The Voice of Pelham, January 25 2017

The Voice PUBLISHED INDEPENDENTLY IN PELHAM

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Column Six Donald, Justin and Vladimir

BY NATE SMELLE

A standing-room-only crowd of 150-plus gathered for the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s annual general meeting at the Balls Falls Centre for Conservation on the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 18, calling on the Conservation Authority to invoke an independent operational audit. Over the last year, the NPCA has faced numerous allegations of corruption and mismanagement, stemming from its handling of public funds, employee relations, and from its promotion of the controversial idea of “biodiversity offsetting.”

For most in attendance, the thought of granting permission to developers to tear up and pave over ecologically sensitive areas such as wetlands, if the developers commit to building a replacement, does not fit within the mandate of a Conservation Authority.

Retired Royal Canadian Air Force officer and UN peacekeeper Ed Smith was one of the four delegations on the agenda at the AGM. When he first learned in the Fall of 2015 that the NPCA had been lobbying the province to use land in Niagara Falls protected as a Provincially Significant Wetland (PSW) for a biodiversity offsetting pilot project, Smith began investigating the NPCA and

Lose weight

These guys need to go on a bike ride

BY JOHN SWART

VOICE Correspondent

I

earlier, at the request of trustees and/or DSBN staff.”

The new policy did, however, take into account complaints and comments logged online by local residents, said Robinson.

“We did receive input from the community via the DSBN website which was incorporated into the revised policy, A-09, approved at last week's meeting.”

When asked if the name Wellington Heights would meet the criteria of the new

T'S EARLY in the season, but if we could just get Donald, Justin, Vladimir and the boys out for a few bicycle tours, this world would be a lot better off.

I don’t mean a fully supported group tour, babysat by the Mounties, the Secret Service, or the Spetsnaz.

Just put them on bikes with a spare pair of underwear, a tire patch kit, a soggy map, a cheap helmet and a couple hundred bucks, by themselves, pointed in different directions.

When they're pedalling across a prairie or desert, gritting their teeth into a howling wind, dodging traffic on oily, rain-soaked city streets, or entering an unfamiliar town praying there'll be a warm place to sleep, they'll learn a couple things pretty quickly.

No one knows your status, or even who you are, when you're riding a dusty, dirty touring bike, and they likely don't care. You might be an eccentric billionaire president, a handsome prime minister on a carbon-neutral vacation, a murderous strongman, or an Average Joe

See DSBN Page 6

See COLUMN SIX Back page

DEMOLITION OF THE FONTHILL LUMBER warehouse and other facilities began last week, making way for a new commercial/residential development planned by the buyer of the property.

VOICE PHOTO

DSBN to change renaming policy

BY ZACH JUNKIN

Special to the VOICE

At a district School Board of Niagara Policy Committee meeting held on Tuesday, January 17, committee members approved a number of changes to board policy A-09, which deals with the naming and renaming of schools.

The new policy will see minor changes to the composition of future renaming committees, as well as to the naming criteria, and to the way naming input is sought

Freedom of Information request reveals email from Mayor David Augustyn to Board trustee and communicated to local residents.

The policy adjustments have come after a contentious name change in Pelham last year which saw E.W Farr Memorial School in Fenwick renamed to Wellington Heights. However, in an email exchange with the Voice, School Board Trustee

Dale Robinson stated that the changes were not directly related.

“Policy A-09 was due for revision in 2017,” said Robinson, “We generally set a five year timeline for review.

However, when something changes or the Ministry mandates that updates be made, revision can happen

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Page 2

The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

IN THE NEWS

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

by Dave Burket

We present another jampacked 16 pages for your reading pleasure this week.

From foggy cemeteries to mysterious farmhouses to disappearing landscape painters—not to mention the business of Town Council—there's a little something for everyone.

Particularly alert readers may have already noticed the return of former editor Zach Junkin's byline.

Zach was kind enough to do us a favour last week and cover a District School Board of Niagara Policy Committee meeting, held to discuss changes to the way schools are renamed in the Region. The DSBN has been slammed hard and deservedly so—here in Pelham, and previously elsewhere— for ignoring the majority of stakeholders' wishes when it comes to school names.

That the name "Wellington Heights" is an absurdity pulled from obscurity, baseless in every way, completely without merit, and intellectually dishon-

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

est, evidently continues to mean nothing to those in charge of such matters.

In the largest Voice survey response we've had to date, some 500-plus respondents overwhelmingly reject the Wellington Heights name and want to see that of E. W. Farr restored.

Council, with the apparently lukewarm support of the Mayor, is on board.

Those lobbying to repeal the name change don't appear to be going anywhere.

This may be a battle that lasts years.

New voices...This week we welcome commentary from youth in the form of university student Alyssa Girotti, and from the spiritual realm in the words of Pelham Friends Church Pastor Matthew Bradbury.

Cost effective, but a bit of a drive...a new home for under $200,000? See page 15. And if you do drive out to take a gander, you might check our story on stunting first. Keep the shiny side up.

Attention parents!

Passenger in trunk earns stunting charge

Last Saturday, members of the Niagara Regional Police Service, contending with foggy conditions, conducted R.I.D.E. checks within Thorold and St. Catharines.

Police say that officers stopped some 575 vehicles throughout the night. Of those drivers stopped, eight were required to provide breath samples for suspected alcohol consumption.

One driver refused to comply and was charged with impaired driving for refusal. Another driver blew over the legal limit and was also charged with impaired driving. Both drivers received an automatic 90-day driver's licence suspension and had their vehicles seized for seven days. One other driver provided a sample which resulted in an "alert" and subsequently received a 3-day suspension.

During the R.I.D.E check in Thorold, an officer stopped a vehicle and discovered there were more passengers than operable seatbelts.

When the extra passenger went to retrieve her identification, a male was found concealed in the trunk. This offence is considered a stunt under the Highway Traffic Act and

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as a result the driver was charged accordingly, leading to an immediate licence suspension and vehicle impoundment for seven days.

In addition to the alcohol related charges and suspensions, officers issued several tickets to drivers in contravention of the Highway Traffic Act and Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act.

Funding for pool improvements

The Town recently received notice that its application to the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario’s Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program was approved for a non-repayable contribution of up to $69,600. The funds represent 50 percent of the cost of the repairs needed to upgrade the Marlene Stewart Streit Park Pool, which Council had previously red-circled in its proposed

Town Council decided to grant the Fonthill Lions Club $3,500 to help offset some of the operating expenses the Club incurs through community events and initiatives it runs throughout the year. Founded in 1945, many of the Club’s members have been active volunteers with Town projects and events, and support the community through a variety of other initiatives such as the Pelham Cares annual food drive.

Canada participates in international meeting on Panama Papers

The Canada Revenue Agency says that hard-working Canadians who pay their taxes to support the social programs that benefit all Canadians are tired of seeing certain wealthy individuals and large corporations not pay their part.

Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, last week asserted that Canada is taking action and See IN THE NEWS Page 11

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NRPS impaired driving charges In an effort to bring further attention and deterrence to driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, the Niagara Regional Police Service reports the names of those people who are charged with an alleged criminal impaired driving offence in the Region. None of the following charges have been proved in court.

In addition to being charged, these individuals are also bound by a Ministry of Transportation 90-Day Administrative Driver’s License Suspension and are prohibited from operating a motor vehicle on a roadway. The public is encouraged to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service Traffic Safety Hotline or Crime Stoppers to report those who are driving in contravention of the suspension.

The following individuals have been charged criminally with impaired driving by alcohol or drugs, driving with a blood alcohol concentration above 80 mgs of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, or refusing to provide a breath / blood sample.

Daniel CARON, 52, St. Catharines Clarence D. BOUTILIER, 41, St. Catharines Joanne C. CARTMELL, 58, Thorold Craig A. ERMANSON, 39, Niagara-on-the-Lake Kevin A. MCKENZIE, 33, Buffalo, NY The Niagara Regional Police Service is committed to reducing impaired driving offences through education and the apprehension of offenders through enforcement programs like RIDE. Impaired driving is still the leading cause of criminal deaths in Canada and destroys thousands of lives every year.

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The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

Page 3

Quick left turn on green? You're stunting.

Designed to give dangerous drivers a time-out, stunting law covers more than you might think

BY DAVE BURKET

The VOICE

Last week a Fenwick man was charged with stunting for doing 165 k/ph in an 80 k/ph zone. Over the weekend we learned that a 74-yearold woman in Kingston was similarly charged for doing 135 k/ph in an 80 k/ph zone. And in this week’s paper comes the news that a Thorold driver was charged with stunting on Saturday for carrying a passenger in the trunk.

Beyond these actions being obviously ill-advised, we got to wondering. What else is considered stunting, and what are the consequences of being charged with it?

Speeding tickets are the most commonly laid charges under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act. In 2015, the last year for which statistics are available, the Niagara Regional Police Service says that it issued 16,307 speeding tickets in the whole of Niagara. Drivers in 3 District, which covers Welland and Pelham, earned 3,629 Highway Traffic Act citations, which include offenses such as running red lights and illegal turns, in addition to speeding.

Mostly in reaction to street-racing, the province introduced a new catch-all

offense calling stunt driving in 2007. The most striking aspect of the law was that traffic police were suddenly made judge, jury and executioner. Whether you thought that this was a good or bad idea probably mirrored whether you thought that the Highway Traffic Act was too lenient or too draconian.

The law survived a 2010 challenge in front of the Ontario Court of Appeal, so any convicted stunters hoping to squirm through a legal loophole had better concentrate instead on proper bicycle tire inflation, since they’ll be without a vehicle for awhile.

What’s considered stunt driving? What isn’t might be a shorter list.

Broadly put, stunting is defined as aggressive driving in such a way that prevents another vehicle from passing, intentionally cutting off another vehicle, or intentionally driving too close to another vehicle, pedestrian or fixed object.

Classic road rage offenses, in other words.

Beyond the headline-grabbing 50 k/phover-the-limit violation, here are a few more specific offenses that will see you walking home: Driving while not sitting in the driver seat (no steering the

wheel with your feet while poking your head through the sunroof like a prairie dog); driving with a living person stored in the trunk (a corpse would at least exempt you from the stunting charge, though probably not from a rigorous roadside chat); driving in an oncoming lane for longer than is reasonably necessary to pass; lifting any tire from the road (popping wheelies); deliberately causing a tire to lose traction (peeling out, skidding, drifting; judging by the skid marks, it’s a wonder that half of rural Pelham isn’t charged with stunting at any given time); and jumping into a left turn at a green light before oncoming traffic can proceed (even if the opposite driver is sitting there texting, oblivious to the light change).

The penalties? They are instant and not at police discretion.

The law was written such that on a stunting charge, police shall, not may, immediately impound the driver’s vehicle for seven days.

This applies no matter who owns the vehicle— whether it’s yours, your cousin’s, your employer’s, or Hertz. Immediately means handing over the keys right there at the side of the road. You’ll pay the towing charge.

You wouldn’t be able to drive on anyway, since the law also requires the immediate, seven-day suspension

NUMBERS

IN 2016, 547 IMPAIRED DRIVING ARRESTS OCCURRED ON ROADWAYS PATROLLED BY THE NIAGARA REGIONAL POLICE

Back roads don't hide impaired driving.

30% of the 547 Impaired Arrests in 2016 resulted from citizen complaints.

The highest incidents of Impaired Arrests in the Niagara Region occurred between the ages of

21- 40.

This age group made up

50% of all Impaired

72%

Arrests.

IMPAIRED DRIVING AFFECTS EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY. Niagara Regional Police Service | 5700 Valleyway, Niagara Falls, ON | 905-688-4111

of your driver's license. To get it back, you’ll need to fork over $180 at your local Service Ontario office.

Fines start at $2,000 and rocket to $10,000, and six months in jail and up to a two-year driving ban are also at the judge’s discretion when you make your court appearance.

Expect your insurance company to notice the addition of up to six demerit points on your record, which they’ll likely respond to by inviting you to find insurance coverage elsewhere. That’s because some companies don’t even offer insurance once a driver has earned a major conviction.

A local insurance agent, who preferred to remain unnamed for this story, told the Voice that there are three categories of convictions: minor, major, and criminal. Stunting is a major conviction.

“Anything in the criminal or major categories would most likely send the per-

Niagara impaired driving statistics for 2016

IMPAIRED DRIVING VING BY THE

547

Most 'standard market' companies will disqualify a prospective client with a ...major conviction

son looking for a 'high-risk' insurance company,” said the agent. “In other words, most 'standard market' companies will disqualify a prospective client with a criminal or major conviction.”

The agent’s company operates solely in the standard market, and doesn’t even have a rate available for stunting.

“I honestly don't know what a stunting rate would be,” he said. “Although the stunting conviction would have a major impact, the age and/or driving experience of the driver may also be significant.”

The cost of insurance will be a moot point if you’re convicted for stunting again within 10 years, since this can result in a 10-year license suspension at the court’s discretion. Prepare to enjoy Pelham Transit’s short bus.

No doubt many Pelham drivers nurse pet-peeves about the speed limits on certain roads, particularly out in rural areas. Enforcement is sporadic. The temptation to cruise well over the posted limit is constant and the odds of getting nabbed, it seems, are low.

But then along comes a RIDE check, and suddenly it’s you in the backseat of a cruiser, dreading how this will go down with your spouse or parents.

The odds eventually have a way of catching up in life.

Call it car karma.

BY VOICE STAFF The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) has annually released impaired driving statistics for the roadways patrolled by the service.

The NRPS says that it is committed to reducing impaired driving offences through education and the apprehension of offenders through enforcement programs like Reducing Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE).

Impaired driving is still the leading cause of Criminal Deaths in Canada and destroys thousands of lives every year.

RIDE programs run year-round with operations stepped up during the holiday season.

During the holiday season the Niagara Regional Police Service set up sobriety checkpoints on Friday, December 2nd; Friday, December 16th; and Thursday, December 22nd.

The checkpoints resulted in 1,012 stopped vehicles, 20 roadside tests, 2 roadside 3-day suspensions, 21 tickets, and 2 impaired arrests.

In addition to the arrests made at RIDE checkpoints in December, an additional 32 people were arrested for impaired driving during

the month of December by officers on regular patrol.

In 2016, a total of 14 RIDE checkpoints were set up resulting in a total of 15 impaired driving arrests.

The RIDE initiative has been made possible, in part, as a result of grant funding from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services as part of the Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) program.

Funding amounts of $43,873 are allocated to the NRPS each year from March to March.

To date the NRPS has spent $33,072, with several more RIDE dates scheduled for January through March.

Police say that RIDE programs have already been scheduled for the remainder of 2017 and subject to the availability of personnel “every effort will be made to operate the RIDE program on each of these scheduled dates.”

The Niagara Regional Police Service publicly reports the names of those people who are charged with an alleged criminal impaired driving offence in the Region.

The goal of this is prevention, education and to ultimately save lives. In 2016 a total of 547 names appeared on those lists.

Speed measurement in Ontario There are four methods police in Ontario use to detect speeding. In order of usage they are radar, LIDAR, aircraft surveillance, and pacing.

Radar is a relatively blunt instrument, though its capabilities have been refined over the decades. LIDAR, an acronym for “light detection and ranging,” uses a pulsed light beam, or laser, in much the same way radar uses radio waves, to determine velocity. LIDAR, however, is more accurate, and can be used at greater distances than radar. An officer aims the device at a specific vehicle using a telescopic sight which projects a red dot— typically aimed at the license plate.

Aircraft surveillance depends on cars travelling between markers on the ground that delineate known distances. The airborne spotter simply calculates the time that a vehicle takes to travel from one marker to the next, then radios the vehicle’s particulars to a ground unit for apprehension.

Pacing is old-school—the pre-radar method used when it actually was your father’s Oldsmobile. An officer simply follows behind, using the police vehicle’s speedometer to measure how fast the driver ahead is travelling, and hits the lights and siren when the magic number is breached.

$126K Welland LOTTO winner David Martinicchio of Welland is celebrating after winning $126,968 with LOTTO MAX. David matched six out of the seven numbers plus the bonus number on his ticket to win the secondary prize.

“I found my winning ticket sitting in the glove compartment of my car,” said Martinicchio while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto, where he picked up his winnings. “I was leaving for Cuba that weekend so I figured it would be best to check my numbers before I left on vacation.”

The 38-year-old started a new business with a friend recently. “Money has been tight as a result, so this win came at a good time. I kissed the ticket and then walked into the store. I scanned it in the ticket checker and found out it was a winning ticket. I couldn’t believe it.

I double-checked and then asked the retailer to validate it. She said it was a big winner and next, OLG called to speak with me.”

Martinicchio drove to his parents’ home to share the good news. “They weren’t home so I called them three times. Ninety minutes later, they arrived back. When I showed them my ticket and told them how much I won, my mother jumped and gave me a big hug and my dad was in complete shock but was quick to tell me not to spend it.”

Page 4

The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

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OPINION

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

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

COMMENTARY / OP-ED Alyssa Girotti The Sexist-in-Chief

P

EOPLE AROUND the world watched as a ‘business’ man who has gone bankrupt seven times announced in June 2015 that he would be running for president.

The world stood in awe as it was announced that this man had officially been named the leader of the Republican Party in July 2016. The world was shocked as this man was announced President-Elect of the United States in November 2016.

And finally the world’s jaw dropped in disbelief as he walked across the stage five days ago and was officially inaugurated as the leader of the most influential country in the world. Donald J. Trump, 45th president of the United States of America.

President Trump will go down in history for many reasons.

He is one of only four presidents who did not win the popular vote but only the Electoral College.

He will be the first president to have won the election and gone to court for fraud in the same month.

He will be the first president to have proposed banning an entire religious

As an 18-year-old woman I have been catcalled by men more that I would like to remember group from the country.

And he will be the first president who is so outright and aggressively sexist that there is a protest almost daily from women around the globe.

There is reason to be worried about the future of our next generation when the president of the most powerful nation on earth has said things such as, “You know, it doesn't really matter what [they] write as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of a--,” and stated that women not only should be, but need to be treated, “like s---.”

It’s become a sad world when you realize that this man may convince the next generation of boys and girls

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that it doesn’t matter what a woman says to you as long as she says it on her knees.

Trump has outright mocked professional women for doing “man’s” work and believes a woman’s place is in the home. In 2005, Trump went so far as to tell a woman who appeared on The Apprentice—the reality television show he hosted— “I bet [you’d] make a great wife.” What kind of hope does this give us for the future when the leader of the so-called “land of the free” sees women not as equals, but rather more like property. Trump made this comparison in 2007: “...a woman, a building… just superficial or something pretty to see.”

As an 18-year-old woman I have been catcalled by men more than I would like to remember. I’ve been measured like a piece of meat through the eyes of a man who thought he had the right to decide what I looked like naked. I’ve had a 60-yearold man shout “Hey Pretty, want a boyfriend?” at me across the street when I was just 14. It is a terrible thing to be reduced to nothing more than your looks—to have a teacher not take you seriously because you wore See SEXIST Next page

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Traffic expert on chicane: A violation of accepted practices I recently emailed Mayor Augustyn and Ward 2 Councillors Catherine King and Gary Accursi with my concerns over the Haist Street chicane. In response, I received a "thanks for your concerns, but go away”type response.

Smart lawyers will have a field day were a collision to happen at this location, especially when a municipality chooses to violate drivers’ expectations, the Highway Traffic Act, and accepted traffic engineering practic-

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament

Electoral District: Niagara West

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

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The Voice

Letters

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

Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Councillor Brian Baty 742 Memorial Dr. Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0 905-892-5317 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607

Mayor of Pelham David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Members of Pelham Town Council Ward 1 Councillor Richard Rybiak rrybiak@pelham.ca 905-892-2105 Councillor Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 905-684-4870

es.

There are good reasons you don't see this type of installation anywhere else.

I have extensive experience in the field of traffic engineering, and I realize the pressure that comes from residents who want action on speeding vehicles.

Police enforcement is a tool, but it is not a 24/7 type of solution.

The traffic calming solution as presented on Haist Street is one that completely violates drivers’ expectations, introduces the potential for head-on collisions, introduces collision hazards into the road surface, and represents massive challenges for snow clearing activities.

Originally it was not even signed properly, as it should have had a “NEW” starburst sign as described in Ontario Traffic Manual.

The installation violates the proper usage of yield signs, which are used to regulate traffic flow at intersections only (Ontario Traffic Manual Book 5, pp.

24-26). I don’t think the police could enforce this

There are good reasons you don't see this type of installation anywhere else measure, because there’s no intersection and no indicated direction with the right of way. The desired result is that one driver will yield to an oncoming driver, but this is far from an assured result. The closest thing in practice is when a lane is closed for construction on a low-volume two-lane road, and the proper sign to use in that case is, “Yield to Oncoming Traffic” (as outlined for use in Ontario Traffic Manual Book 7).

Chicanes can be used to narrow a road surface, but See BAD DESIGN Next page

Ward 2 Councillor Catherine King cking@pelham.ca 905-658-8599 Councillor Gary Accursi gaccursi@pelham.ca 905-892-5528 Ward 3 Councillor John Durley jdurley@pelham.ca 905-892-5388

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Letters

The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

Page 5

continued

What will it take to enforce limits on Pancake Lane?

Maple Acre Library not ready for prime time

I was enlightened to read last week’s letter to the editor regarding the out of control speeding on the west end of Pancake Lane. I thought I was the only one agonizing over the speed of the traffic here.

I have lived on Pancake Lane for 27 years and am now afraid to step out of my driveway. Cars turn off of Effingham Street and slam the pedal to the metal and fly all the way up to Haist Street. This far west end of Pancake lane is barely a two lane road, with no shoulder or sidewalks and is a popular pedestrian, pet walking and cycling route in the Town of Pelham.

I used to be one of those pedestrians and have had to leap off the road on more than one occasion to avoid being struck by a high speeding vehicle. At times the mere velocity is enough to force you off the road. I have heard story after story of similar incidents from other residents of this Lane. In fact one elderly lady was recently clipped by a truck mirror while riding her scooter on the side of the road and is now also afraid to venture out. Even the children on the street are painting billboard signs to try to slow the traffic

down.

It seems the Town of Pelham promotes activity and well-being in this community, yet fails to provide a safe place for participation in this area. I might add that the Town of Pelham is also responsible for the increased traffic on Pancake Lane, when they so kindly re-routed traffic for the construction of Haist Street in recent years.

I have also petitioned the Town, I have personally spoken to the Mayor and many Councilors over the years, and I have taken all the “necessary” steps to contact law enforcement, all to no avail.

The only response I ever received was that I could not sit on the now defunct Community Policing Committee of the Town because the seats were all taken.

Oh, and the Community Safety Zone sign that was recently erected is actually funny, threatening increased fines, because I do not know who could issue a fine at all, when I have never seen a police radar car on this section of Pancake Lane in all the years I have lived here.

I might also add that I travel through both of the intersections on Pelham Street where the pedestrian crossing lights

Last Friday evening, I attended the open house at the Maple Acre Branch of the Pelham Library.

I went in spite of the fact that I was not an invited guest. Slight or oversight, I’m not sure.

What I am sure of is that I was involved in the battle to save Maple Acre Library over 20 years ago, and again in the last battle that ultimately saved it. Much credit has to be given to the Friends of Maple Acre group, of which I had been a part, for their dedication and fundraising efforts for such an important cause.

Shiny and new are not the most important things. Functionality and not skimping on the details are far more important than making surface impressions.

I have some concerns about the building.

The face of dark glass has a cold and uninviting look, and the planned etching on the glass panels does not match the design of the glass on the original building. The steps leading up to the front entrance have inconsistent heights. Some even have differences from one end of the stair to the other. The tread depths are also inconsistent. This is a serious safety issue.

The only book drop is at the rear of the building. Four patio stones have been placed there for access, which I am hoping are temporary and that the walkway will be properly extended to this area to provide safe access for everyone. A book drop or drop box at the front entrance should be added.

The new addition has a very high ceiling, but no fans to circulate the warm air collecting there.

Strictly from a visual perspective, I find the exposed heat ducts and drain pipes from the roof a detriment to the esthetic

BAD DESIGN

Whatever public pressure is assuaged by this installation has the potential for more negative feedback (the driving public) as well as potential litigation. Whenever a municipality deviates from recognized traffic engineering principles and even the Highway Traffic Act, it represents large litigation and liability potential. Did this idea get run by

Pelham’s legal department?

It would be a non-starter in every other municipality I know of.

For truly complete streets, we need to balance the needs of all road users (cyclists, motorists, pedestrians, accessible needs, etc).

Unfortunately, there seems to be a trend in Pelham towards bowing to political pressure for traffic

calming measures: —3 unwarranted and definitely underused intersection pedestrian signals along Pelham Street.

—Poorly designed speed humps on Haist Street (gouges in the pavement are visible especially near Pelham Arena; speeding drivers are a cause, but this is also poor design).

—Delineators that con-

strong, intellectual, valuable members of society. The swearing-in of this womanizer gave permission to every man to call women “Fat. Pig. Dog. Slob. Disgusting animal” and to not expect repercussions for it.

The next generation of happy, go-lucky girls may soon turn into women who will have learned that being treated like trash and sexualized constantly is normal—but it is not, and must never become so.

I am disgusted that a man like this has become someone people will now look up to. I am disgusted to call him the President of the United States of America. I feel

as if all our progress under the past administration has been taken away.

It’s clear to see that last Friday a new daylight savings time took effect, one

that set our cultural clocks back 50 years.

Alyssa Girotti is a first-year student studying commerce at McMaster University.

She grew up in Pelham.

continued from previous page they are usually contiguous with the roadside, extending out from the curb. The road may be narrowed by 1 metre on either side, but on Haist we have signs and curbs in the road surfaces. And it’s not temporary or a pilot project!

SEXIST continued from previous page a skirt to school one day and he couldn’t stop staring. I look at my closet every morning and wonder if something I wear is cause for a man to say something to me he feels he has a right to have an opinion on, when he doesn’t even know my name.

I don’t need to be viewed as a play-toy for someone’s imagination.

The election of Donald Trump is basically saying to the men of this world that it is okay to view women as objects for sexual pleasure and not as independent,

I seriously hope that you are not waiting for someone to be seriously injured are installed at least twice a day (sometimes more) and can count on one hand the number of times I have seen a pedestrian using the lights.

An actual traffic light at the intersection of Pancake Lane and Pelham Street would be so much more beneficial in safely moving traffic through the town. It is nearly impossible to make a safe left-hand turn in either direction at busy times of the day. And I believe a traffic light could be used by pedestrians as well.

What is going to take?

I certainly hope that you are not actually waiting for someone to be seriously injured or worse before safety is “warranted” in this part of town. Please help us to make the west end of Pancake Lane a safe place to walk again.

S. Smith Ridgeville

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Library under construction in late December.

ELAINE ANDERSON PHOTO

stantly get knocked down at Pelham Street and Port Robinson Road (again, putting a hazard in the road surface and violating driver expectation with questionable benefit in crossing guard safety).

Thank goodness Overholt Street was not closed so skateboarders could use it back in 2013!

I realize that a smaller

municipality like Pelham doesn’t have a traffic department. Someone does the work along with many other, unrelated duties. But consultants are available to supply the expertise on a project-by-project basis, and I can’t see them recommending this measure on Haist Street.

Peter Leyser Fonthill

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appeal. While the architect likely wanted to add some trendy “industrial” pizzazz to the room, this is completely out of place in a rural library, for goodness sake.

I asked Library CEO Kirk Weaver about the entrance to the original building. He had no details about whether a portico was going to be built as called for in the design plan.

That portico was probably the only saving grace in the eye-appeal of the build. I sincerely hope it will be added, and done properly.

A door consistent with the style of the original building must be sourced, and hung properly so that it opens outward for fire safety, not inward as is presently the case.

The library had originally been scheduled to be opened by mid-November. As I understand it, Town Council had set aside extra monies for expanded hours through the end of 2016. I am hoping those monies will now be allocated instead for additional library materials.

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Page 6

The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

DSBN vote comes in wake of community protests continued from Page 1 policy, Robinson thought it would.

“The first consideration under the naming criteria in policy A-09 is that the name chosen be inspiring to students,” she said. “As the name Wellington Heights came from the students, we feel that criterion was met.

The students from both schools came together at Wellington Heights in September and have been very happy to adopt their new school identity.”

E.W Farr Memorial School was named after prolific local educator Edgar Farr in 1950. Students and the local community were first informed of a potential name change in the spring of 2016, when the Board decided to close Pelham Centre Public School and merge it with what was then E.W. Farr. At the time, Trustee Robinson remarked that in such situations it was common for the board to take a new name into consideration.

“When the DSBN undertakes the consolidation of two school communities into one, the option of creating a new name is always considered,” she said.

However, as the situation unfolded, a number of Pelham residents expressed dissatisfaction with the

...what should concern Council is that Dave immediately contacted the Board Chair unilaterally Board’s process, arguing that the DSBN did not follow their own naming criteria, and that the Board has been intractable in the face of community opposition.

The name Wellington Heights is an indirect reference to the Duke of Wellington, and comes from a scrawl in the margins of a map outlining a potential British fort proposed for the top of the Fonthill Kame, near what is now Lookout Golf Course. Residents who oppose the name Wellington Heights have cited a lack of local relevance and historic substance.

Pelham Council showed its support for those residents last June when it approved a resolution that asked the Board to rethink the name change, requesting, “that the DSBN recon-

Excerpt of email from Pelham Mayor David Augustyn to DSBN Trustee Dale Robinsom, obtained under a Freedom of Information request.

SUPPLED GRAPHIC sider the change in the name for the E.W. Farr Elementary School, due to the feedback received from the community and given the historical and heritage significance of Mr. Farr as a local educator in the village of Fenwick.”

However, while Council as a whole requested that the Board reconsider their decision, Pelham’s Mayor David Augustyn sent a separate message to Board Trustee Robinson explaining that Council had gone against his ruling.

In an email obtained through a Freedom of Information request, Augustyn wrote, “I wanted to let you know that Council discussed

the recent renaming of E.W. Farr School last night. Councillor Accursi asked to add it to the agenda of our committee of the whole meeting. He challenged my ruling, and it was over-turned by Council (2 agreed, 4 disagreed with my ruling), so we had to discuss it.”

“I did explain that the library would still be named after Mr. Farr and that 63% of the 250 respondents to your survey did not like the name, but Council approved that motion,” he added.

A source intimately familiar with the chain of events leading to Council's vote told the Voice that they felt that Augustyn hindered efforts

to keep the old name, and that he seemed to believe that Wellington Heights was the official name of the proposed fort, a position not supported by any evidence.

“Dave really thought Wellington Heights was the name of the Fort. He was convinced there was a map in the offices that ‘proved' it.”

Such a map was never found, and its existence was debunked in a November presentation to Council made by Kevin Ker, who spoke on behalf of a local group hoping to reverse the name change.

Right up until that meeting, says the source, the

Mayor seemed to believe the Wellington Heights map existed.

“He sat there bobbing his head in agreement, when I know earlier in the day he was searching for his 'smoking gun' — his ‘map' for his ah-ha moment,” adding, “but what should concern Council is that Dave immediately contacted the Board Chair unilaterally and essentially apologized for a Council decision!”

Results from an informal survey published in this issue of the Voice show that over 90% of some 500 respondents believe that the DSBN should reverse the name change.

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In the largest response to a Voice survey to date—518 qualified respondents— overwhelmingly the answer was "Yes." 92% answered in the affirmative, while 8% answered "No."

Respondents were also overwhelmingly from Fenwick (portion B in the pie chart above). The next largest contingent was from Fronthill (C), elsewhere in Pelham (A), and outside Pelham (D).

Pelham to participate in Canada 150 mosaic mural

BY VOICE STAFF Recreation, Culture and Wellness Director, Vickie vanRavensway announced that Pelham had been selected as one of two municipalities in Niagara to take part in the Canada 150 Mosaic Mural. Lincoln was the only other municipality in the region to be invited to participate in the project.

The project brings together the creative talents of 150 communities nationwide to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday. The call has already gone out to local schools to come up with an image that embodies Pelham, vanRavensway said. The deadline for public input regarding the project is Feb. 24.

Using the community’s feedback, the Mosaic Mural Team will then come up with the final design for the larger mural, which will be presented to Council by the end of March.

Under the guidance of the three Canadian artists who came up with the idea for the project, Lewis Lavoie, Paul Lavoie and Phil Alain, Pelham will host painting workshops

on June 8 and June 9. During these onehour sessions, community members will be encouraged to leave their mark by creating a painting that best represents Pelham from their perspective. The 400 to 700 panels created by the community during the workshops will then be used to create the larger mural. Each painting will tell its own story on a four-by-four-inch square panel, while helping to paint a national picture that tells a much bigger story.

The two-year project involves all of Canada’s territories and provinces, and will result in over 80,000 paintings and 150 individual murals that when united will form one gigantic mural mosaic, according to its supporters. The unveiling of the finished Mural will be highlighted at the Canada Day Celebrations on July 1.

“It is intended that it will eventually be located in the atrium at the new Pelham Community Centre, but until then we are debating on a space for it,” vanRavensway said.

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

Town Council endorses Region bid for 2021 games

BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

During its Monday, Jan. 16 meeting, Town Council received a presentation from Matt Hill of the Niagara Sport Commission regarding the Region’s bid for the upcoming 2021 Canada Summer Games.

The Canada Summer Games are a National Multi-Sport event hosted every four years similar to the Olympic model or that of the PanAm Games.

The games would see nearly 5,000 athletes between the ages of 16 and 23 competing in 17 sports, and bring an estimated 25,000 visitors to the region, asserted Hill.

“These are the athletes that have been identified within their sports on the development model as being a high-performance athlete and being future Olympian or national champions

within their sport,” he said.

The Committee has set out in creating the proposal with two goals in mind, Hill explained.

First, to make sure athletes have the best experience possible here in Niagara, which allows them to compete at their peak performance for the games.

And second, to ensure that all municipalities in Niagara are involved in the games.

“All 12 municipalities would see events within their community both from a competition and practice perspective, but also from a cultural event perspective,” said Hill.

“While this is a sporting event we are working on, this is a celebration of national and local culture as well. Though we are focusing right now on the sporting component of this there's a large cultural component of this we will

also dive into if when we are awarded the games this upcoming April.”

Hill said there are currently only three other communities who remain in the bidding process, so the Niagara Region stands a good chance at being successful in its bid.

Other communities still in the running include the City of Greater Sudbury, Kitchener-Waterloo/Cambridge and the City of Ottawa.

If Niagara were to receive the games, Pelham will make the new Pelham Community Centre available from Aug. 5 to Aug. 22, 2021.

The Province and Federal Government have already committed approximately $20 million in funding, and the forecasted economic impact for the games would be in the ballpark of $165 to $200 million within host region, according to games

JAN 26, 27, 28, 29

proponents.

To drum up grassroots support, and encourage community involvement for the region’s bid, Hill said the committee has launched a social media campaign called, #NiagaraAreYouIn. “We have a Facebook, Twitter page and a website that you can go to Niagara2021.com. We currently have nearly 3,000 signatures of support from local communities supporting this bid process. We are encouraging everybody to get out there and help spread the word to your friends, family and neighbors about supporting the games.”

Council unanimously endorsed and supported the Region’s bid for the games, acknowledging that its support would include a capital contribution for cycling infrastructure and other infrastructure in the amount of $21,215.

Page 7

Town Council green-lights Tice Road facility repairs

BY VOICE STAFF During its Jan. 16 meeting, Town Council revisited the repairs and renovations needed at the Town’s Tice Road operations centre, which Council had red-circled in the proposed 2017 capital budget. As it stands, the facility is not compliant with Occupational Health and Safety legislation. After investigating the costs of bringing the building up to standard, staff reported that addressing the facility’s deficiencies would amount to a total of $227,000.

Costs were estimated at: $66,000 to repair the central roof; $7,000 for the water treatment system; $117,000 to renovate the offices, lunchroom and showers (including the engineered design and building permit); $11,000 for furnishing the lunchroom, workstations and lockers; and $26,000 to construct a lean-to for outside storage of the Town fleet.

After touring the facility, Councillor Accursi said he was onboard with upgrading the water system and repairing the roof, but he was not onboard with spending $110,000 for what he called “short-term solutions” to the rest of the facility.

“Over the years, I’ve done a lot of buildings where I’ve shot from the hip, and that was okay because I was able to shoot with my own money, but I think here we’re shooting See TICE Page 10

Page 8

The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Solving the Rinker House mystery PELHAM

BY CAROLYN BOTARI

Special to the VOICE

The farmhouse today still remains much as it did back in the 1860s

M

ANY YEARS AGO, while scraping paint from the front door of an old Fenwick farmhouse, a resident uncovered the name “Rinker” written in pencil on the top of the front door. Suspecting that this name may have been written by a carpenter who had built the door for the original homeowner, the resident set off to uncover who this “Rinker” person was and when the house may have been built.

A trip to the Land Registry office provided land transfer records indicating that the house was indeed owned by a Rinker back in the mid 1800s. Further research at the Pelham Historical Society and Pelham Library revealed a family story that began back in Europe.

It was the onset of the Seven Years War in 1756 that prompted Hans and Mary Hansel to pack up their family in Saxony Germany and head for America. With help from King George in Britain, a boat was chartered and Hans and Mary along with other German families headed to New York Harbour. It

was on this journey that George, their sixth child, was born somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean. Upon arrival in America the family settled in New Jersey. Because of Hans’ pacifist beliefs and his refusal to fight against Britain during the American Revolution some twenty years later, his family lost everything and left New Jersey. Son George, who by this time was married, worked as a surveyor for the British during the Revolution.

At war’s end he also lost all property and possessions and moved with his parents to Virginia.

George later headed to Canada with his wife and their baby daughter, Anna. The family first settled along Ten Mile Creek in Thorold, later

moving to Pelham in 1786 (George’s property was located near the present Lookout Golf Course clubhouse).

In 1787, a famine struck the Niagara area and extensive late season frosts killed most vegetation.

George’s wife, fearing that the family might die, took Anna and moved back to the U.S..

During this separation, George and his wife wrote to each other often. Unfortunately, neither received the letters and both concluded that the other must have died. They both thus remarried.

During the early 1800s, tax collectors, having no knowledge of foreign names, changed the spelling of George’s family name Hansel to Hansler, a name that still exists today in Pelham.

In 1823 George Hansler purchased 100 acres of land on Chantler Road in Fenwick, and so began the story of the mysterious “Rinker” name found on the front door of the old farmhouse.

George’s daughter Anna, her husband Peter Weir and their two daughters, Phoebe and Elizabeth, returned to Pelham in 1825 and were given the Chantler Road farm. There may have been a log cabin or house on the property at this time, but no documents have been found to confirm this. Anna Weir’s husband, Peter, later died and Anna remarried George Shrigley. 1855 Land Registry records show that Anna and George Shrigley continued to own the 100 acre property on Chantler Road.

During this time, Anna’s

Pieces From Our Past daughter, Elizabeth Weir, married Samuel Rinker.

They had seven children and also lived and farmed in the Fenwick area. It was two of these sons who later became the owners of the 100-acre farm on Chantler Road.

In 1859 George Shrigley sold the Chantler Road farm to Henry Rinker for $2,200.

This large amount—equivalent to about $61,000 today—would suggest that a substantial house was located on the property at this time. That same year, Henry divided the property into two 50-acre farms and sold the second farm to his brother Peter. Today there still exist two well cared-for farmhouses and barns on the original Chantler Road/ Cream Street acreage. Which house was built first may always be a mystery, but the “Rinker” name on the front door of the Chantler Road

brick house surely is that of Henry.

Henry Rinker married Nancy Cummer, and had three children. Henry died in 1902 and the Rinker farm was finally sold in 1908.

The farmhouse today still remains much as it did back in the 1860s. The interior retains all the original wide pine floors, baseboard and trim, two staircases, and original doors with cast iron hinges, box locks and porcelain door knobs. Several rooms have the original horsehair plaster walls. The field stone foundation is still evident in the basement.

Pelham not only has a wealth of family stories to tell, but also a rich history of stories hidden in the lovely homes and buildings that still dot the landscape of Pelham. The Voice looks forward to presenting more of these stories in the months to come.

Town of Pelham considering partnering with Autism Ontario

BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

Family Support Coordinator with the Niagara Chapter of Autism Ontario, L.B. Brown gave Town Council an update on the new Ontario Autism Program at Council’s Jan. 16 meeting. Brown explained that the new program has three goals. The first, she said is to make it easier for families to access services for their children by reducing wait times. Brown expects this focus of the new program will have a direct impact on families in Niagara in 2017 because

of the long wait-lists that currently exist throughout the region.

The second goal is to provide more flexible services at a level of intensity that meets each child’s individual needs. As children enter the program, Brown said they will be assessed to identify and target which services will best serve their needs.

Recognizing the rising prevalence of autism diagnoses in the region, the third goal of the program is to increase the number of treatment spaces available so that more children and youth can be accommodated.

Improving the program by increasing the flexibility of services and providing parents with funding will help fill the gaps in the program that previously existed, Brown said.

“Up until 2016 if a child wasn't eligible for [Intensive Behaviour Intervention] therapy they would not even be put on the IBI waitlist, so they’d go right to the [Applied Behaviour Analysis] waitlist. This is where a majority of those families who actually had received the $8,000 [through OAP] would not have been eligible for IBI. So then receiving $8,000 is

fantastic way to be able to support them until autism services again are again streamlined.”

At their last committee meeting, Brown said there were 999 children and youth on the wait-list.

Based on current staffing levels, she said this would mean these individuals would have to wait anywhere from a year-and-a-half to three years for ABA service.

“There is a huge need, and a lot of families are really having to reach out to other service providers,” she said.

Considering current estimates that show about one per cent of the

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didates to fill a leadership role. The tension naturally skyrockets when the stakes are high.

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Canadian population has autism, Brown said the need for their services is growing. At the moment, she said there some 1,500 individuals on wait-lists in Niagara alone.

To assist in meeting the rising demand for services, Councilor Gary Accursi suggested that the municipality establish a working relationship with the Niagara Chapter of Autism Ontario.

Brown welcomed the idea, saying, “The Niagara Chapter, being a small organization is always looking to partner and provide services to our families based on their needs.”

how unlike and unexpected did He fill those leading roles. No great wealth, business acumen or modeling careers in their resumes. It is jaw-dropping when we see who was tapped to start and lead a nation. Instead of a young vibrant couple, tanned and toned with perfect gleaming white teeth, stood a 75-year old man and his 65-year old wife — who to date had not been able to have children. For His screenplay, God called up a couple to impact the entire world, and, as He would say, be a nation through whom “All nations of the earth would be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3).

Abram and Sarai stand there, adorned perhaps by dusty old robes and crowned with wispy white hair and loosely fitting skin and as befuddled as anyone else.

God chose them to begin a nation.

An unlikely pair, especially after factoring in that Sarai was barren. How could God expect to “Go big” with this couple?

To complicate the story line, it would be 25 more years before they actually had their child of promise.

By that time Abram and Sarai were 100 and 90 years

old, respectively (and their names would be changed to Abraham and Sarah). The rest, as they say, is history.

His story.

God picks people you and I wouldn’t necessarily select to take part in his story. In fact, sometimes we are shocked by who plays the starring roles in his stories. Unlike the way we do business, he taps people, not merely because of their abilities, but for their availability and faith. God searches for people who are open to be used by him.

Since he uses only those who are willing to be used for his purposes, there is no doubt that it is He who is doing the wonder-working.

Let there be no doubt, throughout history God is involved.

What you could call Divine Providence— He is at work making things happen with those looking to Him. That’s good news, isn’t it?

In the business world, you may not have a great pedigree.

In academics, you may not be a Rhodes Scholar. You may not have a lot of money and you may have average looks. But you may be sitting in a pretty good position to be a top pick for God’s work.

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

Page 9

WHEN THE FOG DESCENDED With the news late last week that 2016 will likely be the hottest year in the modern record, which dates to 1880, according to scientists at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the third year in a row that such an outcome has occurred, it was clear that Pelham wasn't bucking the trend.

Did last weekend's unseasonably warm weather mark a new normal? Fog persisted, making driving tricky in some spots, and casting the town in an eerie light.

Photographer Scott Hooper brings us some of the sights.

SCOTT HOOPER PHOTOS

THE CARING CONTINUES Pelham's Georgia Huminilowycz celebrated turning 10 with a dance party and asked her guests to bring non-perishable food in lieu of a gift to donate to Pelham Cares. Happy Birthday, Georgia! Meanwhile, the Ladies Auxiliary of the Royal Canadian Legion Br. 613 included food donations by its members, plus a cheque for $175.00 as well as a $10.00 gift card, all for Pelham Cares. SUPPLIED PHOTOS

Page 10

The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Remembering Tom Thompson, iconic painter

BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

Few Canadian artists have carved out their own place in history as deeply as Tom Thomson. The compelling story of his short but passionately creative life paired with the even more enthralling mystery surrounding his death have helped the legendary artist earn his place in Canadian mythology.

On Monday, Jan. 16 the Pelham Public Library aided in preserving the memory of this iconic figure by holding a public seminar entitled, Remembering Tom Thomson.

The event was hosted by wildlife photographer and Algonquin Park enthusiast, Peter Ferguson. After retiring from teaching 20 years ago, Ferguson began exploring the park and capturing the beauty of its natural landscapes and wildlife through his photography.

TICE continued from Page 7 with taxpayers’ funds,” Accursi said.

“I think we need to have a plan that addresses all of the needs of that building. If you look at the assessment report and then look at the report with respect to this request, this money really is a band-aid on a bigger prob-

Logging countless hours in the park pursuing the subjects in his photographs, Ferguson understands the allure of the Algonquin ecosystem that attracted Thomson a century earlier.

“There is something built into the Canadian spirit that makes us want to go off into the woods somewhere and try not to get lost,” said Ferguson.

Having always enjoyed Thomson’s work, Ferguson began retracing Thomson’s travels through the park, visiting some of the locations where he painted.

Recognizing that the park where Thomson painted is much different than the one that exists today, Ferguson said he came close to some of the locations in Thomson’s paintings, however they looked almost completely different from the artist’s renditions created a century earlier.

“Canoe Lake is still

there, it’s as it was, and some of the views that he did paint can still be located, but they are different,” Ferguson said.

“Take for instance a simple thing like the water level, the water levels are up 8 to 10 feet from where they were 100 years ago.

The ground that he would have been sitting and painting on is no longer above water. There have been all kinds of changes to the park. It was basically clear-cut in the 1890s, so the park he painted in is not the park we see now.”

Known for being one of Canada’s most celebrated and influential artists, Thomson’s life was cut short on Canoe Lake in Algonquin Park in July 1917.

Although he only first visited the park in May 1912, the paintings he created during this timeframe went on to forever change the face of Canadian art history.

It also inspired his

friends to form the world-renowned Canadian art collective known as the Group of Seven. Thomson’s work and the creativity it inspired also gave people a new lens through which they could appreciate the Canadian wilderness.

“A lot of his paintings were more stylistic,” Ferguson said.

“One off the things we have to come to grips with, with any artist is that when they’re painting, a lot of it is what they want to see opposed to what is really there.”

Ferguson presented photos from Thomson’s life, as well as images of his paintings in Algonquin Park, explaining the significance of each in relation to the events leading up to the artist’s death. He then provided the group of 30 in attendance with a look into the many theories behind Thomson’s demise.

“It’s the mystery of his story and his unsolved

death that draws people to him,” said Ferguson.

“If he would have died of old age out west somewhere his legacy would be different. It’s the sudden death at such an early age and the mystery surrounding it with the murder, the possible suicide or the accident.”

In the five years he spent exploring and painting in the park, Thomson worked on occasion as a fire fighter, a park ranger and a guide, so he came to know its landscapes and waterways extremely well.

Ferguson said his familiarity with the park ecosystem is often used to back arguments made by those who believe Thomson was a victim of foul play, or that he took his own life.

While there are as many versions of how Thomson died as there are people telling the story, Ferguson said there are many facts that will never be known.

“The only thing we have

now are things we have written down and how can we prove the truth in them,” he said.

“Some of the people who were alive at the time were interviewed once, and then 10 years later again, and their stories didn’t line up.

There was one old fellow who liked to talk about it so much that he realized if he would embellish his story the bigger audience he would get.”

Ferguson believes another reason for the mystique of Thomson’s legend is the waste of potential his death represents.

“The man was just on the verge of establishing himself as an artist. He had only sold a minimal amount of paintings to the government for the Art Gallery of Canada, and he was just about to become something more than just a part-time painter. He apparently had plans to go west to paint in the Rockies later that summer.”

lem that would require more dollars and more planning.”

Director of Public Works Andrea Clemencio said staff had concluded that the Tice Road operation centre and site should remain a key location for the municipality for several reasons. Due to the fact the Town’s salt dome and the fueling station is located on-site and that they had used the site for

animal burials in the past, she said it was unlikely they would unload the property any time soon because of the potential of past contamination.

Despite the deficiencies of the facility, Clemencio also said the centre has the “bones to work” as a functional space for public works.

Councillor Catherine King

said she is concerned that not taking action to repair the building would put the municipality in violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Councillor Peter Papp shared her concerns, citing that the FCA report identified the building as being in poor condition.

“For working conditions and safety it’s a temporary remedy to get us through to

a longer-term plan to maximize the use of this building and the site itself,” he said.

“We’re not there yet, we haven’t figured that out because we still have some temporary moves that we have to make. You can’t let staff work under these conditions, and there are some obvious things there that we have to fix. Maybe it’s not the best investment but

it’s an investment that will remedy what we need to do.

As responsible governors of our municipality we have to do something to fix it and immunize us from other potential liabilities.”

Following a lengthy discussion Council voted six to one to approve spending the $227,000, with only Councillor Accursi voting against the expenditure.

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The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

IN THE NEWS continued from Page 2 working in partnership with tax authorities world-wide to unmask and identify the structures used for international tax avoidance and evasion.

In a meeting on January 16 and 17, the Joint International Taskforce on Shared Intelligence and Collaboration Network (JITSIC), a network of some 35 tax administrations, met in response to the Panama Papers leak and the role played by law firm Mossack Fonseca. The meeting included the largest simultaneous exchange of information to date under tax treaties.

Globally, due to the efforts of JITSIC partners, the CRA asserts that important progress has been made with some 1,700 reviews and audits initiated, and some 2,550 requests for information. A target list of 100 intermediaries has been identified for further review.

In Canada, some 76 taxpayer audits in relation to the

Panama Papers are underway and extensive data is currently being reviewed.

In addition to these audits, the CRA has executed search warrants, and criminal investigations are ongoing.

Six impaired arrests in 12 hours

Niagara Regional Police report that uniform officers made four impaired arrests last Thursday night, and two more impaired arrests were made by day-shift officers before noon on Friday. These six arrests were one more than the total impaired arrests for all of the previous week. One of the people arrested had already been convicted of impaired operation two days earlier, so their vehicle will be impounded for 45 days.

Along with the impaired charges, the Traffic Enforcement Unit charged a 53-year-old female from Niagara Falls with stunting.

She was found driving 136 km/h on Victoria Ave, an 80 km/h zone. Two other driv-

ers were charged with driving while suspended.

Region supports 2021 Canada Summer Games bid

In the form of a $10.35 million financial commitment, Regional Council has voted to support a bid to bring the 2021 Canada Summer Games to Niagara. The Region’s funding package includes a $3-million capital commitment, to be raised with a debenture. There is also a $4-million operating commitment, funded annually at $1 million over four years.

The Region joins with Niagara’s 12 local municipalities in order to make their application by the end of See IN THE NEWS Next page

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The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

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January. The final selection of the Canadian Summer Games location will be announced this spring.

Niagara Region Transit pilot program extended

At its meeting on Jan. 19, Niagara Regional Council approved a motion to extend the Niagara Region Tran-

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to develop options for integrated transit services for Niagara.

The Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Strategy report is now complete. As a first step, results and recommendations from this report are now being presented to the councils of St. Catharines, Welland and Niagara Falls, with recommendations in the study to consolidate transit services and provide service enhancements to inter-municipal travel in Niagara.

The Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Strategy will be presented to Niagara Regional Council this spring, once the local councils of St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland have had the opportunity to review and consider the direction.

To Pelham Town Council’s disappointment, the rural transit system operating throughout Pelham scarcely appeared in the study. The local transit service has been in operation for two years.

As a member of the Transportation Steering Committee, Councillor Peter Papp said he and the Mayor would be working to make sure that the service con-

tinues.

“I don’t want to see the service die and come to an end,” said Papp.

“There are options and I think that between the two of us and the support of Council we can get this service to help our outlying areas.”

The provincial grant currently funding the service, which serves Fonthill, Ridgeville, Fenwick and North Pelham, is set to expire in March.

Region appoints Commissioner of Community Services

Niagara Region has appointed Adrienne Jugley as Commissioner of Community Services. Her appointment follows an “extensive recruitment process which attracted a strong field of candidates,” according to a Region news release.

Jugley has been serving as Acting Commissioner since October 2015. She first joined Niagara Region in 2001 working in Public Health as Manager of Mental Health and later as Director of Clinical Services. Her previous experiSee IN THE NEWS Page 15

Places of Worship and Events Bethany Christian Reformed Church 1040 Balfour St., Fenwick Concordia Lutheran Church 105 Welland Rd., Fonthill

Glad Tidings Church of God 1 Pancake Lane, Fonthill Holy Trinity Anglican Church 1557 Pelham Street, Fonthill

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Kirk on the Hill Presbyterian Church 1344 Haist St., Fonthill

Fenwick United Church 1050 Church St., Fenwick

Pelham Community Church 461 Canboro Rd., Fenwick

First Presbyterian Church 602 Metler Rd., Fenwick

Pelham Evangelical Friends Church 940 Haist St., Fonthill

Fonthill Baptist Church 1414 Pelham St., Fonthill

Ridgeville Bible Chapel 418 Canboro Rd., Ridgeville

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The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

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The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017

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NPCA: Under pressure from activists, public, external review is a yes

A crowd of 150-plus assembled at the Balls Falls Centre for Conservation on Wednesday, Jan. 18. continued from Page 1 the Board of Directors steering it. After presenting his findings to Niagara Regional Council last November in a 45-page report backing up allegations of corruption and mismanagement at the NPCA, he was slapped with a $200,000 lawsuit for defamation by the NPCA. Smith

said he was excited and inspired to see so many new faces in the crowd.

“From what I could tell they were all interested in the same thing — accountability and transparency from the NPCA,” said Smith.

“I'm very curious to see how long our elected officials on the NPCA Board believe they can continue to

THE

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ignore the people.”

Standing before the NPCA Board and a room full of supporters chanting “Drop the suit,” Smith highlighted areas where he says that the NPCA has failed to fulfill their role as a publicly trusted advocate for the environment in the past three years.

Listing numerous points of contention, Smith said the

NATE SMELLE PHOTO

NPCA has violated provincial policy by hiring members of their board to senior management positions and by awarding a $41,000 cheque to a sitting member.

He went on to assert that the NPCA also demonstrated a perceived reluctance or refusal to pursue serious cases of environmental wrong-doing perpetrated

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by developers in the Region, choosing instead to pursue much smaller environmental infractions that involve individual citizens or small landowners.

Smith also questioned why the NPCA chose to release one third of its staff and replace them with people of undefined qualifications. According to Smith, such decisions have led to the NPCA spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars on legal battles and severance package settlements. “Money that could have been spent on environmental stewardship programs,” he said. Smith also took issue with the fact the conservation authority spent tens of thousands of public funds to hire a lobbyist to convince the provincial government to allow Niagara to become a testing ground for biodiversity offsetting.

“The true strength of democracy is the governing policies and laws that define it, coupled with the ability and willingness of the institutions of society to uphold them,” Smith said.

“This Board and senior management have chosen a path for the NPCA that flies directly in the face of its provincial mandate and by so doing has violated the public trust that is enshrined in your appointments. The great thing about trust is that it can be rebuilt and it can start today.”

Smith has not been a lone voice in the wilderness calling for a third-party review of the NPCA’s operations.

Nine municipal councils in

The true strength of a democracy is the governing policies and laws that define it the Niagara and Hamilton regions — including Pelham Town Council — have also requested an externally-driven audit of the NPCA. Welland NDP MPP Cindy Forster was another of the delegations addressing the NPCA Board Wednesday morning. Adding her voice to the call for a review, Forster urged the NPCA drop its lawsuit against Smith.

“This is about transparency, it’s about accountability and it’s about the truth,” Forster told the Board.

“As politicians, you should be encouraging and engaging constituents in the political process, and be more than willing to answer See NPCA Next page

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IN THE NEWS continued from Page 12 ence includes serving as Executive Director of Niagara’s Alcohol and Drug Treatment Centre, managing her own private clinician practice and working as a clinical social worker. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Toronto.

As Commissioner, Jugley leads a department that responds to the needs of Niagara’s most vulnerable citizens through programs delivered by four divisions:

NPCA continued from previous page their questions without requiring them to spend a lot of money on freedom of information requests.”

Forster said taxpayers deserve to know where and how their money is being spent and whether public agencies are fulfilling their mandate.

Threatening critics like Smith with a “slap suit” does nothing to improve transparency or the public’s trust in their elected officials or the democratic process, she said.

Acknowledging legislation passed by the province to prevent “slap-suits” in Ontario last year, she asked the Board to direct its new chair to end the lawsuit against Ed Smith.

“If you truly believe a forensic audit is needed, then Ed Smith was asking the

The Voice of Pelham, January 25, 2017 Seniors Services, Children’s Services, Social Assistance and Employment Opportunities and Homelessness Services.

Three charged in Welland drug bust

During January, Niagara Police say that members of the #3 District Street Crime Unit conducted an investigation into a cocaine trafficking operation from a Welland residence.

Based on observations made by detectives, judicial authorization was granted to enter and search the home.

right questions on behalf of your taxpayers,” Forster said.

“Surely, as politicians from all political stripes, with thick skins — or maybe not — you cannot believe that taxpayers, or one man who served this country in a military capacity his entire working life, does not have the right to ask questions, or to speak out against the government and its agencies. That wouldn’t be a democracy in my opinion.”

Following the presentations, NPCA Board member Hodgson put forth a motion that would see the Conservation Authority initiate a third-party review of its operations. NPCA Board member Stuart Beattie said he supported the motion but suggested it would also be prudent to continue conversations with Ontario’s Auditor General. Concerned this would delay the process substantially, which

Page 15

Two suspects were arrested inside the residence when the search warrant was executed, while two others were arrested inside a Welland licenced establishment. A quantity of cocaine, marihuana, psilocybin and cash was seized.

Shayne Thompson, 54, and Tracey Michael, 48, both of Welland, are charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of marijuana, possession of psilocybin and possession of proceeds of crime.

William Winger, 50, of Welland, is charged with

possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of marijuana, and possession of psilocybin.

would continue to negatively impact the public’s trust in the NPCA, Hodgson was hesitant to accept Beattie’s amendment until Board member Tony Quirk suggested pursuing the review by a third-party and the auditor general at the same time. With these amendments in place, Hodgson’s motion passed with a vote of 14-1.

In response, Smith said

he was cautiously optimistic considering the outcome of the vote.

“Councilor Hodgson stood up to what must have been immense internal pressure in order to get that motion through and now we must support that by maintaining a constant vigilance on every step of the process. Now is not the time to stand down,” said Smith.

Child porn arrest in the Falls

Last Thursday, the Internet Child Exploitation (I.C.E.) Unit, with the assistance of the Technological Crimes Unit, executed a search warrant at a residence in Niagara Falls.

As a result of an ongoing investigation, 48-year-old Edward Smagata of Niagara Falls has been arrested and charged with Possession of

Child Pornography contrary section 163.1(4) of the Criminal Code of Canada, and Make Child Pornography in the written form contrary to section 163.1(3) of the Criminal Code of Canada.

NRPS in joint effort to combat online sex abuse

The Niagara Regional Police Service announced that it is joining forces with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and numerous

other Canadian police services to continue the fight against online child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Last week the Canadian Centre for Child Protection presented “Project Arachnid.” The Centre has developed a new tool to combat the growing proliferation of child sexual abuse material on the internet. This automated crawler, called Project Arachnid, helps reduce the online availability See IN THE NEWS Back page

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Column Six: Understanding in saddle sores continued from Page 1 from Pelham. Unkempt and sweaty after 100 kilometres, we all look pretty much the same.

They'll also learn how generous, friendly, and just plain decent most folks are when they have the chance — and how much wiser they are than politicos give them credit for.

A ride along Cape Hatteras in North Carolina reinforced this for me. After two hours riding in torrential rains and winds—my first experience of needing a life jacket to cycle—I came to the base of "The Bridge." The previous two bridges had been over the inter-coastal waterway and had risen a modest 20 metres.

This bridge, just south of Whalebone North Carolina, was high enough to accommodate the largest ocean vessels, and rose to twice that height. There was no shoulder, the wind was 40 knots, and there was no way I was attempting to cross it. I stood beside my bike, ankle-deep in water, rain rattling off my helmet as if it were a tin roof, and raised my shrivelled thumb to the first pick-up truck that approached.

It stopped, and the driver rolled down his window a crack. "Bit of a pucker-factor up there wouldn't you think?" he said with a laugh. "Throw the bike in the back."

He didn't ask if I was Conservative or Liberal, Muslim or Christian, or my sexual orientation. As easy as that I was over the bridge and on my wet bike again, my obvious need for help addressed.

Inland next morning, after cycling past numerous signs in fields and on lawns reading "No OLF!" I approached a trucker checking his load of pulp logs at a rural intersection.

"Excuse me, what's an OLF and why doesn't anyone want one?" I asked.

"I'm not sure what the letters stand for, but the Navy wants to build a touch-down landing strip. You know, one where pilots in training can practise landings and takeoffs.

It'll take 30,000 acres and force a lot of farmers off their land," he replied.

"Well, as long as they're fairly compensated..," I started, but he interrupted.

"Thing of it is, you know, the Navy is having problems with the base at Oceana, 200 miles north of here. They're outgrowing it,

He didn't ask if I was Conservative or Liberal, Muslim or Christian, or my sexual orientation

and there's too much population around it already. We think the Navy's going to move the whole base down here in the future," he said. " We just want to know the truth, what they're really going to do."

That unexpected exchange, and the hitchhiking experience of the day before, brought it into focus. Wherever the bicycle takes me, I meet strangers willing to help one another when there is a need, and everyday folks willing to tolerate most people and most things if dealt with respectfully and truthfully.

Back to Donald, Justin, Vladimir and crew.

Get your butts on a bicycle and discover what average people around the world are all about.

It might surprise you.

And if we're really lucky, it might change your focus, too.

IN THE NEWS continued from Page 15 of child sexual abuse material and break the cycle of abuse. In online technology, a “web crawler” is an automated routine that inspects websites for certain content depending on how the crawler is programmed. The resulting “web spidering” is used to form various types of searchable indexes, with Google being the best known commercial example.

Project Arachnid detects images and videos based on confirmed digital fingerprints of illegal content.

This innovative tool detects content at a speed exponentially faster than current methods, asserts the Centre.

It says that over a six-week period, Project Arachnid processed some 230 million web pages, detected some 5.1 million unique web pages hosting child sexual abuse material, and detected some 40,000 unique images of child sexual abuse.

When child sexual abuse material is identified, a notice is sent to the hosting provider to request its immediate removal.

The NRPS Internet Child Exploitation Unit will be conducting investigations with the use of information gained by Project Arachnid.

“The Niagara Regional Police Service welcomes every opportunity to partner

with community agencies in the support and protection of children,” says NRPS Chief Jeff McGuire.

“Our Service has worked closely with The Canadian Centre for Child Protection for a number of years, in a combined effort to identify child victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse.

By expanding our efforts together to identify victims, we remain committed to pursuing those who choose to harm the most vulnerable members our community.”

Chinese Business Council created

The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce says that it was approached by a group of Chinese businesspeople in Niagara who sought to form a new business organization for Niagara’s Chinese business community. Their goal were to create a forum for the exchange of business information and an avenue for “fostering regional communication and promotion of trade and commerce.” The newly created Niagara Chinese Business Council says that it will do this through joint events, educational seminars, research, and meetings with policymakers.

Housed in the GNCC, the NCBC will be comprised of people with significant

knowledge and experience of the Chinese business communities both in Niagara and overseas. The NCBC will also assist Niagara’s Chinese businesses with integration into the broader economy.

Serious injury in St. Catharines

Last Sunday, shortly after 11:00 pm, members of the Niagara Regional Police Service #1 District Uniform Patrol responded to a call reporting an assault with injury, alleged to have occurred in the area near Powerview Avenue and Tunis Street in St. Catharines.

Police say that a 16-yearold male victim suffered an injury to the head and was transported to an area hospital. A short time later the level of injury was upgraded and he was transported to a hospital in the Toronto area, where he was listed in stable condition at press time.

Detectives are interested in speaking with anyone who may have witnessed a disturbance between 9:30 pm and 9:45 pm in the parking lot of the DSBN Academy (formerly West Park Secondary School) located at 130 Louth Street.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Paul Koscinski at (905) 688-4111 Ext. 4384.