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Final summations in Charles Duncan sex assault trial Already lengthy delay in proceedings won't see verdict rendered until January BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor The fate of Charles Duncan, the former Pelham family doctor charged in autumn 2019 with multiple historical sexual assault and exploitation offences, now rests in the hands of Justice Deborah Calderwood. Crown and defense attorneys had opportunity to critique each other’s written submissions before the court last Friday at the Robert S. K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines, with Calderwood interjecting with questions during the proceedings. Her Honour will now review the extensive transcript and other trial documents, with the intention of rendering her decision on January 21, 2022. Duncan, who practiced family medicine in Pelham for decades, resigned from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario in October 2019, and also gave up his license to practice medicine, after the College commenced an investigation into allegations against him of professional misconduct and incompetence. After one of the alleged sexual assault victims told her story to the Voice, several other women came forward to the paper with similar allegations. In November 2019, Duncan was first arrested and charged in relation to two separate alleged incidents involving a 16-year-old girl and a 39-year-old woman. Three more women later came forward, aged between 54 and 64, alleging offenses which took place between Aug. 31, 1994, and Sept. 31, 2018. Of the nearly 20 women who spoke to the newspaper, 11 agreed to be interviewed, and the complaints of five were taken up by
the Crown. Duncan was formally charged with seven counts of sexual assault and one of sexual exploitation. Duncan was initially released under the supervision of his son Callum. He was banned from being in the presence of children 16 or younger without a parent or other adult present. He was also instructed to have no contact with his accusers or their families. Assistant Crown Attorney Todd Morris prosecuted the case. Duncan’s Toronto-based lawyers were Seth Weinstein and Jill Makepeace. Duncan’s defence team opted for trial by judge, rather than a jury. Duncan pleaded not guilty to all seven charges against him at the beginning of the case. A publication ban is in place to protect the identities of the women who gave testimony. Weinstein focused on perceived inconsistencies in witness testimonies, and spoke to the credibility of evidence provided by Duncan. (Although he voluntarily gave up his medical license in 2019, the judge, Morris, and Weinstein all referred to the defendant as “Dr.” Duncan during the hearing.) At issue, according to the defense, were Duncan’s “propensity” for the behaviour that prompted the charges, and the possibility of “collusion” among the complainants who gave testimony. “Tainting” of testimony through exposure to the media (specifically the Voice) was suggested by the defense, given that several complainants only came forward after one victim’s story appeared in the newspaper. The defense asserted that the onus was
Dr. Charles Duncan, second from right, confers with his then-lawyer Michael DelGobbo, standing far left, and his sons outside a St. Catharines courtroom in February, 2020. JOHN CHICK
The Crown should have called family members [to testify] ...this has dragged out for too long
on the Crown effectively to prove a negative— to show that evidence had not been “tainted.” In response Morris told the court that only a theoretical “opportunity for collusion” existed, and that it was erroneous to assert that the complainants had conspired against Duncan. Weinstein countered with “You can’t assess unintentional collusion through the lens of opportunity.” As to “specific propensity” to
commit sexual assault, the defense argued that over Duncan’s 49-year medical career, in which he saw thousands of patients during “hundreds of thousands” of visits to his office, five complainants does not constitute “propensity.” Judge Calderwood noted that other women who felt violated could have chosen not to come forward with testimony, which is not unusual. Weinstein responded, “alleged exploitation does not demonstrate propensity.” Perceived inconsistencies in Duncan’s testimony were raised by Morris, to which Weinstein responded, “the Crown wants to hold Dr. Duncan’s comments to a higher standard than those of the complainants.” Weinstein noted that the alleged sexual assaults took place over a 25-year period, and that it was unreasonable to ask Duncan to have detailed recollections of what he considered to be “unremarkable patient visits.” Weinstein characterized Duncan
as a “candid, honest, and credible witness.” (Not all of the complainants, however, were patients or former patients of Duncan’s.) Duncan testified during the trial that his retirement and surrender of his medical license was in part due to an ultimatum from his wife, and the hope of retaining a positive legacy in the community. A number of accusations involved Duncan allegedly touching women’s breasts unnecessarily, and making unprofessional remarks with sexual overtones. On one occasion, Duncan admitted responding to an email from one of the complainants, telling the woman “I regret what I said to you,” and, “I apologize if I offended you.” Weinstein took issue with an assertion from one of the complainants, who said she had contacted the College of Physicians and SurSee SUMMATION Page 13
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PUBLISHER’S HOSPITAL BED
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by Dave Burket
ach week’s schedule is pretty much the same in our house—up early on Mondays and Tuesdays, sleep in a bit on Wednesdays. So it was a little unusual to find myself suddenly awake last Wednesday at 7 AM, staring at the ceiling, wondering what was up. My abdomen quickly let me know. There was a hellacious pocket of gas in there that wanted out. I slipped in to the bathroom to search for a packet of Alka-Seltzer tabs. A half-hour later the sensation was worse. I took two Ibuprofen for the pain, which had turned stabby. My abdomen was also a bit bloated, especially around my belly button. Things went rapidly south from here. A generalized feeling of unwellness descended. I was feverish and
chilled at the same time. I started to dry heave over the kitchen sink. At 8 AM I woke up my wife, Yasmin, and said that I was calling an ambulance. At this point my lower back had joined the pain parade, with increasingly intense aching around both kidneys. Dammit—could this be kidney stones? I’d heard many a tale from sufferers about how kidney stones gave them the worst pain of their lives—most recently, as luck had it, from a campaign official working with one of the Niagara West parliamentary candidates in last month’s federal election. “Never been in such agonizing pain in my life. Still there but duller. No sleep since Friday night,” they emailed the following Monday. So that’s what I told the 911 operator through gritted teeth: “I think it’s kidney
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stones.” Ever experience this before? she asked. “No.” From here on the day’s timeline gets a little fuzzy, since it was suddenly evident that one part of my body was trying to kill the rest of me and I really had to concentrate on making sure this didn’t happen. At about 8:30 the ambulance arrived. Two young paramedics, one male, one female. They were professionally calm. When they went to insert an IV needle, I suggested my right arm, which is usually easier. After two failed and painful attempts on my left hand and left forearm, they gave my right hand an equally futile try. They finally decided to go with what they described as a big dose of non-narcotic painkiller injected into my left shoulder. It may as well have been water. By the time I was loaded into the ambulance, my entire abdomen and lower back were in boiling agony, and getting worse. It was as if a medieval torturer had heated a sword and two iron rods over a roaring fire. The sword was twisting in my belly, right at the navel. The iron rods were embedded deep on either side of my lower back. I could not lie still. So this is literally what writhing in agony is like, I thought, as I writhed in agony down South Pelham, to Webber, to Welland Hospital. After what seemed like an eternity, an E.R. nurse successfully got an IV going in my right arm and started a morphine drip. This didn’t touch the pain either. I started vomiting brown gastric juices, which kept
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dent reason that the intestine should have twisted or folded upon itself. It happens, he said. “We don’t know why.” It can happen to anyone, anytime. ow to the main reason that I decided to tell you this story. Imagine that you had experienced this yourself, and then you woke up on a hospital ward that was grossly understaffed. What does this mean? It means that while the two nurses on duty are taking care of some of their patients, patients in other rooms are literally screaming out in pain, pleading for help. It means that when you ring the call button for help or medication, the response may be 20 minutes away. It means that the automated alarms that sound on IV drip machines, when they run out of liquid, echo up and down the hall because there aren’t enough staff to get to them to turn them off and replace the bags in a timely fashion. Take a moment to consider what this is like at night, in the half-dark. These call bells and IV alerts sound like a mix of elevator bells, and smoke alarms at half volume. They keep repeating, steadily, until they are turned off. But the longer an IV alarm goes without being answered, the louder it gets in its urgency. Now consider that it’s your IV alarm, and it’s 3 AM, and getting steadily louder a metre from your head. Wait five, ten, 15 minutes. You hear similar sounds and call bells out in the hall, endlessly repeating. Patients yelling, some kicking at their beds. How long before this bedlam becomes
coming, and coming. I was wheeled over for an MRI, given an injection of contrast dye after I signed a consent form, and told to stay as still as I could even if I felt a burning sensation from the dye (yes, but the least of my problems). Hours passed. Yasmin arrived at some point in the early afternoon. I felt bad for not having texted her earlier, but it was impossible to think of doing anything with my hands other than grip the sides of the gurney and contort my torso to see if one position would provide some relief over another. I dropped F-bombs. I groaned, loudly. And still it got worse. I became nothing but a manifestation of pure pain. It’s one thing to watch a Hollywood war movie in which a wounded soldier begs a buddy to put him out of his misery. The real sensation is not entertaining in the least. I will never forget how this agony made death thinkable, if just at the periphery. I was in a hospital, I was going to be treated, yet I was still barely coherent. But if I’d been days from rescue, in a battlefield or plane crash? A surgeon arrived and said it wasn’t kidney stones. The MRI showed a twist in my small intestine—not something that you want to let go for long, for fear that the rot spreads into an irreversibly fatal outcome. In the end, they took out about a foot—25 cm— of intestine. The next day the surgeon told us that when he opened me up it looked very bad, yet there was no clear obstruction, no evi-
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its own goddamned trauma? I want to make something very clear: every staff member we encountered during my stay seemed to be doing the best job they could under the circumstances. They were polite and professional. What is appalling are the circumstances under which they are expected to work. This pre-dates the pandemic, but Covid has made their work-lives exponentially worse. One nurse told me she can’t endure working even part-time any longer and will shift to casual. Another said she’s getting an advanced certificate that will allow her to work anywhere in the world—that is, away from Canada, and particularly Ontario. This “burn-out” threatens to burn down the entire system. You may be the deepest blue, budget-slashing, small-government conservative in the history of Niagara voters, but I guarantee that if you’re forced to spend four nights—which is a fast discharge for the surgery I had—enduring what I did in recovery, you would willingly hand over a significantly higher chunk in taxes to make sure it never happened again. Ironically, as I tried to cobble this week’s paper together on an old laptop in my hospital bed, I noticed a press release in my inbox from MPP Sam Oosterhoff, boasting, “Ontario Investing in Hospitals in Niagara.” Some $53 million is evidently coming to Niagara Health— which qualifies because it has hospitals whose “current liabilities exceed their current assets.” In other words, they don’t even have enough cash to carry on at the current level of service. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty confident that $53 million is a drop in the bucket. This isn’t just a Ford or conservative government failing. Somehow public health in Ontario has always seemed to take a backseat to sexier issues. Yet a government’s first priority is by definition the health and welfare of its citizens. I will forever be thankful that my surgery occurred as quickly as it did, in the competent hands of health professionals who, despite the maltreatment shown to them, continue to show up every day to chase IV alarms, to run MRI machines, to cut out failing body parts. At least for now. tube stuck down my throat has left my voice raspy at best, and for the next six weeks I’ll be lifting nothing heavier than a 2012 MacBook Pro, so my editorial barking will be on the muted side. Here’s to your good health, and to a belated Happy Thanksgiving. ◆
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Growing up British
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BALLOONING INTEREST Grade 6 student Jinja Shepherd explains her experiment on static electricity at the Glynn A. Green NATE SMELLE PHOTO Public School's annual science fair last Friday. See story, page 3.
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-
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bourhood in the short-term. Manager of Public Works Ryan Cook said that after discovering the issue with
the chicane the morning it first opened, the Town See CHICANE Page 5
Petition-inspired changes coming to 2017 Summerfest BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Representatives from the Pelham Summerfest committee Candy Ashbee and Bill Gibson presented council with a final report on the 2016 Summerfest at the Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 21. Prompted by a story in the Voice in August about a merchant petition to move Summerfest from Pelham Street, in September Town staff met with various stakeholders to hear their complaints, promising at the time that changes in the way Summerfest was mounted would be con-
sidered. The main concerns identified during the community engagement process were security, parking, ensuring customer can access all businesses in town, and liability for damages. How to get all Pelham Street businesses to participate and finding ways to make it beneficial for them to set up a booth were also determined to be of high priority for the committee as they plan for next year’s event. Gibson told Council that the committee is addressing these concerns in a variety of ways. To improve parking, they intend to create bet-
ter signage for out-of-town visitors to designated parking areas and shuttle services. To make participation in Summerfest more enticing to local businesses, they plan to implement a tiered-charge for booths. Under the new system, Pelham Street business owners will be charged the least, other local businesses will pay a slightly higher fee, and vendors from outside Pelham will pay the most. In response to more specific issues for individual businesses, they will also slightly alter the footprint of the event and make adjustments to security. Another way the committee plans
to improve the 2017 Summerfest is by sponsoring and working with the organizers of the Thursday Night Bandshell Concert series to select the artist performing on the first night of Summefest. They also intend to make more use of the smartphone app they launched in 2016. "We are really going to push it this year," Ashbee said. “It really helps to get people to see what events there are so they can plan out where they are going. We will be able to actually help the merchants and local businesses adSee CHANGES Page 5
FTER LUNCH ON Saturday, Mum and Dad had my afternoon cut out for me. Mum had more brass than anyone I knew, and it had to be cleaned. In addition there was the set of silver fish-knives and forks which were never used, but which had to be cleaned and put back in their velvetlined box. Next was a walk to the newsagents to pay for the daily delivery of the Daily Mirror. As I said, Dad was a printer, but when he was 37 he had been rejected for a job, as being too old, by the printers of the Beano. For that reason, my favourite comic was not allowed in the house, but while I was paying the papers, the newsagent let me have a 'shoofty' at the Beano. I'd explained my predicament and he understood completely. Sundays were different again. Dad would play golf on summer mornings and billiards in winter. Then he'd stop for a 'refresher' at the local and would pick up the prawns, cockles, winkles or whelks we'd be having for tea later. Meanwhile, Mum was roasting the 'joint' and potatoes. I got to make the Yorkshire pud, and mint See COLUMN SIX Page 14
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.
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T 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-
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Second year Beaver with the 3rd Fonthill Group, Russell Letford offers a fresh apple to shoppers SUPPLIED PHOTO in Pelham during the 2015 Apple Day campaign. A longtime Canadian tradition, Apple Day began in 1932 in Saint John, New Brunswick, when Scouts handed out 21,000 apples as a way to say thank you to the community. In return for their generosity, many people offered them donations. From then on Scouts have reached out through Apple Day to raise funds for their programs.
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Request made of community still peeved at name change The District School Board of Niagara is requesting that the Town of Pelham cede a portion of Cherry Ridge Park for use as a soccer field to serve the students of the new Wellington Heights Public School, formerly the E. W. Farr Memorial Public School, in Fenwick. Currently under renovation and expansion, the new school will combine students and staff from the previous school and Pelham Centre, where classes are being held while construction continues. Two letters, containing virtually identical text but signed by different authorities, were sent last week to nearby residents of the park, as well as to parents of Pelham Centre students. “The DSBN is currently building onto Wellington Heights Public School on Alsop Drive,” states the letter. “The size of the school's addition means the existing small soccer field will be eliminated. The Town and the Board have been discussing the possibility of working together to create a field for both the school and the
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“I start work at 2:30 PM and school lets out at 2:15 PM so I can’t take any other route,” Williams explained. “I have had friends, family, teachers and other community members reach out to me in the past about how this is unsafe and how there should be another alternative for us.” Looking ahead to winter, when she will need to walk this path three or four times See SIDEWALK Page 2
HERE IS NO BETTER time to cycle than Fall. It matters not whether you’re new to the sport, a seasoned recreational cyclist, racer, touring rider or mountain biker; we all have reason to look forward to autumn. Summer’s heat has faded, and the streams of sweat that ran from soggy helmets into our eyes are now just slight perspiration. Fitness is peaking from lots of saddle time, making those tough climbs of Spring a breeze in Autumn. It’s hard to beat the feeling of beginning a crisp, cool Fall ride with a slight shiver, knowing your efforts will soon warm you perfectly. The hues of Autumn are outstanding. A Pelham route as simple as following our southern boundary is one that would make most Toronto cyclists jealous, especially when our forests and fields are ablaze with colour. Begin from Harold Black Park, and zig-zag south along Effingham Rd toward the Welland River. If you’re new to cycling, it’s important to know south is the direction away from any hills. If you avoid the morning and evening weekday rush hours caused by those travelling through Pelham between Wainfleet See AUTUMN Page 3
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Pelham Council balks at trail ask BY JOHN CHICK Voice Correspondent
toEarlyON go chargesCentres closing driving 83 days Fenwick and South Pelham NRPS Raidy Manso (center), Santa Cayo, Cuba! At impaired
Sue Lough with daughter Tamara, of Fenwick, with new Cuban friend
Pelham Town council voted Oct. 4 to uphold its ban on level road crossings of the Steve Bauer Trail, between Port Robinson and Merritt, but a creative solution may yet emerge. The developer of the long-delayed Kunda Park subdivision expansion sent a lawyer to last week’s virtual meeting to appeal council’s decision from earlier this year to bar any road crossings that would traverse the recreational trail. Instead, the developer asked for a single vehicular right-of-way instead of the original proposal for two. “We appreciate the intent behind the January 2021 resolution,” attorney Scott Snider said of the previous ruling. “We would proceed regardless [with the development], but we are requesting a council resolution for this single exception.” The ban on road crossings of the Bauer Trail would limit the new subdivision expansion to only two possible vehicular access and egress points — one of which would need to cross sensitive wetlands to the south. Most councillors went on record with their opposition to Snider’s request. However, Ward 3’s Bob Hildebrandt came equipped with a sample photo of a similar trail crossing elsewhere, and floated the idea of a grade-separated crossing — either an underpass or overpass — that could connect the Kunda Park expansion to the future Station Street extension east of the trail. “It seems a win-win,” Councillor Lisa
Haun said, pointing out that the option would mean not having to disturb the wetlands. Mayor Marvin Junkin agreed, but stressed he would still be in support of a single level road crossing rather than bridging the wetlands. “I was ready to support this … it’s another case of the human race not wanting to be inconvenienced … so let’s make Mother Nature pay the price,” the Mayor said of the notion of disturbing the wetlands. “We can do this another way. That picture, of course, was intriguing that councillor Hildebrandt showed, so I would be all for deferring.” How the developer would react to the grade-separated crossing idea is unknown, but options are limited. Construction on an archaeologically sensitive area between the Glynn A. Green schoolyard and the Bauer Trail is apparently cost-prohibitive, and would create an awkward staggered intersection at Port Robinson and Station. Meanwhile the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) has shown no interest in selling or trading Glynn A. Green lands for road use, something that Ward 2’s Ron Kore pushed. When Kore asked if the Town could expropriate school land, CAO David Cribbs answered that is was highly unlikely. “There are a couple of entities that have expropriation powers equal to ours,” the CAO said, explaining that school boards See COUNCIL Page 9
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A October 13 2021
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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
COTÉ'S COMMENTS Larry Coté
Why not testimonials rather than memorials
I
recently attended a memorial service for a dear friend who died a short while ago. It was a wonderful event and honored the many capacities the deceased person consummated throughout her lifetime. This “Celebration of Life” was lovingly prepared and hosted by my friend’s children. They did a wonderful job to touch upon all the goodness their parent depicted during her lifetime. Following this memorial event I got to thinking about these occasions. Such thinking is always a dangerous awakening of my often comatose mind. The thought that was entertained in that vacuous space questioned why do we celebrate memorials and rather avoid testimonials? Wouldn’t it be more apropos, meaningful and rewarding to celebrate that history with the honoree and in their presence rather than after they have passed from this life? Imagine how uplifting hearing all the accolades our dearest ones would enjoy should they hear these laurels while alive and still sharing our lives. Such an
occasion would be a delicious life-sharing event for the both the honoree and those presenting the testimonies. Some elders among the readership will remember a television series that was
They did a wonderful job to touch upon all the goodness their parent depicted during her lifetime
popular awhile ago called The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, modeled on the famed New York Friars’ Club Roasts. Ignoring the fact that the lives and character of the celebrity honorees were highlighted in humorous and disrespectful tones by their friends and colleagues over the show’s decade-long run, the purpose was, nonetheless, to honour the recipient who was present and among them.
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Another TV program from the past that was popular for a time was titled This is Your Life. Again, milestone events and achievements of a person’s life were highlighted and remembered with vigor. I am not advocating that we roast our friends and family members, but consider giving them their just due while they are alive and can fully appreciate how they are esteemed by their friends and families. Wouldn’t it be comforting and reassuring in their subsequent years to know how much they are loved, respected and honored by those they encountered during their lives? In return, they could acknowledge in person and face-to-face all those who recollected the best memories that contributed to the honoree's goodness in life. Such a reciprocal arrangement seems to make a lot of sense. I am not naive enough to think articles such as this one will alter the customary celebrations of this culture that we are mostly familiar with. However, such milestone achievements such as See TESTIMONY next page
Letters Recognition only first step I commend and appreciate Pelham Town Council and staff's respectful marking of September 30's Day for Truth and Reconciliation. A very good inaugural of this day. CAO David Cribbs' words were good, and strong, with the recognition of the “enduring effect on Indigenous peoples across the country.” My reflection was that many of us, non-Indigenous, harbour the same enduring attitudes, but reversed—the opposite side of the myths. In the Residential Schools, the children of the First Peoples were taught that their
practices, their language, their spirituality, their knowledge, that they themselves as well as their parents, were somewhat inferior to the white British and European newcomers. And in our public and religious schools, we were taught that our education, our religions, our knowledge, our persons, were therefore somewhat superior to them. And these attitudes—based on these still perpetuated myths—are all around us today. Do not many of us believe that "they" See FIRST STEP next page
7
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 Member of Provincial Parliament
Electoral District: Niagara West
Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755 Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 905-658-2987 Councillor Diana Huson diana.huson@niagararegion.ca 905-324-3094 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607
Mayor of Pelham Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 905-658-2986 Members of Pelham Town Council Ward 1 Councillor Marianne Stewart mstewart@pelham.ca 289-821-0840 Councillor Wayne Olson wolson@pelham.ca 905-933 6033
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Page 5
A October 13 2021
OPINION Speeding is a town-wide issue I have to state that I think the vehicle speeding problem is Pelham-wide. I spend a lot of time on Pelham roadways and I drive the speed limit, much to the dismay of the vehicles behind me. I am constantly and closely tailgated by vehicles that wish to drive faster than the posted speed limits, and sometimes I receive the angry finger salute from drivers as they pass me at a high rate of speed. I feel as if I'm being bullied to drive faster in my own neighbourhood. This is not a rush hour problem. This happens at any time of the day in many areas of Pelham. The majority of stop signs in low traffic areas have been reduced to rolling stops or
yield signs as nobody ever really comes to a complete stop. As we all know, a 50 kph speed limit is easily stretched to 70 kph; 60 kph becomes 80 kph, and so on. I have even clocked a local Fonthill pharmacy delivery vehicle travelling at more than 80 kph in a 50 kph zone in downtown Fonthill. I can remember a constant NRP presence along Hwy. 20 and Pelham Street ticketing speeders. Sadly, I rarely see them enforcing speeders any more. Are we waiting for a major incident to occur before changes are made? Pete Dove Fonthill
Appreciation from Pelham Cares Thank you to our community for their recent support in our “Thanks for Giving” Raffle. We were able to raise over $6,000 in proceeds that will support our youth subsidy programs. Families today are not only struggling to keep a roof over their head and staying on top of their bill payments, but children have been socially isolated. Now that things are beginning to open up, we are having families reach out to us for support. We at Pelham Cares are able to provide support for youth 18 years and under who meet eligibility. With your help we are able to provide financial support for their registration fees for various social, athletic or educational
activities within our community or schools. Congratulations to our winners, here are the ticket numbers: #674 - $1,500 Voucher for Vintage Hotels #327 - $1,200 Voucher for Great Wolfe Lodge #395 - $1,000 Voucher for Travel through Lorraine Simpson Travel #443 – Ride for 2 with Niagara Helicopter Tours #174 - $250 Voucher with Gretzky Winery Estates Jennifer Dube Coordinator Pelham Cares
Be a responsible dog owner City of Welland and the Niagara SPCA & Humane Society is reminding all dog owners to please be responsible by leashing your dog(s) when out in public, including City parks— unless in designated leash-free zones. As dog owners, set a good example by being courteous and abiding by the City of Welland Dog Control and Licensing Bylaw. This includes leashing, licensing and picking up after your dog. This will also help make your community a cleaner and safer place to walk, cycle and play in.
Check your city's bylaw for the maximum leash lengths. A leash helps keep your dog safe from: running away and getting lost; wandering into traffic; confrontations with wildlife (e.g., coyotes) and unfriendly dogs; approaching dead or diseased wildlife; eating things such as poison, animal feces or drinking from contaminated puddles. A leash also benefits you, your dog and the community by: preventing your dog from scaring or jumping on children; biting other people or pets; preventing lawsuits—fines ranging from
$150 to upwards of $610—or vet bills from injuries that could occur In the event of a dog attack, please contact the Niagara SPCA and Humane Society's Animal Service Department at 905-7351552 extension 3. John Greer Executive Director Welland SPCA
PELHAM AND COVID-19 Mayor Marvin Junkin
Provincial capacity rules ease, but MCC security remains
C
anada’s chief public health officer is on record stating that the Covid cases are declining nationally for the fi rst time in months, although some areas across the country are still a concern. Because of these falling new case numbers, Ontario has announced that as of last Saturday, professional teams could allow capacity crowds into their building, with the stipulation that all attendees be fully vaccinated. As of this writing these changes do not extend to indoor dining or gyms. On the local front, Pelham continues to have zero active cases. The number of fully vaccinated residents in Pelham is at 82.5 percent with 79.3 percent having had one dose, both numbers being higher than the Regional equivalents. The Region continues to test between 6000-7000 residents per week for the virus. The Town will continue to employ a security fi rm to assist at the MCC for a least
FIRST STEP
continued from previous page would be better off speaking English, or French, dressing like "us,” learning about the great "classical" civilizations of Greece, Rome and Egypt? How many non-In-
two more weeks. Although rare, there have been instances where individuals have been escorted from the building for failing to comply with municipal and provincial Covid standards. When the province relaxes these standards, which they will eventually, we will obviously follow suit. It is great to see so much activity at the MCC with hockey and basketball programmes in full swing, and walkers returning to the track. s pictured in last week’s paper, the contractor doing the work on Sulphur Springs Drive has fi nished the retaining wall and is concentrating on repairing the road, with the work forecast to take a solid two weeks. I can visualize a lot of people sitting on the wall watching the water flow by. This stream and its natural inhabitants are indeed great assets to this town, and undoubtedly more work will be needed to preserve it and them. ◆
A
digenous even know, or care to know, about the great pre-Columbian civilizations in the Americas — on the west coast, the Mississippi valley, in Central America, and the Andes? Great cities, older and larger than anything in Europe at the time, centers of learning. These
TESTIMONY
continued from previous page advanced age birthdays and anniversaries could easily embrace the idea of celebrating the lives of people when they are alive.
were the ancestors of the people whose children were taken away to Residential Schools. So we have much to do, don't we. Pelham has made a good start. Alan King Port Robinson
The memorial celebrations I have attended did a wonderful job of highlighting the lives of the deceased persons. I think they would have enjoyed and taken modest pride in those deliberations were they to be present. After all, a compliment is music to the ears of the recipient. ◆
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NEWSFLASH Tell us your story! Column Six presents tales of personal triumph, adventure, strange-but-true stories, life-changing events, and looks-back at our past. Did you conquer Everest or kick a bad habit? Everyone has a story. Tell us yours! NOW ALSO ACCEPTING FICTION— SHORT STORIES UP TO 4000 WORDS! Write it down, send it in: publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca
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Page 6
The Voice
A October 13 2021
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Gynecologist embraces new passion as singer-songwriter Kristina Dervaitis has roots in Pelham BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor Pelham-raised Kristina Dervaitis’ midlife transition from medicine to music has resulted in her first album, which debuts this month at a concert venue in Newmarket. The OBGYN specialist has delivered thousands of babies, and currently maintains a thriving contraception/IUD part-time private practice. But gynecology is but one of her passions. “I think my music would be classified as ‘adult contemporary,’” Dervaitis told the Voice. “Online listeners often have drawn parallels between my style and artists like Alanis Morissette, Sarah McLaughlin, Jewel, Sheryl Crow, and Adele. It's just so flattering because these are my heroes, who have had such a powerful influence on me. Their music figured prominently throughout my life, so perhaps it’s not surprising that my music has undertones of that same genre.” Her debut album is called Overdue… “I couldn't resist the ob-
stetrical reference,” she said with a laugh. “It's coming out on October 15, which happens to be my 46th birthday. This has definitely been a ‘better late than never’ adventure. There are plenty of stories of people — particularly women — finding themselves at midlife, and starting new chapters, and exploring new avenues, and reinventing themselves. So I guess I fall into that category.” A proud Italian-Canadian, she still takes regular Italian lessons to keep her language skills honed. She and her husband, Barry Atack, a retired obstetrician, gynecologist and pelvic floor surgeon, love exploring southern Italy, where Dervaitis’ mother was born. She also has ties to the Lithuanian community (on her father’s side) and has visited his place of birth as well. Dervaitis doesn’t publicize where she lives, other than to say that it’s in a beach area of southern Georgian Bay. She com-
JULIUS (Caesar) HAJDU In loving memory of our dear husband, father and grandfather who passed away one year ago on October 12, 2020.
mutes to her medical practise in Newmarket. “We're sort of obsessed with being up here,” she said. “We bought our cottage in 2009, and were doing the drives in to the city, and sometimes pushing the weekend until Monday morning…and then we just decided to move up here full-time.” The first years of Dervaitis’ life were spent in St. Catharines, but around the age of five, she moved to Fonthill with her family. She attended St. Alexander's for elementary school, followed by Notre Dame in Welland. Thereafter, she studied at McGill as an undergrad, then attended Western in London for both medical school and residency training in obstetrics and gynecology. “My practice began in Newmarket 2005. My husband, Barry, who I met at Western, also grew up in Niagara, and attended A.N. Myer in Niagara Falls. He’s also the drummer on my album, and adds intricate percussion arrangements to my songs.” Dervaitis started a YouTube channel in late 2018 when she made the decision to focus her practice on intrauterine devices and access to contraception. It was a big surprise to her when she started acquiring an international viewership,
Kristina Dervaitis. with close to a million total video views. Dervaitis also has almost 1000 Instagram followers. “It's funny, because prior to the YouTube channel, I wasn’t on any social media. I didn't even have a Facebook account,” said Dervaitis. “I was quite intentionally staying away from social media. But it certainly can be a powerful vehicle for education and proper information. There was, unfortunately, a lot of misinformation about contraception and medical issues generally online. So I really wanted to be a voice to provide evidence-based, factual information about the intrauterine device.” She has always played piano, and studied at the Ontario Conservatory of Music in her youth. Dervaitis drifted away from music given the demands of her medical career, and didn’t return to it until about a decade ago. “Life was busy,” she said. “But I bought a piano for the home, and subsequently started taking some guitar lessons. I sort of rediscovered music. I never really considered myself a singer. I remember singing in the choir at St. Alexander's Church, but beyond that, my singing was limited to belt-
BROKEN CHAIN We little knew that morning that God was going to call your name. In life we loved you dearly, in death we do the same. It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone; for part of us went with you, the day God called you home. You left us peaceful memories, your love is still our guide; and though we cannot see you, you are always by our side. Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same; but as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again. We miss you so much Gramps! Lovingly remembered by wife Pearl, children Dale and Cheryl and grandsons Nathan, Jordan and Sean.
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Takeout Soup Lunch Fenwick Lions Hall 999 Church St., Fenwick 11:30 am – 1:30pm Sunday October 17th Includes one homemade soup of your choice, bread, and dessert $10 per soup lunch
JURIS KORNETS
ing out tunes in the car as I was driving.” In 2018, after having taken guitar lessons for some time, she started writing songs. “They just sort of started flowing out of me…and I really found music to be a therapeutic tool. I decided to participate in the local arts crawl, sort of a social event with many other musicians, and I did my very first solo performance of my original material in Collingwood. After that, I took the plunge and started performing my music more regularly.” Dervaitis had just started to get into the rhythm of performing and doing local gigs when the Covid pandemic hit. “I didn't want to stop sharing my music, so I decided to create an Instagram account and post some of my original songs. One of my music idols, named Emm Gryner, is a Canadian music artist and former David Bowie back-up vocalist. She found me on Instagram and followed my account. I discovered that she was offering vocal coaching, so I jumped at the opportunity to improve my vocals for live performances. It soon became clear that I wanted to pursue things in a more serious way. Gryner listened to my music and really encouraged me to pursue recording an album.” Dervaitis and her husband purchased home recording equipment in order to prepare demos of her songs, and she subsequently recorded her album at a professional studio in the spring. “I’m getting organized to promote the album, which
was a pandemic project that snowballed because we had time on our hands to devote to it,” she said. Prior to shifting to a private contraception-focused practice in 2019, Dervaitis was on staff as an OBGYN generalist at South Lake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket. “It's a medical facility that's near and dear to my heart, so I decided that the proceeds from the concert, featuring music from the new album, would go to the centre.” The concert venue is NewRoads Performing Arts Centre in Newmarket, which normally has a capacity of 400. Given social distancing protocols, seats have been limited to 200. Tickets are $30 each. Her parents are deceased, but Dervaitis still has family in the Port Colborne area. She has not returned much to Niagara over the years due to her busy schedule, but took in a wine tour a couple months ago to Niagara-on-the-Lake, and loved it. She and her husband also spent some time exploring wineries in the Beamsville Bench sub-appellation of the Niagara Escarpment. “We went to Megalomaniac, and found it to be just gorgeous,” she said. “We are all still writing our life’s story,” she said. “We each have the power to push boundaries and explore new chapters in life. I’m a big believer in pursuing dreams.” Dervaitis’ debut album Overdue... is available to download on Spotify, Apple Music, and all streaming platforms after October 15.
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Page 7
A October 13 2021
Expansion for Women's Place Emergency shelter services moving to new Niagara Falls location in spring BY BILL POTRECZ Voice Correspondent Women’s Place is on the move. In the spring of 2022, Women’s Place will move all of its emergency shelter services to an expanded facility at the Nova House location in Niagara Falls. The larger facility will provide safe shelter for women and children from all of the communities that Women’s Place serves, including Pelham, Welland, Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Port Colborne, and Wainfleet. The consolidation of the two shelters and expansion of Nova House from a 20-bed to a 40-bed shelter is part of a plan to meet the growing need for domestic violence services in Niagara. Once completed, the larger, consolidated shelter will ensure that fewer women and children in South Niagara are referred elsewhere due to lack of space. “Extremely excited,” Women’s Place Executive Director Jennifer Gauthier said. “I think it’s great for our community that we’re going to increase the number of safe shelter beds available to women and children. Unfortunately over the past few years, we’ve turned many women and children away and had to find them safety at friends or homeless shelters or outside their region and so expanding our services to meet the
needs of our community was really important to us.” Gauthier said the extra capacity comes at a crucial time. “The need for domestic violence services seems to grow every year, and we are expecting a huge uptick in our services over the next year because of the impact of the Covid pandemic,” she said. “There are stresses that cause these tensions and people don’t necessarily leave right away. We are at capacity right now but we continue to see an increased need and think that will just get larger and larger over the next few years.” Each year, the demand for shelter space is increasing. In 20192020 alone, staff referred 390 women elsewhere due to a lack of space. The consolidation will also allow Women’s Place to increase the safety of residents and staff by ensuring that at least two counsellors are in the shelter at all times, invest in improving domestic violence services across South Niagara by expanding outreach services at satellite offices, and reducing the agency’s reliance on fundraising and ensuring that Women’s Place continues to be sustainable well into the future. Serenity Place will close in early 2022 and a new satellite office will
P U B H O U S E & E AT S
Construction is underway at Women's Place new Nova House location in Niagara Falls. open in Welland to ensure local domestic violence supports continue to be available, such as safety planning, counseling, transitional housing support, and legal support, while expanded counseling services will be available at Women’s Place satellite offices in Port Colborne and Fort Erie. Construction began in the spring of 2021 to expand the Niagara Falls shelter. The project is
being managed by Merit Contractors Niagara. In addition to creating extra bedrooms, other areas of the shelter will be improved to better serve a larger number of clients. A second kitchen, expanded dining and living spaces, and a child and youth wing that will house a playroom, a teen space, counseling rooms, and an arts and craft area will be added to the shelter.
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“Our ultimate goal is to see women and children come in and transition to a life free from a life of abuse, where they can live independently in the community. We have all the supports in place to be able to support them through that process. Whether it’s counseling support, securing them housing, child and youth counsellors, and help navigating court system,” Gauthier said.
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Page 8
The Voice
A October 13 2021
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Volunteer photographers wanted to monitor Lake Erie shore Local observations of coastal conditions needed BY BRIAN GREEN Special to the Voice The Lake Erie shoreline will soon benefit from a new program that engages citizen scientists—that’s us— in monitoring the changing conditions along the waterfront and submitting photos, observations, and measurements to provide accurate and near real-time information. Called VAST (Visual Assessment Survey Tool), the program is a collaboration of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, Niagara College, and the Niagara Coastal Community Collaborative (Niagara Coastal). The three organizations hope to receive data from residents, visitors, and volunteer participants that will inform the actions they take to counter the effects of erosion, invasive algae, and other threats to the Lake Erie shoreline. Residents along the Lake Erie shore already know how susceptible the waterfront is to erosion, high water levels, and algae, but the effects of climate change are noticeably increasing the impact on the fragile lake front. The coastal areas of the Great Lakes are exposed to many stressors, according to the three participating organizations, and are highly susceptible to environmental degradation. Stations will be set up in about 30 locations along the shore that will explain the process and encourage people to submit pictures, stories,
A VAST volunteer snaps of photo of a section of shoreline.
and observations every day to provide the ongoing information that will be used to pinpoint problems and keep track of the ever-changing conditions along the shore. Among the locations where the stations will appear are Morgan’s Point and Long Beach Conservation Areas. At each station there will be a QR code that will link participants to the website and explain what they can do to join in. The VAST website assures users that all they need is their phone. Once they locate a VAST station, they scan the QR code, navigate to the relevant survey module (erosion or cladophora algae), complete the survey, and take images using the phone dock. Those who don’t have the time or inclination to complete the survey are encouraged to send
photos. Those who want to participate more fully in the program can become a VAST volunteer. At present there are 27 such volunteers, who have already submitted over 300 photos of the shoreline. Annie Michaud is a Professor of Environmental Studies at Niagara College, and she sees the program as a perfect way for those who live along or near the lake to become stewards of their environment. “Community-based initiatives are extremely valuable as they establish a foundation for watershed residents to become actively involved in the health of their coast,” she says. Michaud adds that she sees benefits for her students as well. “Initiatives such as VAST will provide unique learning opportunities for students to gain hands-
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on experience while also supporting the local environment here in Niagara.” Niagara Coastal describes itself as an organization dedicated to “expand local action to build a healthy and resilient Lake Erie coastal ecosystem that supports the community’s economic, recreational, spiritual, and environmental needs.” To that end, Gregary Ford, the group’s Executive Director, says that, “VAST allows us to tap into the rich network of local expert knowledge by engaging those who have that intimate familiarity in collecting important information about their shorelines.” All three of the organizations that are cooperating on the VAST initiative see the benefits of a col-
laborative approach to collecting information that each can use in its efforts to protect the fragile Lake Erie shoreline. Geoff Verkade is the Senior Manager of Integrated Watershed Planning and Information Management at the Conservation Authority. “Community partnerships are essential to our work,” he says, “and our success is dependent upon working in collaboration with partners in conservation.” VAST is financed by a grant from the Great Lakes Local Action Fund, established by the province to assist small-scale community projects that will provide a positive impact on the Great Lakes. More information about the VAST program can be found at niagaracoastal.ca/vast
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BEAUTIFUL MUMS Kim Day, of Pelham, along with Sima and Hanna Nahri, of Welland, check out multicoloured fall chrysanthemums for sale at Effingham and Canboro, in Ridgeville. The perennial favourites will continue to bloom just fine for weeks as long as they are kept topped-up with regular waterings. DON RICKERS
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A October 13 2021
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Bond trial date set Charges in traffic fatality from November 2019 BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor Michael Bond finally appeared in virtual court via telephone before Justice of the Peace Bruce Phillips in St. Catharines last week. Bond, 55, a former Pelham resident who was behind the wheel when he allegedly struck and killed a 66-year-old Ridgeville woman walking along Effingham Street on November 30, 2019, is charged under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act with careless driving causing death, driving while under suspension, driving with no valid vehicle license, and operating an unsafe vehicle. Toronto-based lawyer Lawrence Ben-Eliezer has been representing Bond, but on this occasion repeated his intention to seek a court order removing him as counsel of record. The Crown did not oppose the request, nor did Bond, who plans to represent himself in court. Both Assistant Crown Attorney Andrew Brown and Judge Phillips voiced concern regarding the delays in bringing the case to trial, given that the four charges, one involving a fatality, date to nearly two years ago. “The Crown has been alerted to the delay issues, and the interest that everyone has, including, obviously, the family of the victim, the community and Mr. Bond himself, to have this matter brought to a conclusion. So I'm in Your Worship’s hands. I'm very concerned about the delay. And I'm hoping that we can take whatever steps are necessary
in order to set a date for resolution,” said Brown. Bond told the court he continues to live on the streets and in shelters. “Right now I’m in Toronto. I'm homeless. I don't have any money at all. I'm doing the best I can to deal with the issues brought up by this pandemic,” said Bond.
"I'm hoping that we can take whatever steps are necessary in order to set a date for resolution" KRISPY KREME KASH Jennifer Dube, Pelham Cares Coordinator, receives a cheque from Fonthill Kinsmen Doug Hardy in the amount of $3275, the proceeds from the recent Kinsmen Krispy Kreme fundraiser. Centre, Kinsmen President and project chairman Len Doyle. SUPPLIED Justice Phillips instructed Bond to collect the disclosure documents from Ben-Eliezer as soon as possible, so as to prepare himself for trial. Brown told the court that he plans to call five civilian witnesses, and seven or eight police witnesses, along with an expert, and anticipated “at least three full days, plus more because Mr. Bond will be representing himself.” Justice Phillips set a new court date of December 15 at 1:30 PM. Given the difficulty in the past communicating with the defendant, Phillips requested and received new cellphone and email address information from Bond.
Clapp co-accused trial set BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor The cases of Jason Lusted and Matthew MacInnes were addressed before Judge Moira Moses in the Ontario Court of Justice at the Robert S.K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines last week. Pelham resident Earl Clapp, 74, died October 2, 2020, after police say he was likely dragged by a vehicle nearly two kilometres from his Centre Street property to Highway 20, east of Balfour
Street. Authorities allege Lusted and MacInnes had been attempting to steal a trailer from Clapp’s property, and caused Clapp’s death. Lusted is represented by Toronto attorneys Cara Barbisan and Andrew Furgiele, while the co-accused, Matthew MacInnes, has retained St. Catharines attorney Andrew Burton. Lusted is expected to be back in court on November 5 via Zoom. The preliminary hearing is scheduled to begin on March 21, 2022, with the trial to continue for three weeks. Certain details of the court proceedings are subject to a publication ban.
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COUNCIL
continued from Page 3 are one of them, raising the spectre of the Town and DSBN attempting to expropriate each other’s land. “But it would make some lawyers wealthy.” Kore was then the only member of council to vote against exploring the grade-separated idea, while also voting to uphold the ban on level crossings. “The trail belongs to the people of our community. We always have to bend over backwards for developers,” Kore said, asking if developers would allow for construction of a trail in a new subdivision elsewhere.
Hildebrandt opposes council showing proof of vaccination
While stressing he was not an antivaxxer, Hildebrandt took issue with Ward 2 Councillor John Wink’s motion that elected officials be added to the Town’s list of those who must prove full vaccination against Covid-19 in order to conduct their jobs. All Town staff have until December to show proof of vaccination or risk losing their jobs unless they
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The Voice have a Charter of Rights exemption. As it currently stands, councillors are not considered staff under the policy, which Wink sought to change. “I’m a municipal councillor,” said Hildebrandt, “and I’m not obligated as an officer and an employee to follow the Municipal Corporations act the way I read it. “It would be a disservice to all Canadians to create a precedent where people feel obligated to disclose private medical information to an employer, which I am not [sic]. I will not be participating in unrequired disclosure.” Hildebrandt added a personal note about his family escaping war-torn Europe, though without making clear its relevance to preventing the spread of a global pandemic. “I believe it’s a dangerous precedent set. My parents have been through it. I’ve seen the history they went through. My mother had such terrible fear until she died of the regime she left. I’m all in favour of vaccinations. I have no problem sharing all my data but I will not be voting to approve this as legislation for a councillor. I’m not going to be under any
social pressures.” Cribbs said that Town staff are nearly 100 percent in compliance with the new rule, but clarified that councillors are technically not employees, and that any vaccination mandate should be added to the council code of conduct, rather than a bylaw amendment. As it stands now, council continues to meet virtually, and anyone entering Town Hall must demonstrate vaccination. Kore agreed with Hildebrandt. “I understand councillor Hildebrandt’s situation,” he said. “My parents came from the same situation.” Likewise, Kore did not clarify the “situation” he referred to or its relevance to Covid-19. Cribbs said that proof of vaccination could be as simple as showing the Town Clerk the vaccination receipt. Hildebrandt was then the only no-vote on Wink’s motion. “I just want to make sure I’m not labeled an antivaxxer,” he repeated.
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A October 13 2021 Earlier, during council’s regular Covid-19 update, Hildebrandt made note to Fire Chief Bob Lymburner that Niagara Region’s numbers on vaccinations are particularly strong among older residents, with some 90 percent of residents over the age of 60 fully vaxxed. “I guess the older you get the more responsible you are,” answered Lymburner, “because our problem child group right now is between 20- and 39-yearolds. That’s the biggest group that’s refused to get vaccinated.”
With Hildebrandt’s term on the board coming to an end, political ally Marianne Stewart recommended that he be given a three-year extension into 2024. “He’s done remarkable work on the board,” Stewart said, as Hildebrandt left the discussion due to pecuniary interest (board members receive a salary). Kore and Haun both quickly raised their hands to second Stewart’s motion, with Kore winning the race.
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Pelham is served by two electric utilities: Hydro One and Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc. (NPEI). NPEI is jointly owned by Niagara Falls, the Town of Lincoln, the Town of Pelham and the Township of West Lincoln. Each municipality sends representatives to serve on the NPEI board.
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Given that there is a municipal election next year, it’s traditional but not written in stone that such board extensions are only given through the end of the current council’s term of office. “I would be in favour of a one-year [extension], because I don’t want to tie the hands of succeeding councils,” Ward 1’s Wayne Olson rebutted. Wink agreed, saying that
Attempt to give Hildebrandt threeyear extension on Pen West board fails
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Fonthill Baptist Church www.fonthillbaptistchurch.ca
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Ridgeville Bible Chapel ridgevillebiblechapel.com
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FAITH LIFT
continued from Page 15 believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) John’s Gospel is all about light (ch. 1 to 12), love (ch. 13 to 17) and life (ch. 18 to 21).
His letters
John was also inspired to write three letters which are much shorter than his Gospel. They were written to one or more believers to encourage, instruct and warn against false teaching. John’s purpose is similar to the one he gave in his Gospel. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13) John wants believers to have the assurance of their salvation. This assurance is a distinctive
of the Christian faith since it doesn’t depend on our works (moral or religious) or performance but on our sincere faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross on our behalf. John continues to stress the themes of light, love and life in these letters but also adds two more — “know” and “truth”. He was also entrusted to record the last book of our Bible, Revelation, which we’ll tackle at another time. In his later years, John was affectionately known as “the elder” (see the first verse of his last two letters). And he refers to believers as his “dear children”. The youngest disciple became the oldest surviving apostle. And throughout his long, faithful and fruitful life, he was always “beloved”. ◆ Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor.
COUNCIL
continued from previous page while he had no hesitation about Hildebrandt continuing, the length of the extension was concerning. In fact, upon their arrival in 2018, the current council was disappointed to learn that former Mayor David Augustyn’s NPEI term was to extend beyond his departure from office. It was unclear how the current situation was different. Stewart pushed on. “I think by blunting his term, we could lose the leverage he’s gaining with this huge company,” she replied. In a typical Pelham council vote, Wink, Olson and Junkin voted to keep Hilbrandt’s extension to one year, with Stewart, Haun and Kore voting for three years. Because it was a tie due to Hildebrandt’s absence, the motion was lost. Hildebrandt will get a one-year extension.
Odds and ends
Council passed a motion by Councillor Olson to contribute $2,500 for a flyover of a Second World War-era Lancaster bomber
I think by blunting his term, we could lose the leverage he's gaining with this huge company
aircraft on Remembrance Day. The plane, based in Hamilton, will overfly several communities on Nov. 11. Kore asked if the plane could land at Pelham’s airport. Contacted for comment later, retired commercial
pilot and frequent volunteer Lancaster pilot Leon Evans told the Voice that the aircraft requires a minimum runway length of 5000 ft. for operations. The longest runway at Niagara Central is 3500 ft. Joint Accessibility Advisory Committee members Rhys Evans and Anna Villalta made a presentation to council regarding their work as Ontario approaches its 2025 accessibility deadline. Stewart questioned why, on the 2022 council meeting schedule, Valentine’s Day was treated as a holiday. Council traditionally meets on Tuesdays if the Monday before is a holiday. This coming February, Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday, with council therefore scheduled for Tuesday. “Councillor, I’m a little shocked by your lack of romanticism,” Junkin joked. “I just want to point out that every day is Valentine’s Day in my house,” Olson chimed in.
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Summations in Duncan trial From Page 7 geons of Ontario (CPSO) to register a complaint against Duncan. During the discovery process of the court proceedings, no complaint with CPSO could be corroborated. Weinstein said that since 1997, the CPSO has had a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual assault accusations directed at its members, and that it was “implausible” they would not have acted on such a complaint. Justice Calderwood noted, however, that the police routinely receive complaints, which they keep on fi le without laying formal charges. In fact, it was the CPSO that reached out to one of the alleged victims during the College’s investigation of Duncan, a woman who told the Voice that she had contacted Niagara Regional Police about Duncan’s con-
duct in 2009, after the second of two alleged assaults. Addressing the complainants’ credibility, and reliability of their testimony, Morris said that given the passage of time since the alleged incidents occurred, the witnesses should be allowed some minor inconsistencies, as long as the “core issues remained intact.” A small entourage of Duncan supporters was present in court. One was an 81-year-old man, who said that he and his family had been patients of Duncan’s for 45 years, and had never experienced anything but fi ne treatment from the doctor. Another woman berated a reporter for “publishing untruths” and damaging Duncan’s family through coverage of the case. After the hearing, some family members of alleged victims pointed out that
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A October 13 2021
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THE BALANCED LIFE by John Swart
The K&P—best rail trail ever
T
he red brilliance of sugar maples, the orange-yellows of birch and aspens, their reflection in the dead-calm black trailside marshes, and the sheer size of wispy soft pines lush against a flawless blue sky painted a picture so bright and beautiful that day one of our bike ride through Frontenac County was overwhelming. On the second day, our senses now somewhat prepared for what we’ll experience along the K&P Rail Trail, we begin to notice details that had been lost in the previous day’s grandeur. Every rotting log nurses
ridiculously coloured and shaped fungi (Frontenac forests boast 700 different species). Yellow Fairy Cups (bispoella citrine) hold tiny droplets of water for thirsty fairies. Red and orange Eyelash Cups (Scutellinia scutellata) wear “eyelashes” around their edges. The concentric rings of colour unique to Mottled Turkey Tail fungus (trametes versicolor) mimic a turkey’s tail feathers. The trail, surfaced in fine white limestone chips and dust, is warming under a brilliant October sun, beckoning a zoo full of reptiles and amphibians to warm their bodies one last time
before winter sets in. Garter snakes are everywhere, fat grey water snakes hunt frogs basking on pizza-sized lily pads, and ambitious turtles who simply must visit the pond across the trail demand constant rescue from the wheels of the rare ATV we might meet. The natural beauty has become immersive by day three, so we are given to contemplating the county’s history, to question what it was like here 100, 200, even 11,000 years ago during the Paleo-Indian period. How did early indigenous groups and settlers survive on such tiny arable acreages in such a harsh environment? Would such a ride as ours, had it been possible, seen the snakes and turtles replaced by moose and bear at every turn? How many men were killed and maimed blasting
The colours between Kingston and Clarendon Station were a photographer's dream come true. this railroad bed through the granite more than 100 years ago? On day four, the trail is
our philosophical highway. My wife, Els, and I are deep within our own thoughts. I understand that these glo-
JOHN SWART
rious deciduous trees have stopped producing chloSee BALANCED LIFE Page 16
V oice HOROSCOPE ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 There may be a lot of visitors in your life lately, Aries. You might need to play host at work or at home. Keep the mood light and enjoy this chance to reconnect. TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, this week you may be feeling a little on edge and you won’t be able to pinpoint why. Put yourself into quiet situations where you can unwind and decompress. GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, you may need a break from the pressures of your life, especially if you’ve felt tired or strained lately. Too much focus on responsibilities can do that. CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 You have quite the gift of gab when you feel comfortable with someone, Cancer. Just be sure to come up for air and let the other party get a word in edgewise . LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, pay attention to psychic impressions this week as things that seem random may actually be telling you something. Don’t hesitate to lean on others for their interpretations. VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, you may get a call from someone this week that catches you off guard. The conversation may prove inspiring and open doors to new opportunities. LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, you may be quick to dismiss insights that come your way via a hunch or a feeling. You tend to value logic, but go with your gut on this.
SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, you have a plan and it includes new friends, a new attitude and a new location. It may take you a little while to achieve all of this, but remain patient and focused. SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius, you love to experiment with new ideas and discover new people. You will be excited to find yourself in a burgeoning romance. Enjoy the ride. CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 Capricorn, double-check all of the numbers in your budget because you want to be sure you are accounting for every penny. This isn’t a time to estimate. AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 Confusing signs could be coming from friends or coworkers, Aquarius. Don’t be afraid to seek some clarity. Others will appreciate your honesty. PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Communication is the name of the game this week, Pisces. It may come in the form of a speech, email or even a handwritten letter. FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS OCTOBER 10 Mario Lopez, TV Host (48) OCTOBER 11 Cardi B, Rapper (29) OCTOBER 12 Hugh Jackman, Actor (53) OCTOBER 13 Doc Rivers, Coach (60) OCTOBER 14 Usher, Singer (43) OCTOBER 15 Keyshia Cole, Singer (40)
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The Voice
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A October 13 2021
ANSWERS ON PAGE 18
FAITH LIFT
by Pastor Rob Weatherby
John, the beloved disciple
W
e have seen that the third Gospel writer, Luke, was called “the beloved physician”. We now come to the fourth Gospel writer, John, known as “the beloved disciple” (see John 21:20). This description doesn’t imply that John was loved more than the other eleven disciples. Jesus loved them all the same just as he loves all of us the same. It probably refers, however, to the fact that John was the youngest of the disciples and therefore received a little extra care. Jesus was in his early 30s when he chose his disciples and began his public ministry. John was probably in his early 20s. John outlived the other disciples not only because he was the youngest but also because the others were martyred. Historical evidence shows that ten of Jesus’ disciples gave their lives as missionaries spreading the faith in various parts of the world. John too suffered persecution and exile on the isle of Patmos (off the coast of modern-day Turkey) but not martyrdom. Records show that he lived to a relatively old age.
resurrection. When John does describe one of Jesus’ miracles (e.g. the feeding of the 5,000), he links it with Jesus’ teaching that he is “the Bread of life” (see John ch. 6). John does not include any parables in his Gospel unlike the others. Whereas Luke’s Greek was the most refined in the New Testament, John’s Greek is very simple. The truths he describes, however, are still very profound. John preferred to use the name “Jesus” (meaning “Savior”) rather than “Christ” (meaning the “promised or anointed one”).
John used the word “believe” over 100 times and the term “eternal life” 35 times. His most famous (and well-loved) verse uses both words — “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) This has been called the “Gospel in a nutshell”. John clearly explained the reason for his Gospel at its conclusion. “But these (signs or miracles) are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by See FAITH LIFT Page 12
His Gospel
John was inspired to write during the last decade of the first century which was also the last decade of his life. There are several distinctive features of John’s Gospel when compared to the other three. John is the most philosophical as he begins his Gospel referring to Jesus as the “Logos” (Greek for “Word”). Whereas Matthew and Mark emphasized Jesus’ miracles and Luke emphasized Jesus’ parables, John focused on the last year of Jesus’ life — the events leading up to his death and
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BALANCED LIFE
continued from Page 14 rophyll to conserve energy and nutrients for the winter, but can Darwin’s theory of natural selection explain the purpose of colours so striking? Is this timing a coincidence, offering us humans all this beauty and joy as we give thanks and prepare for a long, cold winter? The K&P Trail follows the route of the historic Kingston and Pembroke railway, constructed in stages north from Kingston during the 1870s. By the mid-1870s the local Kingston entrepreneurs who began the project had exhausted their funds, so Canadian Pacific Railways assumed ownership,
completing the line to Pembroke in 1882. According to Manual of Railroad records, in 1884 the K&P transported 31,775 passengers and 85,946 tons of freight on its five passenger cars, four baggage cars and 195 freight cars powered by nine locomotives. Declining timber harvests and better roads forced CP to abandon the money-losing line in 1986. The southern 75 kilometre section of the recreational trail, from Kingston north to Sharbot Lake, was completed in 2017. Ten kilometers more, between Sharbot Lake and Clarendon Station were resurfaced in 2020. The remaining distance to Pembroke is a
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A October 13 2021
rough mix of ATV trail and unimproved railway bed, a true challenge for hardcore gravel riders, which we chose not to attempt this trip. We rode north to south, beginning in the ghost town of Clarendon Station, a hamlet that thrived and died with the fortunes of the K&P railroad. Within a few metres of the trail, two fellows worked to secure the original Clarendon railway station house to a newly poured concrete foundation. The pair were friendly, but busy, limiting conversation. The fellow who owned the station house was hoping to restore it and rent it, Airbnb style, to those who might relish staying in the historic structure while cycling, snowmobiling, or enjoying the trail in some manner. The building appeared solid, but clearly the owner had taken on a large task. For now, he said, he was, “Just trying to keep my head above water.” We
wished him well as we rode south. The original village of Oso, a few kilometers south, had disappeared. The hamlet was officially opened in 1823 when Sir Peregrine Maitland, then Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, named it Oso (Spanish for bear), according to Jesse E. Middleton, in his book, The Province of Ontario: a History: 1615-1927. As fall colours add so much to the natural environment, so does history embellish the characters and places along the trail. Although Maitland worked to suppress the pro-American advocates within Upper Canada’s government, he is sadly remembered as being, “The first to propose the civilizing techniques that would eventually lead to the establishment of the Canadian Indian residential school system….In an 1820 report to the Colonial Office he argued for the introduction of industrial schools to minimize the children's
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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca exposure to the savage influence of their families.” (John S. Milloy, A National Crime: The Canadian Government and the Residential School System: 1879-1986) The K&P Trail hints at an authenticity in northeastern Ontario that Muskoka lacks. As we stopped to enjoy our lunch on the shaky bleachers of a dilapidated outdoor hockey rink in Tichborne, once fi lled with fans cheering their Frontenac Junior Champions (1937) to victory, three senior-aged women quietly motored by on their ATVs. Whether headed to town for a coffee or simply enjoying the beauty around them as were we, they were clearly having fun. Twice earlier in the day we had been passed by couples on ATVs just out for a country drive, Frontenac style. Perhaps one was Mary Sweetman, the Tichborne resident that caused such a kerfuffle in the 1950s, when she chose to marry Glen Howes from nearby Parham, the town’s arch hockey and baseball rival. As Mary recalled a few years ago, her loyalty was in question. “Nobody in Parham wanted me to marry Glen; they were rival towns,” she told the Frontenac News, adding that it was not an intense rivalry. “Nothing like Romeo and Juliet, but it was something people talked about.” Next came Godfrey, where the road construction crew was captained by an extremely self-aware,
Please email resume or qualifications and references to: mail@greenfieldservices.ca
French-braided flag person. The deeply tanned woman wore a sleeveless muscle-style shirt beneath her open orange coveralls, making her sparkling string of pearls inescapable from 10 metres away. She brightened each motorist’s day, as she did ours, with her broad and saucy smile. Covid, and perhaps the connected world in general, have wreaked havoc on a few of the small towns along the trail. Restrictions and reduced tourism have removed Verona’s shine. Her coffee shop and “Food Less Travelled” restaurant were still open to trail users, and the plaque marking the meeting place of the first Frontenac County Women’s Institute in 1921 was interesting, but Verona appeared oversold by the tourist brochures on this day. On our final ride Els said to me, “This is the best rail trail we’ve ever ridden.” The experience was wonderful — smooth surface, intense colours, stunning views of the rugged Canadian Shield, and small communities and ghost towns providing a glimpse into a life seldom seen in Niagara. And tranquility — we saw less than a dozen other trail users each day. Yes, Kingston is a fourhour drive, or Sharbot Lake at the north end four-anda-half, and ViaRail is an option too. Whether you’re a cyclist, hiker, or runner, fast or slow, exploring this fantastic trail would be a few days well spent. ◆
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RECIPE OF THE WEEK
4 Nut-Free Granola Bars
School is in session and that means busy families may be in need of a few meal solutions that fit into their schedules — particularly items to grab on the way to school or work. Granola bars often fit the bill as nutritious options in portable packages. While store-bought granola bars are convenient, they tend to be made with nuts or oats, which are not ideal for those with food allergies or intolerances. People can easily whip up homemade granola bars that are chock-full of vitamins and minerals and can be customized to food preferences and tastes. This recipe for “Nut-Free Granola Bars” from “Eat What You Want” (Ten Speed Press) by Danielle Walker can be enhanced with raisins, chocolate chips or dried fruits. Nut-Free Granola Bars Makes 12 2 1 1⁄3 1 2 3⁄4 3⁄4 1 2 2 2 1⁄2 1⁄4
The Voice
tablespoons warm water tablespoon chia seeds cup light-colored raw honey tablespoon virgin coconut oil tablespoons unsweetened sunflower seed butter cup raw pepitas cup raw sunflower seeds cup unsweetened coconut flakes tablespoons sesame seeds teaspoons pure vanilla extract teaspoons ground cinnamon teaspoon fine sea salt cup chocolate chips, raisins, or dried fruit pieces
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease the short sides of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with ghee or coconut oil. Line the bottom and long sides of the pan with parchment paper so the ends hang over the sides. Whisk the warm water and chia seeds in a small bowl and set aside. Melt the honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until a candy thermometer reads 225 F. Stir in the oil and sunflower seed butter and remove the pan from the heat. Let cool for 10 minutes. Place the pepitas and sunflower seeds in a food processor and pulse once or twice until coarsely chopped. Add the coconut flakes, sesame seeds, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt and pulse a few more times, until coarsely chopped and incorporated. Add the chia mixture and the honey mixture and stir by hand until just combined. Immediately spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place a piece of parchment paper on top and use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan. Remove the top piece of parchment and bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer the pan to the freezer for 1 hour, until set. Remove the pan from the freezer and lift the parchment flaps to remove the slab from the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 rectangular bars. Serve the bars chilled. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 6 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Page 17 John Swart on resilience in the face of illness
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