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Vol.24 No.9
March 4, 2020
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Column Six Who let the reaper in? In Portugal, Death tempts with embrace BY COLIN BREZICKI
Special to the VOICE
I
f I should ever die— God forbid—I’d rather not know about it. Death and public speaking, both very scary. I don’t remember where I was or how old or what I was doing when I realized that one day I would die. Nor do I remember how I reacted. I doubt if I ran screaming out of the room, though that would be a reasonable thing to have done. Good health is the slowest rate at which you can die, said someone, somewhere. Five years ago I was in very good health, for a near septuagenarian. I’d been training all spring for a five-day group bike ride in Portugal. In April I’d taken my bike with me when I drove to Martha’s Vineyard for a writers’ retreat, and during that fortnight I cycled to the island’s hilly west coast several times. It was likely during a walk in the woods with friends that I was bitten. One morning, after returning home to Niagara,
LET'S GET PLANNING The Town of Pelham's new Policy Planner, Tara Lynn O'Toole, on the job. Story, page 3
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The Voice, March 4, 2020
THE VOICE POLL RESULTS
PUBLISHER’S CORNER
Oh for the love of Marty: Regular Voice readers will likely recognize the name Martin Curtis “Curt” Harley, a prodigious writer of letters to the editor. Peak Curt was mid-2017 through the 2018 municipal election. His output declined considerably through most of 2019, as the new Town Council got to work, but he was back with a bang two weeks ago with a lengthy recitation of the continued ills, in his view, afflicting Pelham (we opted, however, not to use his suggested headline, "Pelham is Polluted"). Depending on one’s perspective, Harley offers either a bracing blast of cold, but necessarily blunt truth-to-municipal-power candor; or the same, largely one-note gusts of hot air, lamenting the disappearance of a bygone era. Either way, his opinions over the years have likely led to more than one elected official being prescribed blood pressure meds. Note that I say “opinions.” As far as I can recall, Harley’s facts were not in dispute—at least until two weeks ago. In his 1,432word letter published February 19, Harley made a specific assertion about Councillor Ron Kore, namely that Kore responded to resident complaints “with emails stating that they are simply ‘Troublemakers.’” As regular readers will also know, the Voice welcomes a wide variety of opinion, sometimes being criticized for doing so. I offer great latitude in that department. Where I draw
by Dave Burket
the line, however, is the willful invention of B.S.. Kore is adamant that he has written no such emails. And while I’m not happy about the way he brought this to the paper’s attention—via an elderly, unwell shareholder, rather than directly to me—he does, of course, have a legitimate grievance. If there are such emails, they should be easy to produce. However, despite being asked three times to provide them, Harley has gone mute. Why make something up that is so easily verifiable, you ask? Excellent question. At this point, as I made crystal clear to Harley in my third request, if he is unable to produce the emails he says Kore sent, his credibility is shot, and the Voice will no longer be running his letters. Harley has long threatened to move away from Pelham if the Town’s many perceived deficiencies weren’t rectified. It would not surprise me in the least if members of the last council, and a few on the current council, are at this moment organizing a GoFundMe campaign to pay for the moving van. Ever alert for opportunities to send business to our valued advertisers, I simply note that Seniors on the Move comes highly recommended (ad, p. 20)...Call this the Mortality Reminder Issue: Twice in my life I’ve thought that death might be imminent—first on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, when I was sideswiped in heavy traffic
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Yes 54% Unsure 10%
No 36%
by a geezer driving an enormous, tail-finned Cadillac, and ended up 180 degrees around, facing oncoming traffic; the second time at the hands of a poisonous Philly cheesesteak, which saw me hospitalized with IVs stuck in left and right. So I identify—as many others surely will—with Colin Brezicki’s Column Six recollection this week, in which a trip to Portugal is memorable for all the worst reasons...Then there’s Swart: Continuing the theme, John Swart talks “morbidity” this week (p. 18), but his message isn’t literally morbid. It’s an excellent read, in fact, and a cautionary tale...Fist-bumps for now: Finally, the genuinely morbid elephant in the room, the coronavirus. My wife and I were traveling extensively in Asia during the SARs and various Avian Influenza outbreaks in the early 2000s. Where we lived in Indonesia, the potential
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In last week's issue, we asked readers to agree or disagree with the following statement regarding spraying for gypsy moths in 2020 If there is a reasonable chance that a comprehensive, townwide aerial spraying against gypsy moth infestation will significantly reduce their damage to Pelham foliage, I would be willing to pay a special assessment of up to $150 to accomplish this goal. With 97 votes counted, a little over 50% ot respondents said that they would be willing to contribute up to $150 to a townwide spray program. A little over a third of respondents said that they would not be willing to contribute. Ten percent were unsure. ADVISORY: While safeguards are in place to eliminate multiple votes, this is a self-selected poll, meaning it has no scientific validity compared to a formal random survey undertaken by a professional polling firm.
for malaria and dengue was always present. Maybe because we’re older and slightly wiser, this one feels different. While the Canadian media in general have done a decent job of presenting the facts calmly, the facts are nonetheless disconcerting. The probability that infected individuals have already been present for two weeks, without showing symptoms, in areas where outbreaks are occurring south of the border, should not be lost on us. It seems a sensible precaution now, for example, to avoid shaking hands. This alone reduces transmission risk substantially. Don’t take it personally—a fist-bump will do. We’re also going to curtail visits to crowded places for the time being—those bigbox store bargains will still be there when the dust has settled. Small decisions, but I think commonsense ones for now...In sunnier news:
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The Niagara Regional Police Service is committed to reducing impaired driving offences through education and the apprehension of offenders through enforcement programs like RIDE. Impaired driving is still the leading cause of criminal deaths in Canada and destroys thousands of lives every year.
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Charles Johnson and Lynn Baillargeon with their daughter Sierra Hardy and her fiancé Tyler Weston on one of their stops during their Caribbean holiday. Feel that warm sand!
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. James A. SHORT, 39, St. Catharines Brian R. C. BELL, 34, St. Catharines Angelo D. WOOD, 36, Akron OH John CAMERON, 53, Fort Erie James K. LINNANE, 35, Niagara Falls
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With springtime ahead and the promise of produce, the Pelham Farmers Market is looking for farmers and other vendors (ad, p. 13), deadline March 16...That takes brass: The Pelham Historical Society has a new display at the Fonthill Library—horse brasses, the metal plaques that were used for both decoration and protection of horses in earlier times, on loan from Domenic Faragalli, of Fonthill...Also at the library: Bargain books! Running all this week, their semiannual used book sale, during regular opening hours, up until 2 PM on Saturday…So many dentists: Do we really need all these dentists in town? Apparently yes. My own dentist was unable to see me last week when part of an upper molar broke away, yet remained hanging from the gum (a bad root canal; long story), making it
NRPS impaired driving charges
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Oops: No fire trucks for you
Column Six
The Comfort Maple myth
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Column Six
Growing up British
BY JULIE MANNELL
Special to the VOICE
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BALLOONING INTEREST Grade 6 student Jinja Shepherd explains her experiment on static electricity at the Glynn A. Green Public School's annual science fair last Friday. See story, page 3. NATE SMELLE PHOTO
Public meeting tonight on school issues BY VOICE STAFF As questions continue to mount regarding an email that Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn quietly sent to a District School Board of Niagara trustee last summer, Augustyn has agreed to address the issue at a public meeting scheduled for this evening, Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Fenwick. Nancy Beamer, speaking for “Names Matter,” a Pelham citizens group lobbying the DSBN to reverse its decision to rename a local public school, confirms that the meeting will be held at Fire Station #2, known locally as the Fenwick Fire Hall, starting at 7:00 PM. While the Mayor has agreed to ap-
Under pressure, Mayor to address email revelation, other E. W. Farr matters pear, says Beamer, DSBN officials associated with the school-naming process have either declined to attend or have not yet responded to the group’s invitation. DSBN Chair, Dale Robinson, to whom Augustyn’s email was addressed last June, has declined to appear, says Beamer, asserting that she would be
“on holidays.” The Voice was unable to independently confirm Robinsion’s intentions. She did not respond to repeated requests for comment on E.W. Farr-related matters before presstime. Beamer, whose group maintains an email list of some 580 residents, says that all members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting. “We would especially welcome parents and children who are unhappy with the name change,” she says, referring to the contentious decision by the DSBN to consolidate two Pelham See MEETING back page
HEN I WAS young, my father and I would go for long drives along the rural routes of Pelham. We’d blast George Thurgood and roll down the windows because we loved the smell of the breeze, the sensation of crisp Niagara wind beating our cheeks and tangling our hair against our summer-kissed skin. My father was not a sentimental man. He worked in factories and had a Gordon Lightfoot mustache and never shed tears over injuries. Yet something about the Pelham landscape, the hilly backdrop to his childhood and the childhoods of our ancestors, drew him in. He’d stop by a farm or a gathering of woods and, surrendering his manly veneer, tell me a story about the town. This place is precious. This is the earth that granted us life. Here is the place where we happened upon love or here is a site of devastation. On one particular drive sometime in the late ‘90s we stopped at a tree with a plaque. “This tree looks dead,” I said to my father. “It sure is getting there, Julie.” The Comfort Maple is supposedly Canada’s oldest See COLUMN SIX Page 14
Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation
Vol.20 No.32
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-
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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
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
Wednesday October 12, 2016
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Apple Day comes to Fonthill
See COLUMN SIX Page 14
BY VOICE STAFF
The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and well-rounded individuals
ceives them, enabling youth to have experiences that build character, challenge them, and allow them to try new things. The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and wellrounded individuals, better prepared for success. Apple Day helps to achieve that.”
“Any money raised during Apple Day goes towards improving the Scouting program by providing more outdoor adventures for youth, camping equipment, canoes and paddles, training and many other endeavours that the youth want to experience,” says Marie. Scouts Canada has some 100,000 members across Canada, and carries out programs for boys, girls
Joining their principal, Karen Simpson, at the Sept. 19 Council meeting as part of a delegation from EL Crossley Secondary School, students Abby Loewen and Neenah Williams presented Council with a list of reasons that they should immediately approve the construction of the new sidewalk proposed along Hwy. 20. The asphalt side-
walk/trail is slated to be built between the south side of the road from Timmsdale Crescent to the high school. Because of the large volume of motor vehicle traffic travelling at high speeds through this area, and because of the necessity for students to tread this path on a daily basis, many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later. After delivering to Council a petition containing
Many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later the names of 450 students calling for a safer walk to school, Simpson handed the
podium over to Loewen and Williams to plead their case. Loewen told Council that because there are a lot of students who have work placements and coop placements during the school year, this is the only route for many of them to travel. As one of the students facing this predicament, Williams said she has had no other option but to walk along the dangerous highway.
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and youth ages 5-25. This year the 3rd Fonthill Group, which includes Beavers to Ventures (youth ages 5- 25) will be hitting the streets to drum-up support. Over the weekend, Scouts will be set up in Fonthill outside Sobeys, Tim Hortons, Target Gas station, Fonthill Shopping Plaza and the Pioneer Gas station at the corner of Hwys 20 and 24.
Town Council approves sidewalk to serve E. L. Crossley BY NATE SMELLE
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Second year Beaver with the 3rd Fonthill Group, Russell Letford offers a fresh apple to shoppers SUPPLIED PHOTO in Pelham during the 2015 Apple Day campaign. A longtime Canadian tradition, Apple Day began in 1932 in Saint John, New Brunswick, when Scouts handed out 21,000 apples as a way to say thank you to the community. In return for their generosity, many people offered them donations. From then on Scouts have reached out through Apple Day to raise funds for their programs.
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Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn
Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932
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-
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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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“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
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Town hires new Policy Planner Tara Lynn O'Toole will concentrate on "big picture" policy and bylaw upgrades BY BRIAN GREEN
Special to the VOICE
It has been pointed out several times recently during Pelham Town Council and various committee deliberations that the Town’s bylaws and policies are in need of updating. CAO David Cribbs has been especially critical of bylaws that have been on the books since 1987, and has advocated for an overhaul. The addition of a Policy Planner, a new position at Town Hall, is seen as a first step in meeting this requirement. Hence the very recent hiring of Tara Lynn O’Toole, who, in her words, has been added to the Planning Department, “to ensure policies we have fit with provincial and Regional policies, while confirming that the best interests of the Town of Pelham are kept in mind.” On the job for only eight days as of this writing, O’Toole is still getting her feet under her and learning the parameters of her new job, but she comes to Pelham with a wealth of planning experience in both the private sector, with Quartek Group for some four years, and as a planner with West Lincoln for two years. Working in the Planning Department under Director Barb Weins, her first task as Pelham’s Policy Planner has been to put the finishing touches on the Town’s policy regarding short term accommodation. While existing staff have formulated 80 percent of this policy, she has been adding the final touches before it is presented to council. She is looking forward to beginning work on the Town’s Official Plan, last updated in 2012. The Province mandates that these plans be updated every five years, so her task has urgency. While much of her previous experience at Quartek has been to assist developers with their applications to municipal governments,
she has also advised those governments on planning issues, and comes to Pelham with a desire to “ensure that we are sensitive to the needs of this town and develop policies that are in keeping with the needs of what Pelham is. It’s vibrant, charming, has a small town feel, but we also have to ensure that we keep in mind the interests of the next generation and others that want to be here.” That said, O’Toole is also aware that “the hammer is coming down” from the province and the Region, and that development is inevitable. She acknowledges that zoning changes have, for many years, been site-specific, since the policies haven’t been updated since 1987, and says that her position has been created “basically to take the pressure off the other Town Planners who were doing policy work on top of their specific tasks.” O’Toole will be able to look at overall policy and “big picture” issues, leaving implementation and individual planning decisions to them. A lifelong resident of Welland and mother of two small children, O’Toole says she comes to Pelham already familiar with the Town and the Region. A graduate of Brock University and Niagara College’s graduate Environmental Assessment Management Program, she says that she is “cognizant of environmental features” in her job and says, “Living in the Niagara Region, we are blessed to be able to be around Green Belt and the Escarpment, the Falls, all of that.” Of her first impressions on the new job, she says, “I have never met a nicer group of people, from management and staff… everyone has been welcoming and excited.”
STRIKE CAMPS CONTINUE Students enjoy arts and crafts at Pelham Strike Camp, held in the community centre on days when teachers are on rotating walk-outs in the area. Gym games and skating are also on the menu. When the Voice stopped by, some two dozen boys and girls, ages 4-12, were participating in the camp, open to all Niagara residents, and which will also be scheduled during March Break. DON RICKERS
Home Methods for Gypsy Moth Control Gypsy Moth is in the egg stage between early September and late April. Egg masses can be found on tree trunks, branches, buildings and on objects around the house. As one egg mass contains about 300 eggs, by destroying them you significantly reduce the number of caterpillars that emerge in spring. Scrape off egg masses with a dull knife and place them in soapy water for a few days before discarding them in the garbage. If they fall to the ground crush them with your shoe. Late April to Late May Place sticky barriers, or bands on the tree trunk. Wrap duct tape around the tree trunk and apply a thin coat of sticky material (commercially available at most garden centres) to the duct tape. Alternatively you may use a double band of duct tape, the outer band with the sticky side out. This band will prevent smaller caterpillars from climbing the tree. Mid-May to Early June Spray with bacterial insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki (Btk). The primary objective is to protect vulnerable trees from moderate to severe defoliation. Reducing the nuisance factor caused by the presence of gypsy moth is an additional benefit of this treatment Consider having your trees sprayed with Btk by a licensed pesticide applicator if: • There are a high number of egg masses that cannot be removed mechanically from the trees. • Large numbers of egg masses are on susceptible tree species, primarily on oaks, birches, beeches and spruces. • If damage that is caused by gypsy moth feeding is severe for at least one or two previous years, another severe defoliation event may cause the decline or death of the host tree.
Late May to August Replace sticky bands with burlap (cloth) bands. Trap and destroy caterpillars by placing burlap (cloth) bands on trees. Wrap burlap that is approximately one metre wide around the tree trunk, tie it at the middle with a rope and fold it. Caterpillars feed at night and find shelter from the heat during the day. They will congregate under the burlap. Destroy caterpillars from under the burlap every late afternoon before they crawl back to the canopy to feed. Caterpillars can be killed by squishing them or placing them in soapy water. Use this method until all the caterpillars finish their life stage, usually in August, and turn into cocoons and laterinto adult moths.
Stay up-to-date with information and updates for Pelham’s gypsy moth spray program, FAQs, policies, and more by visiting and subscribing to:
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OPINION
The opinions expressed in submitted commentary and letters to the editor are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Voice of Pelham.
The Voice of Pelham is a 1211858 Ontario Limited publication David Burket, Publisher 2-1428 Pelham St., P.O. Box 1489, Fonthill, ON L0S1E0
COMMENTARY / OP-ED Larry Coté My brain is going to pot
I
often think my brain is going to pot. Now, before you call in the local narcotics squad, allow me to explain. I am talking figuratively here and not literally. Although many suspect my thinking to be sometimes off the wall I assure you it is not because of what I’ve been vaping, injecting or imbibing. What follows here is just a small sample of the electronic challenges that confound my daily life. Firstly, a question. How many remote controls are you grappling with in your home? At my house, the centerpiece that was once visible on our coffee table is now hidden beneath a mound of remotes that has prompted my son-in-law to believe I am operating my own surreptitious satellite system. Choosing from this cornucopia of components is often by trial and error— and mostly in error. Occasionally, when I attempt to turn on the TV, my garage door opens. Sometimes I wonder if my formal education was for all naught. This is especially so when my new cellphone vibrates, makes a noise and flashes an unbecoming mugshot of the caller. I have
dropped untold numbers of phone calls while trying to find out how to answer this confounding device. Oh, how I pine for the simplicity of a phone that had a rotary dial or a keypad. But
Occasionally, when I attempt to turn on the TV, my garage door opens
then again, they didn’t take photos, guide you to your destination, remind you to pick up your mother-in-law at her hair salon, or occupy you with inane games while you sit in your doctor’s waiting room. It wasn’t long ago that I sat in front of a real fireplace and paged through a good book. But now I flick on my e-reader and select from a digital library that has more volumes than the Parliamentary Archives
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in Ottawa. If I toggle the switch it will read the text for me from a selection of voices to suit my fancy. Oh, and by the way, the fireplace is a movie screen. One of the more confounding devices I have encountered is the self-propelled vacuum cleaner. These over-the-top technological villains seek out dust bunnies around the house like a hunting dog sniffing out live game in a forest glade. I sometimes wonder if the inventors of such devices had too much time on their hands. I expect a device designed to attack dust bunnies in our homes to be fair ways down in our society’s list of priorities? Not long ago there was a term to describe a passenger in an automobile who verbally criticized the driver’s skills and was referred to as a “back-seat driver.” Such pains in the neck have been replaced in many of today’s automobiles by an anonymous voice from behind the dashboard that responds to one’s inadequacies to properly control the vehicle. I conclude this brief diatribe with a comment about the device that started all See DEVICES next page
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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca EDITOR & PUBLISHER Dave Burket publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca ADMINISTRATION Lori Gretsinger office@thevoiceofpelham.ca CONTRIBUTORS Carolyn Botari, Colin Brezicki, Rosemary Chambers, John Chick, Larry Coté, Brian Green, Jenica Hrysko, Maeve Keating, Megan Metler, Bill Potrecz, Bernie Puchalski, Don Rickers, John Swart, Helen Tran, Mike Tucker, Rob Weatherby. Proof Sleuth: Julian Fitch NEWS INQUIRIES & TIPS editor@thevoiceofpelham.ca LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@thevoiceofpelham.ca ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@thevoiceofpelham.ca
Thank you for last summer, and an appeal for this one I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Fresh Air host families and volunteer leaders Niagara Ontario. Because of their dedication and commitment, thousands of children from New York City’s low-income communities participated in our Friendly Towns volunteer host family program last summer. I am inspired by the heartfelt stories shared by hosts who welcome our children into their homes and community, and the joy and growth it brings to everyone. For over 140 years, The Fresh Air Fund has brought people together. Children make new friends and forge relationships that
can last a lifetime. We’ve learned that after staying with a host family children are more confident and more comfortable meeting new and different people. Children tell me about their excitement to return to visit with a host family and all the activities ahead. Our programs would not be possible without the generosity of our Fresh Air host families, supporters, and volunteers in Niagara. Our local volunteers, many of whom are also hosts, interview prospective host families, help recruit new families and plan See FRESH AIR next page
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament
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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
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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 Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 905-658-2987 Councillor Diana Huson diana.huson@niagararegion.ca 905-324-3094 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607
Mayor of Pelham Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 905-658-2987 Members of Pelham Town Council Ward 1 Councillor Mike Ciolfi mciolfi@pelham.ca 905-892-0077 Councillor Marianne Stewart mstewart@pelham.ca 289-821-0840
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Page 5
OPINION From the Pnyx Tabloid, 1989 The following reminiscences appeared in the Pnyx Tabloid, which was given out to all who came to the 1989 Pelham High Reunion. The Pelham Pnyx—named after the Athenian centre of oratory and debate—was the school's combination yearbook and literary magazine. From A Decade of Fun and Achievements By Marion Guinn 1930 -1939: Pelham Continuation School—a whole new world—a frightening thought for a teen in the 1930s who had attended a small rural school for eight years. However, September arrives and you start the new adventure trembling with fear. By today’s standards P.C.S. was a small school, consisting of four classrooms, two on each side of the gymnasium; a balcony at the north end and a stage at the south. There were no lockers and yet your possessions were safe. There were five teachers. Mr. Crossley, as principal, shared the teaching re-
COMMENTARY / OP-ED
Diana Huson, Regional Councillor
At Regional Council, opportunistic leaks must stop
O Cover of the 1936 edition. VOICE ARCHIVES sponsibilities. It was necessary to have nine subjects to graduate: thus, there were no options in the subjects studied. Each teacher taught his/her own specialty. The following was contributed by Ross Brush: Memories of the early 1930s at Pelham Continuation School. Oh, to be a student at P.C.S. in the first half of the 1930s, the no frills See PYNX next page
ver the past two weeks, confidential information from our in-camera meetings at Niagara Regional Council were leaked to the press, and emails from my colleagues expressing frustration over “leaking” have been forwarded and published. I want to address a few things. 1. There is absolutely a need to have some information kept in confidence. These relate to issues that are legal, land or human resource-related. We can’t negotiate contracts, land acquisition or discuss performance issues in public meetings. Doing so would compromise or undermine certain activities we want to pursue. It could also lead to legal action against us that, if successful, would only cost taxpayers.
2. There is a difference between leaking information that is related to business operations and whistleblowing. When dishonest and nefarious scenarios arise that need Diana Huson. public attention, such as what happened last term, this information should come forward. This council is in complete agreement on that and we approved developing a policy to protect whistleblowers. That is not what is happening now. I believe information is now being leaked because someone does not agree with a position on something. It’s our job to question, discuss and
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this bedlam in our once simpler and more contented lives — the computer. These devices have perniciously grown from helping our thinking to taking over much of that activity in our lives. If the adages of practice makes perfect and use it or lose it have any credibility then we may be getting ourselves into deep trouble. So, from now on, if you have a question don’t Google it. Try giving your brain a little workout and figure out the answer yourself. ♦
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explore points of views on an issue, regardless of whether it’s popular. More importantly, I believe we should be able to disagree on issues without taking it personally or holding ill will towards other members. I think our constituents deserve better than that. This type of leaking only goes towards undermining our confidence in one another and erodes trust. Furthermore it’s a distraction from the very real and pressing issues facing Niagara. So I hope the nonsense can now stop and we can get back to important conversations about the housing crisis, public health concerns, infrastructure and jobs. As always, I’m happy to hear your thoughts regardless of whether you share my opinions. ♦
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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? Everyone has a story. Tell us yours! NOW ALSO ACCEPTING FICTION— SHORT STORIES UP TO 2000 WORDS!
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Page 6
PYNX
continued from previous page Depression decade! Getting there from the outback was half the fun. Scholars from the Wellandport area arrived in an old touring car piloted by Malcolm Dochstader. Inclement weather was no problem: he just buttoned the side curtains. There were other carriers— the names Eula Ross and Muriel Piper come to mind. Students from North Pelham and Rockway were cosily seated on wooden benches in the back of a truck with a tarpaulin over it, chauffeured by Mr. D. Horton or Mr. Holder. The Fonthill and Ridgeville contingent travelled in relative luxury. The regularly scheduled runs on the Erie Coach Line between Welland and Fenwick included the high school special, driven variously by Fred Hampton, Aubrey Stirtzinger, Johnny Dohn, and Scoop. In good weather there were considerable bicycle brigades from all directions. It saved bus fare for those fortunate enough to have bikes. Once arrived, we were then under the piercing gaze of Principal George Spencer and later E. L. Crossley. Dedicated teachers were Messrs. Laing and Palmer, Misses Culp and Jousse, and the legendary Misses De La Mater and Bell. But it wasn’t all work. The annual field day was a highlight of the sports year, followed by the basketball season in competition with other area schools.
The Voice, March 4, 2020 One crowning achievement was the year that the P.C.S. girls team won the provincial championship (1934). An outdoor skating rink provided an opportunity to stamp down the snow and get cold feet while providing a base for flooding the rink. Social events included the Valentine and the Hallowe’en Dances. One of the students, Bob Kinsman, got his start as an orchestra band leader at the school. Commencement and graduation exercises were another high point in the school year. The school orchestra under the dedicated no-nonsense direction of Percy Beckett grew in numbers as commencement approached, since the student musicians had the best seats nearest the stage. Winter temporarily brought new faces to P.C.S. “Short Courses,” agriculturally oriented, brought ex-students and non-students in off the farm. Morning opening exercises brought students shuffling out to the auditorium to the spirited piano playing of Margaret Boyes and other talented pianists. Prayers and announcements by the Principal were followed by singing by the student body. The lyrics were flashed on a wall by a slide projector manned by Melvin Haines and others. Such was the audio/video scene, 1930s style. Not all school activities were programmed by the faculty. A small group dubbed “The Pelham Players” sought to enliven in-
Page 11 from the 1937 edition of The Pelham Pynx, revealing at least two teachers seemingly barely out of high school themselves. VOICE ARCHIVES door winter hours with extemporaneous productions of Paul Revere’s Ride, Romeo and Juliet, and William Tell, to name a few. For example, every time the tyrant Gessier (Clair Brown) ordered William Tell (Ross Brush) to shoot the apple off the
head of his son (Herb Sporbeck) the latter would take a bite out of the apple, finally throwing the core at the tyrant. Clair Brown lamented his role as the back end of the bull in The Bullfighter. He also enlivened chemistry class by setting his pants on
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca fire. So, we graduated in the 1930s—what then. Post-secondary education was for the privileged few in those days before student loans. Some worked at what they could and saved money for a delayed higher education. For some, it was back to the family farm. Others took what clerical or factory employment was available. Others returned to take the commercial course. A future employer of many, World War II, like the school cadet corps was several years down the road. Although without calculators, computers, cassette players, drugs or ghetto blasters, we lived, laughed and survived. It was all quite normal by the standards of the time. Highlights of the 1930s, showing the growth of a very small school. 1930—choosing maroon and grey as school colours and Lege Nota Disce as its Motto. First field day, which became an annual event. 1930-31—Walter La Rose first of many to win a university scholarship. 1932-33—Mr. E. L. Crossley engaged as principal. Organized Literary Society and an Editorial Committee. First Pelham Pnyx published. 1933-34 —teaching of agriculture, in Mr. Crossley’s words,“It is the study of things with which and by which one lives.” Junior Girls won the Basketball Championship of Ontario. Installation of showers. Contributions were obtained from Ruth Julian, Annabelle Wessel, Bruce Henderson
and Clair Brown. 1934-35—school song is introduced 1935-36—Senior Boys Basketball won Niagara District C.O.S.S.A. 1936-37—organization of Athletic Association 1937-38—new course of study beginning in Grade IX, formerly Form 1. Tree planting on school grounds to commemorate coronation of King George VI. Each student given a Norway Maple to plant at home. 1938-39—music added to curriculum of Grades IX and X under Mr. Tufford’s tutelage. School trip to Niagara Falls to see King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Enchanted Isle is presented at commencement. The South Sea Isle background was painted by a fine local artist, Arnold Hodgkins. At P.C.S. there was a special spirit of participation, cooperation and friendliness, and with the help of caring, dedicated teachers, the students of the ‘30s built a firm foundation for the fine institution of education the school became. Glenna Julian in her valedictory speech of 1939 said: “We’re not leaving forever. We will be back. It may take many years.” But we made it back—45 and again 50 years later at these reunions! This has been a great adventure, reminiscing the ‘30s. Special thanks to Ross Brush, Bud and Ann Ker, Delora Julhke, Ruth Julian for their contributions. Vilma Moretti Fonthill
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The Voice, March 4, 2020
Page 7
Alan Crescent development turned down Infilling proposal rejected by Committee of Adjustment BY BRIAN GREEN
Special to the VOICE
Despite advice from the Planning Department to the contrary, the Town’s Committee of Adjustment has denied a submission by Mancini Homes to sever a property at 20 Alan Crescent in Fonthill to add another home. At their meeting last Tuesday, committee members Don Cook (Chair), Bernie Law, and Bill Sheldon continued their deliberations from a meeting last month, in which they deferred a decision on the application until Town staff could reconsider their opinion in favour of the severance. At that time, committee members expressed concern about the “character of the existing neighbourhood” in the face of objections from neighbourhood residents, who showed up in force to protest the proposal. However, the Planning Department came to Tuesday’s meeting with the same recommendation, citing the infilling directives from the province and Region, and asserting that the application meets every criterion established by these directives. Representatives for the developer, Craig Rowe of Upper Canada Consultants, and lawyer Patrick Maloney, concurred, and expressed Mancini’s willingness to make minor adjustments to the application in order to comply with the Planning Department’s guidelines.
This “by the book” approach was criticized by several neighbourhood advocates, who asserted that the applicant needed various bylaw variances to build the proposed new home and asked that the bylaws be enforced as they exist. Resident Jim Marando pleaded that the existing character of the neighbourhood be spared from development, summing up his presentation with a call to place “people before profit.” Another neighbour, Ted Galotta, expressed concern about infrastructure, especially storm sewers, runoff, and excess water that might result from smaller lots sizes and infill development. In his reply, Derek Young, the Town’s Engineering Supervisor, acknowledged that Alan Crescent does not have curbs or gutters to contain runoff, and with climate change causing more storms and heavier rainfall, the street may have to be “urbanized” by adding such infrastructure. Increased housing density would make the situation even more pressing. When it came time for committee members to express their views, Bill Sheldon took the Planning Department to task. He likened the application for severance to “building a house in a back yard,” while refuting point by point the staff recommendation for approval. He scoffed at
From left, committee members Bill Sheldon and Bernie Law.
the stipulation that the lot was “vacant and underutilized,” as is required by the infilling guidelines, and said the proposal was not “physically compatible with the surrounding neighbourhood,” another requirement for severance. Sheldon’s position was echoed by member Bernie Law, who added that the presence of so many residents at both meetings, and a petition with 44 signers objecting to the application, suggested to him that the neighbourhood
character was threatened by the proposed development. The vote to deny the application was unanimous. The neighbour immediately to the south of the subject property, Foster Zanutto, questioned the next steps in the process. Assuming that the developer would appeal to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (L-PAT), he asked if the committee’s decision would become the Town’s position and defended by the Town—and, if so, whether it be the Planning
YOUTUBE
Department, which has gone on record as approving the severance, that would represent the Town. In her reply, Town Clerk Nancy Bozzato, seemed to suggest that the decision was solely that of the Committee of Adjustment, and that L-PAT would receive all relevant documents and correspondence, including the Planning Department’s recommendation, but the Town itself would take no position. The developer has 20 days to appeal the denial to L-PAT.
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Page 8
The Voice, March 4, 2020
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Nature Conservancy plans restoration work in Lathrop Property Trail safety, danger to downstream properties, and damage to Twelve Mile Creek prompt proposal BY BRIAN GREEN
Special to the VOICE
A hidden natural gem right in the heart of Fonthill, the Lathrop Property is a 24-hectare reserve that adjoins Marlene Stewart Streit Park. It has been owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada since 1998, when it was donated to the Conservancy by the Lathrop family, and is held by that organization as a natural environment, protected from development. The Nature Conservancy has announced plans to make improvements to the property to protect the headwaters of Twelve Mile Creek and stabilize the trail system that bisects the reserve. An old rail line extended from Hurricane Road across North Pelham Street, through the property all the way to Haist Street. Two small quarries were dug adjacent to the rail line to supply fill for the rail bed to be built up into a berm or embankment across the deep gullies created by the creek to accommodate the trains. That berm now forms one of the main trails used by the public who visit the reserve, and the two quarries are now ponds whose overflow seeps through the berm into small streams that eventually become Twelve Mile Creek. The seepage is contributing to the deterioration of the berm and creates a poten-
tial danger for trail walkers and downstream properties should the berm fail. The Nature Conservancy recognized this danger and began investigations into remedies. Early in the process they contacted the Niagara Chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada (TUC), whose interest in restoring and preserving Twelve Mile Creek is long established. The Niagara Chapter became enthusiastic participants in the process, as the ponds are contributors to the warming of the headwaters. Temperature monitoring reveals that the spring water that enters the ponds is about 12 degrees and the water on the downstream side of the berm, having been warmed by the ponds, is between 17 and 20 degrees. Twelve Mile Creek is the last remaining cold-water system in Niagara capable of sustaining populations of native Brook Trout and other cold-water-reliant species which are threatened by the rising temperatures. The fiveto-eight degree warming of the stream is literally life or death for these species. Studies have been completed by Niagara College’s Ecosystem Restoration students and Geographic Information Systems students, as well as by Savanta, the environ-
Schematic map of the Lathrop Property. mental consulting company hired by the Conservancy to determine the present state of the berm and the ponds and to suggest ways in which the dangers they represent can be reduced. These studies are ongoing, and may result in some minor disruption on the trail as some vegetation must be cleared. However, Liv Monck-Whipp, the Conservancy co-ordinator for
Southwestern Ontario, is quick to point out that “species at risk locations have been mapped and will be protected from the ongoing work.” Monck-Whipp says that the proposals that are emerging “may involve the removal or reduction of some sections of the berm, stabilization, culvert installation, and/ or the addition of a small bridge or
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continued from previous page water and improved water flow,” she says. One public meeting was held in August at the community centre to inform the public of the proposed work and to get opinions about the various options. According to Monck-Whipp, other meetings are planned as the process unfolds and will be advertised with signage at the property and through media releases. Initial estimated cost of the three-year project is $285,000, and while the Conservancy has raised enough money for the initial survey and mapping, Liv Monck-Whipp says, “We must raise $150,000 to ensure the best outcomes for the species and habitats we are aiming to protect, as well as trail safety.” Donations to the project will be matched by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The Lathrop property can be reached from North Pelham Street via a corridor opposite Hurricane Road, between the Spring Valley Manor apartment building to the north and residences to the south. The property extends all the way west to Haist Street, but at present there is no trail access from Haist. That may eventually change when any construction takes place, as equipment will have to use Haist Road to access the site. Anyone interested in contributing to the project may email the Conservancy at liv.monck-whipp@natureconservancy.ca
The Voice, March 4, 2020
Page 9
International Women's Day Global celebration for more than a century BY MEGAN METLER
Special to the VOICE
Next Sunday, March 8, is the 109th annual International Women’s Day. The theme for this year is #EachforEqual: An equal world is an enabled world. The day is intended to raise awareness of gender inequality, commemorate female achievement, and promote action and change. No single government, charity or group is responsible for this global celebration, but rather they all work together to make an even bigger impact. The first International Women’s Day was in 1911, and its popularity has only grown since. Women and men alike have honoured the day around the world with conferences, festivals, concerts and other events. For Notre Dame College School student Fawn Joseph, the celebration is an important one. “It inspires women and girls to keep going and follow their dreams, despite stereotypes,” said Joseph. “My mom works in a workplace that is prominently filled with men. This inspires me to take a look at careers that are not ‘traditional’ for women.” The main colour for International Women’s day is purple, which symbolizes women. In the United Kingdom, in the 1900s, the combination of purple, green (which means hope), and white, (for purity) signified women’s equality. However, the three colours are no longer used. Women’s rights have come a long
way with the ability to vote, better pay, and breaking stereotypical barriers, but gender parity is still lacking in today’s society. According to Statistics Canada, in 2019 only 35% of management positions were held by female employees. The Stats Can 2018 Gender Pay Gap Report revealed that while men (25-54 years old) earned, on average, $31 an hour, women only received $27. That means that women earn approximately 13% less per hour, on average, than men. The gender pay gap has been decreasing for years but is not yet gone. Currently in Canada, there is only one female premier out of the 13 provinces and territories—Caroline Cochrane is the Premier of The Northwest Territories. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have never had a female premier. Although there are numerous remaining issues of gender inequality in 2020, there are also many organizations and individuals in the Niagara Region and beyond that are committed to making an impact for women and girls everywhere. The YWCA Niagara Region is an organization focused on providing shelter and assistance to homeless women, men and children. They also provide programs for high school girls, a drop-in support program for sex-trade work-
Women rallying in Buenos Aires, two weeks ago, in support of legalized abortion. CAROLINA J ers and peer support for women in recovery. According to Elisabeth Zimmermann, Executive Director of the YWCA, the most important way they empower women is through their Women’s Leadership Conference in the fall and their Girl’s Conference in the spring. “Women are empowered to feel confident in who they are and in that way also feel confident in making decisions that have positive impacts on their lives,” said Zimmermann. Shannon Moore, Director of the Centre for Women's and Gender Studies at Brock University, said that International Women’s Day is a reminder for her to think about the equity in her local community, and, more broadly, in Canada and the world. “I take the opportunity of Inter-
national Women’s Day to consider ways I can promote the voices and views of members of equity-seeking communities to be heard in meaningful ways,” said Moore. “Movement towards equity makes us all stronger.” Last October, NASA celebrated its first all-female spacewalk. Jessica Meir and Christina Koch led a mission to replace a failed power control unit at the international space station. Although the trip was delayed due to lack of suitably sized space suits for the women, Meir, Koch and their crew eventually made the history-making trip. In a piece for the Washington Post, Meir and Koch said, "the real achievement is the collective acknowledgment that it is no longer okay to move forward without everyone moving together."
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Pelham charts its future In marathon session, Town Council and senior staff lay out priorities for next 18 months BY DON RICKERS
Special to the VOICE
What Pelham CAO David Cribbs characterized as “dynamic tensions” were the order of business last Monday evening, as Town Council participated in a strategic plan prioritization session held at the community centre. Present were all six councillors, Mayor Junkin, Cribbs, Town department heads, a handful of support staff, and the Voice. The culmination of the threehour meeting was a list of six groupings of issues to be addressed in descending order of priority. Each group contained five issues, and there was no prioritized ranking within groups. The understanding was that items in the top groupings would be dealt with immediately, while those lower on the list would be dealt with over the course of the next 18 months. Acting as facilitator, Cribbs presented PowerPoint slides to support and direct discussion. The first visual was a Venn diagram, consisting of three interlocking ideals: low taxes, low housing density, and stable services. Cribbs maintained that a position in the centre, where all three overlap, “does not exist.” Councillor Bob Hildebrandt took exception to Cribbs’ remark, arguing that “technology and superior staffing” were not reflected in the diagram’s composition. Cribbs responded that the diagram appears as a standard concept in many public administration textbooks, but conceded that there are other elements in play, and that “technology can be a great booster” when it comes to economizing within municipal budgets. As a general rule, however, big residential lots paying relatively little property tax per address, coupled with residential demand for generous services, translates into a need for comparatively high tax rates. A list of 2019’s Town accomplishments came next, referencing such notable events as the passing of two budgets, the update of multiple bylaws, progress on cannabis legislation, reduction of operating costs at the new community centre (MCC), positive steps toward rebuilding the arches above Pelham Town Square, work to save the Town’s tree canopy from gypsy moth infestation, short-term rental policy measures, adoption of rigorous financial management policies, and steps toward rebuilding a measure of trust with the community. Councillor Ron Kore was skeptical. He asked whether the successes were attributable to council, Town staff, or, in some instances, community groups (the arches rebuild, spearheaded by the Fonthill Rotary Club being an example). Kore worried about residents’ perceptions of the accomplishments, were they to be released to the public. Cribbs responded that the PowerPoint was a staff summary, not a council report, and in any case the slides were currently available on the Town’s website (as are all council meeting agendas and accompanying notes) and consequently already in public view. (Monday’s council gathering was
also a public meeting.) Cribbs reminded council of how tasks are accomplished by a municipal government. “Staff do 95% of the heavy lifting at their desks, away from the cameras. [Staff] don't pass anything, [council passes] it. Staff does the research and prepares the drafts. It's a conjunctive effort,” said Cribbs. “This is the way the system is supposed to work. [Staff] have got some expertise and knowledge, but we don't have a mandate or a vision of the community. [Staff and council] hang out together until we get something that reflects what the community needs.”
You've had an extremely successful year putting policy and rules in place to address the shortcomings of the past
The CAO noted that some of the cited accomplishments were still works in progress, but that significant effort had been expended to bring them to this stage of fruition. “If you look at the our current operational strategic plan, we've accomplished virtually all of the financial goals. You've had an extremely successful year putting policy and rules in place to address the shortcomings of the past, and to prevent such occurrences from happening again.” Councillor Mike Ciolfi said that he understood Pelham had delayed updating its official plan due to the possibility that the province would amalgamate lower-tier municipalities in Niagara. Director of Planning and Development Barbara Wiens noted that the Town’s existing plan is current, having been passed in 2014, but that Pelham must wait for the Region to update its own plan first. Ciolfi asked whether an intensification plan would protect the character of Pelham’s mature neighborhoods, and whether an amendment to the zoning bylaw was advisable to direct where high-density growth would be permitted in the municipality. “This is a big issue in our town,” he said. “Could we have a subdivision that’s been here for many years, all of a sudden get chopped up with high-rise developments?” “Policies don’t allow for that,” responded Wiens. “The official plan does identify eleven areas for intensification. But the document does allow that in addition to those designated areas, intensification can occur throughout the town, subject to meeting certain criteria. We evaluate applications on that basis. The current official plan has those guidelines.”
Discussion of parking issues prompted Cribbs to mention a glaring bylaw absence, one that would enable the Town to collect revenue from developers for parking spots. “There are a bunch of components to this, so in [staff’s] mind, it's a big issue. Parking congestion at the MCC is just one symptom of a multi-product parking monster. With the Town’s growth of 3.35%, that is just going to get recognition no matter what.” Ciolfi stressed the critical need for more parking at the MCC in particular, indicating that the problem will only get worse if unaddressed. “More revenue-generating rentals are coming in…we’ve got basketball tournaments and hockey coming in every weekend...the need for additional parking is huge.” Cribbs advocated a broader stroke approach, working towards a master parking strategy for Pelham that would include not only the MCC, but also the downtowns of Fonthill, Ridgeville, and Fenwick. Mayor Junkin said he thought that the future of the Town’s libraries was “an important issue, but not a ‘top five’ priority...things are functioning pretty well. I see this as something that will evolve over time, not over the next few weeks.” Councillor Lisa Haun responded that there had been a great deal of interest in, and support of, the library reflected in recent media coverage of the issue. Council had publicly announced its intention to work for solutions with the library board, and Haun said it was “critical to match our [priority rankings] with our behaviour of the past few weeks…indicating there is a sense of urgency.” Asked for his own priority item, CAO Cribbs said, “Collective agreements with workers are an issue that doesn’t matter much to the general public, but to the corporation, they are critically vital…perhaps the most important piece out there.” Cribbs also noted that the Town would do well to administer its own penalties for bylaw violations, rather than offloading them to the Region or province. So-called “AMPs," or administrative monetary penalties, were added to Ontario Municipal Act about a decade ago, and are similar to court-levied fines, such as parking tickets, and imposed through an administrative process that stops short of violators having a criminal record or being imprisoned. Appeals to citations would be heard locally, said Cribbs, by an independent hearing officer on retainer, possibly shared among neighbouring municipalities. Haun brought up the issue of communication between Town staff and council, which prompted an impassioned response from Kore. “When we let other people dictate the news, we always get in trouble. We shoot ourselves in the foot, then try to backtrack. If we had been provided better communication, to get our information out to the public through the Tribune, the Voice, the Standard, and said these are our decisions and why we made our decisions, I think half
the noise would go away. But we always seem to read about an issue on the front page of the newspaper, and then we have to talk about it, and decide what to do. And if we don’t get the right spokesman out in front, then it’s worse.” Councillor Marianne Stewart agreed. “Sometimes [councillors] get our town news from the paper, rather than Town staff, and we need to ensure we are informed.” Stewart advocated a “proactive” communications protocol. “That is not a universe in which we exist,” responded Cribbs. “I’m sorry, but the newspaper beats us to stuff all the time. It’s a free press in this country, and it quite often figures things out before staff does. We can put out our own press releases, but the newspapers will
print whatever they wish.” Haun suggested that the Town “front-load” charges to developers, rather than having the Town assume the risk, given the potential for the economy to slow. Wiens clarified that the Town already does so, collecting charges when construction permits are approved, not when developments are completed. The developer pays for the project’s roads, sanitary sewer, water, and other costs. Councillor John Wink was eager for a succession plan to be highly prioritized, which would establish a stream of competent staff to step in when senior managers and other Town employees are lost to retirement or departures elsewhere. Kore suggested that qualified college and university students could economically assist with some
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The Voice, March 4, 2020
Page 11
Above, Councillor Mike Ciolfi, centre left, contributes to the discussion. Botom, from left, Councillors Bob Hildebrandt and Lisa Haun, Town staff, CAO David Cribbs. DON RICKERS AND DAVE BURKET
municipal assignments, to which Cribbs responded there was already such a plan in place. Cribbs noted the need for a “whistleblower policy,” which allows a rank-and-file staff member to bring instances of malfeasance by superiors to the attention of senior management, and protects staffers from retribution. He suggested that this was a doable short-term item, since best practices were already available from other municipalities, as well as Brock University and Niagara College. Hildebrandt commented that software system upgrades can result in considerable savings in staff time, and should be prioritized and implemented when possible. An example is Pelham’s new voice-driven telephone sys-
tem at Town Hall, which allows callers to speak the name of the person, department or location they’re trying to reach, theoretically providing callers an immediate line to the right destination. Senior staff were asked for their summary comments, and all responded that they generally felt positive about the achievements and challenges discussed during the evening. Director of Corporate Services and Town Treasurer Teresa Quinlin stressed that grant writing was an important job and deserved to be prioritized accordingly, and that her staff have been training to back-up duties of others in the department. Director of Public Works Jason Marr advised council that a report had been prepared with options to move forward on re-
pairs to Sulphur Spring Drive. However, the timeframe is a long one, due to environmental aspects over which the Town has no control. By the end, council had determined the order of 28 priorities as follows: Top Five (1-5) • New zoning bylaw • Short-term rental policy • Negotiate a collective agreement • Pass bylaws that will work for cannabis • Invasive species policy and plan Second Five (6-10) • Future of library • Renew and enhance the public service request system • Proactive communication protocol
• Parking initiatives and master plan (including MCC parking strategy) • Bylaw enforcement policy Third Five (11-15) • Succession plan • Heritage Advisory Committee • Whistleblower protection • Capital asset management plan • Delegation of authority by-law Fourth Five (16-20) • Review and expand administrative monetary penalties • Updated purchase policy and issue joint RFPs/culture and operating changes re: purchasing • Joint initiatives: purchasing, building inspection, drainage, legal • New procedural by-law Fifth Five (21-25) • Traffic safety and calming measures • Climate change best practice and community education • Compensation and performance management/performance management • Grants • Future of Pelham Transit Sixth five (26-30) • East Fenwick secondary plan • Bylaw upgrades and introductions • Introduce mass notification system • Voice activation for customer service • Risk management framework
Asked later in the week for his impression of how the session went, the CAO was upbeat. “I’m quite comfortable in saying that [council and senior staff] are aligned in our mutual assessment of what matters,” said Cribbs, “and what would most improve the function of the corporation, and generally the thrust forward for the community.” He noted that several bylaws need to be addressed by council, covering such issues as residential property access, protection of the urban tree canopy, and parking development—which would additionally allow the municipality to develop a reserve for future parking considerations. Reminded of Councillor Hildebrandt’s assertion at Monday’s meeting that Pelham “is the only organization I have ever seen where no one fills in a time sheet, other than for overtime,” Cribbs dismissed the implied possibility that taxpayers weren’t getting their money’s worth. “I don’t think that carries any real benefit with it whatsoever. Most of our employees put in hours well beyond what we pay them for. We have GPS tracking on our vehicles. Our Town workers have a public presence...they really don’t have a place to hide.”
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The Voice, March 4, 2020
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"Power Charge" after-school program at DSBN Academy BY MAEVE KEATING
Special to the VOICE
In February, a new after school program called “Power Charge” began its first trial run at the DSBN Academy School (formerly West Park Secondary School) in St. Catharines. The program, developed by local children’s author Krista Perdue, is designed to provide a structured
and safe space for students in both elementary and secondary school levels to practice and discuss “mindfulness and empowerment.” Participation is free of charge and will be conducted on school property. Perdue began designing Power Charge late last
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ticipating a capacity of 20 to 25 students per session. Students interested in attending the program will be encouraged to sign up independently while teachers will additionally be given the option to “nominate” students they believe may benefit from Power Charge. The program will focus on covering a variety of themes and topics through the lens of “mindfulness and empowerment,” with the aim of eradicating bullying before it begins. These subjects include self-esteem and confidence, goal-setting, communication skills, conflict resolution, stress management, and “digital imprint.”
Each session will also provide a healthy snack for students and include a physical activity (with a mindfulness approach), group discussions, and a meditation component with yoga mats. “The students at the Academy are from all over the region. One of the prerequisites for getting into the school is they have to be the first in their family to graduate. A lot of them are of a lower income. So I thought that was probably a good place to start,” says Perdue. “St. Catharines is among the top 20 Canadian cities with the highest poverty rates. And there’s a huge correlation between bully-
ing and poverty.” Power Charge will be exclusively funded by donations and run by volunteers. Perdue has approached Brock University’s teacher education department for volunteers and students looking to expand and develop their experience in the classroom. Should the program prove to be a success, Perdue and company hope to expand and implement Power Charge in as many schools across the Niagara Region as possible. Perdue encourages parents who are interested in implementing Power Charge in other schools within the DSBN and DCSBN, to email her at krista@kristaperdue.com
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year with the help of Sarah Pritula, director of local charity, Community Crew. Perdue says she perceived a lack of empowerment programing in the local school system from both children and parents alike. “I think parents do know that programs like this are necessary,” Perdue says. “Even when I do book signings, I speak to many different parents and I do think they see the importance of [the program’s] message.” Started the first week of February, the one-hour after- school program will run at the DSBN Academy for another six weeks, twice per week. Perdue and Academy staff are an-
BY MEGAN METLER
Special to the VOICE
Last Wednesday, February 26, was Pink Shirt Day, also known as Anti-Bullying Day. Students and adults around Canada wore pink shirts in solidarity with bullying awareness. Schools encouraged students to participate and held events. Almost 180 countries are following suit and hosting events from February through to
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May. This internationally acknowledged day began in 2007, when two high school students in Nova Scotia, David Shepherd and Travis Price, took a stand against bullying. According to the Pink Shirt Day Website, when Shepherd and Price witnessed a younger boy getting picked on because of the pink shirt that he was wearing, they decided to do something about it. That night they went out and purchased as many pink tank tops as they could to distribute to their school the next day. The school-wide protest has grown to include global support in the struggle to reduce bullying.
In a media release, Tony Volk, Professor in the Department of Child and Youth Studies at Brock University, shed some light on the current situation. “Bullying is a universal problem that will not go away on its own,” he said. “But bullying does vary in different environments, so we know that it is possible to change it and reduce it.” Volk added that Pink Shirt Day, along with helping create awareness of bullying, also helps to build a sense of solidarity amongst victims. Donations to the Pink Shirt Day organization go to support the hundreds of youth that are affected by bullying and to aid anti-bullying programs.
According to a 2015 Angus Reid Institute Survey, 75% of Canadian adults said that they experienced bullying at least once when they were at school. One in three (33%) of those frequently bullied say that it had a “lasting and serious impact” on them, and 37 percent say that they still think about it. The study reveals that being bullied in any way can affect behaviour, trust and mental health. “Being repeatedly harassed is like being forced to run repeated marathons,” said Volk. “Just as back-to-back marathons will destroy your body, repeated, severe bullying causes lasting physical and mental damage.”
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100+ Women Who Care Group brings together women of all backgrounds in support of Niagara community causes BY HELEN TRAN
Special to the VOICE
Last Wednesday, February 26, local women (and one man) braved the wind and rain to attend realtor Debbie Pine’s first 100+ Women Who Care event of 2020. The meeting was held in the community centre, where the bright, modern interior was a welcome sanctuary from the drizzly evening. At ten minutes to registration time, Pine bustled about in a businesslike manner, setting up a slideshow, chairs, and prizes in rapid succession. “Tonight is about local women making an impact,” she said. 100+ Women Who Care is part of an umbrella organization, the “100 Who Care Alliance,” founded in 2006 by Karen Dunigan, a former mayor and business leader from Michigan. Dunigan came up with the idea of using the number 100 to emphasize the power of individuals working together to impact the lives of many. If 100 individuals were to donate $100 each in a single night, then $10,000 could easily be raised. Although Dunigan passed away in 2014, her brainchild lives on through 164 chapters throughout Canada. These chapters organize four meetings per year so that members can gather to nominate and vote for local charities they feel are deserving of financial aid. Members of the public who are interested in registering as new members can also attend. The four short taglines underneath the “100+ Women Who Care NIAGARA” sign read: “100+ Women, 1 Hour, 10 Thousand Dollars, Local Impact.” According to Pine, the big draw to join 100+ Women Who Care was the chance to support the community — since the beneficiaries are all local, members can see where their donations are making the most impact. The donation process was designed to be streamlined and convenient. Members could send cheques online and donate regardless of physical attendance. The meetings are limited to one hour, again to maximize convenience and to maintain engagement. Although Pine’s specific chapter focused on women only, especially “women who care about local community causes and who are committed to community service,” the umbrella organization has chapters for women, men, businesses, and even kids. The one man in attendance last week, Tony Zammit, a volunteer for a soup kitchen called Niagara Outreach, said that after the charity received $12,000 in 2018 through 100+ Women Who Care, they were able to make 10,000 more meals, for a total of 53,000. He expressed interest in forming a 100+ Men Who Care chapter, in the hopes of bringing
in more donations. The big draw of the night was the chance to nominate a charity to receive the evening’s donations. Eligible charities have to be local, non-profit, and able to provide receipts. Nominees also have to give a presentation at the meeting. Although members can donate even if they do not attend meetings, one does have to attend meetings in order to both nominate and cast a vote. As more women arrived, a line formed at the welcome table to register and sign in. The table held an assortment of items: stations where one could nominate a local charity to receive that night’s donations, a basket in which attendees could drop off toiletry item donations, and cards advertising the times, dates and locations of future meetings. There was a balanced mix of newcomers and seasoned attendees. “There’s much more benefit to attending,” said Kelly Vlaar, who was on her third meeting, “because you can hear firsthand [about the charities] and ask questions. Your vote counts.” Neshanthi Sloan, who joined the organization last year, had not attended every meeting. However, she said that she always felt included, since regardless of attendance she was always able to donate online and receive updates. This feeling of inclusion reinforced Pine’s sentiments regarding the inclusivity of the event. “We have raised over $350,000 since we started,” she said. “It doesn’t matter your profession, whether professional or stay at home moms, whoever. Any
women, anyone can join. For me, it is about the feeling of the impact that we have as a group. One person, 100 bucks. Okay. But 100-plus women? I was at one meeting and they raised $19,000 in one night!” “What started with one person is now touching thousands of women,” said Mary Gasbarrino, who had a short presentation to thank those attending. Her daughter, Elise, is an ovarian cancer survivor and the founder of Pink Pearl of Canada, the recipient of a $6,000 cheque that night as a result of the previous meeting’s vote. The two charities nominated last week were Tomorrow’s Voices, and Youth For Christ (YFC)/Youth Unlimited. Tomorrow’s Voices is a non-profit children’s choir based in St. Catharines that was established in 2017. The choir has some 30 children and is “barrier-free” and audition- free. Their representative, Kelly Vlaar, explained that “kids should be heard,” so that they develop “a confidence and belief that they didn’t experience before and empower them to learn in a safe environment.” Rose Price, of YFC/Youth Unlimited, described the organization as a “youth centre” that offered “numerous programs— tutoring, girls group, prenatal classes, young moms group, guys group, and drop in. All of the programs are free.” Her presentation focused on the prenatal classes and the young moms group, which were open to any teen and up to age 25. Youths could take classes in
Standing, organizer Debbie Pine addresses attendees. a “non-judgmental, friendly atmosphere...where they can feel comfortable, cared for, and full of worth.” There was an air of anticipation and excitement as the presentations concluded and it was time to vote. Applause erupted as it was announced that YFC/Youth Unlimited was the winner. There were nods around the room and more applause as Price emphasized this particular saying that she said informed her support work: “They don’t care how much we know, until we show them how much we care... that is how we start building relationships together.” Indeed, the meeting seemed fruitful in that regard, with many attendees getting to know one another. As they were leaving,
several were overheard discussing their desire to attend meetings in the future. “It’s the best feel-good hour you’ll ever come to,”
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said Pine. The next 100+ Women Who Care meeting will be held on May 27, 7:30 PM, at the community centre.
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Page 14
The Voice, March 4, 2020
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Niagara runner matches expectations in international competition Ahmed mines bronze at world championships BY BERNIE PUCHALSKI
BPSPORTSNIAGARA.COM
There was no doubt in Mohammed Ahmed’s mind that he would end up on the podium at this past September’s world track and field championships. “Absolutely,” the 28-year-old former St. Catharines resident said. “This was the first year where I carried those expectations with real conviction, quiet confidence and relaxation as well.” That confidence resulted in a bronze medal in the 5,000 metres. It was the first distance medal ever won by a Canadian at the world championships. “I definitely believed in it and I had dreamt about it for a number of years,” the former 11-time All-American at the University of Wisconsin said. “In previous years, I was inexperienced and I probably wanted it a little too badly. When it came to delivering, I tightened up a little too much.” That didn’t happen in 2019. “I was looking at the goal, but I wasn’t fixated on the goal and I really enjoyed the process more than I ever had before,” he said. “I dedicated myself to it and I showed up every single day work-
ing hard and not worrying about things. That enabled me to arrive at the world championships the fittest that I had ever been.” It was a culmination of a yearlong strategy. “I stayed in the moment, I didn’t get too exhausted and I had a great relationship with my coach [Jerry Schumacher of the Bowerman Track Club],” he said. “Both of us had a good understanding that we could win or get a medal.” He went into the worlds with no pressure. “I had worked really hard, I was fit, I had given myself a great chance and I wasn’t tight or anxious.” Ahmed dropped to fifth on the final lap of the 5,000 metres at the world championships after being in the lead with two laps to go, but he rallied to capture the bronze medal. After winning the race, Ahmed was quoted as saying, “Third is as good as first when it’s your first time.” For Ahmed, the quote was in response to coming short in a number of previous years.
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“It was carrying a lot of weight and a lot of expectations,” he said. “I had expectations of getting a medal and in 2016, I was just short of it.” That year, he placed fourth in the 5,000 metres at the 2016 Rio Olympics. “I was always knocking on the door and not being on the podium.” All that changed with the bronze at the worlds. “There was relief and there was pressure lifted off,” he said.
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year and they told me that they trusted me enough to give me the start and I was thankful for that opportunity.” The Niagara North Stars minor midget AAA player and former Southern Tier Admiral wanted to show the team’s trust in him was warranted. “I didn’t want to let the boys down and it was a fun night.” Playing in front of his parents, grandparents and
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The bronze was the last in a trio of breakthroughs for Ahmed. He also broke the 27-minute mark for the 10,000 metres and dipped under the 13-minute mark for the 5,000 metres. “I think I felt the exact same on all three of those occasions,” he said. “It was, finally. I had worked really hard for it for a number of years. It was if I had won.” Of course, the medal was the most important achievement. “More than anything, what validates people’s careers are medals
an aunt and uncle, he was mostly pleased with the start. “I thought it was pretty good, but there is always room to improve, that’s for sure,” he said. “I am going to keep striving towards that but it is a night I am always going to remember, especially with this group of guys.” His most memorable moment came at the start of the game. “It was the first save and getting the nerves out,” he said. “I blocked out a long shot and you are always go-
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and nobody is ever going to take away a medal,” Ahmed said. “You will always have that medal but your records, down the road, people are going to take them.” He’s hoping it won’t be the last. “Now that I have that medal and I am heading to the Olympics, I see the opportunities more than the pressure and expectations.” He believes he is at the perfect point in his career to succeed. “I feel that I have the right amount of experience, failures and success and I am also at the right age.” Ahmed loves to share his stories with younger runners. Last November, he was at the Ontario Federation of Secondary Schools Association championships in Sudbury, where he enjoyed meeting the teen competitors. His message to them was simple. “Anything is possible and you have to dream big. One of the big things I told them was to enjoy it, create goals for yourself and more than anything enjoy the process.” He describes his running career as a journey. “I didn’t really plan out to be on this journey, but I just stumbled upon it and I had guiding and encouraging individuals who were part of my journey,” he said. “I was lucky to have those individuals. I felt like I was serious and sometimes too serious, but I’ve tried to enjoy it as best I could.”
ing to remember your first.” Bonisteel is hoping it will be the first in a long career with the Falcons. “I’m not sure what the future holds but I want to continue to pursue a junior hockey career and take it as far as I can,” he said. “I love this organization and they have done nothing but good things for me. I would love to be a Falcon.” Bielby liked how Bonisteel performed. ‘There is an adjustment period and he made some really good saves off the rush and he seemed to be
square to every shot he faced,” he said. “He’s got a bright future.” The Falcons felt Bonisteel was well deserving of the start. “Sometimes the game is much bigger than any individual and that’s what it was for us tonight,” Bielby said. “He is a teammate of ours and not just an AP. Every time he has an opportunity to practice he shows up, he’s ridden on the bus and he has sat on cold benches as a backup. He is a great teammate and it’s nice for him to get a shot tonight.”
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WELCOME ABOARD Pastor Robert Lawson is welcomed to Fonthill United Church at a meet-and-greet held on Friday, Feb. 21. Back, from left, Nancy Curran, Sharon Middleton, Alvin Penner, Pastor Lawson, Janet Hamilton, Marian McDonald, and Marlene Kretchman. Front, from left, Ron Kretchman, and Dick O'Brien. SUPPLIED
34% of non-runners had died, more than double the 15% of runners who died. After 21 years of study, disability had eventually struck both groups, but on average the runners’ initial disability came an astonishing 16 years later than the non-runners, adding a significant number of quality years to their lives—and compressing their morbidity. It was expected that runners would have reduced cardiovascular deaths, but finding fewer early deaths associated with cancer, neurological disease and other causes was surprising. “By and large, the runners have stayed healthy,” concluded Fries with a scientist’s typical understatement. Fries also noted that increased injuries specific to running did not materialize as expected. Should we quit whining about our running, cycling or pickleball injuries? Not really. Swapping battle stories and outrageous internet-derived self-help remedies is an important part of the fun. Should we give in to minor injuries and morning aches and pains as we age, and quit sports or exercising? Everyone’s different, and a medical practitioner can be consulted, but by keeping at it, studies show that we’ll come out ahead over time —and compress that period of morbidity we really fear. ♦
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“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Voice, March 4, 2020
Sporting Green The Niagara
Page 17
John Swart talks compression of morbidity 18
The Voice and TheVoiceofPelham.ca | March 4, 2020
Cyclone come up short BY BILL POTRECZ
BPSPORTSNIAGARA.COM
Jason Carter’s final few seconds as a member of the E. L. Crossley Cyclone was spent watching the St. Francis Phoenix dribble out the clock. Carter looked on helplessly as the Phoenix topped the Cyclone 66-55 in a Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association (SOSSA) AA semifinal senior boys basketball game, played last week before a packed house at Crossley. Carter was naturally disappointed as he pulled off his blue, gold and white jersey for the final time. “It sucks. It’s the last game for me,” he said. “It’s a tough loss.” Carter admitted he allowed himself to think about winning it all at home. “It would have been amazing with all these fans here,” he said. Carter, who attended South Lincoln in Grade 9 before moving to Crossley, loved his time at the Pelham school. “It’s amazing. The basketball program was so much better here,” he said. “All of my teammates and coaches were amazing.” Carter, who plans to study engineering at Guelph next year, isn’t sure about his basketball future. “We’ll see what happens,” he said. Carter, Aiden Belding, Carter Teal, and Jacob Pauls all played their final games for the Cyclone, which was not lost on head coach Brian Bleich. “You’re on a high during the game and then when you walk off the floor you realize it might be the last time you ever play basketball again in a controlled environment,” Bleich said. “None of them are going to play at the next level from our team this year.” The Cyclone gave the Phoenix all they
could handle and were still within striking distance trailing only by three (56-53) with 3:32 to play. “They gave it all they had. I told them they needed to keep their heads up and be positive. They played their hearts out,” Bleich said. “We didn’t hit our shots and that happens in basketball. We didn’t give up and we didn’t quit.” Bleich had no qualms having to take on the Phoenix in the semifinals. “I thought about that but I think playing the harder game in the morning is better. We were on the other end last year where we played the harder game and then had to go on and it’s tough if the second game is the hardest game.” Overall, Bleich felt the season was a good building block for the program. “I think we had a great year,” he said. “We had a really good year this year but it’s what I see for the future. It’s a very positive thing. The experience they gained today and in the last few games in tremendous.” Phoenix coach Jono Marcheterre liked how his team rebounded from a mediocre first half. “We weren’t happy the way we played [in the first half],” he said. “The guys haven’t played in this gym before and maybe it was the environment with the crowd. “At halftime, it was mainly stick to the plan. We made a few little adjustments. We knew guys weren’t going to go the whole game without hitting shots. We kept plugging away and eventually pulled it off.”
Jason Carter. BILL POTRECZ
Big Ben's junior debut Fonthill teen wins first junior hockey start BY BERNIE PUCHALSKI
BPSPORTSNIAGARA.COM
Ben Bonisteel.
BERNIE PUCHALSKI
It was night to remember for 16-yearold Fonthill native Ben Bonisteel. Playing in the first junior hockey game of his career on Valentine’s Day night, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound goalie stopped 17 of the 19 shots fired his way, to lead the St. Catharines Falcons to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Pelham Panthers in Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, Golden Horseshoe Conference action, at the Jack Gatecliff Arena. For his efforts, the affiliated player was awarded a hard hat and fake leopard skin cape by his teammates, signi-
fying player of the game honours. The Grade 11 student at E. L. Crossley found out he was starting the game Thursday at 7 PM, when he was called by Falcons head coach Tyler Bielby. “He had all the guys in the room in on the call and they were all cheering me on when he told me over the phone. That was pretty special.” Bonisteel said he had no trouble sleeping the night before his first start. “I slept well but I was excited,” he said. “I have AP’d with these guys all See BIG BEN Page 14
Page 18
The Voice, March 4, 2020
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
FROM THE HANDLEBARS
by John Swart
Compression of morbidity—it's more appealing than you think
C
ompression of morbidity, frightening as it sounds, is a good thing, and running, cycling, even pickleball, some of our most basic aerobic exercises, are a great way to achieve it. Morbidity is defined as poor health due to any cause, a diseased state, or disability, and officially begins at the onset of our first chronic or debilitating disease. Let’s suppose you lived to be 85 years old, and were first struck by congestive heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, or one or more other debilitating chronic health issues, at 65. You would have spent 20 years
in the condition medically described as morbidity. Conversely, if your initial onset of chronic disease happened at 80, your period of morbidity would have been compressed to just five years. Our best quality of life is associated with the period before morbidity sets in, so striving to achieving the second alternative sounds like a plan to me. Understanding our ability to compress morbidity may also alter the way we respond to the minor injuries or aches and pains that are part of our exercise regimen. A couple years back, during a run, I crested an incline, took a few downhill
strides, and a tear or cramp exploded in my right calf. The run was abruptly over. I have to say that as I attempted to walk the pain off and figure out how to get home, a car rushed out of a nearby driveway. Its driver rolled down a window and said, “My wife saw you pull up, then start hobbling. She told me to get the car and see if you needed a ride anywhere.” I love Pelham. For six weeks I massaged, stretched, and resistance-trained that darn muscle without success. As I considered what to do next, and why I couldn’t just run or walk this one off, I remembered that my legs were slightly unequal in length. It’s true. A gait analysis and proper bike fitting explained why as a teenager one white tube sock had always shown more than the other at the
bottom of my pants. Being of the gender and mentality that confuses knowledge and wishful thinking, I immediately
ing,” I gushed. “My left hip hurts like crazy, my right hamstring or sciatica is so tight it’s going to snap, my lower back kills, and my left knee is throbbing.” Her incredulous stare indicated she was thinking, “Gee, I wonder what a bad run would be like?” “My calf didn’t seize up!” I stammered, stunned she didn’t understand. “The other stuff is just my body adjusting to the lift. It’ll go away.” I was ecstatic I could run again—and carry on compressing my morbidity. James Fries, an MD and professor emeritus at the Stanford University School of Medicine, coined the phrase “Compression of Morbidity” in the early 1980s. This was a new idea, aimed at disproving the prevalent paradigm that living a longer life only meant spending more years enduring end-of-life dis-
She told me to get in the car and see if you needed a ride anywhere
knew that putting a heel lift in the running shoe of my shorter leg would cure my calf problem. Arriving home after a test jog with a homemade lift installed, my wife queried, “How’d your run go?” “It was so good, amaz-
abilities and potential economic hardship. Fries commenced a study in 1984 that tracked 538 runners over the age of 50, comparing them to a control group of non-runners. Fries’ hypothesis was that regular aerobic exercise would not necessarily extend one’s longevity, or date with mortality, but would extend the high-quality, disability-free time of life, in turn compressing the period of morbidity when people can’t carry out daily tasks independently. The runners and control group were monitored into their 70s and 80s. The long-term study results, published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, were surprising. Both longevity and compression of morbidity were enhanced significantly more than anticipated. After 19 years, See MORBIDITY Page 16
Voice
HOROSCOPE
ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 Hobbies can be a great distraction from your responsibilities, Aries. But this week you need to get back to business, or you may fall behind. TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, change is in the air and you are excited about all the new prospects that lie ahead. The most difficult decisions will be centered on what you’re going to do. GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Nurturing is a part of your nature, Gemini. This week you may discover you are spending a lot of time lavishing attention on others at your expense. Find a healthy balance. CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, your social and business calendar is full for the next several weeks. Even though you enjoy being busy, you may need a break to avoid burnout. LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 It will be another fortuitous week for your finances, Leo. All of your financial ducks are in a row, and you can take some time off from micromanaging your accounts. VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, you may want to show others a new side of you over the course of the next few days. You’re often conservative, but you might want to let loose a little bit and be adventurous. LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 You may receive a few offers this week that seem too good to be true, Libra. Trust your instincts as you navigate through all of these opportunities to find the best options. SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, over the course of the
next few days you’ll get an idea of how many people rely on you. When you are out of commission, things may come to a halt. SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 People are drawn to your warmth and good nature, Sagittarius. That is why you are never short on friends or left with nothing to do. This week is no different. CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 Changes that you have been hoping will occur will finally see the light of day, Capricorn. The effects will be subtle at first and then build as they go. AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 Aquarius, now is your opportunity to take care of yourself. You have been freed of some responsibilities and are able to focus on small changes that can add up to something big. PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Pisces, when things get a tad stressful this week, remember that physical activity can calm you down. Take a walk or hit the gym. FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS MARCH 1 Kesha, Singer (33) MARCH 2 Chris Martin, Singer (43) MARCH 3 Camila Cabello, Singer (23) MARCH 4 Draymond Green, Athlete (30) MARCH 5 Taylor Hill, Model (24) MARCH 6 Connie Britton, Actress (53) MARCH 7 Bryan Cranston, Actor (64)
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36. Cafe
34. Kopek
33. Needed
31. Singer
32. Octane
29. Ism
30. Aloes
28. ENE
26. Erg
27. Become
24. Age
25. Forages
20. Sol
23. Ebonies
17. Eta
19. Illumine
15. Pya
14. Hah
10. Beeline
12. Tremolos
7. Core
9. ASCII
6. Roots
5. Abrade
3. Extant
4. Marline
2. Cocoon
DOWN
1. Acacia
SOLUTIONS
43. Red
42. Ekes
41. Sene
39. Egad
40. Femes
37. Monte
38. Apogee
35. Slice
36. Cocaine
Esiason
34. Kerning
27. Boomer
25. Fbu
26. Ego
23. Ell
24. Ale
21. Loa
22. One
18. Antihistamine
16. Ionia
17. Eyelids
13. Coach
15. Prelate
11. Acts
12. Terror
8. Coxa
10. Baboo
1. Ace
4. Marc
ACROSS
CROSSWORD ANSWERS
SOLUTIONS
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The Voice, March 4, 2020
Voice
FAITH LIFT
by Pastor Rob Weatherby
CROSSWORD SPONSORED THIS WEEK BY
Which came first...
Y
ou’ve heard the well-known question: "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” A biblical Christian would say the chicken came first. God created the first chickens when He created the world and they started laying eggs. On the other hand, an evolutionist would say the egg came first. A very long time ago, life somehow emerged on the earth (they still haven’t figured out how life emerged from non-life but that’s another issue). From that primordial soup eventually evolved some kind of egg that became the first chicken.
grows on the tip of its beak. The chick uses this for two essential purposes. The first is to open a special air sac at one end of the capsule. This supplies it with six hours of oxygen, the time needed for it to emerge (this sounds a bit like the failed Apollo 13 mission, which had just enough resources to reach earth again). The second purpose of the beak tool is to crack his way out through the shell. The day before hatching, the chick eats all of the yolk, which gives it enough nutrition to survive three days outside of the egg. After that it will be able to live on its own and provide for itself.
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Once outside the shell, the chick has all the oxygen it wants. There are two possible explanations for this incredible process. One explanation is that it’s an example of ingenious design by a very intelligent designer (whom Christians call “God the Creator”). The other explanation is that it is the result of a slow, random, unguided and undesigned process that took a very long time (usually called “evolution”). What do I believe? I think the chicken came first. ♦ Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor who likes eggs for breakfast.
A tasty space capsule
While we’re talking about eggs and chickens, have you ever heard how a chick actually emerges from an egg? I find it both intriguing and ingenious. The egg is a lot like a space capsule. Inside the capsule is a little astronaut (the unborn chick). Two lifelines attach it to its food supply (the yolk) and its oxygen supply (coming from outside the egg). The eggshell has about 10,000 tiny holes allowing oxygen in and carbon dioxide waste out. Our white, little space capsule is coated with a special substance which fights bacteria and keeps dust from clogging those critical tiny holes. As our little astronaut (the chick) grows, it is strapped securely into the centre of the capsule by two cords attached to each end of the shell. The white liquid of the egg protects it from shock and provides protein for growth and an enzyme to kill bacteria.
Critical countdown
A few days before out little astronaut emerges from his space capsule, a special tool
Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
Weekly Word Search
Find the words hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, and backwards. AIRBALL ASSIST BACKBOARD BASKET BENCH BOUNCE
BOX CARRY CHARGING CLOCK COURT DEFENSE
DUNK FORWARDS FOUL GUARDS LAYUP OFFENSE
PASS PLAYERS PRESS REBOUND TRAVELING TURNOVER
ANSWERS ON PAGE 18
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The Voice, March 4, 2020
CORNER
continued from Page 2 impossible to chew, and therefore, you know, eat. Fortunately, in our very building resides Dr. Bohdan Hrynyk, who cut short his lunch to minister to my molar. So, if you’re
COLUMN SIX
continued from Page 1 I noticed a golf-ball-sized lump on my left instep. It was painless, so I rode my
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bike all that day and by evening the lump had disappeared. Next morning it was back again. My doctor checked it out and said it was some
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BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE!
it takes about the same amount of time now to choose something to watch on Netflix, where there are many options but little quality, as it used to take back in the day, scanning the rental shelves, hoping against hope that among the dreck would appear a worthwhile title
kind of infection. He prescribed a mild antibiotic, okayed my travels, and I was off to Portugal. In the Algarve I stayed with my friend who had organized the trip, and we did a couple of practice runs to get me used to the hills and the heat. When my swelling re-appeared he took me to his doctor, a pleasant English expat who examined my foot, took an x-ray, then prescribed another mild antibiotic. “You should be good to go in a couple of days,” he said. Instead I got very much worse. I woke up that night, my whole body feeling compressed, like I was lying under a boulder. I took my temperature. 104 F. I had no nausea or headache, no pain in my foot, just a temperature at a potentially brain-damaging level and a feeling like death. I did what any clear-thinking person suffering from delirium would do—I took a cold shower in my pyjamas and went back to bed. I didn’t want to create a fuss because it was 3 AM, and I didn’t want to wake the household. It was a huge house and I felt disoriented, and suddenly very tired. Eventually I fell asleep. Next morning my temperature was down to a hundred, so I said nothing at breakfast. Final plans were afoot—so to speak— for our expedition: hotels booked along the way, the route mapped out, the cyclists arriving that day. That evening we sat down to a lovely meal, everyone
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca you’d somehow missed during the first ten passes...Another hot win: For the sixth year running, Festival & Events Ontario, a trade group, has named Pelham’s Summerfest a Top-100 Ontario event. According to a Town media release, in 2019 Summerfest welcomed some
laughing and sharing stories, and all very excited about the start next morning. I was feeling apprehensive but joined in, already sensing I was in no condition to cycle for five days. That night I woke up again feeing that horrible compression, my temperature once more at 104. Another long cold shower brought it down slightly. There were way more people asleep in the house now, with the expedition setting out after breakfast. Addle-brained with fever I slid into oblivion. But I’ll never forget my last thought that night. Wouldn’t it be simpler not to wake up again? It seemed reasonable enough. But I did wake up. Feeling like death, yet somehow not dead. Downstairs I asked to be taken to the doctor again. I’m afraid I won’t be cycling, I said. I didn’t mind anymore. To be honest I was kind of wishing I was still asleep. My wish was soon granted because I passed out in the doctor’s office. When I came to I was on my way to hospital in Faro. In the intensive care unit, a doctor informed me that my circulatory system was thoroughly poisoned and he was kind of surprised the sepsis hadn’t already killed me. After six days of scans, an MRI, serious antibiotics and expert care, my fever finally subsided and my temperature returned to normal. Two days later I was released. My host, back from the cycling trip, drove
30,000 visitors, 65 vendors, and 30 bands over the four-day event. This year will see the 10th anniversary of the festival, kicking off on Thursday, July 16. Right now, some searing, hopefully germ-killing summer sunshine sounds pretty darned good. Stay healthy. ♦
me the two hours to Lisbon so I could make the only available non-stop flight to Toronto later that day. A week later I had surgery on my foot to scrape out the infected tissue and replace it with antibiotic foam. I couldn’t walk for two weeks and spent six weeks in home care, attached to a bag a day of vancomycin, the “drug of last resort.” I still don’t know what bit me during my walk in Martha’s Vineyard. It was surely a summer to forget. But I’ll never forget wanting to go to sleep and to not wake up. And being too sick to be afraid. These days it’s hard not to be afraid. With the apocalypse apparently on the horizon—be it by climate change, or terrorism or, most recently, the coronavirus epidemic—we’re inundated by things to fear. And yet we go about our daily lives. We know that one day we’re all going to die, we just don’t want to be reminded of it. “Die, my dear?” said Groucho Marx. “That’s the last thing I’ll do.” Many find consolation in the afterlife. Their faith in God carries an insurance policy providing they keep up the premiums. For others there’s the comforting belief that we all come back to earth as something else, though hopefully not as an endangered species. Comedian Richard Lewis claims to suffer from reincarnation anxiety—he’s afraid he’ll come back as himself. As a non-believer I’m working on my gratitude
for the years I’ve been given and the joys that so far have outweighed the regrets and losses. Arthur Miller said the most we can do in life is end up with the right regrets. Groucho went further and declared we should learn from the mistakes of others because we won’t live long enough to make them all ourselves. After all, getting older isn’t a problem—you just have to live long enough. And be grateful for it. Virginia Woolf described to her sister, Vanessa Bell, the beauty of Holland, “the architecture, and the awnings, which are all colours, and the canals, and the tulips, and flowering trees, weeping their reflections into the water—can such a thing be said?” What a blessing it can be said, and she did. Not long after, she walked the halfmile from her Sussex home to the River Ouse, where she filled her pockets with stones and submerged herself the water. Did she fill her head with remembered beauty as she sank, I wonder. But she reminds us there is much beauty in our world. In nature, in humanity and in all the arts that celebrate it. Still, when my time comes I hope not to be aware of it and as Keats put it, “cease upon the midnight with no pain.” As I nearly did one night in Portugal. If that’s not to be, I’ll try to remember Groucho’s one-line autopsy—Either this man’s dead or my watch has stopped—so I can go out with a smile. ♦
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