but that’s irrelevant to the larger point—that even in a small town, reporting an unhappy truth is better than promoting a happy lie. The Voice appreciates the trust of our readers, and their willingness to accept that sometimes their neighbours may be more complicated than they appear. A clarification: In last week’s editorial, we stated that Town staff did not properly reduce the cost of KPMG’s review by some $33,000. This amount was overpaid to the Allen Group, not to KPMG. We stand by this assessment, for while the price of KPMG’s work was some $165,000, the net cost was less the $33,000 overpayment that the Town may never have otherwise discovered. In addition, the Pelham DEBT group reminds us that they, too—not just the developer Rainer Hummel— offered to pay for an independent audit, at one point memorably waiving personal cheques in front of Regional Council.

Last week we asked who you would vote for mayor if the election were held now. In a theoretical three-way match-up, former Councillor Marvin Junkin (65%) handily beat both the incumbent, Mayor Dave Augustyn (16%), and businessman Ron Kore (19%). Kore, however, fared marginally better than Junkin in a two-way race, beating Augustyn 85%-15%, compared to Junkin's 83%-17%. 158 votes were cast. No candidates have declared. Percentages rounded.

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NRPS impaired driving charges

Voice is award finalist for Best Investigative News Story

The Voice is one of three finalists in a province-wide newspaper excellence competition, according to a list of Better Newspaper Competition finalists released last week by the Ontario Community Newspapers Association. At the annual OCNA awards event in April, the Voice will win an award for Best Investigative News Story for its 2017 coverage of the Town of Pelham's troubled East Fonthill real estate transactions and credit-for-land scheme.

Pelham thefts

Police report the theft of a large trailer from a residence on Foss Road between Balfour Street and Church Street on February 11. Described as a large grey trailer, 16' x 7', grey in colour, police have the serial number and plate number on file. Police also report that a residence under construction on Canboro Road near Balfour Street was broken into overnight, February 11-12. Thieves stole three portable spray painting machines from the house.

Oosterhoff endorses Elliott

THIS WEEK'S SURVEY QUESTION Should the Town delay a final decision on the fate of the old Arena until after the next election? Find a link to the survey on our website, www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/arena or find it from our Facebook page. Look for results in next week’s Voice!

Voice on vacation!

Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West-Glanbrook, offered a Valentine to Christine Elliot, endorsing her on February 14 for leader of the Ontario PC Party. “The hardworking people of Ontario need and deserve a strong, responsible, and united Progressive Conservative government ready and able to lead this province on June 7,” said Oosterhoff. “I believe that Christine Elliott is the leadership candidate who is best positioned to lead our team to victory against the Kathleen Wynne Liberals and to act as Premier of Ontario from day one.”

Sex offender released in Niagara

In the interest of community safety, Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) Chief Bryan MacCulloch, after consultation the NRPS Offender Management Unit, is notifying the community of the recent release of a high risk sex offender. The male is now residing in the Niagara Region. Pursuant to his authority under the Community Safety Act of Ontario, Chief MacCulloch discloses that Trevor Kemp was recently released from custody after completing a 13-month sentence for being in possession of child pornography. Kemp is now bound by a 3-year probation order and a 10-year Criminal Code prohibition order, which prohibits the offender from attending a public park or public swimming area where persons under the age of 16 years are present or can reasonably be expected to be present, or a daycare center, school ground, playground or See IN THE NEWS Page 13

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Column Six

Growing up British

Vol.20 No.32

Wednesday October 12, 2016

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Apple Day comes to Fonthill

BY JULIE MANNELL

Special to the VOICE

W

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

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

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

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

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

Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation

BY VOICE STAFF

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

BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER

Special to the VOICE

A

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

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

VOICE PHOTO

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

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

Petition-inspired changes coming to 2017 Summerfest BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

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

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

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

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.

BY VOICE STAFF

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

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

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

“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

The VOICE

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

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Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn

Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932

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

The

NICHOLS

Merelle and Marlene Stirtzinger on winter vacation in the Rio Grand Valley, Texas, crossing border into Progreso, Mexico for a day of shopping, dining and dancing!

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. Tieng HUYNH, 52, Niagara Falls Ryan W. MURPHY, 39, St. Catharines Melissa S. COLLINS, 38, Welland Karanpreet S. DEV, 21, Mississauga Adam D. HOFFMAN, 30, St. Catharines Dzenita OMEROVIC, 37, Hamilton Jordan McINTYRE-GEORGE, 22, St. Catharines Michael RIDDLE, 33, Welland James S. HOWARD, 40, Fort Erie

“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 21 2018

Page 3

ANALYSIS

Pelham CAO Darren Ottaway's "Key Facts"

Town refused to answer questions about the allegations made by Junkin both before November 29 and after, directing the Voice and residents first towards KPMG’s reports, and then to file Freedom of Information requests.

Fact-checking recent assertions made by the Town's Chief Administrative Officer Town CAO Darren Ottaway at times seems a spectral figure in the ongoing saga of Pelham’s financial situation. He talks at Council, at all points defending the actions of the Town—though his words are often forgotten after Mayor Dave Augustyn and Councillor Gary Accursi take turns leading the defence, with the rest of Council stoically echoing these efforts. Ottaway virtually never replies to emailed questions. Town Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald has requested that all questions to Town Staff go through his desk, since apparently, in his words, direct inquiries to Ottaway and the rest of staff “may not [be] seen.” But as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Town, there is no one with more power and responsibility than Ottaway. Last month, Ottaway—along with a number of staff —met with several members of the advocacy group Pelham DEBT, and attempted to provide explanations for residents’ outstanding questions relating to the Town’s financial situation. On February 5, Ottaway provided Council with his synopsis of that meeting. We consulted with a group of accounting experts to assess the accuracy of Ottaway’s assertions.

Cancelled public meeting

In the meeting, members of DEBT expressed concern that Council had cancelled a promised public question and answer meeting, and had done so before Councillors had even been able to read KPMG reports commissioned by the Town in response to local and Regional scrutiny of Town finances. Ottaway asserted that this was untrue, and that Council had not cancelled the promised public meeting before reading the reports. “Sorry, you’re mistaken on that,” he said to DEBT’s Nancy Beamer. Is this true? No. On December 18, Ottaway asserted that the Town had received KPMG’s reports just hours before that night’s Council meeting. At

BY VOICE STAFF this meeting, Councillor Accursi moved to cancel the planned public meeting, saying, “I can think of no other questions that could come forward,” even though he hadn’t read the list of questions and KPMG’s responses, and had not been able to assess whether other questions had emerged as a result of the reports’ more detailed findings, as compared to a November 29 presentation made by KPMG at special Council meeting held at E. L. Crossley High School. Immediately after Ottaway made his claim, Town Clerk Nancy Bozzato provided an accurate timeline of events. She confirmed that Council had only seen the KPMG presentation from November 29 and not the full, detailed reports when it cancelled the public meeting. “Yep, that’s right,” Ottaway replied, seemingly forgetting that he had asserted the opposite only a moment before. While Town Treasurer Teresa Quinlin asserted that KPMG’s findings did not change from November 29 to the release of the actual reports on December 19, there was a substantial amount of information not included in KPMG’s November presentation, including KPMG’s conclusion that it is “unsure” if the Town’s credit scheme violated any bylaws or municipal legislation.

“Audit” or “investigation”

In the same meeting, Ottaway asserted that it was “irrelevant” whether KPMG’s review of a disputed 3.3 acre land deal was actually an audit. “This audit, this supposed audit, and you can argue about whether it was an audit or an investigation—that’s irrelevant…Council said that we’d do an audit to show that we are not printing money in the basement and all the other bull allegations that were forwarded by [Rainer Hummel] in public,” he said. Is this true? No. It is indisputably relevant whether KPMG’s review of the 3.3 acre land purchase was an audit or

an investigation. Last summer, the developer Rainer Hummel alleged that the Town’s scheme to purchase land with credits may have been illegal. Because KPMG did not conduct a forensic audit, and did not speak to anyone other than Town Staff, the Town’s lawyers, and the Allen Group, it could not independently assess whether the scheme was illegal. "We are unsure if this contravened any bylaws or municipal legislation," concluded KPMG. The Town appears to have circumvented the Development Charges Act by calling these credits “municipal credits” even though nearly all of those used were in fact applied toward development charges. If KPMG had conducted a forensic audit, it could have determined— or at least solicited an independent opinion—as to whether this was legal.

Public questions for KPMG

In the meeting, Ottaway asserted that Council had allowed questions about general Town finances following the resignation of Councillor Marvin Junkin and the allegations Junkin made about Town finances. “[After the allegations about the 3.3 acre purchase] there was all sorts of controversy related to allegations made by a former Councillor, so Council said, ‘Fine, ask whatever questions you want, KPMG will answer them.’” Is this true? No. Council voted for the KPMG review on October 2. KPMG created an email address to which residents could direct questions, but the Town said that KPMG would only be accepting questions from residents until October 17. Junkin did not resign until November 6, with his allegations appearing in the Voice the next day. By this point, KPMG was no longer accepting questions. Subsequently, at a special council meeting held November 29 at E.L Crossley High School, the Town allowed KPMG to present a revised and redacted version of a report the firm presented in camera to Council on September 5. However, KPMG did not take questions at the meeting. The

$17 million dollar of debt

In the meeting, Ottaway was asked where the $17 million in debt that Junkin alleged came from. “That’s a number that Mr. Junkin decided he was going to go to the newspaper with. We never said anything about $17 million.” But then, when challenged, Ottaway immediately conceded that the $17 million figure does appear in KPMG’s report, but that it is not unreported debt. Is this true? Technically, yes. Practically, no. KPMG confirmed that, as of September 5, it was believed that the Town had $17 million in approved but not-yet-acquired loans, corroborating Junkin’s figure from the September 5 meeting. By November 29 this amount had been reduced to $10 million. KPMG indeed said that this number was not unreported debt. But accounting experts consulted by the Voice say that this statement is true only in a narrow, technical sense. Since the Town depleted reserves to fund projects that were supposed to have been paid for with loans, these reserves must eventually be replenished. Treasurer Quinlin has said that up to $10 million in debt needs to be acquired to replenish these reserves; accounting experts consulted by the Voice say that this necessary future debt is effectively unreported debt at present.

Corroboration of claim

One of the DEBT members at the meeting reminded Ottaway that Councillor Peter Papp had confirmed Junkin’s figures. Ottaway asserted that Papp had corrected the record at Council. “He made a statement saying that he had made a mistake, made an error, and was wrong about what was reported in the newspaper,” said Ottaway. “However, the paper chose not to report that...He stood up and made a statement at Council on December 18. Please, check the video and watch what he said, and take it from him, not from what you read in the paper.” Is this true? No. After the special Council meeting at E. L. Crossley on Novem-

ber 29, Papp told a resident that Junkin wasn’t a liar, and that he had “got the figures right.” Papp also told the Voice that there were times when the Town had borrowed from its reserves without the proper approval from Council. Four days later, Papp emailed the Voice asking to “rescind” his comments about whether Council had always given approval for the use of reserve funds. When asked to clarify whether this meant that he and Council had always been aware of the reserve use, Papp did not respond. The Voice reported Papp’s request in its December 6 issue. In his email, Papp made no mention of his comment about Junkin getting the figures right. On December 18, Papp indeed made a statement to Council. He apologized and called his comments to the Voice “inaccurate and untimely,” and said that it’s “quite clear that there is no fraudulent activity and no unreported debt.” However, Papp did not say specifically what he was apologizing for. He certainly did not say that he was apologizing for saying that Junkin “got the figures right.” Further, Papp had not read the full KPMG reports when making this statement.

Reserve Funds use

According to former councillor Junkin, Council was shocked on September 5 when KPMG revealed that the Town had spent nearly all of its reserve funds. Junkin said that this was because Council was always told by Staff that the reserve balances were fine. “In budget debates, the former Treasurer would go through and say all of the reserves were healthy,” said Junkin. KPMG confirmed Junkin’s account of former Treasurer Cari Pupo’s reports. “In each report to Council…it was stated that, ‘year-end reserve balances remain healthy and capable of supporting the Town’s ongoing commitments,’” writes KPMG. “This statement appears misleading because the Town does not appear to have the cash balances on hand to support year-end reserve balances.” When presented with this quote from KPMG, Ottaway first appeared to stall for time, asking to re-read the passage himself. “These were previous reports written by a previous Treasurer. After KPMG went through it all,

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Page 4

The Voice of Pelham, February 21 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

OPINION

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

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

COMMENTARY / OP-ED Larry Coté Do you know your LHIN?

I

N A RECENT COLUMN SIX I wrote about my recent experience with the local health system. Although difficult to be upbeat when downed by illness, I was impressed by the services provided by the medical staff at the Welland Hospital. While that hospital is part of the Niagara Health system, that system is part of a larger network known as the Haldimand Niagara Hamilton Brant (HNHB) which is a unit of the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) of Ontario. (Quite a mouthful. So hereon in, referred to only by their acronyms.) It is likely that most people in Ontario are unfamiliar with LHINs and so I’m pleased to provide this brief primer. In 2006, the Ontario Legislature introduced The Local Health System Integration Act which effectively replaced what were known as District Health Councils (DHCs). These Councils administered health care in many smaller administrative units of the Province. This new Act created 14 LHINs across Ontario to manage and oversee a cumbersome, complex and complicated

health care system. These LHINs are crown agencies of the government of Ontario. Simply stated, many small-sized, near lo-

The local HNHB network for Niagara oversees the healthcare needs of about 1.5 million people cal DHCs were replaced or ‘integrated’ into these larger Provincial regions. The primary role of the 14 LHINs is to plan, integrate and fund all matters of health care within their geographic boundaries. Their mission is to improve the patient experience across all sectors of the healthcare spectrum. When the LHIN concept was first being considered, there was concern expressed by some that another layer of bureau-

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The Voice

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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

cracy was being inserted between the users of health care and Queen’s Park. However, that concern appears to have dissipated and the LHINs claim to be crucial advocates for patients within their respective jurisdictions. It is important to note that patients can cross the borders of these LHINs boundaries without consequence or inhibition. The local HNHB network for Niagara oversees the healthcare needs of about 1.5 million people —the second largest of these jurisdictions in the province. It serves the geographic areas of Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, Brant, Burlington and most of Norfolk. This LHIN administers more than 200 different healthcare providers and programs in this area of the province. That number includes nine hospitals with 23 sites located within the network. The HNHB network administers an annual budget of approximately $3 billion dollars. The HNHB is governed by a nine-member board of directors who are appointed by the provincial govSee LHIN next page

Letters Put the brakes on old Arena sale It appears as if our Mayor and some councillors cannot learn from their past mistakes. They are moving quickly to try to sell and develop the Haist Street Arena property, despite residents' opposition. If this area is going to continue to grow as the GO train comes closer to the Region, and as GTA retirees continue to look for affordable housing here, we will be needing MORE parkland, not less. And we will need it in those areas where we have dense and established housing, such as what is adjacent to the current arena property. The Haist property is one of the few in Pelham that is truly walkable for a majority of families, seniors and for those who cannot drive to more distant parks.

There are sidewalks available for safe walking for these residents to this property, from most of residential Fonthill. Convenient and safe for strollers, children able to walk independently or those with disabilities. Let's develop the entire Arena property into a park containing a natural playground and seating for relaxing, picnicking, reading and playing in the shade of trees (as opposed to the sterile, "bake-in-the-sun" rubber-based playground at the baseball fields). Remember too that not everyone plays team sports, although they seem to be the "go-to" focus when planning the use of See BRAKES next page

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament

Electoral District: Niagara West

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

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

Member of Provincial Parliament

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

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

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

Electoral District: Niagara West-Glanbrook

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

Ward 2 Councillor Catherine King cking@pelham.ca 905-658-8599 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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The Voice of Pelham, February 21 2018

Page 5

OPINION Letters

COMMENTARY / OP-ED Danielle Pine

continued

Thanks for the kindness

Informed and miserable, or ignorant and happy

We would like to thank our family, friends, and neighbors for coming to our Open House to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. It was a wonderful opportunity to visit and share memories. Your generous donations, both monetary and dry good, were overwhelming and greatly appreciated by Pelham Cares and the whole community. Bernie & Susan Law Fonthill

S IT BETTER TO BE knowledgeable but miserable or happy but ignorant? In today’s culture of mass shootings, government hidden agendas, blatant dishonesty, social movements vs social movements, human rights violations and left vs right mentality, it becomes hard to want to know the truth. The truth about the world around us and the people inhabiting it. In a world filled with disaster fatigue some people believe and employ the philosophy that if we only focus on the good, if we ignore at least 50% of the world around us, then we can be happy. They aren’t necessarily wrong in that. If you do ignore all the bad you will see only the good, but is that a way to live life? Is that fair and just to those who aren’t as fortunate as we are? To the ones who don’t wake up in a cozy warm bed every morning, but on the ground outside. To the little children who don’t go to school, but walk for 12 hours a day to get a pail of water for their families, just to wake up and do the same thing the next day. To the families who don’t get to live together in a free nation who are torn apart by war and things that are ​completely out of their control​.

Is it fair to them to just be ignorant? To unconsciously have the idea that because it isn’t us, it doesn’t matter? Or at least not enough to think about in depth, because if you did think about it in depth, it’s miserable. Coming to McMaster Uni-

In the end, it is always the best option to stay healthy. But should you, or a loved one, need the services of the health care system it should be of comfort to

know that the HNHB is diligently working to provide the best services possible within that organization’s mandate and resources.

Pelham people, please pick up pooch poop I really can’t believe I’m writing about poop again. This time it’s the Steve Bauer Trail. On just the Port Robinson to Merritt Road section my friend and I walked today, we saw, no exaggeration, at least 20 piles of poop. If I’m out walking in nature to clear my head, that’s not what I want to see, smell, or step in. The worst part? At least five of them

were smack in the middle of the trail. There’s snow on the ground. Is it so hard to get a twig and fling it off to the side of the trail? There are poop baggies near the Merritt entrance to this section. Why can’t we walk in Pelham without dog feces everywhere? Erin Lyttle Fonthill

Slightly miffed at Town What kind of incompetent, financially irresponsible buffoons are running this Town? Streets cannot be repaired because of the massive debt the Town now has. Sorry folks, better just move! Property taxes set to jump drastically to try to pay for this twin white elephant down

BRAKES continued from previous page recreational space. I realize that the Mayor, Council and CAO have gotten themselves between a rock and a hard place and

LHIN continued from previous page ernment to serve threeyear terms. This board is comprised of locally resident, well-qualified persons who represent a wide spectrum of experience and expertise from within and outside the healthcare community. The CEO reports to the board and oversees the operation of the entire HNHB LHIN. So, one might ask, why should I care about all this?

the street! Why was this allowed to happen? I guess we’ll never know—it’s a secret! I don’t get it. Will both those ice surfaces be occupied consistently? I really don’t think so. Was this not mentioned in one of the studies that was commissioned long beSee MIFFED Page 8

desperately need to sell this property in order to start to chip away at their (our) huge debt. But a second bad decision does not make a first one get any better. And I don't remember ever being asked in any public meeting wheth-

er we wanted this property sold in the first place. Let's have a sober second thought here and think long-term about the recreational needs of this community as it continues to grow. Tillie Clapp Fenwick

The short answer is that if one finds themselves engaged in any way with the health care system they should be conversant with the lay of the land. The HNHB is a layer of bureaucracy that one might encounter when seeking a resolve to whatever the issue of the engagement might be. For more information, inquiries and contacts, readers are recommended to visit the informative, attractive and easily browsed

website at www.hnhblhin. on.ca. The HNHB invites such visits and the visitor will be more familiar with this crucial part of the health care system.

I

Danielle Pine.

SUPPLIED PHOTO

versity, a school with a student population of 3 ​0,117, I was exposed to things very differently compared to where I grew up, in Fonthill, which has a total population of 17,110. Not to mention that Hamilton, the city where I now live, has a total population of 551,751. I’ve never been exposed to as many cultures, ethnicities, sexualities, religions, stories and experiences in my entire life. In my first week here it

astounded me how in every lecture hall there were hundreds of different faces, and behind all those faces is almost two decades’ experience and knowledge. Everybody, including me, had their own story. Each filled with good and bad, gains and losses. While I had never seen so much joy and happiness in one place, I’d also never seen so much sadness and unfairness. People that I would soon consider my friends, told me stories of where they came from, and it opened my eyes to the world outside of Canada and the US. Their stories made me want to ​learn more, and the more I learned the more disappointed I got. Disappointed that somehow in 2018 ​795 million people​in the world do not have enough food to eat and live a healthy active life, that nearly 3 billion people, almost half of the world’s population, live on less than $2.50 a day, that somehow preventable diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia take the lives of upwards 2 million children a year who can’t afford treatment. How is it that in a world where we have such creativity, beauty and fortune, we can also have all this chaos See HAPPINESS Page 8

Larry Coté is a retired professor of business. He was awarded a Governor General’s Medal for his community endeavors.

Professional SERVICES Directory Dr. Ken Sawatzky Dental Surgeon

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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 21 2018

Letters

COLDEST NIGHT

continued

continued from Page 11

Beware the bylaw that causes more problems than it solves As a taxpayer of the Town of Pelham, I have been very discouraged by remarks from our Mayor at the last Regional Council Meeting, and also by our paid employee, the CAO. The remarks were that rural Pelham taxpayers do not matter, as their areas do not bring in near the volume of tax revenue to the Town as urban areas. This is a slap in the face to all rural residents. The Town of Pelham (not the Township of Fonthill, as I have heard it called by a mayor of this region, Walter Sendzik) is 48.81 square miles, and 75% of this area is rural and mostly agricultural. The definition of agriculture is the science or practice of farming, including the cultivation of the soil for growing of crops and the rearing of animals to produce food, wool and other products. This also includes greenhouses growing plants indoors and food, and nursery stock, cultivation of tender fruits, wineries, breweries, and now marijuana production. With this number of industries in our region, a bylaw that is passed without the consideration of all these areas of agriculture could lead to a big problem. This sitting council and their past comments about rural areas

of Pelham worry me, and other members of the farming community, that they would pass something that would destroy any farmer’s income. I do understand that the Foss Road marijuana operation is very disturbing to some local area residents. I lived in Wainfleet as a kid and, trust me, that smell is well known in the summer time. But marijuana is nothing new. If you want to blame someone blame our federal and provincial governments, as they legalize it to make more money from something that was illegal. As a horticulturist, I believe that plants are here on the earth to feed, clothe and heal us. To smoke weed to get high—that I do not believe in. But for cancer, chronic pain, and other medical issues, yes, it is way better than chemically made drugs. This is just my opinion, and we all have our own thoughts on this issue, as well as different ideas on what needs to be done to legalize the industry. But we need to find a way to a solution that works for everyone involved. A local resident thinks we should get our Town to pass a bylaw similar to one in Kelowna B.C, specific to marijuana operations and

not to other agricultural industries. What is very disturbing to me was a bylaw passed in western Ontario

If you want to blame someone, blame our federal and provincial governments that caused a working pig farm, that was in a family for over 150 years, to shut down its operations. The farmer’s income and family’s way of life was destroyed because someone did not like the smell. Oh, and did you know that the bacon you had for breakfast comes from pigs? Sadly, people today do not realize where their food comes from, and no, it is not Food Basics or Sobeys. It is from the working farmers. Farmers are classed in the same agriculture industry as the marijuana growers, hence why any such bylaw must be considered carefully. People want their fresh apples all shiny and free of insects and disease, and want to buy pop from the store (did you know pop

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is made from corn?) so we must be very careful in our wording of this bylaw. If this is worded incorrectly, it can have a negative effect on all agriculture in Pelham. As farmers, we are already regulated to death—we have to be licenced to spray chemicals and buy seed, we have to have records when we spray, and when we put down fertilizer, just to name a couple. The company who operates the marijuana greenhouse operation has been quoted as saying, “We think we’ve gone above and beyond other agriculture places” and that they are looking into the ventilation system and into other ways to mask the odor. This is good; they are trying to work with us residents. They also have rules and regulations that they must comply with and pass inspections and audits regularly, to make sure they are in complete compliance. This new industry in our area is bringing work into our town, and money into our businesses via buying gas and food. What I ask is that our sitting council be careful with making a bylaw that can do more harm than good, as Pelham is full of agriculture in many different forms. Sherry Rusin Fenwick

describes as excellent. “It’s a really good lunch. We try to make it like a family meal—just the same as going to Grandma’s on a weekend afternoon,” she said. In addition to the main centre, Open Arms also operates a thrift store nearby called Redeemed Goods. There, Bellingham said, Open Arms can raise money for its operations while simultaneously offering affordable clothes and household items. “Having the store means that we aren’t always just giving specific things away,” said Bellingham. “We can give our clients in need vouchers to go to the store and pick out what they need. That way, it isn’t us telling them, ‘This is what you need in your home.’ It’s about dignity.” Bellingham emphasized that Open Arms views its mission as walking along with people in need, and said that Redeemed Goods allows many to gain employment experience. “If we can get grants to pay people, then it’s a paid job, but even when it isn’t it still gives the chance of vocational training—basic job skills and something to put on a resume. They might have a hard time holding a job before, and this gives them a chance,” said Bellingham. “It’s great to see the growth in people. There

are some who start in the store and they can’t look anyone in the eye. They start off sorting stock, and then graduate up to working with customers.” Open Arms also has a farm property on Forks Road, where it has space to store and sell furniture, appliance, electronics, and other large items. It has developed a “learning garden” at the farm, with some of the produce being sold at a fruit stand and the rest put on offer in the food bank. Last Wednesday, as Bellingham was doing some of the final work for the walk, volunteers were beavering away in the kitchen making soup to package up for the bank. The smell of it cooking wafted through the entire centre. When one man came inside midway through the morning his glasses fogged up in the warmth. A dozen or so visitors to the centre sat together at tables, speaking quietly to each other. Before making a brief trip outside, Bellingham dug in a closet for the official toque of this year’s walk. “I won’t be walking on the night of,” she said, explaining that she’d be too busy. “But my kids insisted that I walk the route because I’m saying that I’m involved— they just want me to be honest about it. So I’ll go through both the two and five kilometre routes ahead of time to make sure they’re safe, and I’ll be able to say that I’ve done the walk.”

This is a frequently asked question when discussing planning options with clients. Especially during February as people gear up for tax prep time.

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HollisWealth® is a division of Industrial Alliance Securities Inc. 209 Hwy 20 East, Suite 1, Fonthill 905-892-1631 ext. 13 terrylynn.holliswealth.com Terry Lynn Adamson, CFP®, FMA, Director, Private Client Group, Investment Advisor This information has been prepared by Terry Lynn Adamson, CFP®, FMA who is a Senior Investment Advisor for HollisWealth®. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the Investment Advisor only and do not necessarily reflect those of HollisWealth. HollisWealth® is a division of Industrial Alliance Securities Inc., a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice of Pelham, February 21 2018

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Page 8

The Voice of Pelham, February 21 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Bids closed in December on Town land sale: Now what? Town Hall silent on sale meant to help pay down $15 million loan BY VOICE STAFF Part of the Town of Pelham's original plan for funding its new community centre was to obtain a $15 million loan from Infrastructure Ontario (through

Niagara Region) which the Town said would be a shortterm “construction bridge” loan. According to the Town, this $15 million would be repaid soon after the com-

munity centre’s completion, and thus did not need to be included in its long-term debt calculations. Of this $15 million, $12 million was to be paid down through the sale of two parcels totalling 18.5 acres of Town land in East Fonthill, part of the original 32 acres it purchased in 2005. Council declared this area “surplus” last year, meaning that it

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could be sold. Bidding on the land was invited until December 14, though the property remained on the market afterwards. The Town has since been mum on the attempted sale, though Town Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald said that formal offers were expected to be presented on February 12 at an in-camera meeting of Council. Where is the land? The land is in immediate surroundings of the community centre, excluding the storm pond on the corner of Highway 20 and Rice Road. How much is the land worth? The Town has repeatedly asserted that the land is worth between $600,000 and $800,000 per acre. Last summer, Mayor Dave Augustyn said that the Town was using the low-end of the range, meaning that the land was worth just under $12 million. At the time, a local realtor consulted by the Voice said the $800,000 was “a ridiculous figure,” and that with considerable vacant real es-

HAPPINESS continued from Page 5 and despair satisfactorily sitting right along side it. So that drudges up the question, what now? What do we do? What is the “right” answer? Well, to quote one of my favourite TV personalities,

Richard

Brown

tate in East Fonthill it was difficult to believe that the true value of the land would be this high. Another realty expert consulted by the Voice said, “I think they will get close to it on some of the acres.” “People forget that the price of the land is a function of the density,” said the expert. “If the Town lets me build a ten-storey building, then my residential unit cost drops a lot compared to a two- storey home. That drives the land price up. [The Town] received over a million per acre for the eight-storey seniors’ residential lot. That price had nothing to do with the parkland bylaw.” “The price is also affected by the absorption rate for the type of property you are building. Can a developer put up a dozen eight-to-tenstorey condo towers at that corner and sell them in a few years? Probably not, but maybe over five to ten years. So you pay less for part of it because it has to sit in inventory for that long. If a developer is looking at more retail and office buildings the absorption rate is a large factor. We have plenty of re-

tail, so a multi-storey office [building] in Pelham is not a good idea.” The Town has said that it is selling the land as serviced, and that it is expecting the buyer to reimburse the Town (in addition to the sale price) for the costs already incurred, including that of the storm water pond. “When the new land owner applies for the building permit they have to pay the development charges and hook-up fees for whatever services are at the lot line,” said a real estate expert consulted by the Voice. “That’s standard fare. If they build a road within the acreage they contribute that to the Town along with sidewalks and lighting.” MacDonald has declined to state how much the Town has spent on servicing costs for the acreage being sold, instead instructing the Voice to submit a Freedom of Information request. He asserted that an FOI request was required because “this information will require a compilation

Dr. Phil McGraw, “You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.” I don’t know if human suffering will ever end in my lifetime, or even many lifetimes after mine, I just know we need to start somewhere. I don’t believe we can live in a world where we don’t look for the answers, even if

they are miserable. I guess it’s important to remember that our answers are somebody else's reality, and that in itself is scary enough. The world around us is not even close to the potential that it could be, and I don’t think we as humans can be satisfied with our creations until all of us get to share in the richness of freedom, peace, and happiness that we are already so fortunate to have where we live. The only way to answer my original question is to change it. We must make being fully knowledgeable about the world and the people in it something to be happy about, something to be proud of. Then, and only then, can we be satisfied. Danielle Pine Hamilton

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MIFFED continued from Page 5 fore any of this crap started? Why did Council not listen to the recommendations of this study and build a single pad arena with the option of adding another rink later. Oh, I know, because somebody wanted to leave themselves a legacy in Fonthill. Well, they’ve left themselves a legacy all right, a debt that will take decades to pay off… nice going, Councilors. Extreme disappointment with Town Hall, to obtain loans that it knew the Town could not afford, to pay for a facility that we didn’t really need, and which will likely be half empty the majority of the time. It’s beyond belief. This town was doing great five years ago, not so much now. A very sad state of affairs, and unfortunately the election that gets rid of these idiots will not rectify the problem they created. Russ Neill Fonthill

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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice of Pelham, February 21 2018

Page 9

Legion holds speaking competition, draws chuckles BY VOICE STAFF The Royal Canadian Legion’s Fonthill branch held its annual public speaking contest for local students on Sunday, with eight speakers competing in two divisions. Coming in first in the junior division was A.K. Wigg student Regan Hildebrandt, whose piece about being a youngest child drew repeated laughs from the crowd. “Sit back, relax, and listen to me complain,” she said near the beginning of her speech, making it clear that her knowledge of the topic came from her own experience. Hildebrandt said that youngest children are often believed to be, “just a little more important than the dog,” and that all of her clothes and hockey equipment are handme-downs. “Even the mouthguard. Garage sale.” While Hildebrandt was evidently only half-serious for much of her speech, she flashed a deeper perceptiveness. Youngest children are al-

ways being toted around to their siblings’ games and recitals, she said, while by the time youngest children have events of their own their siblings are old enough to stay at home alone. “Or they’ll figure out a way to not go, with all their years of experience,” she said. By the time the youngest children come around, everything they do seems entirely unimpressive to their parents. “When the youngest child starts walking, it’s just, ‘One of the kids is walking.’” The winner of the intermediate division, Anderson Cecchini, made a strong argument to the crowd against stereotyping, while survival techniques were extolled by Tyler Anderson, who spoke on camping trips, and by the day’s first presenter, Isaac Khan, back at the Legion for the second year in a row after his speech on Winston Churchill last year. He began with a laundry list of reasons to ready yourself for the apocalypse.

“Look to the east, and there’s Kim Jong Un talking about his nuclear button. Look to the south and there’s Donald Trump talking about how his button in bigger and works better. Look to the north and there are polar icecaps melting,” said Khan, who recited his speech without notes. All of the speakers breezed through their five or so minute long presentations with few or no glances at cue cards. A reference by one speaker to Queen’s song “We Are the Champions” prompted the Legion’s Jim Garner to remind everyone present that all eight students were champions, since they had “gone out of their comfort zone” to present. Jacqueline Schwenker, who has organized the event for the past four years, said that the four Legion members judging the contest would be hard-pressed to pick a winner from the contestants. “The speeches are always so great,” she said, explaining that Sunday’s winners will move on to another round of competition.

In her speech, Skye Newman encouraged people to change the world by being more kind. VOICE PHOTO

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The Voice of Pelham, February 21 2018

Land valuation

Representatives of Pelham Debt asked Ottaway for an explanation as to why the Town had paid the exorbitant price of nearly $1 million per acre to Fonthill Gardens (the Allen Group) for 3.3 acres in East Fonthill. Ottaway conceded that the deal had cost money up front, but asserted that the Town will collect this money in the future as developers connect to the road. “The rationale was that because [Summersides Boulevard] will be shared, we’ll eventually collect that money back. As developments come online, they’ll have to tap into that road,” said Ottaway. Treasurer Teresa Quinlin seconded Ottaway’s assertion, saying that “in the end, it should be a wash” and that the Town will recover the money it spent on the land through parkland dedication fees. “That’s why it was set up as a receivable,” said Quinlin. “As soon as the money comes back, we’ll collect it.” In her presentation at E. L. Crossley on November 29, Quinlin asserted that the

LAND SALE continued from Page 8

Generalities like that are the refuge of the lazy and uninformed. They are almost never accurate. explain why it was the Allen Group who so benefited from the scheme. Ottaway said that the Town intends to collect its $3.6 million from a variety of developers in East Fonthill, not just the Allen Group. This means that eventually the Town may come out even (as Quinlin asserted), while the assortment of developers in East Fonthill will come out in the red, since they have to pay hefty fees, while the Allen Group will have greatly profited from its sale of the 3.3 acres to the Town.

Town requests for corrections

In the meeting with DEBT, Ottaway intimated that the Voice had reported that residents of Poth Street were unable to access their properties as a result of their road being closed. He also asserted that the Town requests corrections of the Voice on a weekly basis, and that the paper ignores these errors when apprised of them. “When the paper comes out, we do respond,” said Ottaway. “We have a guy on staff who goes through and if there’s errors we let the paper know, and ask them to print these corrections. They ignore it.” Is this true? No. No Voice article has ever suggested that the closure of a portion of Poth Street has meant that residents have been unable to access their properties. Further, when genuine factual errors are brought to the Voice’s attention, they are corrected. Shortly after Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald was

hired in early 2017, MacDonald sent periodic emails to the Voice containing what he, on behalf of his employer, characterized as errors. In fact, the “errors” cited were almost uniformly matters of degree or opinion. After three or four tries, the emails ceased, and in a face-to-face meeting later in 2017 with reporter Sam Piccolo and publisher Dave Burket, MacDonald acknowledged that writing them had not been “the best use” of his time.

Province seeks finances mentor to help Pelham

In a report to Council on February 5, Ottaway asserted that the Town had confirmed with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs that the province “did not approach other municipalities for a ‘financial mentor [to help Pelham]’” as has been alleged by Regional Councillor Tony Quirk. Is this true? Unknown. It is possible that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs asserted this to Town staff. However, in an email obtained but not independently verified by the Voice, the treasurer of a local area municipality says that contact did come from the ministry. “I can’t speak to what the Pelham CAO is saying,” said the treasurer, referencing Ottaway’s assertion that the ministry had not sought a mentor. “But I was certainly contacted by MAH about being a mentor and I refused to participate as I didn’t think it was appropriate.”

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of information from various sources.” How is the land being sold? The Town hired Colliers International to market and sell the land. Colliers’ fee is a three percent commission on the sale price of the land, or $360,000 if the sale price is $12 million. Was this always the plan? Yes and no. It was always the Town’s plan to help finance the community centre by selling off extra land it didn’t need. But in 2016, Town CAO Darren Ottaway said that the Town would maximize revenue by gradually selling the land in small parcels. Despite this, the Town decided to sell all the land at once. Does the Town actually own all of this land? Yes and no. The Town owns all 18.5 acres, but the Allen Group, the developer with which the Town has long had a relationship, currently has an option to purchase 7.7 acres of the total 18.5. These 7.7 acres front directly on to Highway 20. This option gives the Allen Group the ability to buy all or some of the 7.7 acres for $375,000 per acre, provided that a plan is in place for a retirement home or medical centre to be built on the land. The option expires in March 2019. However, Town CAO Darren Ottaway has said that because the Allen Group must have an approved site plan before the option expires, the effective expiration of the option is about six months before March 2019—or September of this year. Wait—how can the Town be selling land that the Allen Group still has an option to buy? This would seem to be part of the reason that the Town has yet to sell the land. In a meeting with Pelham residents in January, Ottaway said that the Allen Group’s option has been “problematic.”

“It’s not ultimately a problem,” asserted Ottaway. “It’s an irritant.” Ottaway said that the Town declared in the sale material that there is an option on the land, and that this is part of ongoing negotiations. He said also that a potential buyer suggested that the purchase be phased, in that the part of the land on which the Allen Group has an option may be acquired after the other part. Is Ottaway’s “irritant” assessment accurate? Perhaps. However, if the Allen Group exercises its option on all 7.7 acres, it would be able to buy this part of the land for just $2.9 million. This would mean that the Town would need to sell the remaining 10.8 acres for just over $840,000 per acre in order to recover the entire $12 million. Why does it matter? According to Public Relations and Marketing Specialist MacDonald, “shortterm financing will be needed for the March construction invoice,” since the Town currently has sufficient funds only for the next two weeks. If the Town is unable to recover the full $12 million from the sale of the land, the remaining amount of this “short-term financing” will become long-term debt. This would mean that the Town would have to finance the debt with operating revenue (i.e. property taxes) over a period of time. It would also push the Town closer to its annual debt repayment limit, and possibly prevent it from borrowing more money to fund future projects. Where is the sale process currently? According to MacDonald, it was expected that Council would be presented with formal offers on February 12. MacDonald declined to state whether the Town is negotiating with the Allen Group, saying that, “this is an active process, details cannot be discussed.”

ES T

they said that it may appear misleading,” said Ottaway. “In order to talk about that further, I’d have to talk about personnel issues. I’m not authorized to do that, nor will I.” Ottaway seems to be asserting that the information in these past reports were solely the responsibility of former Treasurer Cari Pupo, and that he has no responsibility for what they contain. Is this true? No. While it may have been Pupo who prepared and presented the reports, Pupo reported to Ottaway. It is next to impossible that Pupo was capable of making decisions about the use of reserve funds without Ottaway’s authorization.

Town could expect to receive $3.6 million in parkland dedication fees. Is this true? Possibly, but unlikely. It is technically possible that the Town will eventually collect $3.6 million in parkland fees. However, Quinlin has repeatedly refused to say how long this will take. Town Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald said that the calculation was based on “historical trends,” but did not provide any data to back this assertion. Accounting experts consulted by the Voice calculated that it would take the construction of 1,200 homes in order for $3.6 million to be acquired by the Town. “I cringed when I heard the Treasurer say the costs and revenues were a ‘wash,’” said one of the experts. “Generalities like that are the refuge of the lazy and uninformed. They are almost never accurate.” “She used another term: ‘timing difference.’ When I was in public accounting, we were not permitted to use that term,” the expert continued. “Our leadership regarded that the same as ‘wash.’ One who understood the matching principle did not use weak, uninformed terms like ‘wash’ and ‘timing difference.’” The “matching principle” cited by the expert is an accounting method that requires a “[matching of] costs with revenues in the period the revenue was earned to fairly represent the operating results.” In essence, the expert said, the matching principle was violated because the Town matched the cost of buying those 3.3 acres with a revenue that is speculative and without a specific acquisition date. Even if the Town does recover this amount, it still does not explain the Town’s decision to so dramatically overpay for the land. Further, Ottaway does not

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"Coldest Night of the Year" approaches at Open Arms Welland charity gears up for annual fundraiser BY VOICE STAFF The Opens Arms Mission in Welland is preparing for the Coldest Night of the Year walk on February 24, a nationwide charity event now in its seventh year. Last week, Open Arms’ donor relations manager Leslie Bellingham said that Wellandbased organization has been running a walk for the past five years. “The aim of the walk is to raise money for the hungry, homeless, and the hurting,” said Bellingham. “In each city where a walk is held, the funds go to one charity, and in Welland that’s us.” “It’s a fun family event— people can register to walk and raise money with their friends, their coworkers, anyone at all. You can walk alone, too, but it’s more fun with people,” said Bellingham. “Our youngest participants are pushed in strollers, while our oldest last year was 90. He’s back this year at 91.” She said that the number of people involved grows by 20 or 30 percent every year, and expects some 250 to 300 walkers and volunteers to be bundled-up on February 24. There are three other walks planned in the area, in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, and Grimsby, but because Welland is the only location

in south Niagara, Bellingham said that it will draw participants from Pelham, Port Colborne, and even as far away as Dunnville. One Pelham resident participating is Julie Edwards, who has walked on the Coldest Night twice previously, and will be captaining the team “Friends of Pelham and Beyond” this year. She stressed how important she believes a place like Open Arms to be. “Open Arms serves the people of our community. They provide hope—and isn’t this essential in order to move forward when wanting a better life?” she said. “I think so.” Bellingham made clear that there are several different distances that walkers can complete, and that the evening most certainly isn’t competitive. “There are two, five, and ten kilometre courses— check-in will start at 4:15 on the twenty-fourth, and then we’ll start walking just after five. So it’s more of a ‘late-evening’ thing than at night.” After participants have finished their routes, they will meet back at the City of Welland’s facility on Lincoln Street for chili. While walkers and vol-

Open Arms’ Leslie Bellingham poses in Coldest Night of the Year toque outside of the drop-in centre on Fifth Street in Welland. VOICE PHOTO unteers may be hoping for mild temperatures, Bellingham said that spending time out in the cold is part of the point. “It’s a fun night, but it’s also about getting to see what it’s like to walk out in the cold. Most of the people who come to Open Arms don’t have cars. Some of

them take the bus, but some of them can’t even afford a bus pass. So when they don’t have money for groceries and have to come to the food bank, they’ll walk here,” said Bellingham. “Sometimes as far as ten kilometres.” Open Arms’ goal for this year is $45,000, and with a

week left it still had a ways to go. “This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year,” said Bellingham. “We don’t receive any government funding, so we have to raise it all ourselves from businesses and individual donors.” The hub of Open Arms is

its drop-in centre on Fifth Street in Welland, near the arena. There, the group operates a food and hygiene products bank, and is open for drop-in coffee Tuesday through Friday mornings. Every Saturday there is a hot lunch, which Bellingham See COLDEST NIGHT Page 6

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The Voice of Pelham, February 21 2018

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FONTHILL PRESENTS DE TEMPS ANTAN mond BANDSHELL Organs, any condition. CALL www.mortgageontario.com Toll-Free 1-800-947-0393 / 519-853Since 2157. 2003, Éric Beaudry, André Brunet and Pierre-Luc Dupuis have (Licence # 10969) been exploring and performing time-honoured melodies from the stomping grounds of Quebec’s musical past. Using fiddle, accordion, harmonica, guitar, bouzouki and a number of other instruments, our three virtuosos blend boundless energyFARM with theWORKERS unmistakable joie de vivre found only in OBITUARY traditional Quebec music. Show runs from 7-9 p.m. Community FRUIT FARM/GENERAL Fruit farm seeking farm HORTON, Marion M. (nee Webb)

Passed away peacefully on Monday, February 12, 2018, in her 98th year. Predeceased by her husband Wessel (2007). Lovingly remembered by sons Paul (Dorothy) and David (Brenda), grandchildren Christopher (Rachel), D.W. (Sarah), Kate Boisvenue and Jordan Ristan (Chuck Buckner), and great-grandchildren Josiah, Elijah, Nathaneal, Mathias, Eden, Havilah, Chloe, Simeon, Lily, Ruby, Ava, Wessel, Chloe & Micheal. A private funeral service has been held. Thanks from the Horton family to Dr. Dooler, Kim, Laurie, Chona, Gail and Krista for the wonderful care. Thank you to Father Tom Vaughan of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Welland and to Lampman Funeral Home. A special thank you to the staff at Shorthills Villa Retirement Community in Fonthill: your years of care and dedication are much appreciated.

Events Listings

FARM LABOURER

workers. Pay $14/hour, 40-60 hours per week, must have own PELHAM LIBRARY CARD MAKING WORKSHOP Looking for seasonal/ transportation, must be able Putting on an event? full time help. to handle 50 lbs. comfortably, Make six cards with fall themes, learning a variety of techniques. Materials Applicant must be able working in rural area outdoors town! to are workprovided. min. 40-60 At time of all registration, weather conditions. Planting, please enquire Tell aboutthe tools needed. hours/week in any cultivating, irrigating crops Community Event Tues., Sept. 16 10 – 12:30. $10. Please register ahead. Visit www.pelhamweather conditions and and hoeing crops strawberries Classified ads are weekends.Lifting 50 lbs and apples. No no library.on.ca or call 905-892-6443 foreducation, more details. available in blocks of 30 comfortably is required. experience required. Apply in words for $8.85 + HST. Jobs included pruning, person, 1367 Balfour Street, Planting trees, thinning Fenwick Ontario from 10 – 5, Ad booking and payment FABULOUS LIONS FISH FRY and harvesting fruit,FENWICKMonday – Friday. deadline is Thursday packing and sorting Tasty treats with funds heading straight back into the Noon community. Haddock, prior to week of fruit. No Experience CUSTOM MILL required. Education frenchNofries and much more. Runs Sept. 9 from 4-7 p.m. publication. required, Must have Portable sawmill service. I will Payment may be made own transportation. Min come to your home or farm and over the phone by credit wage $14.00/hour. custom EQUIPMENT mill your logs. Firewood PELHAM MINOR HOCKEY SALE card, or in person at our Please drop resume & lumber also available. Call offBuy, at 825sell Canboro Rd, used Rob or trade equipment the Pelham Arena. Aimed tocheck. provide office by cash or Patterson,at905-401-4948 Fenwick Ontario L0S riverwood@primus.ca. Thanks for Sept. supporting cheaper options for players in this upcoming season. Runs 6 from 1C0

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PELHAM MUDFEST FITNESS Men and women will be back in the mud as the second OCNA Network Classifi ed905-892-8690 Ads run on the year is Beautiful Mind Personal (AD CENTRAL) held at Bissil’s Hideaway.Training for Women and Trig Wa g e r rnin this gs for is " G r s u e: " D a a p e s" chs "Pa hun d " pe "Cin rback" nam o n"

sp gra e to lur of Fa i i c u s e r k o n ir o a r t w lly a ro ret asion occ es on s i . t r a rn e ns . I n t e l d ya w r Wo

BY VOICE STAFF Niagara Health is looking for volunteers who have “excellent interpersonal skills and enjoy comforting others” to volunteer at their sites across Niagara. “We have an amazing collection of volunteers who come from all walks of life —retirees, newcomers to the community, high school, college and university stu-

Josh DeHaan Flooring “For all your flooring needs”

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WALKING CLUB Interested in walking in Pelham? Join them Tuesdays at the Pelham Arena from 9-10 am and Thursdays at Fonthill Bandshell for 9-10:30 am. There is no fee for this program. For more information, please contact jcook@ dents and business professionals, to name sales and other ways that support Niagara to develop new skills, meet new people or or call 905 892-2607, ext 329.and hospital auxilia- it can provide a sense of accomplishment. a few,” says Pauline pelham.ca Caroll, Niagara Health Health Foundation

Volunteer Co-ordinator. “Whether it’s vis- ries. Regardless of the motivation, what unites iting some of our patients, assisting with “Volunteering offers people the chance them all is that they find it rewarding DAY FOR PELHAM to make aCARES difference in the lives of our and our volunteers take great pleasure in mealtimes, helping HAMPER out in our emergency departments or working our information and toatgive to the commuhelping others.” Purchase fresh fruit andpatients vegetables the back Market or bring a non-perishable desks, our volunteers are an integral part nity,” says Tracey Giovannone, Manager, For more information on volunteering food item to fill the hampers at the Pelham Farmers Market on Sept. 4. of Niagara Health.” Recruitment and Volunteer Services at Ni- at Niagara Health, call 905-378-4647, ext Volunteers also help to raise mon- agara Health. 44630, or email volunteer@niagarahealth. “For others, it provides an opportunity on.ca. ey through our gift shops, lottery ticket

COMMUNITY Events

7 SPRUC FONTHIL items, c clothes an sonable, 30, 8AM-3

Yard & SALE, Bricklaying, tuckpointing, of Christ decoratio step repair, granite coatings, brick slices items, SA 1PM 62 P18-28 905-682-7061. FLOORING NORTH P

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Girls Week of Private Home Studio in NIAGARA REGIONAL EXHIBITION February 19 Fonthill. Build Strength and Rodeo, games and live entertainment headline this years exciting event. It Endurance with Sarah Rose, runs from Sept. 11-14 atPersonal thePosted Welland TrainingFairgrounds. Specialist. February 14 1 on 1 Training, SemiPrivate Training and Fitness BIG MOVE CANCER RIDE Central The Big Move Cancer RideRegion is aClasses. non-competitive Ads included ride taking place on Sept. For more information 7. Proceeds for the Big Move stay in Niagara Please Email Sarah at and support the Walker Family Cancer Centre. beautifulmindtraining@gmail.com This ad is to be printed by all participating Ontario papers or Text or Call 905-701-2460

Everyone who's anyone reads the Voice

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The Voice of Pelham, February 21 2018

Page 13

SERVICE DIRECTORY Electrical Electrical

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Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Fonthill donated the proceeds from their Annual Pancake Brunch along with pancake mix and syrup to Pelham Cares. Lori Grande, Coordinator of Client Services, receives a cheque from John Saylor, a church warden, with The Ven. Dr. John Course, rector, holding the donated goods. PAUL VERROCHE PHOTO

On Friday February 9, St. Ann Catholic Elementary in Fenwick hosted the first annual Vex IQ Robotics Ringmaster Tournament. Some 70 students from across Niagara Catholic District School Board used their STEM skills to assemble team robots that completed several different tasks on a playing field. The Vex IQ program aims to encourage students to use teamwork and collaboration, problem-solving skills, and develop leadership qualities in students of all ages. SUPPLIED PHOTO

NURSERY HELP STAFF OFFICE SUPPORT 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:

Willowbrook Nurseries Inc. Willowbrook Nurseries Inc. Attention: Human 935 Victoria Ave., Resources Fenwick, ON 935 Victoria Ave., R.R.#4, Attention: Human Resources No phone calls please. Fenwick, ON L0S1C0

thank you for your No(We phone calls please. Weapplication, would like however to thank all applications, only those considered will be notified.) although only those considered will be notified.

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IN THE NEWS continued from Page 2 community centre, except while in the direct company of an adult over the age of 21, and several other restrictions, including using the internet or any similar communication service

to access any content that violates the Criminal Code. Trevor Kemp, born December 19, 1972, is a white male, 6'3", 450 lbs, with a short, brush-cut hair style that is light brown in colour. He is residing the area of Lincoln.

The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Foundation prepares to launch a limited-edition specialty fountain pen for 2018. These willWholesale nursery growing container grown perennials, be made in a small batchvines, flowering shrubs, evergreens & dwarf trees seeking Large wholesale nursery, greenhouse operation has a of 50 for the year, and willindividuals who desire a career in horticulture. We are in position open in their maintenance department. Person include a certificate of au-need of general labourers as well as those skilled in the must have experience with repair and maintenance of thenticity upon purchase.growing, management and shipping of nursery stock. greenhouses. Electrical, plumbing, carpentry, welding The standard pen will have aPlant knowledge and experience is an asset. If you are and other handyman skills would also be an asset. newly designed body whichan individual who has organizational skills and dedication Licenses are not necessarily required. Candidate must will still include the mapleas well as a willingness to work as a team player, we look have good organizational and communication skills and to hearing from you. Wages will commensurate leaf decals but have a chromeforward good work habits. Excellent compensation and benefit Resumes may be dropped of between base rather than the currentwith experience. package commensurate with qualifications. Pleasethe send in of 8:00a.m.-4:30p.m. Thursday 8:00a.m gunmetal. A selection of goldhours confidence a completeMonday resumetowith salary or history to: base pens is also available.-12:00 noon on Fridays at: Willowbrook The newly designed stanWillowbrook Nurseries Nurseries Inc. Inc. Attention: Human Resources dard pen will be $100, and 935 Victoria Ave., Fenwick, ON 935 Victoria Ave., R.R.#4, Fenwick, ON L0S1C0 the limited-edition specialty Attention: Human Resources Or email: jane@willowbrooknurseries.com fountain pens will be sold for No phone calls please. 8AM-4PM, Fri: 8AM-12N Office hours: Mon-Thur, $150. For more information (We thank you for your application, No phone calls please. We would like however to thank all applications, contact Andrea Crosby, at only those considered will be notified.) although only those considered will be notified. 905-788-3135.

NURSERY HELP Greenhouse/Nursery Maintenance

NURSERY TRUCK HELP DRIVER Local nursery nursery growing requires container truck driver with AZ License. PoWholesale grown perennials, is seasonal but could be full time if applicant vines,sition flowering shrubs, evergreens & dwarf trees seeking has other who skills, i.e. welding, plumbing, tractor individuals desire a careercarpentry, in horticulture. We are in and repairs, maintenance. Deliveries need equipment of general labourers as well as those skilled inare thewithin growing, management and shipping of nursery stock. Ontario and the northeast US. Must have clean abstract, Plant professional knowledge and experience is be an customer asset. If friendly. you are Will appearance and an individual who to has organizational skills andRates dedication be required assist in unloading truck. are hourly as well as competitive. a willingnessResumes, to work astogether a team player, we lookcan be and with abstract forward to hearing from you. Wages will commensurate emailed to jane@willowbrooknurseries.com or dropped with experience. Resumes may be dropped of between the 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 8:00a.m.-12noon -12:00ornoon on Fridays at: Fri. at:

Willowbrook Willowbrook Nurseries Nurseries Inc. Inc.

Attention: Human Resources 935Victoria Victoria Ave., Fenwick, ON ON L0S1C0 935 Ave., R.R.#4, Fenwick, Attention: Resources Office hours:Human Mon-Thur, 8AM-4PM, Fri: 8AM-12N No phone phone calls calls please. please. No (We thank you youryou application, however We for thank for your application, only those considered will be notified.) however only those considered will be notified.

NURSERY HELP

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

Willowbrook Nurseries Nurseries Inc. Inc. Willowbrook 935 935 Victoria Victoria Ave., Ave., Fenwick, Fenwick, ON ON Attention: Human Human Resources Resources Attention:

No No phone phone calls calls please. please. (We thank you for your (We thank you for your application, application, however however only those those considered considered will will be be notified.) notified.) only

Page 14

The Voice of Pelham, February 21 2018

COLUMN SIX continued from Page 1 sleep so he could more realistically portray his character in Marathon Man prompted Sir Laurence Olivier to remark, “My dear man, have you tried acting?” Hoffman and the others are disciples of “The Method,” whose objective is to eliminate acting. Remembering James Dean, another devotee, I have to say they were onto something. “Method for Idiots” will tell you it works by emotional recall—actors dredge up from personal experience a sense of how their character would feel in a situation, so they can “be” that person, and not have to “act” it at all. In rehearsal they engage in improvised games and exercises to call up their creatures from the Black Lagoon, so they can make it real. Olivier wasn’t a fan. Nor are the likes of Maggie Smith and Benedict Cumberbatch. The Method was always more an American thing that a British one. National Theatre Director

Nicholas Hytner remarks in his recent memoir, Balancing Acts: “On the tiny handful of occasions at the National when a company of actors came close to mutiny, it was always because the director refused to move on to the business of doing the play. Why are we improvising? Why are we playing games? When will somebody tell us where to come on, when to sit down, and how to say lines?” Most actors buy into rehearsal games up to a point, he says. “Secretly, they like to be told what to do, if only to be able to resist it.” There are as many variations on Constantin Stanislavski’s original “method” as there are famous directors to interpret and apply it. Uta Hagen, Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg, Elia Kazan— all were somehow committed to the “inside out” school of acting. Sorry—of not acting. Sanford Meisner was more an “outside in” kind of guy, and instructed his non-actors to focus on externals like clothes, gestures and accents to ignite the character. It unknown

if he recommended sleeping inside an animal carcass, or going without sleep altogether. In rehearsal the Method can reduce actors to tears as they are made to journey to dark places in their personal lives and draw on past traumas to give credibility to a performance. As one observer put it, it can be tantamount to picking psychological scabs. In a class where a female student protested she couldn’t handle a rape scene because she had actually been raped, she was told by her acting coach, also female, to “Use it!” Some directors regard The Method as a perverse kind of therapy—play a fictional role as your personal catharsis, pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, in Macbeth’s words. Perilous stuff. All of which leads to a pertinent question. Could theatre ever again offer a “safe space” after directors decided that getting actors to turn their personal lives inside out was a good way to achieve realism? I once asked a former stu-

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dent what his experience at theatre school was like. He was one of a small minority who had made it through the programme at York University. “They break you down from the get go,” I remember him saying, “so you forget everything you were ever taught.” He talked about becoming reduced, “unselfed,” so he could be built up again by his instructors. He spoke of his love-hate relationship with the teachers who dismantled and empowered him at the same time. In the end, he felt good about his experience, he said. It made him what he is. I wondered back then about the dynamic between a controlling guru figure and initiates who get broken down, then put back together, so they can act real. That’s some high-octane chemistry between teacher and student. And I wonder now where else, apart from an abusive marriage, does one person exercise that kind of control over another. Is it all that surprising that a line gets crossed? And where do you draw it in the first place? It can’t be a very fine one. More like very a wide and often blurred one, I suspect. Take a young female ac-

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca tor who’s been broken down and reconfigured and now seeks guidance from her director, a person of some reputation with his string of successful productions and protégés, who responds by urging her to dig deeper, find more, expose more, be sexier, cry for real—in front of cast and crew. In his all-consuming devotion to his art he might jump in and show how it’s done. It’s been known to happen. Do this anywhere else and you end up in court, ever more so now. Which is exactly where the now-resigned director of Soulpepper Theatre Company is likely heading after four young women came forward to say that he crossed a line. Repeatedly, with all of them. There’s no question, if the allegations are all true, or even if just one of them is true, that he has abused his position. I can only admire the courage of these women in blowing the whistle, because this is theatre, remember, where pain and trauma and unsafe memories are the very stuff of becoming more real, and the director is there to make it happen. The Method seems to have torqued over the years, so now the most extreme

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Do this anywhere else and you end up in court

It’s not for me to say how spilling one’s guts during rehearsal makes one a better actor. Maybe it does, though I’ve watched many actors perform convincingly by playing off a script, their imagination, other actors, and their own talent. While “draining its swamp” of abusive personnel, theatre maybe needs to recognize that its actual modus operandi, its “method,” is increasingly at odds with a safe environment and an actor’s right to prepare and perform their art without indignity and abuse. The Canada Council for the Arts pulled $375,000 in grant money last week from the theatre company. “It’s very important to the Canada Council, as a public arts funder, that the organizations we fund provide a work environment that’s free of harassment, sexual misconduct or abuse of power,” the Council said in a statement provided to the Toronto Star on Friday night. If art ever needed a theatre of cruelty, it can’t afford one any longer. 

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The Voice of Pelham, February 21 2018

OLYMPICS continued from Page 1 "You're not supposed to touch the ground with your hands or feet," he said. "I tried that out this morning," said Voth.

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lowed,” he said. “Just a push from a teammate.” Teacher Shawn Haining observed the action from the bottom of the hill. Haining has taught at Glynn A. Green for some time, and remembered the Winter Olympics held four years ago, though he said that Voth’s arrival this year brought new ideas for the day. “[Pam] is so great at organizing events for the kids,” said Haining. “She’s been outside all day, too, ducking inside to get the work done that she needs to.” Haining said that a dramatic increase in precautions has made it difficult for schools to continue to hold such activities. “My wife was telling me that when she went to school, they brought wood and supplies and were allowed to actually build a tree fort on school property,” he said. “The test for the fort was whether it could hold the principal’s weight. Now, you’re not even allowed to go near a tree.”

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Jovan Bobic celebrates his team’s goal while guarding the net during a hockey game last Wednesday. VOICE PHOTO Haining emphasized that new safety precautions were generally a good thing, but praised Voth’s ability to both keep the school safe and to allow students to “play and be kids.”

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“We still go on skating trips—most places don’t do that,” he said. Voth confirmed that she had made sure that all of the events were entirely harmless. Indeed, the hockey players were using flexible sticks that posed no risk to anyone else on the snow rink. At the slingshot station, pairs of students held apart two ends of a big elastic, while a third student pulled a Pepsi ball back on it and flung it forward into the snow. Behind the teacher’s back, a few students made half-hearted throws of snowballs at one another, but they relented upon a first warning. The face paint and homemade flags aside, the students might just have been playing any other schoolyard games, but over at the snowball race, two boys were engaging in a playful diplomatic disagreement over whose country was superior. In the end though, they agreed to direct their real ire towards another country, and riffed off of real-life Olympics events. “There’s Russia over there,” said one of the boys to the other. “They’re probably all doping.”

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