The Voice, October 19 2022

Column Six Spooks: Time to investigate

Part 3 of our Halloween series

BY HELEN TRAN Special to the Voice

Our first two spooky columns invited readers to send in tips for “haunted” places to investigate. Tips flowed in, including an old barn, a sinister tunnel, among others. This week’s entry details the results of the first investigation: an alleged “haunted house” from the 1950s.

The night was quiet, just an occasional gust of wind stirring the trees. The street was empty, save for a neighborhood cat, its eyes two yellow dots peering from the underbelly of a parked truck.

A calm October evening… perfect for a ghostly investigation.

My partner Luis shut off his car, and I stepped out, surveying the street— we had driven through the evening hours to the location of a 70-year-old house in Brantford, rumoured to be haunted.

The owner had notified us of strange knocking and footsteps, unexplained

See

FONTHILL KINSMEN CRAFT SHOW PACKS

Kinsmen

DON RICKERS

by Dave Burket

Just under a week to decision time: Municipal candidates will be out making one last effort this week to earn votes as we count down to next Monday, Election Day. As you can see at right, our final poll presents much the same picture as it did last week and the week before. Incumbents Marvin Junkin, Diana Huson, John Wink, Nancy Beamer, and Paul Turner all enjoy comfortable margins. If we’re to believe these numbers (more on that below), the only competitive race is in Ward 2, where three challengers are vying for that ward’s second Town Council seat, joining John Wink for another four years. Brian Eckhardt once again ekes out a slight margin over Carla Baxter. We’ve already had two advance voting days, with a third and last advance voting day this Tuesday, Oct. 18. Pelham Town Clerk Holly Willford reports a record-breaking 680 voters turning out last Saturday at the MCC, with a total of 1074 early votes recorded so far. There are 15,852 “electors,” or registered voters in Pelham, which is up 11 percent from 2018. That’s 1588 new residents in the last four years—or at least 1588 new residents who also registered to vote. While Ward 1 saw a bump in registrations, as you’d expect the majority of this increase has come in the urbanized Wards 2 and 3. Turnout in 2018 was 50.44 percent—which was considered pretty good, historically, but disappointingly low on any other scale. Really? Only half of us could be bothered to vote? Now, as for our own poll results, here comes the same message as you’ve heard before: Take them with a Gibraltar-size grain of salt. A self-selected sample of 126 voters out of 15,852 does not inspire enormous confidence. Even accounting for only a 50 percent turnout, that's still 126 out of 7926 voters. Point is, as ever, the only polls that count are the real ones, especially on Election Day next Monday. We all need to get out and get voting, and may the best candidates win... More interviews to come: There is more impressive work ahead from our man Don Rickers, who also interviewed acclaimed candidates this year. We’ve held those pieces until next week to prioritize the contested races in this last issue before Election Day. Unlike 2018, when four or five writers interviewed 32 candidates vying for seven different offices, all but one of this year’s candidates have been interviewed by Don, which perhaps provides a certain measure of continuity. We also have some letters that were bumped due to space, which will likewise run next week...No debate about it: Covid is insidiously returning—not that it ever left—with infections now higher than at any time since last spring. This was predictable as fall arrived. My spouse and I never stopped wearing masks when, say, grocery shopping, and we’ve been disappointed to see that we’re often among only a handful of customers doing so. I hope this changes as the weather grows ever cooler and people spend more time indoors. At last week’s mayoral debate at the Fonthill Legion, virtually no one in the audience was masked—two pleasing

ELECTION TRACKING POLL LAST POLL BEFORE ELECTION DAY

Last week we asked if the

were held

who would

are in

exceptions being former councillors John Durley and James Lane. A good friend of the Voice and his spouse recently fell ill with the virus, and we're hoping for their quick recovery...Colds and flu: These are coming back, too, according CBC reporting. Get stocked up on your over-the-counter needs at PharmaChoice, next to Food Basics. See their price-comparison ad on p.13. It’s astonishing how prices can vary so much. The bigger the chain the bigger the gouge?...Now this is going to be fun: At long last, after years of attempting to get one together, this week sees the premiere episode of a serialized novella. It’s written by an author of

eight other mystery novels, Niagara's own John McFetridge. His first title, Dirty Sweet, was published by ECW Press in 2006. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere was named a Quill and Quire Book of the Year, Tumblin’ Dice was an Amazon Editors’ Pick, and Every City Is Every Other City recently won the Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America. He edited the anthologies, 2113: Stories Inspired by the Songs of Rush and Montreal Noir, and has written for the TV shows The Bridge (CTV) and Real Detectives. It all kicks off on p.15, and you may find the setting eerily familiar…Pack a bumbershoot: The rain is here. See you next week. 4

What's That SIREN Pelham Fire Department Weekly Calls

The Pelham Fire Department responded to seven calls for assistance from Friday October 7 to Friday October 14, 2022

Saturday, October 8

Medical assistance, Station 1 Sunday, October 9 Medical assistance, Station 1

Medical assistance, Station 2

Tuesday, October 11 Medical assistance, Station 2

Wednesday, October 12

Carbon monoxide alarm, Canboro Rd., Station 2

Thursday, October 13

Motor vehicle collision, Effingham St., Station 3

Friday, October 14

Medical assistance, Station 1

892-8690

Find the Voice at these locations:

Indulgence Bakery Pelham Street Grille Peter Piper’s Pubhouse DeVries Fruit Farm Beamer’s Hardware Pelham Libraries

Bob’s Boys Antiques PharmaChoice Pharmacy Fonthill Fitness Fenwick Pie Company McDonald’s Duffin Appleworks Fonthill Legion

Semenuk’s Gas Bar

NRPS impaired driving charges ~

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.

Jeremy D. SYKES, 36, Grimsby

Dwayne A. GRANT, 39, St. Catharines

Matthew G. COOKE, 36, Fort Erie Baylee M. CARDILL, 26, Niagara Falls

Michael V. TOOVEY, 38, Fort Erie

Ross D. MIDGLEY, 53, St. Catharines

Dalton J. SMART, 23, West Lincoln

Cheryl M. ANTHONY, 57, Fort Erie

Gary D. SHANNON, 49, Niagara Falls Ahmed L. YAHYA, 20, St. Catharines

Tara L. NICHOLSON, 41, Welland

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.

Shoppers Drug Mart Tim Horton’s Giant Tiger Fonthill LCBO Zee Lube Express Care Food Basics Minor Bros Stores Avondale Stores A-1 Market Boggio's IDA Sobeys South Pelham Grill on Canboro Shell on Hwy 20 Circle-K

Marvin JUNKIN Frank ADAMSON Diana HUSON Fred SARVIS Wally BRAUN

PELHAM MAYOR

NIAGARA REGIONAL COUNCIL

John WINK Carla BAXTER Colin MCCANN Brian ECKHARDT

Nancy BEAMER Lisa FUCILE Linda BORLAND Rene NAND

Paul TURNER Irma RUITER

PELHAM COUNCIL WARD 2

DSBN PUBLIC

ENGLISH SEPARATE

Everyone who's anyone reads the Voice!

Regional medical authority says that populacegeneralmay not be able to anotherendure Puzzler soon

PUZZLER WINNER DECLARED Weeks of uncertainty come to end

Mayoral candidates square off at Legion

Challenger Frank Adamson and incumbent Mayor Marvin Junkin both say they have the right stuff

BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor

Pelham’s two mayoral candidates appeared at the Fonthill Legion last Thursday evening to take questions about their priorities for the next term of council. Incumbent Mayor Marvin Junkin and challenger Frank Adamson took the stage at 6 PM, in front of an attentive audience that came close to fi lling the room.

The event was hosted by the South Niagara Chambers of Commerce, and the Niagara Association of Realtors. It was billed as a debate, but the candidates never really square off and confronted each other on topics. Rather, they affably stated their positions on the issues raised by the moderator. There were no body blows, and certainly no knockout punches.

In his opening remarks, Adamson told the audience that “I know how to build a community we can all take pride in,” and noted his many community connections to such organizations as the Rotary Club, United Way, Pelham Cares, the Pelham Summerfest Committee, and the Raise the Arches effort.

“I am committed to working with council and staff harmoni-

ously and cohesively in order to achieve good for our community, showing respect, and building goodwill and understanding,” he said, adding that he had engaged with about 1200 residents during his door to door canvassing.

Adamson stressed what he called his five-point plan, namely spending tax dollars prudently, pursuing active transport initiatives, protecting the environment, engaging the community in the development of a new long-range strategic plan, and attaining affordable housing for young people and seniors. He also pledged to be a strong voice at the Regional level, where 60 percent of residents’ property tax dollars are directed.

“I have a background and interest in planning, budgeting, economic development, public health, emergency medical services, and policing, all areas covered by the Region,” he said. “As your mayor, I would be committed to continuing my quest to serve you, the citizens. With my extensive career as a paramedic chief, hospital administrative health planner, professional fundraiser, and small business owner, I aspire to

leadership roles, building teams, setting priorities, and getting the job done.”

Junkin focused on the accomplishments of his council over the past term.

“Council did not always get along, but we worked through our differences, and had a great four years,” he said. “I promised openness and transparency at Town Hall, with an emphasis on Town finances, which at the time were not in good shape. There were times that, in order to make payroll, the Town had to tap into its line of credit, which obviously wasn't sustainable. Changes had to be made. Four years later, the finances have now greatly turned around.”

Junkin noted that the financial reserve funds have been enhanced, and that the Town’s fi-

nance department had won two international awards.

He attributed the resurgence to, in part, “one of my plans to have a Finance and Audit Committee created to provide the finance department with an extra set of eyes.”

The Town also had other committees that allowed residents to take part in Town Council decisions, noting in particular the Sustainability Committee, and the Cannabis Control Committee.

Junkin also pointed to the numerous recreational upgrades in the town, including splash pads, pickleball courts, and a soon to be refurbished swimming pool.

“With all these improvements made, and with the Town finances in good shape, I think that I deserve another four years,” he concluded.

The first question dealt with affordable housing in the municipality.

Adamson said that while it is true that Pelham has no available housing lots, the average wait time across the region is eight years, with thousands on a wait list.

“We do not have sufficient resources to address this pressing need,” he said. “Pelham has one 68-apartment, non-profit housing unit beside the library, and it too has a wait list. I will promote a Habitat for Humanity build, as we are the only municipality in Niagara that has not provided land for this project.”

He also suggested a need to look at the concept of “tiny houses,” and advocated support for Hospice

A little antique and curiosity shop in a small town holds a multitude of memories.

Step through the door with us Precious moments from people’s lives will be experienced anew, rediscovered through objects that call them to mind The value of material possessions cannot always be measured in dollars and cents What really counts is the richness of the experiences that they represent

Stuff is the sto ries that we are made of.

Discover the live-on-stage performance of "Stories Found". To purchase tickets, visit the Information Desk at the Meridian Community Centre, scan the QR code, call 905-732-7888 or

at

Left, Frank Adamson is challenging incumbent Marvin Junkin for Mayor of Pelham

DON RICKERS

OPINION

COMMENTS Larry Coté

The cost of urbanization

There is a price to pay for everything we do. Actions we take, words we proclaim, items we purchase, and even the progress we claim to make.

One of those so-called elements of progress will likely have a significant impact on the nature and character of the community of Fonthill, once regarded as a quiet residential area where living space communed gracefully with the surrounding rural landscape devoted to agriculture.

Over the years many exurbanites admired the attractiveness and quietude of the small residential commune of Fonthill and chose to relocate to this community. It was near enough to necessary services, shopping and recreational facilities but far enough from all the commotion that such amenities make.

However, that former character has changed rather dramatically over the last decade or so. The restive nature and quiet character has changed. The once peaceful town is

trending to become more urban-like than rural and at a rapid pace. As a measure of that pace the number of traffic lights in the town has increased nearly tenfold. At times, lines of idling traffic span the town’s boundaries.

The number of new residential subdivisions that have sprung up is one of those dramatic changes that the alleged progress has brought about. The number of majestic older houses on large lots with tree-lined drives that added to the charm of this place have been overtaken by the large number of cookie-cutter houses on postage stampsized lots. To accommodate these new living quarters much of the previous flora has been paved over by roadways lined by houses with double-wide drives and lawn areas so small they can be trimmed with garden shears.

One of the looming costs of progress for the community will be the eventuality of overwhelmed infrastructure, such as roads, sewers, water, fi re protection, and electricity that accompanies this progress.

Recently, a couple who moved to Fonthill from the highly urbanized city of Mississauga were heard to say they are selling their home and moving to Fenwick or Wainfleet. They were attempting to escape the chaotic lifestyle of large city living that was Mississauga and which they believe Fonthill may now be becoming.

It is likely that the next stage of progress on the horizon for Fonthill will be the introduction of residential high rises such as those that obscure much of the horizon in highly urbanized cities. The population increases will attract the introduction of large corporate-owned shopping and other facilities with large blacktop areas replacing the greenery that once added to the charm of the landscape that was integral to Fonthill.

It is inevitable that progress brings about change. The urbanization of the once village-like character of Fonthill is just one of the inevitabilities associated with progress. As our French amis lament, c’ est la vie. 4

Letters

Don’t let a sedentary life be the beginning of the end

I have been a fan of John Swart’s contributions to the Voice since the get-go. His articles are always timely, relevant and liberally infused with humour. Having worked for too many years as a nurse in occupational and mental health, as well as chronic disease management, I can attest that his October 12 column, “How do we get people to exercise more?” was one of his best.

Starting the piece by describing “Joan’s” fall is so typical of (1) The beginning of the end for many people who lead sedentary lives, or (2) A dusting off, then “keep moving’ on down the road,” for those actively living—and in John’s world, preferably on a bike.

For readers who fit into the first category, please look up “The Stages of Change,” then SMART goals. Figure out which stage you’re in, then read John’s article again, twice. It will add a skip to your step, and life to your years.

Yvonne Van Lankveld Ridgeville

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS

Member of Federal Parliament Electoral District: Niagara West Dean Allison, MP 4994 King Street Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 Dean.Allison@parl.gc.ca 877-563-7900

Member of Provincial Parliament Electoral District: Niagara West Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755

Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 905-658-2987

Councillor Diana Huson diana.huson@niagararegion.ca 905-324-3094

Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400  Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607

Mayor of Pelham Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 905-658-2986

Members of Pelham Town Council

Ward 1 Councillor Marianne Stewart mstewart@pelham.ca 289-821-0840

Councillor Wayne Olson wolson@pelham.ca 905-933 6033

Ward 2 Councillor Ron Kore rkore@pelham.ca 905-933-3805

Councillor John Wink jwink@pelham.ca 905-892-4475

Ward 3

Councillor Lisa Haun lhaun@pelham.ca 905-892-5877

Councillor Bob Hildebrandt bhildebrandt@pelham.ca 905-892-5647

Gilberts

FLOWERS FOR ANY OCCASION

offer a large variety

fresh flowers and gifts. Enjoy the convenience of safe and secure ordering online 24 hours a day.

Welland Rd, Fenwick www.gilbertsflowers.ca 905-892-2433

Today's forgotten business stopped advertising yesterday

Ihave found the last four years as head of Pelham Town Council to be very satisfying on many levels. Being the Mayor, I have had more interactions with senior staff than most councillors.

Staff appreciated having their skill sets acknowledged and working in a truly open and transparent setting. I believe the number of awards that Town staff have won during this term individually supports this.

The awards themselves came from a variety of organizations — professional associations, municipal associations— as well as local judges, the residents, people whose respect is hard won.

These wins represent the quality of work and service the Town has delivered. Pelham has won twice for the quality of its festivals and events, in Public Works for the safe rehabilitation of Sulphur Springs Road, in Corporate Services for the transparency of its fi nancial reporting (also twice), for running Ontario’s fi rst ever by-election during a pandemic, in Administration for leadership during the pandemic, and recognition of four of our talented, younger staff were identified among Niagara’s Top 40 Under 40 winners.

To see how much the Town has improved fi nancially over the last four years is also rewarding. To go from having most of our reserve balances in a negative situation, to having $13.8 million dollars in these same reserves at the end of 2021, shows that spending has been brought under control, and that we are heading towards financial stability. Having success with the fi nances allowed council to begin looking at the commu-

It has come to my attention that mayoral candidate Frank Adamson was recently campaigning at the Pelham Non Profit Seniors Apartments by hosting a meet and greet during the tenants’ weekly coffee hour in their lounge. He also brought coffee from Tim Hortons for everyone.

In view of the fact that he also sits on the Board of Directors of the seniors apartment building—thereby making him one of the landlords—does this not amount to a conflict of interest? I wonder who arranged this, as apparently it was not advertised, not even in the building itself.

Moreover, I am left wondering if all candidates were given the same opportunity to have a meet and greet with these seniors.

Doesn’t seem above board to me. It also raises the question of ethics.

Pam Young Fonthill

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Voice reached out for comment from Frank Adamson as well as Mayor Marvin Junkin. “I enquired if there was an opportunity to meet and greet members of the [building’s] Tenants Association as a mayoral candidate,” responded Adamson, “and their President contacted me and invited me to attend a coffee and birthday cake social. I agreed to their offer. And I informed them that I was a member of the Board in my opening comments, but was there to discuss my platform and their issues, which we did.” Adamson said that other municipal candidates have also campaigned door-to-door in the building, an assertion that the Voice has not independently verified. “Marvin Junkin would have been afforded the same opportunity if he contacted the President of the Tenant’s Association or the building manager... It would appear he did not.” For his part, Junkin asserted that it was up the building’s board and staff—which includes two former Town Councillors who served in the widely criticized previous council under controversial Mayor David Augustyn—to ensure a level playing field. “I am disappointed that the board of directors didn’t consider that, in the interest of fair play, they should have extended an invitation to me to make a presentation to the residents,” said Junkin. “Contrasting this action, the Lookout seniors building immediately contacted me with an invitation to speak to their residents, after being approached by Mr. Adamson with such a request. I have heard from a number of residents that they are upset with what they call the politicizing of some of Pelham’s longtime non-profit organizations.”

nity’s needs concerning outdoor recreation facilities. During the last two years of our mandate, we have resurfaced the Steve Bauer

that will also allow us to fi nally, once and for all, remove the porta-potties from Town property.

Good riddance, I say!

Finally, the announcement, made some weeks ago now, of the Town receiving a $5.4 million dollar grant from the federal government for the new library was totally the icing on the cake! Our libraries are constantly evolving, adding services for adults, and programming for children, so they continue to be relevant in the community. They are great places for residents to come together and socialize, and I am forever getting feedback as to how helpful the staff are.

a defi nite win for both the consumer and the environment.

Looking ahead at future capital projects, there are structural repairs to be done at the Station 1 fi re station, and the Town must make improvements to the Tice Road maintenance yard, as presently much of our valuable snow removing equipment is stored outside, shortening its useful lifespan considerably.

Trail, completely refurbished the tennis courts at Centennial Park in Fenwick, while also adding to that park a splash pad and pickle ball courts. Another very exciting project that council approved is happening right now: an addition being built onto Town Hall that will house, along with additional meeting rooms, public restrooms

The urbanization of Pelham Street is the Town’s biggest and most noticeable of our current infrastructure projects, but it is not the only improvement taking place. Council has hired a company to change some 1,600 streetlights over to LED lighting, with the entire upgrade to be paid for with the savings in hydro consumption. The project is

Backyard chickens need a rethink

We were very disheartened to read about Town Council's lack of public consultation in regards to the bylaw restricting poultry within the urban boundaries of Fonthill and Fenwick. It seems that so often a few folks complain and council rolls along with what the squeaky wheels want. Evidence-based decision making should inform council, not just complaints.

Backyard chickens and ducks are not the only possible cause of rats in town. Bird feeders, compost bins, and garbage are also likely draws for mice and rats. In addition, the development of the town is moving rodents of all sorts into the residential areas. So, why just blame the chickens and the ducks?

Urban agriculture creates sustainable food practices and allows for folks to gain an appreciation of where our food comes from. Ducks, in particular, are a helpful addition to any backyard, as they eat ticks and other biting pests. Perhaps council should look at size and care of flock instead of just banning them outright. Good owners care for their flock in sustainable ways and ensure that any challenges with vermin are dealt with promptly.

We love the variety of homes and homesteads in our town but are growing increasingly frustrated with the cookie cutter and nimbyist preferences.

Cathy and Cameron Whitehead Fonthill

I can unequivocally say that Pelham’s future is bright. I believe the last four years were successful and, on that basis, I am seeking the privilege of leading the municipality once more. There is more work to be done and I cannot think of a better way to spend the next four years than working hard to further improve the community. I have lived in Pelham for more than 60 years and I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that it will offer my grandchildren as great a life as it has given me. Please take the time to vote in this 2022 election. 4

They’rrre [not] Great!

I went shopping this morning at Giant Tiger, in Fonthill, and when I got to cash out I discovered there was only one human cashier and some open automated tellers—three I think— and there was a LONG line. I stood in line and when I got almost to the front I heard a crash. When I looked behind me I saw that an elderly woman had fallen onto the floor, hitting a couple of metal carts together causing the loud clanging crash sound.

She said her legs had given way. A man younger than myself and the woman's daughter lifted her up off the floor and walked her out to their car. She was talking and appeared okay.

It is sad to have to use automated tellers now in order to NOT have to stand a long time in line.

Ron Mascoe Fonthill

"I cannot think of a better way to spend the next four years than working hard to further improve the community"

Pelham Mayor Marvin Junkin is running for reelection SUPPLIED

COMMON DECENCY

Michael Coren

My father’s family were Russian Jews. Most left for Britain at the beginning of the 20th century, but some remained. We kept in contact with part of the clan, and as a child I met my very Russian, very funny, very loud great-uncle. In between laughs and vodka he told us stories about his life, but said little about the Second World War, what he called the Great Patriotic War. I knew that he’d served for three years, became a major, got to Berlin, and must have seen the most extraordinary things. I asked him in my confident naïveté what it felt like. He paused, took yet another drink, and then said, “It’s not what you feel, it’s that you feel. It changes everything.”

He’s gone now of course, but that response from this gruff, great man has remained with me. It is in a way the quintessence of empathy, and if anything will save us from our current political and medical quagmire it will be that

pristine, supreme quality.

In fact, we’ve seen evidence of it already. Shared experience is a unifier, and when the enemy and the danger are indiscriminate in their violence, we evince, at our best, something powerfully empathetic. Those who opposed wearing masks, rather like those who rejected and still reject vaccinations (often the very same people), are loud but relatively few. The surprise is not how many are selfishly contrarian but how many wear masks without coercion. The mask is more a help to others than to the wearer, so in a way we could argue that it’s an example of symbiosis. But it’s deeper: a leap of empathy by thinking in the communal and behaving in the fraternal.

Then there are the examples during the lockdown of people delivering food and supplies to the isolated and vulnerable. It’s happened in Canada and internationally. That’s a form of charity, of course, or, if you prefer, organized goodness. But it’s also a profound

aspect of empathy. If I may quote the founder of my faith for a moment, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” It’s one of Jesus’s two great commandments, and worth

considering. We’re told to expand “self” love into “endless” love. To make a great leap of feeling so as to form a circle of knowing kindness. A projection of grace.

Observe the Black Lives Matter (BLM) phenomenon and the culture it created. Once again, it’s easy to point to the negative, to the violence and the anarchy, but this is tabloid sensationalism rather

than a daily norm. What BLM has allowed to appear, and even flourish, is white privilege empathizing with the Black lack of it. We can mock white allies standing in solidarity with the Black community, but all of the intelligent analyses reveal that these people come from every class and background. The empathy may be late in coming, but it has nevertheless come. We’ve witnessed an enormous growth in environmental consciousness, particularly among younger people. Some dismiss this as cultish and immature, but there is none so tired and banal as a cynical senior. As a father of four children, it’s easy for me to want a safer, better planet for my family. I have an emotional bond with the future. That’s not the case with teenagers. Naturally, there is the appeal of the cause, the thrill of the chase, but there’s more to it than that. These teenagers seem to have an authentic sympatico with something beyond the personal.

“But,” their critics say, “they’re all

about their feelings.” Yes, in a way they are. That, however, is a good thing. It’s your inability to understand it that’s the problem.

If any nation requires empathy right now, it’s the U.S. It’s a country and a society divided as it hasn’t been since its Civil War, and it would be callow to assume we won’t see violence and discord. But read between the metaphorical lines, or, better, above the hysteria and the anger. There are countless examples of people on both sides trying to create alternative relationships. Not—and this is important—to suddenly agree, but to understand how critics feel and think. As my dear friend the author Irshad Manji writes and says so eloquently, when we confront our opponents, do we offer “any hope for redemption?”

Irshad and I, by the way, used to be on television together. We didn’t get along at all. We’re now close and affectionate. Empathy won out. It has that effect, if we make the effort. 4

Year-Round

I have proven through my extensive career as a Paramedic Chief, Hospital Administrator, health planner, professional fundraiser and small business owner that I aspire to leadership roles, building teams setting, priorities and getting the job done.

As your full-time Mayor, together we will.

I am committed to work with Council and Staff in harmony and cohesively in achieving good for our community showing respect and building good will and understanding.

I believe that politicians have it within their power to achieve good, to make the community a little better than they found it. That is solely my intention if elected. A new council and mayor have the opportunity to work together as a team in achieving good value for every tax dollar raised.

I believe it is incumbent on the Mayor and Council to provide a forum for you and the citizens of Pelham to judge our goals and objectives at an annual public town hall meeting. Where did we succeed? Where did we fall short? Where did we fail? A report card will keep us focussed on what you the public desire.

I have heard many issues and concerns while canvassing door-to-door. I do not have a magic wand or all the answers, but I do know that by listening, by engaging, by working together with you, and both Regional and Town Councils we can resolve, or at the least mitigate many of these.

I have been heartened to hear though, that most of you enjoy being part of the fabric of Pelham and Niagara, enjoy the amenities, the services, the activities available at the MCC, our libraries, our children and senior’s programs. We love the rural nature of Pelham, our fields and forests, farmland, the orchards, our conservation areas, the Comfort Maple our network of trails.

My Pledge to You:

“I will always uphold the truth, I will always strive to be fair in all my dealings with fellow human beings, I will endeavour to build goodwill and understanding in my community, I will always seek to promote the greatest good for the greatest number of people.”

Frank Adamson

On October 24, 2022 Vote FRANK ADAMSON

TESTIMONIALS FOR FRANK ADAMSON

Frank has been a committed volunteer and leader throughout the Province. I had the opportunity to be a part of his team and witnessed his intelligent leadership and inspiration helping me to exceed my goals. Frank thrives on customer/employee engagement and will be an incredible asset to Pelham as Mayor.

Sharon Greenwood,

Deputy Chief, Niagara Emergency Medical Services (Ret’d)

Frank is a leader who knows how to engage a team in a positive vision towards great purposes. I’ve witnessed this in his role as a Rotarian Leader, as an Hospital Administrator at the Welland Hospital, where I first met him in 1995 and in his community initiatives for the raising of the iconic pelham arches and his dedication to Wellspring Niagara. Frank gets the job done. Peter Willard, M.D. FRCS(c)

Dear Frank:

I had heard that you are leaving Cambridge and I really feel that it will be a tremendous loss to United Way and the community. I have enjoyed talking and working with you. You have brought a whole new approach to United Way, involved new people and have such a positive attitude. I wish you the very best.

Sincerely,

Jane Brewer, Mayor, City of Cambridge October 26, 1999

I wholeheartedly support Frank for Mayor. He has demonstrated outstanding dedication to our community. He has spearheaded fundraisers such as the Rotary Mudfest Challenge, cycling in support of Wellspring Niagara (Toronto to Miami) and the Rotary/ Summerfest Raise the Arches endeavour. He has demonstrated a selfless rare sense of commitment to improve Pelham and has the experience and connections to get things done.

Kirk Zavitz, President, Zavcor Trucking

Frank is a long time resident of Pelham and a long-time friend and neighbour. It gives me great pleasure to endorse him as mayor. I believe that Frank is well qualified to lead our town into the future. Frank is an active volunteer who presently sits on many Boards.

He has extensive experience as a professional fundraiser and has raised significant funds for many charities. He has a plan for the future of our community and will work collaboratively to create a plan that works for Pelham.

Frank Adamson is the one candidate who has the experience and skills to make positive changes to our community. If you believe in what Frank stands for please give him your vote.

Davis Swan, Citizen of the Year recipient

Frank Adamson is an amazing volunteer, tirelessly supporting local and international humanitarian causes. His energy and community networking gets things done!

Frank has given years of committed “Service Above Self” to The Rotary Club of Fonthill and has served as Governor in District 7090. He is empathetic and wants to help alleviate suffering.

He is solution driven and has demonstrated major accomplishments in short turnaround times.

Frank Inspires others to do better to serve the community. He is inclusive and caring, and always welcoming.

Lisa Bishop District Governor 2022-23 D7090

I am pleased to endorse Frank for Mayor. He is a person of tremendous integrity and a leader with a strong vision. I believe Frank will be an awesome ambassador for our beautiful town and will work tirelessly as our Mayor.

Sylvain Lepine, ACP Past President, Niagara Paramedic Association, Superintendent, Niagara EMS (ret’d)

are brave enough to let it, empathy wins out

Paid for by the Adamson for Mayor Campaign.

"When we confront our opponents, do we offer any hope for redemption?"

Short Hills Deer Hunt Unsafe and Inhumane

Ministry refuses to enforce the safety protocol

Safety Protocol States

Hunters will conduct hunting activities in the designated central portion of the park, away from homes in areas with the least development and fewer public trails. For added safety, the Ministry has also established a buffer zone around the area where hunting is allowed.

Unsafe-Protocol Violation

Despite the requirements set out under the safety protocol, armed hunters were photographed and documented as hunting on private property, meters from homes. As well, armed hunters were seen outside the park during the hunt. Ministry staff refused to identify the hunters and address the safety protocol violations leaving the safety of the community in question.

Safety Protocol States

Hunters will use care and discipline to kill deer effectively and humanely and they will only shoot stationary deer when they have a clean shot. The Safety Protocol also states that all deer that are wounded are tracked and dispatched as soon as possible.

Unsafe and Inhumane –Safety Protocol Violation

Videos show hunters driving deer towards waiting hunters in violation of the protocol. Wounded animals have been left to suffer and die. Multiple dead deer have been found on private properties and in the park after hunt days even though the Ministry reported that no deer were wounded.

Safety Protocol States

During the hunt, access to the park will be limited to hunters, Ministry staff and local police only. For safety reasons, all other persons will be denied access.

Unsafe

There are multiple documented incidents of the public entering the park during the hunt. In a recent hunt, a family with small children entered the park when the hunters were present. A resident noted that Ministry staff failed to act to prevent the family from accessing the park.

Increase in # of hunters 2013 to 2021

Increase in the # of deer killed 2013 to 2021

Decrease in Ministry staff 2013 to 2021

# of Conservation Officers to enforce hunting violations 2013 to 2021

Mayor Marvin Junkin aims for another term

BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor

MARVIN JUNKIN QUICK FACTS

Pelham,

Spouse Candice,

Marvin Junkin made headlines five years ago when he resigned from Pelham Town Council in protest over what he asserted was a deliberate lack of transparency on financial issues by the David Augustyn-led council of the time. Buoyed by a groundswell of support, he ran in 2018 for the mayor’s seat, and won the job in an election that saw all incumbents routed from office, and Augustyn come third in a four-way race for Niagara Regional Council.

“I think I was viewed as being a straight-up guy who didn’t have any integrity issues,” said Junkin, reflecting on his 2018 landslide, in which he beat then-Councillor Gary Accursi, and other candidate Carla Baxter, who is now running

for a council seat in Ward 2.

“People trusted me to do a good job, and I believe that I, and this council, have delivered.”

Junkin is eager to continue the work he started, and fi led his nomination papers for reelection at the earliest opportunity in May.

Citing a list of achievements over the past term, with a return to financial stability at the top of the list, Junkin is especially proud of the improvements made in Peace Park, behind Town Hall.

“The slope of the park was too steep, making it unsuitable to put chairs on the lawn to take in events,” he said. “The Bandshell Concert Committee presented a concept for improvements that would make the Thursday night bandshell experience more enjoyable, so council endorsed the modifications, which included adding benches, planting trees, grading, and improving drainage. We reworked the entire area, which has changed the ambiance of the space. This whole park is a testament to what can happen with volunteerism.”

Thursdays throughout the summer have evolved into a huge success, said Junkin, with the Farmers Market, Supper Market,

On Monday October

and Bandshell Concert series all on one evening.

“The formation of an audit committee was instrumental in helping us get a handle on our true financial situation, and how to move forward,” he said. “It was a completely transparent process, with local professional accountants, outside our corporate structure, providing unbiased sets of eyes, and helping convey information to the public. They worked harmoniously with our staffers in the finance department to offer advice about building up reserves, capital expenditures, and other financial issues. This is one of the reasons that we are on the right path now fiscally, working

2022

Elect Brian ECKHARDT

Council

to reduce the debt from the MCC, and move the whole municipality ahead.”

Another component of the renewed sense of transparency and honesty with residents is reflected in the Town’s revamped website, said Junkin.

“Our award-winning website was completely overhauled by the previous communications director, in conjunction with staff and council members,” said Junkin.

“It allows us to get information out to the public in a way that everyone can easily find.”

Junkin also praised the work done by staff to attract grant money, which has paid for significant parks and recreation up-

grades for assets like splash pads and pickleball courts.

“What we’ve accomplished down at Centennial Park is just amazing,” he said, noting that new washrooms at the park are forthcoming, with similar permanent washroom facilities to be built at Town Hall to service events such as Summerfest, Summer Chill, and the ongoing summer bandshell concerts.

Biking trails connecting Fonthill and Fenwick are on Junkin’s radar as well.

Pelham’s Cannabis Control Committee “covered a lot of ground, such that other munic-

"I’ve enjoyed the last four years, working with council, staff, and residents"

The incumbent, Marvin Junkin is running for reelection as Pelham's mayor

VOICE FILE

Last Call To Save Merrit Rd Old-Growth Forest

We have here in Pelham our very own old-growth forest stretching south from Merrit Road all the way to Welland. This intact Carolinian eco-system is every bit as valuable and worthy of saving as anything the Amazon has to offer, but if we do nothing it is slated to be paved over as yet more urban sprawl.

Eco-Tourism Policy: Rather than have all of the GTA move here, let’s invite them to become visitors as frequently as their bank accounts might allow. Everyone spends more while travelling than in their daily lives. This means that leveraging assets like our forests to provide eager Torontonians with premium outdoor experiences like spas, glamping (service-oriented, high-margin camping), and other retreats from urban pressures will yield more than residential development possibly can. Catering and other associated hospitality services would also expect spin-off prosperity. When taxed accordingly, upward pressures on our property taxes are relieved, that pressure having effectively been exported along with our guests when they return home. But we need a change in vision and leadership to save our farms and forests.

Current policy arrived at on the watch of the incumbent is the culprit. Contrary to ongoing claims of a lack of control over this issue, Provincial growth mandates specify overall Regional targets only: allocation to individual municipalities is exclusively within Regional control. When challenged to submit the question of accuracy on this point to the arbitration of Professor David Siegel, the incumbent did not dispute in the first instance that this is true. In the interests of transparency of the political process, this written exchange has been made available to the press, and is now also publicly available.

The resulting growth disparities run counter to accepted urban planning practices, putting our natural environments at risk. It is jarringly inconsistent to impose growth rates of 68.5% in Pelham with excellent agricultural soils against a Regional average of 55%, and in particular when Port Colborne with poor soils seems to evade notice entirely with a growth rate of only 27%! (see Disparities chart) If elected, I will do my utmost to revise Pelham’s growth target to a maximum of 25,000 by putting forward policy consistent with best planning practices. This would shift development to municipalities with poorer agricultural soils, leaving our farms and forests not only intact, but with business models setting them up to thrive.

Pro Tip: Avoiding flooding the market with new lots, along with a diversification of our tax base away from home property taxes protects their value, the best taxfree haven most of us will ever enjoy.

Urban Design Policy

We can do much better!

Solution: Quality of Growth Over Quantity (see: newurbanism.org for a general orientation)

We need to change our Zoning Practices:

• Requiring all commercial zoning to include below-grade parking & 2 storeys of residential units above addresses housing affordability

• Convert parking lots into Urban Forests

• Require “Missing Middle” low-rise for all new development: 2-3 (sub-urban) to a maximum 5 storeys (urban) in Pelham.

On October 24th Vote for Informed Leadership

Wally Braun Regional Councillor

is about the Policy!

driveways (V2G). This then powers equally variable power loads. Market-driven price reductions also apply to heat and cooling micro-grids, water rates, and cable/internet services, all housed within our Community Conduit.

As in many other jurisdictions, anyone with solar access, and access to a newly created energy marketplace through our Community Conduit can now become local business suppliers of green energy.

Benefits include:

• Requires no tax increase to implement

• More stable power/fewer outages

• Lower CO2 emissions: reduction or elimination of gas furnaces

• Enabling tel-commuting eases traffic congestion

• A More Competitive Local Economy

• Facilitates the rapid roll-out of Renewable Energy

Water Policy: Storm-water system capacity is conserved when such water is locally stored for non-potable uses, thereby conserving water treatment capacity and delaying the need for infrastructure upgrades and reducing water rates. Stormwater system capacity then becomes available to double as our Community Conduit marketplace for utilities, reducing all those prices. Furthermore, as we have the highest point in the peninsula, a water tower which includes an observation deck contributes to tourism incomes.

Because there is very little difference between candidates in most policy areas, I have selected to focus on those areas where we have significant differences in approach. Further, rather than risk boring voters with usual claims of abilities to integrate apparently disparate policy areas into a conceptual whole, I have chosen to demonstrate the fact both in a first instance, and as a proxy for my approach in other policy areas. I stand ready, if elected, to contribute to implementation in all cases to the benefit of voters.

You’ve tried the rest

Now try the Best!

About me: 20 years of Proven Advocacy including as Delegate before Regional & Pelham Councils

• 45-year career in General Contracting selecting for Architects and other Design Professions. Now shifting to Consulting

• 40-year resident of Pelham

• Political Science major at Brock U.

• Previous runs in all 3 Wards getting to know broader Pelham concerns

Better urban design & green infrastructure requirements are best attached to land at the time of urban boundary expansion, which occurs at the Regional level. Think Summerfest: We can choose to live in attractive pedestrian-oriented communities year-round!

Better Infrastructure Policy

Solutions: “Details matter!” 4 Steps to a Greener Future

1. Ensure access to grants & financing to upgrade building shells to Passive Haus standards

2. Available local tri-generation technology provides low cost heat & cooling by utilizing waste heat

3. More than 4 years ago renewable energy including solar panels reached grid parity. This changed everything! The shoe is now on the other foot: Green

power is today cheaper than monopoly grid power.

4. Existing Infrastructure as Community Conduit: The key to unlocking green-tech potential is local independent Micro-grids routing green power & heat-byproducts through our existing municipal stormwater infrastructure systems, bypassing all grid monopoly restrictions.

Essentially, our Community Conduit connects variable solar & wind power with increasingly common electric & plug-in hybrid car batteries when parked in our

• Past Director of Pelham Advocates for Trees & Habitat (PATH)

• Current Environmental Appeal before Ontario Land Tribunal

• Current member of 50X30 Niagara

The value I bring to Regional Council is a unique blend of skill sets including a comprehensive understanding of the built environment:

• Energy-efficient Building Design & Power Production/Distribution Technologies

Architectural/Urban

Vote Wally Braun Regional Councillor

Photo:

Pristine Effingham Creek

Councillor Diana Huson aims for four more years "I've worked hard to earn

constituents"

BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor

DIANA HUSON QUICK FACTS

Running for: Reelection as Pelham’s non-mayoral representative on Niagara Regional Council,

challengers Wally Braun and Fred Sarvis Age: 46

Director of Marketing and Communications, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre Resides: 13 years in Fenwick Family: Spouse Todd, daughter Natasha

In 2018, 21 women ran for the 31 Regional Council seats, and seven were elected. One was Diana Huson of Pelham, who racked up 2800 votes to defeat longtime incumbent Brian Baty, and two other challengers, including Pelham ex-mayor David Augustyn.

Huson, the first woman to hold a Pelham Regional Council seat, feels that she has racked up her share of successes over the past four years, and is hopeful that voters will agree, and cast ballots in her favour on October 24.

“I love the job,” she said, “and find it very intellectually stim-

ulating. There’s a lot of learning. I’m working hard to respond to issues that have gotten attention because they were a bit controversial, and have sought feedback from residents. I communicate through social media a great deal, and maintain my website with a lot of current information of interest to constituents.”

Huson is not the only politician in her family. Her aunt, Dianne Cunningham, served as an MPP for London for 15 years, and was the Minister of Colleges and Universities in PC Premier Mike Harris’s cabinet.

“When I was growing up, every provincial election we would drive down to London to help with her campaign,” said Huson. “Dianne is my mom’s twin sister. The experience got me familiar with politics at an early age.”

It was the negative attention focused on the 2014-2018 Regional Council that was the impetus for Huson’s interest in municipal politics.

“There was a lot of strife on that council,” she said. ”They didn’t cooperate with the local press, and there were abuses of the expense policy, and problems at the NPCA

[Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority]. It really got me upset. I just thought that it was time for a fresh perspective, and decided, ‘I’m going to give it a shot.’”

The tone at council meetings has improved over the course of the term, said Huson.

“We’ll never agree on everything, but there’s a respect for a difference of opinion,” she said. “There’s a real interest in collaborating and working together, so I do think there has been a renewed perspective, which has fostered a more collegial environment on Regional Council.”

The workload of a regional councillor would be daunting for many people, even for academi-

cally minded types who are voracious readers such as Huson.

“It’s not uncommon for a meeting agenda package to be 1000 pages,” she said. “But there are things you can do in advance of meetings to make it more manageable. All of our standing committee meetings have content that is on the Regional agenda to be ratified, so if you’re paying attention to the standing committees and reading that content on a regular basis, you’ve already done a lot of the work.”

Huson is proud of the personal accomplishments in her first term.

“I created the Region’s first Women’s Advisory Committee, only the fifth one in Canada. Over

60 people applied to be on that committee,” she said. “I was the only councillor to participate in the Youth Advisory Committee, and am now on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee. I truly believe that more voices lead to informed policy and better services.”

Huson was also the first Niagara Regional Councillor to be voted onto the board for Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).

“That’s been an amazing experience,” she said. “I collaborate with councillors from across Canada, examining and discussing advocacy issues, on behalf of mu-

HUSON

Incumbent Niagara Regional Councillor is running for reelection

DON RICKERS

“Voice of reason” John Wink hopes to return to Town Council as mentor

Replenishment of fiscal reserves, reduction in Town debt key priorities

BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor

JOHN WINK QUICK FACTS

Running for: Reelection as Pel ham Town Councillor in Ward w, vs. challengers Carla Baxter, Colin McCann, and Brian Eckhardt Age: 69

Occupation: Retired manager in the financial services industry

Resides: 36 years in Pelham

Family: Spouse Sue, four chil dren, six grandchildren

John Wink arrived on Pel ham Town Council surf ing the 2018 electoral wave that, like a tsunami, swept council clean of incumbents. In 2022, he hopes to return to council to provide leadership and stability, and also play a role in mentoring those new to municipal politics.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion must be part of the fabric of our town, he insists.

“We had some real fiscal chal lenges, but things have improved dramatically from where we were four years ago,” he told the Voice.

“But we still need to build up our reserves. There's more work to be done. And that's one of the reasons

I am running again. I still want to be that voice of reason. There are going to be a lot of new councillors, and we may have a new mayor, who knows? We were at a disad vantage coming in four years ago, in that there were no mentors on council. It takes a good 18 months to two years on that learning curve before you become a really effec tive councillor.”

Wink has been involved in the community for many years, in a variety of volunteer roles, since he moved to Pelham with his family in 1986. He has served as a base ball and basketball coach, a Ro tarian, United Way vice president, and, perhaps most conspicuously, as the Chair of Summerfest.

As Chair of Town’s Finance and Audit Committee, Wink said he came to better understand how the Town’s money matters work.

“We have really turned around our finances. When I first arrived on council, nine of the 20 re serves were in a negative position. I think our reserves at that point in time were $2 million. Now, our reserves are around $13 million, with some funds allocated to proj

million. It's an amazing track re cord,” said Wink.

With 41 years in the financial services industry under his belt (35 of which were in management positions with Meridian Cred it Union), it’s evident that Wink knows his way around a spread sheet. But he also understands real estate.

“Early in my career in banking with Meridian, my specialty was mortgages,” he said. “As soon as I was elected to council, I be gan taking the Ontario municipal planning course, which provided me with additional insight. I actu ally had a number of different roles with Meridian. I was in charge of the mortgage department for six

been approved, said Wink, so the next council won't have to deal with that issue. He appreciates that some constituents don’t like the appearance of certain hous ing and business construction in town, but said that councillors can't dictate to developers with regard to the design of residential or commercial buildings or subdi visions.

Reflecting on some of council’s successes over the past term, Wink pointed to the fiscal recovery, of course. But there were other note worthy accomplishments.

“We got second-dwelling units passed by council, and li censed short-term rentals,” he said. “We got rid of the chicane

When it was suggested that a

“tiny house” community—pre fabricated, portable buildings of about 500 square feet, costing approximately $175,000—might provide some affordable hous ing in the municipality, Wink re sponded with skepticism.

“What's that development go ing to look like in 20 years? They might look good when brand new, but over the years, there's a lot of deferred maintenance on those structures.”

Land is at a premium right now, said Wink, and it would be tough to find someone that would donate land for affordable housing.

“The Town simply doesn’t

Town

a strategic plan

Indige-

at the Fonthill

PM to

Monday, vote for proven leadership

I can unequivocally say that Pelham’s future is bright. I believe the last four years were successful and, on that basis, I am seeking the privilege of leading the municipality once more. There is more work to be done and I cannot think of a better way to spend the next four years then working hard to further improve the community.

I have lived in Pelham for more than sixty years and I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that it will offer my grandchildren as great a life as it has given me.

Please take the time to vote in this 2022 election.

Common sense into sound practices

Incumbent Pelham Town Councillor John Wink is running for reelection in Ward 2

DON RICKERS

on Haist Street, and prevented a road crossing over the Steve Bauer ly got done after 15 iterations. We passed a tree management policy,

First-time candidate runs for public school board Trustee seat

Former teacher and education consultant Lisa Fucile knocking on doors

BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor

LISA FUCILE QUICK FACTS

Running for: English Public school board trustee vs. incum bent Nancy Beamer, and challeng ers Linda Borland, Rene Nand Age: 56

Occupation: Retired teacher and special education consultant

Resides: 35 years in Fonthill Family: Spouse Marty, daughter Bianca

After a 30-year career in education, Lisa Fucile is poised for her first run at political office as an En glish public board school trustee.

“I think there's going to be a huge turnout for this munici pal election,” she told the Voice.

“Politics has really ramped up globally, especially in the last two years since the pandemic. I sense a renewed interest in community politics, especially at the public education level, and how kids have been affected by all the changes of Covid.”

Fucile said that she has wit nessed incredible shifts in Niaga ra’s education system, not the least of which are the benefits and lim itations of technology in the class room. Her background in Special Education, she said, has taught her the importance of inclusivity and equity in schools. She appreciates

the need for structure and routine in the school day, along with nur turing relationships and support ing mental health initiatives.

“As a newly retired teacher and consultant for the last three de cades, I have lived these changes along with our students and their families. I understand the key ed ucational issues, and respect the views of children, parents, teach ers, support staff, and adminis tration, all of which are important cogs in our education system.”

Born in Whitby, Fucile’s post-sec ondary studies were at McMaster and the University of Ottawa, which led to relocate to Niagara when she was offered a teaching position in 1990. She has taught at 12 public elementary schools in Niagara over the course of her career, finishing her last 20 years at A.K. Wigg Public School in Fonthill.

“I was qualified to teach up to Grade 10, but always had a special affinity for the younger children,” she said. “I taught at a number of grade levels, primarily Grade 7 and 8, and became interested in students struggling with learning disabilities, and got my specialist certificate. I then moved into a role as the special education consul tant at the board office for a num ber of years. I’m familiar with the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of students.”

Fucile is knocking on doors in Pelham and Thorold these days, speaking with constituents about her candidacy.

“In Fenwick, parents of some of the kids I have taught over the years have offered to help me dropping off pamphlets in the area, and placing lawn signs. It’s really appreciated.”

Active in the community, Fucile has been a volunteer for Pelham Cares, and has helped out with

vaccination clinics with Niagara Public Health. She also has a parttime job at Pelham Funeral Home.

In her leisure time, she en joys doting on her “adorable” Dachshund puppy, Perry, and fit ness-related activities such as pickleball, cycling, and something called Pound.

“It’s an exercise class that in volves drumming with weighted drumsticks called Ripstix,” said Fucile. “Pound is a mix of cardio

October

is

and strength training, yoga and Pi lates. My friend [who is a] registered massage therapist, introduced me to Pound. I loved it so much, I got certified to teach classes.”

Professing a lifelong love of learning, Fucile said that she is passionate about public education.

“I think I can draw on my broad experiences, and be a strong voice for kids and parents. I'm ap proachable, and think I have a lot to offer.”

Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation

It takes a big heart to shape little minds. Thank you.

Incumbent Niagara Regional Councillor is running for reelection

DON RICKERS

“We have amazing teachers here in Niagara”

Retired educator Linda Borland vies for role as public school Trustee

BY DON RICKERS Contributing News Editor

LINDA BORLAND QUICK FACTS

Running for: English public school board trustee for Pelham/Thorold, vs. incumbent Nancy Beamer, and other challengers Lisa Fucile and Rene Nand

Age: Strenuously declined to state

Occupation: Retired elementary school teacher and university sessional instructor

Resides: Thorold

Family: Husband Ray, grown son and daughter

Aveteran classroom teacher with Welland roots, now retired, and living in Thorold since 2004, Linda Borland believes that she has the education and experience to make a difference as a trustee for the local English public school board in its quest to meet the diverse needs of students, teachers, support staff, and the wider community.

Borland taught elementary school in Port Colborne, Chatham, and Kitchener-Waterloo for 35 years, along the way earning a Masters degree in educational administration, specialist certificates in special education and environmental science, and an Ontario supervisory officer’s qualification. She also was a sessional instructor at Brock’s

Faculty of Education for ten years after she retired from full-time classroom instruction in 1999, and was the teacher representative on the Waterloo Region District School Board’s health and safety committee for a dozen years. Borland and her husband also operated a realty company for a number of years.

“I've always been interested in the work of school board trustees,” Borland told the Voice. “I used to attend trustee meetings when I was in Waterloo, because I was working with the Federation of Women Teachers at the time, supporting various educational applications. I also attended the trustee meetings simply to observe the proceedings, just to keep current on the key issues. It was interesting to see how it all worked. So when I finished with teaching in the classroom, I decided that this was another way I could serve in education.”

Borland said that it is a trustee’s job to ensure that the needs of current and future students are being met.

“I understand that the District School Board of Niagara [DSBN] has 70 different high school majors, and they are always looking to expand, so as to meet the needs of students preparing for careers,” she said. “I’m especially interested

in supporting the skilled trades, for students who are looking at future jobs in areas like the culinary arts and construction. We depend on the trades. Society needs plumbers, welders, electricians, estheticians, and hairdressers. These careers can offer lucrative employment, and can allow graduates to find work in Niagara, rather than forcing them to relocate.”

Borland said that she sees the trustee role as functioning as part of a team, building consensus.

“People come from different communities, some rural, some urban, and we need to listen to their ideas. Once a motion is passed, everyone needs to work to support that vision, to present a united front. The decision that's

been made is for the betterment of the students.”

She is aware that the switch to remote learning during the pandemic caused many students to fall behind academically.

“I truly believe that the students will catch up, because the teachers will make sure they do,” said Borland. “We have amazing teachers here in Niagara, including learning resource teachers and special education teachers, that can help break down barriers to learning.”

She sees the DSBN’s partnerships on projects with Brock University’s Faculty of Education, such as having Brock teachers-in-training provide tutoring for DSBN students in need, as being meaningful ventures. Borland

also supports the growth of French Immersion programs within the board, and co-op programs offered in collaboration with local business and industry.

Borland supports the DSBN’s application to the City of Thorold for enhanced sports facilities at McMillan Park, which would provide additional athletic opportunities for students at Thorold High School.

“Thorold High students should have the same advantages in sport as students at other DSBN schools enjoy,” she said. “That’s a $4 million investment that the board is willing to make, and I think that's important. I am a firm advocate for a well-resourced high school for the Thorold community.” 4

Pelham on Town Council since 2018.

Public school board Trustee candidate Linda Borland

DON RICKERS

DOGGED PERSISTENCE Pelham Town Council Ward 2 challenger Colin McCann was out in the neighbourhood installing lawn signs last week.

MCCANN CAMPAIGN

Fiction

mma was walking the dog when she came across the body. It wasn’t on a lonely path in the woods, or behind a dumpster, it was off Royce Road, where construction had just started on the new retirement home. And she and Milo weren’t alone with the corpse. There was already a big police presence—three cop cars, an ambulance, a fire truck, and about a dozen people, a few of them also walking dogs.

An older woman Emma recognized from the dog park hustled over, pulling her Labradoodle. “Was he in your house, too?”

Without thinking Emma said, “I don’t think so. Was he in yours?”

“He was going door to door, some kind of energy company scam it sounded like. He said he was checking insulation in the basements.”

Emma swallowed.

In fact, he had been in Emma’s house. The way he was splayed on the ground hid his face, but she recognized his clothes, and those shoes—but she didn’t want anyone to know that. She wasn’t even sure why she felt that way, it was instinct. She said, “I never let those guys in.”

“I don’t either. Still, doesn’t seem like a reason to murder him.”

Milo and the Labradoodle warily sniffed each other.

“He was murdered?”

“Yes, apparently.” The woman looked past the cop cars towards the crowd of people in uniforms and said, “The ambulance got here about an hour ago but they haven’t moved the body, so he must be dead.”

“Why are you sure he was murdered?”

The woman scowled. Emma couldn’t remember her name if she’d ever known it. The Labradoodle’s name was Caroline.

“Look at all the police, if it was a suicide they wouldn’t be here, would they.”

Emma had been thinking maybe heart attack, she hadn’t even considered suicide.

“Could it have been some kind of accident?”

Caroline’s owner shrugged.

A man standing a few feet away cleared his throat.

“I overheard one of the cops say the body was dumped here. Already dead.” He pointed at a uniformed cop leaning against the hood of one of the patrol cars. “That one.”

Caroline barked. Her owner said, “I wonder if they’ll still manage to get a million dollars for these houses now.”

In her late 70s, Emma figured, probably lived in downtown Lofthill forever. Not a fan of new development or newcomers, especially here in East Lofthill—a political hand grenade a few years before, Emma had soon learned. Yet here the old bat was. Maybe she downsized, got a deal on a

KILLER ON THE KAME

By John McFetridge

EPISODE l Foundations

down on the rest of the region.

When Emma and Matt sold their condo in Toronto they thought they were rich. Then they took a drive along Ellingham Street, as it twisted and dipped down the kame toward St. Catharines. Elegant Sotheby’s signs on perfectly clipped lawns discreetly whispered that a property was for sale here and there. Never seen were the garish realty signs stabbed into lawns everywhere else, featuring bleached blondes in leopard prints, or slick-haired former frat bros, Magnesium Award Winners all, as if anyone was still buying the polite fiction that real estate brokerage awards meant jack—

“Hey, watch it!”

The man who’d said he’d heard a cop talking about the body being dumped was yelling, startling Emma. Milo chimed in with a bark, happy that there was some sort of fuss.

It was a kid riding a bike with retro ‘70s-style stinger handlebars. He’d nearly plowed into them while pedaling and scrolling on his phone at the same time. The kid swerved at the last second and gave the man the finger as he rode away.

The man, who was dogless, grimaced. “No manners anymore, none whatsoever. Anyway, this is going to be a retirement home. They won’t be bothered by dead bodies.”

Emma thought they probably would be bothered by dead bodies—that everyone was bothered by dead bodies— but she said, “I was just on my way to Starbucks and saw the commotion.” She meant it as a goodbye line, but no one noticed as she stepped away, pulling on Milo’s leash.

new townhome with cash to spare.

It hadn’t taken Emma and Matt long to realize that it would require more than smiles and cheerful waves to make friends in cliquey Lofthill, one of the five villages amalgamated to create the Town of Delham almost twenty years before they were born. And the rivalry! Lofthill, the “city” to Farnwick’s rural acreage, its orchards and industrial cannabis and bushels of resentment against Lofthill’s alleged better treatment inside Delham Town Hall. In between was Ledgeville, neither country nor subdivision. To the north was North Delham, and finally Ellingham, on whose huge, rolling estates sat some of the most expensive homes in southern Ontario, right up there with Niagara-on-the-Lake. Private tennis courts, helicopter pads, horse stables. Much of it—especially lofty Lofthill—sat on the Lofthill Kame, at 290 metres above sea level the highest point on the Niagara peninsula. Lofthill literally looked

Sitting in her Mini in the drive-thru, waiting for her Jade Citrus Mint and a Puppucino, Emma tried to figure out why she hadn’t wanted anyone to know the dead guy had been in their house. She’d thought his story about offering a free inspection of the insulation on their hot water heater and around the windows in the basement was lame and she’d expected there’d be a sales call in a couple of days. She wouldn’t have been surprised if they did need more insulation, even though the house was only three years old. Emma and her husband, Matt, had found a lot of issues since they’d moved in and the heating costs going up so much was one of the things they argued about the previous winter. One of the many things.

The barista said, “One Jade Citrus Mint and a Puppucino for Milo!”

Emma put her phone over the machine and waited for the beep. “Thanks.”

Proudly Serving The Niagara Region

Our team recognizes the importance of maintaining dignity, independence, and choice for the client, which is why we build our care plans according to YOUR needs.

Harmony provides only the best PSWs to assist with: personal care and daily living activities, medical comfort and support, errands, transportation accompaniment and more.

CARE (2273)

Continued next page

The girl edged a little out the window. Those headsets always reminded Emma of air traffic controllers.

“Is there really a dead body over there?”

“Looked pretty dead to me.”

The barista shivered. “I can’t believe it, right there. I guess it really can happen anywhere.”

Emma placed the drinks in the console’s cup-holders.

“I guess so. Well, thanks.”

She pulled away and drove the short distance home. She passed new houses like her own, almost exactly like her own, and thought for the thousandth time of the theme song from the TV show, Weeds, about the ticky-tacky houses, little boxes all the same, which her oldest aunt finally told her wasn’t “the song from Weeds, for crying out loud,” but a revered 1960s folk song about conformity and learn some history for pete’s sake.

She didn’t remember thinking the houses were so monotonous when she and Matt sat in the model home with the salesman and picked out the kitchen counter and the bathroom tiles. Maybe because there weren’t any houses yet— just acres of flat dirt and day-glow orange stakes marking out foundations to come. Now, as Emma pulled into the driveway, it was a neighbourhood—front lawns, back yards with pools and swing sets, people raising families. The houses may have started out nearly the same but they were already becoming distinct, despite the repetitive faux fieldstone facades. Pumpkins sat on nearly every porch—classic orange for the most part, but the realtor who lived next door to them, her pumpkin was stylish white, looking almost staged. Next to it was a campaign sign for the incumbent mayor, hoping to be reelected in a few days in the municipal election. It would be their first time voting since moving to Lofthill. Emma had met the mayor over the summer, at the Farmers Market, and liked her. Down-to-earth gal, she told Matt later, who replied that he didn’t think he’d ever heard Emma use the term “gal” unironically, and that maybe they were getting suburbanized a little too fast.

Inside the entryway she took the beagle off his leash and he ran down the hall to the spare bedroom they’d turned into Matt’s home office at the beginning of the pandemic and which he was still using. Emma followed, peeked in, saw over his shoulder the half dozen faces on the Zoom call, and walked on to the kitchen.

There was leftover Pad Thai in the fridge but probably not enough for both of them. When they were first both working from home it was a fun adventure and they’d taken turns making lunch, but now Emma had been downsized to part-time and it looked like the same was about to happen to Matt, so those fun times were gone. She eyed the basket of bite-sized candy bars she’d already prepared for trick-ortreaters and resisted the urge.

Milo ambled into the kitchen with Matt a few steps behind him.

“Did you get the coffee?”

“I’m going to Food Basics this afternoon.”

“I thought you were getting Starbucks.”

“It’s twice the price.”

“It’s twice as good.”

“It’s the same thing.”

Matt shook his head but didn’t say anything more and Emma was glad they weren’t going to have the same conversation again about where they buy the same bags of coffee beans. It was bad enough Matt still insisted on the Starbucks beans when there were lots of cheaper brands in the grocery store.

VOTE

“Catholic Education: Leaven for the World”

RUITER Irma

Then she felt bad, again, and said, “I ran into Caroline’s owner.”

“Caroline the Labradoodle?”

“That’s the one. They were looking at a dead body.”

Matt blinked. “At the dog park?”

“No, in that construction site across from the community centre.”

As soon as she said it she wished she hadn’t, expecting him to say something about how close that was to Starbucks, but he said, “Wow, that’s crazy.”

“Yeah.”

“It was just out in the open?”

“A few feet off the road. I didn’t get that close, the place was swarming with cops. But that’s not the interesting part.”

Matt cocked his head. “I’d say that’s pretty interesting.”

“The most interesting part is that he was in our house yesterday.”

“Who was?”

“The dead guy. It’s that guy who was looking at our insulation. I let him in, remember.”

Matt dropped the bite-size Snickers he’d taken back into the basket, unopened.

“I remember.”

“I figured it was some kind of scam, you know, he was going to recommend all kinds of stuff we don’t really need, but it’s weird someone killed him.”

Matt picked up the Snickers again and twisted off the wrapper.

“Seems a little extreme,” he said. “But the guy did seem a little off— I mean, why would a guy selling insulation need a metal detector.”

“Is that what it was?”

“Yeah, beep-beep. I went down to see what he was doing.” Matt bit off half the candy bar.

“I don’t really remember.”

Just like not wanting to admit to Caroline’s owner that the guy had been in the house, Emma didn’t want to admit to Matt that she remembered he’d been in the basement with the dead guy, and again she didn’t know why. Just instinct.

“Yeah, when I asked him what he was doing he said ‘nothing’ and he packed up and left. Not the talkative type. A little odd, if you think about it, for a salesman.”

“That is odd.”

Matt chewed pensively.

“For sure, but you know, he might have found something.”

“In our basement?”

“Yeah, it seemed strange at the time, I didn’t really think about it. But he moved the laundry table.”

“Probably part of his scam. Maybe he gets the detector to make a noise then he tells people they need a few thousand bucks of insulation.”

Matt dropped the other half of the Snickers on the island and started toward the stairs.

“Maybe, but I think he was looking for something.”

The basement was unfinished, just a concrete floor with a sump pump at one end and a furnace at the other, with their mostly empty moving boxes and a washer and dryer in between. Perfectly aligned blue and red plastic water lines ran the length of the far wall. A bathroom had been roughed-in—it seemed like a good investment when they were buying the house and when they expected to start a family, but they hadn’t done that right away and when the pandemic hit everything got put on hold.

Matt pointed at the laundry table. “See?”

It had been moved away from the wall a couple of feet and stood at an angle.

“Well, it’s right under the window,” Emma said, “the best place to claim there needs to be more insulation.”

“But he was actually concentrating down here.” Matt moved the table farther from the wall and brushed some dust on the concrete floor. He looked around. “Where’s the sledge hammer?”

Emma laughed a little. “We have a sledge hammer?”

“With my dad’s tools, in the garage.” Matt ran up the stairs.

Emma was worried when she saw how big the hammer was.

“What are you doing?”

“He was really interested in this spot.”

“This is crazy.”

“It must have been important,” Matt said. “Someone killed him.”

He gripped the handle and swung hard. The impact was like a rifle shot. Milo yelped upstairs. A chunk of concrete flipped in the air.

“Matt stop.”

Crack. Another chunk of concrete. Milo barked at the top of the stairs, then was bounding down, barking every other step.

“Stop it!”

“This stupid house.”

He swung with more force. A piece of concrete clanged against the washing machine.

Emma yelled, “Matt, stop!”

“Stupid housing crash, stupid inflation, interest rates going crazy, everything so expensive.” He slammed the hammer again and again.

Milo bayed furiously, edging closer.

Flushed, sweating, Matt yelled, “Stupid dog!”

“Matt!”

“You losing your job!”

Emma grabbed Milo’s collar and pulled him back, yelling, “I didn’t lose my job.”

He kept smashing—two, three, five more blows— two years of frustration bursting out, Emma yelling at him to stop, Milo howling.

And suddenly it was quiet. The pounding, the yelling, the barking, over. The sharp scent of concrete dust hit Emma’s nostrils.

Matt said, “Look.”

There was a dull reflection just visible at the side of the rubble.

Emma said, “What is it?”

“Don’t know.” Matt took another swing and cracked away more of the concrete. “It’s metal.”

He got down on his knees and held the hammer high like he was going to bunt. A few short smacks and one end of a large metal box was revealed.

Matt tapped the hammer along the sides of the box until the whole top was showing. He dug around the edges with his fingers but couldn’t get it loose. He stood up. “Need the pry bar.”

Emma knelt down beside Milo and pulled him close. “It’s okay, boy, it’s nothing. Probably some construction worker’s lunch.”

Matt came back and used the bar and the claw end of a hammer to loosen the box. He had to chip some more of the concrete and dig out some dirt but after a minute it was free.

“Ta-da.”

“So what is it?”

It was an old metal tool box. Matt brushed dirt from the

Life changes, and the right life insurance can help

Contact

today.

Kilyk, Agent 21 Highway 20 West Fonthill ON 905-892-5721 bob.kilyk@desjardins.com bobkilyk.com

Niagara Catholic District Catholic School Board Trustee

Continued next page

ipalities will be looking at our bylaws, knowing that this is the kind of structure that’s going to hold up in court,” said Junkin, adding that local businessman Tim Nohara’s “meticulous” leadership made him an ideal choice as chair of that committee.

The senior leadership team in place at Town Hall has Junkin’s full support.

“Our team is second to none in the Region. We’ve got people who are experts in their respective areas of responsibility, and our CAO [David Cribbs] has done a fantastic job of bringing this team together.” Early in his term, Junkin led the effort to terminate controversial former CAO Darren Ottaway, now facing criminal assault charges in northern Ontario.

One of the fi rst things Junkin said that he did when he took office was sign a memorandum of understanding with Trout Unlimited, so that Pelham could work as a partner with the organization on local environmental issues concerning the Twelve Mile Creek watershed.

Should he be reelected, Junkin plans to create an Agriculture Advisory Committee, to give farmers

an opportunity to connect with council.

“With the disruption of supply chains around the world, and the impact of climate change on agriculture, I think it’s obvious to everyone that Canada has to take a bigger role in producing its own food. I think council can take steps to ensure that the farming community stays viable and profitable, and that their voices are heard.”

He has suggested that giving Indigenous names to some of the new streets in East Fonthill urban developments would be a unique way for the Town to demonstrate inclusivity with First Nations members in Niagara.

“I’ll be pushing for more climate change initiatives in the strategic plan, well beyond simply planting more trees,” said Junkin.

“For example, our new library will be a zero-emission building. These kinds of projects are going forward, and I want council to be aggressive in facing sustainability issues.”

Perusing the slate of candidates for council, Junkin said that “their backgrounds look impressive,” and that he is looking forward to a “cohesive council that will stay the course financially.”

As conversation turned to the Niagara Central Dorothy Run-

yesterday.”

“So?”

geling Airport in south Pelham, Junkin grimaced as he responded.

“There are no small expenses at an airport, even modest [fields] like NCDRA,” he said. “We should have uploaded that facility to the

million annual budget, but the Region’s budget is over a billion dollars, so that’s where a lot of the work for a municipal mayor needs to be directed. There are issues like healthcare that impact Pelham citizens, but are dealt with primarily at the Regional and provincial levels. The same with homelessness. There obviously is no easy fi x to these problems. The Town of Pelham does not have any un-utilized municipal lots or residential lots in our possession, so the idea of us setting up a community of tiny homes for the homeless, or even a Habitat for Humanity build, is a non-starter currently. Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, and Fort Erie still have available land within their urban boundaries, and can tackle this situation better than Pelham.”

as we’re going to get in Pelham,” he said, aside from building complexes targeted towards seniors that are in the works.

Junkin’s 2022 campaign blends an old-school approach with a modern, social media component.

“I’m communicating with the electorate a lot through my headquarters on Highway 20 and Pelham Street,” he said. “People are dropping in regularly, and of course emailing and phoning me. My door-to-door campaign is being achieved with the help of a couple of students.”

Junkin also has a website, www.marvinjunkin.ca, and a Facebook page.

Region. Some expenses, like runway resurfacing, cost literally millions of dollars. We have been asking the Airport Commission for a formal business plan, and have yet to receive one. The communication between the airport board and the funding municipalities certainly needs to improve.”

Pelham’s mayor has a seat on Niagara Regional Council, and Junkin appreciates the attention needed at that level.

“The Town of Pelham has a $25

Junkin recalls Town Council previously donating land that was worth $1.2 million to Wellspring Niagara, situated adjacent the MCC.

“That’s something that every resident in this town can be proud of,” he said. “I’ve never once had a resident come up to me and say that was a bad decision.”

Housing units directly south of the of the MCC sold for about $450,000, according to Junkin, “and that’s about as affordable

“It sure does.”

distinctive logo. Simpsons-Sears.

Emma stood up. “You see, some construction worker forgot it.”

Matt grunted as he lifted the box and put it on the laundry table, which creaked ominously.

“How many 80-year-old construction workers are there on a three-year-old house. This thing’s an antique.”

He undid the clasp and lifted the lid.

Light from the window bounced off the contents, sending rays into rafters, dust motes glinting in the air.

“Holy shit.”

“Is that… real?”

“I don’t know.”

“If it’s real we should call someone.”

“We can’t do that.”

“We have to.”

Milo edged up to the table and gave a tentative sniff, tail wagging.

“There must be a couple hundred in here.”

Matt lifted one of the bars from the toolbox. It was a rectangle about the size of a playing card, but thicker. And very gold.

Emma said, “They must be stolen.”

Matt flipped the bar in his hand. “Duh.”

He pulled out all the bars and spread them on top of the table. It took awhile. There wasn’t enough room to lay them all flat, so he started angling them, like slices of gratin potato. Milo curled up by the dryer and fell asleep.

Matt stepped back.

“Maybe one-seventy-five, maybe two hundred.”

Emma was still freaked out over the smashing of the concrete floor and how red in the face Matt had gotten but now the gold was mesmerizing. She picked up a bar and read the imprint.

“Royal Canadian Mint. They even have serial numbers. Maybe there’ll be a reward.”

“We can’t tell anyone.”

“Why not?”

“Are you stupid?”

“Matt!”

“I’m sorry, it’s the adrenaline, I’m hyped-up.”

Emma said, “So am I.” She was going to say more but stopped herself.

Matt took a breath and said, “That guy was down here

Barbering...

“And now he’s dead. Someone killed him. If we tell anyone we found what he was looking for they’ll think it was us.”

“Us what?”

“Us who killed him.”

“That’s crazy.”

“We’ll be the only suspects.”

“But we didn’t kill him.”

“I don’t think that’s going to matter. Anyway, by the time we hire lawyers and prove we didn’t we’ll be bankrupt.

Emma shook her head.

“So what do you want to do, just put them back in the floor?” She ran her thumb over the embossed lettering. “One ounce, point nine, nine, nine, fine gold. How much is it worth?”

“I don’t know,” Matt said. “Easy enough to find out.” He put the bars back in the tool box and looked at Emma. She said, “Okay, yeah, let’s find out,” and started upstairs, one bar still in her hand.

In Matt’s office he Googled, “Royal Canadian Mint,” and the first autocomplete suggestion was “Gold bar 1 oz .9999.” He clicked on it.

Looking over his shoulder at the monitor Emma said, “Whoa.”

Matt clicked a couple more times. “That must be the cost to buy, not sell.”

“Still,” Emma said, “twenty-four hundred dollars, if there are a hundred bars that’s two hundred and forty thousand.”

“Yeah,” Matt said, “and if there’s two hundred?”

“A half a million covers a lot of mortgage payments, even at the new interest rate.”

“I’ve enjoyed the last four years, working with council, staff, and residents. I believe that under my leadership this town has gotten away from controversy, and I think that’s what the residents want.”

Since his election in 2018, Junkin has downsized his farming operation in North Pelham, selling off acreage to create more time for his mayoral duties.

“We went from 450 acres of cash crops down to a little over 200. But I’m still farming,” he said. “It’s nice to get out on the tractor and away from the cellphone once in a while.” 4

Still staring at the screen Matt said, “We just have to figure out how to sell them.”

The doorbell rang. Milo barked from the basement.

Emma said, “I’ll get it.”

Matt closed the browser window. “As long as it’s not the cops.”

“Don’t even joke.”

Walking to the living room Emma was already thinking how the money could make a difference. They’d been so worried about renewing their mortgage—it had been 1.9 percent when they bought and now it would be 4.9, maybe even over five, maybe enough for them to have to sell, and then she was thinking about the housing crash and what a bad time it would be to put it on the market. If they could sell some of the bars and just use the money for groceries and gas, and then they could renew the mortgage and make the car payments. They could breathe a little and maybe stop fighting all the time.

The dog crested the basement stairs and darted for the front door, tail an eager blur. Milo loved surprise guests.

Emma stopped and said, “Oh my god.”

She ran back to the office. “What,” said Matt. She squeezed her eyes shut.

“It’s the cops.”

Episode 1 of 10. Continued next week.

experienced professional with 31 years in investigations and law enforcement at the federal and provincial level including service as an investigator with the Ontario Ombudsman.

Supporting an open and transparent government

Promoting the established business districts of Fonthill and Ridgeville

Balancing community growth with protecting green space, providing recreation facilities and ensuring town services keep pace with demand

Alaina Hillier,

Hi,

Continued from previous page

"With the disruption of supply chains around the world...I think it's obvious to everyone that Canada has to take a bigger role in producing its own food"

have property to donate,” he said. “We've got probably two pieces of land right now. One is earmarked for a parking lot at the MCC, and the other is across from the MCC on the corner of Meridian Way, where we’re looking at either a civic space or a site for the new library.”

Wink said that there are priorities to be addressed early in the new term.

“All the budgets have to be approved, and we need to refine our strategic plan for the next four years. It can't just be my strategic plan. It needs to be everybody's strategic plan. Early on, we also need to get the Ridgeville parking problem straightened out, and resolve the parking issue with the MCC. We've got temporary park-

HUSON continued from Page 10

nicipalities, with the federal government. It makes me realize that the problems in our community maybe aren’t so unique, because a lot of municipalities are actually experiencing similar issues.”

Huson lists a number of Regional Council’s achievements over the past four years, including the adoption of a new Regional Official Plan, resolved issues with garbage collection, and the attainment of a unified regional transit system.

“Pelham will be directly impacted by the Region’s new official plan, because the Town will now have to pass a secondary plan that conforms to that,” said Huson. “Growth and infrastructure in Pelham is impacted by the new plan. I recognize the tension over the need for more housing, as well as the desire to preserve our small-town feel. There is no longer a lot of affordable housing in Pelham, if you go by the generally-accepted definition [30 percent or less of personal income towards

ing, but we need a permanent solution. Perhaps we’ll build parking underneath the new library. It costs more, but land is at a premium.”

Climate change initiatives, like charging stations for electric cars at municipal lots, and encouraging developers to work towards shrinking their carbon footprint, are also on Wink’s radar.

Asked if he would enjoy being the new Pelham council representative on the Niagara Central Dorothy Rungeling Airport Commission, which is proving to be something of a money pit for the municipality, Wink grinned, and said, “No thanks. It should have been left in the hands of the Region, not downloaded on us.”

Wink said that Ward 1 Councillor Mike Ciolfi’s death at the start of Covid was a negative turning point last term, and not simply in the loss of a valuable councillor

housing costs]. But we still want our seniors to be able to age-inplace, so we need more downsizing options, and housing that allows new families to enter the market. I think that’s going to be probably a real focus for the next term on council.”

The transit piece is an interesting one, said Huson, because it’s an expensive undertaking, and will challenge the limits of the budget.

Not everyone in Niagara was pleased with the move to trash pickup every second week, but Huson said that it was a cost mitigation issue, allowing the Region to help control an escalation of property taxes.

“We successfully diverted 12,000 tons of garbage from landfill sites, and increased green bin usage by 24 percent,” she said.

Huson also underscored the healthcare crisis Ontarians are experiencing, with provincial decisions trickling down to the municipalities.

“The Province wants to get people out of the hospitals and into

and well-respected member of the community.

“We were working pretty cohesively up until that point, and then after Mike passed, things seemed to change.”

As reported by the Voice and picked up by the CBC and other media outlets, early in the Covid-19 pandemic Ward 2 Councillor and Sobeys franchisee Ron Kore continued to attend council meetings and work at his store despite exhibiting symptoms of a respiratory illness. Kore was later confirmed as having Covid, and potentially exposed fellow councillors and Town staff to the virus at a late March 2020 meeting, one of the last held before council shifted to meeting virtually. Three other individuals in Council Chambers that night later tested positive for Covid, including the 51-year-old Ciolfi, whose cause of death on April 13, 2020 has never been officially stated.

long term care homes, and that could stress our facilities in Niagara, especially given a lack of staffing. EMS [Emergency Medical Service] crews have had to sit and wait for offloading of patients to occur at hospitals, which has hurt their response times in emergencies. So healthcare will likely have another renewed focus on council.”

Huson is a champion of entrepreneurship and small business, and an advocate for job creation and growth of the local economy.

“If you look at my record, I’ve promoted shopping local since I was elected,” she said.” I was also the Regional Councillor who put forward the motion about developing a ‘shop local’ campaign during the pandemic, encouraging support for local businesses.”

She noted that, where possible, she likes to connect with Pelham Town Council members on local issues, so that she can be fully informed and support their efforts.

“I connect with them, so that if I’m going to put a motion forward at Regional Council, it will com-

Wink thinks that a new council will have fewer closed sessions.

“Last term, we had to go in camera for cannabis issues and legal issues, and real estate transactions. Transparency was a buzzword of the last election, because the previous council had the perception of not being transparent at all. I think we were, for the most part, pretty transparent over the past four years.”

Wink said that he was very fortunate that a lot of people have stepped forward to help him out with his campaign, volunteering to help distribute brochures, going door-to-door.

“It helps a lot,” he said. “I’ve had many people on the street say, ‘John, you’ve got our votes.’ But I think the advantage this time is that I know a lot more people in Pelham, through committee work, public events, and my job at the golf course.”

plement what they’re doing, so that we’re all moving in the same direction. It’s sensible for Pelham politicians to be represented as a team, where there’s an opportunity.”

Huson worked to extend existing EarlyON services in Pelham prior to a restructuring of the program’s delivery, and has supported the expansion of affordable childcare for families. Another Huson project was the “Seat at the Table” program, meant to encourage more women and racialized voices in entering the political arena.

Her busy schedule leaves fleeting time for recreation.

“I love being outside,” said Huson. “I’ve actually hiked the entire Bruce Trail in Niagara, and enjoy taking my Shetland Sheepdog, Sylvie, to the dog park on Centre Street. I’m very close with my family, and look forward to weekends when we can get away, maybe go to the cottage. Between my job with the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre and my Regional Councillor responsibilities, there isn’t much time for a lot

Wink is a golf aficionado, and works as a part-time course marshall and starter at Pen Lakes in his retirement. He smiled, referring to it as a “dream job.”

He is busy these days monitoring his three email accounts (one personal, one for his councillor role, one for his election campaign). He is grateful for his wife’s support while he is in election mode.

“Sue convinced me to run four years ago,” he said. “She saw some of the antics from the last council, and said they needed to get some better people in there. ‘You should step forward,’ she said. That’s how my political life started.”

Asked about any ambitions for higher office, Wink smiled as responded, “I don't consider myself a politician. I'm a councillor, serving my community.”

Wink’s website is available at www.electwinkforpelham.ca 4

else.”

Huson has always had a heavy schedule. She did her undergraduate degree part-time, going on to complete both her MA and MBA at Brock. In addition, she had a small consulting business before being elected to council.

Going door-to-door on the election trail, Huson said that she’s been receiving a lot of positive feedback.

“I think that people are receptive to my style of getting things done,” she said. “I view an election as a job application. I’ve worked hard to win the trust of my constituents.”

What of ambitions to politics at a loftier level?

“I’m taking it one term at a time, but I think I would definitely consider a higher office,” said Huson. “Right now I’m focused on the Region because that’s the job that I love, but I certainly would consider other opportunities down the road.”

For more details on Huson’s political platform, see huson4pelham.ca. 4

HOME

WINK continued from

EARLY CANINE CHRISTMAS Frank Adamson and his brother Lloyd conveyed a $50,000 donation to the Lions Club Foundation for its Guide Dogs Program last week, the funds coming from the estate of Frank’s twin brother Fred, who passed away in July, and who was an avid animal lover. The money will be split between the Fonthill and Fenwick Lions. Guide dogs are provided free of charge through the Lions to the visually impaired who require them. From left, Frank Adamson, Pat O’Hara of the Fonthill Lions, Jeff Pickup of the Fenwick Lions, and Lloyd Adamson

DON RICKERS

BACK TO SCHOOL SURPRISE Coordinator Jennifer Dube says that Pelham Cares was delighted by a surprise donation from PenFinancial Credit Union. “The support for our Back to School program has been very needed and much appreciated this year,” says Dube, who adds that the funds will be put toward Pelham Cares’ Back to School Snack and Backpack program. From left, Kyle Conahan, PenFinancial, Susan Mark and Greg Lewis, Pelham Cares, and Keith Maxim, PenFinancial SUPPLIED

Niagara in securing funds for a new facility to be built in Welland.

Junkin concurred that the Town of Pelham does not own any empty residential lots within the urban boundary, but said he would support the soon to be replaced library building as a potential site for affordable housing for seniors and others that need it.

“The location is perfect for such usage, being in close proximity to all the amenities of our downtown,” said Junkin. “I would also continue to support, as I have in the past, all Regional initiatives to create affordable housing in areas where there is available land.”

The second question touched on support for skilled trades and post-secondary partners, in order to retain and attract a skilled workforce.

Junkin responded that this issue is primarily a Regional government concern, noting that the upper-level government’s development team does a great job of establishing business partnerships throughout Niagara.

“I can’t really say how we could approve on that at the Town level,” said Junkin, pointing to a lack of industrial and business parks in the town, although he said that Pelham supports small businesses as best it is able.

Adamson said that contractors in Niagara are always looking for skilled tradespeople, and he stressed the importance of apprenticeship programs, and college programs which cater to the trades. He also commented that he felt the Region would be better served by blending the various economic development offices staffed by sub-municipalities together, as well as tourism efforts.

Another question about the housing crisis in Pelham, with skyrocketing prices making it almost impossible for young people to find an affordable place to live, drew a response from Adamson that, “a lot of this effort really is at the provincial level, and certainly at the Regional level.” He acknowledged that, “we have a housing boom within this entire region, but it's people coming from Toronto and Mississauga and Aurora, that are selling their two million dollar houses, and buying million dollar house here, and sticking a million bucks in the bank. That doesn't help young people.”

He said that promoting more apartment and townhouse developments would be part of the solution.

Junkin was sympathetic to the situation, but said that in the past, developers who were told by Town Council that 30 percent of their units would have to be dedicated to affordable housing, never succeeded in progressing to the building stage, saying that it was simply not profitable for them.

“Staff told one developer that council wouldn’t budge from the 30 percent, and he ended up selling the property, and it’s still sitting

there. The bottom line is the land in Pelham is just too expensive, and we cannot do affordable housing the way other municipalities might be able to manage.”

Water drainage issues on Pelham properties was another issue.

Adamson said that, as mayor, he would work with Town staff to address flooding issues, but noted that in talking with residents on the campaign trail, “It has not been brought up till this point in time, but now it’s certainly on my radar.”

Junkin said that when he first took office in the fall of 2016, there was a drainage issue in Fenwick’s Cherry Ridge subdivision that had been ongoing for 18 years.

“As a farmer, I realized that drainage isn't something that you put on the back burner,” and pointed to the Twelve Mile Creek ecosystem.

“In my first six months in office, the Town signed a memorandum of understanding with Trout Unlimited that we would work with them to preserve and bring back the environmental integrity of that stream.”

Both Junkin and Adamson expressed a desire to return to in-person council meetings in the near future.

“When the new council is sworn in December, I'm hoping that the majority of councillors will indeed partake of the meetings in the chambers,” said Junkin. Adamson concurred.

A question about the Town’s reserve funds prompted Adamson to point to the Meridian Community Centre, and how it was “unfortunate that there were not provincial and federal funds available” for that project.

“I believe $11 million has been put back into the reserve funds,” he said. “We charged the voters for the investment in that land, and increased taxes, and those dollars paid back the reserves.”

Junkin, who famously resigned his council seat in late 2017 over what he asserted was an attempt by that council to hide the true depth of the Town’s financial crisis, said that the debt on the MCC “does place a burden on all of us, but as a politician, the number one question I ask is, ‘Will the asset be used to the maximum benefit of the community?’ And that has indeed happened. On a good weekend, there are thousands of people that go through those doors.”

Junkin said that MCC operational costs are about $700,000 a year, but added that not one community centre makes money.

Taxes were up next, and Junkin said that the 13.5 percent increase in the first two years of the MCC’s introduction, though not sustainable, was necessary to “get the reserves back up where they belong.” The last two years, tax increases have been around 4.5 percent, he said, but with eight or nine percent inflation, the next couple of budgets are going to be very hard to manage. However, nominal capital expenditures are planned.

Adamson chose to focus on grants to offset needed

projects, such as a cycling and running path on Canboro Road between Fonthill and Fenwick.

“Our treasurer is really good at getting grants that can be done without any additional tax burden,” Adamson said, and suggested that 18,000 trees — one for every Pelham citizen — could be planted over the next four years.

“That's very doable. And it can be done at a very modest cost,” he said, noting that five years ago Rotary International planted almost two million trees worldwide.

“Basically, there's really nothing in my platform that's going to increase taxes exponentially for anybody sitting in this room,” he said.

Libraries were up next, and Adamson applauded the decision to amalgamate the Lincoln and Pelham libraries as a cost-saving measure which maintained service levels.

Junkin reminisced to his first meeting with the Library Board, pre-pandemic, “in front of a hostile crowd. I told them I thought we were spending way too much money on the library’s administration, and not enough on services. I suggested that we should be amalgamating with another municipality, but was told that night it would be impossible. I am as a library-friendly as anybody in this room. I think they are great resource for the community. As far as funding goes, [any] Town Council I lead as Mayor will find the money to keep the library advancing and keeping at the forefront.”

Asked about chickens kept in backyards, Junkin and Adamson agreed with a recently passed bylaw prohibiting fowl in the urban areas of Pelham but allowing them in rural areas.

Healthcare services were addressed by the candidates, with Adamson advocating for the provincial government to loosen restrictions to allow foreign-trained doctors, nurses, and technicians to practice.

“The Welland Hospital should be developed, even with a new hospital in Niagara Falls, with diagnostic imaging and surgery capability. We don't need full medical services here within Pelham’s boundaries, [but] we certainly need access to them in Welland, Niagara Falls, and St. Catharines,” he said.

Junkin referenced a developer in recent years who promised to bring a medical

building to Pelham, and a group of new doctors, but was unsuccessful.

“Other municipalities have had a hard time attracting doctors,” he said. “Maybe we’d have more luck if the Region offered tax breaks for doctors to move in and set up clinics.”

Support for local small businesses was championed by Adamson, a small business owner himself, who suggested that a BIA [Business Improvement Area] in Pelham could be useful.

“A lot of us are now property rich, but cash poor,” he said, advocating for a “shop local” approach.

“During Covid, the Town gave many concessions to businesses,” said Junkin, citing allowances for restaurant patios in parking lots.

“If business owners came in and talked to the Treasurer, they were given ample time, interest free, to help them with their tax

payments,” he said.

Notably, Fonthill business owners had the opportunity to create a BIA some 15 years ago. BIAs are primarily funded through a small surcharge on business property taxes in a given neighbourhood At the time, a handful of business property owners in Fonthill vocally objected to the notion of being taxed any additional amount, and successfully headed-off the proposed BIA by creating the entirely voluntary Pelham Business Association, a club whose purpose beyond stopping the BIA was never clearly articulated, and which went defunct some years ago as membership precipitously declined.

Traffic issues were voiced as a concern by some residents, who referred to certain Pelham streets as “race tracks.” Traffic calming measures, such as four-way stops, and greater enforcement were recommended by Adamson.

Junkin told the audience that the Town routinely sends petitions and letters of concern on to the Niagara Regional Police Service. He added that a flashing warning light costs about $25,000, to warn motorists of a school zone or other sensitive area ahead.

“It’s a no-brainer to have these light in school zones,” said Junkin, “and I'm definitely going to be pushing the issue on council.”

High-speed internet connectivity in rural Pelham, and the need for hydroelectric infrastructure upgrades, were discussed by the candidates. Both noted that broadband upgrades

are currently underway, and voiced concern over the ongoing power outages in the municipality.

“Unfortunately, Fenwick’s infrastructure dates back in the late 1950s,” said Adamson, “and is now way outdated. All the suppliers will tell us is that they are working on it, that they are aware of the problem. At the Regional level, we probably have more power to push them.”

Junkin acknowledged the hard work of Town Councillor Bob Hildebrandt to get lower power rates for Pelham, and added that, “We need to work through the Region to have our voice heard.”

In his closing remarks, Junkin called his past term of office “very enlightening,” and lauded Town staff for their diligent efforts in taking Pelham to a “new level. I enjoy working with them. They enjoyed working with me. And I believe I’ve earned another four years.”

Adamson promised to make the community “a little better than when I found it. That is solely my intention. I believe it is incumbent on the mayor and council to provide a forum for you, the citizens. I don't have a magic wand, nor do I have all the answers. But I've been heartened to hear that most of you enjoy being part of the fabric of Pelham. My pledge to you if elected as mayor will be to always uphold the truth. I will always strive to be fair in my dealings, and endeavour to build goodwill and understanding in my community.”

Help build the new plan.

Town of Pelham Recreation, Culture & Parks Master Plan

The Town of Pelham is developing a Recreation, Culture & Parks Master Plan to establish community priorities for the next ten years. The Plan will set direction and guide the development of programs, services, facilities, and parks.

Virtual Open House

Wednesday, October 19, 2022 | 7PM

To register to attend, please email bharford@pelham.ca or call 905-732-7889

Resident Survey

All residents are encouraged to complete the survey before October 30, 2022. Scan the QR code, or pick up a hard copy at the Meridian Community Centre or Pelham Town Hall. All surveys are anonymous.

In-Person Pop-up Feedback

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

10AM - 12PM & 6PM - 8PM

Meridian Community Centre, Fonthill

Learn more at www pelham ca/rcpmasterplan

The candidates shake hands at the end of the meeting DON RICKERS

CUSTOM MILL

905-401-4948, riverwoodportablesawmill@ gmail.com

On

Saturdays 12:30 – 3:30. Register and pay ahead in person. $5.00 per 1/2 hour. Visit www.pelhamlibrary.on.ca or call 905-892-6443 for more details.

FONTHILL BANDSHELL PRESENTS DE TEMPS ANTAN

proofing, drainage systems, quarry stone supply, place ment. 905-384-1972. P18-23

www.thevoiceofpelham.ca

CLASSIFIEDS

COINS AND STAMPS WANTED

Collector

Since 2003, Éric Beaudry, André Brunet and Pierre-Luc Dupuis have been exploring and performing time-honoured melodies from the stomp ing grounds of Quebec’s musical past. Using fiddle, accordion, harmonica, guitar, bouzouki and a number of other instruments, our three virtuosos blend boundless energy with the unmistakable joie de vivre found only in traditional Quebec music. Show runs from 7-9 p.m.

at 905-599-6460.

FOUND

MASONRY REPAIR

ALLTYPE MASONRY

PELHAM LIBRARY CARD MAKING WORKSHOP

Brick, Block, Stone and Chimney repairs. Wet and damaged basement repairs. Phone Tom Deamude at 289-241-4767. 35 years of construction experience.

PROFESSIONAL HOUSECLEANING

PLACE YOUR AD BY EMAIL OR PHONE office@thevoiceofpelham.ca

Hours: Mon-Thurs, 8 AM - 2 PM (905) 892-8690

Make six cards with fall themes, learning a variety of techniques. Materials are provided. At time of registration, please enquire about tools needed. Tues., Sept. 16 10 – 12:30. $10. Please register ahead. Visit www.pelham library.on.ca or call 905-892-6443 for more details.

This week at the Meridian Community Centre

OCTOBER

OCTOBER 21 Brock FIT 8 – 10 AM

Pickleball 9 - NOON Men’s Shinny 9 – 9:50 AM Men’s 60+ Shinny 10 – 10:50 AM

Drop-in Volleyball 10:30 – 1 PM Orchestrum Music 1 – 3 PM

Ticket Ice 3:15 – 4:05 PM 18+ Stick & Puck 4:15 – 5:05 PM

OCTOBER

9:45 – 10:35 AM 60+ Stick & Puck 10:30 – 11:20 AM 55+ Aerobics 11 – NOON

Chair Yoga 11:15 – 12:15 PM

Adult Only Skate 1 – 1:50 PM

Yogalates 5:30 – 6:30 PM

Public Skating 7:30 – 9:20 PM

Pickleball 8:30 – 11 PM

OCTOBER 22

Women’s Ringette Shinny 9:15 – 10:05 PM

OCTOBER 23

Public Skating 1 – 2:20 PM

OCTOBER 24

Women’s Learn to Play 9:45 – 10:20 AM

genre).

FABULOUS FENWICK LIONS FISH FRY

Professional house cleaning. 20 years experience. Call Heather at 905-321-3817.

Burke’s Masonry Bricklaying, tuckpointing, step repair, granite coatings, brick slices 905-682-7061. P18-28

FLOORING

Josh DeHaan Flooring

“For all your flooring needs”

chilled spaces in the house, and sudden appearances of shadows and dark shapes. The family dog had also suddenly refused to willingly cross the threshold of the house.

In our combined toolkit was an assortment of the most basic of ghost-hunting tools: a DSLR camera with flash, our phones (acting as recording devices and flashlights), a notebook to write down our findings, and an electromagnetic field (EMF) detector.

“Ready?” Luis asked.

“Yep.” I took the EMF detector from my pocket, and together we walked towards the house.

U nexplained footsteps, knocking, and disembodied noises. Sudden changes in temperature. A general sense of heaviness or foreboding. Objects that move of their own volition. These are only a few of the many symptoms of a house that is allegedly haunted or inhabited by disembodied spirits known as “ghosts.”

There are many reasons for such hauntings, from folklore to popular culture: ghosts lingering are believed to have had a connection to the location while they were alive, and/ or suffered some sort of trauma or death that has since bound them permanently to the place. Echoes of energy, imprints of memory, lost to time.

The concept is undeniably fascinating to many— just look at the number of supernatural movies, shows, and books that have been produced over the centuries.

Interpretations range from extreme (fi lms such as The Omen or The Haunting of Hill House or Amityville Horror feature ghosts and possessions both murderous and horrifying) to comedic (Casper the Friendly Ghost and Ghostbusters offered both heartwarming and humorous takes on the

“Ghost Tours” of historical sites or alleged haunted locations are also popular, to capitalize on the curiosity of supernatural enthusiasts, or the odd tourist more willing to suspend their disbelief during the Halloween season.

Is there a way to prove the existence of a ghost, or haunting? Many would argue that anything real can be, with enough tests, eventually proven by science. The word science, taken from the Latin ‘scientia’ for ‘knowledge’, is defi ned as an enterprise that is built on the foundation of testable explanations and predictions, that when organized and formalized into peer-edited record, forms the basis of acceptable (even if many still fi nd it debatable) knowledge.

The earliest records of people conducting tests with the intention to prove or explain certain hypotheses can be traced back to as early as 3000 to 1200 BCE. The people who lived in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia were just as curious as we are about the makings of the world and mysteries of the universe.

As a so-called modern society, we have accomplished incredible scientific and technological advancements. Unlike the Mesopotamians, we have clear answers and explanations for thunder and lightning, the changing of the moon and tides, and other previously unexplained phenomena.

We have so many answers now, for so many things—but not for everything.

T he alleged haunted house was one of many old houses on this quiet Brantford street. At a fi rst glance, the house was quaint: a 1400-square-foot compact structure built some 70 years ago, nestled in a fairytale-esque explosion of overgrown vines and flower bushes.

60+ Stick & Puck 10 – 10:50 AM

Women’s Shinny 10:30 – 11:20 AM

Adult Learn to Skate 1:30 – 2:20 PM

FOUND: WOMEN'S RING

Tasty treats with funds heading straight back into the community. Haddock, french fries and much more. Runs Sept. 9 from 4-7 p.m.

PELHAM MINOR HOCKEY EQUIPMENT SALE

Adult Only Skate 2:30 – 3:20 PM 6-12 Stick & Puck 3:45 – 4:35 PM

Women's ring found in Giant Tiger Fonthill parking lot, Friday September 30th. Heirloom filigree gold ring with stones surrounding centre stone. Owner, please call 905-988-6767

We offer in-stock specials: pre-finished hardwood flooring solid, engineered from $2/ft2 laminate flooring from $.89/ft2 carpet and vinyl flooring from $4.95/yd2 fibre flooring from $1/ft2 ceramic tile from $.89/ft2

Buy, sell or trade used equipment at the Pelham Arena. Aimed to provide cheaper options for players in this upcoming season. Runs Sept. 6 from 9-12 in the morning.

OCTOBER 25

Pickleball 9 - NOON Men’s Shinny 9 – 9:50 AM Zumba 9:30 – 10:30 AM

PELHAM MUDFEST

Men’s 60+ Shinny 10 – 10:50 AM

Chair Yoga 11:15 – 12:15 PM

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR HOUSE IS

...and other specials! Call us to see the products that are available & visit our showroom.

Phone: 905-892-7898 Fax: 905-892-4811

Drop-in Volleyball 12:15 – 2:15 PM

Men and women will be back in the mud as the second run on the year is held at Bissil’s Hideaway.

Support the local businesses that support your local newspaper.

Parent & Preschool Skate 1 – 1:50 PM 13-17 Stick & Puck 4 – 4:50 PM

NIAGARA REGIONAL EXHIBITION

Rodeo, games and live entertainment headline this years exciting event. It runs from Sept. 11-14 at the Welland Fairgrounds.

No Sunday Calls, Please

TF

An enormous tree spread its rustling canopy over a large portion of the property, lending noise and shifting shadows across the path as we made our way to the front door. We knocked.

“Hellooo!”

The owner smiled as he opened the door. We were greeted by a blast of noise from the TV, and the street, previously dark, was bathed with light from his front hall.

Once we got the initial greetings out of the way, we sat down in the living room, and the owner proceeded to relate a brief history of the house. He was its third owner, and the house had undergone multiple renovations since the ‘50s. The previous owners had no information to offer about the original owners or builder of the house. While most of it had been refreshed with new coats of trim and paint, numerous original elements

Some

remained— mainly the existence of three claustrophobic and ominous crawlspaces.

then

including the

until the date

apply. Event submissions that meet the

weekly. Please provide

time and description

reserves the right to edit for space.

He reiterated what he had previously reported to us, that almost every morning between the hours of 7 and 8:30 AM, he would hear an insistent and rhythmic knocking, similar to running footsteps, in the direction of the crawlspace that ran behind his room and the guest bedroom.

“I even have a recording,” he said, pulling up a video on his phone and cranking up the volume.

Luis and I leaned forward, torn between skepticism and eagerness. The fi rst few seconds of the video were silent. Then, unmistakably, came the sounds of...something.

Creak-thump-thumpthump-thump-THUMP.

The rattling was eerily similar to the creaking footsteps made by the monsters lurking in horror movies which would

frighten me and my friends as teens (and admittedly, as adults).

“I’ll only hear it coming from the direction of that particular crawlspace,” said the owner, gesturing towards the stairs. “I’ve checked all the crawlspaces for animal droppings or openings. I even went inside myself and stomped around to see if I would make a similar noise. No droppings, no openings, nothing. And I couldn’t make much noise in there. But basically three times a week, I hear something shuffl ing around.”

According to the owner, one of the fi rst signs of a possible supernatural presence was the changed behaviour of the family dog. Normally a happy-golucky creature, she suddenly developed a fear of certain areas of the house and would refuse to willingly cross the threshold of either the front or back door. Once inside the

house, she would show nervousness around certain areas without any explanation. This behaviour began at the same time as the manifestation of the sounds.

We decided to test the reaction of the dog, and sure enough, while she was happy to prance around outside the house, she suddenly reared up when we approached the front door. She struggled against her leash, standing up on her hind legs and trying to pull away. In fact, she protested so much that we had to pick her up and carry her through the front door.

Once inside, she happily jumped on the owner, then Luis, then me, before going still again and staring at the stairs. Then she whined and went under a table to lie down.

“Poor girl,” said the owner, giving the dog a pat. “Well. Shall we look at the crawlspace?”

COLUMN

Dr. Gauss, the EMF detector, is on the case

RHELEN TRAN

The appeal of any unsolved or unsolvable mystery lies in the root of possibility — that seductive “what if.” In Haunted, James Herbert writes that “to be haunted is to glimpse a truth that might best be hidden.” The existence of ghosts opens the door for the possibilities of an afterlife. A haunting creates an opening for our departed loved ones to visit us.

There is equal comfort in the belief that ghost do not exist. If there is nothing to be found, then perhaps there is nothing to be worried about. As T.S. Eliot writes in The Family Reunion: “We ask only to be reassured about the noises in the cellar and the window that should not have been open.”

There is currently no scientifically acceptable way to prove the presence of a ghost. Paranormal investigative tools, such as EMF devices, Ouija boards, and other devices give reactions yes, but not quantifi able results.

The EMF device I had brought with me to the alleged haunted house is one that is commonly used in paranormal and supernatural investigations. EMF

is the term for various types of energy that exist around us — energy can come in the form of sunlight, or electricity, or the radioactive waves emanating from radios, microwaves, and X-rays.

The specific EMF device in my hand, a nondescript black box with a side-button and 0-10 meter, was meant to measure electricity and magnetism, particularly fluctuations in such fields.

Common theories from paranormal investigators suggest that ghosts are able to manipulate electromagnetic fields. The idea was that if the EMF device was in close proximity to ghosts, the meter would suddenly spike.

W e approached the stairs with our respective ghost-hunting tools: me with the EMF device, Luis with his camera, the owner with his beer.

I pressed the button, and the device began to hum quietly, the needle hovering between one and two. As we moved up the stairs, the humming became progressively louder, increasing to a shrill whine as we came up to the small door of the crawlspace.

The needle jumped to seven and eight, occasionally jumping sud-

denly to nine.

The dog, who was still cowering under the table downstairs, began whining.

The door to the crawlspace was small. One had to crouch down to fit through. The inside was straight out of a Hollywood horror movie: unfinished siding, nails and staples in the walls, tattered insulation and stained loose flooring.

“I’ll go in,” said the owner, turning on his phone’s flashlight. He took the EMF device and without hesitation, knelt and disappeared into the darkness of the crawlspace.

The EMF device continued to hum, though surprisingly, the needle went down to four and five as the owner crept up and down the narrow hallway. While my partner took photos of the space, we examined the floorboards and knocked and stomped on them, trying to recreate the noise from the video with no success.

Eventually, the dog came upstairs and lay on the bed.

The owner played the video again with the thumping noise, and we confirmed that we were unable to recreate the noise. The EMF device stopped humming, and we all gathered in the bedroom, just as stymied and confused as the dog.

I opened my notebook and pored over my scribblings.

“Weird that the device is not reacting anymore.”

All of a sudden, my hat fell off my head, and we all jumped.

“Maybe that was the ghost,” said a chuckling Luis.

The EMF device suddenly squealed, and the needle went wild, spasming at nine and ten.

“Whoa!” the owner yelled.

The squeal intensified, and the needle quivered even faster, shaking as it strained to go beyond ten.

“It’s off the charts!” I exclaimed.

The room suddenly felt cold. The dog started to shiver and flatten its ears.

We all looked at each other, then

at the EMF device, tension building. Was it time for fight or flight? What were we supposed to do now? Try to say something to the ghost? Offer it a beer? Call a priest while playing Tubular Bells?

“Wait, hold on,” said Luis. He took the EMF device and started walking around the room, asking me to record the spots where the dial went down and where it went up. He went back into the crawlspace while we waited with bated breath.

“Ah,” the room echoed with his laughter as he emerged. “I’ve solved the mystery. The EMF meter is reacting to the wires, and the radio in here. As well as my camera.”

He turned on the device and waved his hand near the radio in the corner, then the ceiling light, then the camera at his hip. The device squealed every time it came near each device.

We erupted into relieved laughter.

“Thank ****!” exclaimed the owner, clutching his chest. “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. I was almost going to ask for a ride to my mom and dad’s house.”

The street was still dark and quiet as the owner escorted us out of his house, after many thank-yous, thank-goodnesses, and goodbye handshakes. His relief was palpable.

Luis and I paused at the edge of the street to take the battery out of the EMF detector, which suddenly started spiking again.

“Don’t want to hear that thing buzzing the whole way home,” I said, tossing the device and the separated battery back into my coat pocket. “Well, what did you think? Not a bad way to spend date night.”

“Not bad at all,” said Luis with a smile.

As we walked to the car, we noticed that the same cat from before had come out again. It watched us silently from the bushes, a little smudge of tabby grey with those

two shining eyes. My last sight of the cat as we pulled out of the street and began our drive home was the flash of its tail as it suddenly streaked down the dimly lit sidewalk, its nocturnal adventure beginning where ours had ended.

Since this haunted series began, I’ve received many tips and stories of this or that old house. Stories of unexplained footsteps, sightings, and disembodied noises. Everyone has a ghost story, or has heard one from someone else.

The poet Emily Dickinson wrote: “One need not be a chamber to be haunted. One need not be a house. The brain has corridors surpassing material place.”

Perhaps that is the crux of it. Our minds want something to exist, so we manifest it. Built from our memories, and the stories others have told us, spirits, demons and hauntings are as real as we make them.

For example, what of the room? Why did it suddenly became so cold? And why did the dog suddenly become nervous again? Was the EMF detector only spiking because of the other devices in the room, or was there also something else on its radar?

Even if ghosts are ultimately not real, the emotions that fuel them are, and a source of eternal fascination to us. The debate over their existence is fed by equal parts of belief and disbelief.

As a writer, it is my job, and my joy, to enable the suspension of that disbelief — and what better way to spend a cold October’s night than to explore the liminal space between the real and not real?

Next week, I’ll explore another haunted site. In the meantime, keep those tips coming! Send your ghost stories and haunted locations to helen.voiceofpelham@ gmail.com 4

Head online to the Voice website to hear an audio recording from the ‘haunted’ house, when this article is posted later this week.

HELEN TRAN

by John Swart

How do serious male cyclists survive winter, anyhow?

Now that winter is approaching what can serious cyclists do to occupy the endless hours they usually spend cycling spring, summer, and fall? Some guys in Pelham will cycle 18,000 kilometres or more this year. Do the math. They’re fast riders, but even at a 30 kph average that’s 600 hours of cycling, or 15 hours per week, March to November.

Pelham is home to serious female cyclists too, rapaciously devouring kilometres and unsuspecting male riders who might attempt to keep up with them on the road. The cycling part I completely understand, but

to publicly speculate how such women might fill their winter non-riding days is outside my expertise. Prudence and an abundance of caution dictate I stick to discussing the two most likely male options: watching pro cycling or football.

Yes, there are a growing number of cyclists using trainers each winter in their homes, gyms, or spinning studios, but what about those whose callused sit bones and mashed down-below nerve fibres categorically demand a break from pedalling? Remember the good old days, say back in 2010, when a guy could squander a dozen

January afternoons watching Lance Armstrong and his band of merry cheaters cycle Australia’s Tour Down Under stage race, for free, on TV? Put up your feet, pop open a low-calorie beer, and share the glory of your favourite pro cyclist via television. Or did you pack your love of cycling away with your bike when the temperature dropped to zero, pull out a tattered Buffalo Bills jersey, paint your face blue, put up your feet, pop open a smuggled American Budweiser, and pray that this would finally be their year.

For the record, I truly love my Canadian football much more than the over-hyped NFL four-down version, but now that climate change has arrived in Pelham we serious cyclists are outdoors riding on Grey Cup weekend with little more discomfort

than cold toes and the odd nasal drip.

The similarities between watching the NFL and pro cycling are striking, and it’s hard to choose which is better. Both sports are incredibly boring to watch until right near the end, when the best cyclists sprint to the finish line or the home team desperately fights against the clock for a come-frombehind victory. Extremely talented play-by-play announcers struggle to make the early portion of the broadcast even remotely interesting. Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen prattled on about every aspect of the top riders and race, then used quick cuts to photos of the spectacular Australian coast when they ran out of prattle. Anytime announcers Troy Aikman and Joe Buck sensed NFL viewers might switch channels, they would cut to

ten seconds of cheerleaders leaning forward blowing kisses to the cameramen kneeling at their feet. Much as I live for cycling trivia and ocean waves, score one for the NFL. Lance may have ultimately confessed to Oprah that he cheated to win his seven Tour de France (TdF) yellow jerseys, but while he was the iconic Texas-born, cancer-surviving American Hero, spanking all his haughty European competitors, he ignited an unprecedented interest in competitive cycling in North America. When Lance rode the TdF, the television networks followed.

The 2022 TdF attracted an international audience of 3.5 billion, number one of all sporting events, but its North American audience has deflated like a bike tire with a slow leak. NBC Sports Network officially pulled

the plug on cable broadcasts of bike racing at the end of 2021, leaving streaming as the only way to watch pro cycling in Canada. This year the NFL is attracting an average of 17 million television viewers per game in the United States alone, their best ratings since 2015. Why the disparity?

Both sports have fan-familiar veteran warriors.

Aaron Rodgers has been quarterbacking the Green Bay Packers to divisional titles for 17 years, and Columbian Nairo Quintana remains one of the best cyclists to never win the TdF during his 14 years as a pro. Rodgers leads a squad of ten players on the field, gets rid of the football as fast as he can, and doesn’t believe in man-made Covid vaccina-

Voice HOROSCOPE

ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20

Aries, maintain your alignment with your dreams and tap into your warrior instinct if you come up against a significant obstacle later in the week.

TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21

Taurus, you’re naturally good at juggling many different tasks simultaneously. Don’t be surprised if someone recognizes this and give you a few projects to handle.

GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21

The theme of this week is “opposites” for you, Gemini. If you’re a normally tidy person, you’ll leave a mess behind. If you are prompt, you will arrive late. It could be refreshing.

CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22

This week there will be a great deal of pressure on you, Cancer. Try to remain as calm as possible while ticking off the boxes on your to-do list. Ask for help if you need it.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23

Your leadership skills will be on display this week, Leo. People at work and at home will call on you to make decisions and guide them ithrough various situations.

VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22

Virgo, this week you could come up with a new plan to make a big difference in the world. It may start with an assignment at work or be inspired by volunteering.

LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23

Libra, try to learn as much about the people around you as possible. They may share strategies that can affect your life in many positive ways. Start asking the right questions.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22

You may need to brush up on your charm skills, Scorpio. Sometimes you come at people at full force. You could benefit from employing a more slow and stready approach.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21

Sometimes you can be naturally shy and quiet, Sagitt arius. Th is week show others what lies beneath that quiet surface. Use your voice and get others excited about your thoughts.

CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20

Try not to hide in the shadows this week, Capricorn. Th is is your time to be in the spotlight and show others what you are made of. A spark will inspire you to act.

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18

Gett ing back into the swing of things after time away can take a little while, Aquarius. You may have forgotten some steps or feel out of practice. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20

You’re used to dealing with situations as they arise, Pisces. Plan ahead for what you anticipate will come along this week.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS

OCTOBER 16

Charles LeClerc, Driver (25)

OCTOBER 18

Zac Efron, Actor (35)

OCTOBER 20

William Zabka, Actor (57)

OCTOBER 21

Amber Rose, Model (39)

OCTOBER 22

Bob Odenkirk, Actor (60)

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

Darcy

FAITH LIFT by Pastor Rob Weatherby

Are you climbing, or clinging?

Someone once asked me, “With so many religions in the world today, how can you know which one (if any) is right?” Now that’s a good question.

I have a hardcover book in my library that is 1-½ inches thick (I measured it). It’s called “Nelson’s Illustrated Guide to Religions.” Its subtitle is, “A Comprehensive Introduction to the Religions of the World.” Dr. Jim Beverley, a retired prof from Tyndale Seminary in Toronto is the author. I’m privileged to know Jim personally as he graduated a few years before me from Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

In this tome, Jim provides the basic teachings of the world’s major religions (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, as well as the non-religion-based secular humanism) but also covers the basics of a host of smaller religions around the world. I used this book a lot when I taught on world religions during the 14 years that our mission ran summer cross-cultural programs across Canada.

So, is there a good answer to the good question we began with? I believe there is. e ladder

As I studied and taught on several of the many religions in the world, I noticed something very interesting. They all resemble a ladder. How so?

Well, a ladder is a manmade device that a person climbs from the ground up. World religions basically teach that there are certain things that you need to do in order to reach your spiritual destination. That destination goes by different names (e.g., heaven, paradise, nirvana, valhalla, etc.), and may be described dif-

ferently. But they all agree that it is desirable (and even essential) to try to get there.

The size of the ladders and the number of rungs to climb also vary. One describes ten rungs called “Commandments” (Judaism), one has five rungs called “Pillars” (Islam), one has eight rungs called a “Noble Path” (Buddhism), and one has an indefinite number called “Reincarnations” (Hinduism). In spite of all this diversity of detail, they all agree that people need to strive through good works and religious deeds to climb their ladder. These works and deeds in-

clude prayers, rituals, fasts, feasts, pilgrimages, recitations, meditations and more.

“Ladder religions” have two main problems. One is that you’re never sure if your efforts have been good enough to satisfy your deity. You go to your deathbed hoping your climbing has been good enough. The second is the nagging doubt that (with so many other ladders out there) how do you know yours isn’t leaning against the wrong building. e cross

I then contrast the “ladder religions” with biblical

Here’s How It Works:

Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

Roller Rinks

BALANCED LIFE continued from Page 22

tions. Quintana puts in the distance beside his teammates in every race, and he cried when he left Movistar, his team of many years. Cycling wins this point hands down.

Speaking of hands-down wins, NFL touchdown celebrations are ridiculous. When’s the last time you saw a cyclist do a lame end zone dance or weird group charades moves moments after a stage win, or thump his chest silverback style after purposely knocking another rider down, or flare his nostrils, make a crazy face and scream, “Dats da way y’all play de game mutha”? Can you imagine unassuming Dane Jonas Vingegard (2022 Yellow Jersey winner) or quintessentially Canadian Hugo Houle (2022 Stage 16 winner) rant such an inane comment from the podium?

I’m betting the primary reason for these striking behaviourial differences is because once pro cyclists put on their helmets, they all leave the starting line by pedaling in the same direction. When football players compete, they line up facing each other helmet to helmet, with the clear intention of smashing into one another with as much ferocity as possible.

Then there’s the 45-second play clock, put in place so football players with short attention spans don’t forget why they’re on the field, and actually run a play occasionally. It appears most pro riders can at least remember unassisted to keep pedaling as they race, and pro cycling teams can change a flat tire quicker than most quarterbacks can call a snap count. Point to cycling.

A random poll of those few female

FAITH LIFT continued from previous page

Christianity, which doesn’t have any rungs. If you have a ladder without rungs, all you’re left with is two pieces of wood. And if you nail those two pieces together, you end up with a cross.

The “Good News” of Christianity is that it is not based on human performance—good works or religious ritual. Rather, it

cycling friends that actually watch NFL football and pro cycling call it a draw when it comes to their preference for the boys of the NFL or pro cycling. Five percent favour the lean, shaven, wiry and taut leg muscles and flowing hair of cyclists, whose sexy European names they can’t pronounce, while another five percent are firmly in the camp of NFL players’ bulging biceps, shoulder length dreads, upside down black eye shadow and chamois-free tights. Ninety percent are undecided and claim to need a lot more viewing time to decide.

Without doubt, football players have more interesting names than pro cyclists. Who could forget Taco Charlton, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Guy Wimper, Dick Butkus, or John David Booty, to name a few. Other than ironically named Canadian racer Ryder Hesjedal, cycling stars’ names are decidedly humdrum and usually difficult to pronounce. Point to the NFL.

Plus there’s Super Bowl commercials and halftime spectacles. When’s the last time you saw a list of the ten best Tour de France TV commercials?

Pro cycling could use a decent half time show too. Wouldn’t it be fascinating if all the racers in the peloton stopped for a rest and latte at the bottom of the Col du Tourmalet while the Sorbonne University marching band dragged a wheeled stage with the Foo Fighters or Maneskin onto the course.

Imagine Paul and Phil trying to call that scene today.

Alas, I fear another winter of indecision approaching, with pro cycling streaming on the laptop and Monday Night Football playing on the flatscreen TV beside it, while I sit hoping for an early spring. 4

is based on “grace” which means “free gift.” This is what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. He willingly sacrificed His sinless life in payment for our sins.

And then he offers that sacrifice to each of us as a gift that we can’t earn or pay for. The cross was God’s idea coming from the top down— from heaven to earth.

As with any gift, all we can do is accept or reject it. Those who gratefully

IN THE NEWS

Fall street sweeping underway

The Town of Pelham encourages resident to avoid on-street parking during business hours over the next two weeks while street sweeping occurs. Street sweeping is essential seasonal maintenance that removes debris from the gutters and roadsides to reduce the amount that goes into storm drains, says the Town. In addition, street sweeping reduces the chances of flooding by keeping catch basins and drains clear, which lessens the risk of skids and collisions. Residents with questions are asked to contact the Public Works Department at publicworks@pelham.ca or by phone at 905-980-6672.

Alternate voting options

Niagara voters unable to cast their ballot on Election Day (Oct. 24), or attend an advance poll, have other options such as voting by mail (available only in participating municipalities) or assigning a voting proxy, according to statement released by Niagara Region. A voting proxy is someone who will cast a ballot on another’s behalf in their absence. The person acting as a proxy must also be an eligible voter. A voting proxy can be appointed to multiple people if they are relatives, or only one person if they are non-relatives. Relatives include spouses or sibling(s), parent(s), child(ren), or grandparent(s) and grandchild(ren). Contact your local municipal Clerk’s office or website to learn more about alternate voting options and voting requirements.

and sincerely accept it are called Christians. You can’t easily climb a cross but you can cling to one. The Christian believer experiences assurance of his salvation because it no longer depends on his performance. Rather, it depends on the fi nished work of Jesus on the cross.

e choice

So, that’s our choice. We can choose to climb a religious or moral ladder of our choosing. Or we can choose

to cling in faith to the unique cross of our unique Savior. One of my favorite hymns is “The Old Rugged Cross.” The chorus goes like this:

“So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, And exchange it some day for a crown.” 4

Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor who’s still clinging to the cross.

UPGRADE YOUR HOME

If you’re looking for new windows and doors or siding, soffit, fascia and eavestrough; it’s a great time to buy. North Star energyefficient windows are built in Canada and will save you money year round. North Star windows help keep your home cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Call or visit our showroom today for a FREE ESTIMATE on your home!

FINANCING AVALABLE (OAC)

Our Showroom is Open Monday thru Friday from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Email inquiries, orders and quote requests to: info@louwes.ca

Voice RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Classic Green Bean Casserole

Side dishes are just as important to a holiday meal as the main course. It’s perfectly acceptable to offer a few new and unique dishes on your holiday table, but guests likely will be expecting some tried-and-true classics as well.

Green bean casserole is a staple of many holiday dining tables. Alongside mashed potatoes and candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole is a beloved holiday recipe — and it’s easy to make as well. This recipe for traditional “Green Bean Casserole,” courtesy of Campbell’s®, can hit the right tone for guests who want a taste of holidays past this year.

Green Bean Casserole

Serves 6

1 can (101⁄2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom soup or 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom soup or Condensed Unsalted Cream of Mushroom Soup

1⁄2 cup milk

1 teaspoon soy sauce

4 cups cooked cut green beans

1-1⁄3 cups French’s® Fried Onions (divided)

Heat the oven to 350 F. Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, beans and 2⁄3 cup onions in a 1-1⁄2-quart casserole. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Bake for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 2⁄3 cup onions.

Bake for another 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

Variations: This recipe can be customized as one sees fit. Double up the amount of condensed soup if you desire a wetter casserole, or change the flavor by selecting a different flavor soup variety, such as Cream of Asparagus. You can add grated Parmesan cheese or shredded cheddar if you want a cheesy option. Some people prefer to use Frenchstyle green beans instead of the thicker cut variety.

Alternate cooking method: The traditional recipe has you cooking the casserole in the oven. However, if you have a large enough toaster oven, you can cook it in there to free up oven space; otherwise, prepare the casserole as directed in a slow cooker and cook on low for around 3 to 4 hours, until tender. Then add the remaining onions and transfer the casserole to the oven to crisp up for 5 minutes.

SHOP LOCAL.

SAVE LOCAL

Support the local businesses that keep your community and its newspapers thriving.

your

MAINTENANCE today!