Larry “BILKO” THE Bilkszto PAPER THAT PELHAM READS
CELEBRATING OUR 20TH YEAR
TheVoice
Your Local Sales Representative 905-563-3330 • 905-641-1110
DEBBIE PINE
RE/MAX® Garden City
SALES REPRESENTATIVE 905.892.0222 SELL phone: 905-321-2261
Niagara Real Estate Center, Brokerage Independently Owned & Operated
debbiepine@royallepage.ca
Realty Inc., Brokerage
Larry “BILKO” Bilkszto Your Local Sales Rep.
LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL?
Since 1989, “BILKO” has been working overtime assisting clients with all of their Real Estate needs. Call today and put “BILKO” to work for you!
905-563-3330 • 905-641-1110 WWW.BILKO.CA BILKO@RGCMAIL.COM
www.bilko.ca
bilko@rgcmail.com Vol.21 No.30
Halloween Edition, October 25, 2017
FREE
New stop signs for Hurricane, Memorial
Column Six
Gone fishing
Installation permanent on Memorial, trial on Hurricane
BY SAMUEL PICCOLO
The VOICE
L
BY VOICE STAFF Pelham Town Council voted in favour of the installation of two new stop signs at its meeting last Monday night. On Hurricane Road, where residents have been upset for some time by frequent speeding, a temporary allway stop was installed at the intersection with Station Street by the end of last week. Town Director of Public Works Andrea Clemencio had previously said that she did not believe that a stop sign would address the speeding concerns on Hurricane, a sentiment that she repeated when making the recommendation to council. “A stop sign at this location is not warranted,” Clemencio wrote in the report, later saying that, "In accordance with government and industry guidance materials, installation of a stop sign can introduce collision risks and is only effective for speed reduction in the immediate area of the intersection.” Clemencio clarified that she did not anticipate increased collision risks in this particular instance. See STOP SIGNS Page 12
A speeding pickup on Clare Avenue last week. Virtually no one obeys the posted 50 km/h limit.
VOICE PHOTO
Speeding on Clare Avenue called out Local resident frustrated by lack of traffic law enforcement BY VOICE STAFF Though Pelham Town Council moved to address the Hurricane Road speeding problem with stop sign approval at its meeting last week, and installation of the signs shortly afterward, the ongoing efforts of one resident make it likely that other speeding concerns will be on council’s agenda in the near future. Rick Wilsher, who lives on Clare Avenue between Quaker and Woodlawn Roads, says that he has called the Town some 40 times to raise
concerns about speeding on his stretch of Clare. “It’s just unbelievable,” he says. “Every single day, there are literally dozens of cars going over one hundred kilometres an hour. I’ve spent a lot of time around the race track, and I know what speeds are. My eightyear-old son is absolutely terrified of that road, and I am too.” According to Wilsher, there are a significant number of cyclists and pedestrians who travel on the road despite the fact that the Steve Bauer Trail runs
alongside it. He and his wife bought the house from his parents, who he says noticed the same speeding problem for more than a decade. His mother once saw a cyclist struck and thrown into the ditch paralleling the road. Wilsher says that he has repeatedly witnessed cars passing stopped school buses, and has started filming and taking pictures of cars as they speed by. “A lot of them rev their engines even louder, or flip me off,” he says. “I get that all the time.” Indeed, as a Voice photographer stood at
the of Wilsher’s drive taking photos, a few cars actually speeded up, most notably the red pickup shown in the photo above. Wilsher shook his head in disgust. In Wilsher’s calls to the Town’s automated customer service system, he says that he has received calls back from actual employees only a handful of times, with the rest of his messages going unanswered. “I get pretty passionate, and so I might have been a little rude,” he says. “But See CLARE AVE Page 11
DEBBIE PINE
AST WEEKEND I went fishing. The daughter of a family friend asked her parents for a heart-warmingly sweet birthday present, just to go fishing with her little brother, and so my father arranged for his brother-in-law to take us out in his boat, with me being the added adult chosen to tag along and increase our catch limit. My uncle, who is a construction worker, pulled in to pick up the three of us at 6:30 on Saturday morning, his great diesel truck towing the boat behind it. Knowing that it would be dark in the morning, the night before I had retrieved my fishing rod and tackle box from the garage and put them by the front door. Both of these things were gifts from my uncle many years ago, when he and I would go out fishing together, either alone or with a few of his friends. Though he is an accomplished fisherman, and his basement is full of hundreds of rods and his freezer often wellstocked with his own fish, we never seemed to catch anything on those trips, and my memories of them are of mostly idle affairs, drifting in the current while the sun hammered down upon us as nothing bit. One time he and I went See COLUMN SIX back page
NIAGARA REAL ESTATE CENTER, Brokerage 1815 Merritville, Hwy 1 FONTHILL, ON
SALES REPRESENTATIVE
905.892.0222
NIAGARA / FONTHILL, ON Cremation/Burial
RE/MAX®
GARDEN CITY REALTY INC., BROKERAGE
debbiepine@royallepage.ca SELL phone: 905-321-2261
We can help you get your ducks in a row
James L. Pedlar Funeral Home (905) 892-5762
Our family serving your family
Page 2
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
PUBLISHER’S CORNER by Dave Burket
Damage to park
Dial “M” for Mistake: It will not surprise regular readers of this little corner to find out that it is the last item to be written for the paper each week. How else would I know where to direct your attention for the Welland Canal Play ad—it’s gotten good reviews elsewhere (the play not the ad, although the ad’s pretty decent too), or that Clare’s is ready to sell you a Honda snowblower on page 9, or that Ben Berg is ready to tune-up your existing machine on page 6. Last week’s Corner was particularly last-minute, and as a result I had to make one of those executive decisions for which I earn handsomely just over minimum wage: Was it TWilight or TWining? I refer to the historical 892 telephone exchange name, and I got it terribly, tragically wrong. With the foreman yelling over the phone that the presses had to roll yesterday (not really), I flipped a coin and went with TWilight. The correct exchange name was, in fact, TWining. (Hey, I grew up in a MUrray town, like the Ricardos on I Love Lucy. I don’t know from your fancy T-names!) Happily, only one reader brought it to our attention, and in a most polite manner. Nonetheless, for those secretly seething over this blatant misidentification, please accept my apologies. The original point, which I’m pleased to repeat, is that history buffs Carolyn Botari and Rosemary Chambers seek to borrow your old-timey items, that stuff hidden in the attic, for a display they are creating on Pelham history. Reach Carolyn at TWining 2-8894, or Rosemary at TWining 2-2549… The doctor won’t see you now: Our story on Dr. Duane Pelser’s license loss generated a fair amount of social media comment, most of it sympathetic, some of it sadly caustic. If you’re inclined to sign a supportive petition, see the ad on page 10. While you’re there, check out Carolyn Botari’s article on Pelham’s original doctors… Some of Dr. Dowd’s Mixture please: As you’ll learn from that piece, some Pelham patients preferred home-brewed medicine, which I’m guessing was pleasingly high in the proof department. If you’ve also been afflicted by the bug that’s going around (three weeks and counting for Ol’ Baldy here), my sincere sympathies. Maybe the nice folks at the new Family Health Pharmacy, near Food Basics, can whip you up some Dowd’s Mixture… Champion on facing pages: Crossley student Julia Labricciosa makes two impressive appearances this week: first as the Ruby Award winner for Youth Citizen of the Year (page 14), then as a member of her school's championship Cross Country team (far right, back row, page 15)... We're starting a fan club: The Ruby Award story is one that as a civilian, rather than as an editor, I would've been tempted to skip. But, as we've all rapidly discovered, anything with the Piccolo name attached is a treat. Enjoy... It’s subtle, we know: In case our decorations this week haven’t clued you in, Halloween is but days away. Watch out for pint-sized goblins on the roads.
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
IN THE NEWS
On Friday October 13, Niagara Regional Police were called to Centennial Park, located at 999 Church Street in Fenwick. Park staff reported overnight damage to the back soccer field. It appears someone drove around the soccer field with an ATV and ripped up the grass. The police ask that anyone who witnessed this damage or has information on this destructive act should contact them at (905) 688-4111. Pelham Parks have suffered extensive damage in the past. Residents can assist by reporting suspicious activity to police.
Terms of Reference amended
At its meeting on October 16, Pelham Town Council approved alterations to the Community Centre Oversight Committee. The changes, which Town CAO Darren Ottaway called “a housekeeping matter,” largely entailed the deletion of various information forms that were supposed to have been collected from Ball Construction, the firm in charge of building the new centre. “The Terms of Reference ask us to collect information from Ball in ways that they do not have,” said Ottaway. “We’re still getting that information, it’s just in a different format.” Councillor Gary Accursi, who sits on the committee, echoed Ottaway, saying that “the initial
Voice on vacation!
the field before striking a tree and coming to rest. The driver was pronounced dead on scene. Police are not releasing the name of the deceased at this time. Any witnesses to the collision are asked to contact detectives at (905) 6884111, extension 5500.This collision remains under investigation by Detectives of the Niagara Regional Police - Collision Reconstruction Unit.
Terms of Reference envisioned information coming in certain format,” different to how things are actually reported. “It doesn’t mean that information is not coming,” he asserted. “We’re just amending the Terms to align with reality for consistency.” The alterations to the Terms of Reference passed unanimously.
Fall branch collection
Fall branch collection starts on October 30 and continues until November 24. Curbside branch collection is available across the region to all residents living in single-family homes and apartments with six units or fewer. The Region advises that when setting out branches for collection, it is important to remember: Branches must be tied in bundles Maximum weight of bundle = 22.7 kg (50 lbs.) Maximum size of bundle = 1.5 m (5 ft.) in length and 0.5 m (1.6 ft.) in diameter Individual branches inside of the bundle must not exceed 7 cm (2.8 in.) in diameter Branches must be at the curb by 7 a.m. on your regular collection day During the weeks of fall branch collection, branches are often collected in a separate collection truck than Green Bin material In addition to curb-
Fatal collision in Wainfleet
Last Saturday, at approximately 10:24 AM, the Niagara Regional Police Service, the Wainfleet Fire Service and the Niagara Emergency Medical Service (EMS), responded to reports of a single vehicle collision that occurred on Regional Road 27 near Roberston Road in Wainfleet. Investigators have determined that a 65-year-old male driver from Welland was operating a 2014 GMC Sierra pickup truck westbound on Regional Road 27 towards Robertson Road. The male lost control of his vehicle and exited the roadway to the south, where the truck entered a ditch and an adjacent soybean field. The vehicle continued in a southwesterly direction through
See IN THE NEWS Page 11
Congratulations
CARRIER
OF THE WEEK! Theo
Collings FONTHILL
Hwy 20, Fonthill
905-892-8690
Find the Voice at these locations:
(905) 892-2570
Bakery, Deli, Hot meals
If your message to Pelham isn’t in our pages,
Then it isn’t being seen.
The Voice
office@thevoiceofpelham.ca
FALL FLING—BOOKING 2018 and 2019
The paper that Pelham reads.
Drinks, shore trips, gratuities—we've got it! Guest lecture series—we've got it! Solo Travelers River Cruise—we've got it! Christmas markets on the Rhine—we've got it! Elephants, lions, whales, penguins. Make it real! 20 years Anniversary! Dreams become reality. You'll be amazed where we can send you...
(905) 892-8690 advertising@thevoiceofpelham.ca
Remember you are TICO protected when booking with us.
Leaders in Travel Planning since 1997!
905.892.7900
www.niagara.cruiseholidays.com 1400 Pelham St., Fonthill Book Local TICO Reg 4559761
The Voice PUBLISHED INDEPENDENTLY IN PELHAM
DEBBIE PINE
SALES REPRESENTATIVE 905.892.0222 SELL phone: 905-321-2261
Niagara Real Estate Center, Brokerage Independently Owned & Operated
debbiepine@royallepage.ca
Vol.20 No.48
CELEBRATING OUR 20TH YEAR
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
DSBN wants portion of Town park
111 Hwy. 20 E., Unit 5, Fonthill 905-892-9054 www.healthycupboard.ca
Debbie Pine
The Voice PUBLISHED INDEPENDENTLY IN PELHAM
NIAGARA’S BEST-READ WEEKLY SINCE 1997
Get
Pined -Sol Pelham’sPelham’s Health Food Store
Food 111Health Hwy. 20 E., Unit Store 5, Fonthill 111 Hwy. 20 E., Unit 5, Fonthill 905-892-9054 www.healthycupboard.ca
905-892-9054
Debbie Pine
The Voice PUBLISHED INDEPENDENTLY IN PELHAM
NIAGARA’S BEST-READ WEEKLY SINCE 1997
Visit Us on Facebook FREE
905-892-9054
www.healthycupboard.ca
SALES REPRESENTATIVE pinesold.com
Mon-Wed 9:30-6:00pm ◆ Thur-Fri 9:30-7:00pm Sat 9:30-5:00pm
New Location Coming Soon!
Niagara Real Estate Center, Brokerage Independently Owned & Operated
The Comfort Maple myth
Vol.20 No.39
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
FREE
Oops: No fire trucks for you
Haist Street traffic-calming measure a little too effective
Mon-Wed 9:30-6:00pm • Thur-Fri 9:30-7:00pm • Sat 9:30-5:00pm
www.healthycupboard.ca
SALES REPRESENTATIVE pinesold.com
Mon-Wed 9:30-6:00pm ◆ Thur-Fri 9:30-7:00pm Sat 9:30-5:00pm
New Location Coming Soon!
Niagara Real Estate Center, Brokerage Independently Owned & Operated
Column Six
Growing up British
Vol.20 No.32
Wednesday October 12, 2016
FREE
Apple Day comes to Fonthill
BY JULIE MANNELL
Special to the VOICE
W
BALLOONING INTEREST Grade 6 student Jinja Shepherd explains her experiment on static electricity at the Glynn A. Green Public School's annual science fair last Friday. See story, page 3. NATE SMELLE PHOTO
Public meeting tonight on school issues BY VOICE STAFF As questions continue to mount regarding an email that Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn quietly sent to a District School Board of Niagara trustee last summer, Augustyn has agreed to address the issue at a public meeting scheduled for this evening, Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Fenwick. Nancy Beamer, speaking for “Names Matter,” a Pelham citizens group lobbying the DSBN to reverse its decision to rename a local public school, confirms that the meeting will be held at Fire Station #2, known locally as the Fenwick Fire Hall, starting at 7:00 PM. While the Mayor has agreed to ap-
Under pressure, Mayor to address email revelation, other E. W. Farr matters pear, says Beamer, DSBN officials associated with the school-naming process have either declined to attend or have not yet responded to the group’s invitation. DSBN Chair, Dale Robinson, to whom Augustyn’s email was addressed last June, has declined to appear, says Beamer, asserting that she would be
“on holidays.” The Voice was unable to independently confirm Robinsion’s intentions. She did not respond to repeated requests for comment on E.W. Farr-related matters before presstime. Beamer, whose group maintains an email list of some 580 residents, says that all members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting. “We would especially welcome parents and children who are unhappy with the name change,” she says, referring to the contentious decision by the DSBN to consolidate two Pelham See MEETING back page
HEN I WAS young, my father and I would go for long drives along the rural routes of Pelham. We’d blast George Thurgood and roll down the windows because we loved the smell of the breeze, the sensation of crisp Niagara wind beating our cheeks and tangling our hair against our summer-kissed skin. My father was not a sentimental man. He worked in factories and had a Gordon Lightfoot mustache and never shed tears over injuries. Yet something about the Pelham landscape, the hilly backdrop to his childhood and the childhoods of our ancestors, drew him in. He’d stop by a farm or a gathering of woods and, surrendering his manly veneer, tell me a story about the town. This place is precious. This is the earth that granted us life. Here is the place where we happened upon love or here is a site of devastation. On one particular drive sometime in the late ‘90s we stopped at a tree with a plaque. “This tree looks dead,” I said to my father. “It sure is getting there, Julie.” The Comfort Maple is supposedly Canada’s oldest See COLUMN SIX Page 14
Part 2 of 2: Coronation to embarkation
BY VOICE STAFF
A construction error was discovered following the opening of a traffic calming chicane on Haist Street north of Hwy 20 last Monday that prevented large vehicles from passing through. One resident living in the neighbourhood said he contacted the Town after seeing a small schoolbus get stuck as it tried to get through the new traffic calming measure. Later that day while driving behind a cement truck, he said that he became concerned for the public’s safety when the truck had to turn around because it couldn’t get through. “If a small school bus and a cement truck can’t make it through what about a fire
BY HEATHER McLAREN ROHRER
Special to the VOICE
A
Repair measures underway last week to correct a construction error in the chicane. truck or an ambulance?” he said. While waiting for the contractor to return to fix
the mistake, the Town has taken measures to temporarily allow passage for vehicles through the neigh-
VOICE PHOTO
bourhood in the short-term. Manager of Public Works Ryan Cook said that after discovering the issue with
the chicane the morning it first opened, the Town See CHICANE Page 5
Petition-inspired changes coming to 2017 Summerfest BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Representatives from the Pelham Summerfest committee Candy Ashbee and Bill Gibson presented council with a final report on the 2016 Summerfest at the Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 21. Prompted by a story in the Voice in August about a merchant petition to move Summerfest from Pelham Street, in September Town staff met with various stakeholders to hear their complaints, promising at the time that changes in the way Summerfest was mounted would be con-
sidered. The main concerns identified during the community engagement process were security, parking, ensuring customer can access all businesses in town, and liability for damages. How to get all Pelham Street businesses to participate and finding ways to make it beneficial for them to set up a booth were also determined to be of high priority for the committee as they plan for next year’s event. Gibson told Council that the committee is addressing these concerns in a variety of ways. To improve parking, they intend to create bet-
ter signage for out-of-town visitors to designated parking areas and shuttle services. To make participation in Summerfest more enticing to local businesses, they plan to implement a tiered-charge for booths. Under the new system, Pelham Street business owners will be charged the least, other local businesses will pay a slightly higher fee, and vendors from outside Pelham will pay the most. In response to more specific issues for individual businesses, they will also slightly alter the footprint of the event and make adjustments to security. Another way the committee plans
Debbie
Get
to improve the 2017 Summerfest is by sponsoring and working with the organizers of the Thursday Night Bandshell Concert series to select the artist performing on the first night of Summefest. They also intend to make more use of the smartphone app they launched in 2016. "We are really going to push it this year," Ashbee said. “It really helps to get people to see what events there are so they can plan out where they are going. We will be able to actually help the merchants and local businesses adSee CHANGES Page 5
FTER LUNCH ON Saturday, Mum and Dad had my afternoon cut out for me. Mum had more brass than anyone I knew, and it had to be cleaned. In addition there was the set of silver fish-knives and forks which were never used, but which had to be cleaned and put back in their velvetlined box. Next was a walk to the newsagents to pay for the daily delivery of the Daily Mirror. As I said, Dad was a printer, but when he was 37 he had been rejected for a job, as being too old, by the printers of the Beano. For that reason, my favourite comic was not allowed in the house, but while I was paying the papers, the newsagent let me have a 'shoofty' at the Beano. I'd explained my predicament and he understood completely. Sundays were different again. Dad would play golf on summer mornings and billiards in winter. Then he'd stop for a 'refresher' at the local and would pick up the prawns, cockles, winkles or whelks we'd be having for tea later. Meanwhile, Mum was roasting the 'joint' and potatoes. I got to make the Yorkshire pud, and mint
See COLUMN SIX Page 14
Full service. Full-time Realtor. Your Fonthill real estate connection.
BY VOICE STAFF
While shopping in Fonthill between Friday and Sunday, keep an eye out for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in front of local stores with bushels of apples. As part of the annual Apple Day campaign, Scouting youth of all ages will be trading apples for donations. The yearly fundraising drive is an important way for young Scouts to connect with the communities they are serving, says Leah Marie of Scouts Canada. “The Apple Day campaign holds a great tradition of being able to have youth interacting within the communities they live in,” she says. “All of the Apple Day donations stay directly within the group that re-
The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and well-rounded individuals
ceives them, enabling youth to have experiences that build character, challenge them, and allow them to try new things. The goal is to have these youth develop into confident and wellrounded individuals, better prepared for success. Apple Day helps to achieve that.”
“Any money raised during Apple Day goes towards improving the Scouting program by providing more outdoor adventures for youth, camping equipment, canoes and paddles, training and many other endeavours that the youth want to experience,” says Marie. Scouts Canada has some 100,000 members across Canada, and carries out programs for boys, girls
Joining their principal, Karen Simpson, at the Sept. 19 Council meeting as part of a delegation from EL Crossley Secondary School, students Abby Loewen and Neenah Williams presented Council with a list of reasons that they should immediately approve the construction of the new sidewalk proposed along Hwy. 20. The asphalt side-
walk/trail is slated to be built between the south side of the road from Timmsdale Crescent to the high school. Because of the large volume of motor vehicle traffic travelling at high speeds through this area, and because of the necessity for students to tread this path on a daily basis, many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later. After delivering to Council a petition containing
Many residents would like to see the sidewalk go in sooner than later the names of 450 students calling for a safer walk to school, Simpson handed the
podium over to Loewen and Williams to plead their case. Loewen told Council that because there are a lot of students who have work placements and coop placements during the school year, this is the only route for many of them to travel. As one of the students facing this predicament, Williams said she has had no other option but to walk along the dangerous highway.
www.pennylanesold.com
H EATHER AND P ENNY L ANE S ALES R EPRESENTATIVES
BY JOHN SWART
VOICE Correspondent
and youth ages 5-25. This year the 3rd Fonthill Group, which includes Beavers to Ventures (youth ages 5- 25) will be hitting the streets to drum-up support. Over the weekend, Scouts will be set up in Fonthill outside Sobeys, Tim Hortons, Target Gas station, Fonthill Shopping Plaza and the Pioneer Gas station at the corner of Hwys 20 and 24.
Town Council approves sidewalk to serve E. L. Crossley BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Cell 905.933.3049
T
Second year Beaver with the 3rd Fonthill Group, Russell Letford offers a fresh apple to shoppers in Pelham during the 2015 Apple Day campaign. SUPPLIED PHOTO A longtime Canadian tradition, Apple Day began in 1932 in Saint John, New Brunswick, when Scouts handed out 21,000 apples as a way to say thank you to the community. In return for their generosity, many people offered them donations. From then on Scouts have reached out through Apple Day to raise funds for their programs.
Office 905.892.1702
Column Six It doesn’t get better than Autumn
Longtime Scouting tradition dates to 1932
www.facebook.com/voiceofpelham
Request made of community still peeved at name change
See DSBN Page 9
Food 111Health Hwy. 20 E., Unit Store 5, Fonthill
Mon-Wed 9:30-6:00pm • Thur-Fri 9:30-7:00pm • Sat 9:30-5:00pm
Column Six
BY VOICE STAFF The District School Board of Niagara is requesting that the Town of Pelham cede a portion of Cherry Ridge Park for use as a soccer field to serve the students of the new Wellington Heights Public School, formerly the E. W. Farr Memorial Public School, in Fenwick. Currently under renovation and expansion, the new school will combine students and staff from the previous school and Pelham Centre, where classes are being held while construction continues. Two letters, containing virtually identical text but signed by different authorities, were sent last week to nearby residents of the park, as well as to parents of Pelham Centre students. “The DSBN is currently building onto Wellington Heights Public School on Alsop Drive,” states the letter. “The size of the school's addition means the existing small soccer field will be eliminated. The Town and the Board have been discussing the possibility of working together to create a field for both the school and the
Get
Pined -Sol Pelham’sPelham’s Health Food Store
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.
Voice
Open 6 to 11 daily
Send us your picture holding The Voice, whether across town or abroad and we’ll share it with our readers! Email your photo with a brief description to
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 90Day 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. Anand OUSEPH, 21, St. Catharines Janice E. MERCER, 66, St. Catharines
The
Sponsored by
Wendy Abbott and Sylvia Mergl, just back from The Huntsman World Senior Games in Utah with 10,000 athletes from 77 countries. Women's Doubles -Silver medal!
NRPS impaired driving charges
“I start work at 2:30 PM and school lets out at 2:15 PM so I can’t take any other route,” Williams explained. “I have had friends, family, teachers and other community members reach out to me in the past about how this is unsafe and how there should be another alternative for us.” Looking ahead to winter, when she will need to walk this path three or four times See SIDEWALK Page 2
HERE IS NO BETTER time to cycle than Fall. It matters not whether you’re new to the sport, a seasoned recreational cyclist, racer, touring rider or mountain biker; we all have reason to look forward to autumn. Summer’s heat has faded, and the streams of sweat that ran from soggy helmets into our eyes are now just slight perspiration. Fitness is peaking from lots of saddle time, making those tough climbs of Spring a breeze in Autumn. It’s hard to beat the feeling of beginning a crisp, cool Fall ride with a slight shiver, knowing your efforts will soon warm you perfectly. The hues of Autumn are outstanding. A Pelham route as simple as following our southern boundary is one that would make most Toronto cyclists jealous, especially when our forests and fields are ablaze with colour. Begin from Harold Black Park, and zig-zag south along Effingham Rd toward the Welland River. If you’re new to cycling, it’s important to know south is the direction away from any hills. If you avoid the morning and evening weekday rush hours caused by those travelling through Pelham between Wainfleet See AUTUMN Page 3
Indulgence Bakery Mossimo’s Pelham Street Grille Sobeys Fonthill DeVries Fruit Farm Beamer’s Hardware & TV Fonthill Library Black Pearl Fish & Chips Bob’s Boys Antiques Moku’s Family Health Pharmacy Fonthill Fitness Fenwick Pie Company McDonald’s Fonthill Legion Semenuk’s Gas Bar Target Store Tim Horton’s Giant Tiger Pelham Town Hall Shoppers Drug Mart Zee Lube Express Care Lazy Loon Minor Bros Stores Avondale Stores A-1 Market Sobeys South Pelham Broken Gavel Restaurant Grill on Canboro Renewed Thrift & Vintage Ridge Berry Farm Circle-K
NOW OPEN in The Fonthill Marketplace! 130 Hwy 20 E, 905-892-1919
There has been misrepresentation from a number of parties, including the head of the union that represents those employees
Junkin conceded that the building’s current occupants, the model railroad group, did make things more difficult. “The conundrum is that it can only be used by the railway people, since they spread out their stuff over the whole floor. That’s just the nature of the beast, that they’ve been tying it up since 1974. It would be a different story if it were just a group coming in on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
It’s too bad that other members of the community can’t use it, but the only way we could do this is if we told the railway they couldn’t use it. What are you going to do?” After several other brief comments, council voted, as Augustyn had recommended, to ask Town staff to provide more specific information as to why the building should be designated a heritage site. The matter will be discussed again at a later meeting.
ES T
ER PIPER T S E
17 .20
PETER PI
At the beginning of Pelham Town Council meetings, there is typically some shuffling of the agenda— items moved up or down, usually for the convenience of spectators—and last Monday’s meeting initially appeared to be no exception. “We are supposed to have a presentation from Paul Wilson of Colliers International Niagara,” began Mayor Dave Augustyn, referring to a representative from the real estate firm the Town has hired to market and manage the sale of its East Fonthill property. “But he doesn’t appear to be here.” “Yes I am,” came a voice from the hallway. A man identifying himself as Pail Wilson rushed in. “I was told to wait outside, so I’ve been waiting outside,” he said brusquely. “Ah, yes,” said Augustyn. “Well, please, Mr. Wilson, go right ahead and begin,” he said, indicating that Wilson take the podium. Wilson had not provided council with a written report, though he did remove a sheet of paper from his briefcase and glance at it as he spoke. Wilson said that the 18 acres in East Fonthill, which Council officially declared surplus later the same meeting, had been advertised on local and Toronto real estate markets. “We already have seven groups interested,” he said. “Two from Toronto, four local, and one from Buffalo. We are going to be in the Globe and Mail, and then we expect to see even broader interest.” Wilson explained that Collier had planned an auction on December 8, and that the lands would officially be on the market within the next two weeks. “This will give potential buyers five to six weeks to meet with the Town, ask about permitted uses, and get their ducks in a row, so to speak.” Council asked few questions of Wilson, and he was quickly dismissed, packing up his briefcase and shuffling off into the hall again. Soon after Wilson had departed, Pelham Regional Councillor Brian Baty stood at the podium to speak on the happenings at Regional Council. Baty went quickly through his report, talking
about a preview of the 2018 capital budget and an upcoming review of councillor expense policy. He also mentioned a recent presentation from local mothers who have lost children to opioid overdoses. “The comparison was to people who are starving— it was the most emotional presentation that I’ve seen,” said Baty, adding that Regional Council put together a strong action motion afterwards. Baty concluded with a brief mention of the discussion of Pelham’s finances that occurred at Regional Council’s last meeting, though did not elaborate on what had transpired. When Baty had finished, Augustyn thanked him and provided several of his own comments regarding Regional Council. “West Lincoln has recently taken on a debenture for a new community centre, of roughly twenty million dollars,” he said. “And council might be interested to know that West Lincoln is paying for the debenture by increasing taxes by five percent a year for three years, a total increase of fifteen percent.” Several councillors raised their eyebrows in surprise, but did not say anything. Councillor Marvin Junkin was the sole member to substantively question Baty. “I’ve had some emails regarding the latest layoffs at the NPCA,” said Junkin. “This is an issue that hits especially close to Pelham, as there are two cold-water streams here. I see that two of those fired were restoration specialists. As the Town’s representative on the NPCA, how do you see them handling, for example, requests to restore fish in cold water streams?” “There was an audit done on that division,” replied Baty. “The finding was that there was a large amount of time in the year that no productive work could be done. In looking at other communities, it was determined that the work could be better done through outsourcing to groups such as Trout Unlimited.” Baty said further that much of the issue had to do with ongoing negotiations between the Region and the NPCA over which body would be responsible for which duties. “There is a high proba-
sure that it’s that important. The Quakers built it, but they disposed of it… There may be other uses for it in the future, who knows?…I have a great deal of difficult accepting that it has value from a heritage perspective, other than it’s a very useful building that has served us well for a long time.” Augustyn said that the building’s importance as a heritage site would seem to be “self-evident,” though he suggested that perhaps the report could have included more specific information that would substantiate this. Junkin voiced his support for the heritage designation. “I think that this building is very unique,” he said. “If it was out in the hills of Effingham, no one would care about it. But because it’s in such a prominent place in the village—and in excellent shape—people care very much.”
IPERS P P R
BY VOICE STAFF
bility that these positions will be hired by the Region,” said Baty. “There has been misrepresentation from a number of parties, including the head of the union that represents those employees.” Junkin asked no further questions, and Baty left the room. In the latter part of the meeting, council spent a considerable amount of time discussing the old Quaker Meeting House on Maple Street in Fenwick. The building, which was first constructed in the 1870s, is owned by the Town, but since 1974 has been leased to the Greater Niagara Model Railroad Engineers. In January, two Pelham residents petitioned the Town to designate the building a heritage site, and council subsequently asked Town staff to carry out a report on the building’s heritage value. The report, which recommends that council provide the heritage designation, was first questioned by Councillor Richard Rybiak. “What is the zoning on that property?” he asked Town Director of Planning and Development Barb Wiens. “I know that we have the model railway group in there right now, but I’m wondering what sorts of other things could be happening on that property.” Wiens replied that it is zoned as public land, meaning that any municipal or government use is permitted. “So it would need to be re-zoned if used for any other purposes,” said Rybiak. Wiens nodded. Councillor Gary Accursi asked Wiens if there was an inventory of architecturally significant parts of the building. “The building is reflective of the character of its original occupants,” Wiens said. “Quakers were simple people—they didn’t believe in ornamentation. There is a modest entrance, and simple patterns on the windows, and much of it is believed to be original.” Rybiak was not entirely convinced by the report. “Are these parts of the building important because they’re unique? Or merely because they’ve survived to this point. It seems as though we’re considering something heritage simply because it’s old.” Rybiak moved on to considering the building’s function. “I see the building’s value as its function currently. The history makes interesting reading, but I’m not
Page 3
e PET E
East Fonthill surplus land sale, NPCA, Quaker Meeting House on the agenda
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
RS PE
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
NOW OPEN!
PETER PIPERS Join Us for Live Entertainment Friday, October 27, at 10pm: EAR CANDY Grand Opening, Sat. October 28, 1pm to 3pm: GEORGE TIRPKO & JIM SMOLINSKI
h Starting November 1 and every Wednesday night at 9pm: RUN
COME IN AND CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR DAILY SPECIALS $5 Burger Mondays Pint Night Thursdays
PS: We make no promises on the pickled peppers 111 Hwy 20 East, Unit 3, Fonthill | 905-892-0PUB
Page 4
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
OPINION
The opinions expressed in submitted commentary and letters to the editor are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Voice of Pelham.
The Voice of Pelham is a 1211858 Ontario Limited publication David Burket, Publisher 2-1428 Pelham St., P.O. Box 1489, Fonthill, ON L0S1E0
COMMENTARY / OP-ED Larry Coté The role of community newspapers
I
T IS WIDELY KNOWN that newspapers have been severely challenged by the internet, with the result that there are fewer and fewer of these traditional purveyors of the news. The internet has eroded the economic viability and diminished the longstanding acceptance of the newspapers’ traditional role— informing and educating the public. Yet one should not see the internet as an uncaring culprit out to destroy newspapers. It was designed to be another informational media and has been globally adopted in one form or another. Social media is now common in our lexicon and a widely adopted aspect in our everyday lives. However, it would be unwise to rely on it as a sole source of information and a replacement for time proven, professional, and unbiased journalism. Certainly, there are valid and trustworthy news sources on the internet. However, anyone can post information to the web under the guise of being truthful. Number 45 in the USA has made popular a phrase to describe his take on that possible scenario of deception – “fake news.” The newsprint media hierarchy is comprised of large national enterprises, a
nucleus of mid-sized more regionally focused publications, and a smaller group labeled community newspapers. The Voice is an example
Such matters are not covered by national and regional newspapers
of this last type. The integral role and importance of this print media category should not be underestimated in spite of earthshaking competition from social media. Despite its small size, the role of this news intermediary can be crucial. The textbook Saving Community Journalism defines community newspapers as, “any news organization whose primary mission is to cover the important issues that affect a cohesive and well-defined geographic, ethnic or cultural commu-
NEED HELP? MAKE THE CALL Distress Centre For depression, distress, and crisis. 24 hour help line: 905-688-3711   Mental Health and Addictions Access 1-866-550-5205 (Toll Free) Gambler’s Anonymous 905-351-1616
Kids Help Phone Service for youth. 416-586-5437 800-668-6868 (Crisis Line) www.kidshelpphone. ca Assaulted Women’s Helpline Mobile calls to: #SAFE (#7233) 1-866-863-0511 (Toll Free)
Alcoholics Anonymous Find a Niagara meeting. 905-682-2140 Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) www.niagaratips.com Text 274637(CRIMES), keyword Niagara, then your tip
The Voice
1428 Pelham Street, P.O. Box 1489, Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 Office open: Monday - Thursday 8 AM - 2 PM
(905) 892-8690
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca PUBLISHER & EDITOR Dave Burket publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca NEWS WRITER Samuel Piccolo ADMINISTRATION Lori Gretsinger office@thevoiceofpelham.ca CONTRIBUTORS Larry Coté, Nick Saltarelli, Carolyn Botari, John Swart, Kirk Weaver
nity.” To locally expand upon that definition, a number of Pelham residents have recently expressed concerns over financial and other aspects of current Town governance. These activities are of significant and specific interest to the taxpayers of this small community but are of little or no interest to those outside of Pelham. Consequently, such matters are not covered by national and regional newspapers nor internet news providers. Therefore, the mission to inform and educate local residents on such issues falls to its community newspaper. A healthy, vocal and vibrant community newspaper can be an important asset to any small enclave and ensure democratic practices are alive, well, and defended. A strong community newspaper ensures issues important to that community are widely reported and debated. A vibrant community newspaper contributes to the economic growth of the area it serves by promoting the benefits of being a part of that community. A vocal community newspaper energizes the unity and sense of belonging that is crucial to the subSee COMMUNITY next page
Letters Hunt disrespects the day Remembrance Day on Saturday, November 11, will be disrespected this year. Our Canadian fallen soldiers young and old, who sacrificed their only lives in the name of freedom and peace for Canada, would probably be disenchanted. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, rather than joining fellow Canadians of all cultures to join in solemn services held at cenotaphs throughout our land, will agree to holding the Short Hills deer hunt once again, but this time commencing on a special day honouring sacrifice for all our peace. So as you stand for two minutes of silence know that a few miles away mother deer are
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Member of Federal Parliament
Electoral District: Niagara West
Dean Allison, MP 4994 King Street Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 Dean.Allison@parl.gc.ca 877-563-7900
Mayor of Pelham David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Members of Pelham Town Council
Member of Provincial Parliament
Ward 1 Councillor Richard Rybiak rrybiak@pelham.ca 905-892-2105
Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755
Councillor Marvin Junkin mjunkin@pelham.ca 905-684-4870
Electoral District: Niagara West-Glanbrook
Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Councillor Brian Baty brian.baty@niagararegion.ca 905-892-5317 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607
Ward 2 Councillor Catherine King cking@pelham.ca 905-658-8599 Councillor Gary Accursi gaccursi@pelham.ca 905-892-5528 Ward 3 Councillor John Durley jdurley@pelham.ca 905-892-5388 Councillor Peter Papp ppapp@pelham.ca 905-328-6008
Community Centre project updates: www.pelham.ca/pcc
NEWS INQUIRIES & TIPS editor@thevoiceofpelham.ca LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@thevoiceofpelham.ca ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@thevoiceofpelham.ca
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcome. Letter submissions should contain the writer’s full name, address and telephone number. Names only will be published. Names may be withheld if compelling reasons are provided. The newspaper reserves the right to change, condense or reject any contribution for brevity or legal reasons. All material in this publication is protected by copyright. Reproduction is prohibited without express, written permission of the publisher. ADVERTISING: The Voice of Pelham regrets any errors or omissions that appear in advertisements in this newspaper, however, we will not be held responsible for more than one absent or incorrect insertion or for any damages beyond the cost of space containing the error. The Voice is an independent, locally owned and operated publication.
being viciously struck down by powerful bows and arrows while desperately trying to protect their precious young. Bloodshed, violence, pain, terror, all aspects of war will be playing out all the while we join to thank our brave soldiers for fighting for peace. It's a slap in the face of those who fought for us because it does not matter if we are talking human or animal, the toll is the same. Speak out against this action and write to the Ministry at kmcgarry.mpp.co@liberal. ola.org Faye Suthons Wainfleet
Today's forgotten business stopped advertising yesterday
Jill C. Anthony Law Office
Have an Opinion?
BARRISTER, SOLICITOR & NOTARY
REAL ESTATE, PURCHASES, SALES & MORTGAGES, BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS & SALES, ESTATE ADMINISTRATION, WILLS & POWER OF ATTORNEY FONTHILL (Main Office)
10 Highway 20 E., P.O. Box 743, Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 T: 905-892-2621 • F: 905-892-1022
janthony@jillanthony.com
JA
NIAGARA FALLS (Satellite Office)
Pio Plaza, 8685 Lundy’s Lane, Unit #2, Niagara Falls, ON L2H 1H5 T: 289-296-2629 • F: 289-296-0222
www.jillanthony.com
NEW LOCATION
Well don't just sit there. Share it with the Voice! letters@thevoiceofpelham.ca
905-892-8690
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
Page 5
OPINION As Halloween looms, local mysteries abound
Renewal is license-holder's responsibility
As many Pelham taxpayers are airing their views about Pelham Council and the Mayor, we would like to add our input. There are many things in the handling of our tax dollar that have remained a mystery to us. When the last mayor was in office, my car tire was damaged by a large hole in the road allowance. I notified the Town of the problem and they immediately repaired it. Now it is caving-in again, only this time I'm told the road allowance is my property. How so? Another mystery is why the beautiful cemetery names have disappeared. We understand the openings weren't large enough for the vault company to get their vehicles in, but why were they discarded only to be replaced by 2x4s in the ground with such commercial looking signs. Where are our ornate iron ones? And, pray tell, who has the right to remove and change the name on a family cemetery? The Hansler Cemetery was donated by a gentleman named George
It is a hard lesson learned, an expired license, and more so for a busy doctor with 1000 patients who are, at any given time, in real need of him. This article [Doctor's license cancelled over unpaid dues, Oct. 18, p. 1] brought back a lesson-learned memory for me. While in the process of moving to Fonthill, many years ago, my driver license expired. When I noticed the expiry date, I was shocked that my license had been expired for over a year. Yikes! When I went to the vehicle licensing office, I was embarrassed about my tardiness to renew, and I told them I had not received notification by mail that my
COMMUNITY continued from previous page stance of being a community member. Herein then, lies a crucial question. If a community newspaper were to vanish, then which sectors of that community would be most disadvantaged? If that paper’s primary mission is to inform the citizenry and prepare them to be better citizens then the answer should be clearly obvious. Without a community newspaper to consider, investigate and present the facts, then
Hansler. He owned the property that was originally called Hansler's Hideaway, now known as Bissell's Hideaway. That cemetery has now been renamed by the Brethern in Christ Church. I guess whoever changed it didn't know George was kicked out of that religion because they felt he had become too worldly. He lived in a log cabin. When his son was willed the property he built a brick home on the land. That home should become a Heritage home but alas it is not. Councillor Junkin you can count me in on the culvert job. I might be a senior but I can still handle a shovel and write a cheque. Next voting day I hope a few of our farmers step up to the plate and give Marv some support. We are not Niagara-on-the-Lake. We are a small-town community. We truly hope that our next Mayor does not think he's voted in to deal in real estate that brings us to brink of disaster. Merelle and Marlene Stirtzinger Fenwick
rumor, ignorance and even untruths—whether told by residents or Town— could prevail without rebuttal. In the end, it is the community that determines the fate of its community newspaper. Citizens can support it and see it survive or disregard it and see its demise. Take the time to read your community newspaper and both you and the community will benefit. Larry Coté is a retired Professor of Business. He has been awarded the Governor General’s Medal for his community involvements.
William Hall
Now Two Locations 483 East Main Street WELLAND and 1421 Pelham Street FONTHILL
(formerly Quality Cleaners)
Paul V. D’Amico
“Tilt-In Feature”
CALL ANYTIME
905-892-3757
FREE ESTIMATES
316 Welland Rd., Fenwick
See LICENSE next page
BAZAAR at
Fenwick United Church 1050 Church Street, Fenwick
November 3 and 4
Friday, Nov. 3 -- 1 pm to 4 pm Afternoon Tea Saturday, Nov 4 -- 9:30 am to 2 pm Lunch 11:30 am to 1 pm Silent Auction - Country Store - Bake Table
Unique handcrafted items Christmas decorations Homemade preserves The perfect place to pick up a gift for a friend or for yourself!
Professional SERVICES Directory You’re In Good Hands With Us!
Dr. Ken Sawatzky Dental Surgeon
905-892-5002 1428 Pelham St.
Improve Your Health
Change Your Life! 905.892.6200
• VINYL AND ALUMINUM SIDING • 5” SEAMLESS EAVESTROUGH • SOFFIT - FACIA - SHUTTERS • STEEL INSULATED DOORS • 2” SELF - STORING DOORS
them to apologize for the oversight, and quickly renew my driver's license. Instead, I was given a finger-wagging lecture. Apparently, the employees of the motor vehicle office,
PAU L @ N I C K S C L E A N E R S . C O M
INSTALLATIONS
Vinyl Replacement Windows
license had expired. I further explained that although a year had passed and I was still operating a motor vehicle, I had been totally unaware my license was null and void. After my heartfelt, and truthful explanation, I fully expected
Joe Della Marina DD,LD Denturist 905-892-1414
22 Regional Road 20 West Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0
Family Dentistry
www.lewisfamilychiropractic.ca
1428 Pelham Street, Fonthill
Monday to Friday Morning and afternoon hours
www.drkensawatzky.com
Dr. Ann Volk Dr. Randy Pauls Dr. Jeanette (Helmuth) Ngo
Optometrists
Mon, Wed, Fri • 8am - 5:30pm Tue • 8 am - 7pm Thu • 8:45am - 7pm 1405 South Pelham, Fonthill • 905.892.5191
NEWSFLASH Tell us your story! Column Six presents tales of personal triumph, adventure, strange-but-true stories, life-changing events, and looks-back at our past. Did you conquer Everest or kick a bad habit? Did you meet your spouse-to-be in jail or on an African safari? Do you know where Hoffa’s buried? Write it down, send it in: publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca (You won’t get rich, but you will get paid.)
Page 6
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
Letters
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
continued
LICENSE continued from previous page the year before, had been on strike, and no one in Ontario had received notices of license renewal forms and notices. The angry clerk who was reading me the riot act, had me scratching my head wondering. So, why was it was my fault I had forgotten to renew when they were the ones who had been on strike and did not send out notices? I was to find out. The fiery tongue-lashing continued. I was told it was not up to them to remind me, like a child, to renew my license. Since it was me who wanted the privilege to legally drive a car, it was up to me to ensure I possess a current up-to-date license. So, whether or not I received notice of expiry was totally irrelevant— it was my responsibility to keep track of my own motor vehicle expiration dates, not theirs. Then, to my horror, I was cautioned, THEY HAD THE POWER to make me take my road
driver's test, including the highway driving test, all over again, even though I had been driving a car, at that time, for 34 years. I clamped my hand over my mouth to stifle screams of terror. Just the thought of doing my driver's test over again was enough to scare the kaka-poo out of me. Memories of a 16-yearold flooded into my head. Oh, the stress I went through on the way to the licensing bureau the day I took my road test. I shivered scary movie chills as I conjured up the image of the examiner, a real old guy, holding a clipboard, who was already disapproving of me, and scowling at me even before I put the key in the ignition. So, after the clerk begrudgingly issued me a new license, while giving me the stink eye, I drove home, well under the speed limit, and circled on the calendar, for the next five years, all my driver's license expiry dates. Pamela Robb Via Facebook
It’s Prime Time at the Grille! Presenting our classic, all-in
PRIME RIB DINNER
Hoist one in Gord's memory In celebration of the life of Gord Downie, a local winery produced and bottled some red and white wine. The Hip actually visited this winery in Vineland many years ago and gave them their "blessing" to produce wine with their label on the bottles. Cheers to a great gentleman! Ric Gretsinger Fonthill
Appreciates Baty and Junkin Thank you Councillors Baty and Junkin for your continued dedication to remaining true and honest to the people of this community and region. We certainly need many more like you! Please know that the taxpayers recognize what you are helping to achieve and I personally want to say THANKS! Diane DiFlorio Pelham
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 Includes
Succulent
Canadian beef, hand-picked by grill-master George and cooked to perfection,
$24.99
You r
hosts
, Carolanne, Catherine & Do
potatoes, vegetables, Yorkshire Pudding, dessert, with coffee or tea
r ee n
Plus our regular great dinner menu!
SEATINGS BEGIN AT 4:30 PM — CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION
FREE ENGINE OIL & FILTER
(289) 897-9191 On street parking and plenty more in our own lot
Breakfast & Lunch every day Dinner: Wed-Sat to 8 PM
L.L.B.O. Licensed
1507 Pelham Street, Fonthill (289) 897-9191
Holiday
Come enjoy an old fashioned evening stroll in Downtown Fonthill as our unique array of local merchants OPEN LATE to kick off the Holiday Season.
Gift ShowcaSe
&
Downtown Stroll
weD , 2017 neSDay, november 15hill t n 6 fo pm - 9pm • Downtown
WHEN YOU BOOK AN ANNUAL SERVICE INSPECTION
This Banner ad Sponsored by
Experience a night of festive good cheer and truly original gift ideas. Full details at myPelham.com Presented by
Down to Font wn hill
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
Page 7
DISCOVER CHEVROLET’S INNOVATIVE TRUCK LINEUP THIS FALL.
UP TO
2017 SILVERADO 2500 HD HIGH COUNTRY CREW CAB AND 2017 SILVERADO LD HIGH COUNTRY CREW CAB MODELS SHOWN
ONTARIOCHEVROLETDEALERS.CA
2017 INVENTORY IS GOING FAST. HURRY IN BEFORE OCTOBER 31ST.
THE 2017 SILVERADO HD EG:
20% =$16,800 OF MSRP
4G LTE Wi-Fi
“MOST DEPENDABLE LARGE HEAVY CASH PURCHASE DUTY PICKUP IN THE U.S., THREE CREDIT* YEARS IN A ROW” 11 – JD POWER
ON SILVERADO 2500 HD HIGH COUNTRY CREW CAB BASED ON MSRP OF $84,000
SILVERADO 2500HD HIGH COUNTRY CREW CAB DIESEL MODEL SHOWN
THE 2017 SILVERADO 1500 EG:
20% =$14,071 OF MSRP
ON 2017 SILVERADO LD HIGH COUNTRY CREW CAB BASED ON MSRP OF $70,355
CASH PURCHASE CREDIT*
FEATURES: AVAILABLE APPLE CARPLAY™ 5 AND ANDROID AUTO™ 6 CAPABILITY AND ONSTAR 4G LTE WITH BUILT-IN WI-FI® HOTSPOT 7 NHTSA OVERALL VEHICLE 5-STAR SAFETY SCORE8 BEST-IN-CLASS AVAILABLE TOWING UP TO 12,500 LB. (5670 KG)9,10
4G LTE Wi-Fi
SILVERADO 1500 CREW CAB HIGH COUNTRY MODEL SHOWN
THE 2017 COLORADO
$6,900
CASH PURCHASE CREDIT*
ON 2017 COLORADO Z71 CREW CAB BASED ON 15% OF MSRP OF $46,000 ON SELECT 2017 INVENTORY IN STOCK THE LONGEST
FEATURES:
4G LTE Wi-Fi
BEST-IN-CLASS AVAILABLE HORSEPOWER1,2 BEST-IN-CLASS AVAILABLE TOWING3,4 AVAILABLE APPLE CARPLAY™ 5 AND ANDROID AUTO™ 6 CAPABILITY AND ONSTAR 4G LTE WITH BUILT-IN WI-FI® HOTSPOT 7
COLORADO CREW CAB Z71 MODEL SHOWN
PROUD PARTNER ALL ELIGIBLE MODELS COME WITH
CHEVROLET
COMPLETE CARE
2 YEARS/48,000 KM COMPLIMENTARY OIL CHANGES**
5 YEARS/160,000 KM POWERTRAIN WARRANTY
▲
* Offer valid for a limited time only. Customers receive up to a 20% of MSRP cash credit towards the cash purchase of select 2017 models in dealer stock the longest. Not compatible with lease or finance purchases. Credit is tax exclusive and is calculated on vehicle MSRP, excluding any dealer-installed options. Conditions and limitations apply. See Dealer for full program details. For the latest information, visit us at <chevrolet.ca>, drop by your local <Chevrolet Dealer> or call us at 1-800-GM-DRIVE. 15% of MSRP Cash Purchase Credit applies to oldest 50% of dealer inventory on eligible models as of October 3, 2017. 20% of MSRP Cash Purchase Credit applies to all in-stock dealer inventory of eligible models within October 3-31. Offer valid October 3 – 31, 2017 on cash purchases of eligible 2017 model year vehicles from dealer inventory. 2017 models receiving a 15% cash credit of MSRP include: Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Camaro (excludes ZL1), Chevrolet Colorado (excludes 2SA), Chevrolet City Express, Chevrolet Express, Chevrolet Impala. 2017 models receiving a 20% cash credit of MSRP include: all Light Duty and Heavy Duty Silverado models, Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Malibu (excludes 1VL), Chevrolet Sonic, Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse, Chevrolet Trax, Chevrolet City, Chevrolet City Express. Models not eligible for this offer are: 2017 Chevrolet Corvette, 2017 Chevrolet BOLT EV, 2017 Chevrolet VOLT, all 2016 MY and 2018 MY vehicles. Not compatible with special lease and finance rates. Credit is tax exclusive and is calculated on vehicle MSRP, excluding any dealer-installed options. By selecting lease or finance offers, consumers are foregoing this cash credit which will result in higher effective cost of credit on their transaction. Dealer may sell for less. Offer may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives. Certain limitations or conditions apply. General Motors of Canada Company may modify, extend or terminate this offer, in whole or in part, at any time without notice. Void where prohibited. See dealer for details. 1Requires available 3.6L V6 engine. 2Based on WardsAuto.com 2016 Small Pickup segment and latest competitive information available at time of printing. Excludes other GM models. 3Requires available 3.6L V6 or 2.8L Duramax Turbo-Diesel engine. 4Before you buy a vehicle or use it for trailering, carefully review the Trailering section of the Owner’s Manual. The weight of passengers, cargo and options or accessories may reduce the amount you can tow. 5Vehicle user interface is a product of Apple and its terms and privacy statements apply. Requires compatible iPhone and data plan rates apply. 6 Vehicle user interface is a product of Google and their terms and privacy statements apply. Requires compatible smartphone and data plan rates apply. 7 Visit onstar.ca for coverage maps, details and system limitations. Service plan required. Available 4G LTE with Wi-Fi hotspot requires WPA2 compatible mobile device and data plan. Data plans provided by AT&T. Services vary by model, service plan, conditions as well as geographical and technical restrictions. OnStar with 4G LTE connectivity is available on select vehicle models and in select markets. Vehicle must be started or in accessory mode to access Wi-Fi. 8U.S. Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) New Car Assessment Program (www.SaferCar.gov). 9Based on WardsAuto.com 2016 Large Pickup segment and latest competitive information available at time of printing. Excludes other GM vehicles. 102017 Silverado 1500 2WD equipped with available 5.3L V8 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. Fuel consumption based on GM testing in accordance with Government of Canada approved test methods. Refer to vehicles. nrcan.gc.ca for details. Your actual fuel consumption may vary. 11The Chevrolet Silverado HD received the lowest number of problems per 100 vehicles among Large Heavy Duty Pickups in the J.D. Power 2015-2017 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Studies. 2017 study based on 35,186 total responses, measuring problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners, surveyed October-December 2016. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com/cars **The 2-Year Scheduled Lube-Oil-Filter Maintenance Program provides eligible customers in Canada, who have purchased or leased a new eligible 2016 or 2017 MY Chevrolet (excluding Spark EV), with an ACDelco® oil and filter change, in accordance with the oil life monitoring system and the Owner’s Manual, for 2 years or 48,000 km, whichever occurs first, with a limit of four (4) Lube-Oil-Filter services in total, performed at participating GM dealers. Fluid top offs, inspections, tire rotations, wheel alignments and balancing, etc. are not covered. This offer may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives available on GM vehicles. General Motors of Canada Company reserves the right to amend or terminate this offer, in whole or in part, at any time without prior notice. Additional conditions and limitations apply. See dealer for details. ▲Whichever comes first. See dealer for details.
Page 8
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Keeping the beat Jim Casson's life in music BY SAMUEL PICCOLO
The VOICE
I
N 2014, JIM CASSON turned 50. His wife, Sabine, and his children, Max and Nigel, asked him what he wanted for his birthday. “What everybody wants for their fiftieth birthday,” he said. “A gorilla suit.” Casson is a professional drummer, and he has released two albums of solo material as well. Two years ago, when the second record was released, he took stock of how things had changed since his career began some 30 years earlier. “You need to have a visual representation of your music,” he said. This was a challenge on that record, as its songs are an experimental mix of drumming, vocal recordings, and other, disembodied sounds. “The songs aren’t really
about something. Or really, they could be about anything. So that was the difficulty in coming up with a video.” Casson was having trouble with one song in particular, “Waterloo Clyde.” The song’s structure is simple. Casson drums a steady beat on a basic kit as a tuba toots a catchy riff, all the while a man reads context-free punchlines from a series of jokes. “What’s the stupidest thing that I could do for this?” Casson asked himself. The answer was obvious: use the gorilla suit. In the cherry orchard behind his Fenwick home, which has been in his family for decades, Casson set up a drum kit and put on the gorilla suit. It was not a comfortable experience. “It was a hot day, and the
THE SHOPPES OF RIDGEVILLE THE SHOPPE OFF R CEANBORO RD. & EFFINGHAM , PIDGEVILLE ELHAM ON CANBORO RD. & EFFINGHAM, PELHAM ON OPEN HOUSE CHRISTMASCOHRISTMAS PEN HOUSE
OVEMBER C2, HRISTMAS O PEN 2017 HOUSE THURSDAY, NOVN 9AM - 92-3-4, PM HRISTMAS EVENING IN R2017 IDGEVILLE FRIDAY,CN OV 3,N 9OVEMBER AM - 8PM2-3-4, SATURDAY,CN 4, 9AM - 5PM IN8,R2017 FOVRIDAY DEECEMBER HRISTMAS VENING IDGEVILLE
FRIDAY DECEMBER 8, 2017
CANBORO RD. & EFFINGHAM, PELHAM A UNIQUEE SHOPPING G EXPERIENCE E I TH HEART T OFF NIAGARA A UNIQUE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE IN THE HEART OF NIAGARA
Searching for Better Hearing Take a Set of Premium Hearing Aids Home
FREE for
E V Z U F W N C K Q
S L R V O X L H O L
L J Y D N A V E I F
Jim Casson gets in a few beats at his studio. thing is made entirely out of rubber. I was just dripping in sweat the whole time— it was disgusting,” he remembered. But the video turned out well. It is a perplexing thing to watch. In addition to the drum kit, Casson also used a forklift to the carry an old Steinway piano up between the rows of cherry blossoms. During the four-minute song, he alternates between drumming, plinking on the piano, and dancing while pretending to play the tuba. “Drums stop, now comes the bass solo,” is the last punchline read as Casson’s playing ends, and he is shown on screen, in the gorilla suit, slinking away
A T Q T R C U A F H
R I D I S F O L U Z
N J T Z M E Z T L Q
U Y F K D U F H R C
S E C I O H C I A J
X E H W Y I M R L V
H I E G W M V F Y E
bigfoot-like into the woods. The song—and much of the album—is clever, almost meta-music that you wouldn’t necessarily expect a life-long drummer like Casson to produce. “I was going to record a blues album, but, you know, everyone has one of those. So I wanted to do something a little bit different,” he said. Casson does have a blues record out now, too. His most steady gig is with the Mighty Duck Blues Band, a four-man group made up of old pros. After more than a decade of playing regular live shows, this year the band finally released its debut album. Casson produced the album, as he did his solo records, in the basement stu-
dio at his home. The studio, which doubles as a rehearsal room, is man-cave worthy of the descriptor. There is a solitary window, through which very little light enters the ten-by-fifteen foot room. Casson has two drum kits set up, and over one of them hang microphones connected to the Macintosh computer across the room. There are drum skins affixed to the walls, and cymbals hanging from nails. There are drums stacked on shelves and there are other drums, standing on their own, throughout the room. Beside his studio, Casson has another storage room full of drums. Next to the computer is a keyboard (Casson’s first instrument was keys), and next to the keyboard
SAMUEL PICCOLO PHOTO
is a trombone (he was made to play trombone in high school), and next to the trombone is a nylon-stringed guitar. “I only play around on the guitar,” he said. “It doesn’t really make sense to me.” Casson is a presence in any room that he occupies. He has a deep, resonant voice, and he laughs often as he speaks, both at his own jokes and at those of others. Aside from his eyebrows, the only hair above his neck is a snow-white tuft that extends from the bottom of his chin, a true goat-tee. At 53, he is the youngest of the four permanent members of the Might Duck Blues Band, who among themSee CASSON next page
CLARITY | CHOICES | HEALTH | LIFESTYLE
2 Weeks
Call us today to book your FREE Hearing Assessment
289-897-8666 See clinic for details.
Alaina Hillier
Fonthill Plaza (905) 892-5443
Doctor of Audiology, Audiologist
www.southniagarahearing.com
LAMPMAN FUNERAL HOME Our family serving your family since 1911
905-892-4701 724 Canboro Rd., Fenwick
www.lampmanfuneralhome.com
Cremation and Burial Services
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
CASSON continued from previous page selves have close to two centuries of musical experience. The band is predominantly known for playing live shows, during which they are fronted each week by a different special guest. For more than a decade they played every Saturday at The Golden Pheasant, an old drinking hole for General Motors employees in St. Catharines. The Pheasant, a thoroughly unpretentious place, was usually just called “The Duck” (this is where the band got its name) and saddened many when it closed last year. “It was kind of gross there,” Casson said. “You never knew what a smell might be, and didn’t want to ask. But it had character.” Last year, the band moved their Saturday gig to The Bar Upstairs, at the ball hockey rinks near Highway 406. The Saturday before Thanksgiving the band played to a sizeable crowd. The guest was Lance Anderson, one of Canada’s most respected organists and producers. Typically the band plays three one-hour sets, and near the end of the first one Anderson and Casson locked eyes. “Well, Jim,” said Anderson. “We really have to thank everyone for coming out on this Thanksgiving weekend. So why don’t we… take these people to church. Give me some of that double-time.” Casson kept his gaze on Anderson as he sped up his drumming, moving faster and faster until he had finally achieved the pace that Anderson had envisaged and the rest of the band came in. The Bar Upstairs is cleaner and more modern, surely, than the Golden Pheasant. While the band played, two flat-screen televisions that were showing golf and college football were ignored by everyone in the room. Most of the crowd stared attentively at the band, while a lone couple skidded across the floral-print car-
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
pet, impressively managing to keep up to Casson’s formidable beat. When the song was over, Anderson announced that they would be taking a short break, and Casson laid down his sticks and wiped his head with a nearby towel. The crowd, which was overwhelmingly grey-haired, checked their phones, and when the patio doors were opened, a rush of tobacco smoke came in on the cool air. Casson spent the first intermission sitting outside, cooling off, and looking down at the hockey rink where a father was practicing one-timers with his son. “Lance—he’s really good at calling songs,” Casson said. The Mighty Duck Blues Band prides itself on having a vast repertoire and being able to assemble shows on the fly. “We’ll get to a juncture in a song, and I’ll think, ‘He could go two different ways here.’ I’ll try and guess, based on past experiences, which way he’s going to go. Sometimes I’ll guess one way, and the bassist will guess another. Whoever’s wrong will have to jump back in a hurry. But ninety-five percent of people don’t notice, anyway. It’s all part of the fun.” The band demonstrated this flexibility soon after returning. Anderson turned to them and said, “All right, we’re going to do this song. And it’s going to be in C7, and then move to F minor, and then B flat. Jim, you can do that shuffling thing at the end.” The band all nodded, and after Anderson led them in, pawing at his keys, they played a seemingly seamless rendition. During the band’s second set, Casson for a few moments closed his eyes and looked as though he were striking a pose, but then he re-opened them again quickly and locked on the leader. When he plays, he bops his head from side to side and holds his sticks lightly, in the tips of his fingers, as if he is preparing to carve a delicate material. At one point, Anderson
remained at the bar as the band played a few songs from its new album, Duck Soup. “This is a Dave Curry tune,” the bassist said, pointing at Curry, the band’s guitarist, who winced as he raised his guitar strap over his head and then sat down again. Though he didn’t have a microphone, Casson shouted out that it would be the first time that the song had ever been played live. “So we’ll see how badly we mess it up,” he said. The band played Curry in, who made several false starts on the vocals. “C’mon, let’s go,” Casson shouted again, encouragingly. Finally, Curry began the bluesy chord sequence and started to sing. “Can’t take a drink, can’t have a smoke, can’t do anything fun no more. I gotta be good, ‘cause I can’t be bad. Or they’ll be knockin’ at my door. Everybody’s talkin’ about them do-gooder blues.” The crowd clapped as the band slowed down and Curry finished singing. If anyone noticed the package of cigarettes lying on the stool beside him, they didn’t point it out. Casson gives drum lessons in addition to his playing, and drills his students heavily on rhythm and focus. “I’ll often have students say, ‘Keeping a steady beat— that’s easy.’ But then I’ll put on a metronome, without the strikes in between, and see if they can keep to it. After a few minutes, they realize that it’s incredibly difficult.” Subtlety is often the most important thing for a drummer to know, and even Casson took some time to learn this. “I’ve been fired from a lot of jobs,” he said. Many of these firings occurred when he was a young drummer, hired by bands because of his ability, but let go once it was decided that he was too showy. One of his first steady gigs, when he was in his early 20s, was with a ‘50s cover band pop-
FAMILY HEALTH PHARMACY
Now in the Fonthill Marketplace!
Visit us for friendly service, helpful advice, and great everyday prices
Welcome the Family Practice of
Dr. D. Goswami, Dr. S. Rana and Dr. R. Goswami
R e P r ac t i c Family OPEN NOW
Flu Shots
NOW HERE
• Easy prescription transfer • Free on-site compliance packaging • All major drug plans accepted • Fast, friendly, courteous service
(905) 892-1888 Compare & Save
• Quality products at lower prices than national brands
• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee pharmachoice.com
Page 9
I don't know if there's science to back this up, but I've always believed that as a drummer, your ears can prepare themselves for a strike
ular in Niagara. “All of my friends and family thought that I’d really made it, since I’d gotten the job with this band. And then I was fired,” Casson remembered. The problem, as he sees it, was that he was playing the drums, not playing the song. Now he says that it’s most important that a drummer be a chameleon, always able to adapt to the type of music or what the specific song requires. Many drummers, especially young ones, are eager to show off their chops, but to Casson, this eagerness is misplaced. “Knowing how to solo isn’t all that impressive. Keeping the beat, playing the song, and going on a riff when the time is right— that’s real chops,” he said. Drum kits also tend to exist in the service of ego, too. Casson uses a very simple set, with just five or six drums, and feels that this configuration is enough to do about anything that he needs to. “I used to have the cymbals way up high, so that it looked cool when I had to reach for them. One day, I raised my arms up to hit them and I realized that it hurt—and I realized that there’s no reason, other than for show, that cymbals need to be up there,” he said. “That stuff is just a
penis-measuring contest.” Apart from his shoulders, Casson’s ears are the only part of him that has sustained permanent damage during his career. In conversation, he will often ask others to repeat what they have just said, and when he is talking he rarely hears anything that is said simultaneously. Hearing loss is something common to most drummers, he said, though
he attributes this as much to other instruments as to the drums. “I don’t know if there’s science to back this up, but I’ve always believed that as a drummer, your ears can prepare themselves for the strike,” Casson said. “Whereas with a big loud guitar amp that’s right beside the kit, you just have no idea what’s coming.” He doesn’t yet have hearing aids, but expects to need them before long. Several days before the Mighty Duck Blues Band played on Thanksgiving weekend, Casson was sitting in his studio, thinking about his musical career. He has never had a day job, and for this, he is especially thankful. “I’ve been really fortunate to be able to do what I See CASSON Page 15
Heart of Niagara Reading Series
Heather Tucker, author of Clay Girl
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 7PM, $10.00
Pelham Public Library, Fonthill Branch The Toronto Star describes this debut novel as “astonishingly exquisite” and “will take your breath away.” The Clay Girl is a beautiful tour de force about a child sculpted by kindness, cruelty, and the extraordinary power of imagination, and her families—the one she’s born into and the one she creates. The author has won numerous awards for her short fiction and non-fiction also. This program was made possible with financial assistance from The Canada Council for the Arts through The Writers’ Union of Canada.
Page 10
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Pelham's country doctors BY CAROLYN BOTARI
Special to the VOICE
T
HE LIFE OF A country doctor in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century was a busy one. This was a time when nearly everyone had measles, mumps or chicken pox at some time in their childhood and many suffered through whooping cough, scarlet fever or diphtheria. The early settlers of Fonthill were well-served by their first doctor, Dr. John Frazer. Dr. Frazer was born in Scotland in 1806, became
a doctor in 1825 and emigrated to Canada in 1837. He soon moved to Fonthill and began his practice out of his home, which was located on the southeast corner of Canboro Road and Haist Street. Dr. Frazer acquired a large practice and for a time was surgeon to the district militia. Although Dr. Frazer had a sizable practice and kept meticulous books, he was very reluctant to send out bills and is supposed to have lost a great deal of money because of this. Dr. Frazer died in 1882 and is buried in Fonthill Cemetery. Records show that he was associ-
ated with the early careers of several Pelham doctors, including Doctors Comfort, de la Matter, Burgar and Hansler. Dr. John Emmerson Hansler, grandson of one of Pelham’s first settlers, succeeded Dr. Frazer. He lived and worked out of a large house on Canboro Road near Fonthill and died in 1924. Other early Fonthill doctors included Dr. J. O. Emmett who started his practice in 1909, and Dr. Myers, who came to Fonthill in 1925. Fenwick’s first doctor was Dr. Henry Ryan Haney. Dr. Haney was born in 1835,
GIVE DR. PELSER HIS LICENSE BACK
We believe The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario needs to be accountable for their decision to force a solo physician out of business for administrative errors on both sides, and endangering the lives of his patients. If you feel the same way please voice your concern by: 1) Signing on line Petition at: change.org patients of drpelser (www.change. org/p/ontario-college-of-physician-and-surgeons-give-dr-pelser-back-his-licence) 2) Sign the petition currently attached to Dr. Pelser’s office door. 3) Write or email to The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, at: cpso@cpso.on.ca & feedback@cpso.on.ca or 80 College St, Toronto, ON M5G 2E2. Send your letters to the attention of Dr. David Rouselle, President & Dr. Rocco Gerace, Registrar. 4) Write or email your MPP Honourable Sam Oosterhoff: sam.oosterhoff@ pc.ola.org or Unit M1, 4961 King Street East, Beamsville, Ontario LOR 1B0 5) Write or email Hon. Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health & Long Term Care: csu.moh@ontario.ca or Hepburn Block 10th Flr, 80 Grosvenor St, Toronto, ON M7A 2C4 6) For ideas, comments, and updates, check our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/givebackthelicence)
Thank you!
Patients of Dr. Pelser
Join
a descendent of a pioneering family. Following his graduation from medical school in Buffalo in 1856, Dr. Haney moved to Fenwick to start his practice. His office and residence are believed to have been located on the lot on Canboro Road, directly north of Church Street. Dr. Haney’s original house was moved to Ridgeville and the large brick house that now sits on this lot became the home and office of Dr. Birdsall, who joined Dr. Haney’s practise in 1878. Dr. Haney died suddenly later that same year. Dr. Sydney Dalrymple took over Dr. Birdsall’s practise in 1907, working out of the same house on Canboro Road. It was Dr. Dalrymple who cared for patients during the terrible Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918-19. This epidemic, which spread across the world just after the end of WWI, killed as many people as had died in the war. Pelham suffered, though maybe not as severely as densely populated cities. It is said that Dr. Dalrymple used three teams of horses working eight-hour shifts to visit patients during the
PELHAM
Pieces From Our Past
Dr. Haney. epidemic. Dr. Dalrymple died in 1921. In 1928, the people of Fenwick welcomed Dr. Joseph Dowd to their community, possibly the tenth doctor to practise in Fenwick. Dr. Dowd travelled in a Model T Ford, with the help in winter of farmers who ploughed out the roads for him. In those days house calls cost $3, but when times were
$100 CASH REWARD FOR LOST CAT Her name is “Penny”
Please call
CALL686-2778 if you (905) 892-6380PLEASE or (289) 905-892-6380 or 289-686-2778 seeOUR ourCAT. cat. Her home inEFFINGHAM/ the THE IS IN is HOME HER IF YOU SEE Effingham/Tice/Lookout Street area. TICE/ LOOKOUT ST AREA. 9th/17 SEPTSept SINCE MISSING Missing since 9. PENNY. IS NAME HER Thank you for your help. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.
Dr. Frazer. tough, it was not unusual for the doctor to be reimbursed for his services with a bag of potatoes, a bushel of apples or a fresh dressed chicken. For more than 50 years, Dr. Dowd made house calls, delivered babies, carried out school inspections, vaccinated children, and tended to the health and welfare of his many patients in the Fenwick area. Dr. Dowd died in 1980. Patients who were very sick or needed major surgery went to the first Welland Hospital, built in 1908 on the banks of the Welland River. A stay in hospital cost 50 cents a day, with all treatment extra. A bill from 1913 shows a total of $22 for an 11-day stay, plus $5 for the use of the operating room. This might have been a month’s pay for a farm worker, so the hospital was often the last resort. Most people were born and died at home. As was the practice of the time, doctors often dispensed medications themselves, and many local residents believed that only Dr Myers’ Pills or Dr. Dowd’s Mixture could cure what ailed them. The Pelham Historical Society presently has on display at Maple Acre Library in Fenwick a variety of medical artifacts, many on loan from the family of Dr. Dowd. Please drop by the library for a look.
Sam Oosterhoff, MPP Niagara West-Glanbrook For an information Round Table on the
Opioid Crisis
And how it impacts your family
Friday, October 27th A 1-2:30 pm Fleming Centre, Meeting Room A 5020 Serena Drive, Beamsville Please register for this event with:
Special Guest Lisa MacLeod, MPP
Pamela Haire, 905-563-1755 or email: pamela.haire@pc.ola.org 4961 King St. E. Unit M1, Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
CLARE AVE continued from Page 1 I only get upset because I care—about my son, and about the other people who use this road. Because mark my words, someone is going to die.” Wilsher spoke to Sarah Leach, an assistant to Town Clerk Nancy Bozzato, who encouraged Wilsher to contact Councillor John Durley. “I spoke to Durley, and he seemed to care. He lives just down the road, and said that there’s the same problem there.” Durley subsequently made a Public Service Request, and the Town’s automated display of traffic speed sign, the one on wheels, was placed on Clare directed towards northbound traffic. Durley says that, “Speeding is an issue throughout the town,” and that, “We are exploring means by which traffic calming can be achieved.” On a subsequent visit to Wilsher’s home, the Voice found the sign inoperative. Wilsher was pleased that sign was in place, though he says that more needs to be done, and is disappointed that Town Director of Public Works Andrea Clemencio has said that presently “there are no other plans regarding traffic on that street.” “At the very least, the Town should put up ‘Children Playing’ and flashing speed limit signs,” says Wilsher. “I’ve asked for both of those repeatedly, in addition to speed bumps or something else to slow people down.” Wilsher has also contacted the police on numerous occasions, calling the lo-
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
cal Niagara Regional Police office in Welland, and the Traffic Enforcement Division as well. He has seen police monitor the road only a few times, including one instance in which a man was arrested and his car impounded. The news report of the incident, which went out on the Canadian Press wire service, asserted that the driver was travelling at 102 km/h, though Wilsher says that at the time, the police told him that the car was actually going 180 km/h. “I’m not a cop basher—I don’t want to be the guy who’s always complaining. But the fact is that something needs to be done. And I’ve been told by police that with limited resources, speeders are not their priority,” he says. Wilsher's patience with the police was further tested when he posted about his speeding concerns on a Facebook group devoted to discussing Pelham issues. Wilsher linked to an article about the arrest and impounding of the drag-racer’s car, and lamented that an officer had told him that speeding wasn’t the police’s main concern. Another group member, a police officer, posted a reply saying, “You complain about enforcement and post an article of someone getting arrested. Sounds like you need the whine police.” Robert Schottlander, an Administration Sergeant with the NRP in Welland, says that the inability of the police to closely monitor every traffic situation is unfortunate. “In an ideal world, we would be able to have officers in Welland-Pelham,
What’s Your Family Story?
Find Your Ancestors Genealogical Services Family History Research Consult and Assist with Existing Research A Assist with your Online Family Trees and Genealogical DNA Results Paul Wilson, UE (905) 328-8329 findyourancestors@cogeco.ca www.findyourancestors.ca www.Facebook.com/researchyourfamily A
A
e
f
always on top of these situations,” says Schottlander. “And we try—there isn’t
There isn't a single call that comes in that is ignored
a single call that comes in that is ignored. The staff sergeants do their best to have these things looked into. But the reality is that with the number of officers we have, we often have to call in overtime work for traffic enforcement, which is very expensive.” Wilsher says that he will continue to call both the NRP’s Welland division, and the designated traffic enforcement division, which roams throughout Niagara.
Richard
Brown SALES REPRESENTATIVE
Page 11
He hopes that the provincial government will move to install speed cameras around the province. In a recent change to the Highway Traffic Act, Ontario has re-introduced photo radar under a new name, “Automated Speed Enforcement,” which is available to municipalities to install in school zones and in designated community safety zones, where the posted limit is under 80 km/h. Until such time as cameras may be installed, however, Wilsher will continue to lobby the Town to take additional measures to calm speeds on Clare Avenue. “I just ordered a radar gun. I’ll be marking down speeds, and taking lots of photos and videos, too,” he says. Wilsher also plans on circulating a petition to his neighbours along the street. “It’s always the squeaky wheel that gets oiled—so I’m going to have to squeak on this. I don’t want to be that guy, but I just can’t take it anymore.”
IN THE NEWS continued from Page 2 side collection, branches and yard waste can also be dropped off by residents at one of the Region’s Waste and Recycling Depots year round, free of charge. For more information about Niagara Region’s waste management services, including drop-off locations and hours of operation, visit niagararegion. ca/waste or call the Waste Info-Line at 905-356-4141 or 1-800-594-5542
Child porn possession
The Internet Child Exploitation (I.C.E) Unit has conducted an Investigation related to the Possession of Child Pornography in the City of St. Catharines. Niagara police say that on October 19, 33-year-old St.
Catharines resident Daniel Denis Petrucci was arrested and charged with Possession of Child Pornography contrary to section 163.1(4) of the Criminal Code of Canada. Petrucci was held in custody pending a bail hearing. The Niagara Regional Police Service is a member of the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the internet and conducts investigations into Internet Child Exploitation Offences in partnership with numerous Ontario Police Services. Members of the public can report suspicious Internet activities relating to child exploitation to the Niagara Regional Police Service, or online at www.cybertip.ca. Internet safety tips for parents, children and Internet users are also available on the Cybertip website.
Fully d LicenB s. Oe. L.L.
Office: 905-892-0222
Cell: 905-651-5143
Check out our
rbrown@royallepage.ca • www.homesniagara.com
NEW MENU
1815 Merrittville Hwy, Unit 1, Fonthill, Ontario
“Selling Throughout Niagara”
All-day Breakfast starts from $4.50 Eggs any style, French Toast, Bacon, Sausage, Peameal Bacon, Pancakes, and more
Barbering... • Hot Towel Shave • Hair Cuts • Mustache and Beard Trims INDIVIDUAL SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE
BOOK ONLINE!
Lunch starts from $8.95 Soup & Sandwich, Salads, Burgers, Wraps, Wings, Nachos, Poutine, Pitas, and more
Dinner starts from $10.95 New York Striploin, Pork Chops, Pasta, Fish & Chips, Stir-Fry, Ramen, Baby Beef Liver & Onions, Teriyaki, and more
www.xandaro.com/myfamily1 Hours: Mon-Fri 11-7, Sat 9-1
Open for dinner every night 794 Canboro Road @ Maple / 905-892-9282
DYK... You can find reports & budgets (capital, operating, water and wastewater), user fees and charges, tax rates, and all audited financial statements on the Town of Pelham website.
pelham.ca/budgets Learn more about Town budgets and how Pelham invests in being a vibrant, innovative, and caring community.
Page 12
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
SERVICE DIRECTORY Electrical Electrical
ACB
Heating & & Cooling Cooling Heating
Renovations Renovations
Plumbing Plumbing
Electrical
Fenwick Alex Bover-Master Electrician
-ECRA #7003130 Service Upgrades • Energy Efficiency Upgrades Troubleshooting • New Wiring & Re-Wiring Commercial • Industrial • Residential
tel: 905-892-4988 Email:abover@cogeco.ca cell: 905-714-2145 for urgent calls
We offer Drain Snaking, Hydro Scrubbing and Video Inspections
We Service All Makes And Models
Landscaping Landscaping
Power Equipment
Landscaping
Electrical
LANDSCAPES Inspired By Your LIFESTYLE
l
l
l
905.892.6908
799 Balfour St, Fenwick
www.dekorteslandscaping.com
Plumbing
l
l
Taryn Wilton
l
l
l
Steven& & Ryan Ryan Van Lochem Steven Van Lochem Owners/Operators
Owners/Operators Phone: 905.892.2188 • www.naturesownidea.com
Motorcycles, ATVs, Power Equipment, Snowblowers, Sales, Service, Parts & Accessories, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, KTM ● www.clarescycle.com
799 Hwy 20, Fenwick, ON
Phone: 905.892.2188 • www.naturesownidea.com
Plumbing Plumbing
905-892-2664
Master Electrician Residential, Commercial & Industrial
(905) 401.5748
www.fonthillelectric.ca ECRA/ESA licence #7011142
Advertising
The Voice THE VOICE OF PELHAM
We Make House Calls!
THE PUMP DOCTOR 905.892.2655
Fonthill Electric Ltd
874 Hwy # 20 W, Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0 874 Hwy #20 W, Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0 874 Hwy # 20 W, Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0 l Landscape Design l Landscape Construction l Driveways, Patio & Walkways Landscape Design Landscape Construction Driveways, Patio & Walkways l Natural Stone l Retaining Walls l Outdoor Wood Projects Natural Stone Retaining Walls Outdoor Wood Projects l Water Features l Outdoor Lighting Water Features Outdoor Lighting
Advertiser Fonthill Rlectric Ltd
Our readers could Creative be yourDirector Tarja Barton customers. Tell thememail why they should choose you! graphics@thevoiceofpelham.ca
1.800.676.4029
residential • commercial • farm
ROBERT WILLIAMS PLUMBING & HEATING LIMITED
905-386-6483 • 905-651-8558
Licenced plumber & gas fitter with 25 years experience www.joesplumbingniagara.ca
Concrete Supplies Concrete Supplies
Automotive
Contact Name Taryn Wilton Contact Phone 905.401.5748
Marketing Director Call (905) 892-8690 Dave Burket THE
VOICE
Contact email info@fonthillelectric.ca
advertising@thevoiceofpelham.ca email 905.892.8690
advertising@thevoiceofpelham.ca
Approved By: Landscaping
Date:
Fairhaven Gardens
Niagara’s Complete Concrete Contractor
FG
(905) 262-2000
or Toll free
1-800-881-1628
Bill De Bruin
cottoninc.ca
STOP SIGNS continued from Page 1 Clemencio said that she hoped that the temporary installation of the stop sign would allow for “further study and an opportunity to educate Town staff, councillors, and residents,” adding that it wouldn’t cost the Town any additional funds. Rosemary Culos, a resident of Hurricane Road, says that she thinks “a four way stop is at least worth a trial study as it will break up the straightaway,” on which drivers frequently gather substantial speed. Culos doubts that the stop sign will entirely solve the problem, but speculates that it could contain the speeding to the west section of the street. “Drivers will still see this street as a way to avoid all the stoplights now inhabiting Highway 20,” she says. “I don’t have a better solution—other than requiring all drivers take a refresher course to improve their skills and remind them of the rules of the road.” Public Works’ report to council also recommended that $40,000 be approved in the 2018 budget to install speed cushions on Hurricane Road. The speed
Waiter, we're vegans. What would you recommend? That you call a taxi, Ma'am.
905.892.8608
Fairhavengardens@hotmail.com
cushions, which are similar to speed bumps but are bolted to the ground rather than made of asphalt, were
Inching out from Cream onto Memorial is always a problem
recommended by Public Works with an expectation that they would “calm speeding traffic on a long stretch of the road.” While there was unanimous support for this part of the motion on council, the motion was amended to say that the funds would be “included” in the 2018 budget discussion, rather than pre-approved. Councillor Gary Accursi, who first suggested that the motion be amended, said that he raised the issue not to question whether the cushions should be installed, but because he was concerned that approving 2018 expenditure
now would fragment the budget process. “We have a process for making budget considerations, and if we want to change that, it’s fine. But it would set a precedent,” he said. Furthermore, Town Treasurer Teresa Quinlan suggested that the cushions could be covered in savings from the 2017 budget. Council passed this amendment deferring the approval, and several members affirmed that they were indeed making a commitment to get the cushions installed. The other all-way stop sign that council approved during the meeting, on Memorial Drive at Cream Street, will be installed permanently. Clemencio explained that it was not necessary based on traffic quantity at the intersection, but that poor visibility at the corner did warrant the installation. Councillor Marvin Junkin voiced his support for the stop sign. “I’ve brought heavy equipment down there many times,” he said. “Inching out from Cream on to Memorial is always a problem, and if a car comes flying down Memorial you might not see it coming.”
Mayor April Jeffs last week in Wainfleet.
SUPPLIED PHOTO
Wainfleet mayor tells stories to kids BY VOICE STAFF Wainfleet Mayor April Jeffs took the opportunity to spend some time with primary students from William E. Brown and St. Elizabeth Schools as part of Ontario Public Library Week.. Focussed on a farming theme, the Mayor sported a flannel shirt and western hat as she led the children in a guessing game featuring farm animals. The Mayor read several popular stories including Doug Unplugs on the Farm, Pete the Cat - Old MacDonald had a Farm, and Giggle Giggle Quack. “This is one of my favourite events each year”, said Jeffs. “I love the chance to share the joy of reading and the importance of telling stories with children.” While the Mayor read to the students, Li-
C b
D F
R M J
C $
T
Property Maintenance Grass Cutting Grounds Maintenance Spring & Fall Clean Up
T S w
brary Programmer Carrie Mayr displayed the electronic version of the book on a big screen through the Library’s OverDrive service where books can be viewed through electronic devices such as tablet, phone, or computer. “OverDrive is just one of the many electronic resources available through the Wainfleet Library just by using your library card,” said Mayr. “We’re very proud to provide events like this to our local schools.” Between stories, the group sang some spirited songs, including ‘Down on Grampa’s Farm,’ in which the children showcased their best animal noises. “This is a great opportunity to get to know some of the children in the community now that my own children are older and I’m not around the schools as much,” said Jeffs.
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
Page 13
COMMUNITY EVENTS & CLASSIFIEDS
Place your ad by email or phone office@thevoiceofpelham.ca Hours: Mon-Thurs, 8 AM - 2 PM (905) 892-8690
EXTEND YOUR REACH - ADVERTISE PROVINCIALLY OR ACROSS THE COUNTRY! For more information visit www.ocna.org/network-advertising-program
FINANCIAL SERVICES
VACATION/TRAVEL
MORTGAGES
MORTGAGES
$$ CONSOLIDATE YOUR DEBT $$ TAP INTO HOME EQUITY! With home values skyrocketing, take advantage and pay down other high interest debt.
In the wake of the Vikings
HOME EQUITY LOANS FOR ANY PURPOSE!! Bank turn downs, Tax or Mortgage arrears, Self Employed, Bad Credit, Bankruptcy. Creative Mortgage Specialists! No proof of income 1st, 2nd, and 3rd’s Up to 85% Borrow: $50,000 $100,000
Scotland, The Faroes & Iceland by Sea!
LOWER YOUR MONTHLY PAYMENTS
June 21-July 1, 2018
AND
Page 14
ADVERTISING
1st & 2nd MORTGAGES from 2.25% 5 year VRM and 2.84% 5 year FIXED. All Credit Ty p e s C o n s i d e r e d . L e t u s h e l p y o u S AV E t h o u s a n d s o n the right mortgage! Purchasing, Re-financing, Debt Consolidation, Construction, Home Renovations...CALL 1-800-225-1777, www.homeguardfunding.ca (LIC #10409).
COMING EVENTS THE
REACH MILLIONS OF CUSTOMERS
ONTARIOWednesday, WITH ONE EASY VOICE ofINPelham August 27, 20
CLA
CALL! GET UP TO $50,000 from the SAVE between $500-$1500 USD per CONSOLIDATE YOUR DEBT NOW!!! Government of Canada. Your Classified Ad or Display Ad person Do you or someone you know would appear in weekly newspapers 1st, 2nd, 3rd MORTGAGES Have any of these Conditions? each week across Ontario in urban, Offer expires December 15, 2017 Debt Consolidation ADHD, Anxiety, Arthritis, Asthma, suburban and rural areas. Refinancing, Renovations C a n c e r, C O P D , D e p r e s s i o n , www.adventurecanada.com Tax Arrears, No CMHC Fees For more information Call Today D i a b e t e s , D i f f i c u l t y Wa l k i n g , 647-350-2558, info@adventurecanada.com Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowels, $50K YOU PAY: Email: kmagill@rogers.com Overweight, Trouble Dressing... PELHAM LIBRARY’S COMPUTER CLINIC $208.33 / MONTH TOLL-FREE: and Hundreds more. ALL Ages & (OAC) Excavating contractor. “One-to-One Help” with a volunteer tech help M etutor. d i c a l Get Con d i t i owith n s web Q u a l browsing, i f y. 1-800-363-7566 CALL ONTARIO BENEFITS 1-(800)sewer upgrades, No Income, Bad Credit webmail account set-up, e-books, social media, editing and sharing your Water, PERSONALS 211-3550 14 Front St. S. Mississauga Power of Sale Stopped!!!
COMMUNITY Events
Services
Pay Monthly: $237.11 $474.21
LARGER AMOUNTS AND COMMERCIAL FUNDS AVAILABLE
(TICO REG # 04001400)
!!Decrease monthly payments up to 75%!! Based on 3% APR. OAC 1-888-307-7799
FOR SALE
7 SPRUC FONTHIL items, c foundation repair, water photos and more. Includes use of laptop or BYOG (bring your own gadget). 5 REASONS to join MISTY BETTER OPTION MORTGAGE proofing, drainage systems, EMPLOYMENT OPPS. You're clothes a Saturdays 12:30 – 3:30. Register and pay ahead in person. $5.00 perRIVER 1/2 INTRODUCTIONS: & y ostone u ' d supply, r a t h e rplaceb e sonable, FOR MORE INFORMATION E D I C A L T R A N S C R I P T I O N ! s i n g l e quarry hour. Visit www.pelhamlibrary.on.ca orM call for in love; 1,000's of people CALL TODAY TOLL-FREE: In - d e 905-892-6443 mand career! E m pmore l o y e r sdetails. m a t c h e dment. s u c c905-384-1972. e s s f u l l y ; C u P18-23 r r e n t 30, 8AMhave work-at-home positions
1-800-282-1169 available. Get online training p h o t o s w i t h p r o f i l e s ; M e e t SAWMILLS from only $4,397 in your area; FONTHILL BANDSHELL PRESENTS DEneed TEMPS ANTAN you from an employer-trusted p e o p l e MAKE MONEY & SAVE MONEY www.mortgageontario.com program. Visit: CareerStep.ca/MT S u c c e s s f u l l y m a t c h i n g f o r wi th y our own bandmill - Since Cut 2003, Éric Beaudry, André Brunet and Pierre-Luc 25 years. FREE CONSULTATION or 1-855-768-3362 to start Dupuis training have (Licence # 10969) lumber any dimension. In stock CALL (416)777-6302, (705)734-1292, f o r y o u r w o r k a t h o m e c a r e e r ready to ship. FREE Info & DVD: been exploring and performing time-honoured melodies from the stompwww.mistyriverintros.com. today! www.NorwoodSawmills.com/400OT ing grounds of Quebec’s musical past. Using fiddle, accordion, harmonica, 1-800-567-0404 Ext:400OT.
ONTARIO-WIDE FINANCIAL 1801347inc FSCO Licence #12456 www.ontario-widefinancial.com !! LET US HELP !!
Yard & SALE, Bricklaying, tuckpointing, of Christ decoratio step repair, granite coatings, brick slices items, SA 1PM 62 P18-28 905-682-7061. FLOORING NORTH P
Burke’s Masonry
guitar, bouzouki and a number of other instruments, our three virtuosos blend boundless energy with theCLEANING unmistakable joie de vivre found only in HOUSE traditional Quebec music. Show runs from 7-9 p.m. Community Professional Services
The Voice is hiring!
Events Listings
Residential house cleaning – 15 years experience. Complete News and Features Writer PELHAM LIBRARY CARD MAKING WORKSHOP job done, weekly, bi-weekly, or Putting on an event? monthly cleaning. position calls for a well-roundedMake reporter six cards with fall themes, learning a variety of techniques. Materials Call Heather 905-321-3817. Tell the town!
This full-time with the ability to cover a wide range of community issues, At time of registration, please enquire about tools needed. are provided. Community Event Classified from Town Council to in-depth interviews and longer invesHOUSE CLEANING ads are available in blocks Tues., Sept. 16 10 – 12:30. $10. Please register ahead. Visit www.pelhamtigative pieces. Kindly send resume and writing samples to of 30 words, including Energetic Portuguese lady looking library.on.ca or call 905-892-6443 for more details. headline for $8.85 + HST. to clean houses in Fonthill, Fenwick, publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca for further information.
ROAST BEEF DINNER
Welland, Ridgeville, Effingham, North Pelham. Experienced to accommodate every customer’s needs. References available. Call Liliana at 416-879-4932.
Ad booking and payment deadline is Thursday Noon prior to week of publication.
FABULOUS FENWICK LIONS FISH FRY Tasty treats with funds heading straight back into the community. Haddock, Payment may be made over french fries and much more. Runs Sept. 9 from 4-7 p.m. the phone by credit card, CUSTOM MILL
Fonthill United Church, 42 Church Hill, Saturday, October 28, 6 pm Adults $15 / Children 12 & under $10 PELHAM On sale Sundays after church service or Reserve 905-892-6433
or in person at our office by Portable sawmill service. I will cash or check. MINOR HOCKEY come toEQUIPMENT your home or farmSALE and mill your logs. Firewood Thanks for supporting Buy, sell or trade usedcustom the Pelham Arena. Aimed to provide &equipment lumber also at available. Call your Voice! Rob Patterson, 905-401-4948 cheaper options for players in this upcoming season. Runs Sept. 6 from AVON riverwood@primus.ca. office@thevoiceofpelham.ca in honest, the morning. LOOKING FOR AN AVON REPRESENTATIVE? I'm in Fonthill. Been selling for 9-12 14 years, reliable. Would be happy to fulfill your AVON needs. Nicole 289-897-8618, nico.2008@cogeco.ca
OLD PAPERS
PELHAM MUDFEST Do you have issues of the from 1997 to 2007? Also ed Ads OCNA Network Classifi Men and women will beVoice back in the mud as the second run on the year is 905-892-8690 Quality antique chairs, tables, dresser, lamp, 28 x 54 and 1 ½“ thick pine desk, hardwood swivel desk chair, the Pelham Herald (any year). (AD CENTRAL) also high end rattan furniture. Call 905-892-3630. held at Bissil’s Hideaway. publisher@thevoiceofpelham.ca MOVING SALE
Josh DeHaan Flooring “For all your flooring needs”
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 ...and other specials! Call us to see the products that are available & visit our showroom.
Phone: 905-892-7898 Fax: 905-892-4811
No Sunday Calls, Please TF
Week of NIAGARA REGIONAL EXHIBITION October 23
Bethany Christian Reformed Church 1040 Balfour St., Fenwick
Fenwick Church of Christ 765 Welland Rd., Fenwick Fenwick United Church 1050 Church St., Fenwick
RUBY continued from Page 14 awey, whose two-minute speech went on for like an hour forty,” he said, looking at Badawey, whose speech was substantially longer than those of anyone else. “Well,” said Allain. “I just finished doing some Harry Potter cakes, which
Posted runs from Sept. 11-14 at the Welland Fairgrounds. First Presbyterian Church Glad 19 Tidings Church of God October 602 Metler Rd., Fenwick 1 Pancake Lane, Fonthill
Pelham Evangelical Friends Church 940 Haist St., Fonthill
BIG MOVE CANCER RIDECentral Holy Trinity Anglican Church Ridgeville Bible Chapel 1557 Pelham Street, Fonthill 418 Canboro Rd., Ridgeville The Big Move Cancer RideRegion is a non-competitive Ads included ride taking place on Sept. Kingdom Hall of 7. Jehovah’s Witnesses on the Hill Presbyterian Alexander’s Roman Catholic Church Proceeds for the Big MoveKirk stay in Niagara andChurch support the WalkerSt.Fam50 Pelham Town Sq., Fonthill 1369 Rice Rd., Fonthill 1344 Haist St., Fonthill ily Cancer Centre.
said, ‘Never would I lie’ on the tops. So I think that this would be fitting for a politician.” Everyone laughed again, though a few grimaced, too. Jacobi made reference to the game gag a couple of other times throughout the awards. When giving the Small Business Award to Textile Waste Diversion, he
Fonthill Baptist Church 1414 Pelham St., Fonthill
Fonthill United Church 42 Church Hill, Fonthill
This ad is to be printed by all participating Ontario Pelham Community Church St. Ann’spapers Roman Catholic Church 461 Canboro Rd., Fenwick
834 Canboro Rd., Fenwick
WALKING CLUB Interested in walking in Pelham? Join them Tuesdays at the Pelham Arena 9-10 am Thursdays at Fonthill Bandshell 9-10:30 There said, from “I won’t even askand what Jacobi smiled too, perhaps of for what Welland am. and Pelham sort is of no textile pleasedFor thatmore his humour had have to offer. This part of the fee waste for thisBadprogram. information, please contact jcook@ awey would be.” And near managed to become less bitnight is over, but please…the pelham.ca or call 905 892-2607, ext 329. the end of the night, when ing as the end approached. bar is still open.” Black Sheep Lounge owner When it really was the Many people heeded his Lucas Spinosa was given the end, and the winners were suggestion and shuffled out HAMPER DAY FOR PELHAM CARES Business Initiative Award, about to receive their prizto line up at the bar, watchfresh fruit the Jacobi Market ing or bring a non-perishable JacobiPurchase asked Spinosa what and esvegetables for good thisat time, the winners take photos, sort of coffee bean Augustyn finished even more softly. but more walked straight food item to fill the hampers at the Pelham Farmers Market on Sept. 4. would be. “Thank you for coming to past the line, over the red “A very beautiful one,” such a great event,” he said. carpet, and back to their said Spinosa gamely, and “One that celebrates the best cars.
COMMUNITY Events
STA
“T
Y VIN
CA
PLA
GA
SA
AD W
w
CA
Places of Worship and Events Rodeo, games and live entertainment headline this years exciting event. It
Concordia Lutheran Church 105 Welland Rd., Fonthill
Gar
Type your pithy letter to the Voice right this minute!
905.8
Page 14
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Ruby Awards held at Lookout Point Politicians get jabbed, local student wins Youth Citizen of the Year BY SAMUEL PICCOLO
The VOICE
The Welland/Pelham Chamber of Commerce held its annual Ruby Awards ceremony, which recognizes outstanding members of the local business community, at Lookout Point Country Club last Friday. The event was advertised as black-tie-optional, and most exercised the option. The club even extended a 15-foot red carpet outside its main doors. There were no paparazzi waiting alongside it, though there were plenty of photographers inside in addition to the funhouse-mirror photo booth that was present for the enjoyment of attendees. The evening began just as the sun was setting, and many went straight through the clubhouse, out the back doors to the empty patio, to take photographs overlooking the golf course. “Make sure you get Toronto in the background,” said one woman to her friend, who was taking her picture. “I think that's Niagara Falls,” the friend said. “Ah, yes, you’re right,” the woman said. “I thought that the CN Tower looked smaller.” She took her phone back from her friend and put it in her purse. “Anyway, let’s go back inside. It’s getting cold.” Attendees lined up at several food stations. There was a table full of salad plates, each with a single piece of battered fish, tomato, and avocado on top of a flour tortilla. There was a poutine station, which appeared to encourage the filling of sundae goblets with french fries and gravy. There were several other spreads. At last, everyone was called into a main dining room and instructed to be seated. The sun had sunk below the horizon by then and the windows were filled only with reflections and none of the previous vista. The night’s Master
of Ceremonies, Kevin Jacobi, was introduced by an official from the Chamber of Commerce. “For everyone here, and for the audience watching on the Cogeco feed, I have a disclaimer: the opinions expressed by Mr. Kevin Jacobi tonight in no way reflect the beliefs or positions of the Welland/ Pelham Chamber of Commerce.” The crowd laughed, seemingly unsure whether this was a joke. When Jacobi came to the microphone, it soon became evident that it was not. “Does anyone actually watch the Cogeco stream later, just to see if they were on TV?” he said. No one raised a hand. “Ah,” he continued, looking at Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn. “Just you, Mayor Dave.” Augustyn soon had his own turn at the podium, during which he welcomed all to Pelham for the evening. Next up was Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey, who thanked Augustyn and called him “a politician with great integrity,” saying that, “There are so many great things going on in Pelham.” Badawey admitted that he was feeling a little woozy after just arriving from Ottawa, but at great length expressed his thanks to the community-minded individuals nominated for Ruby Awards. The last politician to speak was Welland Mayor Frank Campion, who likewise thanked Augustyn for allowing Wellanders onto his turf for the ceremony. “I promised that most of us will be gone by two in the morning,” Campion joked. Finally it was time for the awards to be announced, and the same Chamber of Commerce official who provided the disclaimer on Jacobi also said that when winners first received their awards, they wouldn’t be allowed to take them back to their seats. “We don’t want anyone to leave early,”
Julia Labricciosa accepts her Youth Citizen of the Year award. he said. Jacobi announced the winner of the first category, Employee of the Year, as Joseph Pimentel of Modern Vision Mixed Martial Arts. The second award, for community service, was given to Mary Dolan, who has long volunteered for numerous organizations in Welland. “I’m so proud of everyone that helps me,” said Dolan during her speech. “I’m seventy-six, and I keep on doing this, with all the help. I have seven people on my team—and they’re all related!” When Jacobi asked her what her future plans were, she said, “I sure don’t want to be a politician like those guys,” gesturing to where the politicians were sitting. There were three Pelham students nominated for the Youth Citizen of the Year Award. It was won by Julia Labricciosa, a Grade 12 student at E.L. Crossley Secondary School. Jacobi joked that this award always makes him wonder what he’s done with his life, and after Labricciosa spoke, his potential regret was not allayed. “The most important thing is to think globally and act locally,” she said. When Jacobi asked what a day
VOICE PHOTO
in her life was like, she replied that she typically begins with rowing at five in the morning, and doesn’t stop with other activities until she goes to sleep. “I guess there’s no point in asking your favourite TV show,” said Jacobi, as he trailed off. The crowd laughed, and Labricciosa smiled. Jacobi announced the winners from a podium on one half of the stage, then join the winners on the other side, where he would engage in a brief Q&A. This process took time, and Jacobi acknowledged this as paced in front of the stage while Labriciossa returned to her seat. “I know we’re losing minutes when I walk around,” he said, and then held up his wrist. “But I’m wearing my FitBit tonight, and after two more awards I’ll get a nanaimo bar.” Jacobi then spoke with Lisa Allain, winner of the Venture Niagara award, given to an extraordinary woman who has owned a small business for at least a year. Allain's speech quickly became serious. “A year ago, I didn’t think that I’d be here,” she said. She ex-
RENOVATE Save on energy costs ... It’s a great time to renovate! Whether it’s new windows and doors or siding, soffit, fascia and eavestrough; it’s a great time to buy. North Star energyefficient windows will save you money in the long term by keeping your home cool in summer and warm in winter. Call or visit our showroom today for a FREE ESTIMATE on your home! FINANCING AVALABLE (OAC)
905.562.5831
See RUBY Page 13
TEMPERATURES ARE FALLING
RIGHT NOW
WITH LOUWES
plained that she had once been a nurse, but had been in a severe car accident that had left her in the hospital for months. Just as she was rehabbing her injuries, she started to have intense headaches and seizures, and was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumour. “And at that point, my ex-husband decided to cheat on me,” she said, to an already-silent crowd. “It was hard to start picking up the pieces.” Allain, who won the award for her baking business, Talent 2 Design, said that she was making a cake for her son using a mix, when he told her just to use her own recipe. When she had finished, the room gave her a standing ovation. Jacobi was choked up. “Well, I’ve got to lighten things up,” he said. “We’re going to play a game. I’ll give you a person in this room, and you tell me what kind of cake they’d be. Let’s start with…Mayor Dave.” Allain smiled weakly. “Who’s Mayor Dave?” she asked. “I’m sorry,” said Jacobi. “Ha. That’s all right. You’re from Welland. Mayor Dave is the Mayor of Pelham, sitting right there. He was first elected when he was twelve years old—he’s sort of the eternal boy scout.” Allain looked at Augustyn, who was wearing an orange bow tie. “Ah,” she said. “I think I’ve seen you before, because I remember you wearing a bow tie then too. So your cake would be a bow tie cake, maybe with two layers.” Amidst the crowd’s guffawing, Jacobi moved on. “The person you probably heard the most from was MP Vance Bad-
CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE
WE SERVICE ALL MAKES & MODELS
MAINTENANCE • FURNACES AIR CONDITIONERS
t Ask abou Available REBATES
BOB REID Heating & Air Conditioning
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED
RESIDENTIAL – COMMERCIAL
905-892-7787
DUnnviLLe veterinary cLinic est. 1952 Closer than you think! Same-day appointments
- Same-day test results, most while you wait - Large, well-established practice
ASK ABOUT OUR
3435 King Street Vineland, Ontario WINDOWS & SIDING SINce 1966 • WWW.lOuWeS.ca
WELLNESS PACKAGE 110 Ramsey Dr., Dunnville, ON N1A 1K8 Phone: (905) 774-7642 1-800-263-6496 vets@dunnvillevetclinic.com Mon - Fri: 8 AM to 6 PM • Sat: 8 AM to 2 PM • Closed Sunday
www.dunnvillevetclinic.com
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017
Page 15
THE STREAK CONTINUES For the 15th year running, the E.L. Crossley Secondary School Cross Country team earned the Overall Girls, Boys and Team Awards at the Zone 3 Championship, held this year in Fireman’s Park, Niagara Falls. Front row : Willam Hamilton, Jacob Martin, Owen Metler, Lauren Knafelc, Tessa Jeffery, Crystal Coyne, Colton Sawatsky, Patrick Fidler, Donovon Fenton, Ethan Hawkins, Evan VanVliet and Sam Nawrocki. Middle row: Coach Mergyl, Claire Rabb, Chloe Grabell, Ridley Giammarco, Kieran Inaba, Mason Sterr, Drew Colangelo, Jack Dodd, Matt DiRaddo, Cam Whitley, and Coach Edwards. Back row: Sean Grabell, Derian Free, Davis Shepherd, Jacob Gula, Zach Pasma, Aidan Clarke, Elliott Song, Kate Knafelc, Amy Gilmore, Kora Curtis-Masse, Emilie Hamilton, Valerie Belanger, Cate Gualtieri, Alexa Goedee, Kaelen Partridge and Julia Labricciosa. SUPPLIED PHOTO
From left, Ted Luciano, Réal Bergevin, Dan Hedge, and Henry D'Angela.
SAMUEL PICCOLO PHOTO
NuCart Concrete ready to mix you a batch BY SAMUEL PICCOLO
The VOICE
DROVE HER CHEVY TO THE LEVEE Members of the Fabulous Fenwick Lions Car Raffle Committee turn over the keys to the winner of the ‘70 Chevelle Malibu they raffled off in September. Funds raised go to support several charitable causes, including the club’s 21st dog sponsorship in the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guide program. From left, Lions Doug Kernicky, Steve Schistra, Ryan VanLochem, Andrew Dominey, winner Chrissy Simmons, and Lion Scott Kernicky. SUPPLIED PHOTO
CASSON continued from Page 9 do,” he said. “There’ve been times when the phone calls were not coming in for gigs, but I always seemed to find something when I needed it.” He looked over to one wall of the studio, where posters from some of his bigger gigs had been plaqued and hung on the wall. One, in particular, caught his eye, from one of his first gigs, at the “Pelham Harvest Concert” in 1979. The others were evidently professionally designed, with photos and impressive graphics, but this poster was a simple typeface on orange paper. It advertised that the music would be accompanied by a “Corn Roast,” and a small map in one corner gave directions to the Pelham Arena, the event’s venue. “Years later, I played with one of the headliners from that show,” Casson said. “I thought that there was no way that he’d remember playing the Pelham Arena, but as soon as I mentioned it, he said, ‘Oh yeah! There was a corn roast there!” After taking drum lessons as a kid and music all throughout high school at E.L Crossley, Casson studied music at Mohawk College. Upon graduating, he initially resisted what most musicians from Niagara inevitably feel they must do: move to Toronto. “I was scared of moving to Toronto,” said Casson. Eventually, however, he moved downtown and grew accustomed to city life. For years, he was able to play gigs almost every night of the week. This was doubly convenient, since a clause in the rental agreement for his apartment stipulated that he wasn’t allowed to play the drums there— without the gigs, he wouldn’t have been able to practice. While in Toronto, Casson met his wife, Sabine, who was working in the civil service at the time. “Toronto is a great place when you’re young, and you don’t have a family,” Casson said. When their daughter Max was born, the two decided to move to Fenwick. According to Casson, it was as much Sabine’s decision as his, even though she herself grew up in Toronto.
The move was difficult for her at the time. The couple had just one vehicle, which Casson would often take to Toronto for gigs, while Sabine was at home with the two young children. Even the relative silence and darkness of Fenwick affected her at first. Things were not easy for Casson either. “Within the first four months of moving back home, I lost every steady gig I had,” he said. He thought that he’d destroyed his music career. The September 11 attacks of had just happened too, and the turmoil in the world only compounded Casson’s anxiety. “I said to myself, ‘I’ve left Toronto, I lost every job I had, the world is going to hell, and I have two babies. What have I done?’” But then, in January 2002, he received a call offering him a weekly gig in Toronto, and being there, every week, allowed Casson to get back into the game. Now, he averages fifteen or so shows a month. Sabine recently returned to school to attend teacher’s college, and this fall started working full time. As Casson sat on a drum stool in his basement, the house was silent. When he is not off playing a gig, school days are often like this. Sabine is teaching, while Nigel is at school and Max works full-time. Casson has a lot of alone time, to practice, to work on production, or to just enjoy the farm, which he is trying to learn more about—farming as a backup to the music career. Nigel is not into music like Casson is, but Max does hope to pursue a career in the business. Now that he’s finished with the Mighty Duck Blues Band’s album, he will be starting to work more on his daughter’s songs, a prospect that he clearly relishes. “I was talking to Max about it recently,” Casson said. “And she said to me ‘You’re my producer, aren't you? And I said, ‘No, even worse. I’m your record label.” He laughed at the memory. Casson knows first-hand how difficult it is to make a living playing music, and, speaking as a father, said that it’s tough to think about how hard it will be for his daughter. “But then I have to look at myself,” he said, gesturing around to his studio. “Who am I to keep her from her dreams?”
Last Monday, on the coldest morning of autumn so far, NuCart Mini Batch Concrete held its grand opening. “I don’t know where these temperature came from,” said Dan Hedge, one of the firm’s founders. “But I’ll sure be happy when the guys come to install the heat in here.” Hedge was standing inside of a long metal building, in which a number of people were milling about, their hands wrapped around coffee cups. Hedge had previously operated a contracting business on the site, located in Port Robinson, until one day the property’s owner, Réal Bergevin, stopped by. “I hadn’t really met Réal, because he had a manager who took care of the leasing. But we got to talking, and the idea for mini-batch concrete came up,” Hedge said. Bergevin has run a number of businesses, most notably the provider of call centre services NuComm International, which was sold in 2007 for $90 million. “Réal obviously has a lot of general business expertise, and I was able to provide some of the hands-on knowledge,” Hedge said. After speaking with Hedge, Bergevin researched small-batch concrete and decided that it was a worthwhile investment. Mini-batch concrete, which NuCart makes in small drums that resemble shrunken cement mixers, is, according to Hedge, far superior than the mix bought at a hardware store. “We can keep everything consistent here,” said Hedge, gesturing to the piles of stone at the back of the shop. “All of the materials are dry, and we can add the necessary c h e m i c a l s—a c c e l e r a n t s in the winter, for example—to make sure that the
concrete is of the highest quality.” Bergevin nodded. “When I was a kid, my dad would just send me with a wheelbarrow out to the road and tell me to fill it up with gravel,” he said. The group standing around him, including Thorold’s Mayor Ted Luciani and Regional Councillor Henry D’Angela, laughed. “On behalf of the Niagara Region, I have to ask you not to do that,” D’Angela said. “And don’t take anything from our rural roads either,” added Luciani. “No, no,” Bergevin assured them. “But I have to say, that concrete we made from road gravel is probably still standing.” NuCart had been unofficially accepting orders for weeks, but Monday morning marked the first day of official business. “We had our first call come in at eight o’clock this morning, and we expect to be very busy.” said Bergevin. “Dan has just done so much work here that it’s incredible. A month ago, this place was a mess— the floor was just dirt. He cleaned it all up himself, fixed the walls, and painted the outside.” Hedge smiled, remembering, though it may also have been a grimace. “I was here until eleven o’clock last night, trying to make it presentable,” he said. “We don’t usually have people in suits eating from fruit trays in the shop.” “I can’t really help them out with any of the building stuff,” said Bergevin. “But Dan can do anything. I’ve never met someone so competent and who works such long hours. We invited his girlfriend to the open house today, just so she could meet him.” The group moved over to the bay doors, where a rubber ribbon was
stretched across from frame to frame. Bergevin, Hedge, Luciani, and D’Angela lined up to have their photo taken as it was cut. “Wait a minute—we don't have any scissors,” said Hedge. Bergevin’s daughter, Madison, who is managing NuCart’s marketing, hurried in to the office. “Do you want construction scissors, or regular ones?” she asked. “Better use the construction ones,” Bergevin said. But when Luciani took the scissors, unfastened the safety, and tried to cut the ribbon, it wouldn’t break. “This is a strong ribbon,” he said. “Do you have a blow torch?” “Or we could drop some cement on it,” suggested Bergevin. Madison soon re-appeared holding a pair of office scissors, and with these Luciani managed to cut through the rubber. “Madison is just out of high school, and she has been doing a great job for us helping out with social media,” said Bergevin. “I’ve been telling her and all other young people: look for a job in something that can’t be sent to India and China. Just like cement. You can’t mix that overseas.” “Well,” said Luciani, standing beside D’Angela. “We’re going to head out. Congratulations on your opening—I won’t wish you good luck, because you won’t need it.” Once the two had left, Bergevin and Hedge stood around for a while, speaking to other well-wishers. After a few minutes, Bergevin invited everyone away from the cool doorway. “Come on over here,” he said, walking towards the office, where there was a table covered in sandwiches and coffee urns. “It’ll be much warmer.”
Page 16
COLUMN SIX continued from Page 1 ice fishing in Jordan Harbour. The ice was much thicker than he had thought it would be, and it turned out that bits of floe had broken off below the surface and settled underneath the hole that he was trying to make. It took him more than an hour of steady work just to make a spot for us to drop our lines, and once we had, we didn’t catch anything. After that day, he bought a gas-powered auger, but we have yet to go ice fishing again. Anyway, I walked out to the idling truck at 6:30 in the morning with rod and box proudly in hand, and was promptly told to put it away again, since everything was taken care of. And indeed everything had been taken care of. My uncle had prepared a rod for each of us configured for the perch we were trying to catch, and had even stopped at Tim Hortons on the way and bought us all hot chocolate. The morning was cold, and the two kids sat quietly in the back seat, holding their drinks close. The sun rose as we made the long drive to Fort Erie, moving towards the growing pink, and as we drove, my uncle pointed to the various construction projects on which he had worked. Somewhere before Port Colborne, there was a car pulled off on a small laneway next to a wood, and two men were rummaging in its trunk, assembling shotguns. “See them?” my uncle said. “They’re going to walk all the way along the fence there, and then go into the woods. They’re going to kill the animals. Unbelievable.” The boat launch was empty. The water was surprisingly clear, too, and the only trash offshore was a children’s wagon lying in a few feet of water beside the dock. Small fish swarmed around it, moving
The Voice of Pelham, October 25, 2017 in groups that rose and dove like murmurations of starlings. “Huh,” said my uncle. “Shouldn’t have bought any minnows.” Where we launched, right near the head of the Niagara River, the current looked relatively calm. But once my uncle had driven us out into the middle and we began to pick up speed the waves were much larger. When we passed underneath the Peace Bridge—“Look up. See those green pipes on either side? I helped to put them in”— and entered Lake Erie, the waves grew even bigger. I was seated at the front of the boat and had the best view of the lake in front of us. With each approaching swell, I tried to gauge how much the boat would rise up and how hard it would come down, and then tried to brace accordingly. After a while, at least, the slamming was less jarring, and I managed to distract myself by keeping my tongue back from my teeth and looking over to the art deco silhouettes on the Buffalo skyline. The fishing started slowly. My first hook was the anchor rope, and of the four of us, I probably spent the most time with my line out of the water, trying to re-attach poorly affixed bait and re-tying hooks that I had cut off with my clumsy use of pliers. But it was a good day. By noon, the waves had diminished to gentle rolls, and we were catching perch from all sides. There was only one other boat in sight. Buffalo’s buildings had become more distinct, and I compulsively ran my eyes northwest along the shoreline, which in the west eventually ran out into the water, and only the ghostly shadings of distant windmills were visible. The lake was flat and lifeless, apart from the squeals of the seagulls that followed us in hopes
The Buffalo skyline shortly after sunrise. of cast-offs. The seeming lifelessness of water’s surface is what makes fishing all the more thrilling. You drop a bit of string deep down and wait, often for some time, all the while there are unknown things schooling about unseen. And then—the line dances at the end of your pole, and you reel up and peer expectantly into the dark water over the gunwale. And then—a flash of white, green, yellow, and a living thing comes up, spurting and twisting, snatched from the abyss. We did this over and over on Saturday, more than a hundred times, and still by the end every time that I saw a rod bend, even if it wasn’t my own, I would feel a lurch in my stomach and look over to see that sight. Most of the fish were worth keeping, but still my uncle encouraged removing the hooks gently. This was impossible in most cases, since the perch were swallowing our entire minnows, choking
the hooks back into their stomach until the barb latched upon something solid. Often the reeling in of the fish would pull most of its insides out of its mouth, balloon-like. “You just got to pop that,” my uncle said, sticking the pliers into the fleshy mass and deflating it. The fish made other sounds, too, strange farting noises when they were squeezed too tightly. The ones who survived the de-hooking could be heard flopping around in the cooler. They were still hungry, too. When I opened the live well to look, some of the bigger perch had tried to swallow the smaller ones whole, and had died with tail fins protruding from their mouths. The fish kept biting all afternoon. For much of the time, my uncle was too busy taking fish from the kids’ hooks and baiting them again that he had barely time to hold his own rod. After five o’clock, we had counted and
FREE $
d Limite Time Offer
10
Gift * Card
when you spend $50 or more at Fonthill Sobeys
valid Mon - Thurs only, with coupon *Free Gift Card to be used on next in store purchase. Offer valid in a single transaction and may not be combined with any other offer.
7847
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
COUPON REQUIRED AND MUST BE PRESENTED AT TIME OF PURCHASE.
SAMUEL PICCOLO PHOTO
forgotten the count of our catch several times, but agreed that we were close enough to the combined limit of 100 that we raised anchor and headed back to shore. Ripples were just barely showing on the water’s surface, and we opened up the throttle and made it in far faster than we had made it out. We had been so long on the lake that the sun was starting to set, and instead of being silhouetted now Buffalo was cast in the last of the day's light, clouds appearing in curious ribbons, as if a skywriter had taken to flying in long loops. The drive home was quiet. The kids sat wordlessly in the back seat, pretending that they weren’t exerting great effort to keep from falling asleep. When we pulled onto our street, my uncle broke the silence. “It was dark when I picked you up, and it’s dark when I’m dropping you off,” he said. “Isn’t that a sign of a good day?”
CLIPPED COUPON REQUIRED
FREE
$
10
Gift Card* when you spend $50 or more at
Fonthill Sobeys
valid Mon - Thurs only * Free Gift Card to be used on next in store
purchase. COUPON REQUIRED AND MUST BE PRESENTED AT TIME OF PURCHASE. Offer valid in a single transaction and may not be combined with any other offer. *Offer is valid until November 30th, 2017, only at the following locations: Aurora Sobeys Extra - 15500 Bayview Avenue, Aurora; Barrhaven Sobeys - 1581 Greenbank Rd, Nepean; Barrie Sobeys – 37 Mapleview Drive West, Barrie; Cambridge Sobeys - 130 Cedar St, Cambridge; Glendale Sobeys - 343 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines; Oxford & Wonderland Sobeys Extra - 661 Wonderland Rd N, London; North Ajax Sobeys – 260 Kingston Rd W, Ajax; Burlington Sobeys Extra - 1250 Brant St., Burlington; Flamborough Sobeys - 255 Dundas St., Waterdown; Fonthill Sobeys - 110 Highway # 20, Fonthill; Grimsby Sobeys 44 Livingston Ave. Grimsby. Offer is only valid in a single transaction and is nontransferable for cash. No cash back. Limit one gift card per customer. Limit one offer per customer. Reproduction of this offer will not be accepted. Cannot be combined with other offers for cash. Offer excludes taxes, delivery charges, bill payments, service fees, rental fees, event tickets, Sobeys gift cards, Merchant gift cards, pre-paid cards, postal products and services, prescription drugs, non-prescription pharmacy services, liquor, tobacco products,
lottery,
environmental
charges and goods and services which are excluded by law.
770 97401 1 75