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Wednesday, October 18, 2017
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Council hears Haist arena development presentation "Preferred" plan keeps existing park, blends singles and townhomes
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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
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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.”
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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
Page 2
The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
PUBLISHER’S CORNER by Dave Burket
Finally, some use for great-granddad's spitoon: Those history gals are at it again. Rosemary Chambers and Carolyn Botari are seeking artifacts —old photographs, heirlooms, with any pertinent documentation—related to Pelham. Items will be collected for a display lasting one to two months. If you have something that you could loan, please crank the telephone and ask the operator to put you through to: Rosemary, TWilight 2-2549, or Carolyn, TWilight 2-8894... Better late than never (we hope): Lost between the cracks in our office move last year was a cover letter with some archival newspapers brought in by Larry Fisher, of Wainfleet, on behalf of mom Eleanor Fisher and sister Shirley Charbonneau. Thank you, folks! The papers are safe, sound, and much appreciated... Lose one, gain three: Our page 1 story this week on Dr. Duane Pelser's licensing issue should provide a ray of hope to his patients that he'll be back, though it looks like the earliest that this will happen is January. In the meantime, the family practice of Dr. D. Goswami, Dr. S. Rana, and Dr. R. Goswami has moved from Welland into the East Fonthill Marketplace, next to the new Family Health Pharmacy. A dentist will be joining them as well... It's off to España: Our man Sam Piccolo takes us to Spain this week in Column Six. It's another fine Piccolo piece. The "Couchsurfing" thing, though... No, gracias!
DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH Pelham Cares held its second annual Diamonds & Denim barn dance last month and hosted a sell-out crowd. Major sponsors included, from left: Norm Belange of Upper Canada Sports, Curt Wilkens of Miller Restoration, Kim Belanger of Upper Canada Sports, Tracy Holmwood, President Pelham Cares, and Tina and Fred Sidler of James L Pedlar Funeral Home. SUPPLIED PHOTO
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Pelham motorcyclist arrested
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IN THE NEWS
In June, the Niagara Regional Police Service reports that it began receiving numerous calls from the residents of Pelham about a male operating a blue and white Suzuki sport bike in the areas of Regional Road 20, Welland Road, and Canboro Road, in Fenwick. The motorcycle was being operated in a dangerous manner. The complaints concerned the reckless operation of the motorcycle at speeds in residential areas in excess of 140 km/h, the rider pulling "wheelies," again along residential streets. The behavior began to escalate and culminated in the male pulling high-speed wheelies on three separate occasions through a Port Colborne school zone, followed by flight from police. A joint investigation commenced involving uniform officers from the NRPS 3 District – Welland, and 6 District - Port Colborne. The investigators also received information from the Ontario Provincial Police. Last Tuesday morning, 25-year-old Thomas Cody Duggan, of Pelham, was arrested and charged with the following alleged criminal offences: Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle (x3); Flight From Police; Theft Under $5000; Breach of Recognizance Order (x5). In addition there are a number of alleged provincial offences that Duggan has been charged with. The charges are: No insurance; No licence plate; Fail-
and Dec. 7. Registration is necessary. To find out if you are eligible and to register for a workshop, call 905-688-8248 ext. 7240, or 1-888-5056074.
Stolen pickup trucks
During the first week of October, police say that two pickup trucks were stolen in or near Pelham. The first, a 2005 GMC Sierra crew cab was taken from a golf course on Webber Road. The second, a 2003 Ford F250, was stolen from a store parking lot on South Pelham Road in Welland.
ure to register a vehicle. At this time police say they are still investigating a number of complaints involving this male, and the number of charges both criminal and provincial offences is expected to rise. The NRPS are asking that anyone having had an interaction with Duggan either on the blue and white Suzuki, or an Orange Honda sport bike please contact the investigating officers or detectives from the 3 District Welland Criminal Investigation Branch at 905-688411, extension 3300.
Child porn arrest
On Friday October 6, the Niagara Regional Police Service Internet Child Exploitation (I.C.E) Unit engaged in a joint Investigation that had been initiated by members of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) assigned to the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, Ontario. As a result, police say that Roger Eugene Crawford, 57, of Dansville, New York, was arrested and charged with Possess Child Pornography, and Import Child Pornography, both contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada. Members of the public can report suspicious Internet activities relating to child exploitation to the Niagara Regional Police Service, or online at www.cybertip.ca. Internet safety tips for parents, children and Internet users are also available on the Cybertip website
Free quit smoking help
Free quit smoking patches are available to Niagara residents for a limited time. The STOP (Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients) Program offers eligible participants in Niagara five weeks of cost-free nicotine replacement therapy and smoking cessation information to help them in their quit attempt. WHAT: Free patches for adults in Niagara to quit smoking WHERE: STOP workshops will be held in Welland, Grimsby and Thorold WHEN: Oct. 19, Nov. 23
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Vol.20 No.48
CELEBRATING OUR 20TH YEAR
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
DSBN wants portion of Town park
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The Comfort Maple myth
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Wednesday, November 30, 2016
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Oops: No fire trucks for you
Haist Street traffic-calming measure a little too effective
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Column Six
Growing up British
Vol.20 No.32
Wednesday October 12, 2016
FREE
Apple Day comes to Fonthill
BY JULIE MANNELL
Special to the VOICE
W
BALLOONING INTEREST Grade 6 student Jinja Shepherd explains her experiment on static electricity at the Glynn A. Green Public School's annual science fair last Friday. See story, page 3. NATE SMELLE PHOTO
Public meeting tonight on school issues BY VOICE STAFF As questions continue to mount regarding an email that Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn quietly sent to a District School Board of Niagara trustee last summer, Augustyn has agreed to address the issue at a public meeting scheduled for this evening, Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Fenwick. Nancy Beamer, speaking for “Names Matter,” a Pelham citizens group lobbying the DSBN to reverse its decision to rename a local public school, confirms that the meeting will be held at Fire Station #2, known locally as the Fenwick Fire Hall, starting at 7:00 PM. While the Mayor has agreed to ap-
Under pressure, Mayor to address email revelation, other E. W. Farr matters pear, says Beamer, DSBN officials associated with the school-naming process have either declined to attend or have not yet responded to the group’s invitation. DSBN Chair, Dale Robinson, to whom Augustyn’s email was addressed last June, has declined to appear, says Beamer, asserting that she would be
“on holidays.” The Voice was unable to independently confirm Robinsion’s intentions. She did not respond to repeated requests for comment on E.W. Farr-related matters before presstime. Beamer, whose group maintains an email list of some 580 residents, says that all members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting. “We would especially welcome parents and children who are unhappy with the name change,” she says, referring to the contentious decision by the DSBN to consolidate two Pelham See MEETING back page
HEN I WAS young, my father and I would go for long drives along the rural routes of Pelham. We’d blast George Thurgood and roll down the windows because we loved the smell of the breeze, the sensation of crisp Niagara wind beating our cheeks and tangling our hair against our summer-kissed skin. My father was not a sentimental man. He worked in factories and had a Gordon Lightfoot mustache and never shed tears over injuries. Yet something about the Pelham landscape, the hilly backdrop to his childhood and the childhoods of our ancestors, drew him in. He’d stop by a farm or a gathering of woods and, surrendering his manly veneer, tell me a story about the town. This place is precious. This is the earth that granted us life. Here is the place where we happened upon love or here is a site of devastation. On one particular drive sometime in the late ‘90s we stopped at a tree with a plaque. “This tree looks dead,” I said to my father. “It sure is getting there, Julie.” The Comfort Maple is supposedly Canada’s oldest See COLUMN SIX Page 14
Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation
BY VOICE STAFF
A construction error was discovered following the opening of a traffic calming chicane on Haist Street north of Hwy 20 last Monday that prevented large vehicles from passing through. One resident living in the neighbourhood said he contacted the Town after seeing a small schoolbus get stuck as it tried to get through the new traffic calming measure. Later that day while driving behind a cement truck, he said that he became concerned for the public’s safety when the truck had to turn around because it couldn’t get through. “If a small school bus and a cement truck can’t make it through what about a fire
BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER
Special to the VOICE
A
Repair measures underway last week to correct a construction error in the chicane. truck or an ambulance?” he said. While waiting for the contractor to return to fix
the mistake, the Town has taken measures to temporarily allow passage for vehicles through the neigh-
VOICE PHOTO
bourhood in the short-term. Manager of Public Works Ryan Cook said that after discovering the issue with
the chicane the morning it first opened, the Town See CHICANE Page 5
Petition-inspired changes coming to 2017 Summerfest BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Representatives from the Pelham Summerfest committee Candy Ashbee and Bill Gibson presented council with a final report on the 2016 Summerfest at the Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 21. Prompted by a story in the Voice in August about a merchant petition to move Summerfest from Pelham Street, in September Town staff met with various stakeholders to hear their complaints, promising at the time that changes in the way Summerfest was mounted would be con-
sidered. The main concerns identified during the community engagement process were security, parking, ensuring customer can access all businesses in town, and liability for damages. How to get all Pelham Street businesses to participate and finding ways to make it beneficial for them to set up a booth were also determined to be of high priority for the committee as they plan for next year’s event. Gibson told Council that the committee is addressing these concerns in a variety of ways. To improve parking, they intend to create bet-
ter signage for out-of-town visitors to designated parking areas and shuttle services. To make participation in Summerfest more enticing to local businesses, they plan to implement a tiered-charge for booths. Under the new system, Pelham Street business owners will be charged the least, other local businesses will pay a slightly higher fee, and vendors from outside Pelham will pay the most. In response to more specific issues for individual businesses, they will also slightly alter the footprint of the event and make adjustments to security. Another way the committee plans
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to improve the 2017 Summerfest is by sponsoring and working with the organizers of the Thursday Night Bandshell Concert series to select the artist performing on the first night of Summefest. They also intend to make more use of the smartphone app they launched in 2016. "We are really going to push it this year," Ashbee said. “It really helps to get people to see what events there are so they can plan out where they are going. We will be able to actually help the merchants and local businesses adSee CHANGES Page 5
FTER LUNCH ON Saturday, Mum and Dad had my afternoon cut out for me. Mum had more brass than anyone I knew, and it had to be cleaned. In addition there was the set of silver fish-knives and forks which were never used, but which had to be cleaned and put back in their velvetlined box. Next was a walk to the newsagents to pay for the daily delivery of the Daily Mirror. As I said, Dad was a printer, but when he was 37 he had been rejected for a job, as being too old, by the printers of the Beano. For that reason, my favourite comic was not allowed in the house, but while I was paying the papers, the newsagent let me have a 'shoofty' at the Beano. I'd explained my predicament and he understood completely. Sundays were different again. Dad would play golf on summer mornings and billiards in winter. Then he'd stop for a 'refresher' at the local and would pick up the prawns, cockles, winkles or whelks we'd be having for tea later. Meanwhile, Mum was roasting the 'joint' and potatoes. I got to make the Yorkshire pud, and mint
See COLUMN SIX Page 14
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While shopping in Fonthill between Friday and Sunday, keep an eye out for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in front of local stores with bushels of apples. As part of the annual Apple Day campaign, Scouting youth of all ages will be trading apples for donations. The yearly fundraising drive is an important way for young Scouts to connect with the communities they are serving, says Leah Marie of Scouts Canada. “The Apple Day campaign holds a great tradition of being able to have youth interacting within the communities they live in,” she says. “All of the Apple Day donations stay directly within the group that re-
The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and well-rounded individuals
ceives them, enabling youth to have experiences that build character, challenge them, and allow them to try new things. The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and wellrounded individuals, better prepared for success. Apple Day helps to achieve that.”
“Any money raised during Apple Day goes towards improving the Scouting program by providing more outdoor adventures for youth, camping equipment, canoes and paddles, training and many other endeavours that the youth want to experience,” says Marie. Scouts Canada has some 100,000 members across Canada, and carries out programs for boys, girls
Joining their principal, Karen Simpson, at the Sept. 19 Council meeting as part of a delegation from EL Crossley Secondary School, students Abby Loewen and Neenah Williams presented Council with a list of reasons that they should immediately approve the construction of the new sidewalk proposed along Hwy. 20. The asphalt side-
walk/trail is slated to be built between the south side of the road from Timmsdale Crescent to the high school. Because of the large volume of motor vehicle traffic travelling at high speeds through this area, and because of the necessity for students to tread this path on a daily basis, many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later. After delivering to Council a petition containing
Many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later the names of 450 students calling for a safer walk to school, Simpson handed the
podium over to Loewen and Williams to plead their case. Loewen told Council that because there are a lot of students who have work placements and coop placements during the school year, this is the only route for many of them to travel. As one of the students facing this predicament, Williams said she has had no other option but to walk along the dangerous highway.
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and youth ages 5-25. This year the 3rd Fonthill Group, which includes Beavers to Ventures (youth ages 5- 25) will be hitting the streets to drum-up support. Over the weekend, Scouts will be set up in Fonthill outside Sobeys, Tim Hortons, Target Gas station, Fonthill Shopping Plaza and the Pioneer Gas station at the corner of Hwys 20 and 24.
Town Council approves sidewalk to serve E. L. Crossley BY NATE SMELLE
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Second year Beaver with the 3rd Fonthill Group, Russell Letford offers a fresh apple to shoppers in Pelham during the 2015 Apple Day campaign. SUPPLIED PHOTO A longtime Canadian tradition, Apple Day began in 1932 in Saint John, New Brunswick, when Scouts handed out 21,000 apples as a way to say thank you to the community. In return for their generosity, many people offered them donations. From then on Scouts have reached out through Apple Day to raise funds for their programs.
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Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn
Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932
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Column Six
BY VOICE STAFF The District School Board of Niagara is requesting that the Town of Pelham cede a portion of Cherry Ridge Park for use as a soccer field to serve the students of the new Wellington Heights Public School, formerly the E. W. Farr Memorial Public School, in Fenwick. Currently under renovation and expansion, the new school will combine students and staff from the previous school and Pelham Centre, where classes are being held while construction continues. Two letters, containing virtually identical text but signed by different authorities, were sent last week to nearby residents of the park, as well as to parents of Pelham Centre students. “The DSBN is currently building onto Wellington Heights Public School on Alsop Drive,” states the letter. “The size of the school's addition means the existing small soccer field will be eliminated. The Town and the Board have been discussing the possibility of working together to create a field for both the school and the
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The Niagara Regional Police Service is committed to reducing impaired driving offences through education and the apprehension of offenders through enforcement programs like RIDE. Impaired driving is still the leading cause of criminal deaths in Canada and destroys thousands of lives every year.
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In an effort to bring further attention and deterrence to driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, the Niagara Regional Police Service reports the names of those people who are charged with an alleged criminal impaired driving offence in the Region. None of the following charges have been proved in court. In addition to being charged, these individuals are also bound by a Ministry of Transportation 90-Day Administrative Driver’s License Suspension and are prohibited from operating a motor vehicle on a roadway. The public is encouraged to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service Traffic Safety Hotline or Crime Stoppers to report those who are driving in contravention of the suspension. The following individuals have been charged criminally with impaired driving by alcohol or drugs, driving with a blood alcohol concentration above 80 mgs of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, or refusing to provide a breath / blood sample. Allison L. CHEDORE, 34, Niagara Falls Thomas C. REED, 71, West Lincoln Hunter E. HILL, 19, Niagara Falls J. Kirk McINERNEY, 43, Pelham Corey J. DRIEDGER, 31, Niagara-on-the-Lake Scott K. McGREGOR, 48, St. Catharines
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Joe Seliske, in the Windy City to see son Michael compete in the marathon, also took time to visit the Art Museum of Chicago and "American Gothic," the Grant Wood classic.
NRPS impaired driving charges
“I start work at 2:30 PM and school lets out at 2:15 PM so I can’t take any other route,” Williams explained. “I have had friends, family, teachers and other community members reach out to me in the past about how this is unsafe and how there should be another alternative for us.” Looking ahead to winter, when she will need to walk this path three or four times See SIDEWALK Page 2
HERE IS NO BETTER time to cycle than Fall. It matters not whether you’re new to the sport, a seasoned recreational cyclist, racer, touring rider or mountain biker; we all have reason to look forward to autumn. Summer’s heat has faded, and the streams of sweat that ran from soggy helmets into our eyes are now just slight perspiration. Fitness is peaking from lots of saddle time, making those tough climbs of Spring a breeze in Autumn. It’s hard to beat the feeling of beginning a crisp, cool Fall ride with a slight shiver, knowing your efforts will soon warm you perfectly. The hues of Autumn are outstanding. A Pelham route as simple as following our southern boundary is one that would make most Toronto cyclists jealous, especially when our forests and fields are ablaze with colour. Begin from Harold Black Park, and zig-zag south along Effingham Rd toward the Welland River. If you’re new to cycling, it’s important to know south is the direction away from any hills. If you avoid the morning and evening weekday rush hours caused by those travelling through Pelham between Wainfleet See AUTUMN Page 3
Indulgence Bakery Mossimo’s Pelham Street Grille Sobeys Fonthill DeVries Fruit Farm Beamer’s Hardware & TV Fonthill Library Black Pearl Fish & Chips Bob’s Boys Antiques Moku’s Family Health Pharmacy Fonthill Fitness Fenwick Pie Company McDonald’s Fonthill Legion Semenuk’s Gas Bar Target Store Tim Horton’s Giant Tiger Pelham Town Hall Shoppers Drug Mart Zee Lube Express Care Lazy Loon Minor Bros Stores Avondale Stores A-1 Market Sobeys South Pelham Broken Gavel Restaurant Grill on Canboro Renewed Thrift & Vintage Ridge Berry Farm Circle-K
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The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
Page 3
The saga of Sulphur Springs continues Residents worry that roadside maintenance harms environment BY SARAH WHITAKER
Special to the VOICE
Residents of the Sulphur Spring Drive area continue to be concerned about the narrow roadway. "I'm really disappointed the Town earmarked money, then withdrew it," says Cheryl Skobal regarding the ongoing closure of Sulphur Springs Drive. "It really needs to be fixed," said the resident of Orchard Hill, which is also currently closed due to road damage, pointing out there is no other access for many residents of the area and a medical emergency could be devastating. Sulphur Springs has been closed since March 2016 due to a section of the road being washed out. Council did earmark $35,000 last year for an engineer's report to discover the best course of action for fixing the road, a narrow, winding country lane that crosses the sensitive Twelve Mile Creek. Council took that money back out of the budget last year, but have recently agreed that something needs to be done. Some councillors feel a full engineer's report isn't necessary and the money should go directly to road repairs. A garbage truck driver, stopped to collect waste on Luffman Drive, which runs between Sulphur Springs and Orchard Hill, told the Voice that collecting trash in the neighbourhood is significantly more difficult since the road was closed, noting he is forced to back down one portion of Sulphur Springs and try to turn the truck around where another small portion of the road widens out. While the road closure continues to be inconvenient and a concern for people who live in the area, a new concern has come to light following some road
maintenance late this summer. Lynncy Powell, whose family has owned a home in the area for 150 years, explains she heard a loud
He had a side arm cutter and was taking out three-inch saplings
noise on Luffman recently and walked down the road to see what was happening. She spoke with a worker, she believes a Town contractor, on a tractor cutting vegetation along the side of the road. "He had a side arm cutter that was taking out threeinch saplings," says Powell, noting she asked him to stop and assured him she would trim the vegetation by hand. When she later walked around to Sulphur Springs she saw vegetation had been cleared "indiscriminately" along the banks of Twelve Mile Creek. Pointing out large saplings with jagged, torn cuts in the trunks — some still attached to the now-dead limbs and leaves, Powell said they were "hacked off" and not cut with any care. "Oh my god," says Powell of her reaction to seeing the damage. Marc MacDonald, Public Relations and Marketing Specialist for the Town of Pelham, said the work was "very minor" roadside
Damaged saplings along the banks of the Twelve Mile Creek. sightline maintenance, and the tree cuttings were part of a five-year plan to remove diseased ash from the area. An arborist who has seen the saplings that were cut, said the work is not proper tree removal but rather a cutting-back of any tree encroaching on the roadside. Walking along Sulphur Springs and pointing out where vegetation has been cut from the bank of the creek and how the saplings would have shaded the water, Powell says her biggest concern is for the environment. The creek, the only cold-water fish habitat in Niagara, relies on the shade of trees along its bank to
keep the water cool, explains Powell, adding that the vegetation also helps keep the bank from eroding. "It needs to be narrow and deep" for the water to stay cool, she says, noting as the creek bed widens it becomes shallow and is more easily warmed by the sun. Along with her concern for the health of the creek and the wildlife that rely on it, Powell points out the vegetation would also help prevent erosion along the side of the road— the cause of the current road closure. "We need a roads manager that thinks ahead," says Powell. Quick to point out the area is well-serviced by
SARAH WHITAKER PHOTO
Pelham's public works department with excellent snow clearing, Powell says this particular work does more harm than good. "There needs to be some education of Town staff about the importance of the creek banks and vegetation," she said. "It needs to stay overgrown." MacDonald says the Town "has specific fleet and
procedures, as well as contracted services, depending on the nature of the roadway" and that Town staff are "certainly cognizant of the environmental sensitivity of the area, especially with respect to the Twelve Mile Creek.” "Every effort is made to minimize any damage during roadside maintenance,” adds MacDonald.
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Page 4
The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
OPINION
The opinions expressed in submitted commentary and letters to the editor are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Voice of Pelham.
The Voice of Pelham is a 1211858 Ontario Limited publication David Burket, Publisher 2-1428 Pelham St., P.O. Box 1489, Fonthill, ON L0S1E0
COMMENTARY / OP-ED Larry Coté The bane of our society The medicinal and mind-altering usage of drugs by societies has occurred for many years. There is plenty of evidence that ancient tribes searched out and used herbs and other plants that were primarily intended for medicinal purposes. Some of these were found to be mind-altering and were presumably used as an anesthetic to relieve pain. These societies thought such usage and applications by medicine persons to be ritualistic and legitimate practices. Undoubtedly, there were some who sought the euphoric effects produced by of some of these potions for recreational purposes. Thus, the recreational usage of drugs and alcohol became popular and that popularity remains with us today. The above historical notation is not intended to minimize nor legitimize the current drug abuse problem. Far from it. Rather, it is an effort to rejoin the chorus of forewarnings that if current trends in illegitimate drug use continue there will be unfathomable consequences to our self-proclaimed advanced society. According to authoritative sources, such rampant abuse is approaching epidemic pro-
portions and, most devastatingly, particularly among our youth. According to those stalwarts who study and work in the drug abuse
Some measures to combat this problem need to come from the school system
milieu, there are solid reasons to be alarmed and valid reasons that more programs are needed to curb the continuance and proliferation of this insidious problem. There is no question that the root causes that underlie the “drug problem issue” are complex and not easily resolved. That level of complexity and difficulty is all the more reason why large injections of resources need be devoted to this matter if the malaise is to be ameliorated. It is utterly shameful to stand by and observe an
NEED HELP? MAKE THE CALL Distress Centre For depression, distress, and crisis. 24 hour help line: 905-688-3711   Mental Health and Addictions Access 1-866-550-5205 (Toll Free) Gambler’s Anonymous 905-351-1616
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Alcoholics Anonymous Find a Niagara meeting. 905-682-2140 Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) www.niagaratips.com Text 274637(CRIMES), keyword Niagara, then your tip
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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca PUBLISHER & EDITOR Dave Burket publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca NEWS WRITER Samuel Piccolo ADMINISTRATION Lori Gretsinger office@thevoiceofpelham.ca CONTRIBUTORS Larry Coté, Nick Saltarelli, Carolyn Botari, John Swart, Kirk Weaver NEWS INQUIRIES & TIPS editor@thevoiceofpelham.ca LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@thevoiceofpelham.ca ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@thevoiceofpelham.ca
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcome. Letter submissions should contain the writer’s full name, address and telephone number. Names only will be published. Names may be withheld if compelling reasons are provided. The newspaper reserves the right to change, condense or reject any contribution for brevity or legal reasons. All material in this publication is protected by copyright. Reproduction is prohibited without express, written permission of the publisher. ADVERTISING: The Voice of Pelham regrets any errors or omissions that appear in advertisements in this newspaper, however, we will not be held responsible for more than one absent or incorrect insertion or for any damages beyond the cost of space containing the error. The Voice is an independent, locally owned and operated publication.
increasing number of our youth become victims and succumb to being the caredfor, rather than becoming the caregivers of our future society. Some measures to combat this problem need come from the school system. The curriculum must include stern lessons about drug use, especially of deadly opioids. These efforts need to be actively supported, vigorously reinforced and continuously monitored by parents and others involved with child care. For example, according to news reports, there are groups in Alberta actively engaged in combating illicit drug use. Two of these groups, Get Prescription Drugs Off The Street, and Moms Stop the Harm, are urging legislators to bolster education around drug use. Reportedly the most drug-prone group was youth aged 15 to 24. Thus, the education system is ideally situated to impart the required subject matter. Another area that need be considered are those who profit from the drug trade. Drug companies are among the most profitable enterprises on the planet. These companies develop and proSee BANE next page
Letters Thanks for Kin support On Saturday, September 23, members of the Kinsmen Club of Fonthill & District were out at the Fonthill shopping plaza collecting donations in an effort to raise money towards a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. Since Kin Canada has gotten involved in this project, life expectancy for someone afflicted with this condition has gone from a few short years to well over 30, some living into their 40s and 50s. We could not have achieved this success on our own, and we thank the kindness of those who have donated generously to us. As always, we are overwhelmed and appreciative of the generosity of the people here in Fonthill, and every dollar raised goes to Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, for
their continuing efforts to cure this condition. Cystic Fibrosis is the National project of Kin Canada, with clubs across the country working together to donate over $30 million toward research to find a cure. Y our willingness to donate helped us raise over $2000, and every bit helps. Thank you all very much for your kindness and support. If you would like to be part of the Kin Canada team, contact us at Fonthill Kinsmen, Box 906, Ontario, L0S 1E0 or visit www.fonthillkinsmen.com Tim Emmons Cystic Fibrosis Chair Kinsmen Club of Fonthill & District
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament
Electoral District: Niagara West
Dean Allison, MP 4994 King Street Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 Dean.Allison@parl.gc.ca 877-563-7900
Mayor of Pelham David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Members of Pelham Town Council
Member of Provincial Parliament
Ward 1 Councillor Richard Rybiak rrybiak@pelham.ca 905-892-2105
Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755
Councillor Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 905-684-4870
Electoral District: Niagara West-Glanbrook
Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Councillor Brian Baty brian.baty@niagararegion.ca 905-892-5317 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607
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The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
Page 5
OPINION Letters
continued
Open letter to KPMG auditor The Horton family has lived continuously at 1936 Balfour Street, Fenwick, Ontario, since 1827. Never in my lifetime has there been such widespread and broad-based community distrust of the actions and motives of our Mayor and Town Council. Questions and concerns regarding the financing of the East Fonthill development project are being levelled at this Mayor and Town Council from all sides: from other Niagara Region mayors, from developers, from local business owners, from normally complacent residential property owners, and even internally from one Town of Pelham councillor. As a result of the relentless demands for the truth, the official Town po-
sition has moved from "absolutely no audit," to, "okay, a forensic audit, but we set the terms of reference.”
BANE
tions want to gain entry to the lucrativeness of such an industry? How is it that those who engage in the illicit sale of these drugs have access to these chemicals? Are those who make opioids
continued from previous page duce the chemicals that are ultimately used in the illicit drug trade. Is it any wonder that illegitimate organiza-
In plain terms, start digging
As a municipal taxpayer who will ultimately be contributing to the funding of this audit, I agree with Councillor Marvin Junkin's opinion that the motion as passed by Pelham Town
Complimentary seminars presented by Financial Advisor Nicolle Lalonde of Edward Jones
A banana plantation? Council “is too restrictive, and it is incomplete.” In fact, given that all estimates for the cost of this audit are in excess of $10,000, it has already been pointed out in a letter to the newspaper that Council erred by awarding KPMG the forensic audit contract without first tendering it. Be that as it may, I believe a more appropriate scope and related questions for this forensic audit would be those published by the Voice on October 4 [Town of Pelham Forensic Audit: What must be asked, p. 5]. In plain terms, start digging, and leave no stone unturned, in order that the truth be known. David G. Horton Fenwick
I read lately in the Voice a great deal of opposition in Pelham to the new Community Center, to the East Fonthill development, to redeveloping the old arena site and to the East Fenwick development. When I grew up in west end Toronto, our family enjoyed Sunday picnics in the country — way out at the corner of Royal York Road and Dundas Street. After the picnic my dad took us for a drive through the country farm areas — fruit trees and a vegetable farms — along the recently built four-lane highway called the Queen Elizabeth Way (named after the wife of King George VI, not our present Queen). My mother’s cousin owned a 100-acre apple orchard on Southdown Road in Clarkson (now Mississauga). All our extended family of cousins, nieces and nephews gathered there annually for a reunion. But, progress beckoned and the property was sold. It is now the site of the St Lawrence Cement plant. Thus, within a lifetime, there has been consequential population growth along the QEW, resulting in enormous residential,
not in any way responsible for the widespread availability and proliferation of this most deadly of drugs? Additionally, those who are engaged in the illegal drug trade should be subject
to more grievous penalties to deter participation in this callous destruction of our youth. Those involved in the distribution and sale of these dangerous drugs are as much killers as are those
commercial and industrial development. It seems we take for granted that all this development has always been there. And that the expansion of communities elsewhere occurs with no resistance or opposition. When I was born, Canada had a population of 11 million. It is now over 35 million. Doug Saunders writes in his book, “Maximum Canadians – Why 35 million Canadian’s are not enough,” that in 2016, the federal Liberal government’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth projected that Canada will need to grow to 100 million by 2100. One might expect some of that growth may be in Niagara—some even in Pelham. So I embrace development in our town. Done constructively and within an ever-growing complex set of provincial rules and regulations, I hope we can achieve a community we can be proud to call home —even though that will require having changes that may not always be what seems desirable at the time. Hopefully, NIMBYism should not be part See BANANAS next page
convicted of premeditated murder. Our lawmakers must address the seriousness of the entire chain of the illicit drug industry and remove these purveyors of death from our midst.
Larry Coté is a retired professor of business. He has been awarded the governor General’s Medal for his community involvements.
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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.
nicolle.lalonde@edwardjones.com
Did you conquer Everest or kick a bad habit? Did you meet your spouse-to-be in jail or on an African safari? Do you know where Hoffa’s buried? Write it down, send it in: publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca (You won’t get rich, but you will get paid.)
Page 6
The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
Letters
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
continued
Leave the boys to their Old Boy stuff
Damage control is doing damage
Get questions into auditor
Why can't women just allow the guys the same freedoms we expect. [Fonthill woman objects to Welland Boys exclusion, Oct. 11, p. 1.] There is nothing wrong with a bunch of guys getting together without women, they're allowed to not want to hang out with women for one bloody day a year. Society needs to find more important things to worry about, let the guys have their fun, Well, unless you're willing to pop out of a cake or dance on a pole, I'd endorse women in that case, but only if the Welland Boys okay it. Chantelle Bishop Via Facebook
Mayor Augustyn and Pelham Town Councillors continue to show that they are either stupid, naive, or arrogant (or all of them combined). Agreeing to an audit that uses the Town's own audit firm, based on the terms and objectives that are set by the Mayor and Councillors, that will be conducted on information and data that may or may not be provided by Town staff, and based on meetings with the Mayor, the Councillors and their Town staff may or may not show up for, is either stupid, naive, or arrogant. A Postmedia weekly article recently stated that the, “councillors plan to close the book on the issue, once it receives the audit report.” It sounds like they know what the report will say be-
It is with great concern, although little surprise, that we read Mayor Augustyn is going ahead with the “independent” audit and yet controlling every move. He will decide how long it will take to complete, what the audit will focus on (not much), the company that will do the audit and no doubt ignore the tough questions members of the community want answers to. Basically it’s an “independent” audit on the Mayor’s terms only. The arrogance with which Mayor Augustyn has handled this entire situation is staggering. And they are using YOUR money to pay for their defence. And Mayor Dave says you agree with him. We say, write the Voice and tell them what you think. With the exception of Councillor Junkin, who put forth a motion to widen the scope of the audit, the Mayor and rest of his followers have strategically made the scope of the audit very narrow. This is in keeping with their consistent and conflicting stance that they are open and transparent but yet never actually answer any of the questions
I think that people need to look at the history of this gathering first and foremost. Things were different back then, and I'm sure some stories have been passed down from father to son and not so much to daughters. Let them have their boys night out...after all, it is all about them. And just a thought, you may be surprised at the number of "reunions" there are that are exclusive to male or female only. Dave Barber Via Facebook
No local support Again Pelham Town Council in its wisdom has chosen an out-of town-business to do local business. They just listed property on the corner of Highway 20 and Rice Road with an out-of-town real estate agency. There are at least five real estate offices located in the town who would be quite capable of selling this property. Thanks for supporting our local businesses. Richard Brown Pelham
BANANAS continued from previous page of the equation. (That is what separates a developer from an environmentalist or activist. A developer wants to build a house in the forest. The environ-
mentalist or activist already has a house in the forest.) And so, hopefully, we do not become a banana plantation. (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything.) Doug Symington Fonthill
More study needed for Haist parkland Interesting how the Town of Pelham dismisses studies such as this one in their stampede to collect money for the twin-pad arena: LEAF, Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests, has operated in Toronto for about 20 years. Their efforts of tree planting recognizes the positive outcomes such as less soil erosion and fewer stresses from utilities. The Haist arena parkland creates an oasis of enjoyment for a diverse population...be it two-footed or four, or the many species of birds. It’s not too late to protect this valued piece of property for now and for future generations. Don’t let Haist makes waste... Louis Morgan Pelham
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They are using YOUR money to pay for their defence
and Town Hall’s panel of “experts” that speak in technical terms and tapdance around the issues. We encourage residents to email your questions to the auditor at townofpelhaminfo@kpmg.ca and make sure the questions are answered and our concerns are addressed— properly. Curt Harley Pelham D.E.B.T. Type your pithy letter to the Voice right this minute!
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fore the audit has started. The same article quotes a councillor as saying, “Let's put this to bed. Let's forget about it.” It is interesting that when politicians get into a controversial situation their response is usually that, “we have to put this behind us,” and, “we have to move ahead.” Instead of addressing the issue to the satisfaction of the electorate, they are counting on the perceived short-term memories of most voters. Unfortunately the Mayor and his Councillors work under the assumption the Pelham residents are either stupid or naive. This arrogance is firmly entrenched in Pelham Town Hall. T. Cole Pelham
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The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
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Page 8
The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
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There and back again Explorer from Fenwick returns to Legion next Sunday to discuss latest expedition, new book BY SAMUEL PICCOLO
The VOICE
W
HEN A DA M SHOA LTS pulled into the parking lot at Short Hills Provincial Park last week, he could almost have passed for any other hiker there for a casual stroll. A few weeks ago, his beard was long and tangled, and he was rope-thin, but last week he wore just a few days worth of stubble and seemed to have regained some weight. His wispy brown hair, which the day before had been gelled when he appeared on television, flopped in the wind as he pulled off his Hush Puppies and laced up a pair of hiking boots. “I used to come here all the time,” he said, looking around. “It’s busy now. Maybe I’m partly to blame—I used to promote Short Hills and Swayze Falls all of the time. But if you’re like me, and you’re a lover of solitude and wilderness….” There were four other cars in the lot. Shoalts can be forgiven for considering a few people a crowd. He had, after all, recently returned from a four-month solo expedition in the arctic, during which he canoed, waded, and walked some 4000 kilometres from the Yukon to Nunavut. Shoalts, who at 31 is considered by many to be Canada’s greatest living explorer, is now known for making these trips alone, but this is not how he has always travelled or even his preference. It is difficult for him to find companions who can leave their lives for months at a time, and those who do often aren’t prepared for the extremes of his trips. In 2011, he started on an expedition in the lowlands of Hudson’s Bay with a friend from high school who agreed to accompany him. The lowlands is a massive wetland that covers a quarter of Ontario’s acreage, and its myriad lakes, rivers, and swamps make it an especially difficult wilderness to navigate. It is also home to the greatest number of bloodsucking insects in the world. Shortly after beginning the trip, Shoalts’ friend broke down and said that he was going to use the pair’s satellite phone to call in a plane to pick him up. Shoalts describes the moment in his book, “Alone Against the North.” “Unlike when he first attempted to quit,” Shoalts writes, “I didn’t much argue this time. It was clear he was unequal to the task, that his spirits were broken, that the wilderness had vanquished him.” Shoalts proposed altering their route so that they could still explore and chart the nameless river they’d set out to see. His friend balked. “Adam, there’s no way I’d ever do that. I don’t want to explore any rivers. I’ll die happy if I never see a canoe again. All I want to do is go home.” Though the friend tried to convince Shoalts to leave with him, Shoalts refused. “I have work to finish,” he told the aged bush pilot who picked up his friend and who insisted that continuing alone was too risky. The pilot recognized Shoalts’ obstinacy and flew off. While his physical skills are important to his success as an explorer, it is his unshakeable obsession with surviving the wilderness that separates him from most others who go adventuring. Repeatedly, his books tell of encounters with experienced
naturalists who express concern that Shoalts’ proposed routes are for the foolhardy. But Shoalts’ single-mindedness is such that when he writes of a wounded hand that, “I concluded that if the cost of exploring the nameless river was a lost thumb, I would accept it,” it isn’t clear whether he’s joking. When Shoalts began that trip in 2011, he had been home from the Amazon for just a few weeks, and was still taking anti-Malarial drugs and suffering from back spasms caused by an injury in the jungle. Even in Shoalts’ first book, “Sense of Adventure,” which was published when he was 20, it is evident that he is simply different than others in the wild. Shoalts’ partner on the expedition was another childhood friend, one who was sufficiently adventurous to take on the trip but also lovesick throughout it. One evening, the two were resting after a tough day, and Shoalts was trying to convince his friend to ignore his girlfriend’s pleas to return and to instead prolong the expedition. “You don’t understand,” his friend said. “The only girl you’ll ever love is Avalon,” pointing to their canoe. But even if Shoalts is single-minded when he’s in the wilderness, this fact is less apparent when he’s back in civilization. He is engaged to be married, and lives with his fiancé in Sudbury, where she attends school, something he said had not hindered his ability to adventure. “She’s done some photography for me, and enjoying coming along on weekend trips. She’ll answer emails that come through the site, too, especially when I’m away. And she’s really supportive of all the big journeys.” This fall he will defend his PhD dissertation—which concerns indigenous oral traditions and European explorers—done through the history department at McMaster University. Though PhDs are typically undertaken with an eye towards a coveted tenure-track position, Shoalts said that he doubts that such a position would allow him to undertake expeditions and publish his books. “Why would you want to write in an academic journal?” he said. “It doesn’t pay, and seven people read it…so it’s just killing trees.” “Alone Against the North” was a number one best-seller in Canada, and Shoalts’ new book, “A History of Canada in Ten Maps,” will be released this week. Whereas “Alone Against the North” is predominately a first-person account of Shoalts’ expeditions, the new book draws more upon his extensive research into Canada’s history, which he attempts to present in an intriguing new manner. “History often becomes stuffy,” he said. “But the reality of Canada’s history, especially pre-1867, wasn’t like that at all.” Shoalts begins with maps made by the Vikings during their stops on Canada’s east coast, and draws heavily on his research into the early interactions between Europeans and Aboriginal peoples. Though Shoalts receives occasional criticism from those who assail the idea of a Canadian of European descent calling himself an explorer, it is clear that he has nothing but respect for indigenous culture. “The maps made by aboriginal
Shoalts in the far north. Below, navigating rapids on an earlier expedition. SUPPLIED PHOTOS
I really do think that we need to put the brakes on modernity
guides proved invaluable to European explorers, he writes in his new book. “But sadly, few of those maps have survived.” Shoalts is especially appreciative of the efforts of aboriginal peoples in resisting the mantra of endless growth that is endemic in modern society. He stopped after climbing a slope in Short Hills. “I really do think that we need to put the brakes on modernity,” he said. “I mean, just look at this place. It’s one of the only preserved places we have in Niagara, and it’s not nearly big enough. It was created decades ago, when the population of Niagara was much smaller, and it hasn’t grown with the number of people. Why is it that when the population doubles we can add a McDonald’s to meet demand, but can’t have a bigger park?” He continued to walk along the trail, which meandered into a meadow. Clouds of grasshoppers burst from the ground with each footstep, whirring as they took to the air then landed, only to launch again as Shoalts moved forward. When he got to the edge of the meadow, he turned to look out across it, to where high-voltage power lines cut their own path through the woods. Shoalts removed his sunglasses as he walked back through the trees, where the air was cooler and smelled of damp earth from the previous day’s rainfall. “I’ve missed this place,” he said. “See that line of big trees there? That’s the original property line between farms. The forest was allowed to regenerate naturally, and so you can really notice a difference between what used to just be a field.” He stopped periodically as he moved, pointing out Sassafras (“You can make a good tea from that”) and different trees (“This one is called ‘Ironwood,’ it’s so hard”). Shoalts’ naturalist education began early. When he and his twin brother Ben were young, they spent most of their free time roaming the woods behind their home in Fenwick. Though much of his knowledge was practical, acquired while outside, Shoalts
became dedicated to theory too. Upon arriving in the Amazon in 2011, the team there issued him a written test. He scored perfect. This discipline is greatly advantageous to Shoalts when he is preparing for expeditions, particularly the one he completed this summer. Due to how far north he was travelling, the journey was as much a race against winter as an exploration, and Shoalts had to plan to move as quickly as possible. This meant travelling exceedingly light. While he typically carries a gun in the event of bear encounters, this time he brought only an air horn and a can of mace. In any case, Shoalts was more concerned with wind than bears. Out on the exposed tundra, waves often become insurmountable. On more than a few occasions, Shoalts was trapped at a camp while whitecaps made canoeing too dangerous to attempt. During one of these maroonings, he was lying in his tent at midnight, trying to sleep, when the wind suddenly died. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, Shoalts packed up his tent and paddled continuously for 14 hours, barely stopping to eat. Bringing enough food for the entire four months was impossible, so Shoalts arranged for bush pilots to drop off supplies for him on several occasions. Before he departed, back in May, he posted a picture to Facebook of the piles and piles of stores that he was packing. He captioned it: “You know that look you get at the check-out aisle when you buy 1,112 granola bars?” Shoalts fundraised for voyage, and as he becomes more famous, it has been easier to find sponsors who will provide him with the necessary gear. In the past, working on a limited budget meant that Shoalts’ greatest fear was hypothermia, but the equipment he had this summer drastically reduced this likelihood. He had a custom-built canoe, too, which was made of a material designed to withstand the brutal beatings it took on ice and rocks. Shoalts must develop strict psychological discipline to survive his trips. This summer, the pilot of the float-plane during one sup-
ply drop-off was the first person that Shoalts had spoken to in a month.“You have to keep yourself on an even keel and limit how much time you spend talking to yourself,” he said. Routine is everything, and the long days—he often awoke at four in the morning and travelled for 12 hours—were essential to dealing with the solitude. Shoalts looked entirely healthy last week at Short Hills. One of his supply pilots once brought him some chocolate milk and orange juice, but the otherwise dearth of dairy and Vitamin C didn’t seem to have any lasting impact upon him. After spending so much time alone, Shoalts’ next few months will be spent speaking in public a great deal, including at the Fonthill Legion on October 22 for the local launch of his new book. In January he will be the Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s ambassador on a tourist cruise to Antarctica. Shoalts will surely write about his most recent expedition, in some form or another, and he has been working with a production company in Toronto to develop a documentary, too. He brought no still cameras on the journey, but had two GoPros filming much of the time. At the beginning of the trip, and when he was visited by the supply planes, a film crew recorded him with drones that buzzed overhead and captured breathtaking images of him paddling in the wilderness. On Shoalts final day of the trip, in early September, he was paddling towards Baker Lake, a town of 2,000 at the end of a long inlet of Hudson’s Bay. Though he had been on the move for so many months, the daily targets had been general, not specific, and so on this day Shoalts wasn’t sure precisely in which direction he should be paddling. Then, out in the distance, he saw one of those drones flying out towards him across the water. Before it got to him, the drone stopped, having reached its maximum distance from the controller. It turned around, and whirred off in the direction from which it came. Quickly, slowly, as fast as he could, Shoalts followed it in to shore.
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The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
COLUMN SIX
NEWS GATHERING ISN'T FREE
continued from Page 1 My host in Zaragoza, Pablo, was kind enough to pick me up at the train station in the morning and drive me to his home on the outskirts of the city. I joined his family that day at a friend’s farm in the country, picking apricots, eating brunch, and understanding next to nothing of what anyone said. When we returned to the city, it was time for the siesta. The last thing I remember before falling asleep was Pablo telling me that another Couchsurfer would soon arrive, a French woman. I awoke lazily, feeling well-rested (all of western civilization’s ailments could be cured if only we slept like the Spanish), and was soon introduced to Laurette. She was small, barely more than five feet tall, in her mid-50s with dark hair, tanned skin, and largely unaccented English. It soon became clear that not only was she going to the Dylan show that evening, but that she was going to see every show on the European tour. Even more incredibly, that night was to be her 350th Bob Dylan concert. As I sat there, thinking that her story could not get any better, she said that she had not paid for a ticket in years. Combining those two bits of information—that she had seen him 350 times and doesn’t buy tickets—I assumed that she had earned some sort of loyalty card in the Dylan fan club, giving her free access to all of his shows. But Laurette instead explained that a sign she carried around was the key to her entry. It read, simply, “I need a free ticket please.” Laurette said that she stood near the entrance to the venue with this sign, and every time that she had tried it, someone with an extra ticket—perhaps their wife was ill, or a friend was stuck in traffic, or the tickets were corporate giveaways—had seen her sign and given her an extra entry. “Sometimes I get many more than one,” she told me. “You could come with me and we can try to get you in, too.” When we finally found the arena, Laurette and I sat down on a concrete ledge near the gate. At first, I was profoundly uncomfortable. Though she said that she did not beg for tickets, what we were doing felt a lot like begging to me. I was not holding the sign myself, but she and I sat close enough that it was clear to all that I was a part of the deal, and I felt a vague sense of shame as the first passerby stopped and made eye contact. The sign was in English and it often took a moment or two before anyone fully grasped what was going on. Sometimes friends would turn to each other and hiss “gratis—free—they want a ticket for free.” Most would smirk, laugh, and continue on. A few called out to us. One man stopped, pulled out an extra ticket he had, and asked how much we would pay. “Nothing” Laurette said. “I don’t pay for a ticket, I’m sorry.” The man sneered. “A tick-
Page 9
We need your help. Subscribe to the Voice. Laurette, and Señor Piccolo. et is not free,” he said, putting it back in his pocket and walking away. “That’s a very cruel thing to do” Laurette said, “That man would rather have the seat go empty than give it to someone who wants it.” As we waited, and as time passed, I was less and less affected by those mocking us, and soon was ignoring them altogether. 8:15 came, and through the still-open doors Laurette and I could hear the faint sound of the opening band playing. All the while, all that time, she and I talked. Mostly, she talked, and I listened. She told me of the first time she heard a Bob Dylan record, way back in the early ‘70s, and how she fell in love with the music right away. She followed his world tours, in ’79, ’80, ’81, and ’82, and said she had even met him a few times. “He used to seem humble and grateful,” she said. “I don’t think he knows what he’s doing now. He’s going senile—he plays the same songs every night, and never says anything. But I still love him.” Then as I was hearing about some rare interview Dylan had just given to some seniors’ magazine, a young man walked up and wordlessly handed Laurette a ticket. As soon as he was gone, she turned to me. “Here, take it,” she said. “You have never seen him before, and this might be your only chance. But hurry up. It’s almost 9:30, and Bobby is never late.” Before I could second-guess the decision, I took the ticket and went inside. Once I had found the seat, I began to doubt whether I had done the right thing—what if I were the one who ruined her streak? Just as this doubt was beginning to bubble up, I turned around and saw Laurette speaking with an usher. When I waved her over, she held up her ticket triumphantly and said that a couple had given it to her right after I had gone through the gates. There was an empty seat beside me, and she took it. As she sat down, a gong sounded off-stage, and Bob Dylan walked on. At intermission, the seats on the floor were empty enough and the security sufficiently oblivious that both of us went down and took spots close the stage. At the end, with only a few songs remaining, the entire floor rushed the stage, and Laurette and I were there, standing beside each other, right against the barrier, ten
SUPPLIED PHOTO
feet from Bob Dylan. Dylan is not known these days for his impassioned performances, and that night was no different. I was likely one of the few people there for whom English was a first language, and even I couldn’t understand what he was singing most of the time. In recordings, Dylan’s voice has a distinctive caw that seems to float above conventions of good or bad, but that night his voice was just bad. The opening song, “Things Have Changed,” is one of my favourites, and it took a few verses before I could even identify what it was. Dylan no longer plays the guitar during his shows, which Laurette attributed to arthritis. He spent the show banging out chords and singing at the piano, intermittently shuffling over to another microphone where he could stand to sing. His set list was the same as it had been for the entire European tour, and before each song had even begun, Laurette would whisper its name aloud. Dylan spoke to the audience only once, prior to the intermission, saying (in Spanish) that they would return after a short break. He did not introduce the band. He did not say “Thank you,” or “Good night,” or “Hasta la vista.” When he had finished the last song, he stood standing for an extra moment while the band left the stage, staring impassively at the crowd. I thought that he nodded, just a little bit, but I could have imagined it. Despite all this, I have never had so much fun. Throughout the entire show, Laurette vibrated with an indescribable energy, and sung every word to every song. As we left the arena and began to walk home, her excitement only intensified. “Bobby Bobby Bobby Dylan!” she called out into the night. When a gust of wind blew down the street, she sang out again, “The answer my friends, is blowing in the wind,” laughing, unable to stop her voice from being thrown out of tune by her enthusiasm. We returned to Pablo’s house just after midnight. I thanked her for what I knew was going to be an evening I would never forget, and then I feel asleep immediately. When I awoke the next morning, just after nine, Laurette had already left. Bob Dylan was playing in Madrid that night, and she had to be on the road early to make sure she made it in time for show 351. 4
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The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
The Pelham Fire Department held a charity barbecue at Giant Tiger last Saturday to promote its Fire Prevention Week. “The best way of fighting fire is to stop them from happening,” said Pelham Fire Prevention Officer Will Underwood, who hoped that the event would help remind residents to be fire safe. Fonthill Giant Tiger donated all 300 of the day’s hotdogs, and the volunteer firefighters operating the grill were collecting donations for Pelham Cares. Underwood had arranged a table of fire safety information for all ages, and reminded all of those attending that the department offers free smoke alarm checks.
Jim, Pam and Noah Brown of Chatham were spotted clearing a fallen oak branch from Moore Road in Effingham. The Browns were in town visiting family for Thanksgiving and were heading to Rockway when they encountered the blocked road. Safety vests and cones were not needed. SUPPLIED PHOTO
PELSER continued from Page 1 tity theft last year, had recently changed his email and mailing addresses. This spring, he was in telephone contact with the CPSO while he started his new practice, and had verbally provided them with the address of his new clinic. “I know that they received the address, because I received official correspondence from them at that address. After my license was cancelled, they told me that I didn’t update my address in writing, and that's why I
didn’t receive a renewal notice there.” Pelser insists that he isn’t trying to make excuses for not paying the fee. “I completely forgot about it, probably because I was used to other doctors and practice managers reminding me at past clinics. But I take responsibility for forgetting. I deserve a punishment that fits my crime. That punishment should be the late fee, not a cancellation of my license.” Pelser received legal advice from the Ontario Medical Association, which has lawyers that represent doctors.
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“They told me that I’m completely in the right— that I paid within the grace period. But they also told me that the courts would rule that it’s an internal matter of the CPSO,” he says. While Pelser is upset by what has happened to him, he says that, “This isn’t really about me. It’s about my patients. The CPSO told me that my patients will have to go to a walk-in clinic, since I run a solo practice.” Pelser fears that all of the referrals to specialists that he made during the summer won’t be honoured, either. “These are very important cases,” he says. “One woman had a lump on her breast—she can’t afford to waste any time. And since I’m not longer practicing, my referrals won’t be valid.” Pelser has practiced family medicine in the area for over a decade, first at a clinic on Pancake Lane, and then at Welland McMaster Family Health. Setting up his new clinic earlier this year took Pelser several months, during which extensive renovations were
VOICE PHOTO
completed and equipment installed, coincidentally in space occupied by the Voice before the paper moved to downtown Fonthill last December. “The start-up costs were at least $100,000,” Pelser said. “I’ve only been paid three times this year—and even though I’m not working now, I still have to pay rent on the clinic. So this is all really difficult financially.” Of the 2000 patients Pelser had at McMaster, in Welland, 1000 of them moved over to his new office in Fonthill during its first two months of operation. “I’ve never had a doctor who cares as much as Dr Pelser,” says Rosemary Culos, a patient of his. Culos has known Pelser since he was working on Pancake Lane, and says that the doctor was instrumental in helping her father during the last years of his life. Nancy Martin, another of Pelser’s patients, started a petition when she heard of Pelser’s predicament. The petition, which asks the
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CPSO to reinstate Pelser’s license, has received nearly 400 signatures in just over a week. A spokesperson for the CPSO, Katherine Clarke, said that she was unable to comment on any specific doctor. She did say, however, that “Not all new-doctor applications must be reviewed by the committee,” and that these approvals can happen throughout the year, which is contradictory to what Pelser says he was told. Pelser has been trying to inform his patients of what’s happening, but this has been made difficult because he is not supposed to enter his office. “I don’t want them to think that I’ve just abandoned them and gone back to the bush,” he says. Pelser, who is from South Africa, returned there last Friday to spend time visiting his family and to escape from the stress of his ordeal. Pelser will stay with his brother, who is a lawyer. And who has been trying to convince Pelser to stay in South Africa, and join him in a medical-legal firm. “That’s not for me,” Pelser says. “I don’t want to spend my days going through documents, looking for places where other doctors messed up. I want to be helping people.” Pelser is reluctant to consider working again in South Africa because family physicians there mostly just refer patients to specialists. Pelser first came to Canada because his father had also lived and worked in the North America for a time.
Pelser thought that like his father he would only stay for a few years. “But I loved it here, and now I want to stay,” he said. Martin and Culos have been lobbying on Pelser’s behalf, contacting MPPs’ offices in addition to circulating the petition. Both were patients of Pelser’s at his old clinic, McMaster, and suspect that staff there have not helped Pelser’s case. Pelser says that he left the clinic because of office politics, and his departure does not seem to have been amicable. Pelser says that he was only permitted to tell patients that he would be leaving during his last month. Afterwards, the clinic told patients who inquired as to Pelser’s whereabouts that they “didn’t know where he was,” even though he was planning to open a clinic ten minutes away. Nancy Martin says that a receptionist for the doctor that replaced Pelser was “misleading” in a phone call, and tried to have her come in to the office to sign new patient forms. “When I said that I was waiting for Dr. Pelser’s office to reopen, she became rather belligerent,” Martin says. Pelser says that he has heard from patients that McMaster told them that if they followed Pelser to his new practice, they would not be permitted to return to McMaster. “I don’t know if the CPSO called McMaster to ask about my renewal fee. But if they did, I don’t know what McMaster would have said. Would they have said ‘We don’t know where he is?’ All I know is that I didn’t see any reminder until the beginning of September,” Pelser said. Karen Millejours, the clinic manager at the Fonthill portion of Welland McMaster, refused to speak about Pelser. “We don’t have any comment on anything,” she said. “I don't want to sound like a crybaby,” Pelser said. “I understand that I missed the renewal. But the CPSO is ignoring its own grace period, and then is using its discretion in such a punitive manner.” Pelser is advising his patients to find a new doctor, saying that he doesn’t expect them to wait around while his future is unclear, but not all of them are taking his advice. “I’m not looking around for another doctor,” says Martin, “Dr. Pelser is coming back.”
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The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
Page 11
Wynne visits Niagara Premier makes stop at "Launch Centre" in Seaway Mall BY SAMUEL PICCOLO
The VOICE
It is an odd thing to be serenaded by drumming— you don’t envision Romeo rat-ta-tat-tatting below Juliet’s window—but Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne beamed gamely as Notre Dame’s drum line boomed at her arrival at the Seaway Mall last Thursday morning. As the band thundered away, Wynne stepped out of her black SUV and stood with her hands behind her back, watching the musicians. When they had finished, she applauded happily, and then posed in front of the group while pictures were taken. The Premier stopped at the mall during her daylong Niagara trip, which also included appearances in Niagara Falls and Lincoln. The site of the Seaway visit was the new “Niagara Launch Centre,” a tech skills hub for students of Catholic high schools in Niagara. A crowd of 100—a mix of politicians, business representatives, and those from the school board—assembled in the centre, which has been carved out of the back of the old Zellers department store. Students were still working on their projects as the crowd waited for Wynne to enter, the room full of the sounds of pneumatic pumps and wrenches, electric sanders and drills. One student was trying to pry a hubcap from a wheel rim next to a stage light that was pointed at the empty
Serenade by cymbal and snare—Premier Wynne is welcomed to Seaway Mall by the Notre Dame drum line. podium. “Maybe we better stop for now,” a teacher said to him. The air smelled of axle grease and sawdust. Wynne’s security team, conspicuous in their chunky suits and earpieces, looked anxiously at the door. When the Premier had made it through the hallway and into the shop, which was wide and ran for several hundred feet, she was immediately whisked away on a tour of the machines. The crowd, still waiting, talked among themselves and shuffled their feet. “I’m surprised that there weren’t protestors outside,” one man said to his friend. “Last year, when she visited that daycare in Fonthill, there were a bunch of protestors.” His friend frowned. “Yeah, but Fonthill’s full
of…” he trailed off. Students working on a car suspended in mid-air behind the podium put down their tools and moved to a sink, washing their hands of oil, presumably in anticipation of a ministerial handshake. Wynne was still at the back of the shop, looking at a table that was being worked on. One student seemed determined to carry on sanding away and keeping his back to the Premier for most of the time that she was standing nearby. She moved on to the welding section at the room’s end, where flashes of blue were bursting from behind a black curtain. As Wynne was led back to the front of the room, towards the waiting crowd, the students gradually stopped what they were do-
ing and the sounds quieted down. At last, the Catholic board’s Director of Education John Crocco came to the microphone and began the speaking agenda. “When we gather together, in the Catholic system, we begin with a prayer,” he said, beckoning the students forward who had been selected to read. The observant in the crowd crossed themselves and the Premier looked down. A Mohawk language instructor, John Henlock, was invited to to the podium to provide a land acknowledgement. “We want to remember that there were people living here for thousands of years before contact—and that we’re still here,” he said. “And it’s awesome that we can be together on shared lands with our shared his-
SAMUEL PICCOLO PHOTO
We’re trying to bring these classes back, to do away with the artificial separation between different streams of study
tory.” Once Henlock had finished, a series of involved persons spoke, including the school board’s chair, Father Paul MacNeil. Crocco announced that it was MacNeil’s birthday, and led the crowd in an awkwardly rendered of “Happy Birthday.” When the “dear ____” part arrived, half of the singers sang “Paul,” while the other half said “Father,” and though everyone
laughed-off the confusion, they were evidently happy to move on. Marco Maggezeni, a technical education consultant for the board, described the impetus for creating the centre. “We wanted to give students the opportunity to say to themselves, ‘I want to be a bricklayer. I want to be a carpenter,” he said. “There See WYNNE Page 13
43,000 attendees in 2017
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Cul-
Page 12
The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
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Places of Worship and Events Bethany Christian Reformed Church 1040 Balfour St., Fenwick
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The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
Page 13
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“Now’s your chance,” she said. No ing to have a great time figuring ferent streams of study,” more be and for…fourteen minutes, headline that out. Put the roof!” said. Rodeo,she’ll games live entertainment thisit on years exciting event. It went up. “All right then, thanks for those. The news releases announcing She looked at the crowd of stu- students would like to present her Central runs from the Welland Fairgrounds. dents behind her. with Sept. some 11-14 gifts toatthank her for Region Ads Wynne’s included day in Niagara carried I’ll come around and speak to the a strict “No Media Availability” all the tables now.” visiting.” “Where’s Josh? There you are.” The spectators again broke their proviso, something that her Press The students came forward and A tall student with long blonde BIG MOVE CANCER RIDE silence. One member of Wynne’s handed Wynne two plaques made Secretary attributed to the tight hair stepped forward. is toschedule, be printed by all participating papers security detail raised a wrist to but Wynne didplace make the “I was talking to Josh duringThe my Big outMove of cuttings oak Cancerfrom RideanThis isold a ad non-competitive ride taking onOntario Sept. her mouth and pressed a button to time for a Q&A with students. tour,” Wynne continued. “And I tree. Wynne grinned and thanked 7. Proceeds for the Big Move stay in Niagara and support the Walker FamIn a room beside the shop, a speak. asked him what he liked about the them, before handing the plaques ily Cancer off toCentre. an aide who quickly carried few dozen kids sat at tables, eat“The Premier will be leaving in program. And he said, ‘This place five minutes,” she said into her ing sandwiches that had been is my school.’ That’s what we’re them from the room. sleeve. She was right. trying to achieve.” Next, a black cloth was pulled arranged for them, while Wynne WALKING stood among them. Half of the Wynne talked about how much from CLUB a table, revealing a wood crowdTuesdays in the shop at had followed herArena public education meant to Interested her. desk in handmade at the walkingbyin students Pelham? Join them the Pelham Type your pithy centre. over, and eyed the food hungrily. “Health care is important, and we from 9-10 and Thursdays Fonthill “What Bandshell letter to the Voice “A am new work desk for atyou,” madefor you9-10:30 want to am. get inThere spend more on it [than education]” she said, “but if we get schools Crocco said. Wynne looked deto politics?” one student asked. is no fee for this program. For more information, please contact jcook@right this minute! “That’s a good question,” Wynright, we get everything else right lighted. “Oh my goodness,” she pelham.ca or callhave 905to892-2607, ext 329. ne said, doing an effective job pretoo.” said. “We’ll find someplace special for it.” tending that she hadn’t answered When she wrapped up, at 12:30, the event was only 15 minutes be“I don’t know how, but we’ll find the same query an infinite number HAMPER DAY FOR of times before. Once she had rehind schedule. Crocco checked a way to get it inPELHAM your SUV CARES to go home,” Crocco her. plied (“education”), looked his watch when he again tookPurchase the fresh fruitassured and vegetables at the Market or bringWynne a non-perishable Wynne laughed. “Security is gofor more hands in the crowd. microphone. “Before the Premier
food item to fill the hampers at the Pelham Farmers Market on Sept. 4.
27, 20
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Page 14
The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Meet Christine Bunz, E. L. Crossley correspondent BY VOICE STAFF Christine Bunz, the Voice’s new E.L Crossley correspondent, was waiting at the end of a school day last week for her co-op teacher, Andrew Petryschuk, to finish the setup to his joke. “I tried to find a copy of the paper,” he said, referring to last week’s issue, in which Bunz’s inaugural article was published. “But everywhere I went, they kept telling me that a young girl with glasses was coming around and taking all the copies.” Bunz smiled weakly. “But I haven’t even seen a copy of the paper,” she said. Petryschuk frowned. “Oh come on, we can’t have that. There are some in the main office right now,” he said, gesturing to the hallway outside of the co-op classroom. Once Bunz finally had a paper in hand, she shuffled through the pages until she had found her article. “It’s just so different to see it in actual print,” she said, this time smiling widely. Bunz, who is 18, has long wanted to be a writer. When she was six, she began rewriting stories from her favourite books, re-creating and eventually adding to the plots of the fantasy novels she read. A few years later, she discovered “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” a series of books that bring characters from Greek mythology to the modern world, and which cemented her love for the genre. Bunz has started a novel of her own, a work of “dystopian fantasy” that she hopes is not a prediction of things to come. “The society in the book has a lot of corruption and is not a very nice place,” she said. Most of her time so far has been spent filling a notebook with plans for the story, as Bunz said that she is trying to avoid the contradictions that occur in so many fantasy books when the plot becomes complicated. “I’m trying to make sure that all of the dots will be connected.” Bunz grew up in Wainfleet and lived there until a few years ago, at which point her family moved to Welland. Since she was already
Christine Bunz.
VOICE PHOTO
attending E.L. Crossley and didn’t want to leave her friends and teachers, she continued to attend the school even after moving outside of its boundaries. Bunz technically graduated last year, but decided to return for a fifth year once she realized that she wasn't sure what she wanted to study in post-secondary school. Many in Grade 12 are eager to get out of high school at quickly as they can. Not Bunz. “I got to the end of Grade 12 and thought, ‘Oh no.’ So I came back to figure things out.” Returning for 12b, as it’s known, has allowed Bunz to avoid making a mistake that many others make. “So many students pick a school or program, and then they end up switching right away, wasting a lot of time and money,” she said. “I know of one person who changed programs three or four times in three years.” Petryschuk nodded. He said that ever since Grade 13 was abolished, some 15 years ago, students are forced to select university programs a year earlier than before, a year that often makes a big difference. Crossley’s co-op course allows students to earn credits while spending time in the workplace, which gives them an opportunity to experience what working in their preferred field is actually like. Bunz is still taking her time to decide what she wants to do next year. In addition to writing for the Voice, where her articles will appear until the end of January, her co-op course also entails working in an
art class at the school. “I’ve always liked the classes I’ve had with Ms. Wilkinson—the art teacher—and so it’s been great to be in her class this term, too,” said Bunz, who is considering studying illustration next year, as well as some sort of writing. While Bunz is evidently more interested in art and creative writing, she said that she also likes to write and read more journalistic pieces, too. “I’m always reading articles online that come up through Facebook—articles on LGBT rights or on recent events, like the shooting in Las Vegas.” It’s been a few years since Bunz had written much newspaper copy, as English classes tend to focus on that work in grades nine and ten— ahead of the Literacy Test—and so she was somewhat apprehensive when beginning work on her first article. “It was about Link Crew, a group of senior students trying to help junior students transition into high school,” she said. “And I didn’t really know much about it before I started doing interviews.” Once Bunz had spoken to teacher and students involved in the club, she said that newspaper usage style came back to her. A few teachers helped look over the work before it was sent off for publication, too. “How are things going for the next article?” Petryschuk asked her, after the class had emptied of the other students. “Can you try and have it done for Tuesday? That gives all of the teachers some time to go over it, and for me to find some photos to go along with the story.” Bunz thought for a minute. “Well, there was the Rankin Run, and the banquet for honours students that you mentioned,” she said. “Yes,” said Petryschuk. “There was a buy-out today, too, for senior girls’ basketball.” He wondered aloud whether the stories had to be something specific that had happened at the school. “Maybe it could be about something else,” Bunz said. “If there hasn’t been much going on here.” She thought again for a moment. “It could be, like, ‘E.L. Crossley Correspondent’s take on some other big news.’ That could be good.”
KIN CRAFTS FOR CHRISTMAS The Fonthill Kinsmen held their eighth annual Craft Show on the weekend, filling the halls of Centennial Secondary School with some 90 vendors of mostly handmade objects. Advertised with the slogan “Christmas Shopping Starts Here,” the show raised $4500 that will be divided between the Welland/Pelham Special Olympics, Wellspring Niagara, Children’s Safety, and the Women’s Place. VOICE PHOTO
WAINFLEET ARENA OPEN AGAIN With the help of $290,000 in federal assistance provided from the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program, Wainfleet reopened its renovated arena earlier this month. The renovation began in 2015 with the replacement of the arena floor and dasherboards, as well as some ice-making equipment and addressing a few health and safety concerns. Subsequent phases of the project would see an overhaul of the entire electrical system starting at the road, into the new distribution panels and transformers, and included the upgrade of several panels and feeds to the sub panels. Pictured at the ribbon cutting are, from left: Alderman Terry Gilmore, Port Colborne CAO Scott Luey, Mayor April Jeffs, three representatives from Wainfleet Minor Hockey, Vance Badawey MP, Richard Nan, Manager of Operations and Alderman Richard Dykstra. SUPPLIED PHOTO
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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
Page 15
Humane Society opens not-for-profit vet clinic Will offer services at prices significantly lower than private veterinarians BY VOICE STAFF The Lincoln County Humane Society, which is actually on Fourth Avenue, in St. Catharines, has opened Ontario’s first unrestricted, not-for-profit, full-service veterinary clinic. The society has offered spay-and-neutering services for cats and dogs since 2012, but earlier this year launched a soft-opening of the full-service clinic. “The response has been amazing,” says Kevin Strooband, the society’s executive director. “We had been doing walk-in appointments, with people just finding out about the service through word-of-mouth, but that’s not even possible anymore. We’re too busy.” The clinic will hold its “hard opening” this week, and is open for appointments on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. “We’ll be beginning with three days per week, and hopefully the potential is there for seven,” said Strooband. “Our goal is simply to provide additional vet resources to animals and pet owners in the area.” While there is one other notfor-profit clinic in the province, in London, it is a means-based service, and Strooband stresses that the Lincoln County’s clinic does no income testing. Compared to most veterinary practices, the humane society’s clinic will be significantly less costly. While prices vary from vet to vet, the Ontario Veteri-
nary Medical Association (OVMA) sends its members a “Suggested Fee Guide” each year. In 2016, the guide suggested a charge of $88.20 for an annual canine physical examination, while the Lincoln County clinic charges only $25. Its vaccination charges are likewise less expensive, just $25 each for rabies, bordetella, and others, while the OVMA suggested a price of $90.20 in 2016. Generally speaking, Lincoln County’s prices appear to be approximately one third of those recommended by the OVMA. “Ideally,” says Strooband, “this will be a self-sustaining operation. We’re really going into it blind. But we had the facilities, and so we’re trying it out.” Since beginning its spay/neuter program in 2012, Strooband says that pet owners have come from all over Niagara, and even from further away. “We’ve had people come from Ottawa. Now I assume that there were other factors involved—that they were visiting family in the area of something— but it still shows that what we’re doing is resonating.” Dr. Robert Perry, of the Dunnville Veterinary Clinic, had much to say about the new not-for-profit clinic. “I do think that there is a need for low-cost services, for some pet-owners,” he said. “But I would like to see it provided on a meansbased level. People are going to see the costs at that clinic and
Humane Society Veterinary Technician Marissa Peacock examines a cat prior to surgery. think that we [private clinics] are charging too much.” Though Strooband said that the clinic is hoping to be self-sustaining, Perry said that this is just part of the picture. “They might be able to cover their vet costs, but everything else has been subsidized. The humane society is probably paying all of the utilities, and, as a charitable organization, they don’t pay taxes. When that building was constructed, it was paid for with
fundraised dollars. The clinic just doesn’t have the overhead costs that we do in private practice, and so it’s not really fair to compare our prices,” he said. Perry said that his Dunnville clinic does have programs that help make veterinary care possible for low-income pet owners, but he wondered whether it was right for those who have the means to afford regular vet coverage to see their fees subsidized by a charity. “I’d have a few questions regard-
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valid Mon - Thurs only * Free Gift Card to be used on next in store purchase. COUPON REQUIRED AND MUST BE PRESENTED AT TIME OF PURCHASE. Offer valid in a single transaction and may not be combined with any other offer. *Offer is valid until Thursday, October 19th, 2017, only at the following locations: Aurora Sobeys Extra - 15500 Bayview Avenue, Aurora; Barrhaven Sobeys - 1581 Greenbank Rd, Nepean; Barrie Sobeys – 37 Mapleview Drive West, Barrie; Cambridge Sobeys - 130 Cedar St, Cambridge; Glendale Sobeys - 343 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines; Oxford & Wonderland Sobeys Extra - 661 Wonderland Rd N, London; North Ajax Sobeys – 260 Kingston Rd W, Ajax; Burlington Sobeys Extra - 1250 Brant St., Burlington; Flamborough Sobeys - 255 Dundas St., Waterdown; Fonthill Sobeys - 110 Highway # 20, Fonthill. Offer is only valid in a single transaction and is nontransferable for cash. No cash back. Limit one gift card per customer. Limit one offer per customer. Reproduction of this offer will not be accepted. Cannot be combined with other offers for cash. Offer excludes taxes, delivery charges, bill payments, service fees, rental fees, event tickets, Sobeys gift cards, Merchant gift cards, pre-paid cards, postal products and services, prescription drugs, non-prescription pharmacy services, liquor,
tobacco
products,
lottery,
environmental charges and goods and services which are excluded by law.
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The Voice of Pelham, October 18, 2017
ARENA continued from Page 1 The task, as the Planning Partnership sees it, is to find the right balance between development and open space recreational areas. During the first round of public consultations, held at the Pelham Arena in June, the overwhelming sentiment was to keep as much green space as possible, and that any development should remain compatible with surrounding neighbourhoods. At that point, the planners generated a number of variables, including housing types, roads, and parks. These variables were distilled into five different “explorations,” which were then put to an online survey. Just as he said at one of the public meetings in September, Hudson told council that the 120 respondents to the survey was not a statistically significant number— rather that it was a “small, passionate group,”—but that the survey’s results were nevertheless interesting. Most respondents preferred that green space remain in the existing area, and that the public did not want a substantial change to the layout. The preferred concept, coming from all consultation so far, is one that blends townhomes and single detached units. Hudson said that direction from the public was “no change in the location of the park, playground equipment, or platform tennis,” and that
people wanted to keep the wooded area at the west edge of the area. Hudson concluded his presentation by saying that the Planning Partnership’s preferred model met all of these things, and that it provided “revenue potential for the Town.” He said that he would take Council’s input back to the firm, where design guidelines would be developed during the project’s next phase. Members of Council asked Hudson questions and provided comments for the final 45 minutes of the meeting Councillor Gary Accursi observed on the plan drawing that there was a large space of green in the northwest corner of the property that had been left empty. “Is that for the drainage pond?” he asked. “Because I was walking the property a few days ago, and I thought, ‘This area has potential.’” Wiens fielded the question, replying that it was indeed a “dry pond,” that would fill with water when rains came, and release the water at the “pre-development” levels. Councillor Richard Rybiak expressed some concern that the preferred plan did not add any “amenities.” “Part of the idea is to have places within walking distance,” he said. “You didn’t add any stores or anything, though you didn’t take any away, either.” Rybiak also spoke to the matter of affordable housing, which the “preferred townhomes and single-detached units will not be. “I appreciate the feedback
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Celebrating The last time we went through this Public Library Week they were going to hang us
was that people don’t want apartments near them. They don’t want windmills, they don’t wan’t apartments, they don’t want a number of things. They think they’re great ideas, but, ‘Please, not near me.’” Rybiak suggested that perhaps there were parts of the property that could be devoted to more affordable units. Councillor Marvin Junkin expanded on Rybiak’s line of inquiry. “This is our last big chunk of land in the town,” he said, “if we’re ever going to do anything else with seniors’ housing. I spoke to a lot of people adamantly opposed to apartments— unless they were seniors’ apartments, for, say, ages fifty-five or sixty and over.” Councillor John Durley expressed his concern about bringing up seniors’ apartments at this point in the process. “That was never mentioned the public meetings,” he said. “So if we go in that direction, people will say, ‘We were right. You don’t even listen to us.’ If we were to go in that direction, we would offend a lot of people.” Rybiak replied briefly. “I do hear Councillor Durley’s admonition. The last thing
that I would want in the world is for people to believe that we don’t receive their feedback with all the credibility and seriousness that it deserves. And we do have substantial land elsewhere, so there are things we can do there, too.” Peter Papp, who has been a councillor since 2003, reminded Council of past situations in which the ire of neighbours was raised. “Some of you weren’t here when there were townhouses planned at Rose Courts. But we still have the—“ “Bruises,” Mayor Augustyn offered. “—bruises on our backs,” continued Papp. “The last time we went through this, they were going to hang us. So as long as the housing we put in is complementary to those around, and we don’t urbanize to the point where everything’s paved over, there are other places in the town where we can put seniors’ housing.” And with that, Council voted to received Hudson’s report. The Planning Partnership will now develop a final report, and present again to Council when it is finished.
BY KIRK WEAVER
CEO Pelham Library
October 15-21 is Ontario Public Library Week. It is a time to recognize and raise awareness of the valuable role libraries play in the community. The theme this year is “A visit will get you thinking.” We are confident that whether you visit this week or a month from now, you will find something that will get you thinking. You can count on finding material that helps you finish that big school project due next week. Maybe you want to keep up-to-date on all the latest local, national, or international news. Armed with this knowledge, and a few good rumours, you might want to discuss or debate the issues with a friend over a coffee purchased at the library. If you like discussing issues raised in a book you have read, we have a range of book clubs. For parents with young children we offer programs that will make learning fun for your kids. With free wireless internet access and computer stations, you can open the door to a wealth of information on an incredible range of topics. We also offer programming to suit all ages and personal tastes. Check out what we have to offer. We are confident that you will find something you like and we also hope that you find something that challenges you to think. If you haven’t visited us for awhile, we encourage you to drop by between October 15 and 21. On Thursday October 19, we will be offering free coffee and goodies at both branches. All week, the children can take part in a scavenger hunt to earn a prize. If outstanding fines are keeping you away from the library, try our Food for Fines program. For each non-perishable food item you bring in for Pelham Cares during Ontario Public Library Week, we will waive $2 in outstanding fines up to $50. We also encourage you to take part in the provincial #Get the Card Contest. Take a unique photo with your library card. Post it on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter along with an explanation of how you use your card and you could win a prize. Details are on our web page, https://pelhamlibrary.on. ca/7241-2/
If you haven't visited us for awhile, we encourage you to drop by
Lookout Ridge Talent Show Presents
A Little Night of Music Open to the Community to watch or participate on Wednesday, October 25th, 6:45 PM
The Niagara Peninsula’s premier retirement facility 1505 Lookout Street, Fonthill, ON www.lookoutridge.ca (905) 892-9218
Free event!
Call 905-892-9218