The Voice of Pelham, May 10 2017

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9,000 sq. ft. change a "mistake" or "improvement"?

Column Six Beneath the surface

Pelham Councillor calls on architect to explain how design discrepancy occurred

Life lessons learned in Cuba

BY VOICE STAFF In response to Pelham CAO Darren Ottaway’s report to Council at the May 1 Committee of the Whole meeting, Councillor Marvin Junkin brought up one of the public’s main concerns raised during the Town’s recent “Evening with the Experts” — the additional 9,000 square-feet needed to improve the functionality of the new Community Centre. Expressing his frustration with the need to alter the approved design by Petroff Architects and the public’s perception that the Town was responsible for what he believes was a mistake by Petroff, Junkin explained why this issue has been stuck in his craw. “In April [2016], we voted on this building and passed it at $36.2 million, and just four short months later we found out that they made a 9,000-square-feet mistake, that luckily was caught by Ball Construction,” he said. “God knows what kind of a mess we would have ended up with if it hadn’t been for Ball Construction finding this. So here we have a company that we paid $1.8 million over two years to design a facility and they make a mistake this big.” “I’m not sure it was a mistake, Councillor,” interjected Mayor Augustyn. “If they designed something too small that isn’t go-

BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

ing to be of any use, I would think it was a mistake,” replied Junkin.

I

There have been no warts added to the building Explorer and author Adam Shoalts, on an earlier journey.

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Crossing the Arctic for Canada's 150th Junkin maintains the Town should not have to bear responsibility for the alterations made to the Centre’s design simply to make it functional. From his perspective, Petroff Architects should have designed the space appropriately from the start. Junkin proposed that Council draft a letter to the architectural firm requesting an explanation as to why they failed to recognize the need for the additional space in the original plans. “I don’t know how you can say it was not a mistake when if we would have built it [according to the original plans], we would have regretted it,”

Pelham native prepares to embark on five-month solo journey across Canada's most hostile terrain

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BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

While many Canadians will be celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday watching fireworks or taking in live music with family and friends, explorer and author Adam Shoalts has decided to celebrate solo. After learning how teams of canoeists paddled and portaged from Vancouver to Halifax to honour Canada’s Centennial year in 1967, Shoalts came up with the idea to celebrate his homeland’s birthday in an extraordinary way. Shoalts’ tribute to Canada begins this coming Saturday, when he flies from Toronto to Whitehorse, before travelling north to the remote community of Old Crow. From there, he plans to embark on a five-month solo expedition through the Canadian arctic.

Recognizing there was not nearly as much wilderness remaining along the southern canoe route from Vancouver to Halifax as there was 50 years ago, Shoalts set his sights on Canada’s north. “I thought, well, I’ll do the same thing, but I’ll do it in the north and try to cross the length and breadth of all three of Canada’s arctic territories — the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut,” he said. “In doing so, I hope to inspire Canadians to think more about Canada’s wilderness and our north, and what kind of future it is going to have over the next 150 years. Ev-

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ARRIVED AT THE Barracuda Dive Centre in Varadero, Cuba just before 9:30 AM one Saturday last month, ready to wet my whistle with the wildness lurking beneath the waves. Loading our gear onto the bus, we took our seats and began the journey south to the dive site at Playa Girón (a.k.a., the Bay of Pigs). Taking in the scenery along the route over the next three hours, I started to notice similarities among each of the rural villages we travelled through. For instance, every community was surrounded by an organic wall of fruit trees and flowering shrubs. Many of the homes had fruit stands filled with plump produce, likely harvested from their sellers’ front lawns, which were covered with foodscaping. Most of the parks and public spaces featured community gardens packed with people engaged in conversation. There was also an absence of commercialization intruding on the aesthetic appeal of these communities. Not to say there wasn’t a selection of signage adorning the roadside. In fact, there were quite a few bill-

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The Voice of Pelham, May 10, 2017

IN THE NEWS

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

Farmers Market back

by Dave Burket

He’s b-a-a-c-k… Reports of D&L Small Engine’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, as Mark Twain might have put it. Owner Larry Eggleton has moved the business down to Webber Road, near Poth, and says he’ll get your tunedup machine back to you within a week. Details on page 13. Choices for Mom… There’s still time get Gilbert’s Flowers on the case with a bouquet for Mom, or, if baskets are her preference, Sobeys, Bloomin’ Crazy, and Beamer’s are all offering their own options. Ditto for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the day, as every restaurant in town (don’t make us choose favourites!) seems to be in on the action—see the many messages from them in this edition. An icon gone… On the restaurant front, we’re sorry to say that Keith’s, a Fonthill fixture for decades, is closing its doors on Friday. It’s no exaggeration to say that Keith’s is uniquely irreplaceable. While many good restaurants have opened nearby in recent years, none feature the physical layout that made Keith’s so conducive to neighborly conversation. Their counter was straight out of the ‘50s, as was the incomparably friendly service—friends, really, serving friends. After she takes some time off, owner Vilma Crick says she’ll sit down with us and remember some of the decades of history she’s seen

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at the corner of Pelham and Hwy 20. The Law of Averages… “If Canadian Trump supporters all moved to the U.S., it would dramatically raise the average IQ of both countries,” so says a new contributor we’ve dubbed “Strange de Gym.” Strange is a regular at Fonthill Fitness, the club above Moku’s Restaurant in Fonthill (and source of the occasional tropical thunder heard below, as weights are dropped with vigour). Strange says he hears all sorts of great lines while sweating to classic rock. Welcome, Strange. Don’t get us sued. Riddle us this… We have a $40 Keith’s gift certificate that needs to be used by 2 PM Friday. Be the first to answer this mini-Puzzler question and win it: Why the name “Strange de Gym”? It’s not just because he’s working out in a gym. The most completely accurate answer by Wednesday midnight takes the prize. Entries to puzzler@thevoiceofpelham.ca only. Hint: There’s an herb involved. Early birds get the fleas… Fonthill United Church’s Flea Market and Book Sale looked to be success last Saturday, what we saw of it, anyway. Honestly, closing at noon! There ought to be extended hours for the night-owls among us. This coming weekend Fenwick United Church closes even earlier—their perennial plant and bake sale runs from 8AM to only 11AM! Coffee, more coffee...

Kicking off last Thursday, the Pelham Farmers Market is back for its 15th season. The Market is held in the municipal building parking lot on Pelham Town Square, starting a 4:30 PM each Thursday evening, running to dusk. There are 20 vendors committed this year. “Opening day brings a feeling of excitement and celebration for a truly special market season,” said Margot Andrews-Peekstok, Chair of the Market. “It brings a spirit of friendship and community in Pelham on a Thursday afternoon."

Pelham Art Festival

The Pelham Art Festival and Artisan Show and Sale takes place starting Friday, running through Sunday May 14. The show is a jury showcase featuring fine art artists and artisans at the Pelham Arena, 1120 Haist Street, in Fonthill. It is now entering its 31st year. Some 70 artists and artisans from Ontario participate, and an estimated 2,000 visitors attend the exhibition every year. Side by side, established artists and undiscovered talents sell their artwork directly to the public. The Festival committee is a significant fundraiser for the Pelham Public Library.

New General Manager for Region

Niagara Region’s Chief ​ Administrative Officer Carmen D’Angelo announced Monday the appointment of Chris Carter to the newly

The data show that overall Ontario’s rural population has been growing consistently over time. The Ontario population living in a rural context is substantive and numbers 2.5 million — larger than the population in any of Canada’s six smaller provinces. Approximately one in five Ontario residents lives outside of a metropolitan region. However, the proportion of Ontario’s population that lives in a rural context dropped slightly between the censuses of 2011 and 2016 from 20% to 19%. This is a result of several factors: 1) rural areas tend to grow more slowly than urban areas; 2) population growth in large rural centres over time results in some of them being reclassified as urban. Thus, the drop in the proportion of rural residents in the province is not due to an across-the-board exodus of population from rural areas. Between 1971 and 2016, 1.2 million formerly non-metro residents were reclassified as urban. “The value of this report is that people interested in how their area is doing can compare themselves to overall trends,” says Norman Ragetlie, Director of Policy and Stakeholder Engagement at the Institute. “We see regional differences in rates of growth and decline and differences within regions, where some communities next door to one another are growing and others declining.”

created position of General Manager, effective Wednesday, May 24. Reporting to the CAO, the General Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and direction for the divisions of Human Resources, Information Technology, Customer Service and the Clerk’s office. Carter comes to the Region from the Township of West Lincoln where he has served as CAO since 2014. According to a Region media release, he is a “proven, effective and enthusiastic leader” with over 15 years of municipal government management experience across a range of services including Executive Management, Economic and Community Development, Recreation and Culture, and Community Services. ​

Rural population numbers steady

The Rural Ontario Institute is sharing an overview of population change as drawn from the February 2017 release of 2016 Census data. Their analysis looks at which counties, regions and communities across the rural geographies of the province are showing growth or decline.

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In an effort to bring further attention and deterrence to driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, the Niagara Regional Police Service reports the names of those people who are charged with an alleged criminal impaired driving offence in the Region. None of the following charges have been proved in court. In addition to being charged, these individuals are also bound by a Ministry of Transportation 90-Day Administrative Driver’s License Suspension and are prohibited from operating a motor vehicle on a roadway. The public is encouraged to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service Traffic Safety Hotline or Crime Stoppers to report those who are driving in contravention of the suspension. The following individuals have been charged criminally with impaired driving by alcohol or drugs, driving with a blood alcohol concentration above 80 mgs of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, or refusing to provide a breath / blood sample.

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Growing up British Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Second year Beaver with the 3rd Fonthill Group, Russell Letford offers a fresh apple to shoppers in Pelham during the 2015 Apple Day campaign. SUPPLIED PHOTO

A longtime Canadian tradition, Apple Day began in 1932 in Saint John, New Brunswick, when Scouts handed out 21,000 apples as a way to say thank you to the community. In return for their generosity, many people offered them donations. From then on Scouts have reached out through Apple Day to raise funds for their programs.

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Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn

Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932

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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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IN THE NEWS Mischief with sword

Last Tuesday, Niagara Police say they were called to the East Village of Port Colborne for an armed person. Investigation at the scene revealed that a Mitchell Street resident had attacked three other males at a residence after a confrontation regarding the ownership of a television. None of the three received major injuries, however their car was severely damaged by the accused with a sword. Tyler Wilson, 21, of Port Colborne was charged with various counts of assault, mischief, and fail to comply with a recognizance.

Fonthill Sobeys sells $100K winner

Mary Kehoe, of Fonthill, won big last month when she bought a instant scratch lottery ticket at Fonthill Sobeys. Kehoe purchased three tickets. “I bought them with money I won from other lottery wins. The third ticket was my big winner. I scratched all three at the store

LETTER continued from Page 1

Mary Kehoe.

OLG PHOTO

counter. I know the staff and the head cashier was very excited for me. She validated the ticket. OLG called and employees gathered around to congratulate and hug me.” Kehoe will use part of her windfall to get on the technology train. “I do want to buy a cell phone. I will admit, I’m a bit of a dinosaur. Technology is not my thing but I know having a phone will make my kids and grandkids happy.”

any more money. There have been no warts added to the building.” After the meeting, Junkin reiterated that he did not understand why the rest of Council didn’t consider the Petroff design inadequate. Ultimately, whether the additional 9,000 square feet was a necessary improvement or a costly mistake will not come out in the wash until the

Applications are being accepted to fill vacancies for a public interest (general public) representative and a Commerce representative on the Niagara Peninsula Source Protection Committee. The 9-member committee oversees the development and implementation of a source protection plan to protect the sources of drinking water in Niagara Peninsula watersheds. The work is being done under the Ontario Clean Water Act, 2006. The Act ensures communities protect their municipal drinking water supplies through developing collaborative, locally driven, science-based protection plans. Communities identify potential risks to local water sources and take action to reduce or eliminate these risks. The application form and more information on the eligibility and duties of committee members can be found at http:// www.sourceprotection-niagara. ca/ or is available at the head office of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority at 250 Thorold

Road West, 3rd Floor, Welland. The term of office will last approximately three years, with a possibility of renewal.

Give a Sheet

The Niagara Regional Police Service will partner with the Niagara Furniture Bank to organize the "Give a Sheet" Linen Drive on Saturday, May 20. The Niagara Furniture Bank is a non-profit organization helping those in need in throughout the entire Niagara region. The "Give a Sheet" main event will take place (rain or shine) at these locations: Niagara Falls Walmart Superstore parking lot Oakwood Dr., 10 AM to 2 PM; St. Catharines Pen Centre parking lot outside of the old Target Store, 10 AM to 2 PM: Welland Seaway Mall parking lot beside A&W, 10 AM to 2 PM.

Goose-gate heats up

Ontario PC Deputy Leader Sylvia Jones is calling-out the Liberals for spending $53,948 on Canada Goose parkas for government officials in 2015-2016. According to

Jones, the parkas were purchased by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services while it was under heavy criticism for cuts to autism support services. “It is incomprehensible that the Liberal government is so out of touch with the needs of Ontarians that they can spend $53,948 on luxury Canada Goose parkas while families and children are not getting the service they need,” said Jones. “At the same time the government decided to cut off an important therapy for children on the autism spectrum, the then-minister was buying luxury goods for her staff,” said Jones. “This is just another unacceptable example of this government’s waste and mismanagement of taxpayer’s dollars, while life becomes more unaffordable for Ontario families.” Responding to a request for comment, Alicia Ali, Press Secretary and Communications Advisor to Michael Coteau, Minister of Children and Youth Services, told the Voice, “The Ministry of ChilSee IN THE NEWS Page 14

project is complete and the final invoice is received. “I look at this whole Community Centre as a horse race, said Junkin. “If it was indeed a horse race I’d be pretty concerned that this thing stumbled right at the start and we still have the whole race to go. But if the race ends up and the horse wins and I get my money back, then I’m happy.”

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stated Junkin. “I’m not blaming anyone here, I’m just saying we paid those guys $1.8 million, and supposedly they’re experts, then we end up looking like we’re a bunch of yokels.” The Mayor along with CAO Ottaway and a few other members of Council disagreed with Junkin. Councillor Richard Rybiak went so far as to characterize the sudden need for the additional square footage as an “improvement.” Speaking to this point, Councillor Gary Accursi asserted that the decision to add 9,000 square feet to the facility was not a mistake. Instead, he sees it as an example of good oversight on behalf of Ball Construction. He thinks Ball Construction and Petroff Architects have been doing a good job of looking after the Town’s best interests. As someone who says he has overseen several construction projects, and as a member of the Community Centre Oversight Committee, Accursi said the plans will continue to be refined as construction proceeds. For example, he said that a wall appearing in one place on the plans could be moved or altered to improve the functionality of the space. “As we move into a new section, those plans that are major in scope are now starting to be looked at with a microscope,” he said. “They become refined because you start to look at them with a much narrower scope. That’s a very normal process when you undertake a build of 145,000 square feet. It’s not going to cost the Town

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Page 4

The Voice of Pelham, May 10, 2017

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.

COMMENTARY / OP-ED Larry Coté

B

EFORE RUNNING FOR political office there are several considerations one should be forewarned about. In fact, such a list of warnings is too lengthy for this overview. Therefore, the following primer identifies only a few. First among such considerations is the matter of respect. At one time, long ago, historians tell us that politicians enjoyed a modicum of respect. Some scribes went even further and claimed that a few were even revered. However, over the passage of time that attribute has been significantly eroded by the misdemeanors of too many elected persons and with such frequency that the electorate has been diagnosed with a serious dose of skepticism. And so, if one values the respect they have earned from extended family, friends and neighbors one might reconsider a decision to seek office even if the motives are honorable and worthy of respect. When respect turns to disrespect it is difficult to reverse that process. Respect for your parentage, especially your mother, is another item deserving of consideration. People will sometimes refer to a politician as the son of a someone in words that demean the reputation of motherhood. The collateral damage to

your mother’s reputation is totally unfair. She does not deserve such a label when it is due solely to your ambitions. Language skills are also crucial in the practice of politics. This column intentionally avoids the matter of misspeaking the truth as morality is outside the parameters of this commentary. Rather, this article deals more specifically with other attributes —“alternate facts,” as the minions of #45 might suggest. The point is that if one enters politics then one need learn to respond to a questioner without specifically answering the question. One needs to be able to verbally dance around a subject with more agility than Gene Kelly singing in the rain. Upon entering politics, one’s personal social life is likely to change dramatically. A politician must attend, invited or not, every possible private and public milestone event in the community. At such events a politician must project pleasantry when downing a rubber chicken dinner. All this while listening to the unsolicited advice of an inebriated sot in a hall built by one of the community’s fraternal societies. Another condition can rear its ugly head after some politicians assume office and

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MEET THE EXPERT begin to develop an XXLsized ego. That condition has been diagnosed as a “sense of entitlement.” Many have likely forgotten this example, but a $16 glass of orange juice comes to mind here. The point is that some politicians fail to recognize that much of what they do is on the public’s dime. Such matters as reimbursements for travel expenses occupied the headlines on Parliament Hill a short time ago. It would be wise to write the word “accountability” across the top of every politician’s daily journal and grooming mirror to avoid such a greedy transgression. Lastly, politics would not be a good choice for those who prefer a nine-to-five job. The practice of politics is pursued at extremely irregular hours. Most days and evenings are taken up by the demands of this occupation. However, and in all seriousness, the downsides of being a politician are overcome by the satisfaction of knowing that being of service to your fellow man is the noblest of professions. We all live in the hope that the rewards of being a virtuous politician will attract women and men of integrity to attend to the vital needs of our communities. Our future welfare tenaciously hangs onto that hope.

The good news is that we’ve discovered the source of the Town’s Community Centre financing numbers. The bad news is that we won’t have a cure until October 22, 2018...

Ze e c h

Letters Mr. Gray will see you now The comment in [last] week’s paper about modern architecture was righton. Soulless, cold, completely lacking humanity. Buildings designed by attention-seeking halfwits that serve no purpose other than petulantly dismissing three thousand years of proven accomplishment. I joked when the novel 50 Shades of Gray was published that it could be a textbook on modernist (or are we post? post-post?) architecture. The 21st century architect is apparently colour-blind, or at least colour-averse. One needn’t be Prince Charles to rail

against the numbing, industrial nonsense churned out by these iconoclasts adhering to the party line. You don’t want to live in a home whose exteriour looks like a German munitions factory, ca. 1943? You philistine! You want a brick or stone facade, something with natural texture instead of featureless concrete? Go shop at Walmart! One need look no farther than [...] Drive, in Fonthill, where a perfectly lovely suburban home was given the gray-all-over treatment, then flipped back on the market at an absurdly inSee GRAY next page

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

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

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

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VOICE OF PELHAM Jill C. Anthony Law Office

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

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Letters

The Voice of Pelham, May 10, 2017

FOLLOW THE MONEY By Jim Pitt

continued

The view from the top is fantastic

Development desired by no one but developers I have been following your coverage of the Community Centre and its financing and debt, plus the growing displeasure voiced by residents. I admire your reporting as it appears neutral and unbiased as it should. Keep up the good work. I read from our civic leaders that they are acting in the interest of the residents... whooey! Residents I speak to distrust Town Hall, and this mass development hopping throughout Pelham is not why I moved here 10 years ago (before Mayor Augustyn was elected). I was raised in a large city where people didn’t speak to each other when you’d pass them on the sidewalks or at the mall. There was no charm that you find in small towns where you know shop owners by name and people are always willing to lend a hand when they see someone struggling, whether it’s with their grocery bags or snow shoveling. We moved to a small town when we got married because we wanted our children to grow up in a safe environment. Part of that safe environment was the close-knit village atmosphere. We had no strip malls, we had no large community center, we had no debt. We were all very happy to drive

GRAY continued from previous page flated price, where it sat for months before, of course, it was bought by someone from the GTA.

I

’VE BEEN FOLLOWING a story on a website I frequent about a fellow named Chris. In late March, he listed his house for sale in Toronto for $1.9 million. After a bidding war involving 10 buyers he accepted an offer for $2.5 million, with no conditions. He was ecstatic. He immediately took his winnings and bought another house with no conditions. Then something odd happened. More about Chris later. We've all heard of the crazy prices being asked and gotten for houses in Niagara over the last couple of years. Prices for resale houses went up 24% from March 2016 to March 2017. Most new construction is priced in the $500,000-andup range. That’s more than 10 times the inflation rate and 12 times the rate of wage growth. New houses are springing up on every serviceable lot builders can find. Even here, in Pelham, we are witness to this seemingly endless price and demand appreciation. Jobs in all kinds of industries in the Golden Horseshoe are

15 – 20 minutes to the large city amenities and we enjoyed not having to pay for them in our residential taxes. My husband and I did not mind the halfhour drive to work, and the other unique bonus of living in a rural town was that both adults and children met a completely new circle of terrific friends traveling to the city for the various sports and recreational activities they enjoyed. This was in addition to the friends we all made in our little village. Fast-forward and the children grew, moved away in pursuit of their careers. I retired, separated, met a new great guy and in the planning of my retirement I decided that I wanted to find and relocate to a new small village atmosphere where I could enjoy low taxes (now on fixed income), feel safe and not see groves of trees bulldozed to make way for vast tracts of housing and commercial development. In talking to friends and work colleagues the one place that everyone spoke very highly of was Fonthill. I relocated to Fonthill in 2006 and taxes were low, the community was a happy friendly place, many of my neighbors were See DEVELOPMENT Page 8

The house stands out like the proverbial sore ego. When the housing bubble bursts, one silver lining, we can only pray, is the mass unemployment of people who spend their days plotting how to turn

the world gray, one bloody building at a time. F. Kennedy Welland

Jeffrey Paul Yungblut February 21, 1972 to May 11, 2013

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being expanded to meet this demand. Builders and renovators are hiring. Building material suppliers are churning out products. Appliance and furniture sales are growing. Banks are recording record mortgage lending. Real estate agents are proliferating—48,000 in the GTA alone. Governments are collecting all sorts of fees, from land transfer taxes to GST to development charges. "It will never end,” or "It’s different this time," are the common claims. Boomers are retiring here. Immigrants are pouring in. Foreign money is

buying everything in sight. It’s the best investment you can find. Real estate never goes down. Individuals and even governments, like the Town of Pelham, are making huge bets on this belief. There is a term in investing called "recency bias.” Simply stated, it means that if an item has gone up in value in the recent past, investors mistakenly believe that it must continue to go up. If the item, say housing, has gone up by 10% or 24%, as in Niagara, or even 33%, as in the GTA, in the last 12 months, then it’s “safe” to assume that this appreciation rate will continue. Obviously, as you read this, soberly and calmly over a cup of coffee, tut-tutting at everyone else's gullibility, you realize that this form of investment thinking is dangerous. People who rely on property as See FOLLOW THE MONEY Page 12

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Page 8

The Voice of Pelham, May 10, 2017

DEVELOPMENT continued from Page 5 of the same position as I, having just relocated here for many of the same reasons. Now in 2017, three of my neighbors (having relocated here from larger cities) have now sold and left town for alternate small towns and others are talking of following. The

general community talk is of distrust of the Mayor and Town Council, the feeling of bullying from Town staff and the evidence that bulldozers rule and that “legacy building” comes first over frugality and know your neighbor. Development, large tracts of forested land being covered by cookie cutter homes, commercial development filling farm

fields and growth—not only sprawling but going skyward, evidenced by the “steel tower” rising across the street from the Lazy Loon restaurant on Hwy 20. No one I ever spoke to about Pelham asked, “Does it have strip malls, does it have community centers, does it have multistory buildings.” They all spoke of its small village charm, its make up of numerous

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small villages and the lack of political might to make change. Community service clubs, fall leaf burning, a single arena, a single-story Town hall, a local butcher, a good mix of churches, a town barber, a community that has elected neighbors that represent them, not developers and legacies—all of this is what community is about, that’s why people

come and why people stay. The fact that all these things have changed in the 10 years I have been here is shameful in my opinion. The fact that taxes are rising and that fact that the people are being misrepresented by Town Hall is evidence that we must have an independent auditor monitor our tax dollar spending surrounding this new Community Centre.

We have a legitimate reason—in fact, 34 million legitimate reasons—that this is a prudent investment in risk management for the taxpayer and Pelham and the Region. I will attend the Region’s Audit Committee meeting June 12 at 9:30 AM and hope to see an auditor appointed. Please join me in support of that. Nancy Freeland Fonthill

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Letters

The Voice of Pelham, May 10, 2017

Page 9

continued

An update from Names Matter On Feb 23, the Town of Pelham issued a resolution strongly requesting that the name “Wellington Heights” not be used, and strongly requested that the District School Board of Niagara either select the second choice name or restart the naming process. To date the DSBN has failed to address this matter at either its March or April board meetings. The resolution was received as correspondence, but not discussed in the open meetings, and, as far as we are aware, the Town of Pelham has not yet received a response as of May 3. The Names Matter Group

have received multiple endorsements for our own resolution, which is identical to the Town of Pelham resolution with the exception of one additional clause. Our clause states that, “AND WHEREAS our community finds the name Wellington Heights offensive because Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, was a documented racist who stated on August 1, 1833 in the British House of Lords on the debate on the Jewish Disabilities Bill, 'We do not wish Jews to come and settle here,' and was an integral part of the colonial British Government

that reneged on treaties with Indigenous people in Canada, as well as being the British Prime Minister when Britain established residential schools in Canada." Support for our resolution to date includes letters from the Niagara Regional Native Centre, The Vestry of Holy Trinity Anglican Church Fonthill, First Presbyterian Church North Pelham, Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for the riding of Niagara West-Glanbrook, and the Folk Art Multicultural Centre of St Catharines. We also have signatures to our resolution which include the Archdeacon for

To date the DSBN has failed to address this matter at either its March or April board meetings Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenous Ministry for the Anglican Diocese of Niagara, The Reverend of the Fenwick United Church, The Community for Christ

Church Fenwick, a Ward 1 Pelham Councilor, a Niagara Regional Councilor for Pelham, a former Chief of Staff for the Niagara Health System, and 29 respected and community-minded businesses, some of which have served their local community for l00-plus years. The Names Matter group continues to contact the Ministries of Education and Anti-Racism, the Ombudsman’s office, and other organizations in an attempt to make sure that the children of our community attend a school that provides a safe and inclusive environment in a building that is free from any association with

racism. The School Climate Survey for 2016-2017 is now available on your child’s school website. PARENTS: if you want to voice your opinions anonymously to the Ministry of Education, this platform is your opportunity. There should be a place at the end of the survey for other comments. If you would like to know more and/or add your signature to the resolution don’t miss the Names Matter Group at the Fabulous Fenwick Lions Parade and Carnival on May 26. Names Matter Group Fenwick

Page 10

The Voice of Pelham, May 10, 2017

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Drainage causing damage to Effingham Street BY VOICE STAFF Local residents are concerned that not enough is being done to deal with drainage issues on Effingham Street between Hwy 20 and Canboro Rd. Damage was initially caused to the pavement on this stretch of road in the spring of 2014, when the Pelham area and much of the Niagara Region was subjected to abnormally large amounts of precipitation. According to a resident who wishes to remain unidentified, in 2015 the Town made temporary repairs to the edges of the street as they continued to crumble from the damage sustained the previous year. “It costs money to pave a road and they did it with timing, and in such a manner that there is nothing put in place to ensure that it is not going to erode away. They’ve actually made the situation worse,” said the resident, who went on to assert that the intersection of Effingham Street and Canboro Road has flooded repeatedly, and during one storm his driveway culvert even disappeared. Now, during any significant rainfall, some of the runoff is directed to the East side of Effingham Street where a ditch was supposed to be installed. In addition, he pointed out that the ditch on the west side of Effingham Street remains in disrepair.

Recent heavy rain has further eroded sections of Effingham Street. SUPPLIED PHOTO He said after expressing his concerns to Town officials, he was told that it was the Niagara Region that installed the cross culvert, which is diverting the water that is causing the problem. He said the Town also claimed to be having problems coordinating construction efforts with the Niagara Region. Pointing out that property taxes are divided between the Town of Pelham and the Niagara Region, he said this issue is not about how much taxes people pay in Pelham or Niagara, or what those tax dollars are spent on. “This is an issue of wasting taxpayers’ money. These are repairs have needed to be completed however, as the result of poor planning, and a lack

of communication between various levels of government, the taxpayer will be subjected to further expenditures that should have been avoided.” Water continues to flow downhill from the Region’s cross culvert, eroding the section of Effingham Street that was freshly repaved by the Town in November of 2016. The resident said he had received notice from the Town stating that the ditch was to be dug out on the west side of the street, while another ditch was to be constructed on the east side of the street. So far, he said none of the ditch work has been completed and the problem has continued to get worse. Pelham Public Relations

and Marketing Specialist, Marc MacDonald, said the Town has been working diligently to address the drainage issue in this area. He asserted that the ditch work which occurred prior to the repaving was enhanced as a result of the road resurfacing coming in under budget. “The additional ditching took place after the surface repair,” said MacDonald. “The area, while originally approved for the resurfacing of the road only, was able to make minor strides in addressing drainage, however, overall it does not have underground storm infrastructure.” MacDonald went on to explain that the Town is responsible for Effingham and the damage that has occurred. He said the road and ditch work Effingham Street is in fact complete, however the work being done by the Region is ongoing. Acording to MacDonald, both the Town and Region are working together to coordinate next steps and options. “Last week’s storm certainly served as a reminder of the importance of existing ditches and swales,” said MacDonald. “There are some who would prefer to fill in these areas, however, they remain critical to the preservation of properties and infrastructure.”

Councillors to staff: Don't chuck print just yet BY VOICE STAFF Pelham Town Council engaged in a discussion at its Committee of the Whole meeting on May 1 about some of the issues raised during the Town’s recent “Evening with the Experts.” Recognizing the value of the feedback provided by the public on the evening, Councillors praised the meeting as an effective way to engage and communicate with community members. Emphasizing the importance of accurately informing and educating citizens, Councillor Gary Accursi highlighted the fact that many of the residents at the meeting made it clear how they preferred print media to online resources. “There is a sector of our community that do not have access to high-speed internet or any internet, and we must continue to use the printed media to provide information to these folks,” he said. “I just want to make sure that our communication guru takes that advice, and ensures that we do employ social media but by the same token we employ traditional media to reach the widest and broadest scope of our community.” On the issues raised by

Regional Councillor David Barrick with regard to Pelham's means of financing its new Community Centre, Councillor Richard Rybiak said he is concerned that the Region will not allow a discussion to take place that would clear the air and correct false impressions held by members of the public. “Far from wanting it to go away, I personally would want it to take front and centre so people can find out what the story truthfully is,” said Rybiak. As it stands, Mayor Augustyn said Councillor Barrick’s motion will be discussed at the Region’s next Audit Committee meeting in June. Councillor John Durley said there was a lot of useful information that came out of the public meeting helpful to the municipality moving forward. Councillor Peter Papp said he appreciated the format of the meeting and how effective it was to engage with the community. Augustyn reiterated his support for a suggestion made by one of the residents in attendance who recommended the Town hold regular public meetings to report on progress being made with the new Pelham Community Centre.

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Libs slam Oosterhoff vote But MPP fires back on rural school closure process BY VOICE STAFF According to a Ontario Liberals media release, municipalities, parents and students have called on the government to take action to help stop speeding, target unsafe drivers, and protect school children and seniors in Niagara and across Ontario. In response, the Ontario Liberal government introduced Bill 65, the Safer School Zones Act, which, if passed, would provide communities with “stronger tools to keep local students safe.” However, Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP Sam Oosterhoff and the Progressive Conservatives made a “calculated political decision to prevent the passage of this critical student safety legislation,” say the Liberals. Speaking directly to Conservative members at a press conference yesterday, Allenby Junior Public School parent and school parent association president Lisa Parker said that schools are “doing all that we can to raise awareness (but) what we need is enforcement.” Parent and school trustee Jennifer Arp added that “anything we can do to increase safety in our school

zones should be a non-partisan issue. We shouldn’t have one party trying to obstruct and hold-up the passing of this legislation.” The Liberals assert that Oosterhoff and his party are delaying the legislation to prevent it from being in force by the start of the new school year in September. For his part, Oosterhoff criticized Education Minister Mitzie Hunter last Thursday in the legislature on why the government did not include Niagara communities on a rural school consultation tour. “You shouldn’t even need consultations to know that rural communities don’t want their schools closed,” Oosterhoff said. “These consultations would be redundant if you would just issue a moratorium on school closures today.” Oosterhoff accuses the government of “dismissing local concerns over the pending closures of Beamsville District Secondary School, South Lincoln High School, and Grimsby Secondary School.” The legislature voted down an Ontario PC motion for a moratorium and review in March.

SUFFRAGE FOR ALL Last month at Queen’s Park, Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP Sam Oosterhoff celebrated the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote in the company of riding delegates. From left, Nicole Scime, Keri Ludwig, MPP Oosterhoff, Kailene Jackson, and Karen Shedden.

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I'LL BE HERE ALL WEEK E.L. Crossley student Matt Beard won the Johnston Heart Award at the Canadian National Improv Games, held recently at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. Matt was one of an elite few from across the country to participate in the national tournament. Pictured: Head Stage Manager, Gary Corneil, Matt Beard, and Jennifer Benson, Head of Dramatic Arts at E. L. Crossley.

ART FOR BOOKS The Pelham Art Festival recently donated $10,000 to Pelham Library. From left: Bea Clark, Dave Smith, Natalia Shields, Heidi Te Brake, Kirk Weaver, Library CEO, and Greg Lewis, Library board member. DIVINO MUCCIANTE PHOTO

QUITE THE PICKLE Last Tuesday at the Port Colborne Vale Centre, seven Pelham residents participated in the Ontario Senior Games Association 55+ (OSGA) District 24 Pickleball Tournament. Gold Winners Lisa and Neil Burke advance to the Mixed Double 55+ Regional finals in Hamilton on Aug. 29, as do Rolf Gollin and Pierre Garneau in the 65+ Men's Double. Front, from left: Lisa Burke, Marlene Campbell, Pierre Garneau. Rear, from left: Barb and Ron Hall, David Smith (not pictured: Neil Burke). SUPPLIED PHOTO

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FOLLOW THE MONEY continued from Page 1 an investment will buy on the anticipation that they will sell in a year or so at a sizeable profit. Then they re-invest their “winnings” in a more expensive property and repeat this seemingly endless cycle. Other sellers from the GTA move to cheaper areas, like Niagara, and price the locals out. (From Niagara you could move to Kapuskas-

ing, I guess. I understand their Lumberjack Festival is pleasant.) Real Estate has become a no-brainer for an entire generation, and I mean this literally. A recent survey by the CIBC found 54% of Canadians think house prices will never go down. Never! The cost is irrelevant if the price appreciation is always upwards. Governments become reliant on this cycle as well. Every housing transaction

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carries costs to the purchaser. Moving expenses, lawyer fees, land transfer taxes, real estate commissions and higher mortgage payments are a few. Governments collect fees throughout the process. Housing is the biggest economic driver in Canada. Another effect house appreciation causes is the so-called “wealth effect.” My house is worth more so I’m worth more, so I’ll borrow some more money. Credit card debt and home equity loans abound. Canadians are really in debt. For every dollar earned we owe $1.67. As a Town we will owe $37-$47 million. As a nation, consumers owe $2.2 trillion, most of which is mortgage debt. Another psychological effect found in this mania is the fear of missing out, handily expressed as “FOMO.” People panic when they see their peers getting things they want. You’ve seen this with kids wanting certain toys, shoes, jeans, phones, when their friends

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get the newest and best. FOMO-afflicted young adults want a house, any house, no matter the cost. Around the Region, towns have been building community centres and arenas. St. Catharines has a new arena and performing arts centre. Port Colbourne has a community centre; NOTL, a new centre. Welland has a new arena and West Lincoln is building a new centre. Then there is Pelham. Unlike the towns mentioned, Pelham missed out on the free money offered by the provincial and federal governments. This grant money was given out during the Great Recession of 20092014 to keep the economy afloat. It’s gone now and no longer necessary, but Pelham decided to toss the dice anyway and go it alone. Other Niagara towns saw these investments as draw for future development. Pelham didn’t want to be left out. FOMO. There have been periods like this before, but not recently. In 1981 mortgage rates topped out at 21% for a 5-year term. You read that right—21%. This caused a crisis for millions all over North America, Boomers to be precise. When they had to renew their mortgage they discovered that they couldn’t make the monthly payments. The market was flooded with houses for sale and prices crashed—35% down in Toronto. Rates started to fall and by 1985

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Another psychological effect found in this mania is the fear of missing out, handily expressed as "FOMO"

they were around 10%. People started buying again. Houses doubled in value by 1989 but interest rates started creeping up to 14%. Many panicked and thought, here we go again. The market fell. In inflation-adjusted dollars, the price of the home you bought in 1989 didn’t reach that price again until 2009, 20 years later. Twenty years is a long time to wait for an investment return. Twenty years is a long time to pay off debentures with only tax dollars as the source for payment. There are a few reasons the housing market continues to rise. Canada has had very low mortgage rates for 10 years. Cheap money equals expensive houses, while expensive money equals cheaper houses. That’s what happened in 1989. Fear of missing out creates an emotional demand. If I don’t jump in and buy something now, I’ll never be able to, says the worried voice in the back of your mind. The Bank of

Mom and Dad allows for young people starting out to buy a house they could not afford otherwise. Over a third of millennials have reportedly borrowed from their parents to buy a house and almost half say they overpaid, based on their income. Some alternative mortgage lenders are suspected of lending to unqualified borrowers at higher rates— similar to what happened in the U.S in 2007, just prior to their housing crash. One of these lenders, Home Capital, is in serious trouble. The bank part of their business is experiencing a quiet, low key, Canadian-style run on the bank. The mortgage lending part of Home Capital is reportedly not lending anymore. Foreign investors are blamed for high prices but records in from TREB, the Toronto Real Estate Board, published last week, show only 2.3% of home purchases were by foreigners See FOLLOW THE MONEY, next page

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FOLLOW THE MONEY continued from previous page and 90% of them live in the home they buy. The buyer starting to get noticed is the speculator— people who buy houses and condos, flip them and move on. This is apparently a thing with the millennial crowd—a means of retiring by 45. They may own multiple properties, rent them out or leave them empty. A recently approved condo development in Welland, designed for students, was marketed squarely at investors. Developers regularly market developments to speculators. They show profit charts with “guaranteed” returns. If financial advisors were to guarantee returns, they would lose their licences. Real estate promoters are not so regulated. Flippers are presently under the provincial and federal government microscopes. You don’t pay capital gains on your primary residence when you sell, but you do on any other property you sell. Some speculators have been slipping through the cracks, but the tax man is filling in those cracks. TREB also reported a 33% spike in listings and a drop in sales for April. A turning point, or just a pause? Many decisions made by local governments are based on expected growth over periods of time. Growth today means more houses and retail businesses tomorrow. Pelham, for example, is banking on growth to help pay for the new projects being built and yet to be built. Thousands of new residents are expected over the years ahead. This form of recency bias is not supported by the facts. In 2006 Pelham had a population of 16,155. By 2011, 443 more people had moved here. By 2016, another 512 had moved in, bumping us

The Voice of Pelham, May 10, 2017

to 17,110. This is a growth rate of just 6% in a decade. The period began with a growing housing market, was stopped in its tracks by the 2009 financial crisis, then resumed around 2015, a couple of years after the GTA market picked up. Last one in usually means first one out. The lesson from this is that growth, like housing prices, is not guaranteed. Buying a house is the largest financial investment most people make. Like the stock market, the housing market rises and falls on fear and greed. For many, their house is their home and all this doesn’t matter. For a small number of others it matters a great deal. It only took 8% of new homeowners in the U.S. to default on their payments to crash the entire housing market. Very few areas escaped unscathed. In 1997 the average house in Las Vegas was worth $200,000. By 2007 the price had jumped to $400,000. Today the average price is $212,500. What it may take to turn the market sour in Canada

is unclear. It may already be starting with the collapse of Home Capital or the recent provincial limits on foreign ownership. Rent controls certainly cut into a speculator's bottom line. Wise investors diversify their investments. They place their money in a number of areas—stocks, bonds, cash, GICs, and even some real estate are common investments. Foolish investors buy one or two stocks, like Nortel or Bre-x or a house or two, and expect great rewards. Wise towns invest in business development and new, good job creation, and some housing growth, while foolish towns place all of their faith in only one type of growth, risking their FOMO mutating into a SNAFU. Back to Chris, who sold his $1.9 million Toronto home for $2.5 million. The purchaser, a FOMO sufferer, appeared on Chris’ doorstep a week later, begging to get out of the deal. Chris refused; he had his own new house to pay for. The purchaser went silent.

Chris’s lawyer warned the buyer of the consequences, still silence. Chris was forced to re-list his house in late April. He had one prospective buyer who offered $400,000 less with conditions. The house still sits, unsold. If Chris sells the house for less than the original buyer agreed to, the buyer will be sued for the difference, plus real estate commissions, but that will be costly and easily take a year or longer to sort out. The buyer had succumbed to another common malady— Buyer’s Remorse. Speaking of which:

Pelham Community Centre Progress

According to the latest information from CAO Darren Ottaway, the following update is for April. Construction is on time and on budget. The first $9.6 million will be spent by June. (Paid through property tax increases starting 2016 and lasting until 2046.) The next amount, $12.1 million, will be borrowed from Infrastructure Ontario for Phase 2. (Paid for by ongoing development charges.)

Additional Water Pressure Control Valve in Fenwick Over the next few months, our Water Operators will be working with Niagara Regional staff to make adjustments and improvements to the lower pressures areas in Fenwick. Currently, the range of water pressure in the Fenwick area is 40-85psi, depending on where you live. There is NO fee for this work. To improve the water pressure for those with lower pressures, while providing protection to all those with higher pressures, the Town of Pelham’s Water Operations staff installed an additional pressure control valve in Fenwick You may or may not notice any changes in your pressure. Inquiries please contact: Christine Tonon: (905) 892-2607 x332 Town of Pelham Public Works • www.pelham.ca

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The Voice of Pelham, May 10, 2017

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Lionesses' Clothesline Fill-a-Truck BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

This coming Saturday, May 13, the Fonthill Lioness Club will be hosting its 3rd Annual Clothesline Fill-

a-Truck for Diabetes event. Lioness Club Secretary, Linda Roach has been involved with the campaign since its inception in 2015. In partnership with Diabetes Canada, she said the club will

be collecting items such as gently used clothing, bedding, books, footwear, and appliances. Collections will then be donated to Value Village to raise funds for Diabetes Canada. By diverting these things from the landfill, Roach said, the Lioness Club is helping people living with diabetes and the environment. “We don’t make any money from this event, but it’s a great way for us to support a wonderful organization,” said Roach. “We like to do it this time of year because of the fact a lot of people are do-

Lionesses and their truck are ready to roll. ing spring cleaning. It gives people a chance to get rid of things they aren’t using any more without having to throw them in the garbage.” The Fonthill Lioness Club helps several charities

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throughout the community, however Roach said she has a personal connection to their campaign with Diabetes Canada. “My mother is diabetic so this campaign is something

very close to my heart,” she said. “At 93 years old, being a diabetic really takes a toll on her. Every one of us knows someone that is living with diabetes. It has to do a lot with our lifestyle, the food we eat and how much exercise we get. In my mother’s case, it has to do with some of the medications she is on.” Roach said the Clothesline Fill-a-Truck for Diabetes has been a big success each of the last two years. This year, she said they are hoping to build on that success. Donations are being accepted for this year’s campaign on Saturday, May 13 at the Fonthill Lions Hall on Hurricane Road in Pelham from 9AM until 1PM.

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ties throughout northern Ontario, where wintertime temperatures are frequently below zero and often fall to -40 degrees Celsius. “The coats were purchased for staff who work and engage in outdoor activities with youth in northern Ontario. These coats are owned by the ministry and are returned when staff stop working for the facility. “We received such a significant discount on the jackets through this bulk purchase that Canada Goose will not let us say how much they cost because they’re worried other buyers will want the same

deal we received. All of the appropriate government procurement rules were followed and in fact they led to us receiving such a good deal. “This is a clear and obvious attempt from the PCs to distract from the fact the Ontario’s unemployment rate fell to 5.8%, its lowest level in 16 years. They’re afraid to present any policy or ideas to the people of Ontario. They aren’t talking about the things Ontarians actually care about because they’re too busy wasting time trying to figure out why Ontarians in the far north need winter jackets.”

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Waiter, we have been promised a new Puzzler for weeks, yet it never appears. I demand to see the Chef! But first, more Greek salad, please.

Places of Worship and Events Bethany Christian Reformed Church 1040 Balfour St., Fenwick

First Presbyterian Church 602 Metler Rd., Fenwick

Glad Tidings Church of God 1 Pancake Lane, Fonthill

Pelham Evangelical Friends Church 940 Haist St., Fonthill

Concordia Lutheran Church 105 Welland Rd., Fonthill

Fonthill Baptist Church 1414 Pelham St., Fonthill

Holy Trinity Anglican Church 1557 Pelham Street, Fonthill

Ridgeville Bible Chapel 418 Canboro Rd., Ridgeville

Fenwick Church of Christ 765 Welland Rd., Fenwick

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 1369 Rice Rd., Fonthill

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

St. Alexander’s Roman Catholic Church 50 Pelham Town Sq., Fonthill

Fenwick United Church 1050 Church St., Fenwick

Fonthill United Church 42 Church Hill, Fonthill

Pelham Community Church 461 Canboro Rd., Fenwick

St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church 834 Canboro Rd., Fenwick

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Page 16

The Voice of Pelham, May 10, 2017

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Beamer’s Pro come to Hardware your home or farm and Wholesale nursery growing container grown perennials, custom mill your logs. Firewood Sobey’s vines, flowering shrubs, evergreens & dwarf trees seeking & lumber also available. Call FENWICK individuals who desire a career in horticulture. We are in Putting on an event? McDonald’s Rob Patterson, 905-401-4948 Avondale Store need of part time (April, May, June) and full time general riverwood@primus.ca. Legion Tell the town! Fonthill Fenwick Sublabourers Shop as well as those skilled in the growing, management Tim Hortons Community Event Classified and shipping of nursery stock. Plant knowledge and Golden Grill ads are available in blocksSemenuk’s FLOWERS Devries Fruitexperience Farm is an asset. If you are an individual who has of 30 words, including Pic’s organizational skills and dedication as well as a willingness For Mother’s Day: Hangers, RidderikhofftoMeats headline for $8.85 + HST.Klagers work as a team player, we look forward to hearing from pansies, perennials, shrubs

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Page 17

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The Voice of Pelham, May 10, 2017

COLUMN SIX: Life lessons from Cuba

The

Pelham Puzzler

continued from Page 1

Total prize value now:

$240!

Complete the correspondence:

...is to concrete, as:

...are to what? Read full Puzzler rules and conditions at: http://www.thevoiceofpelham.ca/the-pelham-puzzler/ Fonthill

Fonthill

$50 gift certificate

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$50 gift certificate

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$25 gift certificate

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Good Luck, Puzzlers!

boards providing me with an opportunity to practice my Spanish. Scribbling down some of the slogans my eyes were fast enough to memorize, I began translating them from the pocket guide I had brought along. The first read, “En Cada Barrio Revolucion,” or, “In Every Neighbourhood Revolution.” Another declared, “Unidos en la Construction del Socialismo,” or United in the Construction of Socialism.” Another, “Sin Educación no hay Revolución,” or “Without Education there is no Revolution.” These were signs intended to inspire thought instead of hunger and consumption. Arriving at our destination, I noticed immediately how calm the sea was in comparison to the surf that had been pounding Varadero Beach for the past few days. The larger group was quickly divided into smaller teams, in order not to flood each of the dive sites with too many humans at once. Teaming up with veteran dive-master Alfredo Contreras Guitan and his apprentice Laura, the three of us suited-up, loaded the cards into our cameras and waded out into the crystal-clear Caribbean Sea. Keen on acquainting ourselves with the mysterious realm and its inhabitants, we slipped below the surface and followed our curiosity through the living

A long-sunken fishing boat is now home to countless creatures. maze of coral leading out to the open ocean. Lulled into a trance by the swaying purple sea fans illuminated by the rays of light pulsating on the sandy seabed and the coral, I forgot to shut off my camera as I watched fish disappear into and emerge out of the reef beneath me. In every direction I looked, my eyes focused on a thriving abundance of life, richer and more vibrant than any I had ever laid eyes on. Marveling at the jaw-dropping diversity of species and colour composing the ecosystem, I kicked myself forward joining one school after another. Without a location in mind I kept

an eye on Alfredo and Laura to follow their lead. As we dropped deeper, the enveloping aquatic atmosphere gradually transformed in colour and temperature from a warm turquoise to a cool deep blue. Suddenly, flashing before me like a ghost from out of the blue horizon, I spied the shape of what appeared to be the hull of a sunken ship. Turning sharply in excitement to point it out to my friends, I could tell they had seen it many times before as I noticed their eyes smiling back at me through their masks. Alfredo moved in on the submerged subject with his camera, recording

NATE SMELLE PHOTO

These were signs intended to inspire thought instead of hunger and consumption the spectacle as we approached. Circling the coral-encrusted fishing vessel, we scanned the accidental habitat from all angles, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sea life treasuring the

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On view in every direction, dozens upon hundreds of fish. shelter and sustenance it provides. Brightly coloured fish of all shapes and sizes darted in and out of every rusted-out porthole and crack in the boat. Studying its integrity, I wondered how the ship found its way to the bottom and whether the captain and crew went down with it. Precariously perched near the edge of a sea wall plunging to depths of more than 400 metres, my gaze shifted from the vessel into the abyss below. Giving into the allure of the unknown, I decided to descend a little deeper. The wall was decorated with a different variety of corals and plants than those growing on and around the ship. Some of them resembled species of lichens, mosses and fungi adorning rock faces I had become familiar with near Bancroft and Haliburton in central Ontario while living there. Before I could get too far, a school of 50 or so metallic ultramarine blue fish arose from underneath my fins, pulling my attention upwards. Up above, I could see Laura signaling me to stop my descent and return to their level. Pointing to where the hull had dug itself into the sand, Alfredo had found a brainsized lionfish trying hard to remain out of sight. The three of us hovered nearby, watching as it gracefully wiggled into a tiny crevice achieving its goal. Checking the amount of air remaining in our tanks, it was time to start making our way back to shore. Taking the scenic route, we were greeted near our

point of entry by an interspecies mingling of fish. Numbering in the thousands, they danced together in a brilliantly colourful blending of stripes and scales. Not wanting to get out of the water, I reluctantly crawled out of the sea back onto dry land. Was it curiosity or necessity that compelled life to squirm out of the ocean and continue its evolution on land, I wondered to myself. Shedding our equipment, we congratulated one another on a successful dive and celebrated with a few cervezas before reloading and boarding the bus to Varadero. Thinking of the seemingly countless number of species I had encountered face to face for the first time earlier that day, I could not fathom a combination of words to adequately describe the magnificence and the complexity of the biodiversity we had experienced. Two days later, Alfredo and I, along with another aspiring open water diver from Germany named Kevin Jasionowski, linked up with a dive-team destined to explore Caribe Wreck off the coast of Varadero in the Straits of Florida. Within moments of entering the water, we again were immersed in a plethora of species endemic to the underwater environment we were enjoying. While some of the fish and coral had been present during our dive at Playa Girón, many new species were also in attendance on this day. To my surprise, as we rounded the bow of the sunken vessel, we found

NATE SMELLE PHOTO

ourselves swimming among a school of 30-plus barracuda. With some 50 million years of evolution, the two-metre long, sharptoothed apex predators certainly had us at their mercy. Despite their advantage and rock n’ roll reputation they did not arouse fear. Investigating us as closely as we were them, we swam side-by-side studying one another carefully until we went our separate ways. Surely in his 34 years of diving experience, Alfredo had witnessed each of the species on numerous occasions. Still, it was clear from the passion in his reaction whenever we came across another sea creature, that he shared our sense of euphoric wonder for the ocean and the biodiversity it nurtures. Seeing the love that Alfredo, Laura and the other dive-masters had for their occupation it was obvious that they all seemed to be living out their dream. Considering the ocean contains 99 percent of this planet’s living space, of which humanity has only studied less than 10 percent, how can one not become addicted to this underwater realm? As with science, or any other kind of spiritual exploration, the more we come to know the matrix of biodiversity we are a part of, the more we realize how much we still need to learn about ourselves and our home planet. Likewise, the more time we take to experience this biodiversity, the more we learn to appreciate how essential it is in sustaining all life on earth.

The author plunges into the deep.

SUPPLIED PHOTO

Page 19

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The Voice of Pelham, May 10, 2017

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REAL ESTATE To advertise here call (905) 892-8690

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SHOALTS continued from Page 1 eryone seems to be celebrating Canada’s last 150 years, but I want people to start thinking ahead toward the next 150 and what the future of Canada’s wilderness is going to look like in 150 years.” Shoalts has been sharing his passion and enthusiasm for Canada’s wilderness with the next generation by speaking about his upcoming expedition in schools throughout Ontario. He hopes his efforts will inspire younger Canadians to spend more time experiencing the outdoors and appreciating nature. “It doesn’t mean they have to do a five-month solo journey,” Shoalts said. “They can explore nature in their own backyard by simply watching a birdfeeder or going on a camping trip. I’m really trying to inspire younger Canadians to care about our wilderness, especially since this generation may have grown up with video games and never really unplugged to do these kinds of things.” His journey through the heart of one of the world’s wildest ecosystems will take Shoalts over mountains, up rivers, across tundra, through subarctic forest, and down wild waterways. One third of his travel time will be on foot. Though this is not his first solo expedi-

tion in Canada’s north, this is the first time anyone has attempted to travel from his starting point on the Alaskan border to Hudson Bay within a single year. A seasoned explorer, Shoalts is no stranger to wildlife. On previous expeditions, he has been in the company of arctic wolves, muskoxen, caribou, and even wolverine. This time around, he said he is hoping to come across a species of wildlife he has yet to see firsthand — Dall sheep. Before leaving Sudbury last week to return to his parents’ home in Fenwick, Shoalts said he had a faceto-face encounter with a black bear. Walking through the woods as he does every day, he said he noticed the large creature sitting on top of a rocky hill. “I was looking at him and he was looking at me,” Shoalts said. “It’s always a special moment when you see a bear in the wild.” Considering he will be travelling through the arctic in the summer, Shoalts said he expects to cross paths with both grizzly bears and polar bears, as they browse the tundra for berries. Being such massive animals, Shoalts said it’s hard to imagine they live on such tiny berries. In fact, he said, two-thirds of their diet consists of berries, roots and grubs they dig up. Acknowledging that he will be hiking through a

pineSOLD

CUTE ONE AND A HALF STORY WITH GREAT CURB APPEAL. THIS HOME WAS RENOVATED & HAS GREAT HIGHWAY ACCESS. THE UPDATES & IMPROVEMENTS OF THIS 2 BEDROOM, 1 BATH HOME INCLUDES: C/A, FURNACE, ROOF, WINDOWS, DOORS, WIRING, INSULATION, SIDING & STUCCO, KITCHEN, BATH, PAINT & FLOORS. THIS HOME IS MOVE IN READY & SITS ON A FABULOUS LOT. COME & VIEW TODAY. bear supermarket of berries, Shoalts said he must remain alert and take precautions not to put himself at risk. “During daylight, I don’t really fear them,” Shoalts said. “It’s at night, when you’re inside the tent, and you feel pretty vulnerable — especially in a one-man tent. If a bear is going to pounce on that kind of tent you aren’t going to know.” Despite his concern for bear safety, Shoalts said bears are not high on his list of potential dangers. Topping the danger list for him on this journey are ice and wind. Depending on the weather, he said he could get stuck on day one, if the ice hasn’t broken up on the first river he needs to cross. “If the ice hasn’t melted I could be stuck right off the bat,” he said. “If it’s solid I can walk across. I don’t want to get trapped in the in between where the ice hasn’t melted but it’s not strong enough to walk on and then you’re waiting for days for the thing to melt and break up and melt. That could be scary if I have to walk across ice not knowing if my next step could be my last.” This is a real concern of his, because he said ice can remain on some of the smaller lakes in the arctic until July. If he is to cover 4,000 kilometres within five-months, Shoalts said he will have be conscious of the weather and the chang-

...if a bear is going to pounce on that kind of tent you aren't going to know ing seasons. “You can plan and you can prep as carefully as possible, but at the end of the day if the weather gods are against you, you’re going to lose and you can’t do anything about it.” The wind in the arctic is so fierce, he said, that arctic canoeing expeditions are often called off. It is common to hear of travelers becoming wind-bound or trapped for a week or two at a time. “They literally can’t move at all because the wind is so fierce it makes canoeing impossible,” explained Shoalts. “If the wind is against you, you’re pinned down. That’s why most people don’t like to canoe in the arctic any later than mid-August. After mid-August if you are in the Hudson Bay watershed the wind really starts to turn against you. When you have such strong, hurricane force winds sweeping in off

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Hudson Bay you can’t canoe into them.” This means Shoalts is likely to be facing at least six weeks of strong adverse winds. While some delays are inevitable, if Shoalts is held up too long he could find himself in a dangerous predicament. He expects to finish his expedition in late September, but if the weather does not play along he may have to push his return date to early October. “Those are the two biggest factors that could prevent me from reaching my goal — ice and wind — because either one of them could eat into my travel time for days. Every day is precious, every hour is precious. If I am going to cover this enormous distance in a single year I need all my stars to align. I need to keep pushing every day, so every day I get trapped by the wind or the ice it’s like an hour glass turned over and the sand is running out. That’s partly what makes it exciting and what makes it an adventure — not knowing if it’s possible.” Having to raise $30,000 to fund the expedition was a different kind of challenge than Shoalts was accustomed to. Leading up to his celebratory arctic adventure, he has built a generous team of sponsors who have supported him in a variety of ways. While some gave money, others donated equipment or food. At the beginning of his journey,

Shoalts will be lugging approximately 150 pounds of gear in two food barrels and a 53-pound canoe. As he moves forward he said his load will lighten as he consumes his provisions. For five-months he said he will be surviving primarily on granola bars and fish that he catches on the way. As his supplies run out, he will have a couple of opportunities to use a satellite phone to contact a float-plane to replenish his stock. Shoalts will be working with Cream Productions out of Toronto to document his experiences in the far north for a 90-minute special. This will be Shoalts’s first professional endeavour in documentary filmmaking. He also plans to put together a slideshow presentation, which he will be presenting in partnership with the Pelham Public Library sometime in October. Upon his return, Shoalts will also be releasing his latest book, A History of Canada in 10 Maps. He said he is hoping to be back from the expedition in time for the book launch on October 3. Throughout his journey, Shoalts will be providing updates via social media. To catch a glimpse of his expedition as it unfolds, he encourages people to follow his Facebook page, or visit his website at .www.adamshoalts.com/expeditions/ alone-across-arctic-2017