June 6, 2013

Page 1

Real Estate Brokerage

$197,900.00

June 6, 2013

Volume 8 No. 56

519-633-1640 • www.theweeklynews.ca

www.elginrealty.ca www.elginwebsite.com

Manufacturing alive and well

No evidence of wrongdoing

How one St. Thomas company is becoming a major player in rail

JESSE CNOCKAERT The Weekly News

MELISSA SCHNEIDER

The report is in: Cliff Barwick is on St. Thomas city council with no evidence that he didn’t get there through the proper, democratic process. A complaint from a ratepayer of St. Thomas, received by Closed Meeting Investigator John Maddox, was the catalyst for an investigation into how former mayor Cliff Barwick ended up back on city council. Alderman Sam Yusuf stepped down April 26, and May 6, council approved a motion from Ald. Tom Johnston to appoint Barwick to ďŹ ll the vacant seat by a 4-3 margin. Barwick was sworn in May 13. The complainant was suspicious that some council members may have had an illegal closed meeting to discuss appointing Barwick to the vacant seat. In his report, Maddox said that after March 26, council members would have begun to ponder their options, and that would have likely resulted in “one-offâ€? discussions about possible replacements.

Behind closed doors, 35 employees in engineering, sales and management departments are working hard to keep St. Thomas’ reputation as a rail town alive. Arva Industries, located in one of St. Thomas’ smaller industrial areas, has spent the last one and a half years working on a piece of equipment for New Jersey Transit that comes with a hefty $2 million price tag. The Overhead Catenary Inspection Vehicle, the ďŹ rst of its kind to be built in North America, will be used to complete repairs in subway tunnels, electric street cars lines and on the rails of freight trains. Weighing in at 60 tonnes, the machinery features a man basket on one end that can stretch out up to 45ft. and a platform on top that can rise 25ft. for additional repairs on any ceiling. Wayne O’Shell, sales representative of rail products for the company, says the small business won the contract over two major rail equipment suppliers — Plasser American and Harsco.

See COLLUSION, Page 2

See MACHINERY, Page 21

The Weekly News

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English Style Recipes Ice Cream Sundays .JML 4IBLFT r 'MPBUT

MELISSA SCHNEIDER PHOTOS

Above: Wayne O’Shell shows off the Overhead Catenary Inspection Vehicle’s man basket that can extend 45ft out for repairs. Inset: What the Overhead Catenary Inspection Vehicle will look like once it’s complete.

Food sought at summer concert MELISSA SCHNEIDER The Weekly News

Performers from as far as Toronto will be in town to support local food banks as part of the Salvation Army’s summer concert, aptly titled Concert For A Community.

The event, happening June 15 at 7pm at Central United Church in St. Thomas (135 Wellington Street), is being held to raise food and awareness about poverty. Captain Mark Hall of the Salvation Army in St. Thomas says the number of people who utilized the food bank’s services doubled in the

month of May, depleting supplies and making it harder to help those in need. He’s the organizing force behind a community-minded musical performance where spectators are asked to bring non-perishable foods to donate to the Hungry Bus, ▟

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3 bedroom brick ranch with a garage and sunroom on a ravine lot. Call today!!

Nick Visscher 527 Talbot Street, St. Thomas, Broker of Record 519-637-2300 Call/text 519-933-4714

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See BUS, Page 2

Disbrowe will donate $25 for a test drive! Friday, June 7, 2013 7 pm - 7 am Look for the PINK Spark St. Joseph’s Catholic High School 100 Bill Martyn Parkway St. Thomas, ON

Everyone with a valid drivers license, over 21, is welcome to test drive all new GM products like Chevy Malibu, Trax and Impala, Buick Encore, GMC Acadia and Cadillac ATS.


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