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Vol.20 No.51
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Challenge to Oosterhoff in Niagara-West The VOICE
Challenger Tony Quirk, last Friday in Grimsby.
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When 19-year-old Sam Oosterhoff was elected MPP for Niagara West-Glanbrook in last November’s by-election, it appeared the firstyear Brock student had taken a huge first step towards a bright future with the Conservative Party. Yet just three months after taking over the former Tory leader Tim Hudak’s seat, Oosterhoff’s political career is in jeopardy. Though it is uncommon for a sitting MPP to be challenged by a fellow party member, Grimsby’s Niagara Regional Councillor, Tony Quirk, has filed to contest for the controversial farright MPP’s seat. Quirk spoke to the Voice late last week at Grimsby Town Hall, whose modernistic, nearly all-white inte-
rior, joked Quirk, reminded him of an Apple Store. Quirk placed no topic outof-bounds, and directly answered every question put to him during the hour-plus interview, often in more detail than space permits here. According to Quirk, discussions to replace Oosterhoff as the PC's candidate in the new riding of Niagara-West in 2018 began after the Christmas holiday. Pointing out that it would be nearly impossible for the Party to replace Oosterhoff as their candidate if he were to be re-elected in 2018, Quirk said now is the last best chance to make the change. With no one else stepping up, and the window of opportunity closing, Quirk said he decided to make a run for Oosterhoff’s seat after hear-
The VOICE
Speaking to Pelham Town Council on behalf of the Names Matter committee at the Council meeting on Feb. 21, resident Nancy Beamer put forth a resolution urging that the District School Board of Niagara reinstate “E.W. Farr” as the name of the elementary school in Fenwick now called Wellington Heights. Beamer asserted that renaming a school, which previously honoured a beloved local educator, after Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington — a documented racist who was recorded
Names Matter succeeds in quest to obtain official letter on E.W. Farr issue in the British House of Lords in August of 1833 as stating, “We do not want Jews to come and settle here” —does not send a good message to the children enrolled there. She said it also gives other communities a poor impression of the values upheld by the people of Pelham. “It’s a name that we find repugnant and offensive,” Beamer told Council.
“This same Arthur Wellesley is now attached to our school and our community. We now have his values invading our area. We realize that people cannot erase history, but as we evolve as a society we do not have to continue to honour those whose values are not in line with the values of the present day.” Reminding Council that Pelham has been a proactive leader in rec-
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Once upon a time The name is all in the knobs BY MARK SHOALTS, P.Eng.
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A
onciliation long before the word became fashionable, Beamer reminisced on how E.L. Crossley Secondary School’s mascot and logo was formerly the Chiefs. When the community became aware that this name was offensive to indigenous people and others, she pointed out that the logo was removed and the parents and the students adopted the current Cyclone. “We would like to think that in 2017, we the Pelham community are still striving to inspire our children to go forward and stand up for what is right and proper,
T THE RISK of being called late to the party (as usual) I would like to throw my two centsworth into the East Fonthill water feature name game. I didn't contribute to the Voice's worthy contest the first time around, however ongoing events have prompted me to suggest that the Town of Pelham should take a page from the DSBN's playbook. “Knob Hill” is the perfect name for our new pond. I know, it's not a hill, it's a hole. But E. W. Farr isn't on any “heights” either, is it? The parallels are nearly perfect. A little-known fact that I will share with the Town (directly, no Wikipedia filter) is that once upon a time, a fellow named Steve Stavro owned a chunk of property at Hwy. 20 & Hwy. 406. Mr. Stavro was not from Pelham (and the property isn't in Pelham) but he was a very influential fellow. As the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs and a chain of grocery stores, his influence on Canada was arguably much greater than the influence of some guy from England who wasn't
See DSBN back page
See KNOBS next page
See CHALLENGE Page 3
Council to DSBN: Change the name BY NATE SMELLE
Pelham Puzzler
Column Six
Six days from now, sitting MPP may be lame duck BY NATE SMELLE
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The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
IN THE NEWS
PUBLISHER’S CORNER by Dave Burket
Town Hall and the stifling of dissent Dear Editor, below you will find my letter re the subject line. I have attached all of my contact info but I respectfully ask that if possible, and if my letter is published, you [don’t use my name], and only identify me as being [from Pelham]. [Given the type of work I do for the Town] I want to avoid possibly creating any internal dissension or repercussions. Thank You. So began the letter to the editor this week than runs on page 4, under the headline, Disturbed by design change. Usually I like to keep it light in this little corner of the paper, nothing more provocative than talk of the tastiest fish and chips, or whose flower arrangements are nicest (still Gilbert’s!). But the last few weeks have seen a new attitude starting to gel around town. Echoing the line in the movie Network, residents are fed up and they aren’t going to take it any more. Lately the Town has lurched from one misstep to the next, starting with firing someone for alleged-
Richard
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ly making too much money; to the revelation that the Mayor was quietly communicating with the DSBN, without Council’s knowledge, about the E. W. Farr name-change debacle; to the Town’s apparent readiness to cede a portion of a public park for an unneeded soccer field to the very same school; to the shock news—absurdly late—that the new Community Centre design is 9,000 sq. ft. too small and the claim that a change in bricks and wall materials will pay for the error. Finally (well, “finally” for the time being), the reappearance, with mysteSee DISSENT back page
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Hwy 20 speeders nabbed
On Family Day, a Niagara Regional Police Traffic Enforcement Unit found plenty of business on Highway 20 near the corner of Timmsdale Crescent in Fonthill. Between 9 and 11.15 AM the unit conducted speed enforcement in this 50 km/h posted zone. Police say they issued 15 speeding tickets to drivers travelling between 75 and 85 km/h.
Bowl for Kids' Sake
During their Feb. 21 meeting Pelham Town Council received an invitation from Big Brothers, Big Sisters South Niagara to enter a team in the annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake tournament. The organization’s executive director, Barb Van Der Heyden reminded members of Council that the coveted
KNOBS continued from Page 1 even sure where Canada was. The population of the Leafs Nation in the last quarter of the 20th century was probably larger than the population of Upper and Lower Canada in the first quarter of the 19th century, so more people lived and died on Mr. Stavro's whims than those of some guy working on a beef recipe. Funny thing is, Mr. Stavro decided that Hwy. 20 & Hwy. 406 was a strategic location for another outpost of his empire, and like that other guy, while he may not have actually got-
Mayor’s trophy was once again up for grabs. The Bowl for Kids’ Sake tournament is Big Brothers, Big Sisters’ largest annual event, and this year’s fundraising goal is $45,000. In recognition of Canada’s 150th anniversary, participants are asked to dress up as their favourite iconic Canadian hero, animal or symbol. Teams of four to six must raise a minimum of $200 to help support youth mentoring programs in the community. This year’s
ten around to any building plans, he had the generic footprint of his other establishments for reference, and he had a good name. What might have become Knob Hill Farms never actually did, but then that other guy never actually put up his dukes either, or even threatened to. So, we have an enterprise that was speculated on, was similar to other such enterprises in other locations, and was even unofficially mentioned to someone once or twice. The one that didn't actually happen would have been a link in a chain of similar redoubts, and it was at least nominally connected to an influential personage in the lofty reaches of power over a sometimes struggling but always ambitious nation. The proposed location of
on vacation!
event will take place this coming Saturday, March 4, from 4:30 to 7 PM, and on Wednesday, March 8 starting at 4 PM, at Jeff's BowlO-Rama, 968 Niagara Street in Welland. Before wrapping up their presentation, the organization awarded Mayor Dave Augustyn with a plaque of appreciation, recognizing Pelham’s past support.
Historic section of library needs name
Council discussed the naming of the original section of the Maple Acre Library at their meeting on Feb. 21 after receiving a letter from Mary Lamb, of the Pelham Historical Society, suggesting that the room be named, “The Paterson Room,” in honour of Mrs. See IN THE NEWS Page 14
this place that was never built is not actually close by the new East Fonthill development but is several kilometres down the road from it, yet another amazing parallel to DSBN criteria for naming a school. Mr. Stavro is no longer with us, and his bastions of capitalism have moved on to other uses, just like the other guy and his plans, but none-the-less we should commemorate this insignificant event that never happened. So, rather than “Fonthole,” I say “Knob Hill” is the perfect appellation for that depressing depression that greets you on arrival in Fonthill from the east. The name also has other connotations, and if these offend you, then the fit with DSBN criteria is complete.
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DEBBIE PINE
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Niagara Real Estate Center, Brokerage Independently Owned & Operated
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DSBN wants portion of Town park Request made of community still peeved at name change
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CHALLENGE continued from Page 1 ing how disappointed some of his fellow conservatives had become with the prospect of Oosterhoff remaining MPP beyond 2018. Being involved with the PCs for the past 23 years, the 46-year-old Quirk said he has established a network of friends on both sides of the aisle, many of which have raised concerns about Oosterhoff’s ability to be an effective representative for the people of Niagara-West at Queen’s Park. "He goes to a lot of events, he gets his picture on social media a lot and that's great, but he's not articulating the concerns properly,” Quirk said. “I'm also hearing that he's not listening to people when they come to him with concerns. There are groups who have come away from meetings with him and complained to me about either a lack of preparedness on the file, or a lack of willingness to listen. Or, that he's going into it with his mind already made up. He'll tell you that's ‘principled conservatism,’ and that he knows what his principles are. At 19, I would like to think that my principles were different than what they are now." In a statement emailed to the Voice which appears on page 5, Oosterhoff appears to assert that party leadership continues to back him, but Quirk responds that the party executive is neutral, and that the Party was, “well within its right to deny my application if they did not want me to present an alternative to Sam.” Quirk says that leader Patrick Brown will provide a letter of support to all caucus members, adding, “I would not expect anything less from the Leader or our caucus. They have to work with each other for the next 15 months until the next election.” lifelong local boy, Quirk attended Grimsby Secondary School and McMaster University (studying engineering and political science). He has served as Director of the Grimsby Chamber of Commerce, Alderman for the Town of Grimsby, Director of Grimsby Power and vice-chair of the Grimsby Downtown Revitalization Steering Committee, Chair of the Grimsby Downtown Area, and member of the Niagara Region Economic Growth Strategy Committee. He lives with his wife, Trish, and children Kathryn, 14, and Finnegan,12, on Grimsby mountain. When he first got involved in politics at the age of 23, Quirk described himself as being “gung-ho”' for former PC premier Mike Harris’s so-called “Common
A
Sense Revolution.” Over time, he said he came to realize that the “my way or the highway” approach to politics wasn’t all that effective. “There is a maturity that comes with age when you are working with other people and you have to find common goals and common good,” he said. “You can't go into it with blinders on.” Quirk said he didn't want to be perceived as having negative feelings towards Oosterhoff. However, he believes the next election is going to be critical for the people of Ontario, and he said voters deserve a valid candidate and government-in- waiting. He said the changing landscape and boundaries of the riding are other reasons that constituents need an experienced politician at the helm in Niagara-West. “Sam is enthusiastic and he has the energy, but the reality is that if we form government we need to have someone who can articulate our position strongly, someone who can advocate with a little bit of life experience, political experience and business experience, formulating our decisions,” said Quirk. “That is where I have a background of community involvement. I have kids in the publicly funded separate school system, I have my own property, I pay property taxes, I get a hydro bill every month. I have all those little things that will allow me to appreciate the impact of the decisions I make.” Recognizing the size of the religious community that Oosterhoff is a part of and how engaged they are politically, Quirk said he wasn't surprised to see him earn the nomination and then Hudak's seat. As someone who has managed and worked within campaigns in the riding and across the province, Quirk asserted that the Party considers Niagara-West [formerly Niagara West-Glanbrook] as one of their safer seats. The new boundaries will see the riding skew even more conservative than previously. “The name on the blue sign is usually the one that gets elected,” he said. “That is just the reality, because as much as we would like to believe differently a lot of people aren't engaged in the process or don't know all of the details.” Quirk said he came to his faith as a practicing Catholic through his wife Kathryn. Endorsed by the Campaign Life Coalition as a pro-life candidate, Quirk and Oosterhoff are on the same page when it comes to a woman’s right to choose. Unlike some fellow party-member, however, Quirk said he does not allow his religious beliefs to blind him to other points
The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
There is a maturity that comes with age when you are working with other people and you have to find common goals and common good. You can't go into it with blinders on. of view that can help in the decision-making process. Quirk used his stance on gay marriage as an example of political pragmatism. "This is one of those things where I diverge with the Catholic doctrine—I have no problem with gay marriage. It actually doesn't affect me personally. I always say this for people who are still against it, I’ve been married for 17 years, and since gay marriage has been allowed for the last eight or nine years, so far I’ve not had any stress in my marriage by that, at all. Maybe that falls on the more liber-
Quirk said he comes to politics from a fiscal background, having worked in his family’s business for years before taking it over then selling it nearly a decade ago. His time served as a municipal politician has helped him recognize that there are things that governments need to spend money on, and that not all government is bad. It all comes down to taxing people fairly and spending their money wisely, he said. "I don't agree with the premise that government needs to be run like a business, because I think that
If you don't have someone who has demonstrated an ability to find solutions across broader ground, then you can get dismissed out-of-hand pretty easily
tarian side of things. When you try to dictate terms and legislate your idea of what people should be doing, that’s great until it’s not your people legislating.” When asked whether he thought the riding as a whole cared about the issue, Quirk said, “I think that there’s a demographic on a certain age point that’s not [in favour],” but that most people under 60, even if otherwise conservative, understand that the world has moved on, and take a liveand-let-live approach. Quirk said his experience in municipal and regional politics has given him a broader perspective on the needs of Niagara-West. He said he has learned to take a more inclusive approach to politics than has Oosterhoff. “There is a necessity to listen to all your constituents once you get elected,” he said. “You find that heavily in municipal politics because you are being elected by people that don't care about your [political] colour. You also have to work with people of other stripes and you have to listen to their side of the story.”
there are things that a government needs to provide, that a business person would never do and never be able to do without a subsidy,” asserted Quirk. “That's why we have property taxes, that's why we have income taxes. There are things that government has to do because they have to be run by people who are doing it for the benefit of the people they serve. Businesses do things for the benefit of their customers and their shareholders". he rising cost of hydro is a particular thorn. Quirk said that the Liberals’ sale of Hydro One and their mismanagement of the file have directly resulted in the rising cost of electricity throughout the province. He believes the privatization of Hydro One can be reversed, and is in favour of returning it to an ownership structure which allows the benefit of it to be appreciated by the people of Ontario. "I think that there is a rationalization of salaries that needs to be done. There is no justification for a $4 million salary,” he said. "The generation of elec-
T
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tricity and the transmission of electricity are fundamental things that should be managed and run by government. Water, electricity, basic needs, these are things that the government should be doing for people.” As a self-proclaimed “tech-nerd,” Quirk said he likes the concept of producing wind power, however he does not like the way the Liberals have handled their implementation into the energy grid. “The problem with wind turbines as I see it, is that the government basically imposed them on communities that didn't want them, to satisfy an ideological drive for green energy. That is fundamentally wrong.” Acknowledging that steps need to be taken to slow down and mitigate the effects of climate change, Quirk said he is concerned that the strategies proposed by the Canadian government are not worthwhile because they are only a fragment of what needs to be done globally. He said he is against the idea of a carbon tax, because he feels that taxing carbon is not going to stop people from filling their cars and using the same amount of gas. "I have no problem with taxing consumption, because the political side of me says let's tax consumption and let's reduce taxes on income. I like that approach.... I would rather see an investment in carbon capture technology, I would rather see an investment in reforestation of the agricultural lands that aren't being utilized any more. I think that there's an opportunity to have a real investment in new technologies." As a member of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board, Quirk is involved in making decisions that directly impact the natural environment throughout the region. In this role, he has had to be a part of making many difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions. For instance, he was involved in the discussions leading up to the region’s controversial endorsement of using no-netloss biodiversity offsetting as a tool to promote economic development. "I've seen all of the work that we've done on restoration projects and I have no problem with biodiversity offsetting where it makes sense and where the wetlands are suitable” said Quirk. “We've had a lot of discussion on what's going on in Niagara Falls and it make more sense if we can do biodiversity offsetting within the current urban boundaries to alleviate the pressure on greenfield expansion, and where our biologists say it makes sense. I think that's a good approach and I think it has to be a tool
that's available." He attributes much of the controversy surrounding biodiversity offsetting and the pilot project proposed for the Provincially Significant Wetland known as Thundering Waters in Niagara Falls, as stemming from current Ontario Wetland Assessment System. Because wetlands get points for being near a waterway, and for being in the Carolinian forest, he describes the system as “skewered against Niagara.” “Almost all our waterways feed into a great lake, almost all of our vegetation is Carolinian forest, so what might be a wetland in Niagara may not be a wetland in Chatham because they don't feed into a great lake. They don't have Carolinian forest but they could have the exact same ecosystem,” Quirk said. uirk has been keeping an eye on the federal Tory leadership race. A close friend of Kelly Leitch for the past 23 years, Quirk said he supports her in her bid for the federal PC leadership but does not share Leitch's “Canadian values” views on immigration. However he does think that the Government of Canada needs to defend human rights when welcoming new Canadians. "There are places in the world where women aren't allowed to vote, where gays are beheaded, where people are stoned for minor blasphemies, and if you are coming to Canada to escape that you are welcome. If you are coming here to bring that sort of thing with you, please leave it at the door," said Quirk. Ontario Conservatives will be developing their Party’s policies and platform at a policy conference this November. Heading into this conference, Quirk said it would be wise for the Party to have more pragmatic voices like his own at the table for these discussions. “You need someone who has the wherewithal and experience to be able to say to the leader and the policy people, and the ministers of the day, this might not be the best approach, is there somewhere else we can look. If you don't have someone who has demonstrated an ability to find solutions across broader ground, then you can get dismissed outof-hand pretty easily.” The election to nominate the party’s candidate for the new riding of Niagara-West is scheduled for March 7 at the West Lincoln Fairgrounds from 6 PM to 8 PM. Quirk says that he expects a turnout of around 2,500 party members. Results will be posted on the Voice website as soon as they are available. Additional reporting by Dave Burket
Q
Page 4
The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
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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
As We See It Conservatives, and Pelham, need Quirk
I
N 2 0 1 8 , P E L H A M residents will vote in the newly established Niagara West riding, which will include Wainfleet, Lincoln, West-Lincoln, and Grimsby. With public faith in Kathleen Wynne polling at record lows, the Progressive Conservatives appear poised to make big gains across the province, possibly even winning a "super-majority." For Pelham residents, whose reliably blue ridings have been reliably ignored by successive Liberal governments, this will hopefully mean greater recognition and support for local issues and challenges. But before residents head to the ballot box in 2018, each party will be holding nomination votes to select the candidate best-suited to represent them in their new riding. For the PC’s, this means a hotly contested race between the MPP of the current riding, Sam Oosterhoff, and Grimsby Regional Councillor Tony Quirk. This vote is less than a week away. Whatever the makeup of a future provincial government, the people of Pelham and all of Niagara-West
need a strong, experienced voice speaking out for them. They need a candidate with experience running a business and owning a
In short, Quirk is a candidate that can be taken seriously in areas where Sam cannot home, who understands our education and health care systems from a practical perspective. While Sam may be an upstanding young man, at 19 he lacks the experience necessary to properly represent Pelham’s residents at the provincial level. While Sam is still going to school, Quirk has run a successful business. While Sam by all accounts was living with his parents when he was elected, Quirk owns
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a home and fully understands the implications of ever-increasing hydro and tax bills. While Sam speaks about traditional values, Quirk has worked closely with the Grimsby Life Centre for more than a decade. While Sam has just begun studying political science, Tony Quirk has well over a decade of experience as both a municipal and regional councillor. In short, Quirk is a candidate that can be taken seriously in areas where Sam cannot. The selection of our riding’s PC candidate will affect Pelham for many years to come. First and foremost, this candidate must be strong enough to ensure that the new riding stays out of the hands of the current Liberal party. Secondly, this candidate must have the experience and knowhow to navigate provincial politics and ensure that this riding has an effective seat at the political table. With this in mind, it is in Pelham’s best interest to nominate Tony Quirk to represent the PC party in Niagara West. Now more than ever we need smart, experienced leadership at the provincial level.
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Disturbed by design change I find the news regarding the sudden change in the Community Centre design disturbing for several reasons: One: Why did Town Council sign a construction contract without having a complete set of drawings first? 9,000 sq. ft. isn't a minor adjustment. This is a gross oversight and indicates that the Town blindly handed out our tax dollars without knowing how they were going to be spent. Two: I'm incredibly skep-
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Sam Oosterhoff, MPP 4961 King St. East, Unit M1 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 sam.oosterhoffco@pc.ola.org 905-563-1755
Members of Niagara Regional Council Councillor David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Councillor Brian Baty 742 Memorial Dr. Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0 905-892-5317 Town of Pelham 20 Pelham Town Square P.O. Box 400 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0 905-892-2607
tical of the claims that an additional 9,000 sq. ft. can be offset by adjustments to interior walls and brick suppliers. Even assuming a lowball construction cost of $80/ ft, that equates to $720,000 savings that need to be found. Furthermore, if the Town and contractor have magically found this savings on short notice, this only proves that they weren't being cost-efficient in the first place. Three: Why did the Town agree to an architect’s suggestion of sourcing material from outside Canada to begin with? Taxpayer-funded projects are supposed to support local, provincial and Canadi-
an companies first. Four: There is probably a very good reason why full-masonry walls were in the initial design, and I suspect that it has to do with long-term durability and resistance to the inherent condensation conditions in an arena building. Has the Town secured any guarantees from the contractor that the steel framing/drywall will not fall prey to rusting or mould conditions? Mr. Mayor and Council, you have dropped the ball on this. Big time. I am a very disappointed citizen. Name withheld Pelham
Mayor of Pelham David Augustyn mayordave@pelham.ca 905-892-2607 Ext 317 Members of Pelham Town Council
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Letters
The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
Page 5
continued
Pelham's Burgoyne Bridge? Here we go with cost-overruns. I just read that the new arena is 9,000 square feet too small. Someone was on the ball. Is this just the start of the overruns? Is this going to be another Burgoyne Bridge? We will never know, as this Council keeps everything top secret and does not listen to the people. Why are they buying US bricks in the first place? This project should be out-sourced using all Canadian material. Let's make Canada first. I have an idea. The
Cherry Ridge does its own survey Town planted a non-native tree one foot away from my driveway and under the Hydro Lines and over the gas line. Between the Town and Hydro there is nothing left of this tree due to the pruning. I would be happy to donate this tree to the Town for landscaping to save money. Only 18 more months to go before change of Council, I hope. G. Birch Pelham
Community Centre oversight demonstrates unique abilities The simple truth is that people have different abilities. Some people, try as they might, will never be rocket-scientists. Based on overwhelming evidence, the abilities of those in charge of the new Community Centre are becoming quite clear. 9,000 square feet of additional space is now being added to the building, in part, so that people will have space for their hockey bags when they walk. While this undoubtedly does seem outlandish, we must remind ourselves, once again, that there are different levels of abilities in this world. Perhaps you, like me, have been holding certain people to a higher standard. We need not deny ourselves the simple truth any longer. In light of this new revelation, I would like to set my feelings of frustration aside. Instead, I shall offer some helpful advice to those that clearly need it. As a concerned friend, please remember that in addition to space for hockey players with bags, this building will also need a roof and doors. If you’ve forgotten that in your plans, please add them now. I’m not saying I doubt anyone—it’s just that I know them too well. A. Letkemann Fenwick
Oosterhoff comment on Quirk challenge Responding to a request for comment, MPP Oosterhoff’s office emailed the following statement to the Voice regarding Niagara Region Councillor Tony Quirk's challenge for Oosterhoff's seat: As you know, Tony Quirk has decided to run against me for the nomination. Our
Leader Patrick Brown has been very clear that he supports open and transparent nominations, and this is a clear sign of commitment to that promise. I am eager to make the case to the members of the Ontario PC Party in Niagara West as to why I believe I would make the best candi-
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date to carry the PC banner into 2018. Since being elected last November in a landslide in Niagara West - Glanbrook, I have been hard at work promoting the concerns, values, and priorities of the families and job creators of my constituency. As promised, I have had an open door policy
Due to a flawed survey sent out by the DSBN to residents of the Cherry Ridge subdivision, concerned homeowners took it upon themselves to do a more accurate survey regarding the proposed soccer field in Cherry Ridge park. The problem was that absolutely anyone could fill out the DSBN survey. They also apparently sent a survey home, asking 200 students if they wanted a soccer field at their new school. I did not realize that school children who do not pay taxes and are not homeowners should have a say in this matter. Seems to me that it should be incumbent on the DSBN to prove that their survey results are only from people that are residents of Cherry Ridge and homeowners that pay taxes. Lets remember that Cherry Ridge Park, which is described on the Town website as a "passive neighbourhood park," was in part paid for by the homeowners of the Cherry Ridge subdivision. It has also always been considered a neighbourhood park and when finally developed had input from the residents
in the neighbourhood only. How interesting that the DSBN now thinks that they should be able to take over a neighbourhood park for their own benefit. Research done indicates that this proposal was discussed as far back as January 2016, according to minutes from a DSBN meeting with the Town, yet residents of the area were not informed for a year. A majority of the homes in the Cherry Ridge subdivision were asked if they wanted to sign a petition opposing the Town entering into any agreement with the DSBN to take over a good portion of the park for a soccer field. This petition was limited to only homeowners/ residents of the neighbourhood. Each person had to print their name, address and sign. There was a time constraint to get the petition done as we wanted to make sure it was filed with the Town Clerk in time for any Council meetings on the MOU between the town and the DSBN. The majority of homes were contacted. Some did not respond for various reasons, such as
no one was home, some were employees of the DSBN and were not allowed to express their opinion, and a very small number were missed due to the time constraint. The results are as follows: 120 strongly opposed to any agreement to put a soccer field in the park; 7 in favour of the soccer field; 5 undecided. Instead of a soccer field, which 91% of residents surveyed don't want, maybe the DSBN and Pelham Council could teach the children what it means to live in a democracy. Members of Council are expected to represent the people they serve and not give in to some special interest group. The residents have spoken and this should be respected by Council. Considering the DSBN did not even show up at a neighbourhood town hall meeting on this matter when they were invited to, and their lack of caring for public opinion on the name change to E. W. Farr school, Town Council should exit from this MOU. Curt Smith Fenwick
that focuses on placing my constituents first, and myself second, and I look forward to continue doing so. I am very pleased to be working with Patrick Brown and the Ontario PC Caucus as we hold the Ontario Liberals accountable for the damage they have done not only in Niagara West, but across
the province. As I have been growing into my role as Critic for Digital Government, and Associate Critic for Research, Innovation, and Science, I have been blessed with enormous support from the communities in Niagara West - Glanbrook, and I am honored to represent them. I want to thank my Lead-
er Patrick Brown and my colleagues in caucus for the outpouring of support that they have shown as this nomination challenge arose. They are firmly behind me, and I am looking forward to moving past this and focusing on 2018! MPP Sam Oosterhoff Beamsville
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Page 6
The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
Letters
continued
Another nail in the coffin
Messages for teen, and for us
Former E. W. Farr Principal speaks out
Oh well… another nail in the coffin of rural life in Pelham. With a pro-development Mayor and a majority of Council chanting the “growth is good” mantra, we are witnessing the Scarborough-fication of what was once a beautiful rural environment. The new shopping mall in east Fonthill, so necessary with its Dollar Store, (another) grocery store, (another) barber, (another) pharmacy, (another) Tim Horton’s, and other vitally important shopping opportunities, is typical of the uncritical, unimpeded growth overseen by this group. We can expect the same now in Fenwick. “Expand the tax base,” they cry, as though all this growth had no cost and simply supplied new tax dollars; growth so far has certainly reduced our tax bills, hasn’t it! And don’t be surprised when all the new residents of this development, along with all the families in Cherry Ridge and the other developed parts of Fenwick, tired of paying for Fonthill to be serviced, demand their own twin pad arena and community centre. I truly wish we could stop this “East Fenwick” development in its tracks. Current residents certainly don’t want it; they spoke out loudly against it at public meetings when it was first proposed ten years ago, and I suspect they’ll speak out loudly against it now. But in Pelham, what developers want, developers get… voters be damned. The only silver lining is the possibility (as yet unproven) that our real estate values might rise so that those of us who have valued our rural environment for decades, lifetimes, even generations, can sell up and move somewhere where we don’t have to watch the fields and forests and wetlands and open spaces disappear before our eyes. Sad really. Brian Green Fenwick
Dear gay Pelham teen: You are NOT alone. There's a new sign in my window. It's for you, and every person who can't find the strength and courage you have. There are places in this community where you are safe. There are people in this community who you are safe with. That you don't know this, is our wrong to make right. I'm sorry. We can do better. Dear Pelham: If this child had committed suicide, we would have collectively mourned. We would have all known him or his family with less than two degrees of separation. I know this because he attends our only high school. We would have said to each other: how horrible. His poor family. Do your kids know anything more? How could no one have known? Why didn't he talk to someone?
The Town of Pelham has strongly requested that the District School Board of Niagara take another look at the renaming of E.W. Farr as the renovations of this school are nearing their completion. I believe that this is the first time that a city or town council has officially requested a review of the DSBN's naming decision. As a former DSBN Trustee, directly involved in other school renamings, I know the care, study and community involvement that this process takes on whenever a name change is requested. This usually comes directly from the school community involved. Also, as a former Principal of E.W. Farr, I know how passionately this community feels about their roots in this school's name. The renaming com-
Well, now he has. He talked to us. He talked to YOU. And what's known can't be unknown. Here's our chance. There was a child in our "perfect" community who thought death was better than being himself amongst us. If there's one, there are many. And you know them too. When they look in my window, they will see my sign and know they are not as alone here as they feel. I'm leaving postcards of the same design at the library and any local business that will take them. Go there. Get one. Put it in YOUR window. Show this young man, and every other community member, that he is so much less alone than he thinks. Then the response to, I wish we could have done something can be: WE DID. Janet Zanutto Fonthill
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I respectfully ask the DSBN to take another look at this official request by the Town of Pelham In my experience the Trustees usually honour the first choice by the renaming committee. In this case there seem to be some questions swirling around what the renaming committee requested and what the Trustees finally approved. It also seems that the name Wellington is fraught with some shady historical facts regarding racism. The fact that a town council has made a request to the DSBN to hit the reset button should be enough for the Board Chair, ViceChair, or any other Trustee to introduce a motion to take a second look at the naming of this school. Comments such as, “A decision has been made and it is time to move forward,” are not helpful when dealing with a community who officially would like a second look. It might boil down that a third choice other than Wellington Heights or E.W. Farr is required. It will not make everyone happy but at least remove the stigma of who is going to save face. I respectfully ask the DSBN to take another look at this official request by the Town of Pelham. I know that the DSBN has worked hard to build bridges with communities and their elected officials. Many great things have already be accomplished when both sides work together in harmony. We want our children to be proud of their school, of their community, and of their Board. This is not the time for hardened attitudes on either side. Our students lose in the long run. Alex Bradnam St. Catharines
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Page 7
Page 8
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The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
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The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
Page 9
FONTHILL IS SAND WELLAND IS CLAY Or so goes popular wisdom among home gardeners and landscape contractors. This aerial view of the Lafarge quarry on Highway 20, opposite E. L. Crossley in Fonthill, would sure seem to support the theory. According to the Lafarge website, the approximately 220-acre facility is the only significant source of natural sand in the Niagara Region. The company produces concrete sand, asphalt sand, winter sand, masonry sand, and septic sand. Lafarge says that some 95% of the sand and gravel from Fonthill is used locally. Even a drone can't capture the entire works in one shot. Above, facing west down Highway 20, we see the plant entrance and the processing area. Pelham's leash-free dog park is seen on Centre Street, nestled between a peach orchard and Peninsula Lakes Golf Club. Below, in a portion of the pit, giant machines look like children's toys in the excavated vastness. HOO-AHH DRONE PHOTOS
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Page 10
Letters
The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
continued
Town's handling of soccer field deal disappointing Upon receiving the correspondence regarding a potential partnership with DSBN, we were very surprised and disappointed by the proposition as the process appeared rushed and allowed little time for democratic consultation. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect was the fact that the correspondence was initiated by DSBN and not our own Town. What we received was a short letter with a four-question survey. What we didn’t receive was an analysis, a needs assessments, alternative proposals, or any information from our own Town to substantiate the needs and benefits to the Town and to the neighbourhood. The existing school property, even under its newer footprint, is more than adequate to build a new soccer field entirely within its own boundaries. Nothing provided supports the need for a soccer field, and the previous fields often went unused. I love the game of soccer and played the game for a long time at a very competitive level when I was younger. I’ve also coached soccer and I hope the game continues to gain popularity so please don’t confuse opposition to this proposal as “anti soccer.” However, if a soccer field is such a necessity for the new school, why was this
need not identified before the project was started? It is difficult to believe that several levels of DSBN managers and administration, who had to solicit RFPs, review and approve budgets and drawings (1st draft, 2nd draft and final architect plans) would have all overlooked the field if the DSBN genuinely considers it a necessity. If the Town’s motivation for supporting this single proposal was to accommodate a soccer field that may be used by the community on nights and weekends, we should have been presented with the statistics on usage at Centennial field, Glynn A Green School, Harold Black Park, Pelham Arena Fields, and remaining fields. We were not. If the driving force is to receive discounted facility rental costs for the Town to run programs, then why we were not provided with a report outlining the over-usage of our current facilities? More importantly, why will our new Pelham Community Centre not be able to accommodate these programs? After finding out this was discussed as early as June 2016, why, after eight months have passed, have we not received adequate information and consultation? Of even more concern, it appears Councillors
THE
CO.
Calls on Councillor to understand
approved an MOU, without receiving any concrete information, analysis, or input from the neighbour-
Why, after eight months have passed, have we not received adequate information hood residents whatsoever. The DSBN and Town both had an opportunity to “sell” their proposal the first time around and failed to do so. Unfortunately, the validity of any information coming forward after the fact will be viewed with extreme skepticism. The subdivisions within Cherry Ridge Estates have expanded considerably over the last five years so it is not logical to consider reducing the size of the neighbourhood park. The neighbours in the Cherry Ridge Community were consulted the last time the park underwent change and should have been consulted again before discussions
with DSBN even started. It was very evident at the Community Public Meeting held on February 8 that a unanimous number of people (~175) vehemently opposed the idea of building another soccer field, and more importantly, giving away a portion of land for any reason, to the DSBN or any other public or private group. This is not a refusal to collaborate with the DSBN. The Town simply shouldn’t give away land within a designated passive neighbourhood park. This is not a resistance to change or growth; it’s about the process, communication, consultation, and designated land. Several homeowners, original and new, purchased their lots based on the park designation remaining passive — changing that designation afterwards is disingenuous. Town Council, you are an elected group of officials whose mandate is to represent the town’s best interests and protect the best interests of the ward constituents. The residents certainly have voiced their concerns, and the resounding message is “Do not give away any portion of the park.” Ed Doucette and Lisa Hunt Fenwick
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Open letter to Councillor Richard Rybiak: I think you have missed a critical point that no one explained to you in detail, or which you missed from my presentation in November. This is not about the name “Wellington” alone. It is where this “Wellington Heights” name came from, its history, connections and use (actually non-use) in Pelham. Council has in its possession cited references highlighting Wellesley’s public disdain for Jews, his connection to the creation of residential schools in Ontario, and his racist views towards other groups. I suggest you take the time and really read the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Policy and Guidelines on Racism and Racial Discrimination (easily found on the web) and understand that by those definitions Wellesley was a racist. As a Councilor you should be fully aware of Ontario Human Rights Commission legislation, especially with respect to Town and citizen implications. Council was provided with this documentation in November 2016 and many of our group wonders what has happened to the “review” promised, and to the assertion that staff would be in contact to correct Town documents and publications. I have not heard anything nor read anything to contradict my information provided with published citations. The issue of this particular use of Wellington in a school name in Pelham is the direct connection to Arthur Wellesley who was the first Duke of Wellington. The DSBN has explicitly connected him to the name of the school. This was done by DSBN-approved letters to parents in 2016 by the Principals, Ms. Lawrence (voting member of naming committee) and Mr. Anderson (voting member of naming committee), in which they openly claim the school name is connected to the First Duke of Wellington! As well, the name was
promoted by uninformed students (minors) who voted on the naming committee and openly distributed to the committee and others a flawed brochure (which
97% of names submitted were not Wellington Heights
ironically had a Town of Pelham logo on it) that they created under the direct supervision of then-Principal of Pelham Center, Ms. Sue Lawrence. This raises doubt as to whether all committee members had all the facts at time of naming. Please, before you casually discard this issue as “What about the other Wellingtons,” be aware of how and why any name was chosen for a road or town or school or building at any time and the true history of its background anywhere. Please do some research before making comments on history that you do not understand, or making inferences about names you don’t know. Again, remember this use of Wellington in Wellington Heights for a school in Pelham was explicitly connected to Arthur Wellesley by senior staff, administration, and uninformed students of the DSBN in the 2016 naming process. We are not here to rewrite history but to make us all very aware: This name as proposed by these students and the DSBN has a huge racist history that is undeniable. Ironically some students that voted for Wellington Heights said that they thought that this was the name of Pelham before it See RYBIAK next page
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The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
Page 11
Saving lives through education, one smoke detector at a time BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Growing up, many children dream of one day fighting fires and saving lives as a member of their local fire department. Following his childhood dream, Pelham’s Fire Prevention Officer, Will Underwood, decided to enroll in the Fire Protection Engineering Technology program at Seneca College. Through his studies, he discovered his passion for understanding fire science. After graduation, Underwood took a job working in downtown Toronto as a Building and Fire Code consultant. Since moving to Pelham from Brampton last July, Underwood has been working to make the community a safer place for local residents. Spending some days in front of a classroom of wide-eyed students, and other days investigating fires with Chief Bob Lymburner, Underwood said every day holds something new. It wasn’t until after starting his career with the Pelham Fire Department, and seeing how little the people knew about fire safety and prevention, that he said he began to realize how important it was to share this information with the public. “Sometimes a fire may not necessarily be preventable, but if people have the right measures in place no one will get hurt,” said Underwood. “A lot of the time I am trying to come up with new ideas, events and ways to engage with the public to get the message across to
RYBIAK continued from previous page became Pelham! Where were they told this and by whom? Teachers? Principals? Are you aware that from the Freedom of Information materials collected we learned that some 97% of
Because of all the plastics in newer homes, poeple tend to only have about three minutes to get out if a fire ignites people about the importance of fire safety and prevention.” Working as a swimming instructor in his youth, public education has always been something that Underwood has found great value in. Being able to continue his own education in understanding fire science is also very important to him. Last October, Underwood began his training to become a volunteer firefighter. He is looking forward to completing the program in May, so he can join the team fighting fires. Underwood said he loves the work he does and finds every day to be a new learning experience. “The more you know the better,” he said. “I have never fought a fire, so once I fight a fire I’m going to know that much more about fires and I’ll be able to tailor my presentations and educational programs.” He explained that based on current research, people living in older homes that have furniture made of traditional materi-
names submitted were NOT Wellington Heights, and over 40% DID suggest keeping E.W.Farr, but the naming committee was never told this! Why not? Wellington Heights is a dark monument to a racist, a member of a government that failed to fulfill obligations to local indigenous
people for their service in the War of 1812 and their rights among many others. Now the entire town is being told to look up to this as an honourable school name. This is awful. Racist names and connections should not be chosen for use by schools or towns or organizations today or
Pelham's Fire Prevention Officer, Will Underwood. als and upholstery have approximately 15 to 20 minutes to get out if a fire starts. Unfortunately, he said because of all the plastics in newer homes, people tend to only have about three minutes to get out if a fire ignites. This is because new homes are often built with engineered lumber held together
ever. Even the Ministry of Education is now directing school boards to remove racist mascots and/or logos at schools. I would think school names fall under this directive as well! Mr. Rybiak, and others that agreed with him, please show us documented evidence that Arthur Wellesley
NATE SMELLE PHOTO
with glue and clad in plastic siding which are structurally sound until they are ablaze. Modern furniture can also be problematic because it is usually made of synthetic fi-
was not racist from research using accredited/peer- reviewed sources. You say that some may not find him racist? Who? Other racists? Is he a person suitable to be an inspiration for Canada and Niagara society in 2017? No. I am not proud to have this name on a school in Pelham. I and many others are of-
See SAVING LIVES next page
fended, and I don’t believe that Council should consider this acceptable either. Racism is not acceptable. Please do your homework before you spout alternative facts. Kevin Ker Names Matter Fenwick
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The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
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SAVING LIVES continued from previous page bres which combust easily and emit toxic gases. “It is phenomenal how much the construction industry has changed, and how negatively these changes effect firefighters,” Underwood said. “The carcinogens that come off of fire now are just
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batteries should be changed throughout the region Terms: on publication when residents change theirDueplanning to participate. clocks. Smoke alarms should The contest encouragalso be replaced every 10 es kids to create a drawyears, and people should have ing based on the theme of a rehearsed home fire escape Working Smoke Alarms plan with two ways out of evSave Lives. Volunteer fireery room to ensure they don’t fighters from Pelham will get trapped in a fire, he said. be acting as judges for the Underwood also said for contest, and the winners of people to be safe they also the contest will get a ride need to have working carbon to school in a fire truck and monoxide alarms, since they become Fire Chief for a day. are the only way to tell if the Working with children, deadly gas is present. Car- and seeing how the inforbon monoxide is odourless, mation he teaches them tasteless and colourless. sinks in, is one of the most “Carbon monoxide alarms rewarding aspects of his will detect the gas at very job, Underwood said. low concentrations while “I love going to the you still have time to escape schools here, because I and call 911,” he said. know the kids are going to Underwood is about take in the information that to launch a new aware- I teach them. The other day ness-raising initiative for I heard from a woman in children that he calls the town how her 4-year-old Fire Chief for a Day poster son came home and told her contest. The contest seems everything he had learned to be catching on, with from when I visited his several Fire Departments class.”
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The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
Page 13
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The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
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It took awhile, but the trains eventually came to Pelham BY CAROLYN BOTARI
Special to the VOICE
C
ONSIDERING THAT in Britain, George Stephenson’s ‘Rocket’ took to the rails in 1829, the railway was late in reaching Pelham. By the 1850s the United States had 9,000 miles of track, but there were less than 70 in Canada. In the second half of the century rail bridges spanned the Niagara River, and Welland became a rail centre, but the first track to cross Pelham was not built until 1885-86. By this time the need for improved transportation in the area was acute. The pioneer days of struggling to grow enough food for your family had passed and Pelham’s rich soil was yielding bountiful harvests for which there was an increasing demand in surrounding cities. But to reach these markets the farmer had to travel for hours along dusty or muddy roads by horse and wagon. The Fonthill Nurseries were expanding and needing ways to get their young plants and seedlings to a wider market. Fred Kinsman of Fonthill summed up local feeling in a letter supporting a proposed electric railway: “Gentlemen, if there is any one thing that we require in this diction more than another, it is an electric railway… both for incoming
The train, known as the "Toonerville Trolley," made it possible to live in Fonthill and work in Welland and outgoing freight and direct communication with larger centres of trade.” However, this railway, which would have linked Fenwick, Pelham Centre, Ridgeville and Fonthill, was never built. The first railway in Pelham was steam, and it ran across the township via Fenwick and bypassed Fonthill altogether. A company was incorporated in 1884 to build a railway to link Toronto and Hamilton to the bridge to the States at Niagara Falls. That plan changed to a route via Smithville, Fenwick and Welland to Buffalo. Despite some opposition from farmers in the Smithville area who believed it would kill their cattle, and who planned to prevent the construction with pitchforks and axes, the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo (T.H. &B.) line was completed, and by the end of the century you could get from Fenwick to Welland in
Scale model of Fenwick station, currently on display at the Maple Acre branch of Pelham Library. BOB LOBLAW PHOTO
20 minutes, and travel to Hamilton in an hour and a half. A few years later, Fonthill got its railway, the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway (N.S. &T.), which linked Fonthill to St. Catharines and Welland and ran along track powered by electricity from overhead wires. The railway through Fonthill enabled the nurseries to send their products all over North America. A spur line was built from Station Street to Pelham Street, where the very successful Fonthill Cannery opened in 1912, and across a trestle to gravel pits on the then-Railton farm at the corner of Regional Road 20 and Haist Street.
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H E V E T E R I NA R IA N S and staff of the Niagara Falls Animal Medical Centre would like to welcome Dr. Juliana Tatzel to our Veterinary Care Team! From a young age, Dr. Juliana Tatzel knew that she wanted to work with animals. Growing up in Fonthill, she attended Notre Dame High School and then went on to pursue her passion for science at Brock University, earning her Bachelor of Science. Deciding to couple her love of travel with her veterinary degree, Dr. Juliana headed to Australia in 2013 to attend the University of Melbourne Veterinary College. In 2016, Dr. Juliana earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, having spent her entire fourth and final year of veterinary school on the Dean’s Honour List. Dr. Juliana has a special interest in animal behaviour, internal medicine and anaesthesia. While on vet school external assignments, Dr. Juliana had the opportunity to spend time working at Niagara Falls Animal Medical Centre and was thrilled to have been offered a job here. Dr. Juliana is excited to be back in the Niagara Region and is looking forward to meeting many wonderful clients. The Niagara Falls Animal Medical Centre has been providing professional and compassionate care to pets and their owners for over 42 years. We are excited to have Dr. Juliana become a part of our caring and talented team.
The train, known as the “Toonerville Trolley,” made it possible to live in Fonthill and work in Welland or St. Catharines. The old N.S.&T. rightof-way now forms part of the Steve Bauer trail. The N.S.&T. station house once located on the northeast corner of Station Street and Regional Road 20 was moved to Marlene Stewart Streit Park in 1960 and now serves as a maintenance building for the Town. The railways brought many changes to Pelham. The builders of the T.H. &B. needed ballast for the track bed and found a convenient local source in the Fonthill Kame. A spur line was built running north from a spot not far from Chantler Station, crossing Canboro Road and Regional Road 20 to a pit east of Effingham Street. Long after the railroad was finished, this spur
PELHAM
Pieces From Our Past tors each year to the Fenwick Fair. The station was eventually closed and sold for parts in 1966. A model of the Fenwick Station, pictured above, built by the late Lyle Angle of Fenwick, is presently on loan to Maple Acre Library as part of a historical display. Please drop by the library to see this and other artefacts from the golden days of rail travel in Pelham. Special thanks to Mary Lamb, author of Pelham, The Making of a Community, from which this information was taken.
line remained in operation bringing in coal, and manure from the Toronto stock yards to be used by local nurseries and shipping out gravel, nursery stock from Brown Brothers’ Nurseries at the top of the hill and canned fruit from the Crowe Cannery on Canboro Road. The T.H.&B. Fenwick Station located on west side of Church Street just north of Foss Road once served as an important point for shipping and freight as well as passenger travel and brought hundreds of visi-
IN THE NEWS continued from Page 2 Clydena Paterson for her role in establishing the library in 1919. Pelham Library CEO Kirk Weaver provided Council with a letter on behalf of the Board supporting Lamb’s recommendation, pointing out that her proposal was in line with the Town’s Naming of Corporate Assets Policy. Councillors John Durley and Gary Accursi requested that the decision be deferred until
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a list of other potential candidates for the honour has been created. “I am sure that Mrs. Paterson is worthy but there may be some others that can be some consideration there as well,” said Durley. Deciding to seek input from the community before moving forward with a decision, Council recommended that the library CEO and the Pelham Public Library Board consider all potential options before settling on a name.
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The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
Page 15
Pelham Public Library, heart of the community BY KIRK WEAVER
CEO Pelham Library
Libraries have been important institutions within communities for a long time. With ever-changing community needs and development patterns, libraries have always found ways to evolve and meet the needs for information, learning, literacy and public discussion. In the current era of rapid technological advancement, we sometimes hear questions about the relevance of the public library in the information age. However, any suggestion that libraries are no longer important is not borne out in facts. According to multiple sources, Canadians borrow twice as many books from libraries as we buy from book stores even though bookstores outnumber libraries almost 3:1. Canadian libraries circulate over ten times more DVDs than Zip. ca each day. Almost as many Cana-
Letters
dians carry library cards as have passports. The number of visits to libraries rivals our annual movie attendance and is more than 20 times our attendance at NHL Hockey games. The data would seem to demonstrate that libraries in Canada are at the heart of the community, serving as a resource for people of all ages to find what they need to improve their quality of life. If you were not aware of these facts, you are not alone. Libraries traditionally haven’t done a great job placing their contributions to the community in a broader community context. More often we simply compare to other similar size libraries or to last year’s results. Pelham Public Library has not been immune to this pattern. We hope to change that. As part of our new strategic plan we want to engage and enrich the community. How will we know to what
Almost as many Canadians carry library cards as have passports extent we are doing that if we don’t place our data in some community context? It is not an easy task and our resources are limited, but we do plan to make the effort. It is no longer enough to count the people through the doors or the books circulated. If we want to continue to claim to be the heart of the community, we need to be able to demonstrate the truth of our claim. It is important that we find out how those people were engaged or how the books and materials borrowed enriched those individuals.
continued
Nurdles take Champions Award Last Saturday the Fonthill Nurdles travelled to IBM Canada in Markham for the Ontario Innovation Celebration. Here they were joined by the teams of 16 other top projects from across Ontario with the theme, Animal Allies. The teams were challenged to look at human and animal interaction and develop an innovative solution to improve one of those interactions. The Nurdles studied the decline of honeybee population and the extent to which ample clean water could improve the overall health of bees. The Nurdles have developed the Bee Hydration Station, which gardeners and beekeepers can attach to a rain barrel or hose in their garden to provide a continual source of clean water. (Each hive of bees requires approximately 3 gallons of
water each day.) The Fonthill Nurdles advanced to this competition after receiving the First Place Champion Award at the First Lego League Niagara Region Championship in December, and the team then received the Project Award for Research at the FLL Western Ontario Provincial Championship competition in February. On Saturday, the Nurdles were awarded the Champions Award at the Ontario Innovation Celebration. They are now one of just two teams nominated from Ontario for the potential to present at the Global Innovation Awards in Washington D.C. The Fonthill Nurdles include, from left, Mason Defazio, Sarah Schafer, Laura Schaefer, Alex Rubino, Crystal Coyne, Vanessa Billsborough, as well as Jacob Cheung(not pictured). SUPPLIED PHOTO
Nearly 10% of Town budget spent on just eight employees I see that the Mayor is trying to explain this year's tax increase of 4.7%. This increase follows last year's increase of 7.86%. All told, Pelham residential taxes have gone up 19.40% over the last 5 years. The latest census, 2016, indicates that Pelham's population has grown to 17,100 from 16,600 in 2011, a growth rate of 3.1%. Why the big difference in our taxes compared to the small increase in our town’s population? One of the items the Mayor hasn’t mentioned is the line item for wage and benefit increases. It’s a total of $365,798 more than last year. Where does all this wage and benefit money go? Let's take a closer look. In 2012 Pelham had four staff on the Sunshine List making a combined salary of $457,615. In 2015 this number increased to eight staff, whose combined sal-
aries added up to $988,363. The number of senior staff and their wages have more than doubled in in less than four years. These senior staff members also received very healthy wage increases year-over-year.
From 2014 to 2015, a one year period, they averaged a wage increase of 13.9%, with the top earner getting a 16.61% increase. To make these numbers more personal, the Mayor states that the town will
collect an average of $1,558 per assessed household. That means that 634 out of a total of 6,469 households are spending all of
their taxes to pay the wages of eight people. In other words, almost 10% of the town's budget is being spent on eight salaries.
I hope this helped to clarify the Mayor's numbers. Jim Pitt Pelham
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Page 16
The Voice of Pelham, March 1, 2017
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DSBN continued from front page and become responsible stewards of the future,” she said. The only Councillor to support the resolution in its original form, Councillor Marvin Junkin, thanked the committee for their “tenacious pursuit in righting this wrong.” Councillor Richard Rybiak said he agreed with most of the resolution and shares many of the community’s concerns about the DSBN’s decision to rename the school, however he also expressed concerns that the resolution proposed by the Names Matter committee was worded too strongly. “I think this resolution is meant to strongly encourage the DSBN to hit the reset button to go back to the name that the school had. I believe it is right for us to strongly encourage the DSBN to do that, but to go so far as to make a declaration with regard to Wellington, that is one bridge to far for me, one step too far for me to support.” Engaging in a thorough discussion revolving around the language of the resolution, Council settled on amending the resolution “strongly requesting” the DSBN to reconsider the name Wellington Heights as a replacement for E.W. Farr Memorial School in Fenwick. Notably, the following paragraph was removed from the resolution:
DISSENT continued from Page 2 rious urgency, of the massive, socalled East Fenwick development. Added to the seemingly unchecked development already underway or planned in Pelham, it’s no wonder that calls for wiping the Council slate clean are already
“WHEREAS our community finds the name Wellington Heights offensive because Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, was a documented racist who stated on August 1, 1833 in the British House of Lords on the debate on the Jewish Disabilities Bill “We do not wish Jews to come and settle here,” and was an integral part of the colonial British Government that reneged on treaties with Indigenous people in Canada, as well as being the British Prime Minister when Britain established residential schools in Canada.” Following Council’s unanimous approval of the amended resolution, Councillor Peter Papp commended Beamer and others for their campaign against the DSBN’s decision to rename the school. “I strongly encourage you to continue to fight for what you believe is right,” Papp said to the gallery. “It’s important that you stand up. We have seen it over and over again at this Council that the will of the people sometimes wins. But, if you don’t put that forward you will never know.” The resolution will be presented to DSBN Trustees and the Director of Education for consideration at their next meeting, in March. It has also been sent to MPP Sam Oosterhoff, MP Dean Allison, the Minister of Education, The Honourable Mitzi Hunter and the Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism, The Honourable Michael Coteau.
being made a year-and-a-half ahead of the next election. Which brings us back to the opening paragraph above. The very people who are best positioned to inform residents about what’s really happening inside the Town administration and its operations feel intimidated. There persists among those in-
Good news for Pelham Transit BY NATE SMELLE
The VOICE
Thanks to a new sponsorship program, Pelham Transit will be providing patrons free service on Saturdays beginning March 6. Town staff reached out to local businesses and community partners earlier this month, inviting potential sponsors to provide financial support for the service in hopes of increasing ridership by offering free bus rides every Saturday. Acknowledging their success, Councillor Gary Accursi said he was very pleased that staff was able to think outside of the box and come up with the idea for the program. “It doesn’t jeopardize our Gas Tax application, and yet it does accomplish offering the opportunity for our community to ride for free on Saturdays,” said Accursi. “Who knows, once they get introduced to it and
side Town Hall, and those on the Town payroll, a fear that jobs or promotions are at risk for anyone speaking out, even for asking questions, or challenging official claims, as does this week’s letter writer. This culture of fear is shameful. Tone is set at the top of an organization, in this case by the Mayor
the convenience of it they may want to ride it a little more frequently, and that’s a good thing for all of our businesses.” Originally it was believed that applying for the $50,000 in funding to extend the Community Transportation pilot project would reduce the amount of funding available through the Gas Tax. However, following a recent conference call between Town staff and the Ministry, Pelham Transit received more good news when they found out that they could tap into both sources of funding simultaneously. “Our gas tax will be a little less, but in the long run we have more opportunity for our Gas Tax funds to increase even more,” said Director of Recreation, Culture and Wellness, Vickie vanRavensway. “As it stands right now we would bring in the same revenues with the Gas Tax
and the Chief Administrative Officer, and the tone impressed upon Town employees is, “**** with us, and you’ll regret it.” The Voice is committed to providing a platform for all residents—including Town employees—to freely voice their opinions in whatever civilized way they may wish. This week sees another
and the pilot project.” Highlighting the fact that Pelham’s population is growing, vanRavensway said if the ridership and the amount of funds brought in through fares increases, the Town would receive more funding through the Gas Tax. At the end of the day she said the Town should receive more than $135,000. Pelham Transit offers fully accessible transportation options to all residents, Monday to Saturday throughout the municipality, making stops at the Seaway Mall and Niagara College in Welland. In the next few weeks, Town staff will be meeting with staff from Wainfleet and West Lincoln to discuss the potential of expanding Pelham Transit to the neighbouring municipalities. VanRavensway said they have also begun talks with the municipality of Lincoln.
bumper-crop of letters. The single best way to communicate the same message, at the same time, to virtually every single resident of this town is within the pages of this newspaper. Not Facebook. Not Twitter. Make use of it for the benefit of the town and for your fellow residents.