13 minute read
Sunday, October
CUSTOM MILL
Portable sawmill service. I will come to your home or farm and custom mill your logs. Firewood & lumber also available. Call Rob Patterson, 905-401-4948, riverwoodportablesawmill@ gmail.com
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The Voice A October 26 2022 www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Burke’s Masonry
CLASSIFIEDS PLACE YOUR AD BY EMAIL OR PHONE office@thevoiceofpelham.ca Hours: Mon-Thurs, 8 AM - 2 PM (905) 892-8690 Bricklaying, tuckpointing, step repair, granite coatings, brick slices 905-682-7061. P18-28 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
FONTHILL BANDSHELL PRESENTS DE TEMPS ANTAN Yard & Shed MOVING
Since 2003, Éric Beaudry, André Brunet and Pierre-Luc Dupuis have SALE, Large collection been exploring and performing time-honoured melodies from the stomp- of Christmas and holiday ing grounds of Quebec’s musical past. Using fiddle, accordion, harmonica, decorations and household guitar, bouzouki and a number of other instruments, our three virtuosos items, SAT. AUG. 30, 8AMblend boundless energy with the unmistakable joie de vivre found only in traditional Quebec music. Show runs from 7-9 p.m. 1PM 625 METLER RD, NORTH PELHAM PELHAM LIBRARY CARD MAKING WORKSHOP Make six cards with fall themes, learning a variety of techniques. Materials START TO are provided. At time of registration, please enquire about tools needed. Tues., Sept. 16 10 – 12:30. $10. Please register ahead. Visit www.pelhamlibrary.on.ca or call 905-892-6443 for more details. “TURN” FABULOUS FENWICK LIONS FISH FRY Tasty treats with funds heading straight back into the community. Haddock, VINYL INTO french fries and much more. Runs Sept. 9 from 4-7 p.m. CASH!
PELHAM MINOR HOCKEY EQUIPMENT SALE PLACE YOUR
Buy, sell or trade used equipment at the Pelham Arena. Aimed to provide cheaper options for players in this upcoming season. Runs Sept. 6 from GARAGE 9-12 in the morning. PELHAM MUDFEST SALE Men and women will be back in the mud as the second run on the year is AD WITH US! held at Bissil’s Hideaway. why not NIAGARA REGIONAL EXHIBITION Rodeo, games and live entertainment headline this years exciting event. It CALL... runs from Sept. 11-14 at the Welland Fairgrounds.
905.892.8690BIG MOVE CANCER RIDE
The Big Move Cancer Ride is a non-competitive ride taking place on Sept. 7. Proceeds for the Big Move stay in Niagara and support the Walker Family Cancer Centre.
WALKING CLUB
Interested in walking in Pelham? Join them Tuesdays at the Pelham Arena from 9-10 am and Thursdays at Fonthill Bandshell for 9-10:30 am. There is no fee for this program. For more information, please contact jcook@ pelham.ca or call 905 892-2607, ext 329.
HAMPER DAY FOR PELHAM CARES
Purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at the Market or bring a non-perishable food item to fill the hampers at the Pelham Farmers Market on Sept. 4. COMMUNITY Events Event Submissions Standards If your organization is hosting an event that would be of interest to the community, you may submit an events profile by sending your community events information to editor@thevoiceofpelham.ca Some restrictions apply. Event submissions that meet the acceptability standards of The Voice of Pelham will then be posted until the date of your event. The Community Events Calendar is updated weekly. Please provide as much notice and information as possible including the date, time and description of your event. The Voice of Pelham reserves the right to edit for space.
MASONRY REPAIR FLOORING
ALLTYPE MASONRY Brick, Block, Stone and Chimney repairs.
Wet and damaged basement repairs. Phone Tom Deamude at 289-241-4767. 35 years of construction experience.
OCTOBER 26
Brock FIT 8 – 10 AM Seniors Active Living Fair 9 – 1 PM Mom & Baby Fitness 9:30 – 10:30 AM Pickleball 10:30 – 1:30 PM Drop-In Family Gym 4 – 5:30 PM Hatha Yoga 6:30 – 7:30 PM
OCTOBER 27
Pickleball 8:30 – NOON Parent & Preschool Skate 9:30 – 10:20 AM Women’s Shinny 9:45 – 10:35 AM 60+ Stick & Puck 10:30 – 11:20 AM 55+ Aerobics 11 – NOON Adult Only Skate 1 – 1:50 PM Yogalates 5:30 – 6:30 PM
OCTOBER 28
Brock FIT 8 – 10 AM Pickleball 9 - NOON Men’s Shinny 9 – 9:50 AM
Men’s 60+ Shinny 10 – 10:50 AM Drop-in Volleyball 10:30 – 1 PM Orchestrum Music 1 – 3 PM Ticket Ice 3:15 – 4:05 PM 18+ Stick & Puck 4:15 – 5:05 PM Free Halloween Public Skate 7:30 – 9:20 PM Pickleball 8:30 – 11 PM OCTOBER 29 Babysitting Course 9 – 4:30 PM Halloween Ballroom Dance Social 7 – 10 PM Women’s Ringette Shinny 9:15 – 10:05 PM OCTOBER 30 Public Skating 1 – 2:20 PM OCTOBER 31 Brock FIT 8 – 10 AM Drop-in Basketball 9 – 11 AM
COINS AND STAMPS WANTED
WANTED Collector buying old coin and stamp collection. Free appraisal. John at 905-599-6460.
FOUND
On Station Street, Fonthill, a color photo with two boys on a large tree, and third boy on a branch. Contact Jen at 289-929-5171. PROFESSIONAL HOUSECLEANING
This week at the Meridian Community Centre Professional house cleaning. 20 years experience. Call Heather at 905-321-3817. Women’s Learn to Play 9:45 – 10:20 AM FURNITURE FOR SALE 60+ Stick & Puck 10 – 10:50 AM Women’s Shinny 10:30 – 11:20 AM Queen Bed, 2 Night Tables, Dresser With Mirror, Solid 55+ Aerobics 11 – NOON wood coffee Table, 2 End Tables, Round Table. Pickleball 12:30 – 3:30 PM Adult Learn to Skate 1:30 – 2:20 PM Call 905-892-8014. Adult Only Skate 2:30 – 3:20 PM 6-12 Stick & Puck 3:45 – 4:35 PM Mom Fitness 7 – 8 PM Pickleball 8:30 – 11:00 PM
NOVEMBER 1
Pickleball 9 - NOON Men’s Shinny 9 – 9:50 AM Zumba 9:30 – 10:30 AM Men’s 60+ Shinny 10 – 10:50 AM Chair Yoga 11:15 – 12:15 PM Drop-in Volleyball 12:15 – 2:15 PM Parent & Preschool Skate 1 – 1:50 PM 13-17 Stick & Puck 4 – 4:50 PM R snaps of me as a sullen teen, then an unsure young adult, and countless family vacations.
Some photos ignited a clear recollection— an image took me instantly to the before and after. Behind each snapshot, behind each frozen scene in time was a whole backstory. A photo of me and my younger sisters ripping open Christmas gifts brought to my mind images of my mother’s Christmas tree with its twinkling lights, and the sounds of our laughter and the crinkle of the colourful paper.
Photos of my parents’ first house in Hamilton bring to mind only vague, disconnected images and sensations— the sound of my shoes skipping across the stones, and the wind through my thin jacket as I danced with the shadows of the trees—real memories or my mind attempting to fill in the blanks?
Human memory is an interesting beast. Our brains are said to process and store memory through two mechanisms, known as “System 1” (unconscious, routine thought) and “System 2” (conscious, problem-based thought). Each of these levels determines how we process the memory as it happens (encoding), how we keep it in our heads (storage), and how we reflect on the memory (retrieval/recall).
Much of our experiences are lost to time. Were it not for photos, or other peoples’ recollections, inherited objects, and recorded correspondence such as old notes and letters, texts and emails, most of our lives would vanish forever into realm of the past.
In contrast, there’s not much to be gained from trying to predict the future, simply because it has not happened yet—and until that moment one can never be sure.
So when it comes to perfect recollection, what exactly can we trust? Or better yet, who? Enter the figure of the “psychic,” or “medium,” a person who claims to communicate with spirits from the past, and who can sometimes attempt to predict the future.
Alas, such readings are only available for a fee (paid in cash or material gifts, please). Ghosts can’t pay, so that task is left to the living.
Regardless of what you believe, there is an entire industry built around the possibility, or the hope, of receiving messages from the deceased. A quick glance at the Yellow Pages or an online search reveals countless individuals offering Tarot card readings, astrological charts, psychic interpretations of the future, and seances to communicate with the dead. Rates start at a dollar per minute. Reviews range from middling to glowing.
I’ve never visited a psychic, but my mother did during a family trip to Vietnam in 2007. She asked for readings relating to her future, and that of her three daughters. In the decades since, she revealed each of our readings to us separately. I was only a teenager during that trip, and I wasn’t to hear my fortune until I was in my 30s. According to the Vietnamese psychic, I was to have three children. My first marriage would end, but I would marry again and have two husbands throughout my lifetime. Eventually, I would become very successful and rich. In retrospect, I’m glad that my teenage self didn’t hear this reading of the future. I don’t quite believe in the power of psychics, but I believe that the human mind is capable of obsessing over what-ifs and potential connections. Even if I didn’t believe the reading at the time, my mind would have wondered constantly about it—I have no doubt that my life choices would have altered as a result, even subconsciously. And yet, unknowing, I had a daughter, then a son. My first marriage ended in divorce. I took steps towards realizing my writerly dreams—journalism awards, poetry and short fiction publications followed. I had no plans to every marry again, but then I met someone who became a loving and supportive partner. Onwards to the marriage altar for a second time. We plan to have a third child one day. As for being rich, I’m still waiting on that one, though I do recognize that interpreting one’s fate can be a matter of semantics. What does “rich” mean, anyway? Rich in wealth? Or rich in love? For me, the key is interpretation. Memory is about interpreting the past. Projecting the future is our attempt to interpret our anxieties and fears in a way that is least harmful to us. Click. Click. Click. While ill, I sorted through old digital photos for hours. I will forever associate the clicking of the mouse with the paleness of the screen, the soreness of my eyes after looking at years’ worth of memories, and the taste of ginger tea. Right before I shut off the computer, I saw a photo I had taken of the streets of Danang. Teenage Helen didn’t have steady hands, and the photo was blurry, but I could still make out the shapes of motorcycles and bikes. Traffic in Vietnam was terrifyingly chaotic— there were rules, but no one knew about them, or cared to follow them. Most of the populace could not afford a car, so most families drove motorbikes. Morning, noon, and night, the motorbikes would stream through the streets (sometimes eight to a row), sleek and darkly shining, like columns of fast-moving ants. My family spent two summers in Vietnam. During one of them, I would spend much of my free time with Sophie and Vivi, two daughters of a family friend. Sophie, the older one, would take me around town on the back of her motorbike, showing me interesting places to eat, or to help me bargain at the marketplace for souvenirs. I always considered her the height of cool, and nothing pleased me more than to feel the wind whipping across my face as I held tight to her waist, trusting my life to her driving skills. We had many adventures together, running through alleyways, exploring bookstores, walking through the tombs of long-dead emperors, gorging ourselves on street food, and buying ridiculous quantities of clothing and shoes. Our crowning achievement of mischief was dancing (classic waltzing, mind you) at a cafe that doubled as nightclub when the sun went down. In Communist Vietnam, certain kinds of entertainment were illegal. Once we narrowly escaped fine and/or arrest when Communist officers raided and temporarily shut down the club where we were dancing. One day, we had a very different adventure. We had just finished lunch and were about to climb back on her motorbike when we heard the sounds of chanting, a gong, and someone calling out in a loud voice. “Attend, attend here,” the voice boomed in Vietnamese. “Come see the wonders of the Psychic Medium, and hear from the spirit world.” Sophie and I exchanged grins. We did not believe in any of it, but we had already spent our money for the day, and needed to fill the rest of our afternoon with free entertainment. People were gathering around the open front porch of a nondescript yellowish-grey house. Everyone was muttering excitedly as they sat down in sweaty rows, pointing at the door. Sophie wiggled her eyebrows at me. I could tell she was skeptical. So was I, but I was also
FOUND
Saw, on Metler Rd.in North Pelham between Balfour and Maple. Call 905-736-3456 to identify and claim.
BADMINTON ANYONE?
Have you previously played a racquet sport? We’re looking for some enthusiastic badminton players to join us Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9:00-10:30 at Fonthill United Church. Fee of $45 covers the season from October to May – we supply the birds, you bring a racquet. First day tryout free. More info 905-714-0100. COLUMN SIX intrigued. I had never seen a psychic perform continued from Page 1 before, let alone one in Vietnam, where communicating with and seeing spirits was accepted as a common occurrence. A few servants lingered by the open doorway. They had already set up a table and chair, and the air was thick with the smell of incense. “Look,” Sophie poked me in the side, then pointed. One of the servants was walking amongst the audience with a bowl, into which various bills and coins were being thrown. We dutifully tossed in the last of our coins and sat down, anticipating the arrival of the Medium. Judging from the size of the crowd and the way they immediately hushed when she emerged in the doorway, she had a sizeable reputation. The Medium shuffled out to the fanfare of silence, save for the bells that tinkled on her porch. She was wearing a shapeless grey robe, and her frail feet were encased in socks and sandals. Her silver hair was pulled back tightly in a bun. As she sat, her servants flocked to her, one lighting more incense, the other adjusting a cushion for her chair, and the last fanning her from the side. The old woman closed her eyes, and went very still. The crowd went still too. Everyone was A shrine in Danang, 2007. HELEN TRAN waiting —but for what? I tried not to wiggle too much, lest I seem disrespectful, but the sun was hot on my back, and my shirt was starting to stick to my sides. Surely if the spirits came, they could cool down the place a tad? The old woman suddenly jerked, as if her body was yanked by an unseen force. She clapped a hand to her forehead. “The spirits are coming to me!” she gasped in Vietnamese. “They will speak!” The crowd erupted into excited whispers, just in time to drown out Sophie’s scoff. I tried very hard not to look straight at her— if I saw her roll her eyes, there was no way to stop myself from giggling. The Medium began to call out periodically, disjointed statements in Vietnamese. Through Sophie’s muttered (and sometimes sarcastic) translations, it was apparent that the woman was claiming to receive messages from the beyond, even seeing the departed. A ghostly little girl searching for her mother, or an old man with a message to a dear son to live well. Each declaration resulted in a flurry of activity from the crowd. One person would call out and identify themselves as related to the deceased, another would wipe the tears from their eyes, and always, the hands reaching out, offering more cash, more coins, and little notes promising future payment, or pleas for more time, more time for the spirits to answer. The Medium did not lend much drama to the supernatural visiting. She was actually
