The Voice, May 30 2018

Libertarian candidate speaks page 3 Town says some parcels sold page 6 Veg Fest doughnuts are a hit page 9

The Voice

Larry “BILKO” Bilkszto

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City mouse to country mouse

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A converted city-slicker's ode to the rural life

The VOICE

See JUNKIN'S IN Page 6

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Column Six

Former Ward 1 councillor files for mayoral run Former Councillor Marvin Junkin is the first official candidate in the mayoral race, filing his nomination papers last Thursday and then marching in the Fenwick Lions parade on Friday evening. Junkin, who was elected to represent Ward 1 in 2014, resigned from Pelham Town Council last November, alleging that the true state of the Town’s finances was being withheld from the public.

The decision to run for mayor, Junkin said, was not one that he made until recently.

“I resigned because I thought I had a duty to tell my constituents the information Council was given on September 5,” he said.

“If I hadn’t resigned, I don’t think that it would have ever come out.”

“I started thinking about running after speaking at some of the Regional Council meetings,” said Junkin.

“I did that all as a private citizen—I was never involved with any group. I was trying to get answers about the Town’s finances.”

Upon his resignation, Junkin alleged that the Town had emptied its reserves, leaving it $17 mil-

Larry “BILKO” Bilkszto

BY JANE BEDARD

Special to the VOICE

T

ered that the Town overpaid the Allen Group, nor did it discuss another error that KPMG said “could be in excess of $50,000.”

Council also did not reference its refusal of developer Rainer Hummel’s offer to pay $50,000 for an audit, nor its refusal of advocacy group Pelham DEBT’s offer to contribute to the cost.

Mayor Dave Augustyn

HREE AND HALF years ago, we transplanted from the thick, chunky stew of Toronto to the thin, translucent broth of Fonthill. Many of our urban friends couldn’t understand why we wanted to leave. Many of our new rural friends couldn’t understand why we wanted to come.

To answer our old friends, we sought peace, space, affordability, and free parking. To our new friends, while the city is undoubtedly a vibrant and eclectic place, it comes with its share of problems.

When you feel like complaining about small town living, perhaps consider these examples of metropolitan mayhem, which may change your perspective.

I remember making a presentation to the Toronto City Council to support my application for the ad-

See NO DEMAND Page 8

See COLUMN SIX back page

ON PARADE It was perfect parade weather last Friday evening as the Fenwick Lions' annual event rolled down Canboro Road. Kinsmen Citizen of the Year Judy Reid gets a lift. More photos on page 10. VOICE PHOTO

Council backs off Region demand In reversal of course, Town won't seek to recover costs

BY VOICE STAFF Just two weeks after it voted in favour of the idea of billing the Region of Niagara, Pelham Town Council abruptly reversed course Monday evening, with all but Councillor Gary Accursi electing to drop the matter.

Billing the Region was recommended by CAO Darren Ottaway, with the would-be invoice including $117,000 paid to KPMG for

its audit of an East Fonthill land deal, as well as funds spent on lawyers, all told some $160,000.

Earlier in the month, Councillor Richard Rybiak spearheaded the motion, calling “the entire episode completely unnecessary.

We’re not going to get

back the sleepless nights, get back the arguments, get back the stress. The only thing we can get back is the money. We should make the attempt to recover it,” said Rybiak.

During that meeting, Council did not discuss the $32,500 that KPMG discov-

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The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

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IN THE NEWS

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

by Dave Burket

The kindness of strangers: My mother and her young suitor (she’s 82, he’s 77) came visiting last week. We hadn’t seen the Falls for a few years, so we nipped over, parked in Lot A for merely $20 (cough), and hiked across the pedestrian bridge to take in the splendour. It was a gorgeous day—warm, but cooled by the mist wafting up from the crashing water—and the thankfully light tourist crowd was in its usual cheerful mood at seeing so many tons of water per second drop off a cliff. It was only later in the day that mom discovered her camera was missing. Careful forensic examination of events and a modicum of shouting revealed that she’d left it on the parking shuttle—a sort of large golf cart that plies the parking lot. Fearing that all hope was lost, we rang the Niagara Parks Commission office and spoke to a nice man named Sean, who said that a nice woman named Carly had received the camera earlier from someone who’d found it. The next morning, camera retrieved, order—and a bit of faith in humanity—was restored… Closer to home: More kindness, this time in the form of a fancy gift bag left outside our office door. Inside were gifts addressed to me and to our man Sam. The soon-to-departfor-grad-school Mr. Piccolo received a Comfort Maple pen. I received a bottle of fine Merlot, a box of no name facial tissues, and note reading, “Something to ease the pain of ‘losing’ Sam. Cheers, N. W. Bruce.” Neither Google nor the phone book are helpful on the “Bruce” front, and it’s not an anagram. Judging by the notepaper and handwriting, our mystery gifter is a left-handed female old enough to buy a decent wine. N. W., thank you, but you do realize we’re going to obsess over your identity now… Still on the lam: As far as we know, those two Pelham peacocks are still touring the town. One or both were spotted several times in various spots last week, including at the Szeplaki household on Station Street, where a solo arrival noodled around in the backyard before flying onto the roof. The owner has been identified in the meantime—he’s Jerry Howell, of pumpkin fame. Anyone seeing the birds is asked to call Jerry at (905) 327-4845… We have a winner: Last week’s Mini-Puzzler was solved by reader Carolyn Botari, who correctly identified that a series of Japanese characters placed in Bloomin’ Crazy’s advertisement were the items in play. Translated, the characters read, Henka no kaze ga fuite iru, or, “The wind of change is blowing.” Bloomin’ Crazy still has Japanese willows in stock, by the way...International audience: To raise a few extra Loonies—and that’s all it tends to be—we permit Google to place ads on the mobile version of our website. We receive a performance report each month—page views, how many ads were clicked, etc. What’s mildly bizarre is the number of readers we allegedly have abroad. You’d expect Canada to be at the top of the list (29,025 impressions in April), and perhaps the US to be second (1142). The UK is third (221), but farther down the list are some head-scratchers. Azerbaijan (107 page views), Peru (52), South Korea (31), 12 impressions in Finland. Voice of Helsinki spinoff? Ehdottomasti ei… Vote early and often: Just eight days to go before a new premier (or not) is elected. We’ll run closing arguments from all three main Niagara West contenders next week.

Voice on vacation!

NRPS impaired driving charges

Poth culvert fix discussed again Lack of provincial funding for Pelham Street project potentially frees some cash

BY SAMUEL PICCOLO

The VOICE

After more than a year of delays and deferrals, the Poth Street culvert that failed in April 2017 was again discussed at council last week. At its previous meeting, council heard a report from an engineering consultant that contradicted the suggestion from an earlier consultant that it would cost at least $1 million dollars to re-open the road.

Engineer John Spriet told council on May 7 that he expected a fix of the culvert could actually come in at $350,000.

The previous consultant had recommended a deep foundation to support a replacement. Steve Burt, a subcontractor who presented with Spriet, said, “I’ve never heard of a deep foundation supporting a pipe.

To put a pipe in the ground you just need a granular base there, and make sure you’ve got granular backfill around it properly compacted.”

At the May 7 meeting, Director of Public Works Andrea Clemencio told council that a fix in 2018 wasn’t going to happen.

“In consultation with the Treasurer and CAO, proceeding with any un-

project completed in 2018.

Clemencio told council that Spriet has collected sufficient information to complete a design, but that the Town had yet to give the go-ahead to complete this.

“This would be a larger undertaking than the survey work completed,” she said.

At the May 7 council meeting, Spriet suggested that the replacement was similar to past projects completed by his firm, leading Accursi to speculate the cost of the design process would not be extraordinary.

Councillor Jim Lane asked about the time period during which the repair could be completed in 2018.

Clemencio said that the permitting process typically takes place during the summer months, but that there could be more leeway with the Poth Street culvert.

“The tendering process takes the longest,” she said.

Councillor Peter Papp asked that all information and logistics on Poth Street be brought forward at the next council meeting, which will be held on June 4.

planned construction at this site is not financially feasible at this time,” she wrote in her report.

But at last week’s meeting, Treasurer Teresa Quinlin reported to council on projects approved in the 2018 budget that had been “red-circled.” One such project is the reconstruction of Pelham Street, which was allocated $1.2 million dollars. The Town had been anticipating receiving $1.2 million in additional funding from the province, but the application was rejected.

“I presume since we did not receive funding for Pelham Street we will most likely not be proceeding with that at this point,” asked Councillor Gary Accursi of Quinlin.

“That is correct,” said Quinlin.

Accursi then asked if there was sufficient cash from the red-circled projects to cover the estimated $350,000 Poth repair, to which Quinlin said that there would be.

Accursi asked if staff could be directed to have Spriet and Associates complete a full engineering plan for the culver replacement, in the hopes of having the

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Column Six

Growing up British

Vol.20 No.32

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Apple Day comes to Fonthill

BY JULIE MANNELL

Special to the VOICE

W

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

NATE SMELLE PHOTO

Public meeting tonight on school issues

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It sure is getting there, Julie.”

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

Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation

BY VOICE STAFF

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

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

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

BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER

Special to the VOICE

A

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

While waiting for the contractor to return to fix

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

VOICE PHOTO

bourhood in the short-term.

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

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

Petition-inspired changes coming to 2017 Summerfest

BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

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

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

sidered.

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

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

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

Another way the committee plans

Debbie

Get

e

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See COLUMN SIX Page 14

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Your Fonthill real estate connection.

BY VOICE STAFF

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After delivering to Council a petition containing

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

podium over to Loewen and Williams to plead their case.

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

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

www.pennylanesold.com

H EATHER AND P ENNY L ANE S ALES R EPRESENTATIVES

BY JOHN SWART

VOICE Correspondent

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

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

Town Council approves sidewalk to serve E. L. Crossley

BY NATE SMELLE

The VOICE

Joining their principal, Karen Simpson, at the Sept.

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

Cell 905.933.3049

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

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

Office 905.892.1702

Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn

Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932

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Request made of community still peeved at name change

See DSBN Page 9

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Column Six

BY VOICE STAFF The District School Board of Niagara is requesting that the Town of Pelham cede a portion of Cherry Ridge Park for use as a soccer field to serve the students of the new Wellington Heights Public School, formerly the E. W. Farr Memorial Public School, in Fenwick.

Currently under renovation and expansion, the new school will combine students and staff from the previous school and Pelham Centre, where classes are being held while construction continues.

Two letters, containing virtually identical text but signed by different authorities, were sent last week to nearby residents of the park, as well as to parents of Pelham Centre students.

“The DSBN is currently building onto Wellington Heights Public School on Alsop Drive,” states the letter. “The size of the school's addition means the existing small soccer field will be eliminated.

The Town and the Board have been discussing the possibility of working together to create a field for both the school and the

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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.

Stacey L. SPARKS, 42, Welland Charlene R. NICHOLLS, 34, Pelham Cody W. PALMER, 32, Oshawa Kwabena ASANTE, 41, Cheektowaga NY Shane K. SMITH, 22, Niagara Falls John B. W. WIELER, 23, St. Catharines

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

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

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

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

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

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

The hues of Autumn are outstanding.

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

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

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

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

Indulgence Bakery Mossimo’s Pelham Street Grille Sobeys Fonthill Peter Piper’s Pubhouse DeVries Fruit Farm Beamer’s Hardware & TV Fonthill Library Bob’s Boys Antiques RBC Bank Fenwick Family Health Pharmacy Fonthill Fitness Fenwick Pie Company McDonald’s Fonthill Legion Semenuk’s Gas Bar Shoppers Drug Mart Tim Horton’s Giant Tiger Fonthill LCBO Zee Lube Express Care Food Basics Minor Bros Stores Avondale Stores A-1 Market Pharmasave Sobeys South Pelham Grill on Canboro Maple Acre Library Ridge Berry Farm Circle-K

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The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

Page 3

The Conversation

Stefanos Karatopis Niagara West's Libertarian MPP candidate explains his vision for government

BY SAMUEL PICCOLO

The VOICE

N

O MATTER HOW CLOSE ATTENTION I pay to an election campaign, I am always surprised when I step into the voting booth and see the full litany of names. Not only did the 2016 provincial by-election in this riding have the usual four parties, also crowding the page were candidates from "Stop the New Sex-Ed Agenda," "None of the Above," "Independent," and "Canadian Constituents."

None of these candidates, I suspect, were quite as colourful as perennial Libertarian Party nominee Stefanos Karatopis, who by his own estimation has run four or five times in various elections.

"It's pronounced ‘STEFa-nos.’ If you say ‘SteFAN-os’ I become Italian instead of Greek," he joked to the moderator at last Wednesday's candidates’ debate.

Libertarianism, a philosophy which advocates for immense individual freedom and microscopic government, enjoys sub-

stantial popularity in the United States, but in Canada it is largely a fringe phenomenon outside Alberta.

None of this has dampened the enthusiasm of Karatopis, who first became engaged in the ideas about a decade ago and has grown more fervent since.

Last week, I met Karatopis at the Grill on Canboro on Fenwick. After a very brief lead-in, he put this fervency on full display. Not only a critic of government (he compared it to a “cancer” at last See KARATOPIS Page 12

Join Us

Niagara West Libertarian candidate Stefanos Karatopis.

VOICE PHOTO

In celebration of Seniors’ Month, The Community of Lookout Ridge invites you to attend a Cake-Cutting Ceremony on Friday, June 1.

Doors open at 1:30pm and speeches will begin at 2:00pm.

Tours will be offered following the event until 4:00pm.

To RSVP, or for more information, please contact us at 905-892-9218.

1505 Lookout Street, Fonthill / (905) 892-9218 www.lookoutridge.ca / Check us out on Facebook!

Page 4

The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

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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 Have voters had it up to here yet?

V

OTER PARTICIPATION rates across all levels of government are the lowest in history since 1867 and continue on a severe downward slope in recent times.

Exceptionally, in the 2015 federal election there was a bit of a reversal in that trend when the turnout reached 68.5% of eligible voters. To put that number into context, more than 80% of voters in Belgium, Sweden and Denmark participated in their recent elections. Only in 1962 did Canada come anywhere near those numbers, when 79% of eligible voters participated in that federal election. However, the average voter turnout in Canada hovers in the high 60 percent range.

The participation rate is highest among the older age groups and four times higher than the under-35 voters, where participation rates hover below 40%. And so it can be said that civil engagement is largely by the elders and least among the younger age groups.

It is not inconceivable there may be a correlation between the downward participation rates and a growing negative public attitude toward the performance

of politicians, political institutions and other areas where the public perceives that political leadership is not up to par.

The average voter turnout in Canada hovers in the high 60 percent range

As an example, it appears the Town of Pelham is not immune from such negative public attitudes if recent public sentiments are any indication.

Participation rates for civic elections historically lag behind those for federal and provincial contests. According to the records, the participation rate for the 2014 civic election in Pelham was 44.3%. It remains to be seen whether the current levels of discontent in Pelham will encourage a greater or discourage a less-

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er participation rate in the next civic election.

In an interesting development, Toronto MPP Arthur Potts recently introduced a private members’ bill in the Ontario Legislature to lower the provincial voting age from 18 to 16 years of age.

While private members’ bills are rarely enacted, the idea might bring about some serious discussion among legislators. There is no demonstrable rationale that supports the restriction to 18 years and up as there is none that supports a cut off at the upper reaches of years since birth.

There could be some interesting takeaways if this proposal to reduce the voting age makes headway. The inescapable fact is that from this age sector will emerge the future leaders, and the experience of early involvement will add to their preparedness for leadership.

The vigor and energy of youth would be a welcome addition to the often staid and ponderous processes of politics. As well, early involvement may induce them to continue that engagement long into their futures.

As has been reported, our See TURNOUT next page

Letters Water woes I am 87 years old and I was thinking I should do my bit for the environment and save a little money. So I replaced my two toilets with state-of-the-art toilets, dual-flush and economical on water, the Cadillacs of toilets. I figured out my payback time is 10 years which takes me to my 97th birthday.

Lo and behold, I think the Town heard about my moneymaking scheme, and raised the rates they charge for water.

I figured out my payback time is 10 years My new payback calculations take me to my 105th birthday. I'm going to try to get my money’s worth but I think the odds are against

me.

Well, that's life. You pays your money and takes your chances, but I don't think you can win against the tax man. The only consolation is that they cannot get any more tax money when you are gone.

My next money-saving scheme is on Hydro. I think they are ripe for the picking but I must be careful or they will raise the rates on me.

Charles Leguerrier Fonthill

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament

Electoral District: Niagara West

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

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

Member of Provincial Parliament

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

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

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

Electoral District: Niagara West-Glanbrook

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

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

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

Thomas Jefferson

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

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

Jill C. Anthony Law Office

Have an Opinion?

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OPINION Letters

The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

Does the Library have a role in elections?

BY KIRK WEAVER

CEO Pelham Library

continued

Votes no on no voting I was drawn in to read the article “Teen seeks to start political party” [May 23, p.3].

I congratulate Mr. Scott on his investigation and interest, about how political parties are started, and actually following through with attempting to register it.

I was initially quite angry to read that neither of his parents show the same level of interest and in fact don’t vote. It has always been a duty and right of mine to ensure that my right to vote is exercised.

The more I thought about it though, I sadly accepted that the fact that his parents have a lot of company.

I am not sure why those of age to vote have made the decision to not do so, although I can surmise a great number of excuses—“Too busy, lots of other pressing issues, what’s the use… all promises made by politicians are not worth the breath they use to voice them, my vote won’t make a difference....”

Voter turnout in Ontario is low and has become more so in recent years.

An article in the Toronto Star (Monday, February 26)

noted that “the electorate is more alienated and disengaged than at any time in the history of the province. Voter turnout in 2011 was 48% and nudged up to 51% in 2014. In 1971, it was a whopping 71%!”

I think about news stories I hear of individuals in far-off countries walking for miles to a local voting station, then standing in line for hours to leave their mark. Countries where the voting process must be overseen by United Nations representatives to ensure the practice is according to rules and there is no voter fraud.

I think about those people waiting in line, maybe risking their lives in order to vote. I think of those countries where there is no vote, no democracy. I think of the veterans of past wars, and those men and women currently representing our country, so that others may enjoy the same type of democratic process we have here.

I think I will continue to vote.

Lois LaCroix Fonthill

TURNOUT continued from previous page own riding of Niagara West may just feature the youngest slate of candidates in the province as we head into next week’s election.

If a larger percentage of the population were engaged in the process of selecting its political leadership there might be some interesting outcomes. As an instance, candidates for elected office would need to pay heed to the wants and needs of this under-represented technologically savvy sector of the population.

It will be interesting to see if the bill introduced by MPP Potts will have any lasting impact now and in the future.

Whatever the case, it should be a startling reminder to all that from the ranks of these young citizens will come our future leaders and caregivers. When given the challenge, they will perform remarkably well.

Larry Coté is a retired professor of business. He was awarded the Governor General’s Medal for his community involvements.

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With provincial and municipal elections happening this year there is no shortage of political commentary and discussion across Ontario.

Conversations like this often take place in community gathering spaces like libraries. While it seems natural that individual conversations about politics take place at the library, it is a different matter to think about the library as an organization that has an interest in elections.

Traditionally, libraries are viewed as neutral spaces. They do not pick sides on local or provincial issues, but act as a source for open exchange of information and ideas. At the same time, library Boards have a mandate to be advocates for strong local library services. Given that provincial and municipal governments have significant influence on the ability of public libraries to deliver on their mandates, libraries often find themselves taking positions with current governing bodies regarding fund-

ing needs or proposed policy changes. While this involves dealing with politicians and political bodies, it does not involve endorsement of any particular political party or candidate.

When elections come along, the prospect of change in the make-up of provincial or local government can make it tempting for libraries to stray away from that neutrality. However, tempting as it may be, it is important that libraries remain comfortable places for discussion as well as places where community

members can seek out information about issues and subjects that are important to them.

Pelham Public Library will not endorse any candidates in either election, but we encourage you to access the Library to gain as much information as you can about the issues important to you and then to find out where the candidates for elected office stand on those issues. Helping people to make the most informed decisions possible is really what our role in elections is all about.

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The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

Town says it's found land buyers, price not disclosed

JUNKIN'S IN continued from Page 1 lion dollars deeper in debt than it otherwise appeared.

Subsequent to Junkin’s allegations, the Town released part of a KPMG report which indeed showed that the Town’s reserves were empty of cash. While the amount of debt that the Town needs to replenish these reserves was presented on September 5 as $17 million, as Junkin said, this figured was reduced after his resignation to some $10 million, then dropped again this spring.

Junkin said that the degree of secrecy in which the Town operated bothers him.

“It’s treated as if it’s a private corporation. For an example, in any other town, that financial agreement with Meridian for the [community centre] naming rights would be made public. Here it’s, ‘None of your business.’”

Junkin also pointed towards the Town’s continued inability to provide tender documents for development work done in East Fonthill.

“That’s millions of dollars spent there, and the Town has had months to provide the information. Maybe nothing is going on, but why is it taking so long?” he said.

He said that a pillar of his platform will be open government.

“I hesitate to use the word ‘transparency,’ because that’s what the Town says it is now. I think that people are tired of ‘transparency’ and its opaqueness.”

Junkin said that a pressing issue for the next council will be the community centre’s operation. He and Councillor Peter Papp were the only two to vote against

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Two parcels of some eight acres set to sell in early June

BY VOICE STAFF

Mayoral candidate Marv Junkin rides in the Fenwick Lions' parade last Friday. building the centre in 2016.

“I know that some people will be still thinking about how I voted against it,” he said. “And I still think that a project of that size in a town Pelham’s size should have gone to referendum.

But I don't want to dwell on the community centre. Although I voted against it, the reality of the coming council is going to be to run it efficiently and in a way that the Town can afford.”

Junkin has lived in Pelham his entire life, operating a dairy farm of 100 cows in North Pelham before selling them in 2012 and continuing to cultivate cash crops.

“You think about a lot of things when you’re bouncing across a field on a tractor,” he said.

His four children grown, Junkin lives on his Roland Road farm with his wife, Candace.

“I farm 450 acres now, and I’ve got a lot of people will-

ing to help on the farm if I am elected,” he said.

“I studied at the University of Adversity. When you’re a farmer, every year is different. You have to adapt to conditions, and I learned a lot about life and economics by doing that,” he said.

“It’s different than collecting a regular paycheque—if the farm doesn’t make any money, then you don’t make any money.”

At the Lions parade in Fenwick on Friday, Junkin walked alongside a Jeep driven by his son-in-law, with two of his grandchildren riding in the back.

As he passed through the downtown, some onlookers stood and applauded him, as they have at various public meetings since his resignation from council. .

Junkin acknowledged that his roots are in rural Pelham and in Fenwick, but said that he values the more urban parts of the town too.

VOICE PHOTO

“I gleaned a lot of information from Town staff during my time on council,” said Junkin. “The vast majority of staff are excellent, and I would like to have the opportunity to work with them again. Some others, not so much.”

“I think that small-town Pelham has been force-fed big-city politics, something that we really don’t want,” said Junkin. “That has nothing to do with development.”

Junkin said he was alluding to what he feels is the Town’s pre-occupation with public relations and promotional efforts, instead of honest dialogue with residents.

“I really enjoyed my time on council,” said Junkin. “I was in an awkward position where I had to resign to serve my constituents, I would look forward to the chance to return and work for them again.”

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

Thomas Jefferson

During Council’s meeting last Tuesday evening, the Town revealed that it has a preliminary deal to sell some East Fonthill acreage to developers, with one buyer of one section proposing a medical centre, while the other told Council of plans to build a seniors’ residences.

Town Public Relations and Marketing Specialist Marc MacDonald said that one parcel, where the proposed medical centre would be, consists of 1.91 acres. The other parcel, according to MacDonald, is 6.22 acres.

Despite announcing the planned sale in a press release, there was no mention of the sale prices in the press release, nor was the matter discussed during Council.

“The agreed upon price for the land is in line with recent appraisals, however, exact pricing is not available until the deals officially close,” said MacDonald.

When the Town agreed to sell some East Fonthill land last November to Parkhill, it released the sale price despite the closing date for the deal being over six months away.

“As for why Parkhill pricing was disclosed and not these projects,

it is because the conditions associated with the Agreements of Purchase and Sale have not yet been completed, therefore it would be premature to release the pricing information,” said MacDon-

Exact pricing is not available until the deals officially close

ald. “In the case of Parkhill, the announcement was made after conditions had been completed.”

MacDonald said that the purchase price covers the cost incurred by the Town to service the parcels and, “the monies will be received upon closing date of the sale.”

In February, MacDonald declined to provide the Voice with the total costs incurred by the Town in servicing the acreage for sale, instructing the paSee EAST FONTHILL Page 17

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

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Page 8

The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

NO DEMAND continued from Page 1 asserted that 50 or 60 people had spoken to him directly about the matter.

“Some were saying that we should absolutely get the money back, some suggested we ask for an apology, some suggested withholding the Regional taxes,” said Augustyn.

“The ones that struck me were the ‘Nos.’ They said, ‘No, take the high road.’…I don’t know who said it, but there’s the expression, ‘A gentleman doesn’t ask for an apology,’” continued the Mayor, speaking against asking the Region for reimbursement.

Augustyn also asserted that the concept of seeking repayment garnered “100 likes” on social media.

Combining all likes on Augustyn’s Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram page, and excluding Town-controlled accounts and duplicates, the Voice was only able to identify 34 likes.

Despite repeated requests, Augustyn would not clarify how he specifically calculated his 100, saying only, “I added them up from all my various social media accounts.” Augustyn also didn’t

answer when asked whether he had deleted any comments on the subject.

Councillor John Durley voted with the Mayor, saying that Council’s previous support for recovering costs was “based on emotion.”

“We have proven beyond a doubt, one hundred percent, nothing was done wrong,” said Durley.

Durley also asserted that questions and complaints against the Town “bordered on criminal.”

When asked later what specific actions he thought approached the criminal, Durley alluded only to, “the harassment which was evident against us.”

Councillor Peter Papp said, “This was just a storm that we had to go through, stand tall, and hold our humility.”

Only Councillor Gary Accursi voted to move forward with the request.

“As a taxpayer and a Councillor, I’m offended by the fact that another level of government has forced us to spend 1.5 percent of our tax base on nonsense.”

Accursi specifically called out Region Audit Committee Chair Tony Quirk.

“I’m sure Mr. Quirk under-

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Councillor Accursi has repeatedly chosen to make unnecessary and unhelpful smears against me

Councillor John Durley said that treatment of the Town, “bordered on criminal."

VOICE PHOTO stands numbers—he says he understands more about numbers than the top two accounting firms in Canada. I’m sure if he understands $165,000 and they have to pay it, he’ll get the message.”

Quirk disputed Accursi’s remarks.

“Regional Council respons-

es were appropriate given the requests and delegations from the hundred-plus citizens from Pelham who attended Regional Council meetings, the resignation of a sitting Pelham Councillor who claimed that the Town Council had misled the public, and a KPMG Report that the Town claimed cleared them, when

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The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

Page 9

E. L. Crossley holds third annual "Veg Fest" Event promotes sustainable food production, eating

BY VOICE STAFF E. L. Crossley Secondary School’s eco-club held its third annual “Veg Fest” last week, providing free vegan food to students with a mind to bringing attention to sustainable food consumption.

On Thursday the club provided 250 vegan salads, then used the leftover supplies for another salad bar the next day.

Friday’s give-away was vegan doughnuts from Beechwood Doughnuts in St. Catharines.

“We want to get people thinking about the fact that if we all ate plant-based diets, there would be no world hunger,” said Jessica Kropac, a teacher at the school and the club’s staff coordinator.

“With the salads, we tried to have vegan substitutes for things— tempeh bacon, vegan ranch dressing, vegan blue cheese,” she said.

“I wish I could say that the doughnuts are good for you. They’re not.

They just taste like sugar.”

The 16 dozen doughnuts—cut into quarters—and the salad supplies cost about $1500 dollars and were paid for by grants acquired

by Kropac’s predecessor at the school, Sharon Keller. Keller, who taught chemistry at Crossley for more than thirty years, died in November.

“She was just incredible,” said Kropac. “She got all the money for this, and we have some left over for next year. Now I’m going to have to try and find grants and live up to what she did.”

Unsurprisingly, the doughnut

line-up was considerably longer than the salad line on Friday.

Kropac had the students arrange themselves in a straight line, which stretched through the foyer and down a main hall.

“This is doughnut control,” she declared, saying that she had not been taught it in teachers’ college.

“This is all from coaching.”

Eco-club students had more than a dozen different kinds of doughnuts on offer. “Earl Grey” and “Chai” representing flavours of tea, with raspberry and lemon from the fruit department.

“There’s cinnamon too. That’s how you can tell if it’s a good doughnut,” said Kropac, comparing it to ordering a margherita pizza.

Members of the club were under no illusions as to why most students were lining up—a love of doughnuts, not veganism—but member Tessa Piccolo said that the group looks to other markers as to whether their message is getting through to people.

“We had a movie showing on Wednesday and forty people came,” she said, adding that the group had also made around 300 vegan smoothies on Tuesday.

Piccolo, who is 16 and has been a vegetarian since she was 12, plans to become a vegan eventually (except for cheese).

“There was free popcorn, but that does show that they’re actually interested in learning why we’re were putting on Veg Fest—

Students line up to sample vegan doughnuts last Friday during Veg Fest. the health aspect and environmental reasons,” she said.

Piccolo helped to start the first event when she was in Grade 9.

“A girl in the group then said there was a Veg Fest in St. Catharines. Miss Keller, being Miss Keller, ran with the idea and we found funding for the event,” recalled Piccolo.

“We thought about ideas that would get people to be more aware of what they’re eating.”

Last year, Learning for a Sustainable Future, a national organization, awarded Crossley’s Veg Fest $3000 for best project at a gala in Toronto.

Kropac said that she was a vegan for four years, including when

VOICE PHOTO

she was in high school, where she was the only vegan in her grade.

“It got too hard cooking separate meals for my husband me,” she said. “But I eat vegetarian four days a week—our goal isn’t to make people into vegans, it’s to make them think about ways that they can reduce their consumption.”

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The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

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ROLLING THROUGH From top: a team of horses pulls some politicians; Fenwick Flossie makes a rare May appearance; a young passenger who came all the way from New York City to ride the train; E.L. Crossley’s marching band booms; members of the Pelham Fire Department; locals Ric and Lori Gretsinger, and a new friend, take in the passing display; the PK Hummingbird Steel Band plinks out a tune.

VOICE PHOTOS

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The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

Page 11

Carnival time

BY SAMUEL PICCOLO

The VOICE

The Fenwick Lions’ Parade rolled through downtown Fenwick last Friday evening. The floats finished at Centennial Park, where the carnival had already begun—the midway whirring, the smell of diesel and popcorn thick in the air.

The Fenwick Fair began in 1856 as a fall event, with awards for horses, cattle, domestics, and swine, among other things.

By the early 20th century, the races were a main attraction: farmer’s double two-seat rig, farmer’s single turnout, and lady driving. But by the Depression, the fair was discontinued.

The fair returned, eventually, as the carnival. This is how it has been for decades, and how it was on Friday night, where there were no grandstands or "lady drivers," but people all the same were excited to be at the village's big event.

As the sun dropped and dusk's shadows lengthened into evening, a hundred childhood memories were made.

Page 12

The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

KARATOPIS continued from Page 3 week’s debate), Karatopis is happy to embrace other non-conformist positions, particularly when it comes to climate change and the environment.

But while Karatopis is clearly an iconoclast, he is remarkably pleasant while being so. Even as we sparred on a number of issues—he even tried to play the age card—he laughed incessantly.

In the end I couldn’t tell if he was just having a good time, or if he was in on the joke, the one where people think that the Libertarian

philosophy is merely an irrelevant bunch of kooky ideas.

Still, it must be said that the party is running 117 candidates across the province, nearly one in every riding, and the fifth-most overall. Politics across the globe appears to be trending to the poles: the left to the far left, and the right to the far right.

If this happens in Canada, Karatopis’ party platform may not end up being so far on the margins.

PICCOLO: How many times have you run before?

KARATOPIS: Oh boy. I’ve run in Niagara Falls, and in a by-election year. This is

the fourth, fifth time now.

Fifth time. So people probably know your name, they’ve seen some signs around. I’ve seen a car with signs—is that your car?

Yes. People have heard of you, but I don’t know if I’ve seen any lengthy interviews that you’ve done.

This might be the first time that people are hearing you in-depth. I read your profile on the party website—it said you’ve lived in West Lincoln for a long time and you had a chicken farm—but I don’t know too much about you.

We got out of the poultry business in 2011—I’d

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grown up with it all my life. Always been on the farm there, always operating a family run business. I branched out to computers pretty early on, was running a home business in computers. Back in 2007 I would have never imagined myself doing what I’m doing now.

So you weren’t political before then?

No. I owe all of this to Pelham, actually.

Back in the day, around those years, there was a bylaw that was not respecting property rights, not respecting the trespass laws.

It was a bylaw officer who was intruding on people’s properties. We also have a place down in Pelham, my parents own a place here. We ended up having a big problem, ended up charging [the bylaw officer] privately. Eventually the Town did away with her. I had the Town in court after that. We settled out of court. I can’t say anything bad about the bylaw officer we have now. He’s much better. But that’s what got

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my interest in property rights.

Before that, you voted?

The way I voted before that was—we were all Liberals at one point in time.

My father back in the seventies was a Libertarian.

He was president of the chicken producers marketing board at one time.

My father was very much involved. Myself at those ages, I didn’t know anything about politics. I did what everybody else did: vote because your parents tell you to vote.

Then you forget about it

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until the next election?

Yeah. I started branching out from there. I’ve helped numerous people across Ontario, from Ottawa to here in Niagara, helping them out with property rights when it comes to government, be it Ministry of Environment, municipalities, conservation authorities. When bylaws are being passed that shouldn’t be. I’m property rights. A good friend of mine was Bob Mackie, and what was done to him shouldn’t have happened to anyone, at the hands of the Niagara Environmental Council. It was a portable archery range that wasn’t hurting anything. He was even teaching people with brain injuries, a way to get their hand-eye back. Near the time when he passed away he was getting ready to train students.

They gave him a hard time?

Should never have happened. It wasn’t restricted.

So property rights is See KARATOPIS next page

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KARATOPIS continued from previous page what got you interested in the party. But Libertarianism stands for much more than just that. Obviously when you think of Libertarianism you think of very low taxes, if any— Right. Regulation. We got to get rid of a lot of regulation.

What sorts of regulation would you like to see gone?

Anything that’s restricting private business.

There’s compliance, say for bringing the building up to code type of thing. You have an old building, it’s an old bylaw that it’s under. Once those codes change, if that building was already there, it’s grandfathered. We’re having a lot of this being imposed where it’s retroactive. These types of things in general are very restrictive.

Libertarians want to see a reduction in the size of government, and a lot of the services provided by government instead done in the private sector. What services do you think the public sector can do a better job than the private? I know if I asked that question the other way around, there’d be a long list…

Health care is a great one. I think that as private we’d able to do health care a lot better. Markets would equal themselves out. There’s been already a Supreme Court ruling in 2005 that we should have private health care. It’s unconstitutional to not

The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

have it.

You mean entirely private? Or an option?

An option. It should be there. We’re not here to say, “Forget the OHIP system we have.” We’re saying you can keep the OHIP system, or go to the private.

The thing about that is that people say you’ll end up having a two-tiered system. People who can afford it go to the private system because the care will probably be better. If the wealthy take the tax money that would otherwise be going to the public system and spend it on their own private care, they’re going to have better care but the public system is going to deteriorate so much that the people who can’t afford it will be left in the lurch.

I don’t see it that way, because you wouldn’t be removing all this money from the public system, it’s staying there.

So people couldn’t take their tax money away?

They could take their ten thousand and put it in the

public, or put it into the private. Something like that. People are worried about some people going to the private to get care— that’s happening now by going to the US. But they don’t get to take their tax money with them.

No, but it’s still not— they’re not all wealthy. I know a lot of them, and they’re even going to Mexico to get it done at their cheap prices. So the way we look at it is, if we have a private option doesn’t mean that it’s going to be skyrocketing prices. That will take the strain off of the public system. That’s going to keep our doctors working in Ontario. We have a shortage of doctors.

Well we have a shortage of doctors but also a shortage of funds in the system to pay doctors…

Right. Why is that? We free up this kind of stuff, our taxes are getting reduced because we don’t have to pay for this kind of stuff any more, and it’s more money in our pockets

staying there, so we can afford these. It doesn’t mean the prices will skyrocket because it’s gone private— that’ll create competition, they’re not going to charge something that’s—the market will level itself out.

So you’d like to see a private option in health care.

What about education?

How would you assess the public education system?

Oh boy. Again, we should have some options there for parents to choose where their kids will go, all across the whole thing.

And even for homeschool too. Much better to have options—a lot of our schools now have nothing to do with education, it’s more of an indoctrination

Page 13 by government, cultural Marxism. The whole sexed curriculum thing.

Is it the age that they’re teaching things at that’s the problem?

Right, the age. They’re seeing things, and the teachers will teach it to them. But are they going to understand? They’re way too young.

As far as that goes, initially the conservatives under Patrick Brown said that they were going to close the debate. During the leadership campaign, a couple of the candidates said they were going to re-open it. I think Doug Ford’s position is that he’s going to look at some of it. People will ally Liber-

tarians with a conservative party. Do find yourself sympathetic to the Progressive Conservatives?

Or do you see them as the same bunch?

They’re all definitely the same. What’s the difference between an NDP or a Liberal—maybe you’re looking a four percent increase in something. I believe that Doug Ford said that he’s going to entertain the option of the universal income. So what’s the difference? The Liberals already have that pilot program—it’s just so ridiculous. They’re all the same. That’s why we term them, “The BORG.” See KARATOPIS next page

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The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

KARATOPIS continued from previous page

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The BORG? Yeah, the BORG. The Blue is the PC. The Orange in the NDP. The Red is the Liberals. And the Green is the Green Party.

So even the Greens don’t escape?

Oh god no. The Greens— they’re just in a world of their own. But back to the sex-ed thing, one of the questions was, “Oh, don’t you think we should teach them about transgenderism so they can be accepted in society growing up?”

And sure, I’m one hundred percent for teaching them.

Is a seven-year-old going to understand that? I don’t think so. If you protect the individual’s right, you’re going to protect everybody's rights. When you start making groups, one for LGBT, you know all the different groups, that causes a divide among everybody. We’re seeing that now with white privilege.

That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

There’s actually a candidate running for mayor in Port Colborne who has said that Ford is white privileged—are they even fit to be mayor? As your job as an elected person, you have to represent everyone. It doesn’t matter who it is. To me, that’s hate speech. You’re mentioning the white race, that’s hate speech from my understanding of the criminal code from reading it. This kind of stuff just goes to show the type of divide it’s causing amongst everybody.

When it comes to Libertarianism, you think of liberty. You signed your emails, “Yours in liberty,” which, by the way, I think is great. How would you define liberty? In the modern context, we think of someone like, I don’t know, [Rolling Stones rocker] Keith Richards.

He does—or did—what-

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But you have to think of also the ancient conception of liberty. The ancient Greek philosophers thought liberty was actually about self-discipline and controlling the appetites, that someone like Keith Richards was actually being tyrannized by his appetites. If he wants to do something, he does it—that’s a form of tyranny. When it comes to Libertarianism, I think of it more connected to the modern form of liberty, being able to do whatever you want in your own domain.

Sure.

Is there any place for government—or society—to impose or to have restrictive guidelines and conventions?

The good thing about having a legal background is that I get to read a lot of case law.

And you’re a paralegal?

Yes. Reading a lot of decisions—the society doesn’t matter. It’s to the individual. And if you read the constitution it guarantees individual rights and freedoms. The property rights is a great example.

We can do anything we want on our own property, as long as we’re not interfering with our neighbour.

We’re not causing harm to anybody. That’s where your responsibility comes in—you’re not going to go and dump toxic chemicals all over my property— And then it leaches into the neighbour’s pond.

It’s going to get in the water table. And then I’m not going to go grow on it and send it in to the food market.

So that would be an environmental regulation that you’d be in favour of?

I wouldn’t be in favour of any environment regulation— But you just described one there.

Well yeah, but that’s under personal responsibility and not causing harm, that’s in common law and that goes way back.

But that could be classified as an environmental regulation.

Okay, if you say it’s an environmental regulation would we need overlapping laws? Why would you need a regulation on top of a regulation?

I see what you mean, but I think the argument would be that if you have a sector of the government specifically devoted to that area they’d have expertise— It’s great that you said it again? Who’s going to be the expert here? Some guy who’s gone to school and studied environmental studies.

Probably…that’s who I’d want doing it…

Or the person that has been farming all their life, work the land—we’re not going to destroy our own stuff. There’s already common law in place. We don’t need this regulation.

You talked earlier about markets working themselves out. Is that how you see the whole renewable energy issue, and fuel-efficient cars and such?

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I wouldn't be in favour of any environmental regulation

Oh that stuff all has to go.

It’s just trash. It’s garbage.

It’s straight-up garbage.

We have Tim Ball—I know Tim Ball, he’s a professor, a scientist. He has won his lawsuit, a libel lawsuit, and he won his lawsuit against Michael Mann. There’s absolutely no evidence of man-made climate change.

Also Obama was sued for the same thing.

He was sued for a lot of things, by a lot of different states.

We’re talking just by normal people.

Sure, by a lot of normal people too.

But again, there was no production of any of this.

So you don’t think that any climate change has been caused by human activity?

Hey, I’ve been around—I don’t know how old you are. I’m forty-eight, so I’ve been around a little bit longer than you have— Sure. But there are lots of people older than I— and you—who believe that climate change is caused by human activity.

Of course. I’m not even going to go there on that one. You can put that to indoctrination. When they started pushing these things, there was climategate, climategate two, the environment stuff all of a sudden. Then you have the movies start coming out, The Day After—fear mongering. That’s all that that is. When I was growing up, it wasn’t climate change, it was acid rain. Where the heck is that now?

Well, environmental regulations came in and they stopped it.

No. The green energy stuff has to go. There’s no way that if there’s environmental impact going on today that making you pay to pollute is going to change that.

You don’t think that a financial incentive would make a difference?

I’m going to be wealthy manufacturer. I’m going to pay all sorts of money so that I can pollute. Then maybe I’ll pay a little bit more so that I can pollute more. Is that going to change the environment?

The idea is that if you have to pay to pollute, you might be more inclined to invest in technologies that would reduce your emissions. That’s the idea, anyway.

No, it doesn’t work. It goes into the government’s pocket and that’s that. Remember, governments are monopolies.

That’s true.

They shouldn’t be there.

Anytime the government touches anything it’s always a bad outcome. It always has, it’s proven over and over again.

What did Ronald Reagan

say? The most frightening words in English are, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”

Yeah. Not only that, but they said that if communism ever came in it would be in the form of liberalism or socialism. One of those things. My favourite saying is that socialism is a kind word for communism. Because people do not associate it with that.

You can reinvent it any way that you want, but it’s still communism at the end of the day, and it will still fail every time, because we’re a democracy. Take a look at Venezuela. Socialism’s doing great there.

Certainly that’s not a good thing going on there.

If you want to go back to renewable energies. I would say that whole scam needs to just go away. It doesn’t save us money in any way, shape, or form.

I’ve had properties that I’ve looked at from the Land Registry. The amount of money that’s going in to these turbines. Each host farm used to be thirty million dollars lean on each farm that has a turbine on it. Now, there’s seventy-seven of them in West Lincoln, just in the one project. Times that by thirty million. Even if you end up working out the interest on that thirty million, through the lifespan of the turbine, it wouldn’t even pay the interest on that. And now that it’s been sold a couple of times, now they’re $1.5 billion on it now. And it’s the Bank of Japan. Where’s the money here? This is coming out of the taxpayer’s pocket, $10 million subsidy on each turbine. There's nothing green about green energy except for the money.

When it comes to these sorts of things, the idea behind libertarianism is if you let the market be free, they’ll be sufficient competition that the companies will balance themselves out and the price will hit an equilibrium.

When it comes to something like energy, there’s so much initial investment required in the distribution of it that realistically it’s not possible for another company to start energy production in Ontario. It might have been a hundred years ago, when the market was young and the wires were being strung.

Say the province sells off all of Hydro One and OPG too, it’s entirely held in private hands. Without the possibility of competition, do you really think that the private sector would keep the price low on that?

I think it would. You would still get other companies coming in.

See KARATOPIS next page

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Page 15

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KARATOPIS continued from previous page From where though?

Where are they going to run the wires?

They don’t need to run the wires, I believe, because it would be just to connect to the grid.

But why would Hydro One let them connect to the grid if they’re just going to compete with them?

They own the grid.

That’s the same as saying, “Why let the wind turbines hook up to the grid?”

They’re all private energy.

That’s what I mean. The government’s letting them now, but if it were a private corporation in charge they wouldn’t them.

But they are a private company, and they are letting them. They’re building their own infrastructure on the roadways, and they’re connecting straight into the grid. Those are all private companies. The Green Energy Act needs to be done away with. They have to disconnect all of these wind turbines, all of this other stuff, disconnect from the grid completely. We have far too much hydro right now, we can’t use it, and we’re dumping it off. We sell it, and we’re paying for the loss when they sell it for cents a kilowatt. And then they pay the wind turbines to not produce energy. Does that make any sense? I might as well send you home and pay you to not do any work.

We might as well just pay you to stay home.

That wouldn’t be so bad.

Yeah, but we’re footing the bill here, so it’s a big problem.

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a conservative area, sure, around Toronto that got FARM LABOURER but I think that a lot of built up on. When you put “For all your flooring needs” people are waryLIBRARY of urban CARD designations private PELHAM MAKINGonWORKSHOP Looking for seasonal/ sprawl and development, property, you’re devaluing time help.

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Materials keeping property. When you Applicant must be able work min.

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At time of please enquireto about tools hours/week in any • pre-finished hardwood you’re not a big fan of the development restrictions, Tues., Sept. 16 10 – 12:30. $10. Please register ahead.

Visit www.pelhamweather conditions and Greenbelt. next thing you know that flooring solid, engineered weekends.Lifting 50 lbs library.on.ca or call 905-892-6443 for more property is worth nextdetails. to from $2/ft2 comfortably is required. nothing. If it’s agriculJobs included pruning, • laminate flooring from tural, it’s worth next to Planting trees, thinning $.89/ft2 FABULOUS FENWICK LIONSanyway.

FISH FRY nothing You’ll get and harvesting fruit, • carpet and vinyl flooring and sorting developer come in when Tasty treats with funds aheading straight back into thepacking community.

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Call us to see the products 9-12 in the morning. be there. With Doug Ford that are available & visit our saying that, what nobody showroom. ever said was that KathCUSTOM MILL leen Wynne has this year PELHAM MUDFEST Phone: 905-892-7898 Portable sawmill service.

OCNA Network Classified Ads so far seventeen times deFax: 905-892-4811 Men and women will be back in the mud as the second run on the year is I will(AD come to your home or veloped in the Greenbelt.

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AFTER SCHOOL May 28 Patterson, 905-401-4948 NIAGARA REGIONAL EXHIBITION Certainly you’re right CO designation. The United riverwood@primus.ca Nations.

What do we have that it devalues the propHillis Home Care Rodeo, games and live entertainment headline this years exciting event. It erty value for the owner. to do with them? Not only Posted Before and after school profromthing Sept.about 11-14 I’m at the notWelland familiar Fairgrounds. with that that, runs the whole gram located in Fenwick.

MayFOUND 24 case in St. John’s. I guess this Greenbelt—there was Hot breakfast, homework Lady's wedding ring at a case, the Lynch case. the opposition would come help, home away from Central Fonthill Post Office. Please BIG MOVE CANCER from people who say, “I’m Lynch versus the city of St. RIDE home. 289-455-1785, Region Ads included come in and describe to rural area. Even ride John’s.

The lost,Cancer they living michellhnhillis@gmail.com The Bigcity Move Ride isinaa non-competitive taking place on Sept. tried to appeal to the Su- if I keep my property ruCompetitive rates. claim. Call 905-892-6951.

7.Court, Proceeds for the Bigral, Move staywant in Niagara and support the Walker Fampreme they wouldn’t I don’t the whole area around it to develhear ily it because was the Cancer itCentre.

This ad is toSALE be printed by all participating Ontario ITEMS FOR proper ruling. In that par- op.” Is your response that, FITNESS ticular case it ends up be- “Well, you only have conCraftsman Lawn Mower, ing WALKING an expropriation CLUB of trol over your own prop- Self-Propelled, hardly used.

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Join them Tuesdays at the Pelham Arena That’s right. My land is say it wasn’t, but it turns Girls Inversion Table, heated from am and Thursdays at Fonthill Bandshell for 9-10:30 am.

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For more information, please contact jcook@ Fonthill. Build Strength and the judge in that ruling yet is not for your neighbour’s Endurance with Sarah Rose, Bike, new or exprocall 905 892-2607, ext 329.Thun- Men’s Mountain use and enjoyment. againpelham.ca said that it’s Personal Training Specialist. tires. $75. dering Waters is a great priating the right of the 1 on 1 Training, Semiowner to develop it. Every example. Lakewood deHose Reel, enclosed. $70.

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Does GreenThese are private For more information Purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at thedevelMarket orMakita bringSlider a non-perishable belt protect farmland? No. opers. These are private Please Email Sarah at 2Market Canvason Wood Sling foodtype item to fill the hampers at thetrying Pelham Sept.

4. beautifulmindtraining@gmail.com Is it any of protection? properties to Farmers deChairs. $50. or Text or Call 905-701-2460 Sure.

For government, when they want to develop See KARATOPIS page 17 Call: 289-897-9049

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The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

Page 17

East Fonthill land sale agreements announced, sale price undisclosed continued from Page 6 per to file a Freedom of Information request for the information.

MacDonald asserted that an FOI was necessary because “this information will require a compilation of information from various sources.”

The Voice filed an FOI request for tenders and other documents for East Fonthill projects in February, and has yet to receive the information.

Part of the Town’s plan for funding its new community centre included obtaining a $15 million loan from Infrastructure Ontario, which the Town said

would be a short-term “construction bridge” loan.

According to the Town, this $15 million would be repaid soon after the community centre’s completion, and thus did not need to be included in its longterm debt calculations.

Of this $15 million, $12 million was to be paid down through the sale of two parcels totalling 18.5 acres of Town land in East Fonthill, part of the original 32 acres it purchased in 2005. Council declared this area “surplus” last year, meaning that it could be sold.

In 2016 CAO Darren Ottaway told Council that selling the land

in smaller chunks over a longer period of time would be more lucrative for the Town. But in late 2017, the Town instead attempted to sell the land all at once, an effort that apparently failed.

Speaking to Council last week, developer David Kompson said that the Town’s attempt to sell the land all at once “precluded our ability to engage,” saying that since that approach was abandoned his group began negotiations with the Town and “struck a mutually acceptable purchase and sale.”

Kompson described a planned medical centre of between 22,000 to 60,000 square feet.

KARATOPIS continued from Page 15 velop. Significant wetland over there in Thundering Waters. They say it’s important to our water quality. If nobody knew that there was a wetland there and it was paved over, would anybody know about that wetland’s existence? I highly doubt it. I’m going to accredit all this stuff to what I call eco-terrorism. It’s the fear-mongering yet again. There was a big stink about the Lakewood development. That was way back when approved.

They challenged it at the OMB and they lost. Then they tried again and the OMB tossed it out because it was already ruled-on. That whole development is all privately owned and maintained, none on the public purse. And the taxes are still being paid to the Town. So that’s actually a great asset to Wainfleet. I’d rather have homes around me than these giant wind turbines. How many trees were destroyed with those? There was tens of thousands of trees across the municipality. These are no way green at all. No way. Not possible.

Back to the property idea. It seems based on the idea that during your lifetime, you're going to worry about yourself and interests, and I’m going to worry about mine. Now the “eco-terrorists” at Thundering Waters would say that all of that leads to short-sighted decision-making. People thinking only in terms of their own lifetime, rather than what’s good in the long term. A crisis of individualism. You can’t have everyone on their own tack because there’s going to be so many intersections of interest that conflict is inevitable. Everyone in a ring around Toronto wants to develop their property and make a lot of money. Then one day we have no farmland within five hundred miles, and it’s so expensive to bring food in so people can’t afford to eat.

I’ll ask you this question. Farmers—do they have a responsibility to feed people?

They have those signs all over: Farmers Feed Cities.

They do feed cities. But is it their responsibility? Legal, moral, or ethical?

Them individually? I don’t think so.

But is that really pertinent to the Greenbelt matter?

If I was growing my chicken crops, or my cash crops, I could just keep them for myself and for my family. I have no responsibility to feed anybody in the city.

Yeah. But I think that as a society we might like it if there were farmers that could easily provide food to cities…

They might like it but that’s too bad. It just doesn’t work that way. Private property is very important because that’s where you accumulate wealth. This is how you make a living. The big problem is this cultural Marxism that’s being imposed here is starting to say that no one should own private property, it should belong to everybody, because owning private property is a social injustice.

Well some people may say that, but to be honest I don’t hear that a lot. Certainly the parties aren’t saying that.

No, there’s a lot. I even had a councillor in Hamilton, when I was pushing the issue, that’s what came out in the end.

So you think that even if they’re not

A Town’s press release on the deal asserted that the centre is to house between eight to ten physicians, with Kompson saying that they would be of various specialties.

“Radiology, oncology, all of the ‘ologies,’” said Kompson.

When asked if these lessors had been confirmed or were still to be recruited, MacDonald referred the Voice to Colliers International’s Greg Chew. Chew did not respond to a Voice’s email about the doctors’ recruitment.

The land on which the medical centre is proposed sits between the community centre and Highway 20, while the other land sale

tentatively announced at Council is for a 6.22 acre area fronting on to Rice Road.

Developer Samer El-Fashny and his employee Dustin Gibson described their two-phase plan for the property to Council.

The first phase, which Gibson said they hoped to complete by the spring or summer of next year, will be a four-to-five story seniors’ apartment building, with commercial on the ground floor, as well as a 140-bed retirement home.

Phase Two, Gibson said, is a 192-bed, long-term care home with an opening date of summer or fall of 2021.

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What will unite people is people. You take care of your neighbours.

Tired of the Big Box Pharmacy runaround?

Transfer your prescriptions easy as saying it overtly, that’s what— There’s an underlying.

I’m not going to get into psychoanalysis here.

No. I won’t get into that. But you know, this is why this kind of stuff—that’s what’s causing the divide, that’s what’s causing the problem. We need to get rid of that kind of stuff. That has to go. You know what they say, a country divided is a lot weaker than one that’s united.

Right. But— This is how we’re kept subservient, shall we say.

But if you look at society now, people are really uprooted. The church is gone.

Families are different. People move, they don’t stay in the places where they grew up. People are all spread out. The idea of liberal democracy is that there’s a civic nationalism—it’s the one thing that everyone has in common. It seems that Libertarianism wants to get rid of the government, and get rid of civic nationalism. What would unite you after that? The church is gone. Families are gone. Culture is gone—there’s more global culture than ever. If the government’s gone, what unites people?

People. People do. You need to bring the churches back. Who am I to tell you that you shouldn’t be a Catholic. When I was a kid in school when religion class came up, they had the Jehovah’s Witnesses sit in the hallway. Then eventually they took religion out of school. Then all of the acceptance ideas came in, and that’s, you know, fine. It’s been taken to the point where they’re bringing religion back into the school, but it’s only certain religions.

It’s unconstitutional. How this freaking Liberal government got away with this kind of garbage is beyond me. I can only blame the ones giving these bills royal assent and the whipped votes.

We’ve covered a lot.

I could go on, too.

I’m sure. Anything brief that we missed that you think is important?

No, I summed it all up. This cultural Marxism has to go out. We need to tone government way back, back to the basics.

What will unite people is people. You take care of your neighbours. If there’s a disaster, you take care of your neighbours.

You see that when these hurricanes happen, all the relief funds. The money usually disappears. It’s people who rebuild, it’s contractors. We see the restore, Habitat for Humanity, stuff like that. Need to bring it out of government hands, and back to the people. People look after each other.

Well, thanks very much.

Thank you. ◆

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Page 18

The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

Niagara West candidate debates held

sent, they must receive parental consent for overnight class trips or to take medicine at school.

While Kanee sympathized with the need for family involvement in such issues, he said that it was a privacy matter and argued that girls should have control over their own bodies, and should not face reprisals from family for their decision to terminate a pregnancy.

Oosterhoff reiterated his anti-abortion stance.

“I’ve been very clear about being pro-life. I’ll always stand for pre-born rights,” he said, before attacking the Liberals for being “increasingly intolerant” of those who hold pro-life positions.

Though during both debates all candidates took pointed shots at opposing parties, participants and Wednesday’s attendees were cordial. The studio layout on the televised debate never had all candidates in the same shot at once, meaning that viewers had no opportunity to see the debaters interact with each other.

Oosterhoff praised the respectful tone of the race, and said that it has had “a much less personal tone than the by-election” when he was first elected in 2016.

At one point when discussing the role of family in society, Oosterhoff repeatedly misspoke, saying that “government not parents” should be making decisions about children.

“Sam meant parents, not government,” offered Kanee when Oosterhoff had finished, drawing chortles from the crowd and an appreciative smile from Oosterhoff.

Last Thursday, candidates also participated in a debate in Grimsby focused on health care.

MPP hopefuls take on economy, education, health care

BY VOICE STAFF Candidates in Niagara West participated in a series of debates last week, discussing a variety of election issues in advance of the vote next Thursday, June 7. Last Tuesday’s debate was organized and aired by YourTV (formerly Cogeco), with Progressive Conservative Sam Oosterhoff, Liberal Joe Kanee, and NDP Curtis Fric taking part, while last Wednesday’s was put on in Vineland by the local chapter of the Association for Reformed Political Action, a Christian organization.

Fric decline to participate in Wednesday’s debate, while Libertarian Stefanos Karatopis was present. Green Party candidate Jessica Tillmanns declined to participate in either debate.

Candidates were asked similar questions in both settings, principally about the economy and issues specifically concerning the riding of Niagara West, including the Greenbelt.

PC leader Doug Ford unleashed a furor when it was revealed last month that he had privately promised to open up parts of protected areas for development, before making a u-turn.

“The NDP is in full support of the Greenbelt,” said Curtis Fric during the televised debate, critiquing Ford’s comments

and citing reports that indicate that the GTA and Niagara have enough land to be developed until 2031. Fric also assailed the NPCA, calling it a “development agency instead of a conservation authority.”

Sam Oosterhoff called Ford’s actions “the mark of a true leader,” saying that he had listened to the negative response and had changed his mind as a result.

“The Liberal party has made dozens of changes to the Greenbelt. We will not be changing it. That’s a commitment,” said Oosterhoff.

Like Fric, the Liberal Joe Kanee similarly attacked Ford, and disputed Oosterhoff’s assertion that Ford’s u-turn was the mark of a good leader. When Oosterhoff pivoted to attacking the Liberals’ decision to sell off a portion of Hydro One, Kanee reminded him that it was the PC party that first was in support of the idea, asserting that the Liberals had used the proceeds of the sold shares in the electricity distributor to invest in infrastructure.

On Wednesday, after Oosterhoff critiqued the state of the province’s health care system after 15 years of Liberal governT:5.063” ment, Kanee again lambasted

Libertarian Stefanos Karatopis, Liberal Joe Kanee, and Progressive Conservative Sam Oosterhoff debate last Wednesday evening at Twenty Valley Public School.

VOICE PHOTO past PC platforms.

“It’s easy for Sam to say when the PC party hasn’t released a platform. But there are going to be cuts—at least a billion dollars from health. Mike Harris cut six thousand nurses, and closed twenty-eight hospitals across Ontario,” said Kanee.

“We’re not fighting the 2003 election,” responded Oosterhoff, adding that Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien and his finance minister Paul Martin had cut health transfers to the provinces.

Libertarian Stefanos Karatopis repeatedly referred to his party as “the party of choice,” calling for the creation of a private health care system that he said would alleviate the strain on the public system.

Both Karatopis, who is 48, and Kanee, who is 27, said that their

Election Day is Coming.

ages gave them an advantage over 20-year-olds Oosterhoff and Fric.

“I work in a small business in an operational capacity,” Kanee told the crowd of 100 on Wednesday. “I was up at six to put my eight hours in today before coming here. If elected, you’re my employer. I know what it means to have an employer.”

The day after the debate, Fric, Oosterhoff, Kanee, and Tillmanns were featured on the front page of the Toronto Star in a story about the “youthquake” in Niagara West.

Wednesday’s debate also included several questions on social policy, both on the sex-ed curriculum and on parental consent for abortions. One questioner pointed out that while 16-year-old girls can obtain abortions without parental con-

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Page 20

The Voice of Pelham, May 30 2018

COLUMN SIX continued from Page 1 dition of a coveted 6 x 3.2 metre parking pad in front of our 5.2 metre- wide property. I rehearsed, used a Seinfeld quote to lighten the mood, shamelessly pleaded for the safety of

my children. Truthfully, there were days when the closest parking spot to my home was a 10-minute walk away.

Luckily, more sympathetic than environmentalist councilors were in attendance, and I left with permit in hand. It was coup

that I will tell my grandchildren about one day.

A perk of this victory also saw the value of our shoebox property increase by $15,000, which seems utterly ridiculous by any standard.

Compare this to our new residence, which has a

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two-car garage, along with ample room to park six more cars in the driveway. I also don’t have to deal with angry, entitled neighbours, who leave nasty notes on my windshield for almost blocking the entrance to their parking pads.

Our teeny Toronto house had a living area of about 900 sq.ft. for our family of five. To say we were a close family is an understatement. The floors sloped so much that our kids lost all their balls and wheeled toys to one side of the living room, and some guests complained of vertigo. The cost of this fixer-upper home left us with little cash with which to fix it up, and so we lived a slanted existence.

In contrast, our new master bathroom—which has a delightfully level floor— is approximately the same size as our old backyard.

Registering our kids for city summer swim programs required a strategic, almost military effort, necessitating two people, two cell phones, and two computers. With each new season, my husband and I sat, poised to communicate with the website or call center for the 7 AM. opening.

A nanosecond after 7, we were in full attack mode.

We had previously filled out the registration forms and checked our program choices. All we needed to do was speak to an operator, or find our way to the Submit button online. We hit redial continuously. We clicked Submit constantly. Not 10 seconds later, I heard my husband yell, “I got it!”

The screen read Registration Accepted! Yes! We did it!

A few seconds later, a new screen thanked us for registering and informed us that we were 37th on the wait list.

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca These days, our kids can take swimming lessons in the comfort and privacy of the pool in our backyard.

During our last winter in Toronto, a pipe broke in front of our house on city property. The water shutoff valve from the street, however, was broken and the water flowed, unstoppable.

A city worker watched as I bailed water out of our flooding basement, trying to keep the rising sea at bay. The worker assessed the situation, scribbled something on his clipboard, and announced that we were not a high priority, so someone would come to look at the problem in a couple of days. Our whole family took shifts bailing water for the next 36 hours.

Conversely, in Fonthill, I called an eavestrough company to have a look at a bent eavestrough, which overflowed when it rained, sending water cascading down one side of the house and seeping into the basement. The man who owned the company swung by later that day, gave me a quote, and began work the following day because he saw a storm in the forecast and wanted to make sure we were covered.

Life here is simpler, so that even when chaos is swirling around me in the form of a simultaneous soccer game/tennis practice/vet appointment/husband-out-of-town kind of moment, at least there aren’t traffic jams, or angry drivers in cars or on bikes, construction vehicles blocking lanes, illegally parked cars, entitled, jaywalking pedestrians, chariot-like strollers, or dogs at the end of ten-foot leashes, pushing others off the sidewalks—all of which amplify the stress of trying to get where I need to be.

Despite the occasional overlapping of schedules, things just seem much more manageable, people

RENOVATE

are more patient and forgiving, and quiet is always just around the corner.

Of course I’d be lying if I didn’t say there are things I miss about the city, such as having easy access to a particular coffee shop, which supports my crippling addiction to a grande, non-fat, no-foam, kid’s-temperature Earl Grey Tea Latte.

The closest of these franchises to my former city dwelling was 47 paces south and 16 paces east. I know this because I sometimes tried to get there with my eyes closed for fun.

Four other of these shops were within a 10-minute walk. For a change of scenery, there were five other independent cafes sprinkled about to accommodate the spillover.

Now the closest Earl Grey Tea Latte to me is 13.2 km away. It’s a number that has challenged my brand loyalty and altered my caffeine intake, but it is a price worth paying as I drive among cows and horses to get there.

Even though there are signs of gentrification in Pelham, as new homes sprout up on former farmer’s fields, it is still a far cry from the high-rises and cranes which darken the urban skies.

And while we may lose a little of that pastoral identity, we gain things like new arenas and, what looks to be a coffee house, opening soon, about 400 paces west and 30 paces south of me. I look forward to the day when I can have the best of both worlds—when I can walk down the open street of this beautiful and friendly small town and be reunited with my long lost latte. ◆

Have an interesting tale to tell? Send it to Column Six! editor@thevoiceofpelham.ca

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