THE
SERVING THE MAPLETON COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY NEWS Volume 48 Issue 05
Drayton, Ontario
Owner closes Marj’s restaurant amid hepatitis exposure concerns by Patrick Raftis and Jaime Myslik ALMA - Popular local eatery Marj’s Village Kitchen has closed its doors, perhaps for good, after a hepatitis A infection in an employee led to an urgent vaccination campaign by the local health unit. On Jan. 22 WellingtonDufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) issued a warning that anyone who ate at the restaurant between Jan. 2 and 22 should get a hepatitis A vaccination as soon as possible because a restaurant employee was confirmed to have hepatitis A. The restaurant never reopened after closing on Jan. 22, despite the fact it passed a public health inspection that day and a statement from public health officials indicating the infected employee no longer works at the restaurant. “We wanted to reassure people that it was safe to eat at the restaurant ... so we did a health inspection on Thursday and we thought the restaurant would be opening up and people would be asking us ‘can we go eat there’ and we’d say ‘sure’ but it never opened up again,� said Chuck Ferguson, manager of corporate communications for WDGPH. On Jan. 26, Marj’s owner Keith McLean declined an interview with the Community News, but he did confirm the restaurant was closed “indefinitely.� In an emailed statement, McLean indicated the restaurant was already “struggling financially� due to the economy and its “remote location for winter traffic� before its reputation was “tainted� by the hepatitis scare. “My greatest concern is the staff and patrons’ health, even if there is almost a zero
Closed indefinitely - Marj’s Village Kitchen in Alma remained closed on Jan. 26 after the health unit issued a warning of a potential hepatitis A exposure. photo by Patrick Raftis chance of infection from Marj’s,� McLean stated. “There has been an outpouring of concern about Marj’s. Management would thank those individuals for their past patronage plus their well wishes. Thank you sincerely.� In the initial announcement about the infected Marj’s employee, Dr. Nicola Mercer, medical officer of health and CEO for WDGPH, said, “Anyone who ate there in the first part of January could be at risk of infection.� While she stressed “the risk of exposure is low,� Mercer recommended that anyone who ate at the restaurant in the first half of January “should get a vaccination as a precaution.� Public health held free hepatitis A vaccine clinics at the Fergus WDGPH office on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23, and additional clinics were added on Jan. 24 and 25 due to demand. Over four days, 1,400 people received the vaccine
at the emergency clinics, said Ferguson. Public health is still offering the hepatitis A vaccination for free at the Fergus, Orangeville and Guelph (Chancellors Way) locations, Ferguson said. Though no appointment is necessary, patients are encouraged to contact the location to ensure a nurse is available. At press time, there had been no confirmed secondary cases, Ferguson said. Public health officials indicated the infected employee had worked symptom-free at the restaurant for some time, which resulted in the lengthy period covered by the vaccination call. Public health learned about the infected employee from the results of a hepatitis A blood test, Ferguson said. Because the virus is classified as a “reportable disease� any positive tests are automatically reported to public health. When public health Continued on page 3
Time to consider stormwater management in government infrastructure programs? by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Some local officials believe it’s time governments gave serious consideration to ensuring municipalities have the infrastructure to withstand increasingly-frequent intense storms. CAO Patty Sinnamon advised council at its Jan. 13 meeting she was currently working with other administrators in Wellington County to co-ordinate requests for delegations with provincial ministers at the 2015 OGRA/ROMA
conference set for Feb. 22 to 25 in Toronto and asked for suggested meeting topics. “I think it would be good to have some discussions about stormwater management systems ‌ having them recognized in infrastructure programs,â€? suggested public works director Brad McRoberts. “Stormwater management seems to be the long-lost cousin in infrastructure programs from the province.â€? McRoberts said large-scale storm events are becoming
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more frequent, which is problematic because storm sewers “are built to five-year storm levels.� While noting Mapleton is in better shape than some municipalities where the storm sewer systems are a century old, McRoberts pointed out major damage can occur when systems can’t handle a major weather event. “I really think councils and cities need to look at these environmental situations,� agreed Mayor Neil Driscoll.
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North Wellington municipalities apply for ‘age-friendly’ planning grant by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – The township is planning to make a joint application with neighbouring municipalities Minto and Wellington North for funding to help plan for an aging population. The province recently announced an ‘age-friendly’ community planning grant to help local governments and community organizations undertake strategic planning with a focus on seniors. Applications are being accepted until Jan. 30, with a project completion date of March 31, 2017. Grants are available for amounts up to: - $25,000 for small communities (populations under 20,000 residents); - $35,000 for medium-sized communities (between 20,000 and 99,999 residents); and - $50,000 for larger communities (more than 100,000 residents). In a report to council at its Jan. 13 meeting, CAO Patty Sinnamon explained by working with the two other munici-
palities on a project also supported by the Mount Forest Family Health Team and the Mapleton Seniors’ Centre for Excellence, the township is able to apply for the $35,000 grant level. Councillor Michael Martin asked for an explanation of the rationale for the joint submission, given each municipality could receive “up to 25,000 if we went solo.â€? “I think it’s because in terms of the resources to implement ‌ it would make more sense to do it corroboratively and the province certainly likes those collaborative applications,â€? Sinnamon explained. “The three municipalities would work together on this. It’s not as if we’re getting a third (of the funding) and they’re each getting a third. It’s one project.â€? She added, “I think it’s an excellent opportunity for us to work collaboratively with the other municipalities and it also supports our aging-at-home initiative.â€? The report states the application will outline steps to hire
a coordinator/consultant to complete a needs assessment and a gap analysis. It also notes a plan will be developed to address gaps, improve access to services and improve the quality of life of seniors in the three municipalities. The report lists examples of age-friendly policies designed to help seniors “age actively,� including: - keeping sidewalks well lit and kept in good repair; - automatic door openers and elevators in buildings; and - facilitating community activities for seniors such as visiting museums and libraries, taking courses or volunteering for charities or civic duties. “Funding to assist our communities in becoming ‘agefriendly’ has numerous benefits from both a social and economic viewpoint,� the report states. “The demographic reality is that younger generations no longer represent the biggest growth market. Baby boomers are quickly controlling the bulk of wealth and spending.� Minto town council also Continued on page 3
North for Youth event set for Feb. 21 Coalition hosting ‘community conversation’ by Patrick Raftis MINTO - An “all-community conversation� focusing on improving prospects for youth in north Wellington is planned for next month. Dubbed North For Youth, the event, coordinated by the North Wellington Coalition for Youth Resiliency, will be held on Feb. 21 at the Kenilworth Public School. Community youth resiliency worker Alison Vasey said the coalition, launched in October with the aid of a $216,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), is seeking input to assess resources available to youth in northern Wellington, as well as identify service gaps. “We want to use this day to really hear the opinions and needs of those living in the community,� she told Minto council in a Jan. 20 presentation. “We are bringing together the Town of Minto and the townships of Mapleton and Wellington North to start creating some key areas of focus around youth.� Vasey said Kenilworth was chosen for the event, which runs from 9am to 3pm, due to its central location. North for Youth is open to youth from the community, as well as
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anyone who works with, volunteers for, interacts with, or cares about youth in North Wellington, she explained. “We are ALISON working to VASEY create strong communities that are interested in youth engagement,� Vasey told council. Vasey said a recent survey of 100 youth from Norwell District Secondary School revealed 23 per cent of respondents did not have a non-parent adult they felt they could go to for advice and support. Thirty-three per cent of the youth polled felt they were “not valued� by adults in their community and 77% said “no� when asked if they did an hour of service work in their community each week. “This is a very basic amount of information but it makes it very clear to see there is a disconnect between our youth community and the community as a whole,� observed Vasey, adding the coalition needs the support of community leaders and councils in order to improve the situation. Council members were par-
ticularly concerned about the high number of youth who said they didn’t volunteer in their community. Deputy mayor Ron Faulkner, chair of the 2006 International Plowing Match committee, suggested a means could be found to provide volunteer opportunities for youth at the county event. Vasey agreed some youth don’t know where to find volunteer opportunities, especially if their families aren’t involved in local organizations. “Often if they don’t have a community connection, then they don’t volunteer,� she said. However, she pointed out, “there are youth who volunteer and there are youth who do great work volunteering.� Mayor George Bridge suggested the numbers might not change much if adults were polled instead of youth. “There’s probably not 30% of adults who are volunteering,� said Bridge. Anyone interested in participating in North for Youth, which will be facilitated by Molly Ross of Bloom Solutions, can register online at http://whoozin.com/wr4-QHVVDHM. Participants may also call Vasey at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 7603.
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