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bilko@rgcmail.com Vol.20 No.53
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
FREE
Tensions flare as NPCA refuses provincial offer Hastily called board meeting greeted with skepticism
Column Six Going Dutch Netherlands offers bicycle tourists vistas and variety
BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
A faction of some 50 concerned citizens gathered outside Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) headquarters in Welland last Wednesday to draw attention to the board’s decision not to accept the Ontario Auditor General’s offer to conduct an independent review of the conservation authority. When the special board meeting began at 10 AM, the demonstrators moved inside to listen to the NPCA’s rationale for not accepting the help from the Province they were apparently seeking. Held in a small room in the See NPCA Page 10
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A
what our concerns are, so it’s very important for us to have someone who understand those concerns.” He cited housing affordability and increased provincial debt as issues he would like to see Oosterhoof take on. “The Liberal party has been very happy to go into debt,” he said. “Our generation understands that that’s not a good investment for us, and that we will be the ones who actually have to pay that off.” Quirk, on the other hand, focused on his experience both as a business owner, and as a politician, having served the public as a municipal councillor in Grimsby, and currently as a Regional Councillor in Niagara.
BLISTERING 7.85 kilometers per hour average cycling speed through the Netherlands, barely faster than jogging, yielded our most enjoyable cycle touring holiday ever. How fast can you go with a dozen farm-fresh, longstemmed lilies stuffed inside the back of your cycling jersey? Breakfast at the Heart of Zwaag B&B in Hoorn, in northwest Holland, had been so delicious that my wife and I felt obliged to thank the proprietor with flowers. Stopping to photograph a family of goats sunning on a shed roof can slow you down a bit, but being silently surrounded by 30 curious sheep while focusing really kills the average speed. When the path ends abruptly and you have to cable-winch a tiny manually-operated ferry across a canal to continue, even Chris Froome would lose time. Squinting to shoot a 350-year-old windmill in perfect contrast to seven, 120-metre-tall, 5-megawatt wind turbines in the background takes time too.
See WINNER back page
See DUTCH Page 14
HAPPY TEARS An emotional Ron Kore accepts his Kinsmen Citizen of the Year award. Page 9.
NATE SMELLE PHOTO
Once again, it's Oosterhoff by a mile BY ZACH JUNKIN
Special to The VOICE
It was a packed house at the West Lincoln Agricultural Centre Tuesday night a week ago as Progressive Conservative party members from across the newly formed Niagara West riding came out to elect MPP Sam Oosterhoff as their nominee for the 2018 provincial election. More than 800 party members cast their ballots in the contentious nomination race between Oosterhoff and his challenger, Regional Councillor Tony Quirk. The vote was nearly 2-to-1 in favour of Oosterhoff. The 19-year-old Oosterhoff, who won the party nomination and subsequent by-election for Niagara West-Glanbrook after Tim Hudak left the seat in 2016, ran a youthful campaign that derid-
Young MPP beats off internal challenge for nomination ed the Liberal government’s management of the province over the last 13 years. It was a message that resonated with the many younger voters on hand, who expressed their hope that a younger candidate will better relate to the issues they face. “I think it is important to have young voices in our government,” remarked a young man named Alex, who said he was down from Toronto to show support for Sam. “We have a lot of people in government who are not connected to our generation, and don’t understand our needs, and
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Page 2
The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
IN THE NEWS
PUBLISHER’S CORNER by Dave Burket
All these flakes in town… March break is here and the timing couldn’t have been better if you wanted to get away from the white stuff. At press time, it’s falling cold and heavy out there. Apologies if this week’s paper was delayed arriving in your mailbox or favorite retail outlet. Hide-and-Seek...A message of congratulations from MP Dean Allison was read out at Ron Kore’s award dinner last week (p. 9), prompting our man on the scene, Nate Smelle, to wonder aloud whether Allison actually exists. “Since I started at the Voice, at every event it’s always someone reading a message from him, never the man himself!” Who you gonna...The Kinsmen dinner was a fine evening indeed, awkward mayoral Ghostbusters parody notwithstanding. Food, music, cash bar, and fellowship were all top-notch, a true credit to the Kinsmen organization. Three weeks away and all I got was this t-shirt...Some readers have speculated that the recent presence of “Acting CAO” Cari Pupo has signaled a staff change at Town Hall. In fact, Pelham CAO Darren Ottaway has been under the weather for the last three weeks—a bad cold that went to pneumonia, which we certainly wouldn’t wish on anyone. We’re happy to relay news from the man himself—as of Monday he was recovered and back on the job. The grass is always greener...There’s a new face behind the registers at
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Fonthill’s LCBO. Heard in line when asked where she came from (Grimsby) and how she liked Pelham: “Oh, I’m in the land of butterflies and rainbows now.” Confidential to D: So, so right about rabbits. Scotch on me. Mowing down the competition...With the closure last week of D&L (formerly Dave’s) Small Engines, there’s a gap in landscaping equipment sales and service to fill. Now, I don’t about you, but I appreciate being treated with respect when I go shopping for a new mower, or mower parts, or snowblower parts, or a chainsaw to help cut through political double-talk. The Ben Berg firm, a few minutes to our south, couldn’t be more accommodating. Yes, they have a full-page ad in this week’s paper, so I can understand your questioning my objectivity. The fact is, no one at the Voice knows any of the Bergs personally, and historically they are not big advertisers. No, what prompts this recommendation is what passes for customer service so often these days. At some point we collectively, as consumers, need to say enough is enough, and reward retailers who treat us as halfway intelligent individuals, not just sales targets given a take-it-orleave-it attitude. I can’t recommend the Berg operation highly enough, but, as they say, different strokes for different folks. Allegedly around the corner...Countdown to spring: 5 days.
Town secures users for new Community Centre
At the beginning of their meeting on Monday, March 6, Council signed agreements with six community groups planning to make use of the new Pelham Community Centre (PCC). “These agreements exceed the revenue goals for the Centre and confirm the use of the facility,” said Mayor Augustyn. “We are very excited that our own local groups and a few coming back like lacrosse and figure skating will be using the facility. This shows that the PCC with all of your work — the volunteers, the work of your executives and the players — will be a place for residents of all ages to gather and to enjoy a wide variety of recreational and social, health and community activities for many years.” Organizations entering into a five-year agreement with the Town include: Pelham Minor Hockey Association, the Pelham Jr. B. Hockey Club, Pelham Panthers Basketball Association, the Southern Tier Admirals AAA Hockey, Welland Raiders Minor Lacrosse and the Niagara Centre Skating Club.
The Lions Message in a Bottle Project
The Fonthill Lions Club is launching a new community initiative, “Message in a Bottle,” as a method of being prepared for a medical emergency in any home. While the program is fo-
on vacation!
cused on the more vulnerable people in the community, anyone can fall down the stairs or have an accident in the home. The Lions Message in a Bottle project is a simple idea designed to encourage people to keep their personal and medical information on a standard form and in a common location — the fridge. By informing whether a person is on special medication or whether they have allergies, it is a potential lifesaver and provides peace of mind to users, their families and friends. At a minimum it will save first responders valuable time identifying a person and their emergency contacts. The kit comprises of a bottle, a form and two stickers. The system is simple and the instructions are easy to follow. Complete the details on the form. Put the completed form in the bottle and place it in the door compartment of your fridge. Place one of the special Green Cross emergency stickers on the inside of your front door and the other one on the door of the fridge. Emergency responders will be alerted that medical information is located in the fridge. The members of the Fonthill Lions Club will be distributing Message in a Bottle Kits free of charge as a community service and will be taking on all the costs as-
sociated with promoting the program here in Pelham. All emergency services have been made aware of the project. When they respond to a call their attention will be drawn to the sticker at the front door, informing them that medical information is available in a bottle located in the fridge. The bottle can be transported with the patient to the hospital to aid first treatment in the emergency unit.
Canada’s suburbs must prepare for aging population
With Canada’s population aging rapidly, municipalities must refocus their community planning efforts to deal with the impact of decades-old car-dependent suburban sprawl that leaves less-mobile seniors isolated, says a new publication from the Institute for Research on Public Policy. Today seniors prefer to “age at home,” but most older residents who do wish to stay in their own neighbourhoods have limited housing options, says author Glenn Miller (a senior associate with the Canadian Urban Institute in Toronto). “It is fair to say that our current suburbs are no place to grow old.” Miller notes that although more than 500 Canadian municipalities have declared their intention to become “age friendly,” no municipalities have yet taken the basic step of amending their land-use plans to reflect that commitment. No Place to Grow Old: How Canadian Suburbs Can Become Age Friendly, by Glenn Miller, can be downloaded from the Institute’s website (irpp. org).
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DSBN wants portion of Town park Request made of community still peeved at name change
Vol.20 No.48
CELEBRATING OUR 20TH YEAR
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
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Column Six The Comfort Maple myth BY JULIE MANNELL
Special to the VOICE
HEN I WAS young,
The Niagara Regional Police Service is committed to reducing impaired driving offences through education and the apprehension of offenders through enforcement programs like RIDE. Impaired driving is still the leading cause of criminal deaths in Canada and destroys thousands of lives every year.
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In an effort to bring further attention and deterrence to driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, the Niagara Regional Police Service reports the names of those people who are charged with an alleged criminal impaired driving offence in the Region. None of the following charges have been proved in court. In addition to being charged, these individuals are also bound by a Ministry of Transportation 90-Day Administrative Driver’s License Suspension and are prohibited from operating a motor vehicle on a roadway. The public is encouraged to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service Traffic Safety Hotline or Crime Stoppers to report those who are driving in contravention of the suspension. The following individuals have been charged criminally with impaired driving by alcohol or drugs, driving with a blood alcohol concentration above 80 mgs of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, or refusing to provide a breath / blood sample.
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NIAGARA’S BEST-READ WEEKLY SINCE 1997
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Oops: No fire trucks for you Haist Street traffic-calming measure a little too effective BY VOICE STAFF A construction error was discovered following the opening of a traffic calm-
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Column Six Growing up British Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER
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Vol.20 No.32
Apple Day comes to Fonthill Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932 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
The goal is to have these youth develop
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Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn BY JOHN SWART
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The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
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OPINION
The opinions expressed in submitted commentary and letters to the editor are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Voice of Pelham.
The Voice of Pelham is a 1211858 Ontario Limited publication David Burket, Publisher 2-1428 Pelham St., P.O. Box 1489, Fonthill, ON L0S1E0
As We See It Despite mayoral rhetoric, new arenas still no goldmine
I
N ONLINE COMMENTS last week, Mayor Augustyn excitedly announced the signing of a handful of 5-year agreements with user groups for the new Pelham Community Centre. The Mayor noted that Council was “thrilled” with the signings, and that these agreements would help the Centre exceed initial revenue goals over this period. The announcement was well-timed, given that senior town staff have been taking a lot of deserved flak lately over a recently revealed 9,000 sq. ft., probable-million-dollar screw-up with the Centre’s design. On the heels of this debacle, the Town was in desperate need of some positive press. But a closer look at the announcement leaves one wondering whether this is truly good news, or just an empty attempt at damage control. After all, to hear the Mayor tell it, municipal arenas are the next gold rush happening right here in Pelham: “The 1,000-seat Accipiter Arena will have 100% primetime usage and the Duliban Insurance Arena will have more than 90% prime-time usage,” he asserts. Sounds pretty good, right? Well, not so fast. Readers
should always be wary when clear figures are not presented, and terms are poorly defined.
What exactly is "prime-time" usage? What percentage of total ice time does this account for? The agreements will help “exceed revenue goals,” but what were these goals? What exactly is “prime-time” usage? What percentage of total ice time does this account for? After all, the taxpayer has to keep the ice cold whether it’s prime time or not. To get an idea of how these figures can be manipulated, one need look no further than the 2015 update to the Town of Pelham Arena Facility Provision Strategy, provided by LeisurePlan International Inc. In 2013, LeisurePlan reported that Pelham did not
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have an immediate need for two arenas. Not long after, presumably at the request of the Town, Leisureplan revisited their findings and discovered, surprise, surprise, that Pelham did need two arenas after all. This conclusion was reached in some interesting ways. Take for example this excerpt from page 22 of the report, which reads, “The 2013 research identified that the existing ice pad was utilized 83% during prime time; however, the ice time that was unused generally occurred before 7 am on weekends and after 11 pm throughout the week. These time periods were previously identified by Pelham Minor Hockey and Arbour Thursday Night Hockey as time they are not able or willing to use either because their participants are children and youth for whom this time period is inappropriate or their participants are adults that are not willing to participate that late in the evening. Given consideration of the timing of unused prime-time ice, it has been assumed for the purposes of this analysis that the existing prime ice time in the Pelham Arena See COMMENTARY Page 12
Letters Not practicing what they preach On a recent Saturday, Charlie goes for his dog walk, on leash, with a person. They ended up on St. Alexander’s property. The door opens and they are told, “This is private property, and if you don’t leave I will call the police, and it is a $250 fine.”
Electoral District: Niagara West
Dean Allison, MP 4994 King Street Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 Dean.Allison@parl.gc.ca 877-563-7900 Member of Provincial Parliament
Electoral District: Niagara West-Glanbrook Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755
Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Councillor Brian Baty 742 Memorial Dr. Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0 905-892-5317 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607
dog story we have concerning this property fits in very well with The Good Samaritan. Times and attitudes have changed, and not for the better. Build a wall. Susan Grimwood & Charlie Fonthill
New political blood needed—with regular transfusions In their letter to the Voice [Letters, “Double whammy as property taxes rise,” Feb. 8] Rick
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament
A reply was made to this, “We are leaving,” and they left. Charlie is a hound, a hunting dog, who looks and sniffs around. He was likely looking for discarded paper scraps of the Ten Commandments, or of the Beatitudes. In all fairness, the other
and Michelle Kavanagh conclude their remarks concerning the competence of Mayor David Augustyn and Town Council with the sentence, “’Mayor Dave’ and Council hear us, but they do not lis-
ten.” In the same issue, Marcy Tennier [Teacher speaks out: No need for soccer field, Feb. 8., p.1] expresses her frustration See BLOOD next page
Mayor of Pelham David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Members of Pelham Town Council
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Jim Zoretich, B.A., H.B. Comm Investment Advisor
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Letters
The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
Page 5
continued
BLOOD continued from previous page over the controversial decision to rename E. W. Farr school and to annex part of Cherry Ridge Park for a soccer field. She indicates that School Trustees of the DSBN are unwilling to re-consider their decision. She “…cannot understand the Board’s refusal to engage with the people they are supposed to serve.” In doing so, Tennier suggests, Trustees are dismissing the concerns of a large number of citizens.“No one is listening , and that’s the most disturbing point,” she says. In an earlier issue, Nancy Beamer, again in reference to the renaming of E. W. Farr, is quoted as saying: “…the people want their voices to be heard.” [DSBN remains silent despite growing opposition, Feb. 22, p.1] She refers to the “insensitivity” of the DNSB and its refusal “to engage in any form of dialogue.”
And then there is the issue of a need to redesign the new Community Centre to add an extra 9,000 square feet of space. Bjorn Walter [Letters, “In Community Centre design, how do you miss a 9,000 sq. ft. mistake?,” Mar. 8.] wonders about accountability and the “hoodwinking” of the residents of Pelham. All of these people make valid points and deserve more than a polite brush-off by the school board or by the Mayor and his Council: they all have legitimate concerns. These complaints are only a few from the many expressed over the past several months. In his Op-Ed piece in the Voice on February 22, Guido Mueller said it best: It is time, he writes, “to purge this Council at election time.” Allow me to take up Mr. Mueller’s suggestion. The underlying issue behind much of the dissatisfaction with our elected representatives finds its roots in the continued presence of the same tired faces on our Town
QUALITY CLEANERS
We need fresh blood, representatives with new ideas
Council. Almost all, including the Mayor, have served for at least two terms. That’s 8 years, more than long enough for all of them to have “served” the community. It’s not enough to say that we can throw them out at the next election. We all know that it is virtually impossible for a newcomer to break the grip of an incumbent in our political system. What we need, therefore, is a mechanism to make certain that this can be made to happen. We need fresh blood, representatives with new ideas and a keen interest in pro-
tecting the interests of the residents of Pelham. Election to Council should not be a lifetime sinecure. I have a suggestion, but first, we need a dedicated group of men and women willing to stand for election. However (and this is the crux of my argument), I would want them to pledge to serve no more than two terms on Council. Run for election on that platform. Two terms, maximum, and then step down to make way for new blood. Wouldn’t it be nice if this newly-elected group could also pass a resolution permanently limiting members of Council to two terms? We have had enough of the people now in charge of our community; it’s time for them to go. And, as a parting thought, don’t talk to me about continuity on Council. It isn’t necessary, not even for the office of Mayor. Don MacRae Ridgeville
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Leave Haist Street park alone I am writing to express my support for Mr. Alan Morgan of the Haist Street Park Committee [Letters, "Deja vu: Town tries to define Haist Street park as 'surplus,'” Mar. 8]. I did hear that the current Pelham Arena was to be torn down, but had no idea the park was being considered surplus and for sale. My wife and I have lived in Fonthill for only three years, moving from Mississauga. This park has the only free useable “tennis court” in Pelham (it is not regulation size). We use it often to play pickleball when our kids come down to
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visit. Mississauga, Oakville, and Burlington have numerous free public courts at community centers and parks in pristine condition, yet I would have to join the Pelham Tennis Association to use the Centennial Park courts at a cost of $150 (family), plus guest fees, to play tennis or pickleball in Pelham. How about putting some proper courts in for the residents at this location as well as keeping the park’s green space. I would gladly pay more on my taxes for that. Bart Roland Fonthill
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Page 6
Letters
The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
continued
Selling park not the way to bankroll Community Centre
Oosterhoff neither persecuted, nor representative
After reading the Alan Morgan letter [Letters, Deja vu: Town tries to define Haist Street park as “surplus,” Mar. 8], my husband and I were appalled that our Town would stoop so low. We, as seniors, are still upset that a new Community Centre costing over $36 million dollars would not include a decent indoor pool. There are many seniors here, and young people too, who would have benefitted from a pool and it could also have been a money-maker. Lessons for toddlers on up; programs for seniors, and lifeguard courses, to name a few. Then we read that the sale of this park (if it happens), is to be used toward the above mentioned Community Centre! Now it seems, there is a 9,000 square foot foul-up and we have yet to know who is responsible for this humongous error! (We hope they remembered to make room for the Zamboni). Well, to our way of thinking, the person or persons responsible should eat this extra cost. Why should our community be on the hook for it. The Haist Street park is not the place to find this extra money. It was built as part of the surrounding community when the quota of new homes were bought and to be en-
S. Sikkema's letter last week [Letters, "Sees intolerance for Christians," Mar. 8] was a red herring. Opposition to Sam Oosterhoff has nothing to do with his Dutch heritage or his Christianity. Zero. That Sam's ancestors were impoverished and worked hard and were forced to live under difficult conditions does in no way qualify him to be an MPP. Irrelevant. That his brother, Dr. Oosterhoff, was also homeschooled did not qualify him to practise medicine — that took eight years of hard study, definitely not paid for by the electorate while he collected an executive-level salary and benefits. While as a civilized society we respect an individual's right to believe absurd things, we are under no ob-
My husband and I were appalled that our Town would stoop so low
joyed by those homeowners and their families which they are still doing. Yes, the arena on site is old, but still functional. If necessary, remove it and replace it with a skateboard park or something else that blends in with what is already there! We do not want our beautiful town land sold to developers who will build on every square inch like other cities we have seen, thank you very much. Roberta & Paul Obelnycki Fonthill
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ligation to respect the beliefs themselves. We are not compelled to respect the belief that dinosaurs walked two-bytwo onto Noah's ark, that light from distant galaxies was created en route to the earth and that the first members of our species were fashioned out of dust and divine breath in a garden with a talking snake by the hand of an invisible god. Nor are we obligated to agree that a human zygote, or embryo, is a soul, whose status trumps the woman who carries it. Equating the persecution and killing of Christians in far off lands to local resistance to Oosterhoff is at best spurious and at worst reprehensible. We respect Sam's right to be Christian. We do not respect, nor accept, applying
Who is he being paid six figures to represent—our constituency, or himself? his Christian beliefs to the process of fashioning laws that affect us. Oosterhoff says he will vote his conscience regardless of any opposition to it. Really? Who is he being paid six figures to represent—our constituency, or himself? The greater issue with See RED HERRING Page 12
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The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
Page 7
Page 8
The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
Congratulations,
Ron
Kinsmen present Kore with award Annual dinner at Old Town Hall sold out for Citizen of the Year presentation BY NATE SMELLE
group of individuals is a testament to how special Kore is to Pelham. "Ron is the type of guy who speaks to what this award represents,” Twomey said. “Many people do a lot of things for the community, but only a few have a passion like Ron's. Life is full of peaks and valleys, no matter where you live. It's people like Ron who help their community get through the low times. That's really the spirit behind this award. We want to spotlight volunteerism and how it really does help to build a community." Kore’s contribution to the community is impossible to overlook. As the owner/operator of Sobeys in Fonthill, he has used his business acumen as a means of giving back to the town that he is proud to call home. With the sounds of the Mohawk College Jazz Trio filling the hall, Kore walked up and down the aisles,
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The Old Town Hall in Ridgeville was packed last Tuesday evening for the Fonthill and District Kinsmen Club special dinner in honour of Pelham’s Citizen of the Year for 2016, Ron Kore. Guests arrived early to ensure they could secure a seat and to show their appreciation for the community-minded grocer. Public relations director for the club, Kevin Twomey, said that over the last 19 years, the Kinsmen have made a tradition of paying homage to an individual or individuals who exhibit exceptional volunteerism and generosity that embodies the spirit of the community. With more nominees this year than ever before, Twomey said the prestige of the award has continued to grow each year since its inception. Being chosen from such a deserving
chatting and joking, expressing his thanks to everyone who came out to be part of the evening. Mayor Augustyn, along with Councillors Durley and Junkin, as well as Regional Councillor Bri-
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an Baty, all came out to show th appreciation. During his spee the Mayor recited a long list of K re’s contributions. Augustyn s whether it is offering support to ganizations such as Pelham Ca
Mon. to Fri. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Sat. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Places of Worship and Events Bethany Christian Reformed Church 1040 Balfour St., Fenwick Concordia Lutheran Church 105 Welland Rd., Fonthill
Glad Tidings Church of God 1 Pancake Lane, Fonthill Holy Trinity Anglican Church 1557 Pelham Street, Fonthill
Fenwick Church of Christ 765 Welland Rd., Fenwick
Kirk on the Hill Presbyterian Church 1344 Haist St., Fonthill
Fenwick United Church 1050 Church St., Fenwick
Pelham Community Church 461 Canboro Rd., Fenwick
First Presbyterian Church 602 Metler Rd., Fenwick
Pelham Evangelical Friends Church 940 Haist St., Fonthill
Fonthill Baptist Church 1414 Pelham St., Fonthill
Ridgeville Bible Chapel 418 Canboro Rd., Ridgeville
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 1369 Rice Rd., Fonthill
St. Alexander’s Roman Catholic Church 50 Pelham Town Sq., Fonthill
Fonthill United Church 42 Church Hill, Fonthill
St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church 834 Canboro Rd., Fenwick
THE STORY teaching series
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NEWSFLASH Tell us your story! Introducing Column Six,
presenting tales of personal triumph, adventure, strange-but-true stories, life-changing events, and looks-back at our past. Did you conquer Everest or kick a bad habit? Did you meet your spouse-to-be in jail or on an African safari? Do you know where Hoffa’s buried? Write it down, send it in: publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca (You won’t get rich, but you will get paid.)
The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
Page 9
Left, Ron and his wife, Tammy, go for pork chops and potatoes. Center, Kore receives a standing ovation. Above, the Citizen of the year thanks the Kinsmen and those who came out to the dinner. NATE SMELLE PHOTOS
Niagara Nutrition Partners, the Pelham Seniors Advisory Committee, Special Olympics, the Fonthill Bandshell or the variety of minor sports teams he sponsors, Kore is always there to serve the needs of others. "Without a doubt, anyone who knows Ron knows that the volume of his contributions to the commu-
nity qualifies him as a very deserving recipient of our community's most prestigious awards," said Augustyn. “Ron works tirelessly, and in many cases behind the scenes, behind the shelves — to improve the quality of life in our community.” Kore became choked with emotion accepting the award, expressing
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how grateful and humbled he was. He acknowledged that the Kinsmen have a nearly century-long history of service, raising more than $1 billion dollars for communities across Canada. Noting that many past recipients of the award were in the room, Kore said he was honoured to join their ranks. Thanking his
friends and colleagues who nominated him for the award, Kore joked that they were all now banned from his store for a year. "You do not receive an award like this without the support of co-workers, customers, friends, teachers, and especially family,” said Kore. “I learned early in my life that if you are going to succeed you must surround yourself with smart people. People with the right attitude, people
who are not afraid to fail, and most important people who believe in you." Kore said that without the support of “the love of my life,” his wife Tammy, he would not be where he is today. "Seven and a half years ago, someone asked me, ‘Ron why did you leave Loblaws? Are you crazy? You had 30 years of service, you were well-respected through the company.’ Today, I can tell you why I left Loblaws. It's because of you people."
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The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
NPCA continued from Page 1 basement not nearly large enough to contain even half the crowd, many from the public were forced to follow the proceedings from the hallway or in a room upstairs, where the meeting was being live-streamed. Though the board approved the tendering of a request for proposals to find an agency to perform a review of the NPCA’s operations between 2011 and 2016, most onlookers in the room doubted the sincerity of the board’s intentions. Regional Councillor and NPCA board member Bill Hodgson was one of the many in attendance disappointed by the RFP approved by his fellow board members. Having originally put forth the motion calling for an independent audit of the NPCA, Hodgson said the objectives and the way the reporting is to be done by the consultant, as defined in the RFP, were contrary to the motion that was passed by the board at its Jan. 18 meeting. “As a matter of fact, there is a point in the RFP [that] the consultant will attempt to be as independent as possible. For me, the way it seems is that’s code for ‘we know who you report to so don’t forget that,’” stated Hodgson. “That cuts to the whole commitment we made to the community to have an independent, arms-length, third-party review. So, I have some real concerns that we are not going to get the product that everybody in the room that day in January knew we were looking for — which was an investi-
gation into the concerns that have been raised throughout the community, concerns that have been essentially endorsed by a number of different municipal councils. That is what the review needs to look at and it needs to be reported to all of the board as a whole, not vetted in advance.” Hodgson said one of the main reasons that the board decided to move ahead with the review was because the public’s trust in the agency had been rattled. Recognizing the importance of regaining the public’s trust and addressing the crisis of confidence in the community, he stated, “If we are going to rebuild public trust, we are going to have to start to answer questions openly and accept an independent assessment of what some of the issues are and then decide. I am quite concerned that we have weaseled-down the language.” Angered by the phrase, “weaseled down,” board chair Sandy Annunziata said Hodgson’s language was out of order, demanding he withdraw his statement. Expressing that he did not want to offend anyone, Hodgson withdrew his statement indicating that he meant the language used in the RFP significantly watered down the credibility of the review in terms of it being conducted independently. When Graham affirmed that the independent third-party consultant would report to a steering committee selected by himself and members of the senior management team, Hodgson got a rise out of the gallery when he responded,
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“Does that not just scream for potential conflicts of interest?” Tensions continued to flare when board member and West Lincoln Mayor, Doug Joyner, threatened to have members of the public removed for not respecting the rules of the procedure. Visibly shaken, Graham asked the room in jest if anyone wanted to take his spot. Without pause, Ed Smith — the community activist and environmental advocate who was slapped with a lawsuit by the NPCA for raising the concerns that inspired the public’s demand for an independent audit — drew applause from
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onlookers when he chimed in, “I will.” Taking a moment to regain his composure, Graham responded, “I take offence that my personal integrity is being called into question. At this point, the acting CAO has the responsibility to fulfill the obligations in the motion that member Hodgson put forward, and I have every intent to do that. To even intimate that somehow, whatever the independent third-party consultant comes up with, that some of it won’t find its way to you, is an insult. I will not allow that to happen. Whatever is found is going to come here and it’s going to be known — good, bad, ugly, I don’t care. I just want this to be done. That’s part of the reason I have been so aggressive in moving it forward.” Following the meeting, Smith said he empathizes with Graham, acknowledging that the acting CAO is stuck between a rock and a hard place because he lacks the authority to do what he believes the NPCA needs to begin re-establishing the public’s trust. From his perspective, and from that of the growing movement he finds himself representing, all hope of rebuilding confidence in the NPCA under its current leadership is gone. “This board just needs to go,” declared Smith. "The overriding message for us is that we do not accept the RFP that was tabled by the NPCA at Wednesday's meeting. We do not accept it as being armslength and independent, and therefore it's not legitimate. We are encouraging our elected officials to come together publicly and stand up against this and start demanding provincial intervention. The province offered to intervene by way of the Auditor General but the NPCA turned it down for some mysterious, unexplainable reason." Having applied to the Province for assistance in conducting the review, the NPCA then refused the Auditor General's offer to do so, asserting that they were not ready to begin the process since they had yet to define the scope of the audit. Speculating on the reasons that the conservation
NATE SMELLE PHOTO
It looks terrible on them and unfortunately it further underscores the need for change at that board.
authority would not take the Province’s help, Smith sees only one logical explanation. "The Auditor General's reports to nobody but the province, so the NPCA wouldn't get to see the Auditor General's report and then [limit or block the] release this or that part,” he said. “The whole thing would become public, so the NPCA wouldn't be able to control what the public sees if it's done by the Auditor General. If it's done by someone they hire, they get to review it first and they could say well, ‘This is HR matters, therefore we are not going to release it to the public.’ They would get to apply their judgment as to what should be published if they're paying for a consultant." Like Smith, Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn doesn't understand why the NPCA would not accept help from the province that they said they were seeking in January. "It looks terrible on them and unfortunately it further underscores the need for change at that board,” said Augustyn. “The way in which they are thinking about this raises some very serious concerns about what has gone on at the NPCA. I'm supportive of the Auditor General doing it. I think it's too bad the Minister doesn't have the power to do something. It’s really sad that an organization like this, which is supposed to be protecting the environment, supposed to be protecting water and protecting wetlands, protecting endangered species, is embroiled in these issues when really they should be concentrating on all of those things." During a conversation with Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk earlier this year, Augustyn
said Lysyk told him the reason she informed the Region and the municipalities that they had to take action was that she didn't have the power to replace the board under current legislation. So far, municipal councils from Pelham, Thorold, Welland, Wainfleet ,Niagara-on-the-Lake, St. Catharines, Port Colborne, Niagara Falls, and Hamilton have called for an independent audit of the NPCA. Referencing the motion approved by Pelham Council, Augustyn said it was ironic that NPCA chair Annunziata doubted that qualified, independent citizens would be fiscally responsible, considering the current board's decision to burden taxpayers with the cost of the audit, when the Auditor General offered to absorb the cost and responsibility. Augustyn said he became concerned with the current state of the NPCA when he learned of the board's decision to place board members Carmen D’Angelo and David Barrick into senior management positions at the authority. This was the moment the Mayor took a step back and said, “Hey, what's going on here.” "Board members are there to steer the organization, to provide policy and overall direction. It would be unfathomable to have a member of Council step off Council and then get hired by Council to do a job. That's unbelievable." Augustyn is not the only politician calling for change at the NPCA. Members of provincial parliament in Niagara, including the NDP’s Cindy Forster and Wayne Gates, along with Liberal Jim Bradley and Conservative Sam Oosterhoff, have also been calling for an independent audit of the authority.
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
Page 11
Homegrown author and explorer awarded literary prize Pelham native Adam Shoalts wins Speaker's Book Award BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Born and raised in Pelham, explorer and author Adam Shoalts developed his love of nature early on, venturing out into the forests and wetlands of the Niagara region with his family. The sense of wonder he experienced on these excursions as a child evolved into an impassioned curiosity for the natural world, leading Shoalts to some of the most remote vestiges of wilderness remaining on the planet. "The wilderness is really my great love, my passion,” he said. “I wrote about it in one of my first pieces, which was published in the Voice. For me, I just really love the wilderness. I love the solitude and the feeling of being in an untouched place — somewhere where nature is just existing independently of humans and human creations." While living in Pelham, Shoalts was regularly featured as a guest columnist in the Voice, writing about nature and the outdoors. From there he moved on to work as a freelancer, writing for Canadian Geographic Magazine. Choosing to doc-
ument and share his encounters with the wild paid off last week when Shoalts was awarded the Speaker’s Book Award for his latest book, Alone Against the North: An Expedition into the Unknown. Telling the story of his expedition from the Hudson Bay Lowlands to the Again River, the book has been praised in literary circles across the country and around the world. For his work, Shoalts brought home the Young Authors Award — given to authors between 18 and 30, every two years. This week Sholts turns 31. “I was thrilled when I found out that I had been shortlisted for the award with so many other great authors,” he said. “When I found out that I had won I couldn’t believe it. As a writer, it feels good to know that my work is being appreciated. I am very honoured.” Shoalts said he writes about his explorations in a way that will appeal to everyone from the seasoned traveler to the armchair adventurer. By sharing his encounters with the wild, he hopes to inspire people to make time for appreciating the outdoors. There is plenty of research support-
ing the theory that the more time people spend in nature, the healthier they are both physically and mentally, he said. “I think it does a lot of good for anyone, from any walk of life to just disconnect and unplug from technology for a while, put away the screens, slow it down for a while, and go out into the woods. You don't have to do a crazy 4,000 kilometre journey alone across the arctic. The local park is fine. Just take some time to get out into the forests of Pelham to appreciate the plants, the wildflowers and the birds. It has a very relaxing effect. If you have a bad day at work and you're frustrated, just go out into the woods and unwind." Shoalts sees the wilderness as an amazing place full of mystery and adven-
Adam Shoalts, right, is presented the Speaker's Book Award by Ontario legislative Speaker Dave Levac last week in Queen's Park. SUPPLIED PHOTO
ture — a poetic hunting ground of the imagination. With so much to marvel over and draw inspiration from, he said he could never get tired of going out into the wilderness. Sometimes while hiking, Shoalts said he will spend 10 minutes or more just staring at the forest floor, looking at different species of lichen, and identifying wild
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BALLOONING INTEREST Grade 6 student Jinja Shepherd explains her experiment on static electricity at the Glynn A. Green Public School's annual science fair last Friday. See story, page 3. NATE SMELLE PHOTO
Public meeting tonight on school issues BY VOICE STAFF As questions continue to mount regarding an email that Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn quietly sent to a District School Board of Niagara trustee last summer, Augustyn has agreed to address the issue at a public meeting scheduled for this evening, Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Fenwick. Nancy Beamer, speaking for “Names Matter,” a Pelham citizens group lobbying the DSBN to reverse its decision to rename a local public school, confirms that the meeting will be held at Fire Station #2, known locally as the Fenwick Fire Hall, starting at 7:00 PM. While the Mayor has agreed to ap-
Under pressure, Mayor to address email revelation, other E. W. Farr matters pear, says Beamer, DSBN officials associated with the school-naming process have either declined to attend or have not yet responded to the group’s invitation. DSBN Chair, Dale Robinson, to whom Augustyn’s email was addressed last June, has declined to appear, says Beamer, asserting that she would be
“on holidays.” The Voice was unable to independently confirm Robinsion’s intentions. She did not respond to repeated requests for comment on E.W. Farr-related matters before presstime. Beamer, whose group maintains an email list of some 580 residents, says that all members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting. “We would especially welcome parents and children who are unhappy with the name change,” she says, referring to the contentious decision by the DSBN to consolidate two Pelham See MEETING back page
HEN I WAS young, my father and I would go for long drives along the rural routes of Pelham. We’d blast George Thurgood and roll down the windows because we loved the smell of the breeze, the sensation of crisp Niagara wind beating our cheeks and tangling our hair against our summer-kissed skin. My father was not a sentimental man. He worked in factories and had a Gordon Lightfoot mustache and never shed tears over injuries. Yet something about the Pelham landscape, the hilly backdrop to his childhood and the childhoods of our ancestors, drew him in. He’d stop by a farm or a gathering of woods and, surrendering his manly veneer, tell me a story about the town. This place is precious. This is the earth that granted us life. Here is the place where we happened upon love or here is a site of devastation. On one particular drive sometime in the late ‘90s we stopped at a tree with a plaque. “This tree looks dead,” I said to my father. “It sure is getting there, Julie.” The Comfort Maple is supposedly Canada’s oldest See COLUMN SIX Page 14
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Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation 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
Pine 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 ad-
SALES REPRESENTATIVE pinesold.com
Niagara Real Estate Center, Brokerage Independently Owned & Operated
Column Six
BY VOICE STAFF
Debbie Pine
Mon-Wed 9:30-6:00pm ◆ Thur-Fri 9:30-7:00pm Sat 9:30-5:00pm
Growing up British
Haist Street traffic-calming measure a little too effective 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
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Column Six
BY VOICE STAFF
See DSBN Page 9
Pelham’sPelham’s Health Food Store
The Comfort Maple myth
Request made of community still peeved at name change 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
Get
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
See CHANGES Page 5
Wednesday October 12, 2016
FREE
Apple Day comes to Fonthill
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.”
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-
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
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“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
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.
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.
“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
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 SIDEWALK Page 2
See AUTUMN Page 3
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A longtime Canadian tradition, Apple Day began in 1932 in Saint John, New Brunswick, when Scouts handed out 21,000 apples as a way to say thank you to the community. In return for their generosity, many people offered them donations. From then on Scouts have reached out through Apple Day to raise funds for their programs.
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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
CELEBRATING OUR 20TH YEAR SALES REPRESENTATIVE pinesold.com
We, the family of the late Thomas Jeffrey “Tom” Crick, would like to thank everyone for their expression of kindness during the recent loss of our dearest husband, son, brother, brother-in- law, uncle, nephew, and cousin. The compassionate responses that we have experienced since our loss have vividly signaled to us how much our beloved one has been part of the local community and how he has affected the people that knew him. His life was rich because of the many people he was blessed to interact with every day. Our heartfelt thank you goes out to our relatives, friends, neighbours, employees, customers, business partners, and employers for their compassion and support in such a difficult time. We sincerely appreciate and are deeply touched by the outpouring of floral tributes, sympathy cards, online condolences, and donations. To many others, who gave us sympathy and support in enumerable ways, your kindness was sincerely appreciated and will never be forgotten.
BY JOHN SWART
Town Council approves sidewalk to serve E. L. Crossley BY NATE SMELLE
Office 905.892.1702
Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn
Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932
The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and well-rounded individuals
Thank You
24
NIAGARA’S BEST-READ WEEKLY SINCE 1997
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-
“Selling Throughout Niagara”
includes autumn vegetables, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding.
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mushrooms and other living creatures. “Your imagination runs wild when you're in the wilderness. So much of our human stories and epic literature is set in the wilderness, so clearly, it's something that speaks to the human psyche and goes deep into our souls. It's more important than ever in a world of some 7.5 billion people and counting, that we treasure what we have left, so it remains for future generations. The fun thing about nature is that there is always more to learn. Biodiversity is incredible." Defining nature as an essential part of our heritage as Canadians and as humans, Shoalts encourages every Canadian to experience Canada's wilderness at least once in their lifetime. "In a world that is be-
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The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
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RED HERRING continued from Page 6
The proposed transportation of liquid nuclear waste from Chalk River to South Carolina is not safe. A highly enriched liquid uranium mixture containing other fissionable products with high toxicity has never been transferred in the world before. A recent report by Dr. Marvin Resnikoff, a recognized nuclear transportation and waste disposal expert for many U.S. state and the U.S. government concludes that the NAC-LWT-type container could not withstand more severe realistic accident conditions. For this reason, the highly radioactive liquid from Chalk River should not be transported in the NACLWT cask. The liquid should be solidified before trans-
port, or not transported at all. With the recent over40-car collision on the 401, and the diesel spill in B.C., as well as future accidents coming, why are we endangering the environment, the people, the first responders? Is it the cost of solidifying the liquid? The Iroquois Caucus has a media release condemning the transport and will not idly stand by. In Indonesia, they downblend their waste. They have signed on to the International Repatriation Agreement. Why is Canada treated differently? Call your local MP and ask what he or she is doing on this issue. Susan Pruyn Ridgeville
If you don't speak up now, don't say later that no one
listened
Oosterhoff, however, is his absolute lack of substance. How many of us would put our trust in a 19-year-old accountant, a 19-year-old pilot, a 19-year-old real estate agent, a 19-year-old veterinarian, a 19-year-old professional of any kind? Yet we are being told we must respect a 19-year-old lawmaker who is where he is because he secured the vote from a mere 17 percent of the electorate, most of whom voted for the sign on the lawn rather than the name on the sign. And that's the crux of the matter. PC Party boss Patrick Brown is so secure in his belief that our riding is a safe conservative seat, and thinks so little of Niagara-West Glanbrook, that he endorsed a 19-year-old to represent us. Meanwhile Andrea Horvath and her strategists are smiling in anticipation of next year. Patrick Brown, in case you haven't noticed, lifelong Niagara Conservatives like me are not happy. Last week's failed chal-
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COMMENTARY continued from Page 4 lenge was a wake-up call. I and many like me will
Last week's failed challenge was a wake-up call
stay home on election day because we cannot bring ourselves to support your choice for us. Your endorsement of a patently unqualified candidate reflects badly on the Ontario PCs and it reflects badly on your leadership. Ontario is sick and tired of the Liberals. Next year's election is yours to lose. With Conservative voter sentiment split, look forward to the NDP nominating a strong, mature and professional candidate for our riding and working hard to get the vote out. If they win the seat in an upset, it will be you who is deservedly held to account. B. Mortimer Pelham
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is utilized 100% and cannot accommodate any additional current demand." So let’s get this straight. In 2013, 83% of primetime ice was utilized, but because consumers didn’t want to use the remaining 17% (it wasn’t prime-timey enough), Leisureplan just rounded this up to 100%? Should we expect every Town-of- Pelham estimate to have a margin of error of +/- 17%? (Actually, this might explain how someone could “forget” about 9,000 sq.ft...) The point is that all of the numbers and terminology surrounding the new Centre are meant to obfuscate the need for a second arena and its genuine cost to Pelham taxpayers. To help cut through the rhetoric, ask yourself this question: If community arenas make money, why isn’t the private sector building and operating arenas? If they are such an incredible source of revenue, why hasn’t the private sector entered the market to claim this cash? The truth is, municipal arenas lose money (or, more accurately, cost taxpayers money). And that’s okay as far as it goes. Canadians like ice sports, and we recognize the importance of recreation
(905) 658-8925 and giving our children a place to play. Most taxpayers, including our own good selves in Pelham, are comfortable subsidizing these activities—up to a point. But a subsidy from Pelham’s taxpayers should be reasonable, and should be focused on residents of Pelham. As the Mayor further noted, a number of the user groups that have entered into agreements with the Town are not from Pelham. If demand for a second arena can only be met by out-oftown consumers, then Pelham taxpayers are essentially subsidizing recreation for residents of other municipalities. There’s no reason to be taking that risk, other than to satisfy the egos of the Mayor and those Council members who voted for the second ice pad. Pelham residents need to approach the new Community Centre with common sense and honest expectations. It will lose money. The question is, how much? Residents need to continue to hold their councillors accountable, to ensure that any burden to the taxpayer is affordable and sustainable. As the project continues to unfold, residents don’t need self-congratulatory blog posts filled with empty words. They need a clear and accurate accounting of the Centre’s finances.
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The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
Page 13
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OBITUARY JONES, Anne (nee Mergl) December 11, 1927 - March 06, 2017. Passed away peacefully at the Welland Hospital in the early morning of Monday March 6, 2017, at the age of 89. Predeceased by her beloved husband of 39 years, William John Jones (1987), parents Mary (1993) and Anton (1983) Mergl and sister Mary Doddridge (2016). Anne is survived by her devoted daughter Brenda Jones, brother Joe (Sylvia) Mergl and sister Bev (Jim) Marcov. Anne enjoyed her life as a homemaker; as a golfer, climbing the hills of Lookout Point Golf Club; as an employee at Sears for 20 years. She lived most of her life in Fonthill and the last 26 years in St. Catharines. “Mom, you were a feisty character who inspired me, supported me, and challenged me, but most of all loved me dearly. Thanks for being my Mother --- Love Brenda.” In keeping with Anne’s wishes cremation has taken place. A private interment will take place in the future at Holy Cross Cemetery. As an expression of sympathy, donations may be made to Hospice Niagara, Alzheimer Society of Canada-Research or the Sunnybrook FoundationBrian Sciences/Alzheimer Research. JAMES L. PEDLAR FUNERAL HOME in care of arrangements. Online condolences may be shared at www. pedlarfuneralhome.ca
The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
DUTCH continued from Page 1 With open-air terraces everywhere along canals, streets, and city squares, and ‘pils’ less expensive than coffee, even the dimmest of Canadian cycle tourists (yours truly) eventually realizes slow is good. Viewing a working barge stacked with hay bales, a sleek fiberglass sailboat en route to challenge the North Sea, a couple kayak touring, and a spectacularly restored teak and oak sailing ship with immense, retractable, brass-edged keels flanking its sides were the reward for munching cheese and pastry along a rural canal. A grey-haired couple cycled by perched bolt upright, exuding two-wheeled aristocracy: he in suit, tie, and fedora, she in high heels, long skirt, and designer blazer. Teens cycle effortlessly by too— pretty girls chatting on phones, pretending to ignore the handsome boys approaching. Modes of transport exist in a well-defined hierarchy in the Netherlands. It’s boats first—whether in bustling downtown Lemmer or rural Beemster, when the warning siren sounds, best not be standing on the drawbridge. Pedestrians rank above cyclists, and in towns and cities, bikes fill lanes between the road and sidewalk, unintentionally providing a moving guard rail to protect walkers from cars. Tractor jockeys, obviously paid by the acre rather than the hour, are king. Bicknell or Jimmie Johnson have nothing on these guys,
The canal-side views are as charming as they are plentiful. and everyone scatters when tractors roar from field to field down country lanes and town streets, green monsters trailing rakes, discs or harrows threatening to slice and dice anything in their paths. When evening arrives, expect your bike’s accommodation to be as cozy as yours. In Hoorn, the bikes retired to an unused dining room corner in our four-
star hotel. In Workum, they shared a boathouse with a fleet of cruisers. In Giethoorn, the bikes emerged from an evening in the laundry room smelling of fabric softener. Holland is a marvelous blend of ancient and modern, catering to cyclists in unexpected ways. The meandering dike along the Ijsselmeer from Gaast to Harlingen is an example of how
JOHN SWART PHOTO
spoiled cyclists can be. Hot and sunny? Ride the top of the dike in a cooling breeze above a panorama of sea and farmland. Strong headwind blowing off the sea? Cycle protected along a rural road nestled in the lee of the dike, through charming towns and villages. Want a fix of waves, waterfowl, and an endless variety of boats and ships? Choose the paved path reserved for pedestri-
ans, bicycles and adventurous livestock at water’s edge on the dike’s seaward side if you have fenders. Don’t miss the smells wafting from acres of flowers, canal-path exploration, and insight into Dutch culture that a leisurely cycle tour provides. There isn’t an easier and safer place to complete your first tour as an individual or family than Holland.
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Page 15
AT LEAST SOMEONE LIKES IT Photographer Scott Hooper recently caught this Pelham pooch romping through fresh snow. Right about now he really ought to be happy!
Town Council receives petition from Cherry Ridge subdivision residents
Solving senior housing affordability PSAC presents Voice survey results to Council
BY VOICE STAFF Council received a petition from residents of the Cherry Ridge neighbourhood in Fenwick at their meeting on Monday, March 6, voicing their opposition to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) entered into between the Town and the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN). The petition listed several concerns with the DSBN’s proposal to construct a soccer pitch for E.W. Farr Memorial Public School (soon to be renamed Wellington Heights) students on a large portion of the publicly-owned Cherry Ridge Park. Petitioners identified the consultation process initiated by the DSBN and the Town through an online survey as “seriously flawed.” Deficiencies with the survey, per the petition, include: Inadequate questions, suspect timing (released months after the MOU was signed) and the absence of an opportunity for residents to comment on the proposal. It also pointed out that many of the residents of the Cherry Ridge subdivision are seniors and/ or retirees who travel south during the winter, so they would not likely be aware of the survey or the proposal. The fact that several old growth and newly planted trees would have to be cut down and removed also raises environmental concerns among the petitioning residents. The 120 petition signatories are demanding that the Town defend the will of the
BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Cherry Ridge community from the DSBN’s proposal, insisting that the park remain a “passive” neighbourhood park as it was intended. A letter also received by Council at the meeting, written by residents Ed Doucette and Lisa Hunt, echoed the intention of the petition, stating, “Several homeowners, original and new, purchased those lots based on the park designation remaining passive — changing that designation afterwards is disingenuous. You are an elected group of officials whose mandate is to represent the Town’s best interests and protect the best interests of the ward constituents. The residents certainly have voiced their concerns in several different methods, and the resounding message is ‘do not give away any portion of the park.’” Council also received correspondence from Principal M. Leduc, of Wellington Heights Public School, indicating that he was disappointed in Council’s decision to reconsider its potential
partnership with the DSBN. Leduc’s letter asserted that if the Town does not allow the DSBN to construct a soccer field on Cherry Ridge Park, the school would have to use “existing school property which would result in the loss of the hills and landscape that both the students and the community members have enjoyed for years.” Following a public meeting at the Fenwick Fire Hall on the evening of Feb. 8, Councillor Marvin Junkin decided to take a trip down to Cherry Ridge Park to have a look at the public space where the DSBN was proposing to build a soccer field. Finding it a worthwhile endeavour, Junkin encouraged his fellow Councillors to visit the park to become acquainted with the issue firsthand. “I encourage you to go there and look over the fence and see just exactly what's being discussed,” he said. “While I was there, there were a couple people walking their dogs and they certainly filled me in on their concern for their park.”
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Council received correspondence from the Pelham Seniors’ Advisory Committee (PSAC) recommending that they consider developing plans to ensure accessible and affordable housing for seniors in Pelham. PSAC decided to approach Council after learning the results of a survey regarding the state of affordable housing in Pelham conducted by this newspaper in January [Pelham in rear-view mirror for most seniors?, Jan. 4, p. 6]. The survey concluded that 85 percent of pre-seniors and younger seniors did not expect affordable housing to be available by the time they were ready to downsize. Some 90 percent of those surveyed have lived in Pelham for six years or more, and 85 percent were living as a couple. The survey also revealed that three-quarters of respondents were between the ages of 55 and 64. Furthermore, the survey showed that six in ten respondents planned to downsize before entering assisted living. Eight in ten of those who were expecting to rent, rather than own, in their later years said they considered $1,000 or less per month for a one- bedroom apartment to be affordable. The study also found that 42 percent of respondents intending to purchase considered $250,000 affordable by today’s standards, with 46 per cent defining $350,000 as the limit of affordability. Three-quarters of respondents do not believe the provincial government’s new legislation allowing secondary suites in new homes will improve their retirement housing situation. It was also agreed upon by 85 percent of those surveyed that the Town of Pelham should require developers to include affordable senior housing in new developments. PSAC chairperson Gail Hilyer’s letter to Council emphasized that the committee is concerned that 85 percent of young seniors in Pelham do not believe they will be able to afford to retire in the community. “PSAC sees this as inconsistent with the Town’s strategic plan and the Town’s stated goal of being a caring and inclusive community, respecting residents of all ages,” Hilyer
stated in the letter. “Seniors, including many who serve as valuable volunteers in Pelham, are being forced to leave their lifelong community to find affordable housing.” As Council’s representative on PSAC, Councillor Peter Papp shares the committee’s concerns. “We want to make sure that people stay here, live here for the very best of their life,” said Papp. “Whether it's independently or whether they require care, we want to make sure that this would be the best community for them to stay. But right now, the way it stands the data doesn't look too good and suggesting people may be struggling to find those kind of housing types of that variety.” The committee also asked Council to authorize the Mayor and Town Clerk to move forward with application process to have Pelham designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an age-friendly community. If Pelham were to receive this designation, Papp said it would be a major step forward for the Town. “If in fact we are accepted by the WHO then our community will stand out as one of the few communities in the province, let alone the country, adopting the strategies that are applied throughout the world to embrace and look after seniors from all different capacities.” By receiving the designation, Papp said the municipality would also benefit from becoming a centre for site-specific research and data collection for Niagara College and universities such as McMaster and Brock. “There are several attributes to [the age-friendly designation] that deal directly with how we build developments, build housing, transit, health, and it will give us an opportunity as well to access not only research and data, but possibly other funding areas that would be flowing through the world health organization,” said Papp. Noting that PSAC had already done most of the groundwork to put together the application, Mayor Augustyn said it would likely be presented to Council for approval within the next couple of weeks.
Page 16
The Voice of Pelham, March 15, 2017
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The dark, locked library
WINNER continued from Page 1 “I voted for Mr. Quirk,” party member Paul Halabowski said. “I think at the moment he has more experience, and I think he will therefore be better able to represent us.” While many voters shared this sentiment, by the end of the evening it was the youth movement that had won the day, with Oosterhoff’s supporters erupting into cheers after he was announced as the victor. Quirk made a brief concession speech before relinquishing the podium to a smiling Oosterhoff. “Four months ago the electorate of Niagara West-Glanbrook sent me to Queens Park to work for them,” he said. “For the past few months I’ve been doing my best to listen to the concerns and priorities of the people, at the doors and on the phones and everywhere that I can connect with constituents, to ensure that premier Wynn understands that Niagara West-Glanbrook is not forgotten.” Oosterhoff ended the evening by thanking Quirk for being a part of the democratic process, and promising a brighter future for the new riding. “I want to thank Tony for putting himself out there and for putting forth his vision for Niagara west,” said Oosterhoff. “I look forward
BY ELAINE ANDERSON
Pelham Library Public Services Coordinator
S MPP Sam Oosterhoff accepting the PC nomination last Tuesday in Lincoln. ZACH JUNKIN PHOTO to working very hard with all of you to continue to promote the values, priorities, and concerns for people here in Niagara West. I believe that we can do better here in Niagara West, I believe that we can do better in Ontario, and I know that in 2018 Ontario will get a better government, a government that listens to people and a government that works for the people.” In a media release, Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown said, “[Oosterhoff] has been a tireless advocate for the redevelopment of the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, and has stood up against the arbitrary closure of three West Niagara high schools and the wind turbine projects being forced on his community. Tonight, his hard work on behalf of his constituents paid off.”
Tonight, his hard work on behalf of his constituents paid off
Reached for comment later last week, Tony Quirk said, “The party members in Niagara West have spoken and I always respect the will of the membership. I wanted to give the members an option and I did just that. I am proud to and will continue serving the people of Grimsby and Niagara as the Regional Councillor." The next provincial election is scheduled to be held on or before June 7, 2018.
O, WHAT HAPPENS in a library once the lights have been darkened and the door is locked? When I was a kid, one of my favourite books was The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. To escape her life as a migrant farm worker, Robin would explore the nearby abandoned mansion and one day found her way into a magnificent library. Characters and stories would come alive for her as she sat on the window seat with an open book. There is something alluring about being in the library after hours for children, teens and adults. Over the years, we’ve had such fun! There was Family Literacy Day which included searching for “magical” items then creating improv theatre with fractured and somewhat twisted fairy tales. Other Family Literacy Days involved the silliness
of Dr. Seuss, a supersized Scrabble game, and suiting up superheroes from saved stuff. We celebrated the release of the last Harry Potter book with an all-nighter – yes, an all-nighter with teens, community readers, some smuggled in Red Eye (theirs, not mine) and a 12:01 unlocking of THE book. Forget that we didn’t win the prize for most innovative library at the Ontario Library Association Conference. We got a collective groan from our peers that was recognition enough! In the past couple of years, teen programs have included a Nerf Battle (we are still finding ammo on the shelves), Girls’ Night In with henna, make up and a gossip corner, Teen Lock In where we made candy sushi, played board games and took crazy photos, an Escape Room where over 30 people solved the puzzles and found the secret way out, and a Haunted Li-
AWARD continued from Page 11 we going to follow in the footsteps of the rest of the world's countries and allow our large wild untamed spaces to be lost?” To celebrate Canada’s 150th year in style, Shoalts is planning to traverse the pristine
brary created by the teens for kids with a giant spider and web, ghosts, jars of
There is something alluring about being in the library after hours
preserved who knows what and live ghosts and goblins. Plans are in the works for Games’ Night in March and a live Clue Game in April where we turn the whole library into a giant Clue board. The Escape Room and a resurrected Haunted Library are in our fall plans. What magic awaits you inside the locked doors of the closed library?
landscape of the Canadian arctic on foot and by canoe. Beginning his voyage from the Alaska border this May, he will paddle and portage more than 4,000 kilometres over the tundra with his compass pointed towards his destination on the shores of Hudson Bay. Will luck, maybe he’ll send the Voice a dispatch or two.