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Column Six
Dancing with a box on my head
E. L. Crossley athlete chasing another title
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L ONG LONG TIME ago, I was in a rock band for a few years. We practiced regularly, worked the local bar circuits, acquired some loyal fans, and came up with some pretty darned good tunes. I even let my hair grow to some really amazing lengths. Unfortunately, none of it was good enough. It’s a hyper-competitive business, and we were missing some indefinable thing. Was it work ethic? We had that by the truckload. Talent? Far worse musicians have had far greater success. Looks? We might have been a bit weak in that department. Great hair? C’mon, get real, we were lock stars. Regardless, we eventually realized that commercial success was either unattainable or very far into the future. We weren’t hitting the right button, and perhaps we didn’t even know where the right button could be found. Fast forward a decade or two, when a hip-hop/electronic dance group by the name of LMFAO enjoyed some fleeting success with
BY BERNIE PUCHALSKI
BPSPORTSNIAGARA.CA
Kate Knafelc didn’t go looking for the sport of steeplechase. The Grade 12 student at E.L. Crossley took up the sport when encouraged to do so by Crossley track and field coach Maryann Mergl. Mergl thought it would be a great fit for the talented teen. “I knew she had the strength to do the distance and why not try something different,” she said. “I know running is not her favourite thing to do, but let’s put some fun in it and why not jump into water.” Knafelc was more than willing to give it a try. “I kind of do that distance — that was part of it — but also she thought it would be something different and something for me to try.” It wasn’t necessarily love at first sight for the 17-yearold Fonthill resident. See KNAFELC Page 18
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Crossley track and field athlete Kate Knafelc.
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IN THE NEWS
PUBLISHER’S CORNER by Dave Burket
Carded: Thanks to Olga Yazdanian for dropping off a generous thank-you card relating to our Twelve Mile Creek story of a couple of weeks back...Yet more cards: Thanks also to Jean Milburn, who brought in some interesting post card reproductions of historical photos, including this one:
The description reads: "The Norris Grist Mill was situated on the east side of Sulphur Springs Road, a stone’s throw north of Luffman Road. It ceased operations in the 1930s and was demolished in the 1950s. Here, the owner, William Norris, stands in front of his handsome team of black horses, while the miller, John Carl, displays a load ready for delivery on the wagon. Photo ca. 1920"…Getting the words right: The verdict seems generally positive for our new crossword puzzle feature, though some of the inaugural clues were evidently more puzzling than others. Crosswords aren’t my thing, so I’m not the best judge. I hope they aren't too vexing…Vox populi: Once again we have a generous range of reader letters— and one or two that were lost in the shuffle and will run next week. Between the arches, gypsy moths, and our youthful MPP, there’s no sign of a shortage of things to talk about. With his customary precision, our occasional correspondent Nick Saltarelli weighs in this week on Mr. Oosterhoff (page 5)...Boxed up: Rob Belchior's Column Six is also a treat—but don't Google the song. You won't get it out of your head!
Dig in for community tree plant
A community that plants together grows together, and that’s precisely what the Town of Pelham is encouraging residents to experience during its annual community tree plant this Friday, May 31, from 9 AM to 12 noon at Harold Black Park. Now in its third year, the community tree plant offers the opportunity to get back to nature and plant a tree that can be enjoyed for generations. “The kids, especially, love planting a tree during this event,” said Jodi Hendriks, Culture and Community Enhancement Coordinator. “You’ll often hear them talk about how they’re going to come back year after year to check on their tree to see how much it has grown. Even at an early age we see the investment in our community, and that’s what why we host these types of events.” Twelve trees— consisting of Ironwood, Tulip, Butternut, Katsura, and Sugar Maple —will be planted, ranging from 6 ft to 12 ft in height. All ages are invited to participate. The Town supplies the trees, forestry specialists, and mulch. Participants are asked to bring a shovel, gardening gloves, and enthusiasm. The community tree plant takes place rain or shine, and participants are encouraged to dress in the appropriate outdoor clothing, wear sturdy shoes (steel toe if possible), a hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent.
Voice on vacation!
Wainfleet approves 2019 budget
For every $100,000 of property assessment, Wainfleet residents will be paying about $65 more in taxes this year for Township purposes. Faced with $281,220 of debt from previous capital expenditures and an additional $106,594 contribution towards the Township’s aging capital infrastructure, Wainfleet’s new council approved a total budget levy increase of $599,872 to the local portion of the tax bill for 2019. “Our road network and buildings have needed attention for many years, and in some cases, decades,” said Operations Manager Richard Nan. “Our focus on infrastructure has progressed from basic maintenance into issues of public safety.” Wainfleet Mayor Kevin Gibson spoke about the fiscal realities facing the Township at a March 25 public meeting on the 2019 budget. Tax levy increases, made in this budget year and in succeeding years, will be needed to invest in aging infrastructure, support the Township’s volunteer Fire Department and maintain the levels of service that residents expect. At that meet-
ing, Gibson said that over $500,000 in new tax dollars would need to be collected to help the Township be sustainable. “Since the 1990s, many municipal councils have been responsive to public pressure to keep taxes low,” said Wainfleet Treasurer Adam Cross. “The unfortunate result is that often taxes were kept artificially low, even below the level of inflation. This was often accomplished by deferring infrastructure costs and using reserves to offset those costs.” More recently, many local councils began to compensate by posting increased tax levies. In fact, for the years 2015 through 2018, the average annual tax levy increase for municipalities in Niagara was 5.1%. During that same period, Wainfleet had the lowest average tax levy increase in Niagara at 3.4%. “Tax increases are not something that any municipal council ever wants to do,” Mayor Gibson acknowledged. “However, we need to address the debt associated with past infrastructure improvements and do what’s right, and what needs to be done, to keep Wainfleet the way we want it to be and protect our way of life.” The final approved 2019 Budget results in an estimated overall tax bill increase for the average Wainfleet residential taxpayer of about 6% - a blended rate which includes Niagara Region and School Board tax levies.
See IN THE NEWS Page 16
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Column Six The Comfort Maple myth
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Oops: No fire trucks for you Haist Street traffic-calming measure a little too effective BY VOICE STAFF
The Niagara Regional Police Service is committed to reducing impaired driving offences through education and the apprehension of offenders through enforcement programs like RIDE. Impaired driving is still the leading cause of criminal deaths in Canada and destroys thousands of lives every year.
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In an effort to bring further attention and deterrence to driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, the Niagara Regional Police Service reports the names of those people who are charged with an alleged criminal impaired driving offence in the Region. None of the following charges have been proved in court. In addition to being charged, these individuals are also bound by a Ministry of Transportation 90-Day Administrative Driver’s License Suspension and are prohibited from operating a motor vehicle on a roadway. The public is encouraged to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service Traffic Safety Hotline or Crime Stoppers to report those who are driving in contravention of the suspension. The following individuals have been charged criminally with impaired driving by alcohol or drugs, driving with a blood alcohol concentration above 80 mgs of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, or refusing to provide a breath / blood sample. Lawrence S. GDANSKI, 59, Lincoln Andrew L. MINER, 31, Fort Erie Kenneth F. MACHULLA, 72, Niagara Falls Terence J. HORN, 27, Lancaster NY Kerissa M. CORMIER, 22, Thorold Cory PROCTOR, 41, Niagara Falls Paul A. GABRIELE, 41, St. Catharines Alonso LOPEZ-SANCHEZ, 36, Niagara-on-the-Lake
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Page 3
Niagara to Toronto in 16 minutes Three-year-old airline adds flights, destinations BY MIKE BALSOM
Niagara Independent News Association FlyGTA began offering flight service between the Niagara District and Billy Bishop Airports on a daily basis almost three years ago. Time has flown since September 2016, as have the FlyGTA planes, and as CEO Chris Nowrouzi explains, the venture is a success. Sitting in Nowrouzi's brand new office at the Toronto Island airport, it's hard not to be impressed by the vision and positivity of the not-yet-30-year-old. Nowrouzi is a certified pilot and aircraft mechanic. With QEW traffic between Toronto and Niagara getting slower every year, he saw an opportunity. Nowrouzi decided to turn his passion into a business venture. As you might imagine, many naysayers warned him it was a pie-in-the-sky idea. "We were a smaller organization, we had an idea, and we were trying to put it together,” he says. “Getting off the ground at the beginning was kind of challenging. We're one of the most heavily-regulated industries in the world, as you can imagine, and it was time-consuming.” Nevertheless, Nowrouzi began talks with the Niagara District Airport management. Once approved, the service began with one flight each way. Nowrouzi and his team followed a course of slow expansion, eventually arriving to where it they are today, with a total of 12 scheduled flights between the two destinations most days. The success of the Niagara venture has allowed FlyGTA to expand its service. They now offer flights out of Billy Bishop to Barrie, the Bruce Peninsula, Muskoka and Waterloo. Imagine you own a cottage in the Muskokas. How long would it take you to get from Niagara to your cottage on a long weekend Friday? With FlyGTA, you could combine a 14-minute flight from Niagara to Toronto, with another 30-minute flight from Toronto to Muskoka. Add on a short drive to your cottage, and you could conceivably
On final approach to Toronto Island Billy Bishop Airport.
be there in just over an hour. Back to the original service. On a cloudy Friday in mid-May, this reporter decided to hop on a 7:30 AM flight to experience it firsthand. The day began with a 30-minute delay. As explained by Niagara District Airport CEO Daniel Pilon, the delay came from FlyGTA's end, in Toronto. Pilon says the island location of that airport means weather delays out of Toronto are much more common than they are out of Niagara. The 30 minutes turned into 45 minutes. Finally, those booked on the 7:30 were able to board the regularly-scheduled 9:00 AM flight to the big city. Admittedly, the hourand-a-half delay was an annoyance. However, have you tried to drive to Toronto at 7:30 on a Friday morning? Or decided to take a GO Train to that destination? A similar trip on the GO Train would take some two hours. Even with the flight delay, this day's trip was faster than that. It took 16 minutes to hop across the lake. First Officer Samee explained that even this was a little longer than usual, due to a traffic pattern delay approaching the island. The comfortable trip was in an eight-seat Piper Panther, operated by Samee, along with Kevin, the Captain. Fascinatingly,
FlyGTA's aircraft reach an altitude of only 1,500 feet on this route. As Nowrouzi explains, the brief flight would not give the crew enough time to climb to altitudes at which one would fly longer trips. As well, the low altitude means FlyGTA avoids Pearson airspace, making it unnecessary for them to communicate with this much larger airport (though Nowrouzi says they do listen in). Christine Sauriol, from Niagara-on-the-Lake, was on this flight. A frequent flyer with the service, she began working at a Toronto bank in the summer of 2017. For her, the commute is just about an hour door-to-door. "This is actually a nice bonus when I considered going back to work,” says Sauriol, “because if I had to commute by car, I don't think I would continue to work downtown." At $198 per round trip, including airport fees and HST, the flights are not cheap. As Sauriol says, though, it's a "convenience cost" that makes her life much more enjoyable. Once on the island, travellers can take the 853-foot tunnel from Billy Bishop to the mainland, which takes commuters like Sauriol to the foot of Bathurst Street. The journey through the tunnel takes six minutes. The flight back to Niagara turned out to be four min-
utes faster. There were six passengers on this flight. Doug Fusek has been a FlyGTA customer from the beginning. He works for Ford Canada out of his home office in St. Catharines. His job
Getting off the ground at the beginning was kind of challenging
often takes him to eastern Canada. "I prefer flying out of Billy Bishop than I do Pearson,” says Fusek. He connects with Porter Airlines on the island for those trips out east. As for the cost, he says, "If I have to be away for a few days, it's actually less expensive to take this flight than it is to park my car at Billy Bishop." All but one of the passengers on both flights were regular commuters. Calista, from Niagara Falls, flies once every couple of weeks for her job at Trans Union. And Pilon asked if I had met John, a dental surgeon who
Niagara Family FunFest
has a practice in Ridgeway but lives in a condo in downtown Toronto. He was, indeed, on the flight from Toronto, part of his daily routine. That's right, daily. Pilon says that for frequent fliers such as John, FlyGTA offers a "membership" discount on the $198 price. And on the odd occasion when the weather forces cancellation after cancellation, Nowrouzi's company will book a limo to ensure they get to Niagara. The relationship between the Toronto company and the Niagara District Airport is mutually beneficial. Having Nowrouzi and company as a partner has been huge for the Niagara District Airport, says Pilon. "It's been massive to see a partner have such success with growth. It's significant with respect to the potential that the facility has to offer. And it means a lot to the local businesses, who are the ones driving the success of FlyGTA during the shoulder seasons." Pilon says the success of scheduled flights out of the local airport proves that "regular air travel out of this facility has the potential to really be something that can work." The Niagara District Airport's current structure has St. Catharines, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls all sharing ownership. There has been a sugges-
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tion that the airport be uploaded to Regional ownership, which is something Nowrouzi feels would lend itself to further growth. In fact, FlyGTA plays a key role in the future of the local airport. "Because of what we've been doing," says Nowrouzi, "next year they'll be able to apply for some major funding for infrastructure and equipment growth." Nowrouzi, though, is looking beyond commuters for the future. FlyGTA has branched out into tourism-oriented packages, shuttling Toronto residents into the Niagara Region for wine tours and dining packages. They also offer sightseeing tours of Toronto, and private bookings to Montreal, New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas and other destinations. Closer to home, Nowrouzi is in early talks with a developer of a luxury condo-hotel in Niagara Falls. He hopes to sign a deal whereby owners of the units there will have access to FlyGTA as their go-to method of travel to and from the big city. Looking farther ahead, you can expect to see the FlyGTA counter at Niagara District expanded to include an on-site travel agency, with the potential to offer regular flights into the northern United States as well as destinations in Canada.
Page 4
The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
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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 The grandest moments of getting old
A
MONG THE BUSHELS of life’s pleasures, becoming a parent for many people ranks as one of the uppermost levels of joy. Difficult to imagine that such bundles of joy could ever be equaled until one enjoys the arrival of grandchildren. And then, to the good fortune of some, the arrival of great-grandchildren is a highlight even rarer and more joyful than those earlier events. Any senior will tell you there are not a lot of advantages to growing old. Therefore, it advisable that the precious few benefits there are need be chronicled so as not to be forgotten. You see, memory is just one of the infirmities of becoming a senior. Nevertheless, seniors need not complain. Three reasons to avoid complaining come to this admittedly distracted mind. Firstly, nobody listens any longer to a senior’s wisdom or advice in spite of their treasure trove of experiences. Come to think of it, that might explain the condition this contrarian world is in right now. Another reason not to complain is that the gov-
ernment pays seniors a pension. This is in recognition for having paid income and a boat load of other taxes for almost a century. The CPP pension is substantially below the parsimonious minimum wage.
The arrival of great-grandchildren is a highlight even rarer
However, seniors learned through life’s lessons to always be polite and thankful for small blessings. The CPP is truly a small supplication. Another benefit that comes to mind is that the chartered banks allow seniors free checking. That is in gratitude for contributing to the banks’ nearly immeasurable billions of dollars in profits over the years. This largess of funds has been accumulated from the ser-
NEED HELP? MAKE THE CALL Distress Centre For depression, distress, and crisis. 24 hour help line: 905-688-3711   Mental Health and Addictions Access 1-866-550-5205 (Toll Free) Gambler’s Anonymous 905-351-1616
Kids Help Phone Service for youth. 416-586-5437 800-668-6868 (Crisis Line) www.kidshelpphone. ca Assaulted Women’s Helpline Mobile calls to: #SAFE (#7233) 1-866-863-0511 (Toll Free)
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vice and other fees seniors paid over many years. Thus, free checking is to demonstrate the banks’ debt of gratitude. But above and beyond these and some other petty issues with growing old, there are some definite benefits to be declared. My wife and I have hit the jackpot as we have achieved great-grand parentage after many years of enjoying the delights of being parents and grandparents. On a recent visit with our granddaughter, we were greeted by our three-yearold great-granddaughter and her three-week-old little brother. As you might expect a great granddad to say, these are the cutest, best behaved little persons one will ever encounter. To hold these wonderful little folks in our arms or sit them in our laps brings to mind the description of the Garden of Eden. And, to boot, in this age of advanced technology we are in regular contact with the excitements of their growing up. We can hear their first words or observe first steps or encourage their learning on our laptop computers See GRAND next page
Letters Crossing guards a gift to the town As the school year is quickly coming to a close, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the crossing guards in Pelham. I travel the Highway 20 corridor through Fonthill every day and am impressed to notice the crossing guards faithfully manning their corners each day regardless of the weather or circumstances. The safety of the children and community are clearly their top
priority. I specifically notice the guards at Highway 20 and Haist, Highway 20 and Pelham, and Highway 20 and Station Streets, but I also know the intersection of Pelham Street and Port Robinson Road can be a treacherous intersection as well, and the guard at A.K. Wigg School also has a steady stream of cars to contend with daily. While regularly stopped
at traffic lights, I have noticed many close calls where crossing guards have been in the roadway with their stop signs raised and their arms out to stop traffic when motorists blindly ignore them and make their turns onto the intersecting streets. It is a helpless feeling to watch, and I hope that no one ever gets hit. I also notice the friendliSee GUARDS next page
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament
Electoral District: Niagara West
Dean Allison, MP 4994 King Street Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 Dean.Allison@parl.gc.ca 877-563-7900
Mayor of Pelham Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 289-929-2681 Members of Pelham Town Council
Member of Provincial Parliament
Ward 1 Councillor Mike Ciolfi mciolfi@pelham.ca 905-892-0077
Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755
Councillor Marianne Stewart mstewart@pelham.ca 289-821-0840
Electoral District: Niagara West
Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 289-929-2681 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
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Page 5
OPINION No need for venom when dissenting MPP Sam Oosterhoff made headlines when he spoke at a pro-life rally at Queen’s Park a couple of weeks back. Based on the incredulity of many, he may as well have espoused flat earth views or related alien abduction experiences. Yet when Andrea Horwath does the expected and marginalizes Sam Oosterhoff's views as extreme and radical, she is lauded. There's actually anti-abortion people in Canada? Yes, probably thousands in Niagara alone. Polls indicate about one in four people identify as pro-life on this issue. Cue the cliched "coat hanger and back alley" rhetoric. Cue the "abortion is murder" response. The extreme ends of any discussion generally don't further any sense of dialogue. Still, it's visceral, it's emotional. I'm not likely to
convince anyone to change their mind, nor is my mind likely to be changed. And all this is without any proposed changes to any law. My primary concern is the lack of respect for differing views. Perusing local media and social media, if you're pro-life, you're anti-women, alt-right, a moron, a religious zealot, a bigot, etc. Warren Thomas, a prominent union leader called Sam Oosterhoff a "twerp." Are there more pro-choice folks overall? Probably. But that doesn't mean minority opinions or voices shouldn't be heard or that they should be marginalized. Many prolife people aren't yelling from rooftops or getting in social media battles. Some promote adoption as an option, others financially supSee DISSENT next page
GUARDS
continued from previous page ness of these crossing guards and how the people they meet every day interact and respond to them. A friendly, “Hello,” or “Have a good day,” can go a long way to a child who might be having a bad day. I commend these people for taking on this job, and support their efforts to keep the children safe. The roads are so busy and motorists aren’t always paying attention, so for these crossing guards to try to anticipate the unexpected is really a challenge. To close, motorists, please pay attention when driving during times of the day when school children are going to school or home. Their lives depend on your diligence and care. Crossing guards, THANK YOU for being so caring and for doing such a tremendous job! You are truly special people. Kent Reynolds Fenwick
GRAND
continued from previous page and from the comforts of our proverbial rocking chairs. And so, when being disturbed by some awful world events we can temporarily turn away from such disturbances and tune in and listen to and watch these beautiful little persons.
COMMENTARY / OP-ED Nick Saltarelli Niagara's national embarrassment
N
IAGARA WEST’S MPP is making the national news, and is well on his way to becoming a household name, if for the wrong reasons. I refer to his recent unflattering media presence and the arrival of first peaceful then angry demonstrators at his constituency office and meeting site. While he’s not without his supporters, they are, according to those who measure such things, in the minority. It remains to be seen how countervailing majority perspectives may influence the voters in the riding our MPP ostensibly represents, but we stand today three years away from the next provincial election, and at this early juncture the question appears moot. He may by then grow up. Or, as some only last week suggested, he’ll be booted out of the PC caucus. For the time being we can do little more than sit back and witness the embarrassment that is his tenure, while he represents himself on our province’s political stage as the chosen face of Niagara West. From his juvenile, fingernails-on-a-chalkboard interpretation of “Monster Mash” prematurely celebrating the killing of the carbon tax; to his cynical hand in gutting Ontario’s education system (himself a stranger to the inside
As most parents can tell you, these little ones can turn sadness and concern into joy and comfort in a moment’s time. We are discomfited by the fact that our assemblage has not left this world in any great shape for our progeny to inherit. However, we live in the hope that the peace and joy they exude may become contagious and make this
of a school classroom); to al mismanagement, addsummoning the police to ing to the well-established disperse a peaceful group conservative leanings in of book-toting seniors; to this part of Niagara, all but his astonishing public call guaranteed any PC candito overturn established law date would prevail in the grant ing b y- e l e c w o m e n tion called dominto fill the ion over vacantheir bodcy left in ies; to his the wake overenof parthusiastic ty leadstander Tim ing ovaHu d a k’s tions for re sig n aw h ate ve r tion. It stream was genof conerally ansciousticipated, ness isperhaps MPP Sam Oosterhoff. SUPPLIED PHOTO sues forth to the from the point of mouth of his leader, Sam complacency, that then-PC Oosterhoff time and again party president and former demonstrates to the rest of MP Rick Dykstra was the the province that the voters nomination shoo-in. Seemof Niagara West have cho- ingly no-one suspected that sen their public face poorly, a motivated church group unaware that the choice was and its allies were operating made for them by a religious quietly in the background organization with a political to execute a political maagenda—in their pocket a noeuvre that would result naive and accommodating in the upset nomination, youth, eager to dance to the then inevitable election and pull of their strings. If they re-election, of a hitherto are today proud of his per- unknown teenager who, by formance, I am at a loss to worldly inexperience alone understand why. was, and still is, entirely Let us rewind the clock unqualified for the job. two-and-a-half years to November 2016, and piece together a likelihood of how it all unfolded. Dissatisfaction after more than a decade of Liber-
For context, that particular Niagara West-Glanbrook by-election was one of two called at the time. The other was Ottawa-Vanier. The successful Liberal nominee and winner of that contest, Nathelie Des Rosiers, completed her undergrad law degree at the University of Montreal, and received her Master of Laws from Harvard. In addition to practising civil law, she was a professor at Western University in London. She’d served as a dean at the University of Ottawa, and for four years was president of the Law Commission of Canada. For another four years she served as general counsel for the Canadian Civil Liberties Union. Not insignificantly she was also a recipient of both the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada. Compare this resume to candidate Oosterhoff’s, a home-schooled teen who’d held a variety of part-time jobs: summer as a youth bible camp councillor; legislative assistant; project manager for an excavating company. The organization coordinated the purchase and herding of PC party See NATIONAL next page
world a more harmonious place in the future. From this assemblage of wee ones will come the giant minds of the future and, in my mind, there is no doubting they will be up to the job of making this a better world. ♦ Larry Coté is a retired educator. He was awarded a Governor General’s Medal for his community involvements.
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Page 6
The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
Letters
Council cautious, or lacking vision?
continued
Piccolo review of cheating golfer Trump book lauded—not After reading John Piccolo’s recent review [Another Round, May 15, p. 8] of “Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump,” I have had an epiphany. I confess I never before considered the President of the United States such a cad! I have erroneously tended to view Trump on the basis of his achievements rather than on the obnoxiousness of his persona. My clarity of thought about Trump must have been eroded by his decision to run as a Presidential candidate without support from either major political party, choosing instead to pay his own way to maintain his independence; and by his not accepting one cent of compensation for his services since his election, except apparently the millions he is collecting in green fees and Trump hotel accommodation from his golf buddies, and for his disclosure during the campaign that he is not a “politician,” just a billionaire business man who thinks he knows how to make America great again. Who outlined his agenda to the American voters, became the legitimately elected President and then had the audacity to actually try to follow through on his promises; how shocking. Who has rejuvenated the American economy
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through tax and regulatory reform, leaving businesses and citizens with more of their own money, thereby technically eliminating unemployment in the USA by creating more jobs awaiting candidates than there are candidates to fill them, while bringing unemployment for blacks and Hispanics to all-time lows. Who has tried to re-establish the “rule of law” by trying to deal with “sanctuary cities" and illegal (or is it “irregular") undocumented immigrants flowing across the border at a rate of 100,000 per month to be welcomed by the US social welfare network, including food, accommodation, health care, legal support, education and transportation to a locale of choice. Who has attempted to address the concerns of patriotic Americans who do not want their country swindled in trade deals by the Chinese or Mexicans, and who has reestablished a truly credible American threat to rogue nations intent on developing nuclear weapons. And I was inappropriately swayed as well by his insistence that all NATO members, including Canada, ante-up their share of costs to continue the effective defense of the free world as intended by the organization. How naive of
me. I now understand, having been enlightened by Mr. Piccolo’s excellent book review, that cheating at golf is a direct indicator of one’s integrity. How could Mueller have missed such damning evidence as the connection between cheating at golf and cheating to win the election? Trump is clearly unsuitable as leader of the greatest and most powerful nation on the planet, and he should resign in disgrace or be impeached by the Democrats once the investigation into their seditious conduct over the past 2.5 years has been fully investigated. I have now seen the error of my ways and accept that I am not a good person, lacking in moral fibre and unworthy of any office of responsibility as I, and all my golf buddies, cheat. I am resolved to discontinue my association with those same golf buddies and will redouble my support for our Prime Minister, who has demonstrated a superior level of integrity which, I’m sure, resides somewhere between his flowing locks and funky socks. Thank you Mr. Piccolo for allowing me to see the error of my ways. W. Terry Lineker Fonthill
Public Notice of Pesticide Use for Gypsy Moth Control
My name is Rod Morrison and I have been a Fonthill resident for over 30 years. I wish to share with you my recent communications with the current town council. My initial email was only acknowledged by two council members, so I directed my most recent correspondence to those members and cc'd others. As a brief background, I am not in the habit of letter-writing, nor being in any way militant about most issues. The arches issue, however, has me so angered and has
reminded me of the inaction of councils prior to 2006. This is the main issue for me. I love the way our town has grown and provided us with many beautiful amenities and community spirit, of which there were few when my kids were growing up here. I fear the inaction and lack of vision displayed thus far by this council. I do acknowledge it is early in their mandate, but so far, I'm not impressed. Rod Morrison Fonthill
DISSENT
the same process. A horrific recent murder in the US used the term "unborn baby" when a pregnant woman and the fetus died from a deadly assault. Let's say one were to take the murder out of the story. The only thing deciding whether that fetus is aborted or not is the determination of the mother, whether the pregnancy is wanted or not. Abortion has always been a hot-button issue. There's no neutrality. If you come from a secular/non-religious viewpoint, you're likely to be pro-choice. If you come from a religious viewpoint, be it Christian, Muslim or Judaic, you're less likely to be pro-choice. I'd like to think that Canada, with its proclamation of religious freedom and the freedom to not be religious, has room for dissenting voices without name calling, censorship and venom. Peter Leyser Fonthill
continued from previous page port pregnant women who want assistance. The Jordan Peterson experience on Canadian university campuses is a sobering one. If you dare to question an aspect of political correctness, you may face protests or bans from speaking on certain campuses. For some, it's not enough to protest, rather, he shouldn't be given a platform or freedom of speech. Semantics is interesting to follow in the history of abortion. Pro-life sounds better than anti-abortion, and both sound better than anti-choice. The words depict the same position, but the perception is different. Imagine the fury if pro-choice became pro-abortion, pro fetus termination, or anti-life? It sounds ridiculous, but it's
NATIONAL
continued from previous page memberships to augment the considerable number they’d already secured. They packed the nomination meeting, outmaneuvered Dykstra supporters and captured the vote. Their compliant young candidate, having only recently completed his high school equivalency and living in his parents’ home, had nary the financial, experiential nor organizational wherewithal to proceed to the next step, but the well-
oiled political machine behind him was at the ready. Oosterhoff signs sprung up like mushrooms on lawns, fields and street corners. In a repeat of the masterful nomination strategy, Oosterhoff supporters showed up in numbers at the polling stations while most of Niagara’s voters stayed home. At 19, with just 17% of eligible voters supporting him—a figure that he would later characterise as a “landslide” — Sam Oosterhoff became the youngest MPP in Ontario history. Now drawing a six-figure executive-level salary and gener-
If only that extended to the follow-up performance of the member himself
The Town of Pelham is conducting an aerial spray program to control European gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) along the following municipal roadsides/parks, Town owned properties, and private owned properties:
Block 1: Marlene Stewart Street Park Block 2: Hwy 20 south to Canboro Road Block 3: Timmsdale Park Block 4: Canboro Road south to Concord Street Block 5: Stella Street south of John Street Block 6: Oak Lane community Block 7: Kunda Park community Block 8: Hillcrest Park & surrounding landowners Block 9: Pancake Lane south to Beechnut Crescent Block 10: Pancake Lane to Millbridge Crescent West within Fonthill, Town of Pelham. The aerial spray program carried out by helicopter will be applying the biological pesticide Foray 48B Biological Insecticide Aqueous Suspension, active ingredient is Bacillus thuringiensis v. kurstaki (Btk), Registration No. 24977 under the Pest Control Products Act (Canada). Applications will occur early mornings around 5:30 a.m. Two applications will occur approximately seven days apart. Proposed earliest commencement date of May 31, 2019, weather permitting, and ending June 5, 2019. For further information, including aerial spray dates, please contact: Christine Tonon, Public Works Town of Pelham Office: (905) 892-2607 X 332
Paul Robertson, Sr. Forester Trees Unlimited Office: (905) 384- 0789
www.pelham.ca/gypsy-moth
ous benefits, he also became the youngest-ever member of the Ontario Sunshine List. It was as astonishing as it was brilliant. One can’t help but admire the political smarts of the person or persons who pulled it off. If only that extended to the follow-up performance of the member himself. Unless, of course, sowing discord is not just Sam Oosterhoff’s fumbling, but part of some larger strategy. Not too many weeks ago I took a telephone call from a pleasant woman soliciting financial support for the
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Ontario PC party, my name and number appearing as it does on the membership roster and on a list of former contributors. It was a polite exchange during which I explained that I could no longer in good conscience put my name and money behind what was happening in the party and to the province under the current leadership, nor could I appear to support a marginal MPP who seems more inclined to represent his church than his greater constituency. Perhaps it will all turn out okay three years hence, if by then the Ontario electorate isn’t as fed up with the Conservatives as they were with the Liberals, and swing the pendulum all the way back or beyond. As young Sam doubtless has heard whilst sitting at the feet of his elders, ye reap what ye sow. Surely, Niagara West can do better. ♦
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The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
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Page 8
The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
ANOTHER ROUND
by JOHN PICCOLO
Do some reading while you still can
T
HERE WAS A GUY out of Austin, Texas, named Harvey Penick, who taught golf for over half a century. Every time he came up with a thought which helped a student get a better feel about how to swing a golf club he would write it down in his little red book. Over time it got pretty thick and cluttered. Getting up in years, he decided to share this book with a few people and they told him he should publish it and share all that knowledge with everyone who struggled to master this game. It ended up becoming one of the greatest selling sports books of all time. It's really just a lot of common sense, but unfortunately common sense is in short supply in this industry, so this book was a great breath of fresh air.
When I teach, I always try to relate the movements of the golf swing to something the student is already familiar with. Sometimes it's baseball, sometimes tennis. Even just the throwing motion. If the person has never really participated in other sports, however, this is sometimes more difficult. Harvey used an analogy of throwing a bucket of water to try to get his students to feel the golf swing. How you would rotate back and then in order to generate momentum, step into it with your lower body, and then finish it off by letting the arms fling the water in the direction you wanted it to go. I use a variation of this when I come across people who can't get the feeling of letting go, who are too tense and trying to guide the club
and ball to where they want it to go. I put a golf ball in a range bucket and ask the student to set up in their golf stance and throw the ball out of the bucket towards a certain target. They look at me a little strangely at first but I'm used to that by now and then they give it a whirl. The flight of the ball will tell you exactly what you are doing if you know what to look for. If you are right handed and are very tense, you will pull the bucket towards your body and up, and the ball will go to the left of where you were trying to throw it. The tighter you are the more up and to the left the ball will go. I have had some people who actually had the ball go totally behind them. After a few tries it is very easy to see the cause and effect of your actions.
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If you stay long and loose, and swing the bucket through your target, the ball will come out like a line drive, right where you are aiming. If you get looser but get your hands and elbows too involved, the ball will come out high and soft without much giddy-up. When you get that line drive feeling, you have the feeling you’re looking for when swinging the club. Swinging through the spot where the ball is. Not at it. Not under it. Through it. If you have a big back yard you can do this by flinging sticks as well. Hold a twoor three-foot stick like a golf club, take your back swing and when you swing forward try to let go and let the stick fly towards your target. Make sure you have lots of space, because I had a student try this on the range when it was empty early one morning and she ended up throwing it, (my club) about 30 yards diagonally backwards right about where your bedroom window would be. (She got the proper feeling after about three tosses.)
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca The further and straighter down your target line you can throw the stick the more the feeling of how you want to generate and deliver
They look at me a little strangely at first but I'm used to that by now
the power when swinging a golf club. There's a good trick for getting better feel for putting and chipping as well. If you have great difficulty with distance control when you putt and chip, try this one. Hold a ball in your hand and roll it (for putting) or toss it (for chipping) to your intended target. It will give you the feel of how little effort it takes to get the job
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done. (Most of you are doing way too much.) It gives you the feel of rhythm and soft hands. If someone just tells you how to do something, it is often very difficult to comprehend. But if they can explain it or relate it to you by feeling it, and having you be able to understand and manipulate the results on your own, the learning sinks in more deeply. Reading this or that or being told to "swing like this" isn't very helpful if you don't understand why you should be swinging "like this.” If you are trying to learn the game through reading or are taking lessons from someone who is telling you to swing this way or that because it is the "right way," and you feel lost, give old Harvey's book a read. It is simple to understand and broken up into short blurbs which makes it perfect for the lavatory. As the summer reading season approaches here are a few more titles that stay away from the technical and
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Letters
The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
Page 9
continued
Not the arches, and way better for you At the place of the former arches, a mere 20-metre stroll on a Thursday afternoon will find you at the Pelham’s Farmers Market. Here the residents of Pelham have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the people who grow our food. A more congenial and engaged group of individuals you’ll be hard pressed to find anywhere in town. These are the hard-working growers who tend to our Greenbelt and keep the land productive, while offering us a wide array of some of the healthiest food on the planet. We strongly encourage you to take a few minutes out of your Thursday to meet the growers of our food in thanking them by supporting them. By supporting them we are supporting ourselves, as well as preserving the land that we are dependent on to feed us. See you at the market! Graham and Edie Pett Fonthill
Definitely the arches, and how they symbolize the town Over the last few weeks one particular resident of Pelham has stated in the Voice that the arches do not represent the town— again we disagree with this assessment. Figuratively: • Arches are speaking to us about openings, beginnings and stepping through certain perspectives to see what's on the other side. • Arches also deal with initiation and ceremonies of renewal in many cultures. Walking through an archway represents the sloughing off of the old and moving into a new phase of life. • Arches also talk to us about opportunity, a universal law, which is "There is always another way." • Aches are also symbolic of the expansiveness of the human mind convey a sense of duality, enlightenment. This feeling of duality really plays nicely with the arch, meaning because often we're faced with some kind of contrast that prompts us to shift (move through the arch) our views. The duality of how the Arches are a metaphor for Pelham Immigration: • At the end of the Second World War, many fled the ravages of Europe and emigrated to the Peninsula/Pelham in search of a new life, enlightenment, opportunity, etc. The base of the arches on one side represents the old world, on the other side setting roots in the new. The arches represent their journey. The point where the two arches connect represent the melding of old and new found traditions. Service: • The arches represent the many service clubs and charities that are a mainstay of our community. The base on one side is the volunteer service member — the other side a person in stress or need. The point where the two arches connect represents the gracious offer of help and the gratitude of finding that
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someone cares about your wellbeing. Citizenship: • The arches symbolize at the point of connection where long time residents of Pelham welcome and enfold newcomers to our community. Transition: • The handing over from one generation to another at the connection —family traditions, wisdom, the family history, memories (taking your grandchild on a walk for hot chocolate and a doughnut or playing in the park). Geography: • The coming together and partnering of Pelham’s two lifestyles, one rural, the other urban, each drawing on the strengths of the other, to form at the connection—a vibrant community. And if you will: • One side of the arch is the residents of Pelham—the other the Town staff who, for the residents, manage the Town’s assets, resources, processes and knowledge. The connection point: Town Council. Bill Gibson Chair of the Summerfest Committee
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Letters
The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
Trading mud for fun
continued
Gypsy moth spray program a day late and several dollars short If you’re not yet aware, it’s time to open your pocketbooks. The Town of Pelham will be sending you a bill (or adding to your tax bill) the amount of $261.03 for the cost of the gypsy moth spray program—but only a select targeted group will have to pay. Here are some of the issues as I see them: Infestation Levels (Severe, Moderate, Low)—the Town has chosen to use their consultant’s criteria to establish what they deem a “severe” infestation of lands — 1,500 or more egg masses per hectare (there are 2.47 acres in a hectare). A “moderate” infestation is considered 500 to 1,500 egg masses per hectare, and “low” would be 500 or fewer egg masses per hectare. The new gypsy moth Bylaw says they will spray severe areas, however the Town has chosen not to follow the spray bylaw and include “moderate” areas too. The criteria the Town has chosen as severe is far lower than other municipalities, including Hamilton and Toronto, who use 2,500 egg masses per hectare. This means more areas will be sprayed than indicated in the bylaw. My property, for example, has 20 or so egg masses on it, far less than the Town’s criteria for a serious or moderate infestation, however they have deemed mine to be severely infested. Determination of Infested Properties — no one from the Town or their consulting firm requested nor gained access to my property to determine infestation levels. When asked, the Town advised that the consultant drove around the neighbourhoods in a vehicle and looked for egg masses using binoculars. If you’ve ever looked for egg masses (commonly on the underside of tree branches), the angle of view from property lines is poor at best and can only be done properly by entering onto the property. Public Tender / Request For Proposal (RFP) — it turns out there was no open public tender or RFP process in this matter. The project was simply awarded to the consultant without garnering competitive bids from any other companies in the business. As such it is impossible to determine, amongst other things, whether or not the rates for the gypsy moth spray are competitive. Need to spray for gypsy moths — in 1990 the MNR identified a serious infestation on Town lands and that consecutive annual sprays would be required. In 2008, council passed a motion to develop an ongoing and permanent gypsy moth spray program. Despite this, the Town in the past 28 years has only sprayed twice — in 2008 and 2018. As a result, this has led to the spread of the infestation taking its hold outside the boundaries of Town lands. It’s continued of course, being identified for spraying as a severely infested now again in 2019. As it turns out, this is not at all surprising. By way of example, in 2015 I began contacting the Town to let them know that the gypsy moths were back. I was under the mistaken impression that since Council had passed a motion in 2008 to develop a permanent and ongoing plan to deal with the gypsy moths that they in fact would do so. This could not be farther from the truth. I continued to contact the Town in 2016 and 2017 to tell them that the infestation was worsening and that they should be in touch with a consultant and to book a helicopter in for spraying. I told them to get out to Hillcrest Park to see for themselves. All of this fell on deaf ears of course. I even sent them pictures of the gypsy moths on the Town’s trees in Hillcrest Park, but nothing. In the meantime, all I and other residents could do was try to combat the gypsy moths on our own. We sprayed our trees, some used hand sprayers while others brought in boom trucks. We put burlap and tar bands on our
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trees, used gypsy moth traps, pheromone strips and squished as many of these nasty devils as we could … all the while shoveling up buckets and buckets of their frass daily. The street turned brown from this terribly staining exrement. However, no matter what we did they just kept coming and coming from Hillcrest Park as the Town sat back, did nothing and had no action plan despite their obligation to do so. Unfortunately, there’s no bug spray, OFF or DEET you can spread around your property to keep the gypsy moths from coming onto it. They know no
I applaud Councillor Kore, who understands the facts in this matter and has echoed these views
boundaries—there’s no wall or impenetrable barrier they must breach to get here. They simply come on over from Hillcrest Park to invade my property and my neighbours’, foraging on all things green. Spraying my property alone and that of my neighbours does precious little when you abut acres and acres of land housing the Town’s gypsy moth hatchery — the Town’s magnificently infested property located at my back door. While I spray repeatedly, the gypsy moths must eat the sprayed leaves in order to die. That means, they must defoliate my trees / vegetation first before they can die. Then, because there is an unlimited supply of new hungry gypsy moths in the unattended municipal lands out back, they just continue to come back again to feed. So, I’d spray again, they’d eat my trees once more time, defoliating them yet again before they would die (hopefully). Then again, and again and again. Spray, defoliate, die, repeat. This is the mantra from May until August / September for residents with gypsy moth infestations. The result is death to trees and vegetation — they simply cannot survive these repeated attacks. The Math — sharing / equalization sounds like an interesting concept until you delve into it—it is neither just, fair nor equitable. The Town is charging 294 “urban” residents for the spray. It’s based on 108.5 acres to be sprayed at the rate of $705.63 per acre. They’ve taken the total cost and divided it by 294 residents. There is no regard for your property’s size or the density of trees on it. So, if you own a 1.5 or 3.1 acre lot you pay $261.03— WINNER. If you’re in a condo complex with 16 condo owners, you pay a grand total of $261.03—WINNER. Then there’s the mysterious 20.3-acre parcel referred to as F-02 (Lookout Village to Canboro Road) in the Town’s spray program details. This land is seemingly owned by no one as the 294 residents (none of which reside on these lands or are even near them) are being asked to pay for the spraying of this land, which is owned by persons unknown, at the whopping total cost of $14,342.62—WINNER. Why is any of this important? By way of example, I own perhaps a fifth of an acre — a typical residential lot in the Town of Pelham. Most of the 294 residents being charged own properties around this size I suspect. The Town wants to charge me $261.03 for that fifth of an acre … that works out to $1305.15 an acre, not the $705.63 per
acre the Town is promoting, and that the Town has so conveniently determined they should pay for spraying some of their lands. The Town will also pay a lesser rate than that for the rest of its rural lands being sprayed — WINNER. To add to the confusion, the consultant informed a group of residents that the cost of spraying “urban” areas would be about 3 to 4 times that of “rural” properties. Well, it turns out the rate being charged by the Town to the 294 residents is 625%, double the rate the consultant stated. What are other municipalities charging residents? — first off, while the Town did not carry out a Public Tender regarding the gypsy moth spray program, it’s certainly curious that other municipalities are paying far less. For example, the City of Hamilton is paying approximately half the rate per acre compared to the Town of Pelham — and the rate per acre is fixed after the first three acres the Town has been told, so the total acres being sprayed is apparently meaningless. Further, the Cities of Hamilton and Toronto don’t charge their “urban” residents for spraying gypsy moths and they don’t spray any rural areas. So why is it the Town of Pelham doesn’t look to these other municipalities, which have had a longstanding gypsy moth programs, for their protocol, direction and costing? Could municipalities ban together for a more effective spray program?Neither fair, just nor equitable —it is unclear to me why taxpayers abutting the severely infested Town lands are being singled out and penalized for living next to them in the first place, unlike those taxpayers who don’t abut infested areas. The Town has not taken responsibility for their inactions nor considered the taxpayer in the matter. They have let their gypsy moth hatchery run wild and infest other properties. They have not even had the courtesy of conducting a Town Hall-style meeting on the issue to hear from taxpayers … there is simply to be a charge to 294 residents that is neither just, fair nor equitable. Not being sprayed this year? — if you’re not one of the 294 residents in the spray area this year and think you’ve dodged a bullet, give your head a shake. If you have gypsy moths (or they’re near your property) but at lower infestation levels, you’ll be getting sprayed once the level of egg masses per hectare in your area hits that magic threshold. The chances of the population not growing in your unsprayed area are slim to none. To be clear, I am NOT in favour of a select group of taxpayers paying for spraying their lands for an infestation that spread from the Town’s inaction over the past 30 years or so. Residents have tried to combat the spread on their lands whilst the Town sat back and did nothing. When the Town finally did get around to spraying in 2008 or 2018, the residents NEVER paid. Charging them now breaks this long-held precedent. For these 294 residents to spray, and pay for it, so that your land and the Town’s lands are not defoliated as quickly in the future, is undoubtedly admirable, however it singles out these select number of taxpayers when all the while the Town should have stepped up to the plate and accepted its responsibilities in this matter. The gypsy moth spray benefits ALL residents of Pelham, and as a result should be borne by the Town. I applaud Councillor Ron Kore, who understands the facts in this matter and has echoed these views. Mr. Kore was the only one on Council to vote against this nonsense motion to charge 294 residents. Graham Ashdown Fonthill
Rotary to hold first-ever FunFest on Father's Day weekend BY KATHRYN HRYCUSKO
Special to the VOICE
The Pelham Rotary Club, with the help of Big Brothers Big Sisters, is gearing up for their first ever FunFest, a day of family-friendly activities and games. In the past, Rotary has invited Pelham residents to enter a 6 km run through the hilly terrain of Bissell’s Hideaway to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters, an event known as Mudfest. This year, in the hopes of drawing a larger and more diverse crowd, Rotary has decided to leave Mudfest behind and substitute it with a range of fun and games that can be enjoyed by all ages— Family FunFest. The event will take place on the Saturday of Father’s Day Weekend, June 15, at Bissell’s Hideaway, 205 Metler Road, coinciding with their opening weekend. Admission is $15 a person, with families of four (or groups of four friends) costing $40. Tickets for FunFest can be purchased online at niagarafamilyfunfest. eventbrite.ca. Parking however, is free. Bissell’s has given the Rotarians the full run of the place, with access to their pools, pond, grounds, and Skyzone. The Skyzone costs extra and includes games such as axe-throwing, archery, and a rock climbing. However, while the Skyzone costs money there will be no shortage of free activities. Some 30 vendors have already agreed to come out to the event, with the various companies bringing their wares for visitors to use or learn about. There will be drones that both kids and adults can learn to fly, while Paddle Niagara is bringing paddleboards to take out on the pond, and Niagara Inflatables providing a bouncy castle, amongst other events. There are plenty of learning opportunities as well, including a chance to learn about bees, how and why they are important to the environment, as well as a dairy education tent. Although there is dairy information, the Rotarians have not yet been able to find any barn animals such as cows, pigs, and sheep to attend,
and hope that this is an aspect that will grow in future years. Despite the lack of barn animals, pony rides will be available from I CAN-T.E.R. Association Niagara, and there will even be a couple of unicorns in attendance. Children are also invited to take part in the “passport” activity that is associated with the various stations. Rotary will provide kids with small passports in which they can collect stamps from various vendors, which they can later
It is an affordable, family focused activity day
exchange for prizes, depending on how many they have collected. “There’s plenty for kids to enjoy,” said Rotarian Paul Snack, who is helping organize FunFest. There are lots of opportunities for parents as well. While their kids run around and play games, parents can get a massage from Trillium College massage students, participate in a yoga class, or grab a bite to eat at a barbecue. Big Brothers Big Sisters will also be helping with activities throughout the day, specifically at a face painting station. They are also hosting an array of 15 small carnival games, such as bean bag toss. Visitors will receive 15 tickets at the entrance to the event to use for the games, at which they can win prize tickets. Jessica Trapani, Fundraising and Events Coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters, said that they already have about 25 volunteers who plan to help with See FUNFEST next page
GOLF
continued from Page 8 get to the heart of the game of golf, which is the mental game. Pia Nilsson was Annika Sorenstam’s teacher and has a couple of great books on mental preparation. Anything by Bob Rotella is good, as is, “The Inner Game of Golf,” by Tim Gallwey. One of my favorites is “Quantum Golf,” by Kjell Enhager, and a friend recently lent me, “Zen in the Art of Archery,” which doesn’t mention golf at all but the philosophy of it applies just the same. Used bookshops are making a bit of a comeback. I always find something of interest at “The Write Bookshop,” in St. Catharines, or if you can get to a library before our non-reading leader closes them down, you might a few of them in there. Just don’t try to read them in a constituency office. Apparently they find that threatening. ♦ John Piccolo is the golf instructor and runs Piccolo's Custom Golf Shop at Eagle Valley Golf Club in Niagara Falls. Email your questions or comments to picgolf@vaxxine.com
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
Page 11
TOWN COUNCIL NEWS Old arena close to being back up for sale
While the May 21 Pelham Town Council meeting was dominated by its decision to deny Leviathan’s exemption request to the Interim Control Bylaw, another contentious matter was also on the docket. Council’s Policy and Priorities Committee also voted to recommend proceeding with the sale of the old arena lands, with a significant caveat that removed adherence to the original preferred development plan. In a surprise move in March, council voted to take the 1120 Haist Street site off the market, and directed staff to provide a report on the future of the property. Last Tuesday, just over two months after that controversial decision, council’s tune had changed in the wake of that report. “I think we need to get rid of all our expenses from 2015, ‘16, ‘17, and ‘18, that’s what [the sale] is going to cover,” Councillor Mike Ciolfi said in explaining his vote. “Hopefully we can get a little extra money for it and possibly cover a swing set or something at one of the playgrounds.” In the aftermath of the March 18 decision not to sell, Ciolfi had defended the move, saying, “Let’s look at the overall plan, and maybe a 40-year plan to see what the Town needs are going to be … affordable housing, a new Town Hall, things like that, before we get rid of it.” Yet with the Town facing a sustained deficit and overwhelming public opinion in support of selling the now-redundant arena lands, it seems council sentiment shifted. “The majority of the residents I’ve spoken to want to sell the property,” said Councillor Bob Hildebrandt — who voted for the sale in March and appeared befuddled by his colleagues’ actions at the time. “I believe market conditions are favourable.” Hildebrandt stressed that any development plan for the land would keep the site’s existing paddle court club and park in place, per the staff report. Councillor John Wink abstained for the vote, as he has on all matters related to 1120 Haist, given that he lives nearby and maintains that any decision on the land could impact his own property value The vote to sell came with the scrapping of the original site redevelopment proposal, which featured plans that were published on the Town’s website and in the Voice. Now, when the property ultimately goes back up for sale, real estate developers will come to the Town with their own proposals that will require approval. “Put the lands on the market for residential use, and let the developers come to you,” Director of Community Planning and Development Barb Wiens said. Councillor Lisa Haun, acting as chair of the Policy and Priorities Committee, wanted to make sure that the public was fully aware of the change. “We’ve had so much discussion with folks … and so much feedback, don’t I know, that people made the decision [in the Town survey, in which 85 percent of respondent residents chose to sell] when we put it to vote,” Haun said. “They were looking at a proposed plan that looked a certain way. And now that’s not the way we’re going to go.” Wiens replied that any construction proposals would require public input anyway. “If there’s going to be any changes to the plan, it would require a public consultation process … a subdivision plan is also a public consultation process.” There are development regulations
FUNFEST
continued from previous page FunFest. “It’s nice that they let Big Brother Big Sisters have an input and participate in the setup and everything,” said Trapani. “We’re seeing it through to make it just as successful for them.”
built in to the staff report, including no back alleyways or short-term rental properties.
Leviathan threatens legal action on pot vote Council denies cannabis producer's bylaw exemption request
Age of disruption continues
Those short-term rentals—not unlike legalized marijuana—continue to wreak havoc with Pelham Town Council in this, the age of disruption. Council will remain status quo on the fact there are no municipal bylaws regarding short-term vacation rentals, such as Airbnbs, while staff completes a report on the topic expected in late summer. However, Wink floated the idea of an interim control bylaw to restrict homeowners from renting out their properties in that manner, and essentially dared them to take the Town to court if they didn’t like it. “That was something that we did look at last summer when this was hitting the proverbial fan, and based on the legal advice that we got, an interim control bylaw would not be effective in this case,” Wiens said. “Quite frankly is it going to be worth their while to take us to court?” Wink replied. Mayor Marvin Junkin questioned the length of time it would take to draw up an ICB. Town clerk Nancy Bozzato said that any move to begin an ICB process would have to be tabled at the next council meeting.
Gypsy moth spray costs limited to affected properties
After much debate, council voted 3-2 to recover costs from the upcoming gypsy moth spray from only those Fonthill property owners whose land is in the designated infestation zones. This came after Councillor Ron Kore made a passionate plea for the Town to pick up the entire tab for all spraying in Pelham, estimated at $193,000. “The issue is a community issue,” Kore said. “Why is it only 294 [households] are going to pay for the spraying?” The cost now works out to about $231 per each of those 294 affected properties. Kore cited a resident who had received a spray notice and told Kore he will refuse to pay the bill. “To burden those 294 citizens is not right,” Kore said, before noting the importance of trees, and that the Town’s logo is the Comfort Maple. “We have a symbol of a tree representing our community.” If costs were spread equally over all property owners in Pelham, each landowner would pay between $25-$30. However, logistics would make that tricky. For example, properties outside of Fonthill in the classified “rural zone” are not included in the current billing and are dealing directly with private contractors Trees Unlimited and Zimmer Air. Ciolfi, whose ward is that rural area, is not happy with these contractors because of the even higher costs — over $500 in some cases — quoted to his constituents. “It’s too late now, but we know that other companies can do this,” Ciolfi said. Still, that’s a moot point with the Fonthill spray. On that matter, Junkin disagreed the idea of the Town footing the entire bill— going beyond Pelham’s current financial constraints. “Are we going to pay $193,000 because we’ve heard from five, six percent of people [complaining]?” the Mayor said. Aerial spraying is scheduled to commence this Friday, but Trees Unlimited told the Voice that this is dependent on weather conditions.
Leviathan Cannabis threatened last week to initiate legal action against the Town of Pelham, in the wake of council’s May 21 decision not to grant the licensed pot producer an exemption to the Interim Control Bylaw (ICB), passed last autumn to allow the municipality time to establish specific regulations pertaining to cannabis growers. “While this is yet another hurdle en route to building the company’s state-of-the-art cannabis greenhouse facility,” Leviathan said in a statement, “Leviathan’s management team is optimistic the Ontario Superior Court will right the wrong done to the company and its hundreds of stakeholders by the Pelham Town Council.” The company’s Chief Communications Officer did not respond to a Voice request for comment. The Town, for its part, declined detailed comment. “It is the practice of the Town to not respond to the specifics of any threat of litigation,” wrote Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald in an email to the Voice. “We are confident that all actions of the Town are done in good faith and in the best interests of our constituents.” Leviathan’s threat to take legal action comes as little surprise, given that the Toronto-based company had been promising litigation all along in the event they were rejected. Either Town staff or council had also met with their own lawyers several times before last Tuesday’s decision. Additionally, it’s unlikely that any court case against the Town would be resolved—or possible even heard— before the expiration of the ICB on October 15. Leviathan’s stock price on the TSX dropped nearly 25%—
All proceeds raised at FunFest will be donated to the organization from Rotary. Trapani said the organization will use the donation to finance its programs, including its “traditional one-to-one mentorship matches between a Big and a Little, Site Based Mentoring programs such as InSchool Mentoring and Go Girls!, and Game On day program.” She said it is a great opportunity to raise a
BY JOHN CHICK
Special to the VOICE
from 59 cents to 45 cents per share— on Thursday and Friday, the two days after the Pelham ruling. As far as the vote itself went, council chose to go against its own staff recommendation— which endorsed Leviathan’s request. Director of Community Planning and Development Barb Wiens made her case for the staff report, which recommended granting the Toronto-based pot grower their exemption to go ahead and build their grow-op at the 770 Foss Road site. Wiens linked the fact that Pelham’s site control plans do not include greenhouses, with Leviathan’s exemption application. “Because we want to put the Leviathan application under site plan control, we do need to amend the bylaw,” Wiens told council. “So it’s important to have that amendment go forward.” She also appeared to answer critics of the staff report, saying it is the Town’s job to take applications on a case-bycase basis. “We’re obligated to circulate and process that application and then present our recommendations to council, and then council can make its decision,” Wiens said. The staff report was originally tabled in April, but council delayed a vote on it then so it could refer the report back to Town lawyers. Prior to Tuesday’s vote, council met in closed session to again receive legal opinion on the matter. When they returned to open session, Ward 1 councillors Mike Ciolfi and Marianne Stewart, and Ward 3’s Bob Hildebrandt all announced they would abstain due to a potential conflict of interest—although Ciolfi dis-
agreed with that wording. “This was not a conflict,” he told the Voice. “I just abstained for cautionary reasons due to a cannabis control petition that I signed earlier in the year that was circulated throughout the town.” Hildebrandt and Stewart also signed the petition, circulated by the Pelham Community Preservation Coalition, and also opted to recuse themselves from the discussion and vote. “Out of an abundance of caution I chose to recuse myself from the debate on this matter,” Hildebrandt said. Down to only three councillors— Ward 2’s Ron Kore and John Wink, and Ward 3’s Lisa Haun— council unanimously voted against granting the exemption. In an amendment, the same councilors also voted to include greenhouses in site control plans, which will ultimately mean more bureaucracy for those who grow vegetables, fruit or plants in their own greenhouses. In terms of the ICB, in the end common sense appeared to win out, given that the purpose of a temporary regulation is to regulate something temporarily. “I don’t understand making exceptions … when the bylaw is there for a reason,” Wink said. “Absolutely,” Pelham Community Preservation Coalition member Jim Jeffs said when asked if he was happy with the outcome. Jeffs is also a member of the Town’s new Cannabis Control Committee, which was officially established at the same council meeting. “Now the work begins,” Jeffs said, citing working with the Town to develop enforceable laws around cannabis production. That committee is set to meet for the first time on Wednesday night.
REACHING THE TOP Kinsman Len Doyle was recently installed as a Life Member of the Fonthill and District Kinsmen Club. Life Membership is the highest honour a member can receive in the association of Kin. SUPPLIED PHOTO
lot of money and match as many Big Brother and Big Sister pairs as possible, each of which cost approximately $1000 per match. Big Brother and Big Sister of South Niagara are also invited to attend the event, which they get into free of charge, as it is a “great way for them to build their relationship.” With a variety of activities for everyone, the Rotarians expect that it will be a good turnout and a fun time for all involved.
Rotary hopes that it will be a success, and hopes to continue it in coming years, making it an annual Father’s Day weekend event. “It is an affordable, family focused activity day that showcases the different organizations out there and what they can provide for families,” said Rotarian and organizer Paul Allen. “It’s about building community.”
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The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
A Little Book About Us
O
UR CHILDHOOD DEFINES OUR personalit y. It shapes who we become. When Vilma Moretti had grandchildren, she realized that her childhood and theirs were worlds apart. They had absolutely no idea what life was like for Vilma when she was their age. Theirs was a world of computers, iPods, cellphones, texting, Instagram, and YouTube. Vilma thought that when they were grown they might be interested to know what it was like for other generations to grow up. She started collecting recollections—her own, and those of some of the many people she met every day while running Keith’s Restaurant, her family’s business at the intersection of Pelham Street and Highway 20, in Fonthill. The result was, “A Little Book About Us,” published in 2009, from which this series is excerpted. Keith’s is gone, but the stories remain.
SPECIALIZING IN SELLING YOUR HOME!!! RURAL, AGRICULTURAL OR RESIDENTIAL—OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE (IT MATTERS) EMAIL: rbrown@royallepage.ca Richard Brown SALES REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE: 905-734-4545 or 905-892-0222 Direct: 905-651-5143
Trent
Born 1971 Fonthill My name is Trent and I was born in 1971. I grew up in the village of Fonthill and have two older brothers. My family owned a restaurant right in the middle of the town. I think the strongest memories I have of growing up are of my summers. We were not a typical family as we had the restaurant, so there was no “going up to the cottage” or anything like that. There was, however, the Fonthill pool. I took swimming lessons every year and spent afternoons there. Lessons were in the morning and the public swim started at 1 PM. I remember having lunch at the restaurant (which is just up the hill from the pool) and rushing down to get in line. There were so many kids that sometimes the pool reached capacity and you had to wait for people to leave. You wanted to get there early to make sure you one of the first kids in. The lifeguards always made it fun for us kids. At least once during public swim they would come out with their water test kits and select one of us to help them. We would have to take two test tubes and cover the tops with your thumbs, dive down
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From the August 8 1978 edition of the Pelham Herald: It's not all work, as a lifeguard—this is possibly one of the reasons that Greg Robinson enjoys his work so much. From left are Kerry Black, pool cashier; Cathy McPherson, pool manager; Bev Kukhta, lifeguard, and Lida Cepuch, checkroom attendant. HERALD PHOTO to the bottom of the pool, release your thumbs, fill the test tubs with water and bring them back. That was the water they used to test for chlorine and Ph. It was a real honour when you were selected to get the water. I later learned, when I worked at that pool as a lifeguard many years later, that you didn’t need to fill the test tubes from the bottom, but I still got the kids to do it, I think they also liked it. Another really big event was when we building the “dining room” on the
restaurant. My family moved into a house right beside the restaurant. It was called the Windpoppy—I think that was the name of the store that was located in the house before we moved in. At the beginning, my brothers and I had to share a room; that was the first time I had shared my room but it was fun. My brother Tom and I had bunk beds and my brother Todd had a captain’s bed. We would jump from the top of the bunk bed onto the captain’s bed. I thought it was very dangerous and exciting,
but in retrospect, the jump wasn’t that far. We had to tear down that house to make way for the dining room and parking lot, and we moved down to a house on Hurricane road. That house was great, it was big, had a huge bush in the back and a good climbing tree in the front. As I write this I think about so any different things, like riding my bike everywhere and taking the “zig zag” home. Playing outside all day See ABOUT US next page
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continued from previous page and having to come home when the streetlights came on. Life at 10 was always an adventure. One year, my mom bought me an inflatable boat. It had two oars and held two people. My friend Kathleen and I would carry the boat and oars over to a pond in back of the park. We would spend about half hour blowing up the boat and spend about 15 minutes floating around the pond. The pond was very small and there wasn’t much to see but it was a real adventure. At age 10 I also had my first experience with a computer. Kathleen’s parents had three computers: the Compucolor, the Osborne, and the Hyperion. We were only allowed to use the Compucolor but it was great fun. Mr. Honey had a biorhythms program where you would enter data about your date and time of birth and it would print out your biorhythms for the month, which was supposed to tell you the cycle of your physiological, emotional and intellectual well-being. I thought it would be a great money- making opportunity to go door to door and sell them for a dollar. We did, but I don’t think too many people bought it. Life in Fonthill was simple back then, I look at it now and see how much it’s changed, but the restaurant is still there and so is the pool. It gives me great solace to know that I can go back and remember my childhood. ♦
The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
Page 13
Getting their hands dirty
Second constable charged in cop-on-cop shooting
Kids plant potato seedlings at the Farmers Market
Special to the VOICE
BY JOHN CHICK
BY KATHRYN HRYCUSKO
Special to the VOICE
Children from around Pelham got their hands dirty this past Thursday as they planted seed potatoes at the Pelham Farmers Market. As part of the Market’s Kids Can Grow night, children were encouraged to stop by the non-profit tent and learn how to plant and grow their own plants. Organizer Bev Yungblut says that in past years the kids have planted pumpkins and sunflowers, with some fairly giant pumpkins and tall sunflowers being returned in September for the end-of-season prizes. This year the program has switched to potatoes instead, a first, in an effort to try something different. Participants were provided with seed potatoes and soil, which they planted in small, easily transportable pots. At the end of the night they took these home with an instruction manual that directs them on how to transplant the potato plant
Oscar Rogers. from the Town of Pelham, shows Emmett Deiter how to plant a potato seedling while his parents and sister look on. SUPPLIED PHOTO to a larger pot or garden plot when it has grown to 10cm tall, and how to properly water and care for it. “We started it to teach kids that food doesn’t just come from a grocery store, that it does get grown in the ground,” said Yungblut. “It’s to teach them that they have to look after a plant. That when you plant something you have to grow it and look after it, water it and make sure it’s in the sun.” The kids are challenged to keep the potato plant alive until September 12, when they are invited back to compare plants. Prizes will be awarded for smallest potato, largest potato, and largest crop yield. Yungblut says that in past years about a quarter of the participants return
in the fall, and that those who do have done quite well with their plants. The program organizers are hopeful for a similar, if not better, return this year. In addition to the planting, last Thursday’s market also offered face painting, a balloon artist, colouring books, and a draw for a market activities book for the kids. The weekly scavenger hunt, which has been a hit so far, also took place, with kids being asked to find the flower that was hidden in one of the stalls. Yungblut said that the kids nights are a great way to “encourage young families to come to the market too, and see what they can get there,” and that they hope to see the families again in September with their full grown potatoes.
The Niagara Regional Police constable who was shot — allegedly by a fellow officer —on a North Pelham street last November is now facing charges himself. After a two-month investigation, the Ontario Provincial Police last week charged Constable Nathan Parker on three separate counts: Assaulting a peace officer, assault with intent to resist arrest, and assault with a weapon. Parker himself was shot multiple times during a police traffic accident reconstruction in the vicinity of Effingham Road and Roland Road on November 29, 2018. Parker had to be airlifted to a Hamilton hospital, and at last update prior to news of the OPP laying charges against him, remained off work and recovering on administrative leave. No details have been released as to the extent of his injuries. In March, Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) laid three charges— including attempted murder— against the alleged gunman and Parker’s colleague, Detective Sergeant Shane Donovan. NRPS chief Bryan MacCulloch could offer few details at a news conference last week. When asked why
Parker was charged with assault to resist arrest, he said that decision was out of his hands. “I’m not privy to the evidence the OPP is relying on to lay that charge,” MacCulloch said. The Chief added it was standard procedure given the incident’s unusual circumstances to bring in the provincial police, separate from the SIU—which only investigates cases when death or serious injury occurs via action of a member of the police. “The fact [there was] another investigation going on outside the SIU is not abnormal,” he said. “I requested the assistance of the OPP to determine if there was any criminal culpability outside of the SIU’s scope.” It was the first time the NRPS had publicly identified Parker, a 20-year veteran of the department. However, he had been named frequently in the media before last week, with multiple outlets asserting that the constable, assigned to the Welland division, has a history of disciplinary complaints under the Police Services Act. Parker’s own brother Phillip told the See CHARGES Page 18
The Community of Lookout Ridge
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Page 14
The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
CARNIVAL TIME
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though, to the delight of a smaller audience than usual—which carried into Saturday, as some folks may have been scared off by forecasts of more rain to come. Sunday, on the other hand, was bright and beautiful, suggesting the promise of a hot summer on the horizon.
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Page 15
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Date:
The Voice Pelham adChurch size FirstofPresbyterian Service Directory ad 602 Metler Rd., Fenwick w:2.5” x h: 1.75”
Glad Tidings Church of God 1 Pancake Lane, Fonthill
Pelham Evangelical Friends Church 940 Haist St., Fonthill
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Holy Trinity Anglican Church 1557 Pelham Street, Fonthill
Ridgeville Bible Chapel 418 Canboro Rd., Ridgeville
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Color Info 1414 Pelham St., Fonthill black only Due Date1369 Rice Rd., Fonthill Friday, March 18 at noon
Fonthill United Church Rundate(s) 42 Church Hill, Fonthill Mar. 23, Apr. 6, 20, May 4, 18, June 1, 15 and 29.
Cost $42 per insertion plus HST. Terms: Due on publication
Page 16
The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
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COMMUNITY EVENTS & CLASSIFIEDS
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IN THE NEWS
continued from Page 2
Thorold expands Canada Day celebration
The City of Thorold has expanded its annual Canada Day Celebrations to four days this year. Building on the Blues on the Battlefield Festival, which began in in 2017, the four-day lineup will now include rock and roll bands along with a little bit of soul. "I think the Canada Day function this year will be fantastic. It’s the first year that it will be at no cost so we’re looking to make it bigger and better every year,” said Manager of Community Services Curtis Dray. "We’re adding a bit of other music types so it appeals to all the community. There’s something for everything if you show up at this event," said Mayor Terry Ugulini. Food trucks will offer a variety of treats—from southern barbecue flavours to freshsqueezed lemonade and ice cream. A fireworks grand finale will cap off the celebration.
Falls arrest in child porn investigation
In April, members of the Niagara Regional Police Service Internet Child Exploitation (I.C.E.) commenced an investigation into the sexual exploitation of children. According to a police statement, the investigation led to a Niagara Falls residence. Last Thursday, members assigned to the I.C.E. unit concluded their investigation, which resulted in the identifica-
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tion of a suspect. As a result, 64-year-old Tim Allan, of Niagara Falls, was arrested and charged with the following: two counts of possession of child pornography, and access child pornography. Allan was held in custody pending a bail hearing.
St. Kitts child abuse arrest
A St. Catharines man has been arrested following an incident outside a local community centre. According to a police statement on May 14, at about 6:30 PM, officers were called to the area of Russell Avenue and George Street for a report of a suspicious person. When officers arrived, they received information from members of the public that an unknown man had approached a 10-yearold boy outside of a community centre on Russell Avenue and began speaking to him. The mother of the child, while carrying her other son, age 6, intervened. During the confrontation the man made physical contact with the 6-year-old. The same man then approached a group of children playing in the nearby school yard of Harriet Tubman Public School and began interacting with them. Tyler Kevin Chambers, 30, of St. Catharines, is charged with the alleged offences of: invitation to sexual touching, assault, and breach of probation. Chambers attended a bail hearing at the Robert S. K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines on May 15, where he was subsequently held in custody.
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Brick, Block, Stone and Chimey repairs. Wet and damaged I will come to your home or basement repairs. farm and custom mill your PELHAM LIBRARY CARD MAKING WORKSHOP Phone Tom Deamude at 289-241-4767 or 905-892-1924. logs. Firewood & lumber Make 35 sixyears cardsof with fall themes, learning a variety ofalso techniques. Materials construction experience. available. Call Rob Patterson, are provided. At time of registration, please enquire about tools needed. 905-401-4948, Tues., Sept. 16 10 – 12:30. $10. Please register ahead. Visit www.pelhamDRIVER WANTED riverwood@primus.ca
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Reach thousands of FABULOUS FENWICK LIONS FISH FRY readers with a Tasty treats with funds heading straight back into the community. Haddock, Voice classified! STREET SALE french fries and much more. Runs Sept. 9 from 4-7Up p.m. to 30 words for only: Chestnut Street Sale in Fonthill May 31 – June 1, 8am – 2pm both days PELHAM MINOR HOCKEY EQUIPMENT Housewares, Garage and Yard Bargains
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WALKING CLUB Saturday June 1st openin atPelham? 8:00 a.m Join them Tuesdays at the Pelham Arena Interested inDoors walking At Pelham Community Church from 9-10 am 461 andCanboro Thursdays at Fonthill Bandshell for 9-10:30 am. There Rd. is no fee for this program. For more information, please contact jcook@ pelham.ca or call 905 892-2607, ext 329. HAMPER DAY FOR PELHAM CARES Purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at the Market or bring a non-perishable food item to fill the hampers at the Pelham Farmers Market on Sept. 4.
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The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
Voice
FAITH LIFT
CROSSWORD
by PASTOR ROB WEATHERBY
SPONSORED THIS WEEK BY
Page 17
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Daily Dining Specials! Live Weekend Entertainment!
Meet the man who beat Columbus by 500 years
E
VERY SCHOOL CHILD learns that “in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Right. And, that he was the first European to discover the New World. Wrong! A few months ago, my wife and I had the privilege of visiting Iceland for the first time on our way back from Finland. We overnighted near the airport at Keflavik and chose to use our few hours of free time (and daylight) to visit the “Viking World Museum.” We got to set foot into a life-size replica of a Viking ship (which was actually sailed a few years ago from Iceland to North America) and we learned a lot about those early fierce and feared Norsemen called the Vikings. One fellow in particular caught my attention— Leif Eriksson (aka Leif the Lucky). Leif the Viking Leif Eriksson was the “son of Erik” as his name reveals. Erik was a rather colorful Norwegian, as his full name—Erik the Red — reveals. He may have been a redhead but there’s also strong evidence he had a red-hot temper. Erik was a Viking, which meant he was involved in pillaging raids on vulnerable villages throughout Northern Europe and beyond. Eventually he settled down to farm in Iceland, married and had a family of three sons and a daughter. One of the sons was Leif, born in 970 AD. When Leif was 16, his father (remember the temper?) was expelled from Iceland for killing a man. Erik and his small family and farmhands sailed west through the frigid uncharted waters of the North Atlantic. Happily, his open Viking ship survived the rough seas, reaching new territory he called “Greenland,” hoping the name would attract new settlers. Leif followed his father’s example as a brave seafarer and Viking until the day he sailed back to Norway. There his life would take a
sudden turn. Leif the Missionary Leif visited the king of Norway, Olaf, to show him some of the produce (furs and timber) from faraway Greenland, where his father,
Erik, now ruled as chieftain over a growing settlement of Norsemen. Olaf had recently left Norse paganism to become a Christian and was eager to spread the new faith throughout his kingdom. During this time Leif too decided to become a Christian, and Olaf commissioned him as a missionary to the new colony in Greenland. Leif returned home and led his mother to faith. His fiercely independent father resisted at first. His mother apparently refused to share her bed with him until he finally converted! (One more evangelistic technique to add to your list.) Leif the Explorer On one of Leif’s voyages, his ship was caught in a storm and blown off course. He eventually made landfall
and realized he was again in new territory. He named his first sighting “Flat Rock Land” (probably Baffin Island), his second “Forest Land” (probably Labrador), and his third “Vinland” (probably Newfoundland). As recorded in the Nordic Sagas, he described the new land as full of forests with “self-sown wheat fields and grapevines” and teeming with salmon and seals. Leif returned to Greenland where he married, raised two boys and died in 1020 AD. For many years, however, historians wondered whether these millenium-old stories were fact or legend. Then in the early 1960s a modern-day Norwegian explorer (Helge Ingstad) and his archaeologist wife (Anne) discovered the indisputable remains of a small Viking settlement in L’Anse aux Meadows, on the northern tip of Newfoundland. We visited that site several years ago on our first trip to that ruggedly beautiful province. It was probably there that Leif Eriksson — Viking, missionary and explorer — had established a base, making him the first European to discover the New World fully 500 years before Columbus. ♦ Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor who served congregations in Nova Scotia and Ontario over the last 40 years. He and his wife, Birgitta, are members of Fonthill Baptist Church.
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ANSWERS ON PAGE 18
Page 18
The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
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Damude making most of final season Junior A lacrosse goalie ready for any challenge BY BILL POTRECZ
BPSPORTSNIAGARA.CA
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continued from Page 1 “Grade 10 was a tough year,” she said. “I came 13th at OFSAA [Ontario Federation of Secondary Schools Associations track and field meet] and didn’t even make finals, but I decided to stick with it for Grade 11. Why not try it again? Why not indeed. That decision to stay with the discipline netted
MARATHON FINISH Pelham dominated the recent Mudcat Marathon event in Dunnville, with Fonthillers Emily Allan and Adam MacDonald taking first place in the men’s and women’s full marathons, respectively. The pair are two of a group that call themselves the Morningstar Runners, who hit the winding roads of Pelham every Saturday, weather- permitting. MacDonald ultimately hopes to qualify for this fall’s New York City Marathon. Fonthill’s Emily Allan, second from left, winner of the women's full marathon and Adam MacDonald, third from left, winner of the men's full marathon with race directors. SUPPLIED PHOTO
CHARGES
continued from Page 13
Nick Damude tends goal for the St. Catharines Athletics versus the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves. BERNIE PUCHALSKI PHOTO “Last year, I got a little taste of [being the starting goaltender] but this year it’s good the team has confidence in me and that just makes me play that much better knowing I have them and the coaching staff behind me.” A’s coach Steve Toll left no doubt Damude is their
man. “He knows it, the NLL knows it, and everyone else knows it — he’s one of the top goaltenders his age in Canada,” Toll said. “There is no one else his age I’d rather have.” Damude was on the practice roster of the Rochester Knighthawks of the Na-
tional Lacrosse League this past season after being selected in the second round of the NLL draft. “I had some of best shooters in the world shooting on me all winter,” he said. “It was good for my confidence and morale. All the guys in the room know I had that happen to me.”
her an unexpected OFSAA gold medal in the open girls 1,500-metre steeplechase in 2018. “I’m not sure what I was ranked going in, but I was surprised when I won my heat and going into the finals, I thought I would do the best I can,” Knafelc said. She was in fifth place at the last water jump with about 150 metres to go in the final. “I pretty much closed,
which was my plan for the whole race,” she said. “I left it a little bit late but it was a hard, come-from-behind finish.” Crossing the finish line first is still firmly imprinted in her memory. “It was a really good moment,” she said. “I just remember looking up to the stands and seeing my family, coaches and friends that I had spent the whole season with. It was great.” Knafelc took another step towards repeating as OFSAA
champion by winning the event last Wednesday at the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association championships at the Niagara Olympic Club. She late added gold in the 800 metres and bronze in the 400 metres. “This year it is a different distance — it is 2,000 metres instead of 1,500 — so I don’t have much to compare my runs to,” she said. “I am just trying to run a faster time each week and go from there.” In Wednesday’s steeple-
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chase event, she finished nearly 22 seconds ahead of the runner-up competitor. “It was an okay race. I know that the winner each week will get the record because it’s a new event,” Knafelc said, with a laugh. “It’s something to shoot for.” She is a fan of the discipline. “I like the hurdle aspect of it, and I think that’s why I have an advantage,” Knafelc said. “I do like the hurdles and I find myself easily getting over them and sometimes that may be the reason someone might not do steeplechase, but it’s kind of fun. The more I do it, the more I like it more and more.” The four-time SOSSA cross country champion is
not sure where her track and field pursuits will go after she graduates from Crossley this spring. She has signed to play scholarship soccer at the University of Guelph. “I haven’t talked to the Guelph coach at all, but I will have to see,” she said. “Cross country is during the soccer season so I most likely won’t be participating in that, but there’s a chance I could do track.” Mergl is confident Knafelc will be a success in whatever sport she plays. “She is so amazing because of the eliteness and natural ability that she has,” Mergl said. “Anything that you put her in she will excel because she has that specialness that is hard to find in a lot of kids.”
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CBC in December that the 52-year-old cop is a “monster,” who “has the emotional stability of sweating explosives.” By all accounts, an altercation among officers that day in Pelham led to Parker being shot. It’s widely believed that his bulletproof vest saved his life, as uniformed NRPS officers are required to wear body armour at all times. According to the Toronto Star, 13 police officers were designated as witnesses to
the incident, meaning they were compelled to submit statements to the SIU. MacCulloch said last week that the high-profile incident has cast a pall over the NRPS. “What I need to be clear on is the impact this incident has had on our service and our members, and it’s been profound,” MacCulloch said. “We are all still coming to terms with what transpired that day. My members are dedicated, day-in, and dayout to serving the community members of Niagara.” Parker is due in court on June 10.
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The pressure to deliver is firmly on Nick Damude’s shoulders this season. The 20-year-old netminder is expected to handle the bulk of the duties between the pipes for the St. Catharines Athletics junior A lacrosse team and he couldn’t be more pumped for the challenge. The Pelham resident turned back 35 shots last Wednesday as the Athletics defeated the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves 7-4 in their Ontario Lacrosse Association junior A home opener at Jack Gatecliff Arena. The win was the third in as many games for the A’s while the Braves are winless after two starts. “This is my last year so I’m looking forward to every minute of it,” Damude said. “I want to be in the pipes as much as I can. “It’s lacrosse and I have love playing it so I just want to go out and have fun every shift.” Damude had a strong season last year for the A’s where he appeared in 17 games.
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The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
Page 19 WARMING UP THE PIPES If you thought you heard the melodious sound of bagpipes recently, it was not a figment of your imagination. Bagpiper Donald Macdonald, in Highland dress, was at Harold Black Park practicing. Macdonald, of Ottawa, was in town visiting his sister Cathy and her husband Kevin Grand. He has been playing the bagpipes for some 35 years, drawn to the instrument after university by both his name and the unmistakable sound. Macdonald practises on an almost daily basis, not only to keep his performance sharp but to ensure his Great Highland bagpipes are in top form. He is a member of Sons of Scotland Pipe Band, which is Canada’s oldest civilian band, established 1896, and was headed to the Ottawa Indoor Competition in Kemptville.
SPIT AND POLISH Lieutenant Colonel Bernard L. Nehring reviews cadets of the 613 Lincoln and Welland Regiment, Royal Army Cadets, at their 42nd Annual Inspection, conducted last Saturday at the community centre. KATHRYN HRYCUSKO PHOTO
Detail from DSBN sales package.
VOICE GRAPHIC
Fight over on Wellington Heights renaming? E. W. Farr name dropped in 2017 BY JOHN CHICK
Special to the VOICE
With the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) putting the former Pelham Centre Public School site up for sale last month, it appears more than one chapter could be closed. Names Matter, the citizens’ group who fought the subsequent renaming of E.W. Farr Memorial Public School to Wellington Heights, may be packing it in. “Names Matter fought the good fight,” member Paul Bryant said in an email to the Voice. “The DSBN took the Pelham Centre School bell down this week. Our Trustee is aware.” Pelham Centre closed in 2017 when DSBN chose to amalgamate it and E.W. Farr under one institution in single a K-8 umbrella. That school was then renamed Wellington Heights, a decision that didn’t sit well with many area residents. In a surprising move that ran counter to prevalent politically correct sensibilities, the school board dropped the title Farr, named after a highly-regarded local educator, in favour of indirectly honouring the 1st Duke of Wellington, who died in 1852.
Wellington, whose real name was Arthur Wellesley, was a historically documented racist who once said before the British House of Lords, “We do not want Jews to come and settle here.” Nancy Beamer, a former Names Matter member who has since become a DSBN trustee, didn’t mince words on the issue before Pelham Town Council in February 2017. “It’s a name that we find repugnant and offensive,” she said at the time. When reached last week, however, Beamer didn’t close the door on a continued fight against the renaming, even though she can no longer be involved directly. “Once I was elected, I had to resign from Names Matter because it was a conflict of interest,” Beamer said in an email. “However, during her campaign, the former trustee, Dale Robinson, indicated that the issue could be revisited.” Beamer recommended that anyone wishing to continue the fight should lobby DSBN directly. “Parents would have to contact the superintendent, Kelly Pisek, and request a name change,” she said. “If the parents of the students in the school wish to bring
Macdonald enjoys practising before an audience and allowed his sister to invite a few friends to listen to his practice session. He not only took requests but generously answered questions about the bagpipes. ROSIE CULOS PHOTO
From left, Vickie vanRavenswaay, Director of Recreation, Culture and Wellness; Karen Blake, Administrative Assistant; Brian McLeod, Jake Dilts, Julie Cook, staff; Patricia Shannon, Bill Huisman, Councillor Mike Ciolfi, and Peter Aiello of P.M.A. Canada. VOICE PHOTO
Hospitality Committee hunting for party animals BY GLORIA J. KATCH
Special to the VOICE
WANTED: Party and event planners! For those who enjoy expressing their inner celebratory strategies, the Town of Pelham is looking for several members to join its Hospitality Committee for the new community centre. Vickie vanRavenswaay, Director of Recreation, Culture and Wellness, is seeking two to a maximum of six more members to assist with determining the best uses for the centre. The Hospitality Committee acts as a resource and an advisory board to council, as it assists the municipality in reaching its monetary goals. While vanRavenswaay didn’t disclose a specific figure, she said her objective is to have revenue exceed the centre’s expenditures as much as possible, and guarantees this committee will succeed. She represents the Town’s staff on the committee, which meets at the
this up again, I would gladly and strongly support and advocate for them at the board level.” Adding further controversy to the 2017 decision was a discrepancy in numbers DSBN provided from a survey over the name change. The results of a Freedom
community centre once a month, down the hall from her second floor, state-of the-art office, which she acknowledged has a wonderful open-air atmosphere. Karen Blake, administrative assistant for the Recreation, Culture and Wellness department, as well as Councillor Mike Ciolfi, who has a background in fundraising, also help administer and steer the committee. Member Jake Dilts acts as “the voice” for the many service clubs in Pelham, Blake said, adding, “which we want to keep strong.” As far as the requirements for membership on the committee are concerned, anyone who has been in the hospitality industry understands good customer service and “best practises,” to execute events efficiently, Blake said. Chefs, event planners, restauranteurs, winemakers, facility managers and others in the culinary arts are all good matches for the hospital-
ity committee. These are all people who know the “tricks of the trade,” she added. A committee member is required to assist with planning, but they are not required to assist with the coordination or physical labour of setting up or tearing down events. “We have staff for that,” she said. Committee members bring their expertise to the table, and so only a few hours a month to attend meetings is required. There is not a large time commitment needed for this position that has its rewards in seeing many people of all ages entertained and enjoying themselves. The community centre currently rents out its many rooms for meetings and events that include anniversaries, communions, birthday parties and showers. Recently, the events have been extended to include a comedy night that resulted in sold-out crowds. A com-
munity theatre group also performed well, and vanRavenswaay believes there will be more of these types of large entertainment scheduled. The community centre features a stage, sound and audiovisual systems, tables and chairs as well as many attributes to suit all types of entertainment and sporting events. Currently, yoga and zumba classes are offered, and vanRavenswaay noted that it is sometimes difficult running programs for eight weeks, because other bookings conflict, and then “you have to bump them” to another time slot. Currently, one of the biggest appeals in the hospitality industry is “one stop shopping,” points out vanRavenswaay. Everyone renting facilities wants the convenience of having everything available in one location. It’s a challenge that she, along with the committee members, will be working toward.
of Information request made by the Voice indicated that 45.3 percent of respondents wanted to keep the name E.W. Farr, or some form of E.W. Farr. DSBN presented the same categorization as 37 percent. Either way, the Farr votes in the survey of parents, students, and com-
munity members formed a plurality. Only 14 of 243 submissions wanted Wellington Heights, or some variation on the Wellington theme. However, the DSBN then used the numbers to demonstrate that 63 percent of respondents wanted a name change.
“The majority of the Pelham community opposed this name change and they felt that their wishes were ignored,” Beamer said recently. As far as the sale of Pelham Centre goes, the deadline for offers was Friday, May 10.
Page 20
The Voice of Pelham, May 29 2019
COLUMN SIX
continued from Page 1 the catchy tune, “Party Rock Anthem.” The infectiousness of the song was played upon in their video, which featured clever references to modern-day “outbreak” movies such as 28 Days Later. Their videos and stage performances also featured a unique character known as the “Shuffle Bot,” which, well, was basically a guy with a box on his head dancing around. I’ll just wait here a minute while you Google it. I envied the Shuffle Bot. He wasn’t much to look at, but he carried himself well. His attire was golden, his box-head was symmetrical
and oversized just the right amount. His box-eyes were large and somehow full of life, and his box-mouth, while neither turned up nor down, seemed so happy. He was surrounded by talented people and he clearly knew it. I imagined how satisfying his life must be: instantly recognizable, yet no one really knew him. Undoubtedly making a good living, without having to do a whole lot. Bouncing and twitching around, generally looking happy and golden, while those around him did all the heavy lifting. Kind of like Justin Trudeau, I guess. Go back a couple decades again, when Bon Jovi re-
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leased one of the all-time greatest rock anthems, You Give Love a Bad Name. I won’t wait for you to Google it, because we all know it, and we’re all hearing it in our minds right now. My apologies for doing that, but at least it wasn’t Nickelback (oops, I did it again). I swear I never belted it out loud (really, never), but whenever I heard it played, I also felt some envy, this time for what I called the Bracket Guy. The Bracket Guy screeched out “bad name” every time Jon Bon Jovi finished singing, “you give love a bad name (bad name).” Everyone knows that part, and everyone can screech it about as well as the guy that did screech it. I have no idea what else that guy did, and if I did my research I’m sure I’d learn he’s actually quite talented. I suppose I could Google it, but who has time for that? The point is, he too was surrounded by people way more talented than
him, he too enjoyed the riches of his band’s popularity, and all he had to do was screech out the same accusatory mantra. Kind of like Doug Ford, I guess. Perhaps this means that talent isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for success. Certainly, we’ve all scratched our heads over the years: Milli Vanilli, Britney Spears, anything Kardashian, college admissions, Jagmeet Singh, Sam Oosterhoff. How do you get there? How do you get to that sweet spot where input yields disproportionate amounts of reward? Hard work? Determination? Luck? Or just coming up with that perfect little thing at the perfect time? Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that talent isn’t always obviously visible. The Shuffle Bot was a fellow by the name of Andrew Furr, a DJ, dancer and rapper. He won a contest to secure a place with a dance crew who had also won a contest to join LMFAO. You
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Possibly to no one's surprise, "Party Rock Anthem" is the best-selling single of all time in Australia. On Amazon, Rubie's Costumes is prepared to supply this extra-large Shuffle Bot costume for $38 + $30 shipping. AMAZON PHOTO
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himself to secure the right to wear that box on his head and get paid darned good money to do so. Yes, I Googled it, and yes, I wish I could get paid to dance with a box on my head. As for Bon Jovi, love them or hate them, nobody can argue their commercial success. They didn’t achieve it overnight. They worked hard for it, and underneath the catchy lines and amazing hair was a base of determination and musical ability. So what about all those politicians, the rich kids getting into Harvard, the Vanillis and Spears and Kardashians of the world? Meh. I’m instinctively distrustful of the whole lot. Maybe they poured in tons of time and talent and sacrifice. Maybe if I worked hard enough, honed my talents further, and put in more time, I could get to the same lofty perch. Or maybe I’ll just put a box on my head and start dancing and screeching. ♦
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