The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

OP-ED: Brian Baty has had enough page 5 Birth of a (bowling) star page 17 Have you seen Buddy? page 2

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T OVERFLOWING THE BARRICADES Fenwick Flossie's appearance was eagerly anticipated on Friday.

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Pot odour leaves some residents fuming Pelham is home to five marijuana grow operations, and one of them is a little too fragrant, say locals A strong smell emanating from RedeCan Pharm’s marijuana production facility on Foss Road has upset many in the area, with affected residents calling on some authority—any authority—to do something about it. Fonthill resident Barry Fokejewski, who lives near the intersection of Haist Street and Welland Road, first noticed the smell in mid-January, and

BY VOICE STAFF initially thought that it was an actual skunk. “I was talking to a woman who lives nearby, and she said, ‘Do you smell the skunk?’ I thought she meant a skunk. She said, ‘That’s not a skunk.’” Craig McDermott, who lives on Deborah Street, was similarly unim-

pressed by the not-very-functioning odour mitigation system meant to reduce smells emanating from the operation. “It’s unacceptable,” he said last Wednesday, a day when the wind sent the odour in his direction. “Today it’s not so much a skunk as it See SKUNKY Page 13

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Column Six

Fenwick Flossie says six more weeks of winter coming our way To the surprise of no one shivering in the cold last Friday, the Fenwick Lions’ resident groundhog Flossie saw her shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. Students from Wellington Heights Elementary School, St. Ann’s Catholic School, and Fonthill Montessori Preschool pressed up against the barricades, shouting “Flossie” over and over again. Flossie first poked her head out just before ten o’clock, but after being advised that there was still a busload of kids to arrive, returned back inside her burrow for another few minutes. The students present didn’t seem to mind the wait, though the temperature had some of the adults anxiously eyeing the road for the bus’ arrival. “C’mon,” said one photographer as he blew into his hands. “We’re not all wearing big furry suits.” The “Fabulous” Fenwick Lions began this event 24 years ago, said Lion Rob Henson, who has organized Flossie’s emergence for the past 14 years.

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HE ONLY QUESTION that mattered was: if I ran, would I, absolutely, one hundred percent for sure, escape the police? By 8:30 AM distinct shadows lined the dusty, littered streets of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan and home to 5 million. Storefronts were coming alive as large, roll-up doors were lifted, soapy water for mopping was splashed across decades-old stone floors, and the night's debris was swept off stone curbs into the streets. Food stalls cooked sorghum and millet porridge to serve with sweet hot tea. Bakers with pushcarts wholesaled their morning production of gorraasa and kisra to small shops and hungry merchants, while three-wheeled jitneys searched for fares. Today was a rest day for our small group of cyclists, See COLUMN SIX Page 16

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The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

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IN THE NEWS

PUBLISHER’S CORNER by Dave Burket

The way is one-way: In last week’s story on Poth Street, containing CAO Darren Ottaway’s alleged message to a resident—that the homeowner was free to sell his home if he was unhappy that the Town may never repair his street—we mentioned that a second witness to this exchange had not responded to a request for comment. In fact, of those contacted for comment, only CAO Ottaway declined to respond directly to the Voice at the time, nor has he responded to us in the week since… No vaccine for foot-in-mouth: The CAO’s comments—both alleged and actually recorded—drew scathing criticism online, and in this week’s letters. Plus, has the Mayor inadvertently sparked a tax revolt? His suggestion that Poth Street homeowners consider contacting MPAC to reduce their assessments landed with a culvert crash of its own. Finally, Councillor Papp’s tone-deaf, self-congratulatory paton-the-back rounded out a week of ill-considered verbiage. Just when you think Council can’t prove itself more clueless... voilà! Even Liberal stalwart Brian Baty, Pelham’s other Regional Councillor, has reached breaking point (Op-Ed, page 5). So much for the “conservative cabal”… Centennial thanks! Cheers to Fenwick-born Dave Dayman for bringing in a section of the Pelham Herald’s Centennial special edition, from August 1967… What’s in a word: We checked-in last week with Meridian Credit Union manager and former Kinsmen Citizen of the Year, John Wink, to see how the kerfuffle over the use of “bank” is going. (In short, the Mr. Potters of Canada—the big bad bankers—don’t want the George Baileys—the bashfully good-hearted credit unions—to use the term “bank” to promote their offerings.) Sadly, the “status quo” nonsense continues, says Wink. After Pen Financial’s new branch opened last week in East Fonthill, we did a quick survey around town. Not a single person said that they would tell their spouse that they were “going to the credit union” if they were headed out to Meridian or Pen Financial, but rather “to the bank.” So good on Pen Financial for fighting the good fight, erecting a Truly Enormous Addition to their new branch’s outdoor signage, reading, “Truly Local Banking”… Decision 2018: It may be nine months away, but election fever is spreading. Various candidates for mayor are being talked up: Sharon Cook, Marv Junkin, Richard Rybiak, Malcolm Allen, Ron Kore. The smart money is betting on an Augustyn run for Regional Chair, while longer odds have our Mayor gunning for the soon-tobe-open seat held by MPP Cindy Forster. As this would require a shift of allegiance from Liberal to NDP, it’s not a bet I’d take myself. How about you? If October’s election were held today, who would you vote for? Take the poll: http://www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/2018race/ As long as the IT guy (yours truly) can figure out the whole plug-in thing, we should have our very own ability to do polling up and running by today (i.e., Wednesday), which is the present for you, but two days in the future for us. Trippy, man!

Voice on vacation!

Bell customer information hacked

Two weeks ago, Bell Canada announced that up to 100,000 of its customers may have had their names and email addresses accessed by a hacker. While Bell assured customers that there was “no indication that any credit card, banking, or other information was accessed,” many were still concerned that such an infiltration had occurred. Brock University’s Teju Herath, professor of information systems in the business faculty, said that such risks are inevitable in our technological world. “We live in an era where there is so much data captured by technology that is so prolifically used,” she said. “Sometimes there is little we can do to overcome the risk of data breaches like these.” According to Herath, companies need to plan ahead for a possible data breach so that they can react appropriately. “The first thing companies need to do is be forthcoming and transparent in their communications and contact the affected parties right away,” she said, and credited Bell for having partially done this. Still, Herath said that it isn’t clear exactly what happened in Bell’s situation. “Some news reports have different information on what was accessed,” she said. “Though it is a good thing that no financial in-

formation seems to have been compromised.” H e r a t h said that even if all that hackers acquired are names, email addresses, and phone numbers, this still poses a risk to consumers. “All of this information is now probably accessible on the dark web,” she said,

referring to a part of the internet often populated by nefarious forces. “It will allow phishing scams to be much more specific, and the more specific a scam is, the more likely that we’ll fall for it.” Herath explained that in “phishing,” scammers create emails that appear

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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

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

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

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

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

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

Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation

BY VOICE STAFF

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

BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER

Special to the VOICE

A

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

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

VOICE PHOTO

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

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

Petition-inspired changes coming to 2017 Summerfest BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

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

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

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

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

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

See COLUMN SIX Page 14

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn

Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932

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Request made of community still peeved at name change

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Column Six

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

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very similar to official Bell correspondence, asking the receiver to navigate to a particular site and input financial information. Data security expert Chester Wisniewski also said that compromised email addresses will put those Bell customers at a greater risk, telling the CBC that “[scammers] can send you one of those fake emails saying, 'Hey your cell phone bill is due, click here to login.’" Like Herath, Wisniewski said that it’s important for companies to disclose what happened to their customers. "A lot of times when companies lose this kind of information, they don't even tell you," he said. "The good thing about them telling us is to put us on alert for those types of things now." Herath said that the increased awareness around such issues means that consumers are being better informed when such things happen. “Companies are disclosing this information [about hacks] more openly all the time, and proposed changes to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act are positive because it would make it a legal requirement to disclose information in cases like this,” she said. “The second thing companies need to do is resolve why it happened through due diligence.” Herath said that computer users can reduce their risk of being affected by information security issues by regularly change their passwords, and using caution before clicking on unexpected email attachments. She also advised regularly backing up files.

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

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

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

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The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

Page 3

ANALYSIS

As Region debates asking province for help with Pelham's books, unanswered questions remain

S

ome Niagara councils have recently passed symbolic resolutions in support of Mayor Dave Augustyn and Pelham Town Council, arguing that the Niagara Region has no business mixing in the affairs of municipal finances and borrowing. Some observers have intimated that the Region is attempting to control lower-tier finances and borrowing, or that political motivations relating to past disputes are at work. Regional councillors, including the Mayors who sit on Regional Council, must consider the following questions as they decide whether there is legitimate concern over the state of the Town of Pelham's finances: 1. Has any lower-tier municipality in the Niagara Region ever spent all of the cash from its reserve accounts in the manner that Pelham has? 2. Has any lower-tier municipality ever had a per-capita debt that the Town of Pelham will now have? 3. Has any lower-tier municipality ever had as big a cash- flow shortage as the Town of Pelham? 4. If a real estate correction or crash occurs, how will Pelham fund over $1.5 million in annual debt payments, and numerous capital items it says it will pay for through the collection of future development charges? For nearly a year, questions have swirled around Pelham’s financial practices and fiscal stability. On Thursday night, Regional Council will decide whether to ask the Ontario Municipal Board to investigate Pelham’s finances. These issues seem complicated, but they don’t have to be. Here’s what you need to know as the Region makes its decision. The issues fall mostly into two categories: First, the use of reserve fund and whether the Town has been forthright about its general financial position. Second, the circumstances surrounding the Town’s purchase of 3.3 acres of land in East Fonthill, land on which Summersides Boulevard is being built.

Reserve use and Town finances

BY VOICE STAFF

On November 6, Councillor Marvin Junkin resigned from Council. He alleged that two months earlier, on September 5, Council was told during a closed-door meeting that the Town had virtually depleted its reserve funds, and that this meant the Town was $17 million dollars deeper in debt than previously believed, given that the Town would need to borrow money to replace the cash gone from the reserves. In response, in December the Town released an amended version of the report given to Council on September 5. This updated report showed that the Town would soon need to take on $10 million dollars in debt to replenish the reserves, not $17 million. The Town’s Treasurer suggested that this $10 million dollar figure could end up being lower. Junkin said that Treasurer Teresa Quinlin told Council that the Town would not have qualified for provincial loans required to build the community centre if the Town’s near-depletion of reserve funds had been public knowledge. Was Council aware? According to Junkin, Council was unaware of the use of reserve funds in this manner before September 5. The projects on which reserves were spent were approved by Council to be funded by loans. Councillor Peter Papp has corroborated Junkin’s account of Council’s surprise on September 5. Junkin said that neither CAO Darren Ottaway nor Mayor Dave Augustyn seemed surprised by the information provided in the meeting. How did the Town respond? Hours before Junkin resigned, and two months after the September 5 presentation, Mayor Augustyn told the Voice in a face-to-face interview that he had “no reason to believe that number is not correct” when asked about the reserve balances. After confirming that reserve cash had been spent, the Town asserted that the reserves were now

backed by “non-cash assets,” and that this is why it did not have to show the accounts as empty in its financial statements. Since revealing that the reserves were indeed emptied, the Town has called its use of cash reserves “strategic investment.” The Town has not explained why Council was not informed of the extensive use of reserve funds until September 5. What does KPMG say? In 2014, 2015, and 2016, then-Treasurer Cari Pupo told Council that “year end reserve balances remain healthy and capable of supporting the Town’s ongoing commitments.” KPMG says, “This statement appears misleading as the Town does not appear to have the cash balances on hand to support the year end reserve balances.” As Treasurer, Pupo reported to CAO Darren Ottaway. Ottaway reports to the Mayor and Council. What is the Town’s general financial health? KPMG revealed that in 2015 the Town was given two “high” and four “moderate” indicators of financial risk by the province. This prompted follow-up contact to the Town from the province. KPMG also concluded that “the Town went from a net financial assets position of approximately $4.1 million in 2008 to a net debt of approximately $13.7 million in 2016. This represents a significant drop in the financial health of the Town.” 1. Why did the Town extensively expend reserves on projects which had been approved to have been funded by debt? 2. Why did Town Staff not reveal the extent of its internal borrowing to Council or to the Region when applying for the community centre loan? What impact did the internal borrowing have on external borrowing? In 2016, the Town applied for a $36 million loan, called a “debenture,” through the Region (in ad-

dition to a $5.75 million debenture for prior capital projects). At the time, the Town said that it would be within its annual borrowing limits if it took on the additional debt. However, at the time of the application, it would appear that the Town did not, in fact, inform the Region of the internal borrowing that the Town had been doing from its reserve fund cash. Why should the Region be concerned? The Region essentially acts as a co-signer on lower tier municipal debentures and is responsible for them should municipalities be unable to repay their debts. The Town of Pelham excluded a number of items from its calculations to arrive at the assertion that it was within its debt limit, an assertion that was provided to the Region. The Town was approved to borrow the full $36 million dollars for the new community centre project, but it excluded almost $15 million of this debt (and the required repayments) when making its calculations. This was done because the Town asserted that this portion of the loan would only be short-term, repaid within one year by selling off $12 million dollars-worth of Town-owned land in East Fonthill, and by raising $3 million dollars in donations. The problem is that to date the land has not been sold, and only one or two interested parties have come forward to express interest in even making an offer. The Allen Group, a developer working closely with the Town, has an option to buy a number of acres of the property, an option that does not expire until March 2019 and seems so far to have scuttled any sale. On the donation side, pledges are well short of the $3.3 million needed to be raised ($300,000 is to be paid to a fundraising consultant— in essence a 10% commission) and many of these donations will not be collected immediately, but rather in small increments over multiple years. It would appear that the Town should have included this additional $15 million dollar amount when applying for its loan through

the Region. Had the Town done so, special OMB approval of the additional risk would have been required, a step that almost certainly would have eliminated any Regional concern from arising. Either the OMB would have concluded that the Town’s financial planning was sound, or it would have concluded that the Town’s expectations were unrealistically optimistic. Either way, the Region would not now be in the middle. Questions that remain unanswered: 1. It would appear that the Town did not disclose the fact that its finances were in worse shape than believed after KPMG informed them of this in early September of 2017. Did they not have an obligation to inform the Region once they became aware of this? 2. Did the Town misrepresent its financial position and available debt limit by not disclosing to the Region at the time of the debenture application in 2016 that reserve fund cash had been spent on capital projects that should have been financed by debentures? 3. Should the payments on $15 million of the debenture have been included in determining the Town’s debt limit when it applied for the $36 million debenture in 2016? 4. Should the Town have sought out and obtained OMB approval for the $36 million debenture in the first place, and avoided all of the issues between the Town and the Region? If so, why was this not done? Why did the Town not disclose the poor financial indicators it received from the province?

The 3.3 acre East Fonthill land deal What was the land purchase? In 2015, the Town bought 3.3 acres of land from Fonthill Gardens, spending nearly $1 million dollars per acre. This price is about five times greater than what Fonthill Gardens originally paid for it. This valuation was based on a so-called “extraordinary assump-

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Page 4

The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

OPINION

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

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

As We See It The dodge-ball game is done. Call in the province.

A

S REGIONAL Council considers requesting a provincial investigation into Pelham’s finances, the Town has been up to its usual diversionary tricks. Mayor Dave Augustyn has been out lobbying in full force, telling anyone who will listen that the Region’s motion is nothing more than an attempt to bully both him and Pelham. In a recent radio interview, the Mayor repeated his tired claim that the Region has no jurisdiction over municipal finances. His claim is misleading. While the Region can’t directly investigate our Town’s evidently dismal fiscal condition, it very much can do what it is contemplating: requesting the province—a body that does have direct authority—to do the job that must be done. There is ample justification to make such a request. Reports submitted by KPMG in December­­­—reports that our Mayor raves as having “cleared” the Town—in fact revealed numerous disturbing facts. First, it was confirmed that the Town systematically spent its reserve funds while Town staff made

statements to Council that “appeared misleading.” Second, it was confirmed that the Town had seen a “significant drop” in its financial health. And third, rather pathetically, KPMG concluded that it was “unsure” as to whether a Town credit-forland scheme was legal.

The issue is the Town of Pelham's persistent, deliberate misdirection Despite the investigative restrictions placed on KPMG by the Town—no ex-staff or outside legal experts were consulted—it is plain to anyone who actually reads the reports that a deep dive is needed into Town Hall. Pelham Town Hall seems to be banking on the fact that no one—not residents, not Niagara news media, and especially not the Regional Councillors voting on Thursday—has actually read KPMG’s findings. Perhaps

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The Voice

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

(905) 892-8690

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

the Mayor believes that if he repeats often enough that the Town has been “cleared” that it will magically become true. Mayor Augustyn has recently been able to convince councillors in some other towns that the Region’s actions are “diversion tactics and bullying” over some dead conflict about the NPCA, just as he fear-mongers about the threat of Regional “overreach” into municipal affairs. But the issue isn’t Regional overreach. The issue isn’t other Niagara towns. The issue isn’t the Mayor’s political disagreements. The issue is the Town of Pelham’s persistent, deliberate misdirection. Pelham Town Hall has fundamentally lost the trust of a significant number of Pelham residents. Pelham Town Hall has systematically mislead fellow Niagara municipalities, and Regional Council. The trust of residents needs to be regained. The trust of other towns needs to be rebuilt. Considering the depth of the deception, the process won’t be easy, and will take years. A full and complete investigation by the province is the only place to start. 

Letters Rotary welcomes Pen Financial to town I am very pleased to see the opening of Fonthill’s newest credit union in the east end development. I have had the pleasure of working with Jody Vizza, Director of Brand, and Bob Watson, their former C.E.O., at the Niagara Region Children’s Safety Village in 2000-2003 as they faithfully served on the board and Fundraising Committee. Pen Financial are supportive of many charities throughout the region, including the Rotary Club of Fonthill’s Mudfest Challenge, with significant monetary support over the past two years. A team lead by their CEO, Ken Janzen, last year were good enough to get down and dirty for a great cause and we very much appreciate their

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

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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

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@thevoiceofpelham.ca

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

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The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

Page 5

OPINION Letters

continued

COMMENTARY / OP-ED Councillor Brian Baty

A refuge in a time of change We are now fully into 2018, working on our taxes is proof positive. I recently began a sentimental journey back to the days when our grown children were young and we made the move to Fonthill. At the time it seemed an idyllic spot and as time went on we continued to see our relocation as a wise choice. Quiet streets, pedestrian and dog friendly, churches and schools close at hand and a welcome feeling of community were all there. We immediately became familiar with local business. Coffee and pie were always available at Keith’s. The little tables and warm kitchen aromas were very welcome on the cold winter days of the mid-'70s. Keith himself, dressed in white apron and a spatula in hand could often be seen busy at work while friendly wait staff poured second cups of steaming hot coffee. I can't remember when pictures of locals started appearing on the walls but I always enjoyed seeing new and old

additions. My favorite was the school picture of Principal E. L. Crossley himself along with the entire school and staff. Priceless.

The little tables and warm kitchen aromas were very welcome on the cold winter days Another place where locals gathered was the post office on South Pelham. Parking was impossible and slush was deep but it was a cheerful meeting place to say hello. How we managed with so little parking remains a mystery to me but See REFUGE next page

Deflection, deception, and bullying

T

HE M AYOR OF PELH A M and Pelham Town Council have expended considerable effort over the past year to silence those who question the actions of Council. I present this submission to the Voice to provide insight into the underhanded actions by this Mayor and Council with respect to my role as the directly-elected member of Niagara Regional Council, as well as the Town’s representative at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA). In January 2017, the Mayor and I met over lunch. He informed me that his Council was calling for my immediate resignation from the NPCA. This was just the latest in a series of slights shown to me during the decade-plus that I have dealt with this Council— though this demand sunk to a new low. For the sake of brevity, I won’t catalogue the list, the point being that it symbolically speaks volumes about the poor relationship between this Council and myself. In fact, news that Council wanted to dump me from the NPCA came to me via a fellow parishioner at church. After I returned from a short vacation last winter, this resident informed me that Council had gone into closed session, out of public view, to discuss my work at the NPCA.

I was shocked that a resident at large would know the details of an in camera meeting, and so began to investigate. It turned out that the Mayor and Council went into closed session to discuss “personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.” In this meeting, they hatched a plan (to be developed by staff) to invite nominations from residents who had Regional Councillor a background in Brian Baty. FILE PHOTO conservation to be appointed to NPCA. The Mayor and Council went into closed session to tar and feather me without any opportunity for me to defend myself. I would expect better treatment from a third-world kangaroo court. When this plan came to a vote in a subsequent public council meeting, the motion passed unanimously without debate. The newspaper accounts of this motion deflected and deceived the public

CAO's comments arrogant, offensive

Legacy? What legacy is that...

Well, last week’s comments by the CAO regarding rural residents of Pelham take the cake [Poth Street culvert to remain unrepaired until 2019, Jan. 31, p.3]. The Mayor's comments regarding reassessment lend little comfort to the rural population of Pelham. Should all rural Pelham residents now ask for property tax relief based on Ottaway and Augustyn's latest response to not fixing drains or roads? I think so. According to Ottaway, living in a rural area (Poth Street) is a bad investment and it isn't fair for ratepayers to shoulder the expense of the street’s repair. He has now successfully divided Rural Pelham from Fonthill. Does this CAO own a home here? CAO Ottaway stated, “They have exercised their constitutional right to live where they want and yet now their expectation is that everyone has to pay for [their road and drain repair]. I don't think that’s fair.” What kind of nonsense is this. We are talking about a rural area that is less than five minutes from South Pelham Street and Fonthill. We aren't on the moon. The CAO’s offensive, arrogant attitude just reinforces the fact that there must have been an intentional plan to drain the cash reserves for roads, water, drainage, etc., and spend it on urban East Fonthill. His view of wealth, or definition of what brings wealth, is absurd. You, Mr. CAO, have successfully drained the wealth (cash reserves) within Pelham and we are cash-broke, all under your watch. There is a sinkhole on Foss Road developing between

The recent report concerning the budget [2018 budget increase now 3.5%, Jan. 31, p.1] was, to say the least, provocative, especially the remarks made by Councillor Papp. His self-congratulatory comment, “Hoping to see all of us back,” and his call to colleagues to “embrace, fully endorse and be very proud of what we’ve been able to do over the past year and what we’re going to be doing over the next year and years to come” are not shared by a growing number of residents. Papp goes on to proudly

the railway and Balfour Street. Will those residents get the same treatment? So far you have put up a cone, another great repair.

Should all rural Pelham residents now ask for property tax relief I think I will take my bad investment in rural Pelham and possibly ask the Mayor and Council for property tax relief. There is a risk that living in rural Pelham is a bad investment, especially should a road or drainage problem occur, and they can't afford to repair the damage. Why do we pay property taxes? Roads and their maintenance are an inherent service, so everyone has safe accessibility in Pelham, whether it is walking, biking, or by automobile. Fire, school, ambulance, and garbage services depend on safe roads no matter where they are located in Pelham, right, Mr. Mayor and Council? Poth Street could have easily have been Effingham, Cream, Balfour or Church. Safe, accessible roads have been a necessity since the horse-and-buggy days. With an attitude like this, Ottaway needs to be sent packing back to Grand Cache. You are no longer needed or welcome with an attitude like that. Richard Kavanagh “Rural” Fenwick

state “we have established a legacy.” Seriously? What legacy is that? Is it a legacy of a community wracked by controversy and divisiveness created by how this council makes decisions and conducts its business? Is it a legacy of a perceived self-absorbed, arrogant and disconnect council? Is it a legacy of the high risk of increasing Town debt and accompanying high property taxes generated by the building and operating of a complex financed by a dubious plan which can only

on the true motivation of the Mayor and Council. The Mayor extolled the virtues of residents with conservation knowledge and experience. He and Council neglected to note that I hold a BSc in Biology; that I taught science from an ecological and environmental perspective; that I had a third teachable qualification from McArthur College at Queens University in Outdoor Education; that I had a master’s degree in Curriculum, Organizational Development and Leadership; that I served on the Source Water Protection Committee since its inception, and that I served for several years as a Niagara Escarpment Commissioner. In addition, there was no recognition of my role as Chair of the Governance and Accountability task force at NPCA to establish a citizen advisory committee for NPCA to include stakeholders with specific expertise (one of the first such advisory committees in the entire province.) Yet, their motion, if enacted, would have blackballed me from any further consideration as the NPCA board member for Pelham. Fast-forward to last July. After repeatedly hearing concerns from several Pelham residents, I recommended to Council that it unSee DECEPTION Page 7

be described as an “if-maybe-cross-your-fingers” financial plan? Is it a legacy of depleted reserve funds impairing the Town’s ability to address emergencies in an effective and timely manner? Is it a legacy of failed democracy, which ignored calls for some form of referendum to permit taxpayers to signal to council if its choice of facilities and its financing plan was acceptable or not before contracts were signed, and which ignored demands for a much needed independent, third-party,

full forensic audit to “clear the air” and address suspicions? Is it a legacy of crumbling infrastructure (roads, culverts, equipment, etc.) “kicked down the road” for later repair/replacement as resources are diverted to the community centre? Is it a legacy of the quickly fading small town of Pelham, overwhelmed by large tracts of suburbia and an increasingly congested sprawl along Highway 20, in the name of so-called progSee LEGACY? back page

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The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

ARROGANCE continued from Page 7 In a dismissive tone, Mr. Ottaway responded, "I don't read that paper.” His comment is reflective of the arrogance and lack of respect toward residents of this town,

REFUGE continued from Page 5 the system worked and I mourned the day when the post office moved. The newer post office is lovely and staff are friendly but the rustic feel was lost somehow. The spot that I went to as a new resident and return to just as frequently as a 40-year-plus resident is the hardware store. Now when we moved here it was known as Wilson's and as a new home owner of an older home I was a frequent visitor for essential items. The store was small but always seemed to have what I needed. Thirty two years ago the store was sold to the Beamers and they have run the business ever since..

who are so bold as to ask questions or express concerns. "That paper" just happens to be the chief voice for the residents of Pelham. It should be required reading for any senior management officials and all politicians in the Town. Wiser decisions are always made when

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help find someone who does. The Beamers et. al. have helped me get rid of crab grass, ants, mice and dandelions. They've sold me rakes, shovels, leaf bags, garden hoses, grass seed, fertilizer and bird seed. They have matched, mixed and helped me remove paint, remove rust and stain wood. Over the years I have gotten rulers, measuring cups and spoons, thermometers and all sorts of tape. When our washing machine died they sold and installed a replacement within 48 hours. We were grateful. I don’t believe the layout of that store has changed one bit since the day I first walked in. So now 2018 spreads before us. There have been many changes to Fonthill. Some have occurred

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on. But the residents of this town will be stuck with a serious funding and tax issue for many years. Unless, maybe, we figure out a way to sell the new centre to a private operator. Tillie Clapp Pelham resident for 52 years Fenwick

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inside-out trying to figure out a way to run the Town now that the new centre is part of the mix. Pity the Human Resources manager who now must figure out a way to staff the new centre with limited funds. The Mayor, councillors, and the CAO will at some point move

over the past few years and some have happened in the past few months. I am attempting to view all these changes objectively. I do not wish to sound like my maternal grandfather who never adapted to change and never stopped complaining about how bad changes were. Keith’s is gone and so is the little antique store that occupied space beside the old post office. We got our 100year- old kitchen table there, hidden in the bowels of that store, hanging from the ceiling and covered in dust. The lovely butcher grocery run by the Klagers has also disappeared. But there have been many new and good changes. The bandstand concerts through the summer months are a real addition to our community as is the annual summer

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expanded from a smaller octagonal church off Highway 20, surrounded by a playground of school children, to the current larger church, located just off Station Street. We appreciate the large parking lot on busy Sunday mornings. Our children received first communion at the original site and our three grandchildren were baptized in the new and quietly elegant replacement. Homes are springing up everywhere and even the skyline has expanded on South Pelham. Despite the high-rises we can still see the colorful lights at night and the mist of Niagara Falls from our upstairs windows. Highway 20 has widened to accommodate a heavier flow of traffic and every once in awhile a new traffic light is added. The boundaries between Pelham, Thorold and Welland are less apparent. The new arena now looms adjacent to Food Basics and Dollarama. Personally I find refuge in a hardware store that has endured the test of time by remaining much as it was over 40 years ago. Community spirit still rivals that of surrounding areas and there remains a feeling of sanctuary when I see the Fonthill sign. I am learning to cope with and enjoy the new Fonthill while still adjusting to the growing loss of open fields and rural greenery. Change has always been inevitable but I am thankful for the remaining bits of old Fonthill that brought us here so long ago. Mary Ann O’Donnell Fonthill

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Letters

The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

Page 7

continued

Reprimanding the ReStore

Open letter to CAO Darren Ottaway

While I applaud the concept of the ReStore, I do not appreciate being taken by them. While shopping for cabinet doors recently, I found three doors that I could use in the aisle racks in the ReStore. I paid for my purchases— $20 each for two glass-fronted doors and $10 for a solid door. It wasn’t until I was driving away that I recalled a couple of signs in the aisle, stating “Buy one door, get one door free.” I had to get back to work, so I couldn’t do anything about it that day. The next day I stopped in. The signs were still there. I spoke with a woman at the front counter and the fellow that had served me the day before came by. He remembered me and my purchases, but when I asked about the sign I was told, “Oh, that doesn’t include glass doors.”

At one point he looked over to the woman at the counter, as if for direction, and she gave her head a quick, negative shake. When I told them twice that the signs were misleading, I was dismissed with a snarky “Well, I guess we’ll just have to explain it to people.” My husband went in two days later, and, sure enough, the signs were still up, with no mention of glass doors being exempt. The Competition Bureau (the same agency suing Ticketmaster over misleading ticket price advertising) can get involved in this type of thing as either a civil or criminal case. One of the factors that decides which form of involvement is whether timely attempts were made to correct false advertising errors. The ReStore clearly doesn’t think that it is a big enough deal to either hon-

our the signs, or take down or change the signs, and this is disrespectful to the consumer. Yes, it may only be $20 to

them, but there is too much false or misleading advertising, bait and switch selling, and fraud out there as it is. I certainly don’t appreciate it being delivered with an attitude. Will not be going back. Lois Demers Fonthill

My sympathies with Mr. Villalta of Poth Street, who bought a house on a two-way street and now finds himself on a oneway street. Yes, unfortunate, because according to Pelham CAO Darren Ottaway, people choose to live where they live and the consequences become their own problem. Except that Mr. Villalta chose to live on a two-way street. And there isn't enough money to fix the culvert on his new oneway street. And even worse, it may be that those of us in rural areas of Pelham are expecting too much, because we are being subsidized by Fonthill residents. Nice way to try to plant a divide be-

DECEPTION

had filed a complaint after learning of Council’s January action. Fast-forward again to November 2017, when I was asked by the Mayor to meet with him and Councillor Papp to discuss “clarification of an NPCA issue.” When I arrived, I was surprised to find Town Clerk Nancy Bozzato present at what I thought was to be a casual meeting. The Mayor demanded to know who from Council told me about the closed-door meeting in January. The Clerk stated, “Your words were a ver-

batim account of what was said in closed session.” I replied that I had already told the Mayor that a resident at large had informed me about the matter at church. I simply used deductive reasoning from my many years as an educator and principal to construct the series of events that were aimed at denying me any future participation with the NPCA. This attempt was a stab in the back by this Mayor and Council. It wounded me in the part of my being where I value integ-

rity, ethics, honesty and respect. The wound has given rise to contempt, anger, disgust and a loss of all respect for this Mayor and every member of Council. A reconsideration of that motion, a repeal of that motion and a public apology, would serve to heal some of the damage done. So might reflection on the unprofessional manner with which I was treated in July. Turn now to the allegations of bullying made by the Mayor, the “witch hunt” he claims that’s behind the Region’s scrutiny

continued from Page 5 dertake an independent, third-party audit of its East Fonthill development deals to clear the air. After I was attacked by Council, I made reference to their January attempt to remove me from the NPCA board. I was asked by Acting Mayor Peter Papp to explain where I got this information. I indicated that it was through the Office of the Ombudsman of the Province of Ontario, through which I

While I applaud the concept of the ReStore, I do not appreciate being taken by them

I have family members who are considering relocating to the Town of Pelham. Would you please send me a list of rural roads in Pelham that you consider “bad investments,” i.e., infrastructure that may be too expensive to be repaired or maintained? I would not want my family members to create a financial burden on the taxpayers of Fonthill because of excess snow removal or unforeseen road repairs on a road they may choose to live on. I understand you believe that generating wealth is far more important to a community than caring for the well-being of all its residents. M. Baker Fenwick

Pitting rural vs. urban—how did we get here?

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

tween rural and urban! Reminds me a little bit of the strategy of the president of a country south of us. It is not representative of a democracy that values the rights of all, in a way that is shouldered by all. How did we get to this place? I recall a public meeting several years back when residents were discussing a proposed community centre, which has since become a reality. One resident in attendance politely shared serious concerns about the Town's ability to afford this centre and quoted some statistics from the Voice.

I respectfully ask this Mayor and Council to stop the deflection

of Pelham’s finances. What complete nonsense. The Mayor has repeatedly attempted to portray his criticisms of the NPCA as

See ARROGANCE Page 6

giving rise to the Regional Audit Committee’s concern about the state of Pelham’s financial health. In fact, it was the residents of Pelham who sounded the alarm, who contacted me and other Regional Councillors to request urgent assistance with a Town Council in over its financial head. I respectfully ask this Mayor and Council to stop the deflection, deception and false claims of bullying, and instead rally to the community’s call for genuine openness, transparency and trust. 

Page 8

The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

COMMENTARY / OP-ED Dean Allison, MP Niagara West Justin Trudeau’s “Values Test” is offensive

P

RIME MINISTER Justin Trudeau never misses an opportunity to boast about how his government will do everything it can, to protect Canadians’ Charter Rights and Freedoms. Convicted terrorist Omar Khadr is Trudeau’s most high profile example for his Charter Rights arguments. When he was a teenager, Khadr killed a U.S. soldier while fighting with the Taliban. The Supreme Court ruled Khadr’s rights were violated during his captivity. The Liberal Government compensated him with a $10.5 million payout. It was like winning the lottery. It was all taxpayer money. Trudeau has been defending that multi-million dollar apology ever since. He has said repeatedly, “the fact is, that we should all be outraged that a Canadian government violated a Canadian’s fundamental rights.” What about the fundamental rights and freedoms of Canadians who are being denied Canada Summer Jobs funding unless they sign an oath that they agree with the Liberal Government’s position on abortion? Justin Trudeau has no problem violating their rights. Freedom of Religion, Conscience and Belief are just a few of the Charter Rights being violated. This year, the Liberal

they can’t check the “attestation.” This program offers a summer camp experience to more than 300 children. Many of those children have developmental disabilities. The Summer Jobs Grant money is used in part to train camp counsellors how to interact with these children. But this year the program is in jeopardy because the church will most likely be denied federal funding. Employment Minister Patty Hadju has said the federal government won’t pay for work that actively undermines Canadians rights. How does the work churches do undermine fundamental rights? Churches feed the poor, help settle refugees and organize summer camps for disadvantaged children. Why are they being denied federal funding? It’s discriminatory. The attestation is offensive. It violates the very Charter Rights it claims to defend. Justin Trudeau has said a church’s core mandate is not anti-abortion activism, so therefore, it can check the box. But the issue is that church leaders cannot morally check a box that affirms they agree with the right to abortion. These church leaders and program organizers have integrity. But integrity is something Justin Trudeau simply doesn’t understand. 

government requires everyone applying for a Canada Summer Jobs Grant to sign an “attestation” that neither their core mandate, nor the jobs being funded, opposes human rights. That includes reproductive rights. That amounts to an “attestation” that they agree with abortion. Most churches and faithbased groups believe abortion is morally wrong. But, there is no way around the abortion rights oath in the application. If they apply online, they must check the box that they agree with women’s reproductive rights. If they don’t check the box, they can’t go any further in the online application process. If they mail it in and the box isn’t checked, the application won’t be processed. Eighty per cent of the Canada Summer Jobs applicants in my riding of Niagara West are churches or faith-based charities. My office has received emails and phone calls from church organizers worried that they won’t be able to offer programs to hundreds of children this summer because their application will be rejected. One such church program in Grimsby contacted my office to say organizers are submitting a paper application with an additional letter of explanation as to why

Great food, Great people

New tool to help solve natural resource offences BY VOICE STAFF Spot something unusual the last time you were out enjoying the outdoors? Notice someone not doing their part as a responsible resource user? Now there’s a way to help, by accessing a new online tool that aims to reduce and deter natural resource offences. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is asking Ontarians to help solve natural resource violations through a new interactive, searchable map of unsolved cases. The map can be found on the ministry’s ‘Solve a Natural Resource Case’ webpage which includes common natural resource violations, recent unsolved

cases, and directions on how to report a violation or submit a tip. The map provides details on specific cases, summaries of violations, and the dates and locations of offences. “We’re hoping that this new online map will help jog some memories and that people will contact our conservation officers if they heard or saw anything,” says Rick Ladouceur, Director of the ministry’s Enforcement Branch. “Each tip— even one as simple as reporting a licence plate number or that a certain type of vehicle was seen in the area — can be the one that makes the difference between solving a case or not.” Every year across Ontario, a number of cases—

such as dumping waste on Crown land, the illegal sale of species at risk, wildlife or animal parts, leaving big game to spoil, and illegal timber harvesting —go unsolved, primarily because the offences happen in remote areas where eyewitnesses are scarce. “We rely on community support and tips from the public to help us close cases,” adds Ladouceur. “We often send out news releases asking for the public’s assistance with specific cases and this interactive map is another tool that gives Ontarians a chance to help protect our province’s natural resources.” The online map can be accessed by visiting www. ontario.ca/mnrftips.

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The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

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Page 10

The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

Letters

RON’S

continued

Pelser situation symptom of larger problem

Bathroom

Dr. Pelser has gone, being a senior I need a doctor, so far have not had much luck finding one in Fonthill. Having one more renewal for my prescriptions, I called my pharmacy. A few hours later they called back. One of my prescriptions is unavailable until the end

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of February. The pharmacy was very helpful, “Go to a walk-in clinic.” Off I went. The walk-in clinic was helpful, but, having spent time waiting for a doctor to see me, explaining the problem, that time is wasted on someone who need attention. All was worked out. I

have my pills for a couple of months. But what happens now? I have phoned, walked into, I think, the office of every doctor in town, and no one is taking new patients. A perfectly good doctor has been black-balled for reasons beyond practical

reasoning. His patients, I understand, have kept the walk-in clinic very busy. When is common sense going to prevail in our society again? Joan Chick Fonthill

for the Mayor and I most certainly don’t like the CAO. I lost all respect for both when I was president of the Pelham Soccer Club and they forced us to use Townowned fields so they could collect their exorbitant user fees, which the club could not afford. We tried to be a financially responsible

board, something that Mr. Ottaway has no idea about. Now that the Town is essentially “broke” there’s no money to give the CAO his walking papers either. The Mayor will get his walking papers from the townspeople. Guido Mueller Via Facebook

Port Robinson sympathizes with Poth

289-968-6018

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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

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How Might We... Since Pelham does not seem to have any cash reserves available to take care of its residents on Poth Street perhaps it's time to think outside of the box for a solution. How about using the materials required to build Pelham's new “Gateway” art installation to fashion, instead, a temporary bridge on Poth, until we can scrape-up the money needed for a proper replacement. A Go-Fund-Me page for the Town of Pelham might be the best bet for Pelham to dig its way out of its cash shortfall John Csikos Fonthill

S.O.S.—Bring in the province The state of reporting of Town finances to the residents of Pelham has reached an impasse. Political phrasing and deliberate obfuscation are being used to convey anything but the truth. That which is not said is probably that which most residents wish to hear. Since plain truth is unlikely to be heard, it behooves

those empowered to provide oversight and take action. The residents of Pelham continue to demonstrate that they want an in-depth audit conducted by a provincial agency. Said agency must be isolated from the influence of Town staff, and the political aspirations of councillors. David Jarman Fenwick

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Letters

The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

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continued

Pelham DEBT group offers "Reality Check" There has been so much in the media lately about the Town’s finances with Staff saying everything has been answered and other groups protesting the opposite. Hopefully, the following will help everyone understand why the matter is still being pursued. Mayor Augustyn on community funding In the Welland Tribune, March 15, 2009, Augustyn stated the Town would require 67% provincial and federal funding before proceeding with a new complex. Councillor Durley stated, “a small community cannot undertake a new capital project on its own.” Reality The community centre did not meet the criteria for any government funds. In other words, we did not get 67% funding— we got 0%. Our town had to go it alone. Mayor Augustyn on the Rice Road property During his first campaign for the Mayor’s office, Augustyn stated that he was in favour of selling the land purchased under the previous administration. Reality The Town decided they could make more money by becoming a “developer.” Risking our taxpayer money in a volatile real estate venture has proven to be a costly experience.

Mayor Augustyn on Councillor Junkin’s resignation Augustyn stated that Councillor Junkin’s report of an additional $17 million dollars of unreported debt was “garbled, confused, and inaccurate.” Reality According to auditing firm KPMG, in a report it provided to Council in December, its auditors “understood that debentures of $17,228,147.00 had been approved but not issued.” The money was needed for other approved projects, but because it had not yet been borrowed it was not considered debt. Really? What a manipulation of words! Some of these approved projects, now on hold until 2019, included necessary road repairs (Poth and Sulphur Springs). Never once has Council nor the Mayor publicly apologized to Mr. Junkin for their remarks. Mayor Augustyn on holding a public meeting At KPMG’s presentation to Council at E. L. Crossley high school on Nov. 29, the Mayor affirmed that after their report was made public and residents had two weeks to study it, there would be a public question-and-answer session at which residents could have any lingering concerns addressed. At the next Council meeting, held December 4, this promise was reiterated through a motion by Councillor Rybiak, seconded by Councillor Papp and approved by the rest—a public meeting would be held.

Reality At the following Council meeting, on December 18, there was a sudden change of heart, or should we say failure of nerve. Before many of the councillors had even had a chance to see, much less read and study the KPMG report, Council decided all questions had been answered and decided not to hold a public meeting to deal with residents’ concerns. Mayor Augustyn on “interacting with the public” At this same December 18 Council meeting, Augustyn stated that there were other opportunities for Council to “interact with the public.” Reality Since then, no such opportunity has been provided for Council to interact with a large group of residents. At no time has the general population been allowed to ask the questions they have about this whole problem. In fact, many have been told that if they want answers they should file Freedom of Information requests. Mayor Augustyn on bullying In the media, Augustyn has stated that he feels he is being bullied and that “scrutiny of the Town’s finances was motivated by other factors.” Reality The only thing the residents of Pelham want is truth, transparency and answers. When these answers are not forthcoming, people continue to ask questions

The only thing the residents of Pelham want is truth, transparency, and answers

and pursue the truth. Is this bullying? Or is this a determination not to give up in finding out the unvarnished, un-spun facts. There is no other agenda, political or otherwise. Mayor Augustyn on meetings Augustyn readily states that he is willing to meet and talk. Reality The DEBT group approached the Mayor and Staff for a sit-down meeting at their convenience. A time was set up, then changed by the Town three times. Finally, a 1 PM meeting on Friday, January 12 was settled on. That morning the Mayor emailed his regrets, stating he now had another engagement. Another resident, not part of the DEBT group, encountered the same problem when it came setting a meeting with Augustyn. And despite the fact that he is a member, the Mayor refused to attend the Regional Audit Com-

mittee meeting on January 15, at which important issues related to Pelham finances were to be discussed. This is just a sampling of statements made and actions taken by the Mayor that the DEBT committee find troubling. The Town’s reserve funds have been depleted, and it is far from clear whether proper procedure was followed. The Town does not have the money to finish projects already approved. We have been told that the new community centre will show a profit in its first 6 months, when all other community centres traditionally lose money. We have been waiting for over a week for clarification of issues we discussed at the January 12 meeting. We have received no satisfaction from the Mayor or Council. We have approached Regional Council for help. Because the Region is a co-signer on loans made to the Town, their Audit Committee also finds there is a need for further investigation into the Town’s financial position. On Thursday, February 8 , Regional Council will vote on whether this matter should be referred to the Ontario Municipal Board. The DEBT Committee strongly encourages all residents to come out in a show of support for this motion. It is only by standing united that we will eventually prevail. Thursday, February 8, 6:30 PM, Regional Headquarters. Nancy Beamer Pelham D.E.B.T. Communications

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Page 12

The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Ham radio operators are prepared BY VOICE STAFF When most people think of amateur radio, their minds drift back through the pages of history to a time before the idea of a cellular phone existed. Amateur radio as practiced today began in the early 20th century. Now that nearly anyone with the capability of pressing a button carries with them a mobile phone, it is commonly perceived as an out-of-date technology only used by a faction of ham radio operators. According to amateur radio operator and Fenwick resident, David Jarman (a.k.a., VE3RNF), these misperceptions could not be farther from the truth. By acting as a necessary means of communication during emergency situations, he said amateur radio continues to serve a purpose connecting communities around the globe to this day. As long as the power grid is operational, Jarman said cell phones and other new technologies are great. However, as soon as they go down and there is a need for transmitting important, possibly life-saving information, the value of amateur radio goes up. “Technology moves along, but guess what happens when there is a threeday outage — as there has been at other times living around here — cell phones can’t be charged, your house phones won’t work because they all have remote handsets, your house phone won’t work unless you have it on a battery back-up system, and

you can’t receive a signal from the outside world. What we’ve got will operate on a 12-volt car battery, and that’s where we win. That’s why in High River where they had the big floods in Alberta a few years ago, the people who were talking between villages were all amateur radio operators.” When a natural disaster strikes or an emergency takes place, Jarman said ham radio operators are always there to step in to continue getting the information where it needs to go. For instance, when terrorists attacked the World Trade Centre on Sept. 11, 2001, and cell phones and landlines were rendered virtually useless, ham radio operators made sure the police, fire departments and other emergency services maintained communications. Through his participation in groups such as the Canadian Weather Amateur Radio Network (CANWARN) and the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES), Jarman said amateur radio operators are consistently training to be ready if there is a communication breakdown. “Whether we are using a mobile or a fixed basis we train to do this,” he said. “Every hospital in the area has got a two-metre amateur radio in it, and we are the only ones who know how to operate them by law. We do on an annual basis go in and make sure that they are working and the antenna is connected and that they are usable.

David Jarman at the mic.

We practice sending messages to each other to ensure that our procedures and processes are up to snuff.” Jarman’s passion for amateur radio developed early in life when he learned to operate a ham radio in the British Army reserves. After immigrating to Canada, he began sharing his expertise with the Canadian military as a teacher. Over the years, he has acquired a personal collection of ham radios that date back as far as 1944. He said his pride and joy is a WS-19 World War IIera radio that operates on

vacuum tubes. In the basement of his Fenwick home he has set up a radio shack which connects him to the global amateur radio community via a 20-foot wide antenna, sitting atop a 32foot tall tower behind his house. “With that antenna, I have spoken as far out as Johannesburg, I have reached Estonia, Iceland, the Balkans, Morocco. I actually spoke with St. Helena — the island where Napoleon was sent,” he said. “Voyager — the space probe sent into space 40 years ago that is now beyond

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three repeaters throughout the Niagara region. Running until June, the club is holding meetings on the second Thursday of each month. The next meeting will be this Thursday, February 8, starting at 7PM at the Fonthill Legion. Jarman encourages anyone that may be interested in learning more about amateur radio and how to become an operator themselves to come out and get involved. Classes to become a licensed amateur radio operator are ongoing. For more information visit their website at: www. nparc.on.ca; or contact info@nparc.on.ca.

The Fonthill and District Kinette Club

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the limits of our solar system — is still transmitting, still picking up electricity from our star and it’s only using a 25-watt transmitter. It’s firing back from beyond Pluto and it’s operating way beyond what NASA thought it would ever do. It just keeps going.” Founded in in 1948, the Niagara Peninsula Amateur Radio Club (NPARC) is active throughout the region, providing support for several community events such as: Ride For Roswell, Canada Day Parade in Niagara Falls, Canal Days and the Tour For Kids. Jarman said the club currently has 80 members and operates

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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

RedeCan Pharm’s marijuana production facility on Foss Road. Residents in the area have complained of a pungent odour emanating from the site in recent weeks. VOICE PHOTO

SKUNKY continued from Page 1 is just marijuana,” said McDermott. “I grew up in the sixties. I know what marijuana smells like. [Out there] is like putting your nose in a bag of what we used to call, ‘cheap weed.’” RedeCan project manager Tim D’Amico said that the site has had its odour mitigation system in place since October, when the facility became active. “It was installed when we got our license, since it’s a requirement,” said D’Amico. D’Amico speculated that the odour nearby residents have been smelling is of the “odour control solution.” “This is not a simple charcoal system,” said D’Amico, referring to a typical odour absorbing setup. “It’s a blend of essential oil vapours. I can’t smell anything—maybe that’s because I’m just used to it.” Upon hearing that the odour control system was apparently up and running to spec, residents were no more impressed. “That doesn’t make sense,” said Barry Fokejewski, who lives northeast of the facility. “If the system is ‘working,’ it’s not working.” The smell seems to be able to travel some distance, too.

Barb Christopher, of Young Sod Farms, said that it has often reached as far down Foss Road as her farm— which is a kilometre and a half away—over the past month. “If you take the radius of that, it’s a pretty big area,” she said. Residents along Welland Road in Fonthill have also reported the odour to the Voice. Both Fokejewski and McDermott said that many residents have made complaints to the Town, while D’Amico asserted that Pelham’s bylaw officer has been on site and affirmed that RedeCan is compliant. When asked a series of questions about odour concerns, Pelham’s Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald did not answer, instead issuing a general news release late last Friday. The release asserted that the matter fell under federal jurisdiction. “We are encouraging residents to contact Health Canada directly,” the Mayor is quoted as recommending. “By connecting with the correct party, who has the appropriate jurisdiction, residents will hopefully have their concerns remedied in a timely manner.” But Health Canada’s Senior Media Relations Ad-

visor Maryse Durette said that the opposite is true. Though marijuana production is indeed regulated at the federal level, Durette said, “For citizen complaints related to odour, they would have to contact the respective municipality.” Additionally, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change makes it clear that odour falls under the Town’s jurisdiction. “The Ontario Municipal Act gives municipalities the authority to regulate nuisance odours,” it reads. “Municipalities also have bylaws that govern zoning, operational permits, licences and waste handling (which may be a source of odour).” Section 129a of the Municipal Act allows municipalities to “prohibit and regulate with respect to… odour.” The Town’s press release also encouraged residents to fill out a formal bylaw service request, though evidently not so that enforcement would be undertaken, but rather, “so that resident complaints can be tracked at the municipal level.” A Health Canada guidance document asserts, “Those areas [within a site where

cannabis is present] must be equipped with a system that filters air to prevent the escape of odours and, if present, pollen.” Guidance documents do not carry the force of law. “This is a typical case of everyone trying to pass the buck to someone else,” said McDermott, adding that he thinks that the Town is going to have to take responsibility and do something about residents’ concerns. Alberta’s association of municipalities advises its members that, “community standards legislation may also be used to regulate the

Page 13 conduct of [marijuana] production facilities within the municipality…the legislation may set out standards for matters such as noise, odours, unsightly property or other such ‘nuisance’ conditions. These requirements may be enforced through warnings, ticketing, compliance orders or in significant cases even a court application for an injunction requiring compliance.” The association gives as an example a bylaw in Kelowna, British Columbia, that prohibits “the manufacture, growing, storage, transfer or disposal of a substance that emits odours, fumes or particulate matter that disturbs the enjoyment, comfort or convenience of individuals.” McDermott said that he thinks the Town ought to pass a bylaw like Kelowna’s. Pelham’s Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Macdonald declined repeated requests to answer the questions initially posed by the Voice. “The smell is totally unacceptable in the long term. People won’t be able to go outdoors—to have barbecues, use their pools, or even keep their windows open,” he said. In response to the concern of residents, D’Amico said that RedeCan has been seeking ways to address the smell. “We contacted the manufacturer of the [odour mitigation] system, and they said that they stand by their product,” said D’Amico. “But obviously, the last thing that we want to do is create a smell that bothers people.”

D’Amico said that in the past week RedeCan has made plans to experiment with different essential oils to create a different smell. “It’s the same base solution, but these oils will be more of a citrusy, lemony smell.”

We think we're going above and beyond other agricultural places

D’Amico explained that marijuana production is now classified as agricultural, not narcotic. “We think we’re going above and beyond other agricultural places—if you drive by a chicken farm, or a place with cows, you’ll definitely notice a strong smell there and they don’t have a system like we do,” he said, though acknowledged that those farms are often far from dense neighbourhoods. News of RedeCan’s efforts were of some consolation to McDermott. “If it smells like an orange grove out there, that wouldn’t be bad at all,” he said, although he also encouraged any residents bothered by the current odour to submit a bylaw request form to the Town. The form may be found online at http://bit.ly/pelham_skunk

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The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

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WALKING CLUB Interested walking in Pelham? JoinEvents them Tuesdays at the Pelham Arena Places of inWorship and from 9-10 am and Thursdays at Fonthill Bandshell for 9-10:30 am. There First Presbyterian Tidings Church of God please contact jcook@ Pelham Evangelical Friends Church is no Church fee for this program. For Glad more information, 602 Metler Rd., Fenwick 1 Pancake Lane, Fonthill 940 Haist St., Fonthill pelham.ca or call 905 892-2607, ext 329. Fonthill Baptist Church 1414 Pelham St., Fonthill

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HAMPER DAY FOR PELHAM CARES Kirk on the Hill Presbyterian Church St. Alexander’s Roman Catholic Church 1344 Fonthill or bring a non-perishable 50 Pelham Town Sq., Fonthill Purchase fresh fruit and vegetables atHaist theSt., Market foodChurch item to fill the hampers at the Pelham Farmers Fonthill United Pelham Community Church Market on Sept. 4. St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church

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OBITUARY

VEIJALAINEN, Luella (Nee Macdonald) May 17th, 1934 – January 27th, 2018 Passed away peacefully at Lakeridge Health Oshawa with her daughter and grandson at her side after a stroke in December 2017. Luella loved music and left us at the end of hearing “Matilta” by Harry Belafonte. Predeceased by her husband Antti Veijalainen (1983) and her sons Erik (1972) and Lauri (1993). Daughter of Chester Macdonald and Luella Macdonald (nee Reid). She is survived by her daughter Karem Allen of Ajax (nee Veijalainen) and her grandson Erik Allen of Ajax. Luella graduated from the Toronto School of Nursing in 1957. She had a long career at Greater Niagara General Hospital and retired from nursing in the early 90’s. A Celebration of life will take place in May in the Niagara area. Further information will be announced. Arrangements entrusted to the NEWCASTLE FUNERAL HOME (905-987-3964). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Lakeridge Health Oshawa, the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Fonthill Bandshell Committee. Online condolences may be placed at www. newcastlefuneralhome.com

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QUESTIONS continued from Page 3 tion,” namely that the land was at the building permit stage, even though it was not. Instead of taking a loan to pay for the land, the Town issued Fonthill Gardens with some $3 million dollars in “municipal credits,’’ a type of IOU that Fonthill Gardens could use in the future to pay Town fees occuring during the development process, valid for development charges, parkland dedication fees, deposits and other building permit fees. Fonthill Gardens could also sell these IOUs to other developers. After objections to the scheme came to light, the Town decided to end it. In 2016, the Town paid Fonthill Gardens some $3 million in cash to buy out the remaining credits. The Town has refused to say where it acquired the cash it used to buy back the credits. In 2016 the Town applied for a $5.75 million loan that it said was to pay for a number of prior projects. This debenture was not planned for in the 2016 budgeting process, and appears to not have been approved by a specific bylaw by Council like all other borrowing. Instead, the Town claims that it was approved by a bylaw passed some years earlier, when the items were approved in the passing of a previous budget. It would appear that this debenture may, in fact, have been the source of cash used to pay off the Allen Group. In December, KPMG’s reporting disclosed a second agreement with another developer, River Realty, for additional lands acquired as parkland. However, these credits were not bought back by the Town and presumably were sold by River Realty to other developers. What does the Town say? According to the Town, it will recover the amount it paid for the East Fonthill land by collecting future “parkland fees” from developers. The Treasurer has said that, in the end, this transaction “should be a wash.” However, the Town only collects about $3000 in parkland fees

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per lot. To recover $3 million dollars, more than 1000 homes would have to be built. This amount appears on Pelham’s financial statements as a “receivable,” or an amount owing to the Town. Accounting experts consulted by the Voice question the appropriateness of this, saying that the figure should have appeared as a purchase. Through such improper classification, $3 million in additional revenue appears, though it is far from clear whether such funds will come in. KPMG does not address this concern in its report, and the Town, KPMG, and Town auditors Deloitte have refused to comment on the subject. The Town and its lawyers appear to be arguing that the Development Charges Act (which has a number of rules regarding the issuance of Development Charge Credits) does not apply to these agreements because the credits issued can be used for other Town fees in addition to development charges. This despite the fact that the KPMG report seems to show that the majority of the credits used before the cash payout were applied to Development Charges and Parkland Dedication Fees. When were questions about this credit scheme raised? In June 2017, before Regional Council, developer Rainer Hummel questioned the legality of the credit scheme and the reasoning behind the high valuation of the land. Hummel said that in the summer of 2016, Fonthill Gardens tried to sell credits to his company. Last Autumn, the Region’s Audit Committee called for an audit of this transaction, and requested that the terms or scope of the investigation be determined in part by the Region. After first denying that an investigation was necessary, the Town relented and said that it would hire KPMG to conduct a third-party audit of the land deal. The Town set the terms of reference (the scope: what was to be examined, and who was to be interviewed) for this process.

KPMG does not address this concern in its report, and the Town, KPMG, and Town auditors Deloitte have refused to comment Was this actually an audit? No. In late 2017, KPMG released its findings, but clarified, “KPMG has not audited or otherwise independently verified the accuracy or fair presentation of any of the Information.” KPMG spoke only to current Town staff and the Town’s lawyer. KPMG states that its comments “are not intended, nor should they be interpreted to be, legal advice or opinion.” Because of these limitations, the KPMG report does not address the three most important outstanding issues. 1. Was the credit scheme legal? Does it violate the Development Charges Act? KPMG concludes that it doesn’t know. “We are unsure if this contravened any By-laws or municipal legislation.” 2. Why did the Town choose to value the land as it did? The Town says that this money will eventually be recovered, and that it had to overpay for the land. But KPMG suggests that this is not correct. “It appears the Town had flexibility to negotiate the acquisition price of the Excess Parkland Dedication rather than pay the appraised value at the building permit stage.” 3. Was it appropriate for the Town to record future Parkland Dedication Fees as a revenue, even though these amounts are not due until a building permit is issued, by a number of future builders, at an unknown future date?

Page 16

COLUMN SIX continued from Page 1 and an opportunity to explore the city where the White Nile and Blue Nile converge. Alone, with wandering rather than a reaching a specific destination as my goal, I was keen to let the city's secrets find me this morning. There would be time later in the day for the museum or perhaps an organized tour. Visible above and beyond the low-slung commercial buildings around me was the tip of a minaret, quite extraordinary in its intricacy and size. The mosque was beautiful, under restoration, and few worshippers were about. A large sign in Sudanese Arabic and English detailed the history of the restoration project, and welcomed all to attend prayers. The notice explained that this was the al-Kabir Grand Mosque of Khartoum. I didn't get a chance to investigate. I raised my small camera, shot a few photos, and was immediately besieged by high-pitched shrieking to my right. A slender, bearded man, perhaps 50 years old, robed in a flowing blue jalabiya, white skull cap, and sandals, was running toward me. Arms flailing, voice screaming, he was very agitated. I guessed his displeasure was caused by my photography, which surprised me. The sign conveyed, to me at least, that the mosque was of historical as well as religious significance, and I assumed taking a photo would be okay. Wrong assumption.

The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018 Calmly walking away from the scene was of no use. The man pursued me, grabbed at my camera and created such a fuss that a young Sudanese police officer came running. The man yelled and pointed and grabbed, conveying to the policeman what offense I had committed, all in a language I had no hope of comprehending. The officer then attempted to take my camera, which I successfully resisted. I gesticulated to the officer that I would show them both the display screen on the camera, and delete the offensive photos immediately. I didn't know if this would be acceptable, or if he understood, but I proceeded anyway. Although not yet frightened, I was flustered, and after I showed them a photo of the mosque, I was fumbling too much with the camera's control buttons to successfully delete the image. All I had succeeded in doing was to confirm their suspicion that I did possess photos of their Grand Mosque. The policeman's arm gripped mine, and I was forcibly directed to join him as we marched toward a commercial area. The other man was still screeching, and had by now attracted a fourth participant to our drama. I had no idea where we were headed, and didn't feel well about my situation, as I continued to jam at buttons on the camera. Surrendering the camera was not an option in my opinion. I would have lost a month's travel photos, and, if they scrolled through my photos, they would quickly discover that this mosque was but one of many I had cap-

tured, perhaps placing me in further jeopardy. Our destination turned out to be an electronics and camera shop, where it seemed their intention was to take the memory card from the camera. Fortunately the shop was still closed, and while my three captors argued loudly what to do next, I became concerned. How long until we attracted additional police, or more irate citizens? What level of force would they exert to take the camera if I continued to resist? Or, would they march me to a police station? The officer's grip tightened as he yanked me in another direction. The policeman was in his late 20s or early 30s, and did not appear to have a gun. He did not have a radio or phone that I could see, nor a whistle. A medium-sized nightstick was clipped to his belt, and he was wearing enormously large, heavy, army-style boots. Most importantly, I sensed that although he would do his job, for the moment he was as unsure what to do with me as I was what to expect from him. Decision made. A strong, decisive jerk of my arm, and I was free. Adrenaline, strong cycling legs and feather-weight running shoes carried me down the street at a speed that surprised even me. No looking back as I zigzagged through a maze of streets and stalls until I ran out of breath. I don't know if they attempted a pursuit or not, but it was over. There was not a sound behind me, and a smile began to spread over my relaxing face. ď ˇ

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The al-Kabir Grand Mosque of Khartoum, Sudan.

JOHN SWART PHOTO

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The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

Page 17

Matthew Leppert practices at Bowlerama in Welland last Thursday.

VOICE PHOTO

As bowling makes a comeback, there's a budding star in our midst You don’t “play bowling,” you “go bowling,”as if the phrase itself implies an activity in which you’re supposed to luxuriate. But last Thursday evening at Bowlerama in Welland, Matthew Leppert played bowling. Leppert, a Grade 12 E. L. Crossley student who is headed to at least two national championships this spring, was going to miss his five-pin league on Saturday and was “bowling out” for those games. While normally Leppert would throw his turn, and then sit and wait for it to arrive again, he was playing simultaneously on lanes 29 and 30 in the near-empty alley, bouncing back and forth and barely waiting for the pinsetter to lift its arm before firing off another shot. “Are you marking down your scores?” asked his mother, Sylvia, who was seated nearby. “Yes, mom,” said Leppert, pointing to a sheet of paper and a pencil laying on a table. He took aim at a solitary pin on the left side, and missed. “Oh, c’mon,” he said to himself, reaching for the ball returner. After bowling out for his fivepin league, Leppert had his regular Thursday night ten-pin group as well. “I like ten-pin more,” he said. “They have that all over the world—five pin is pretty much just a Canadian thing.” He explained the differences between the two formats, which run much deeper than merely the number of pins. “You want to hit about the same spot,” said Leppert, referring to the “pocket” between the lead pin and the one directly adjacent. “But in ten-pin, you’ve got to throw a hook, since the space to reach the

pocket is much smaller.” For each five-pin turn, bowlers are given three shots to knock down the pins, while a ten-pin turn is just two throws. And then there are the oil patterns. “There aren’t really any oil patterns in five-pin, but in ten-pin there are millions of possibilities,” said Leppert. To make the game more complex, oil can be applied on a tenpin lane in a myriad of ways, meaning that bowlers must adjust the way that they throw depending on varying slicknesses in parts of the lane. Different oil patterns require different types of balls, too. “He has twenty-three different ten-pin balls at home, all of them with different grips and different weights,” said Sylvia. “Last year in his high school construction class, he built a ball rack. I said, ‘Perfect! Now you’ve somewhere to put them.’” Leppert palmed another fivepin ball, of which he only has a couple, from the returner. He is tall and strong-looking and throws the ball with terrific force, and when he threw this ball it flew straight down the lane without wavering and knocked all of the pins over. “Strike,” said Leppert quietly. “I wish I could do that every time.” He was evidently being modest. Just the week before, he bowled a 299 in ten-pin—one point shy of a perfect game. “I’ve never had a perfect game,” he said. “Your father did,” said Sylvia. “When was it again?” “October. October 1st, 2009,” said Leppert.

BY SAMUEL PICCOLO

The VOICE

His father was an avid bowler before suffering a stroke four years ago, though Sylvia still bowls alongside her son. “He’s been beating me since, I don’t know, he was twelve or thirteen,” she said. “I’m pretty sure it was before

There aren't really any oil patterns in five-pin, but in ten-pin there are millions of possibilities

that,” said Leppert playfully. “Oh, all right, maybe ten or eleven,” said Sylvia, smiling. To Leppert, bowling feels as natural as breathing; he has been doing it for as long as he can remember, though his mother says that he started when he was two. “He was so young when he first came out—at an age when most kids just put the ball between their legs and let it go. But he put it off to the side and threw it.” Now Leppert is at the bowling alley more often than not. “If I’m not here at the alley, practising, then I’m working here,” he said. “I live here.” As he practised, a handful of regulars at the alley stopped by to say hello. One man picked up

Leppert’s five-pin ball and held it aloft. “What’s the size on this?” he asked. “That’s my five-inch,” said Leppert. “Are you sure?” the man said. “I have a four and seven-eighths, and my fingers are at just about the same spot.” “I’m pretty sure it is,” said Leppert. “No, it can’t be a five-inch,” said the man. “It must be a fourand-fifteen-sixteenths.” In January, Leppert qualified for the second of the national championships he’ll be attending, with more possibly to come. “It’s all very confusing, the different organizations that put on different tournaments,” he said. But the bottom line is that Leppert has won two provincial championships to qualify, and could add more titles in the weeks ahead. Last year, he bowled in the Junior Gold event in Cleveland, finishing 204th out of 1400 in the under-20 division. Both Leppert and his mother enjoy the travel. “When we were in Cleveland last year, I went to the Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame,” she said. “That’s something that I wouldn’t have done on my own. It’s good to get away from yourself for a while.” Sylvia said that while hockey parents may have the reputation for intensity, bowling parents get into the game just as much. “Fivepin parents are worse for that,” she said. “That’s just part of the culture. But ten-pin can be bad, too. When Matthew was about to win the provincial championship, I had to look away. I knew that he could do it, but it was just too tense.”

This year’s Junior Gold tournament is in Texas, and Leppert is hoping to improve upon last year’s performance, even if the competition is tight. “Bowling is really coming back,” said Leppert. “It was big in the eighties, and then it wasn’t as popular for a while. Now, there are lots of young bowlers here.” In the lane beside him, the gutter racks were up for a father and his young son and daughter. Leppert watched as the girl dropped a ball down the lane, it bounced off the gutter a few times, and then took out two pins. Once their game had ended, the boy sat on a chair at the lane’s end and pouted. “You always win,” he said to his father. “No, no,” the father said. “You won the last game. I definitely don’t win all the time.” Over by the doors, a steady stream of people filled up the tenpin side of the alley. A faint smell of cooking grease hovered in the air. “I usually eat before I come here,” said Leppert. Thursday was Leppert’s final day of exams, and also his final day of true high school classes. “He has a full-time co-op in second semester,” said Sylvia, “at a heating and air-conditioning shop in Thorold.” Leppert said that he hopes to get an apprenticeship for the fall, though has also applied to college. “Georgian College in Barrie has the only bowling team,” he said. “I’d love to go there and then compete in the States with the team.” Long-term, Leppert hopes to compete professionally, too. “It’s a pretty simple process to do,” he said. “You get your card to go on the circuit, and then you can pay to enter the events. Then you just bowl.”

Page 18

The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

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FLOSSIE continued from Page 1 Earlier in the morning before the students began arriving, Henson was taking shelter inside the Lions’ Hall with other members of the group. “To be honest, I have no idea how the whole thing started,” he said, looking around to the other Lions milling about. They all floated a few theories out. “How about we just say, ‘It was something to do in the middle of winter,’” said one woman with a laugh. Henson agreed. “It’s a unique day because all of the kids come here— some of them are bussed, and sometimes they walk from the Fenwick schools. We have a colouring contest for all of the different schools, too,” said Henson. On a table beside him was stack of brightly crayoned pages and a list of winners. When Henson went outside, he was flagged down by a Cogeco cameraman standing at his tripod near Flossie’s pine-bough burrow. “I saw Punxsutawney Phil and Wiarton Willie on the Weather Network this morning, and they both predicted more winter,” said the cameraman to Henson. “So now it’s up to Flossie.” He handed Henson a microphone and had him count to ten to test the sound levels. “What should I call you on the air?” asked the cameraman. “You can call me ‘Hungry Lion Rob,’” said Henson. “Or Crazy Stuntman Bob. They call me that too, after I injured myself a while ago.” He squinted into the sun as the camera was adjusted. “Let’s have you talk about Flossie a little bit,” said the cameraman. “It feels strange asking that question about a guy in a suit.” “Oh no, it’s a real groundhog,” said Henson with a

Above, Flossie fans barely notice the chill as the await the rodent. Right, Flossie emerges, ready to prognosticate. Shadow seen, she greeted her guests. VOICE PHOTOS straight face. “Flossie is on the older side—she’s 78 years old, and she’ll awake from her winter nap today and make a prediction about spring.” The cameraman refrained from laughing as he asked Henson a follow-up question. “What sort of accuracy has she had?” “Ninety-nine percent,” said Henson. “It’s really just a great day. The kids will all start arriving here shortly, and then they’ll scream their heads off until Flossie comes out. We have hot chocolate and cookies for them too.”

After the camera was switched off, Henson broke character. “We got a new suit a few years ago,” he said to the cameraman. “It cost two thousand dollars. The one we had before that was handmade by one of the Lionesses. It’s teeth were made out of styrofoam plates.” The delayed bus only set the proceedings back by five minutes. When the children had walked, slowly, twoby-two to the barriers, the screaming again reached a crescendo. Henson waved his arms encouragingly, like a mas-

cot at a hockey game, urging the kids to shout louder and deafen Flossie from her repose. Finally, a brown dome poked through the hole. Flossie raised her head to face the sun—and the screaming kids. Through the eyes of black mesh was clearly visible the bespectacled face of a Lion. “There’s a man in there!” shouted one boy. The rest of the group either didn’t hear him, didn’t notice, or didn’t care, and kept screaming away as the groundhog lumbered towards the crowd. They were too excited to freeze.

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The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

The police parish Niagara Police chaplains are just happy to help BY SAMUEL PICCOLO

The VOICE

Recently, four of Niagara Regional Po- edged that their time spent in difficult lice Service’s six chaplains gathered for a situations leaves a mark. meeting at the Welland station. Sergeant “You can never let your guard down, Robert Schottlander, the NRP’s chaplain and that sort of mind-set wears on you,” liaison, was also in the boardroom. A said Page. “Don’t you find that when plate of cookies was in the centre of the you’re in a restaurant, you’re looking table. around everywhere, making sure that In 2017, Schottlander had three open- you sit with your back to the wall?” he ings to fill in the chaplaincy, which is looked around at the other chaplains, made up of volunteers who support of- who nodded. ficers generally, and Chaplains in the NRP specifically during are given the rank of ride-alongs. Inspector, and though “I was recruiting they do not carry all over,” remembered weapons, they are put Schottlander. He looked through all the weapto Craig Danielson, who ons training that duty has been a pastor for officers must undergo. well over two decades. Despite their discus“I heard Craig speak sions about interacting in St. Catharines, with the public, the and then I asked him chaplains are primarily to consider it,” said there to help the police Schottlander. “The department. The NRP interview process offers its officers benwas very tough. They efits to cover counselwere under the bright ling services, but Page lights—there weren’t said that the chaplains’ even any cookies.” personal relationships The chaplains with officers often laughed, but then Paul Chaplain Paul Fletcher. NRPS PHOTO makes them a more atFletcher, who was retractive option. cruited at about the “They know that it’s same time as Danielson, was serious. entirely confidential, within the con“We were told that we would encounter fines of the law, and they know that we things that we wouldn’t be able to for- have a better idea of what it’s like to be get,” he said. an officer, because we’re going along on “On my first ride-along, I was smart. I ride-alongs all of the time,” he said. picked a Monday morn“The car is their ofing, so it was just traffice,” said Danielson. fic stops,” he joked. “But “We get to know them since then I’ve come to in their office, and while realize just how vast the they’re doing their responsibilities of the work.” police are.” All four of the chap“Often, officers are lains in meeting were seeing people at their adamant that their poworst moments,” said sition with the service is Gary Page, who has not about religion. been a chaplain for eight “We don't want to be years and was recently the stuffy chaplains,” awarded with the Onsaid Danielson. “It’s not tario Medal of Good Citabout religion, it’s about izenship. our relationships with Fletcher agreed, the officers.” Page nodthough emphasized that ded in agreement. he’s seen officers adapt “I’ve talked about to these situations with religion with officers impressive empathy. about three times in “Some [people] have had a lifetime of eight years,” he said. “Our faith stays drug abuse,” said Fletcher. “Recently, an with us—it’s part of who we are—but it’s officer I was with saw someone and said, not about that. We’re meant to be diverse, ‘Do you need a hamburger?’ And then too, even if we aren’t right now. We’ve they went and got a hamburger. That’s had a chaplain from the Hindu commuwhat I see from the officers on a consis- nity in the past, and we’re going to have tent basis.” a Rabbi, too. Even now though, we’re all In many ways, the chaplains agreed, very different. We have a female chaplain their position allows them to interact too, though we need more.” with the public in a different manner to Schottlander said that while he tries to duty police. At the scene of any sudden recruit chaplains from different faiths, death, police on site must treat the site as the chaplains are not doing the same a crime scene until confirmation is given while they’re on the job. “They’re not otherwise, and thus the officers are often here to recruit for their parishes,” he unable to interact with family members said. “They’re here to assist our offior other bystanders. cers.” “The family is often very distressed, As much as the chaplains seem to apand we can help them out and give them preciate the officers, they feel as though support while we’re there,” said Page. the affection is returned. “I’ve had people realize that I’m a “The gratitude from the chief right on chaplain and then apologize for having down is incredible,” said Fletcher. “I’ve dropped an f-bomb.” interjected Fletcher. been thanked so much in my life.” Page laughed. “As if we’ve never heard “Yeah,” said Page. “With the parishthat one before,” he said. ioners, it’s usually just, ‘Gee, that was While these sorts of extreme situations a long sermon.’” The chaplains quickly may seem different from the ministry, clarified that they are fond of their paDanielson said that this is only partial- rishioners. ly true. “Coming from the ministry fullThey are quick to joke, and this philostime, we’re all about people,” he said. ophy remains with them—a commitment “Our instincts for interacting with people to laughter to deal with stress. are already there. So we’re ready to go.” “It’s a great honour to wear the uniChaplain Carson Culp, pastor of Christ form,” concluded Fletcher. “The accepCommunity Church in Welland, said that tance and camaraderie is instant when being in the ministry allows for personal you put it on.” access to people’s lives, experience that is Page, the veteran of the group, said valuable in the chaplaincy. that Fletcher was right: “When they start Still though, the chaplains acknowl- making fun of you, you know you’re in.”

We don't wan't to be the stuff chaplains. It's not about religion, it's about our relationships with the officers

Page 19

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HE VOICE OF PELH A M is our town's eyes and ears. The Voice represents taxpayers, homeowners, parents, and the retired. This newspaper remains the single best way to communicate with virtually every Pelham resident—and it’s one of the few things that everyone in town still has in common. The Voice covers stories big and small, publishes history, commentary, reader letters, and reports on the actions of our elected representatives without fear or favour. All of this delivered weekly to your door. That’s our commitment. Please help us achieve it, for less than a dollar a week. Thank you.

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Page 20

Letters

The Voice of Pelham, February 7 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

continued

What's up with Haist?

Legacy?

At the last charrette meeting the public was told there would be a presentation of the final plan for Haist redevelopment. Since then Council members also assured the taxpayers that the final plan would be shown. Yet as of now, Pelham officials state that there are no further plans which include public consultation. The obvious question is: Why not? L. Morgan Fonthill

continued from Page 5

Hunter is our Lazyboy!

ress and development? Judging from the growing anger and distrust exhibited in letters to the editor, appeals to regional councillors, backlash at public meetings, op-eds, grumblings on the street, with this council, amid accusations

of dishonest and unethical practices, mismanagement, personal agendas, and disrespect—there are many in the community waiting to embrace, endorse and be “very proud” of the opportunity to remove this council and usher in the change which is desperately needed. D. Hercanuck Fonthill