The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

Town Hall stonewalls the Voice page 3 Judy Reid accepts Citizen of Year honour page 6 Watch your debt page 5

The Voice

Larry “BILKO” Bilkszto Your Local Sales Representative 905-563-3330 • 905-641-1110

DEBBIE PINE

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Vol.22 No.12

Wednesday, March 14 2018

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Meridian buys community centre name $1 million dollar pledge sees structure renamed “Meridian Community Centre”

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Column Six Discriminating taste Special to the VOICE

A

The newly christened Meridian Community Centre construction site earlier this month.

HOO-AHH DRONE PHOTO

Town makes fresh attempt to sell East Fonthill land After bulk sale approach apparently flops, listing for smaller parcel quietly appears online

Last autumn, the Town put some 18 acres of East Fonthill land on the market, hoping to raise $12 million dollars from bids that closed on December 14.

In February, Town Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald said that it was expected that formal offers would be presented on February 12, a day on which

BY VOICE STAFF the only meeting of Council was an in camera session for “proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality.”

Sources who say they are familiar with the various offers and counteroffers made since December report that negotiations broke down in

mid-February.

Now the Town has re-listed 3.4 acres of the total 18.75, with an asking price of $2.38 million.

The asking price is significantly lower than what the Town paid per acre to the Allen Group, a major deSee SECOND TRY back page

DEBBIE PINE

GUY WALKS INTO an Elite Car Dealership and the sales rep says…

Nothing.

He says nothing. Doesn’t even acknowledge the guy.

Why. As the rep leaves to take care of another client who had just entered the service depot, the only logical conclusion is that it is because of the way the guy looks.

The guy in this scenario is my friend, let’s call him Jim, and he was there to pick up his Elite Car after having left it for servicing earlier that day. (I’m using Elite Cars as a pseudonym for a high-end car dealership because I ’m not out to run a smear campaign against this company, so, for effect, you can insert the name of any standard, platinum card automobile.)

For some reason, on this day my friend was invisible to the entire sales and service staff. He wasn’t even wearing his dealership camouflage onesie, allowing him to blend into white walls, grey carpets and fake indoor plants.

He was wearing the classic combination of a white t-shirt, denim jeans and running shoes, all of which were in good condition, with no noticeable tears or See COLUMN SIX Page 11

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LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL?

BY JANE BEDARD

BY VOICE STAFF According to a Town of Pelham news release, Meridian Credit Union has agreed to donate $1 million dollars to the Town of Pelham’s community centre fundraising initiative, in return receiving naming rights to the facility.

Town officials and Meridian representatives were on hand at the centre’s construction site last Thursday to make the announcement. (In an unprecedented move, the Town neither invited the Voice to attend the event nor informed the paper that it would occur.

See story, page 3.)

The news release does not specify whether full payment

by Meridian has already been made, or whether the credit union will make a series of payments over a number of years. Also unspecified is whether the naming rights have been purchased in perpetuity, or for a set term, such as 10 or 20 years.

Responding just before press time, Meridian spokesperson Scott Windsor said that the credit union would "not be disclosing the terms and conditions of our contractual agreement with the Town of Pelham."

Town of Pelham Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald did not reply to a request for comment.

Larry “BILKO” Bilkszto

debbiepine@royallepage.ca SELL phone: 905-321-2261

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Our family serving your family

Page 2

The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

by Dave Burket

You know that feeling when you look south of the border and think that it couldn't get any worse in Washington? Lately we've been experiencing a sense of deja here. Just when you think that Pelham Council reneging on a promise to hold a public meeting, and declaring that a report has exonerated the Town even before reading the report (that did not exonerated the Town), along comes a new low. The White House comparison becomes more apt by the week. The inventor of modern stonewalling, Richard Nixon, famously declared that Washington Post reporters were barred from the building, telling his obsequious press secretary, Ron Ziegler, "I want it clearly understood that from now on, ever, no reporter from the Washington Post is ever to be in the White House. Is that clear?"

We know how that turned out.

There is much to digest in this week's issue, so I'll let you get to it. A brief word, though, about the now-vanished media desk inside Council chambers (page 3).

Town Council meetings, like flights from Toronto to Key West, can take up to three and a half hours. Imagine sitting in a coach seat with a laptop computer. There is no tray table to put it on. You sit in your seat for three and a half hours, typing away on a computer resting on your thighs. That's what covering Pelham Town Council is now like, all because our elected councillors are either complicit in attempting to shut down a fundamental aspect of democracy, or don't have the guts to stand up to senior staff who have taken this and other measures in their name. What new Nixonian low is coming? Stay tuned.

THE VOICE POLL This week's survey question Now that the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario's leadership race has stumbled to a bruised and battered close, how will Doug Ford's selection as leader affect June's provincial election?

Are the Liberals more or less likely to win, or might the NDP surge?

Find a link to the survey on our website,

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/ ford

or find it from our Facebook page. Look for results in next week’s Voice!

THE VOICE POLL Results Last week we asked whether readers would consider contributing donations to the Town of Pelham's fundraising drive for what is now to be called the Meridian Community Centre.

RESULTS As of the poll's closing at 2 PM Monday, an overwhelming majority of respondents answered no, they did not plan to donate, or that their property taxes were already a sufficient contribution. On the other hand, 24 respondents said they would fork over some cash, and 10 said that they would contribute up to or more than $1000. Full results below. Percentages rounded.

Yes, up to $500 (5 votes, 3%) Yes, up to $50 (9 votes, 6%) Yes, up to or more than $1000 (10 votes, 6%) No (46 votes, 28%) No, I will be donating enough through property taxes, thanks (92 votes, 57%)

Voice on vacation!

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IN THE NEWS

Fonthill TD Bank robbed

On Thursday, March 8, at approximately 7:00 PM, Niagara Regional Police say that two unknown males wearing disguises entered the TD Bank branch on Pelham Street in downtown Fonthill.

A quantity of cash was taken. Suspects may have been operating a white, newer-style Suburban with chrome rims.

Suspect 1 is described as a black male, 5’9, thin build, 20-25 years of age, wearing grey gloves, black zipper sweater coat, grey hoodie sweater, dark pants, grey ball cap and in possession of a handgun. Suspect 2 is described as a white male, 5’8, thin build, baggy blue jeans, 20-25 years of age, green sweater, black hoodie.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is requested to contact the Niagara Regional Police Welland CIB at (905) 688-4111 ext 4-9015.

Tips may also be provided to Crime Stoppers by contacting the Crime Stoppers office at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or via the website at www.crimestoppersofniagara.com or via text messaging CRIMES (274637) with the text reading NIAGARA followed by the text message.

Crime Stoppers guarantees that you will remain anonymous through any of the methods offered to provide tips. You may also be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000 if the information leads to an arrest.

Niagara Counts Volunteers Needed

Niagara is once again taking part in a coordinated effort to measure homelessness across Canada. Volunteers are needed to conduct Niagara’s coordinated pointin-time homeless count.

In March 2018, a partnership of community agencies and Niagara Region will conduct another point-intime homeless count. The first count was conducted in 2016.

Organizers are calling the initiative “Niagara Counts” and have launched a volunteer recruitment drive to carry out the count. Over a 24-hour period, trained volunteers will count and survey individuals who are staying in shelters, shortterm housing and sleeping rough (without shelter). Niagara Counts will provide a "snapshot" of homelessness in the region.

It will indicate the minimum number of people experiencing homelessness in our community.

Niagara Counts will improve the understanding of the needs and circumstances of the people who are affected by homelessness in the community. The survey will provide key data on gender, age, ethnicity, veteran status

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The Voice PUBLISHED INDEPENDENTLY IN PELHAM

DEBBIE PINE

SALES REPRESENTATIVE 905.892.0222 SELL phone: 905-321-2261

Niagara Real Estate Center, Brokerage Independently Owned & Operated

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Vol.20 No.48

CELEBRATING OUR 20TH YEAR

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

DSBN wants portion of Town park

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Column Six

Growing up British

Vol.20 No.32

Wednesday October 12, 2016

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Apple Day comes to Fonthill

BY JULIE MANNELL

Special to the VOICE

W

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

NATE SMELLE PHOTO

Public meeting tonight on school issues

BY VOICE STAFF As questions continue to mount regarding an email that Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn quietly sent to a District School Board of Niagara trustee last summer, Augustyn has agreed to address the issue at a public meeting scheduled for this evening, Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Fenwick.

Nancy Beamer, speaking for “Names Matter,” a Pelham citizens group lobbying the DSBN to reverse its decision to rename a local public school, confirms that the meeting will be held at Fire Station #2, known locally as the Fenwick Fire Hall, starting at 7:00 PM. While the Mayor has agreed to ap-

Under pressure, Mayor to address email revelation, other E. W. Farr matters pear, says Beamer, DSBN officials associated with the school-naming process have either declined to attend or have not yet responded to the group’s invitation.

DSBN Chair, Dale Robinson, to whom Augustyn’s email was addressed last June, has declined to appear, says Beamer, asserting that she would be

“on holidays.” The Voice was unable to independently confirm Robinsion’s intentions. She did not respond to repeated requests for comment on E.W. Farr-related matters before presstime.

Beamer, whose group maintains an email list of some 580 residents, says that all members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting.

“We would especially welcome parents and children who are unhappy with the name change,” she says, referring to the contentious decision by the DSBN to consolidate two Pelham See MEETING back page

HEN I WAS young, my father and I would go for long drives along the rural routes of Pelham. We’d blast George Thurgood and roll down the windows because we loved the smell of the breeze, the sensation of crisp Niagara wind beating our cheeks and tangling our hair against our summer-kissed skin.

My father was not a sentimental man. He worked in factories and had a Gordon Lightfoot mustache and never shed tears over injuries.

Yet something about the Pelham landscape, the hilly backdrop to his childhood and the childhoods of our ancestors, drew him in. He’d stop by a farm or a gathering of woods and, surrendering his manly veneer, tell me a story about the town.

This place is precious. This is the earth that granted us life. Here is the place where we happened upon love or here is a site of devastation.

On one particular drive sometime in the late ‘90s we stopped at a tree with a plaque.

“This tree looks dead,” I said to my father.

“It sure is getting there, Julie.”

The Comfort Maple is supposedly Canada’s oldest See COLUMN SIX Page 14

Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation

BY VOICE STAFF

A construction error was discovered following the opening of a traffic calming chicane on Haist Street north of Hwy 20 last Monday that prevented large vehicles from passing through.

One resident living in the neighbourhood said he contacted the Town after seeing a small schoolbus get stuck as it tried to get through the new traffic calming measure. Later that day while driving behind a cement truck, he said that he became concerned for the public’s safety when the truck had to turn around because it couldn’t get through.

“If a small school bus and a cement truck can’t make it through what about a fire

BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER

Special to the VOICE

A

Repair measures underway last week to correct a construction error in the chicane. truck or an ambulance?” he said.

While waiting for the contractor to return to fix

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

VOICE PHOTO

bourhood in the short-term.

Manager of Public Works Ryan Cook said that after discovering the issue with

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

Petition-inspired changes coming to 2017 Summerfest

BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

Representatives from the Pelham Summerfest committee Candy Ashbee and Bill Gibson presented council with a final report on the 2016 Summerfest at the Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 21.

Prompted by a story in the Voice in August about a merchant petition to move Summerfest from Pelham Street, in September Town staff met with various stakeholders to hear their complaints, promising at the time that changes in the way Summerfest was mounted would be con-

sidered.

The main concerns identified during the community engagement process were security, parking, ensuring customer can access all businesses in town, and liability for damages. How to get all Pelham Street businesses to participate and finding ways to make it beneficial for them to set up a booth were also determined to be of high priority for the committee as they plan for next year’s event.

Gibson told Council that the committee is addressing these concerns in a variety of ways. To improve parking, they intend to create bet-

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

Another way the committee plans

Debbie

Get

to improve the 2017 Summerfest is by sponsoring and working with the organizers of the Thursday Night Bandshell Concert series to select the artist performing on the first night of Summefest. They also intend to make more use of the smartphone app they launched in 2016.

"We are really going to push it this year," Ashbee said.

“It really helps to get people to see what events there are so they can plan out where they are going.

We will be able to actually help the merchants and local businesses adSee CHANGES Page 5

FTER LUNCH ON Saturday, Mum and Dad had my afternoon cut out for me. Mum had more brass than anyone I knew, and it had to be cleaned. In addition there was the set of silver fish-knives and forks which were never used, but which had to be cleaned and put back in their velvetlined box.

Next was a walk to the newsagents to pay for the daily delivery of the Daily Mirror. As I said, Dad was a printer, but when he was 37 he had been rejected for a job, as being too old, by the printers of the Beano.

For that reason, my favourite comic was not allowed in the house, but while I was paying the papers, the newsagent let me have a 'shoofty' at the Beano. I'd explained my predicament and he understood completely.

Sundays were different again. Dad would play golf on summer mornings and billiards in winter. Then he'd stop for a 'refresher' at the local and would pick up the prawns, cockles, winkles or whelks we'd be having for tea later. Meanwhile, Mum was roasting the 'joint' and potatoes. I got to make the Yorkshire pud, and mint

See COLUMN SIX Page 14

Full service. Full-time Realtor.

Your Fonthill real estate connection.

BY VOICE STAFF

While shopping in Fonthill between Friday and Sunday, keep an eye out for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in front of local stores with bushels of apples.

As part of the annual Apple Day campaign, Scouting youth of all ages will be trading apples for donations.

The yearly fundraising drive is an important way for young Scouts to connect with the communities they are serving, says Leah Marie of Scouts Canada.

“The Apple Day campaign holds a great tradition of being able to have youth interacting within the communities they live in,” she says. “All of the Apple Day donations stay directly within the group that re-

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

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

“Any money raised during Apple Day goes towards improving the Scouting program by providing more outdoor adventures for youth, camping equipment, canoes and paddles, training and many other endeavours that the youth want to experience,” says Marie.

Scouts Canada has some 100,000 members across Canada, and carries out programs for boys, girls

walk/trail is slated to be built between the south side of the road from Timmsdale Crescent to the high school.

Because of the large volume of motor vehicle traffic travelling at high speeds through this area, and because of the necessity for students to tread this path on a daily basis, many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later.

After delivering to Council a petition containing

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

podium over to Loewen and Williams to plead their case.

Loewen told Council that because there are a lot of students who have work placements and coop placements during the school year, this is the only route for many of them to travel.

As one of the students facing this predicament, Williams said she has had no other option but to walk along the dangerous highway.

www.pennylanesold.com

H EATHER AND P ENNY L ANE S ALES R EPRESENTATIVES

BY JOHN SWART

VOICE Correspondent

and youth ages 5-25. This year the 3rd Fonthill Group, which includes Beavers to Ventures (youth ages 5- 25) will be hitting the streets to drum-up support.

Over the weekend, Scouts will be set up in Fonthill outside Sobeys, Tim Hortons, Target Gas station, Fonthill Shopping Plaza and the Pioneer Gas station at the corner of Hwys 20 and 24.

Town Council approves sidewalk to serve E. L. Crossley

BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

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-

Cell 905.933.3049

T

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.

Office 905.892.1702

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

See DSBN Page 9

Food 111Health Hwy. 20 E., Unit Store 5, Fonthill

Mon-Wed 9:30-6:00pm • Thur-Fri 9:30-7:00pm • Sat 9:30-5:00pm

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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Pined -Sol Pelham’sPelham’s Health Food Store

and more.

Results from the count will be made publicly available and used to improve the response to homelessness.

In the future, successive counts will allow the Region to measure progress towards its ultimate goal: ending homelessness in Niagara.

In 2016, over 140 volunteers conducted the street count along 28 designated routes and within shelters.

The 2016 count identified at least 465 individuals were experiencing homelessness in Niagara.

Since the point-in-time count in 2016, Niagara Region Homelessness Services has increased its investment in Housing First, a supported housing model designed for chronically homeless individuals, for a total of 168 units across the region. It has also secured provincial funding for a new supportive permanent housing program called Home for Good which is also designed to house chronically homeless people and provide them with wraparound supports including mental health services, addictions supports and occupational therapy.

These programs are targeted to clients who have long shelter stays or have lived on the streets for a period of time.

Niagara Counts has received support from Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy (Employment and Social Development Canada). By the end of April, individuals experiencing homelessness will be enumerated in 30 communities across the country. The coordinated effort will help to create a picture of homelessness in communities across Canada.

Volunteers can register at www.niagararegion.ca/niagaracounts

“I start work at 2:30 PM and school lets out at 2:15 PM so I can’t take any other route,” Williams explained.

“I have had friends, family, teachers and other community members reach out to me in the past about how this is unsafe and how there should be another alternative for us.”

Looking ahead to winter, when she will need to walk this path three or four times See SIDEWALK Page 2

HERE IS NO BETTER time to cycle than Fall. It matters not whether you’re new to the sport, a seasoned recreational cyclist, racer, touring rider or mountain biker; we all have reason to look forward to autumn.

Summer’s heat has faded, and the streams of sweat that ran from soggy helmets into our eyes are now just slight perspiration. Fitness is peaking from lots of saddle time, making those tough climbs of Spring a breeze in Autumn.

It’s hard to beat the feeling of beginning a crisp, cool Fall ride with a slight shiver, knowing your efforts will soon warm you perfectly.

The hues of Autumn are outstanding.

A Pelham route as simple as following our southern boundary is one that would make most Toronto cyclists jealous, especially when our forests and fields are ablaze with colour.

Begin from Harold Black Park, and zig-zag south along Effingham Rd toward the Welland River.

If you’re new to cycling, it’s important to know south is the direction away from any hills.

If you avoid the morning and evening weekday rush hours caused by those travelling through Pelham between Wainfleet See AUTUMN Page 3

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

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

Page 3

Town of Pelham cuts off communication with the Voice Questions go unacknowledged, copies of paper trashed, media table removed

BY SAMUEL PICCOLO

The VOICE

In a departure from all previous practice, the Town has removed the designated media table from the Council chambers, the latest of a series of efforts seemingly aimed at shutting down Voice coverage of municipal matters.

Since February 20, the Town has not responded to nor even acknowledged receiving questions from the newspaper. The move came as the Voice began scrutinizing another aspect of the Town’s East Fonthill development activities, this time involving tendering for construction contracts worth at least $4 million dollars.

Numerous emails to Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald, other Town staff, Mayor Dave Augustyn, and all six Councillors have been ignored.

Questions on subjects including a guard rail on Sulphur Spring Drive, Pelham Street water main work, and the abrupt departure of the former executive assistant to the Mayor and the CAO have gone unanswered. Phone messages to MacDonald have been ignored.

Beginning in January, the Voice was informed by residents visiting Town Hall that copies of the papers dropped at the information desk there were disappearing within a few hours of arrival. To test whether the papers were being trashed, or if their rapid depletion was a result of Town employees eager to read the news, the Voice doubled its delivery volume each week for a month.

Finally, after 200 papers vanished shortly after being dropped off, the Voice concluded they were being thrown directly into the garbage—an action later inadvertently acknowledged by a Town Hall employee to a resident. In all, some 500 copies of the paper seem to have been deliberately thrown out.

A request for comment on the matter from all of Council, the Mayor, the CAO, and Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald was ignored.

Last week the Town announced that it would no longer send out

news releases. This advisory came before the Town held a press conference at the community centre construction site, in which it was announced that Meridian Credit Union was to pledge $1 million dollars to the project in return for naming rights.

The Voice was not among the media notified of the event and was not present.

“I just couldn't believe it," said former Councillor Sharon Cook, when she heard of the Town's recent actions.

"I don't know why they're casting this veil of secrecy. The media is an asset to the democratic process."

When she was on Council, Cook acknowledge that there was some news coverage "we didn't really like."

"But that was usually when we were doing things that we didn't want to do," she said. "It's part of the whole transparency issue."

Former Mayor Ron Leavens also cited transparency.

“When you’re involved in politics, you shouldn’t always be looking at the media to be supportive of what you’re doing. One of the big problems around here is that politicians in this town are not used to the kind of investigative reporting that the Voice is doing,” said Leavens.

“It’s probably difficult for them to handle it from that perspective.

But at the same time, as a politician, you have to realize that the media has a job to do. And politicians should help them do the job within the limitations that are set up on them by legislation.”

Leavens said that any time politicians move to restrict information, suspicions are raised. “[The concerns] may not be warranted, but the fact that you’re reducing someone’s access to information that should be public creates a problem,” he said. “The best policy is to put the information out there as much as you possibly can, and let people see what’s going on.”

Leavens added that it’s important for the public to know how

Town of Pelham Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald. For the past three weeks, MacDonald has specialized in not responding to Voice inquiries of any nature.

VOICE PHOTO Councillors are restricted by legislation.

“When you’re talking about personnel issues, you’re restricted by the Privacy Act. You’re better off keeping your mouth totally shut. If someone leaves a position, the public assumes that they have a right to know why it happened.

The public doesn’t generally understand that. The only time they have a right to know is if the party leaving the position wants to tell them,” he said.

Former Councillor Marvin Junkin, who resigned his seat last November on what he said were ethical grounds, said that the Town’s actions weren’t a shock.

“It wasn’t really a surprise, considering that this is the same Council that continues to hide the real financial picture of the Town from residents, cancelled a promised public meeting, and still maintains that everything is hunky-dory,” he said.

"When I first heard of the removal of the media desk, the sheer pettiness of the act made me laugh. Just when you thought that the bar couldn't get any lower,” continued Junkin.

“When a local government decides to end all communication

with the local paper, from which the residents get their local information, I find the action rather disgusting.”

Junkin said that when he was on Council he was often disappointed by the hostility that other Councillors and Town staff had for the Voice, including a point when Council entertained pursuing legal action against the paper and Rainer Hummel, the whistleblowing real estate developer who went public with the Town’s land-forcredits scheme.

“I said that at no time would I vote to muzzle the neighbourhood press,” recalled Junkin, who said that Town Hall was already the subject of resident concerns about transparency, and that it was a “ridiculous idea to be sitting around and thinking about taking the paper to court.”

Voice Publisher Dave Burket says that the paper will not be deterred.

“We will continue to approach the Town of Pelham in good faith and simply ask that they return the courtesy,” he said.

“Stonewalling only energizes reporters, and deepens public mistrust. I hope Town Hall comes to its senses.”

Ron Leavens said that he didn’t

know if the Town’s new approach to the media would have been passed through Council.

“Quite frankly, I can’t answer because I’ve never been in a position like that. I’m not sure what the process is,” he said.

To the Voice’s knowledge, Council did not give Town staff direction to ignore the paper’s inquiries, remove the media desk, or trash copies of the paper left for the public.

Unless the matter was discussed behind closed doors—which would be an improper use of an in camera session—it would appear as though this was a decision made unilaterally by CAO Darren Ottaway.

Before taking his position in Pelham in 2012, Ottaway was the CAO of Grande Cache, Alberta, a small mining town of 3500, located some 400 miles west of Edmonton.

Ottaway reportedly served for a time in the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery.

When hired as Pelham’s CAO, Ottaway told the Pelham News that a military management style doesn’t work in a municipality.

“I started with a military model,” he said. “It was a complete failure.”

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Page 4

The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

OPINION

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

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

As We See It By stonewalling, Town sends clearest message of all

O

a delaying tactic than can also be expensive.

Three weeks ago the Town ceased responding to any questions at all, ignoring emails and phone calls. Then they stopped sending out news releases.

Finally, as if to ensure that no other community could challenge Pelham for 2018’s Most Childish Municipality award, the Town removed the media table from Council chambers.

Town Hall seems committed to providing information only to its most favoured media outlets, and to running its own news-free newsletter. Whereas some readers once claimed that the Voice was Town Hall’s mouthpiece, Pelham now has its very own state-run media.

Considering that questions are no longer answered, perhaps this feel-good newsletter is the principal rationale for continuing to employ an expensive Public Relations and Marketing Specialist.

(If you’re having trouble recalling the job’s priorities, just remember that in Pelham, PR always comes first.)

There has been much speculation that inside Pelham Town Hall the tail wags the dog—that CAO Darren Ot-

BSERVING THE continued conduct of Pelham Town Council brings to mind a group of people turning lemons into lemonade, spilling it, and then, while waiting for someone else to come and clean it up, forgetting that the floor is slippery and ending up flat on their backs.

Last week should have been a victorious one all around.

Meridian Credit Union pledged a million dollars to our new community centre in exchange for naming rights, and the Town announced a further $200,000 in pledges from individuals.

Instead, the most notable story is the Town’s pettiness.

Apparently displeased by the Voice’s continued investigative coverage of its finances—coverage which has been awarded by the Ontario Community Newspaper Association—persons unknown began removing copies of the paper left for the public inside Town Hall.

Some 500 copies over a month were deliberately trashed.

During the last several weeks, the Town increasingly declined to answer our questions directly, instead requiring the newspaper to file Freedom of Information requests,

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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

taway is running the show, with Council just along for the ride. But however authoritarian Ottaway’s approach may or may not be, he still reports to Council.

The Mayor has stitched himself to the hip of Ottaway, protecting him at every turn, even as there is reportedly disagreement among some Councillors with the CAO’s tactics.

Nonetheless, Council still holds the ultimate authority, the only true power.

Unfortunately it seems they don’t care to exercise it on behalf of the residents they serve.

Councillor Richard Rybiak, who recently received praise for his defence of Poth Street residents, briefly chaired last week’s Council meeting. (The Mayor was out of town; the current Deputy Mayor, a position that rotates, declared a conflict of interest.)

The last time Rybiak was left at Council without mayoral supervision was last summer. At that meeting, Regional Councillor Brian Baty suggested that the Town could address public concerns by agreeing to a full, independent audit of its finances.

Rybiak was the most forceful in dressing down Baty for his suggestion—the irony be-

ing, as we later learned, that at the very moment Rybiak was chastising Baty, an audit was already underway, an investigation at least partially prompted by newly hired Treasurer Teresa Quinlin, who evidently took one look at Pelham’s books and didn’t buy the tale they told.

Last week Rybiak flubbed again.

A resident in the audience expressed frustration that the public was not being given the chance to comment on the Town’s decision to allow development of a seniors’ residence in Fenwick to go forward.

After Town staff clarified that public consultation was not needed to lift a holding provision, the resident still expressed disbelief that his concerns would not be addressed.

Rather than sympathizing with the resident and recommending that he speak to staff after the meeting to try and find some resolution to his worries, Rybiak peevishly banged the gavel.

“Please. Order,” he said sharply, as if he could not resist imposing his authority.

The resident left the room in a huff. While he was not inclined to disorder before the

meeting, he was no doubt inclined to it after. Another day for Council, another enemy made.

Former Councillor Marvin Junkin told the Voice last autumn that he recommended to his fellow councillors that they needed to come clean about the Town’s financial situation.

In response, one councillor agreed with the moral choice, but said he was afraid that being honest with residents would make the community centre look bad.

This symbolizes Pelham Town Council’s entire approach: the truth be damned, let’s try to make things look good instead.

Now that the Town has trashed newspapers, refused to answer questions, cancelled public meetings, and removed the media table, it’s clear that Council is doing everything it can to ensure that residents aren’t being given the whole truth.

Yet not even the strongest authoritarian can stop time.

Sooner or later, as the weather warms and the heat rises, that thin ice that Council’s been skating on will crack. When that happens, chances are there’ll be more sinking than swimming. 

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament

Electoral District: Niagara West

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

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

Member of Provincial Parliament

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

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

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

Electoral District: Niagara West-Glanbrook

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

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

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

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

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

NEWS INQUIRIES & TIPS editor@thevoiceofpelham.ca LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@thevoiceofpelham.ca 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, March 14 2018

Page 5

OPINION COMMENTARY Zach Junkin

FOLLOW THE MONEY By Jim Pitt

"Victimization" perfected

I

tiny. Most politicians have embraced this new relationship with the media—after all, it's a lot easier for them

'M DIS A PP OIN T E D with the Town of Pelham’s ever-increasing withdrawal from public scrutiny, but not entirely surprised. While I was editor of the Voice, the Mayor and his staff were quick to embrace public exposure for a puff-piece, but framed any serious line of questioning as an unfounded political attack. Dave Augustyn, in particular, has perfected the art of playing the victim, and often used this skill to avoid answering tough questions.

Unfortunately, as journalism transitions from traditional hard-copy into the online world of misinformation and disinformation, a truth vacuum has been created.

Over the last decade, most traditional news outlets have lost the resources and inclination to properly investigate stories. Instead, they've become stenographers for the various groups they report on. If the Mayor, for example, says the Town's reserves are in good shape, it's often reported as fact without any further scru-

While editor, I found that the Town of Pelham had come to expect this kind of kid-glove treatment to cheat when no one's double-checking.

While editor, I found that the Town of Pelham had come to expect this kind of kid-glove treatment from the press. The Mayor and CAO cried foul whenever someone asked a hard question or identified an inconsistency in their claims. This was a particularly fine line See CRYING FOUL Page 10

Don't be tempted by glossy marketing: Debt is a prison

A

CIBC SURV EY IN 2012 showed that 60% of retirees in Canada were in debt. By 2016 that number had grown to 66%. Some 25% of these indebted retirees were carrying mortgage debt. This after a lifetime of home ownership and making regular mortgage payments.

Other debts carried by retirees were car loans, health bills and holiday expenses.

Some 30% of these retirees were continuing to work because they had to. As mentioned in an earlier column, 40% of working Canadians aged 20-64 have dipped into their retirement savings to pay bills and/or buy stuff.

Today’s Canadians are living longer than previous generations. Women live to an average age of 87, while men live to an average of 84.

Yet people are not preparing for the time when they can no longer work.

Younger generations of Canadians are also piling on the debt. While the average debt for a typical Canadian rose 4.3% in 2017, for mil-

lennials, born between 1980 and 1994, debt rose nearly 13% and for Generation Z, those born after 1995, debt rose nearly 23% in 2017.

Other than the obvious costs associated with debt— making payments, juggling credit cards and borrowing from various accounts— there is another set of associated costs.

Many studies have been done on these corollary costs of debt to the average person. They are many and varied. The information below is from Doug Hayes, a licensed bankruptcy trustee writing for the website The Simple Dollar. Generally, people do not consider the long term financial impact of taking on debt, not to mention the emotional toll that debt can bring to bear.

Interest payments on credit cards run around 21%. If you have $5,000 in credit card debt, the interest is costing you around $50 a month or $600 per year. If you only pay the interest, and more debt is added, the interest payments increase, but the debt never goes

away. You have less takehome pay and you become more dependent on credit to get by.

Debt encourages more debt and savings suffer from it

If the car you want to purchase is $20,000 and the bank will lend you the amount at 3.25%, your monthly payment will be around $580 for three years.

Dealer financing will get you into the same car for around $300 per month, but

to achieve the lower monthly payment you will be paying off the loan over six years, not three. The true cost of the car is $20,000 plus $2200 interest—more than twice the interest you would pay if you chose the bank loan and shorter term.

Having debt deters the ability to save money. The low interest rate environment of the past decade has encouraged people to rely on credit for emergency expenses. A recent study found that 25% of respondents could not come up with $2000 in 30 days for an emergency—which means that 75% of people could.

Not bad, but 92% said they would have to borrow for the emergency. They have no savings. Debt encourages more debt and savings suffer from it.

Debt really limits freedom. If you have too much See FOLLOW THE MONEY Page 10

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NEWSFLASH Tell us your story!

Column Six presents tales of personal triumph, adventure, strange-but-true stories, life-changing events, and looks-back at our past.

Did you conquer Everest or kick a bad habit?

Did you meet your spouse-to-be in jail or on an African safari?

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Page 6

The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Judy Reid accepts Citizen of the Year award before packed house

BY DAVE BURKET

The VOICE

Well over a hundred well-wishers and supporters turned out at Old Town Hall last Tuesday evening to celebrate Judy Reid as the Fonthill and District Kinsmen’s Citizen of the Year for 2017.

The former educator and longtime community volunteer was on vacation in Myrtle Beach when she was informed of the honour in mid-February.

“I was reading through the email and I must have made some sort of sound,” she recalled later, startling her travelling companion.

Reid, who turned 74 while she was South Carolina, was well past the shock by Tuesday, warmly greeting the stream of attendees arriving at Old Town Hall on a chilly evening.

“Judy’s one-of-a-kind, everybody loves her,” said Ron Kore, Citizen of the Year for 2016. Eleven previous winners were on hand. This was the 20th year the award has been given.

“You always wonder once the selection process starts if you’ll get it right,” said Kin President Brian Iggulden. “In 20 years we have never missed. That’s a pretty good track record, and we look forward to 20 more.”

After the singing of the national anthem, led by Kin Vice President Brendan Young, and opening remarks by Iggulden, the MPP for Niagara West-Glanbrook, Sam Oosterhoff, rose to speak, apologizing for doing so earlier than scheduled.

“As some of you may have heard, there’s an election happening,” he said, drawing chuckles.

After praising Reid’s nearly half-century of service, Oosterhoff was off and dinner was on, serenaded by

In 20 years we have never missed.

That's a pretty good track record, and we look forward to 20 more

Top left, Reid with her award and congratulations from local, provincial, and federal offices. Above, a hungry horde awaits dinner. Left, eleven previous Citizens of the Year join Reid. From left, Ron Kore, Gerry Berkhout, Gail Hilyer, David Swan, Anne Robbins, Paul Ryan, Judy Reid, John Wink, Catherine Kuckyt, Sandra Warden, Rosemary and Gary Chambers. VOICE PHOTOS

singer-songwriter Lindsay Mills. Her gentle interpretations of classic pop and rock tunes stood in welcome contrast to last year’s more raucous jazz-rock ensem-

ES T

RS PE

IPERS P RP

PETER PI

17 .20

rose one by one to congratulate Reid and survey her accomplishments.

Linda Arbuckle represented MP for Niagara West-Glanbrook, Dean Al-

professional and volunteer roles she’s held over the decades. A condensed version of her remarks appears on page 13.

As the evening ended, photographers asked that all 11 previous Citizens of the Year assemble for a group shot.

Later in the week, Reid said that she’d recently been considering “pulling back a little” in her volunteer work, but that being honoured by the Kinsmen “might just have reignited continuing, as I truly enjoy the work and the people I meet.”

Announcing our new fAmily dentAl prActice:

ER PIPER S ET

PET E

Cozy e lac Firep

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After dessert—pieces of cake featuring an edible image of Reid, donated by Fonthill Sobeys—speakers

lison, and current Deputy Mayor, Councillor Peter Papp, stood in for Mayor Dave Augustyn. Kin President Iggulden concluded the presentations, handing the podium over to Reid to accept her award.

Promising to keep it short, Reid began by generously thanking the evening’s dinner providers, Larry and Pat Bishop, for creating a delicious meal.

Speaking for 20 minutes or so, Reid acknowledged friends and family members who helped shape who she is, and touched on the many

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The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

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RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. € (Lease) Eligible 2018 GMC Canyon SLE Crew Cab: Lease based on suggested retail price of $41,295, includes $750 manufacturer-to-consumer GM Card Application Bonus (offer applies to individuals who apply for a Scotiabank GM Visa Card [GM Card] or current GM Card cardholders) (tax inclusive), $500 manufacturer-to-dealer lease cash (tax exclusive), $500 manufacturer-to-dealer Delivery Credit (tax exclusive) and $750 manufacturer-to-dealer Truck Month Credit (tax exclusive) towards the lease of an eligible new 2018 GMC Canyon SLE Crew Cab Short Box 4x4 at participating dealers. Bi-weekly payment is $175 for 48 months at 1.9% interest rate on approved credit to qualified retail customers by GM Financial. $3,360 down payment is required. Total obligation is $21,593 plus applicable taxes. Taxes, license, insurance, registration and applicable fees, levies, duties and, except in Quebec, dealer fees (all of which may vary by dealer and region) are extra. Option to purchase at lease end is $19,364. See dealer for details. Discounts vary by model. Dealer may sell for less. Limited time offer, which may not be combined with certain other offers. General Motors of Canada Company may modify, extend or terminate offers in whole or in part at any time without notice. Conditions and limitations apply. Offers may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives. ®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. ɫ (Finance) Eligible 2018 Sierra 2500 Denali HD Crew Cab 4x4 with Duramax Diesel Engine: Offer available to qualified retail customers in Canada for vehicles financed and from between March 1, 2018, to April 2, 2018. Financing provided, on approved credit, by TD Auto Finance Services, Scotiabank® or RBC Royal Bank. 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Taxes, $1,700 freight and PDI, $100 air conditioning charge (where applicable), PPSA, license, insurance, registration and applicable fees, levies and duties (all of which may vary by region and dealer) are extra. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Limited time financing offer, which may not be combined with certain other offers. GM Canada may modify, extend or terminate offers in whole or in part at any time without notice. Conditions and limitations apply. See dealer for details. ®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. † Sierra’s 5670 kg (12,500-lb.) rating requires Sierra Double Cab or Crew Cab Short Box 4x2 with 6.2L EcoTec3 V8 engine and Max Trailering Package. Before you buy a vehicle or use it for trailering, carefully review the trailering section of the Owner’s Manual.

The weight of passengers, cargo and options or accessories may reduce the amount you can tow. ¥ Full functionality requires compatible Bluetooth and smartphone, and USB connectivity for some devices. Data rates may apply. Ω Comparison based on wardsauto.com 2017 Small Pickup segment and latest competitive information available at the time of posting. Excludes other GM vehicles. ≥ Before you buy a vehicle or use it for trailering, carefully review the trailering section of the Owner’s Manual. The weight of passengers, cargo and options or accessories may reduce the amount you can tow. ∫ Available on select Apple® and Android™ devices. Some features may require a paid OnStar service plan. Features and capability may vary by vehicle, device, conditions as well as geographical and technical restrictions. Device data connection required. Ω Comparison based on wardsauto.com 2017 Small Pickup segment and latest competitive information available at the time of posting. Excludes other GM vehicles. ≥ Before you buy a vehicle or use it for trailering, carefully review the trailering section of the Owner’s Manual. The weight of passengers, cargo and options or accessories may reduce the amount you can tow. ∫ Available on select Apple® and Android™ devices. Some features may require a paid OnStar service plan. Features and capability may vary by vehicle, device, conditions as well as geographical and technical restrictions. Device data connection required. ∞ Based on WardsAuto.com 2018 Small Pickup segment and latest competitive information available at time of posting. Excludes other GM vehicles. ± Limit of four complimentary Lube-Oil-Filter services in total. Fluid top-offs, inspections, tire rotations, wheel alignments and balancing, etc., are not covered. Conditions and limitations apply. See your dealer for details. ᵒ Whichever comes first. Conditions and limitations apply, see your dealer for details.ɤ Visit onstar.ca for vehicle availability. Services and connectivity vary by model, conditions as well as geographical and technical restrictions. Requires active OnStar service and data plan. Data plans provided by AT&T or its local service provider.

Page 8

The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Shoalts named Explorer-in-Residence Given position for his wilderness adventuring, writing

BY VOICE STAFF Fenwick native and wilderness explorer Adam Shoalts was named an explorer-in-residence at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) at a ceremony in Toronto in February.

Shoalts, who was elected a fellow of the society in 2013, became known internationally after navigating a previously uncharted river in the Hudson Bay lowlands, an experience he wrote about in his bestselling book, Alone Against the North. Renowned storm-chaser George Kourounis was also named to serve alongside Shoalts.

To mark Canada’s sesquicentennial in 2017, Shoalts completed a solo 4000-kilometre journey across the territories, beginning in the Yukon and ending in Baker Lake, Nunavut.

“The explorer-in-residence positions are really new, so even I don’t know what it fully involves,” said Shoalts last week. “The first one was appointed in 2016—Jill Heinerth, an underwater cave diver. Now that I was chosen along [with a stormchaser], they're really covering all their bases."

Shoalts said that he appreciates that the RCGS also has a wide range of fellows, so as to encompass the many types of explorers.

"It's such a broad term—there are underwater explorers, nautical explorers, polar explorers, river explorers. There's space exploration, too. Roberta Bondar is a

vice-president of the society and she's an astronaut."

"I love talking to astronauts, but I'd never want to go to space," he said. "That's just another level entirely."

Shoalts specializes in arctic and sub-arctic expeditions, and his recent work has mostly been solo, a far cry from the many thousands of people and advanced technology needed for space exploration.

"The expedition in Alone Against the North was a cartographic one. But I'm also an archaeologist," said Shoalts, who has nearly finished a PhD at McMaster University.

When announcing his appointment on Facebook, Shoalts joked that this position would mean that he'd be giving up the notoriously difficult trips he undertakes.

"My days hacking through trackless swamps, swatting hordes of blackflies, or drifting on ice floes are over! Just kidding, I'll be doing more of that than ever," he wrote.

Shoalts said that he hopes to use the public profile that accompanies his new position to continue what he has done over past years—write books and advocate for Canada's natural areas. He often speaks publicly, and said that he is always trying to draw attention to the threats to Canada's natural spaces, particularly that of urban sprawl.

Adam Shoalts wades through a muskeg bog in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, 2016.

“Why is it that when the population doubles we can add a McDonald’s to meet demand, but can’t have a bigger park?” he told the Voice last fall.

Shoalts’ latest book, A History of Canada in Ten Maps, was long-listed for the RBC Taylor Prize for non-fiction, and Shoalts has already begun work on another book, this one on his expedition last summer.

“I'm also planning to write a book about a lost explorer, trying to solve the mystery of what happened to him," said Shoalts.

The book project will involve a voyage by Shoalts to retrace the path of the explorer, in an effort to find lingering evidence of the

original passage.

"It's really remarkable how little-known this explorer is. He was reported on in the New York Times at the time, but now he doesn't even have a Wikipedia page or a book about him. I'm getting the chance to do that."

Shoalts was deliberately reluctant to give the man’s name.

“I have said it before, but I do keep telling everyone that it’s a secret,” he said.

On other upcoming expeditions, Shoalts intends to shoot more wildlife photos.

"It's something that I've been wanting to do, and as my camera equipment has gotten better I'll be able to take better pictures of an-

SUPPLIED PHOTO

imals in their natural habitat," he said. "I'll be looking for rare wildlife, like the Easter Cougar and the Black Rat Snake."

Last month Shoalts was a fellow-on-board an RCGS One Ocean Expedition to Antarctica, where he gave talks and served as a resident expert.

“It was really interesting to see the wildlife and the different sort of landscape,” said Shoalts.

Shoalts has visited the high-latitude arctic, and said that while it is nice to be somewhere without bugs, he still prefers the sub-arctic.

But he did not rule out a future polar expedition, saying, “Anything’s possible.”

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Damage caused by sidewalk plows

The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS

Damage caused by the Town’s contractor to clear sidewalks of snow has prompted some residents to be concerned as to who will pay for repairs. A stretch of Woodstream Boulevard near Bigelow Crescent is a particularly affected area, with substantial gouges cut from front lawns and a shearing off of driveway curbs on the east side. A four-by-four wood edge of one driveway was torn from the ground.

Neither Town Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald nor Director of Public Works Andrea Clemencio responded to questions last week as to who is responsible for paying for the repair of damaged private property.

Bob Spark, who lives further down Woodstream on the west side, also had chunks torn from his front lawn, though not as severe as those by Bigelow.

“The plows they use on sidewalks are too wide,” said Spark. “I think that they must have been designed for the new, wider, sidewalks.”

Spark said that he took pictures of the damage to his yard and those of others to Town Hall on Monday morning.

“They took down my name and said that they would take care of it,” said Spark. “They said that there had been numerous complaints.”

Damage to property on Woodstream Boulevard, which residents say was caused by inattentive sidewalk snow clearing.

VOICE PHOTO Spark said that he was not told as to whether it would be the contractor paying for the repairs, of if it will be the Town footing the bill.

Welland Road pothole complaints

On the Council agenda last Monday night was Andrea Clemencio’s monthly report, which detailed complaints received about Welland Road.

“Complaints about the condition of Welland Road, from just west of Haist Street to Pelham Street, continue to be received,” wrote Clemencio, who was not asked about this part of the report. Her report said that this section of road

“is planned for excavation and replacement under two large capital projects for water and sewer replacement.”

“Unfortunately these projects were both postponed in the budget process. These projects were postponed to 2019 and 2020 respectively. As such, the whole section of road will not be resurfaced in 2018,” wrote Clemencio.

She did make note that her department “is making plans to include the most significant deficiencies in our small repairs program, as patched repairs, to try to extend the life of the road until the large road project can be completed.”

Page 9

Town grant request rejected

Also on the agenda but not discussed was correspondence from the province, which advised the Town that it had not been approved for a grant that was to fund the Pelham Street water main, sewer, and road reconstruction.

The Town had requested $1.2 million from the province to complete this project in 2018.

In the 2018 capital budget, $1.192 million of Town funds were allocated to the project in addition to the expected $1.2 million in grants.

The project was then said to be a “previously approved ongoing capital project, [with] budgets carried forward,” and included “storm construction, pond upgrades, and water main replacement.”

The budget’s phrasing is difficult to decipher, saying also, “Phase construction if not funded over two years. Application for Over-The-Top OCIF grant towards storm and road reconstruction.”

Questions to Clemencio and Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald as to how the grant rejection would affect the project were not acknowledged, nor did either reply to questions about how the construction will be phased, in view of the budget’s murky wording.

WELL SPOKEN The Lions and Lioness of District A-2 held the finals for Effective Speaking on Sunday, March 4, at the Port Colborne Lions Club. The winners, from left: Madison Davey , Rodia Mwamba, Anne Beauparlant, Summer Wolfe, Kayla Minor, and Elika Graves. The winners of the District finals move on to the Ontario finals coming on May 4-5 in St. Catharines.

Not pictured: Isaac Kahn and Ayla Baldwin. SUPPLIED PHOTO

DUNKED AND DONE A. K. Wigg Intermediate Boys Basketball Team “A” Gold Medal Champions 2017-2018.

Front row, Ben Cretney, Joshua Gibson, Liam Vokey, Jordan Hatt. Back row, Alexander Lafferty, Matthew Jinks, Noah Minor, TJ Hurley, Preston Darling. SUPPLIED PHOTO

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CRYING FOUL continued from Page 5 for me to walk, as I'd run for Mayor against Augustyn in the past. Because of this, Augustyn could point to anything he didn’t like in the Voice and claim that it was politically motivated. I was constantly aware of this and tried to take it into consideration when dealing with stories involving the Mayor.

Looking back, I think Augustyn knew he could abuse my good nature, and leveraged this concern into added leeway.

The irony is, free from the potential perception of bias, the Voice pulls fewer punches with the Town now that I don't work there. The paper continues to hold Town Hall accountable by asking the

FOLLOW THE MONEY continued from Page 5 of it, you cannot just pick up and go on a vacation, or buy some frivolous bobble. If a new job opportunity comes up hundreds of kilometers away, but your mortgage payments are high and the housing market has slowed, you are stuck. You can sell the house, but you could then be underwater, owing more than the house is now worth. It happened a decade ago in the U.S. and elsewhere. It is starting to look like it is about to play out in Canada.

If most of your monthly income is spoken for in debt payments, what happens if there is a job loss or illness or death in the family? Financially, you have no wiggle room and you have no freedom.

Having debt while going into retirement seems foolish, but more are doing it.

Using credit to smooth over emergencies is fine if you have the money in savings and the debt is easily covered, but this is not usually the case. Starting off in life with heavy debt seems to become self-perpetuating, as debt breeds more debt.

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

difficult questions. Unfortunately, because the Mayor, Council and CAO don't want to answer these questions, they're scrambling for more and more ways to dodge them altogether.

This sets a dangerous precedent for the relationship between the municipality and the press. A free and open society requires elected officials and public institutions to be available to journalists, who ask questions on behalf of citizens.

There can be no accountability, no transparency, if municipal officials will only engage with journalists they like, or if they can pick and choose which topics they want to discuss That's not journalism, that's propaganda. That's how it works in dictatorships, not in free societies.

The solutions are not easy.

Solution one, pay off your debts from the highest to lowest interest rates and avoid all debt in favour of saving. Solution two, declare bankruptcy or go to a debt consolidation firm to lower your monthly payments. This is not ideal and it is best that you look closely at the fine print before signing on.

Many marriages end in divorce, a major cause of bankruptcy. Financial problems in a marriage often lead to divorce.

To avoid any of these scenarios, always remember that debt grows a lot faster than you expect. Debt takes far longer to pay off than you thought and debt adds risk when life throws a wobbly at you.

Unbeknownst to all, save a couple of insiders, Pelham’s new twin arenas were using a temporary name for the last two years. They have now been christened with there true and rightful title. Farewell “Pelham Community Centre,” or PCC as it was known. We didn’t even get to meet you let alone cheer you.

Don’t get me wrong on this. While I have never been a fan of the "Meridian

TUNE-UP TIME

Poof. No more media worktable.

Luckily, we do not live in a dictatorship, and I know these recent attacks on the paper will only strengthen the resolve of the Voice.

There's a saying that goes something like,"You'll know you're over the target when you start taking flak.”

Well, the Voice is taking a lot of flak these days. I urge it to stay the course and continue to provide the most accurate and informative reporting in the region.

Community Centre" or the "Duliban Arena" or the "Accipiter Arena" or the other various “named” chunks of the white elephant being built off of Highway 20, I do think that the Mayor should get some kind of award for selling the most names at one construction site. We won’t need a map of the facility. A business directory should suffice.

Too bad the Mayor couldn’t sell PCC to the people of Pelham. Well, desperate times and all that. Of the $36 million needed to pay for the arenas, almost $3 million has been collected for naming rights. But over $9 million is being collected now in increased property taxes and that will continue for another 28 years.

I remember Toronto’s O’Keefe Centre becoming the Hummingbird Centre and now the Sony Centre.

All corporate names, but that’s fine because a corporation built it. E. P. Taylor, a very wealthy and generous industrialist, took up the challenge from the mayor of the day to build the centre on land he owned and named it after a brewery he owned. I don’t think Mr. Taylor went around selling naming rights to the various parts of the O’Keefe Centre, saythe Taylor Lob-

by, or the So-and-So Dressing Room. They were just called the lobby and the dressing room. It was probably considered déclassé or pretentious, or vulgar self-aggrandizement. That was then. In 1960, rich folks kept their wealth on the down-low.

Today a supposed community centre gets renamed for a relatively small percentage of the overall cost of the facility, on land the Town owns—or is it the Mayor's property? Sometimes it’s hard to tell. 1/36 of the cost to be accurate.

The other $33 million will be picked up through taxes, present and future, as well as development fees, although how the Town will collect this amount, $12 million, still escapes reasonable explanation. $12 million is also coming from land sales. Say, how go those land sales anyway?

Naming rights are fine when the namer contributes the lion's share of the revenue and builds whatever on the namer's land. They are not fine when the community that is really paying for the facility, on their land, has zero presence or recognition placed anywhere on the facility. But hey, these arenas have never been about the people of Pelham anyway, have they.

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The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

Page 11

Discriminating taste/of discrimination COLUMN SIX continued from Page 1 stains.

This may have been his first mistake.

He was not the iconic Elite Car driver, elegantly sporting a Tom Ford suit, gliding to a smooth stop at the service desk, swooned by staff of all genders, offering him vodka martinis while his car was brought around—right after they finished hand-polishing his dashboard display of assault weapon buttons.

This is not to say Jim didn’t look respectable. The shaved bald head and stylish, thick-rimmed glasses gave him the air of someone who took care of himself, even made him look rather artsy, which is appropriate because he is a successful commercial photographer.

He had a casual look about him on that day, but would anyone have noticed or cared that his plain t-shirt was by Banana Republic and not Kanye?

This may have been his second mistake.

He was also not the ironic Elite Car driver, shuffling toward the service desk, converged upon by staff of all genders, offering him a scotch on the rocks, cell phone cameras at the ready, because surely someone who dared to look this disheveled must be someone with such celebrity that he wears irreverence like a Tom Ford suit. This could be Charlie Sheen on his way to rehab.

Or Robert Downey Jr. on his way back. Or Keith Richards on…any day.

Jim stood, transparently, at the service desk for quite some time, while employees bustled about around him. Ten minutes went by and Jim waited quietly because he was curious to discover for just how long he could be overlooked. At last, one employee became annoyed enough at Jim’s loitering to ask if he could be helped.

“I’m here to pick up my car. It’s an SUV,” said Jim. “Oh, is it a D-Class?” asked the service rep. Jim was taken aback by the assumption that he drives the least expensive of the SUV models.

“No, it’s the A-Class,” replied Jim flatly.

“Oh. Is it a 2008?” asked the service rep.

“No, it’s a 2016,” replied Jim, perturbed that the rep assumed he drove one of the oldest models.

“Just a moment. I’ll see if it’s ready.”

He left poor Jim, wondering what he ever did to deserve such condescen-

sion.

He tried to think back to previous service appointments, at other dealerships, where he was always handled respectfully. How was this different? Should he have dressed better? Or worse? Should he have been pushy instead of patient?

Was this particular dealership collectively having a bad day or was this part of a larger theme, indicative of New Age Complacency replacing Traditional Courtesy?

We’ve all been judged or made judgments based on appearances and stereotypes.

Just the other day, my 12-year-old son asked me if I died my hair blond so that people would underestimate me.

What piqued my interest in Jim’s story is that at first he was treated as if he didn’t belong in a high-end car dealership, presumably because of how he looked.

Then the irony kicked in, because even though Jim had clearly paid the membership fee to be a part of this Elite Club, he was still treated as if he didn’t quite fit in because the next assumption was that even if

he drives the best car, he must certainly drive the worst model of the best car—like he just runs the third leg on the Olympic Gold medal 4x100m relay team (which is apparently the slowest runner’s gig).

Like that’s something about which to be embarrassed.

I understand that this registers pretty low on the thermometer of life’s discriminatory encounters, and I could easily delve deeply into a story about how this is a microcosm of Global Socio-Economic Hierarchy and the displacement of the 2-percenters, or just an easy target, like the Millenials, but I’ll keep it simple. You don’t check into the Plaza Hotel and expect to be handed a can of spider spray with your room key because—you know—they’ve had some issues lately. Either you’re a guest or you’re not a guest. Either you’re a driver or you’re not a driver.

I know it may seem shallow to some, but Jim bought himself an Elite Car because it’s a great car and now he’d like to be treated like he’s the owner of a great car.

Is that too much to ask? 

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The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

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Refreshments. All welcome.

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The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

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Citizen of the Year Judy Reid's acceptance remarks

BY JUDY REID

Special to the VOICE

Thank-you to all in attendance. I am delighted and overwhelmed to see the hall filled with family members, close friends of all ages, former co-workers and acquaintances, and new friends that recently moved into the Town of Pelham.

Four weeks ago this evening I along with good friend Barb Dochstader were nicely settled in to a condo by the ocean in Myrtle Beach when I happen to check my IPad for messages—and there was a message from Kinsmen President Brian informing me that I had been selected as 2017 Citizen of the Year and would I accept!

My immediate reaction brought Barb running to ask if someone had died!

“Shock and awe” was my first reaction, followed by a warmth of gratitude. The Myrtle Beach experience was enriched with over 200 messages of congratulations through emails, Facebook, cards and calls—all

gratefully received and appreciated.

I must acknowledge two very special family members that are unable to attend this evening: One is my sister Sharon Secord.

Sharon is Head of Wardrobe/Costume and Design at Waterloo University. At this moment she is teaching and mentoring 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students of the Theatre Arts program at Waterloo as rehearsals are underway for the 2nd production of the year! She gets excused because she is working with youth! Sharon was the one after I expressed struggling to come to grips with this recognition, as there are so many wonderful volunteers in Pelham, why me? Sharon’s response: “Oh, please.

Get over it and just say THANK-YOU!” The second special individual is my mother Lois Secord—if you know me, you more than likely have endured one or more of my “mother “stories!

My mom is 96 years of age, and due to physical disabilities she is unable to

The Jolly Butcher instilled in me that giving back was a must, no matter the age Local businessman Jim Zoretich donates $500 to Pelham Cares.

SUPPLIED PHOTO

attend this evening, but her mind is very sharp. Upon hearing that I was nominated and selected for this honour, I connected with Mom from Myrtle Beach by phone. The conversation went something like this: Mom: So I understand that you have been nominated and selected as the 2017 Citizen of the Year.

Me: Yes...

Mom: Was anyone else nominated?

Me: Yes...

Mom: “Well, I guess you are deserving.”

Then came, I want to say “I am proud of you,” with a long pause. Then came, “Do you have to make a speech”?

Me: Yes…

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Mom: KEEP IT SHORT! I am going to attempt to do that, but I leave it to the cousins and close friends attending this evening to report to Mom. It was my parents, Lois and Wally Secord, that led by example and planted the seed that life includes giving back.

Raised on a tender fruit farm in St. Catharines in old Grantham Township, my parents while raising three children and tending the farm found time to volunteer within the community and any surplus fruit or produce from the farm was always given to those in need.

Eventually the City of St.

Catharines grew and spread to the farm and my parents moved to Pelham in the mid-’60s.

With the social responsibility seed planted, I would like to share how my ties to Pelham have nurtured the volunteer seeds to grow and provided me with many years of enriched volunteer experiences.

Over the years others have influenced my desire to volunteer, but one individual that made a huge impact on me was the 2011 Citizen of the Year recipient, Gordon L. Klager, or, as he was known in our home, “Butch” for Butcher.

Ruth and Gord Klager would visit our family or

would trek to Fonthill to visit and pick up a side of beef.

Gord always shared what he was involved with in the community. Usually he was selling tickets to raise funds (Fonthill Lions Club) and even in his last year, I arrived at Lookout Ridge and he was sitting out in the warm sun in his wheelchair.

Gord waved me over—I was expecting words of wisdom but instead was asked if I had my wallet, because he was holding tickets for a community cause! The Jolly Butcher instilled in me that giving back was a must, no matter the age.

See REMARKS next page

Page 14

The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

TOWN COUNCIL NEWS Fenwick retirement home plan advances, community centre donations announced, Rybiak bangs gavel

BY VOICE STAFF With Mayor Dave Augustyn and CAO Darren Ottaway in Nova Scotia, the head of the Council table was occupied by Councillor Peter Papp last Monday evening, sitting in as Deputy Mayor.

“I will not speak Hungarian,” promised Papp as the Council meeting began. “I’ll speak English so that everyone understands.”

The meeting was a brief one for the second consecutive time, with the only significant decision made

by Council being to lift a holding provision on a planned 76-unit retirement residence in Fenwick.

During debate on the motion, Papp declared a conflict of interest and left the room, leaving Councillor Richard Rybiak to chair the discussion.

Councillor Gary Accursi praised the project, which is to occur at the corner of Baxter Lane and Welland Road, calling it “transformative for the community.”

“This is good for people who want to stay in the community,” said Accursi. “It’s within walking distance of downtown with our new library. It’s nothing but a good-news story for Fenwick.

Businesses down there will greatly benefit, and it will bring people to the downtown core. It’s revitalized, and transformed to living spaces as opposed to dead-zones.”

Rybiak echoed Accursi’s remarks, saying that it was growth

the man’s question about the letters could be answered, not a general question about the project.

Wiens stood to explain.

“There is no requirement to hold a public meeting during the lifting of a holding provision,” said Wiens, adding that letters had been sent out to advise residents that Council would be considering the motion but not that residents would be able to speak.

The man in the audience spoke up again, but Rybiak banged the gavel.

“Please. Order,” he said. The man threw up his hands in exasperation and went out into the hall. There he spoke to Papp, who was waiting to come back in the room.

Later in the meeting, as Fire Chief Bob Lymburner presented his monthly report, Rybiak questioned him about the possibility of an odour bylaw to address the smell emanating from marijuana facilities, an idea that Lymburner advised against.

“Under the Municipal Act we do have the ability to develop a bylaw,” said Lymburner, clarifying that the Town does not presently have one.

“I wonder whether we might ask staff to give thought to what kind of odour might be effective in dealing with the kinds of the complaints that I’m certainly getting,” said Rybiak.

“We could request staff to look

and development in Fenwick.

“Not that it’s at all negative,” said Rybiak of the growth and development. “It’s residential, with people walking on the street.”

He said that the retirement home would be a step to returning Fenwick to the thriving village of his childhood.

Director of Planning Barbara Wiens said the developer still had to submit a revised site plan to the Town, after the Town provided comments last September.

“We could turn that around in a month or two if all comments are adequately addressed,” she said.

Before Rybiak could move the meeting along, a man in the audience of four raised his hand. At first Rybiak ignored him, but then the man called out after the vote had occurred.

“The residents of Fenwick don’t get to speak at all?” he said.

“This is a council meeting, not a public meeting,” said Rybiak, indicating that residents are permitted to speak only at public meetings.

“Then why were letters sent out to residents in the area?” asked the man. Rybiak moved as if to ignore the man again, and then Clerk Nancy Bozzato whispered in his ear.

“All right sir, ask your question,” said Rybiak.

But Bozzato again whispered in his ear, evidently clarifying that she had meant to tell Rybiak that

NURSERY HELP CONSIDER A CAREER IN HORTICULTURE

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Wholesale nursery growing container perennials, Wholesale nursery growing container growngrown perennials, vines, flowering shrubs, evergreens & trees is seeking vines, flowering shrubs, evergreens & dwarf trees seeking individuals to join our Management team. We have a number of individuals who desire a career in horticulture.

We are in opportunities available for those skilled in Growing, Producneed of general labourers as well as those skilled in the tion and Shipping ofand nursery stock. of Plant knowledge and exgrowing, management shipping nursery stock. perience is an asset but we would be willing to train the Plant knowledge and experience is an asset. If you are right individual. you are a team player who hasdedication leadership and an individual whoIf has organizational skills and organizational skills and a desire to succeed, welook look foras well as a willingness to work as a team player, we ward hearing fromyou. you. Wages We offerwill excellent wages, health forward to to hearing from commensurate benefits andResumes incentives forbe thedropped right candidate. with experience. may of between Resumes the be dropped off between of 8:00a.m.-4:00p.m. hours may of 8:00a.m.-4:30p.m.

Mondaythe to hours Thursday or 8:00a.m Thursday -12:00Monday noon ontoFridays at: or 8:00a.m.-12noon on Fridays at:

Let me take you back to September 1969, as I entered E. L. Crossely Secondary School as a first-year teacher hired by the man known for plaid jackets, and the newly appointed Principal, Mr. Ralph Hogue.

Four days in to teaching and having prior knowledge that annually the students in the area high schools took part in what was then known as Youth Day at the Welland Fair, Ralph Hogue called Danna Lee Berry, my counterpart, and myself into the office to inform us that the students would not be released for youth day because there was not enough interest in the other aspects/

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Lucchetta Homes were among those whose community centre contributions were announced last Monday.

VOICE PHOTO at what’s been done elsewhere, what’s worked elsewhere, and come back with a suggestion or something that we can consider.”

Lymburner, repeating what he had said in February, replied that a Town bylaw is not an effective way of dealing with odour concerns, since the Town does not have the authority to shut facilities down in a case of non-compliance.

“A recent update is that there’s a specific provincial office with the authority to shut these places down,” said Lymburner. “The provincial office is going to be able to clear a lot of this up.”

He added that the Town has been in contact with both the provincial office and Health Canada, and asked Rybiak to give

entries of the Fair. Well, that was like waving a red flag in front of two young teachers. We plotted and worked with students to get sewing, projects completed, food items prepared, and in the final hours we had over 150 entries loaded in two vehicles. Ralph Hogue reversed the decision and E.L. Crossley was strongly represented at Youth Day and in the exhibits that year.

Call the two young teachers rebellious, maybe, but my personal benefit at that point was meeting directors of the Fair and discussing how to improve student participation. The result was that I was asked to join the board that became known as the Niagara Regional Exhibition—a 10- year volunteer experience that set the stage for me wanting the best for young people as well as viable, strong community organizations.

That experience, along with 20 more years of teaching adolescents and adults, a short five week re-

289-897-8666 See clinic for details.

tirement at the end of 1998, plus a second career that re-

I am humbled and honoured to accept this gift of recognition sulted an additional 14 years of employment with the Business Education Council of Niagara, in the not for profit sector, opened doors, connected and provided me with so many volunteer opportunities.

These included volunteer experiences within Pelham, across the Niagara Region and the province of Ontario.

And now the present. I am often asked what are you up to in retired life.

Life continues to be full and rewarding, and a num-

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them a couple of months to work on the issue.

Rybiak agreed that it would be something to monitor over the next months, especially as the weather gets warmer. Papp suggested that staff provide more information on the scope and power of provincial office, so that the public knows exactly what office has what power.

“People didn’t know who to call or what to do,” said Papp.

At the beginning of the meeting, it was announced at the further $200,000 in pledges had been collected for the community centre. Donations from the Erwin Taylor Foundation, from Richard and Tia Taylor, and from Robert and Ed Luchetta, of Luchetta Homes were all announced.

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ber of you are the reason that I continue to volunteer…Gail Hilyer is here tonight, who I worked with on the Pelham Seniors’ Advisory Committee, along with Joe Bouchard. I happily Chaired the first year but stepped aside in 2015, still on the sidelines tuned in, as my mother is now in long term care and I have chosen to become an advocate for her and other residents.

I have always wanted the best for our youth but truly I want the best for all ages and for neighbourhoods and communities.

Volunteering, for me, has been and continues to be a wonderful gift of “giving and receiving.”

The giving includes time, expertise through mentoring, sharing skills and knowledge in collaborating with others. The receiving is seeing young people grow and achieve, be successful in their world of work, as parents, in their community and witnessing/being part of organizations to foster their growth in strengthening their services to benefit individuals and to build strong communities.

Thank-you for allowing me to share my personal road map of volunteering.

In closing, I would like to end with a huge thank-you to the Fonthill and District Kinsmen for initiating this award in 1998. In honouring an individual annually you are also putting a lens on all volunteers and their work throughout the community to make the Town of Pelham a wonderful place to call home.

I am humbled and honoured to accept this gift of recognition of 2017 Citizen of the Year!

Thank you!

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

Page 15

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Page 16

The Voice of Pelham, March 14 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

SECOND TRY continued from Page 1 veloper in East Fonthill, in a controversial 2015 transaction that continues to draw scrutiny.

Taylor Wilson, a realtor for Colliers International, the firm handling both the new listing and the original listing, confirmed that the 3.4 acres had recently gone on the market.

Though Collier’s online description does not specify which 3.4 acres are for sale, Wilson said last week that “it is the area around the community centre.”

The parcel is evidently an L-shaped plot of land on the south and east sides of the structure.

Wilson said that there is no closing date for bids on the property, unlike the process last autumn.

“It’s open to the public."

When asked if the plan was to now split up the land and sell it in different chunks, he declined to answer.

“I’m going to have to ask the Town how much I can talk about this,” said Wilson.

A request for comment last week from Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald was not acknowledged.

In 2016, CAO Darren Ottaway said that the most profitable way of selling the land would be to sell it in small pieces. Despite this, MacDonald said last month, “Council ultimately decided to sell all the land at once.”

Now it appears that Council has reversed course.

A real estate accounting expert consulted by the Voice said that the Town’s initial effort to sell the land in one piece was unwise.

“Their first attempt at selling the entire 18-plus acres was not a good move. It ruled out smaller developers in this area, thereby reducing the competition,” said the expert, who asserted that selling smaller parcels will make it more likely that the Town can get to $12 million in the end.

“It’s going to take some time to sell all of the land, which they knew about two years ago. The plan was always to borrow Infrastructure [Ontario] money for a short term while the land was

A portion of Collier's online listing.

being sold to get the top dollar,” said the expert.

The expert said that the attempt to sell all the land at once was an effort to immediately diminish the amount of borrowing needed.

“My speculation is that they wanted to keep the long-term debt low by using short-term funding for this, or selling it quickly if possible. The Annual Repayment Limit is what they are trying to manage by reducing the $17 million council-approved debt to $9 or $10 million.”

The expert asserted that the Town will now need to borrow more money on a short term basis—one to five years—and pay it off as it sells the East Fonthill acreage in smaller parcels.

“We are heading towards a slowdown or recession, which will complicate things, but those are the risks of being a developer, which the Town chose to be.”

The section of land recently re-listed does not include 7.7 acres that fronts onto Highway 20, land on which the Allen Group still has a purchase option.

The Town has had a long relationship with the development company. Part of a 2014 agreement grants the Allen Group an option to buy all or some of these 7.7 acres for $375,000 per acre, provided that a plan is in place for a retirement home or medical centre to be built on them. The option expires in March 2019.

However, Town CAO Darren

VOICE GRAPHIC/REALTOR.CA

Ottaway has said that because the Allen Group must have an approved site plan before the option expires, the effective expiration of the option is about six months before March 2019—or September of this year.

In January, Ottaway told a group of residents that the Allen Group’s option on the land has been “problematic.”

“It’s not ultimately a problem,” asserted Ottaway. “It’s an irritant.”

Ottaway said that the Town clearly stated to prospective buyers that the option existed. He said also that one potential buyer suggested that the purchase be phased—that the land on which the Allen Group had its option be acquired later. Seemingly this deal has not been agreed.

Curt Harley, speaking for the resident advocacy group Pelham DEBT, has said that unless the Town is fully forthcoming with its real estate deals, he and other members of DEBT intend to file appeals with the Ontario Municipal Board to stop the sale until all details are made known.

“If this latest offering is a desperation sale, or there are hints of any secret deal and [we] see any evidence of that, there will be an appeal,” said Harley.

Harley asserts that Mayor Augustyn is in a tough spot politically, needing to obtain $12 million for the land after having long claimed that this would occur.

He worries that some “freebie” credits could be thrown in for a

TROPHY AWARDED Janet Madune, Executive Director of the Welland Heritage Council, presented Rana Bechara-Maalouf with a trophy honouring her as the organization’s 2018 International Woman of the Year.

The presentation and reception took place at Welland Civic Center on Tuesday, March 6.

LARRY COTÉ PHOTO

potential buyer to entice them to pay a higher face price.

The practice of “bonusing,” or offering certain incentives to developers, corporations, and other entities, is illegal in Ontario.

Public Relations and Marketing Specialist MacDonald said earlier that Colliers was to receive a three percent commission on the sale price of the 18.75 acre offering. If this same commission applies to the newly listed piece, Colliers would receive $71,400.

In the funding plan presented to Council in 2016, Ottaway and then-Treasurer Cari Pupo projected $12 million of the community centre’s $36-million-plus cost would be paid for with the sale of surplus Town land.

As of the end of February, the Town had exhausted funds on

RENOVATE

hand to pay for the community centre’s ongoing construction bills.

According to previous statements by Public Relations and Marketing Specialist MacDonald, “short-term financing will be needed for the March construction invoice.”

If the Town is unable to obtain $12 million dollars from the sale of land, the remaining amount of this “short-term” financing will become long-term debt.

In turn, this likely would see the Town paying for its debt with operating revenue—i.e. property taxes—over an indeterminate period of time.

It would also push the Town closer to its Annual Repayment Limit, potentially restricting it from borrowing more money to fund future projects.

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