The Voice
Larry “BILKO” THE Bilkszto PAPER THAT PELHAM READS
CELEBRATING OUR 20TH YEAR
Your Local Sales Representative 905-563-3330 • 905-641-1110
DEBBIE PINE
RE/MAX® Garden City
SALES REPRESENTATIVE 905.892.0222 SELL phone: 905-321-2261
Niagara Real Estate Center, Brokerage Independently Owned & Operated
debbiepine@royallepage.ca
Realty Inc., Brokerage
www.bilko.ca
bilko@rgcmail.com Vol.21 No.29
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
FREE
Council hears Haist arena development presentation "Preferred" plan keeps existing park, blends singles and townhomes
See ARENA back page
Cremation/Burial
RE/MAX® Garden City Realty Inc., Brokerage
www.bilko.ca bilko@rgcmail.com
Column Six Laurette and Me
BY SAMUEL PICCOLO
The VOICE
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BEAVERING AWAY Beaver Scouts Evan Vanderzanden, Ethan Flikkema, Jack Lilley fundraising with apples last weekend in the Fonthill Plaza. VOICE PHOTO
Doctor's license cancelled over unpaid dues Patients upset over ordeal, delay in fix BY VOICE STAFF Dr. Duane Pelser, a family physician who recently opened a clinic on Highway 20, has been unable to open his office for over a month. In early September, Pelser’s medical license was cancelled by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) for his failure to pay the annual membership dues. “On September fifth I received the mail that shows the previous month’s billing information,” Pelser says. “And
I was so surprised to see that I wasn’t going to be paid for August.” He immediately called the CPSO to see what had happened, and was told that he hadn’t paid his membership fee, and so his license had been suspended in early August. But according Pelser, during that phone call he was told that his grace period extended to September 8th, and if he paid the fees—plus a late penalty—before then, his license would be re-instated within 48 hours. After getting off the phone with the CPSO, Pelser paid the $1600 membership fee, plus the penalty fee. After 48 hours had passed without reinstatement of his license, Pelser again called the CPSO.
“This time, I was told that I had missed my deadline, and wouldn’t be able to apply for renewal. I would have to apply for a new license, as if I were a new doctor, and that my application wouldn’t be considered until December.” He says that he was bounced from desk to desk at the CPSO, eventually repeating his story seven different times. The CPSO told him that they had made every effort to advise him in the spring of the June 1 deadline for renewal, saying that they had sent emails and letters to him. Pelser, who was the victim of idenSee PELSER Page 10
These doors open to a place where spirituality and community meet We invite you to enter!
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Your Local Sales Representative 905-563-3330 • 905-641-1110
A siesta, a bit of panhandling (sort of), and some mumbling
BY VOICE STAFF In a special meeting last Tuesday evening, Pelham Town Council received another report from the Planning Partnership, the firm working for the Town to develop a plan for the current Pelham Arena site. Town Director of Planning and Development Barb Wiens introduced the presentation with several comments. “There were many residents who were in favour of leaving the property as it is, with no development,” she said, making reference to the public meetings in September, where there was much discussion to this end. Wiens recalled that many were upset that maintaining the status quo was not one of the options on the online survey. “But the Terms of Reference for this plan were that there was a need to explore development alternatives— that’s what Council had asked be done.” Wiens introduced Mike Hudson, a planner at the Planning Partnership, to present the results of the process so far. “We are just over halfway through,” Hudson said. “There is an emerging preferred concept, and we’re looking to get Council’s input on it before developing a more detailed plan.”
Larry “BILKO” Bilkszto
Services Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM www.fonthillunited.com
Fonthill United Church 42 Church Hill
We can help you get your ducks in a row
James L. Pedlar Funeral Home (905) 892-5762
Our family serving your family
OUCHSU R FING is not for everyone, nor is the website that connects would-be couchsurfers with each other. Hosts on the site, which is like a free version of AirBnB, are split about equally between those of genuine generosity, and those (men) hoping to get laid. The divide is even more heavy on the latter half when you are in Italy. But when I was in Europe, two summers ago, I had mostly positive experiences with the service. I stayed with great hosts in Barcelona, in Lübeck, Germany, and in Dieppe, France, though none of these stays were as memorable as one night in Zaragoza, Spain. Before I left, my father suggested that I look up my favourite musicians’ touring schedules to see if they had any dates that coincided with my planned stops. I soon saw that Bob Dylan would be touring in Europe, and that we would overlap in Zaragoza. The ticket prices seemed pretty high, so I decided to wait until closer to the date to see if I could find anything cheaper. See COLUMN SIX Page 9