SERVING MAPLETON AND MINTO
THE
COMMUNITY NEWS VOLUME 52 ISSUE 08
1 Year GIC - 2.85% 3 Year GIC - 3.10% 5 Year GIC - 3.50% Daily Interest 1.50%
638-3328
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019
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Minto signals intent to continue support for recruitment of health care professionals By Patrick Raftis
Family Fun - A wide range of indoor and outdoor activities drew hundreds to the Palmerston Community Centre on Feb. 18 for Darren’s Day in memory of Darren More. ABOVE: From left Caleight, Curtis and Emily Lubbers tried snowshoeing. RIGHT: Bria and Derek Moore entered the Plunger Toss. Photos by Patrick Raftis Additional photos on pages 2 and 4.
Darren’s Day provides Family Day fun By Patrick Raftis – PALMERSTON Hundreds of local residents enjoyed Family Day at an event held in memory of a devoted family man here on Feb. 18 Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington (CSGW) hosted Darren’s Day in Palmerston in partnership with the Minto Fire department, Palmerston Marlins Softball Club, Palmerston Lions Club, Town of Minto and Wellington County OPP.
The event was held in honour of Darren More, who was killed in a motor vehicle collision while on his way to work in July. The driver of the stolen truck that hit More was drug-impaired. A devoted family man, More was also active in his community and was a supporter of minor sports. Darren’s Day kicked off with a well-attended breakfast provided by Minto firefighters, followed by a lunch offered by the Palmerston Lions club.
The day also included a variety of winter festival games, including plunger toss, hosted by CSGW, and a Sno-Pitch tournament hosted by the Palmerston Marlins. Board and card games were played in the Palmerston Community Hall, a ministick hockey area was set up for youngsters, and members of the Palmerston 81’s Senior hockey team hosted a game of shinny on the main ice surface. A highlight of the event was a Tug a Truck compe-
tition between Wellington County OPP officers and Minto firefighters. The firefighters won the event, pulling a fire truck approximately the width of the community centre in just over 29 seconds, compared to 33 seconds for the OPP squad. The funds raised by Darren’s Day will go to community improvements, minor sports and Crime Stoppers. CSGW coordinator Sarah Bowers-Peter declared the SEE DARREN’S DAY  4
MINTO – The Town of Minto is making plans to include a $10,000 contribution to the Minto-Mapleton Health Professional Recruitment Committee in the 2019 budget. Committee chair Shirley Borges and recruiter Andrea Serratore requested the annual contribution during an update on recruitment committee activities at the Feb. 5 council meeting. “Without your support we will not be successful,� states Borges in a letter to council. During her presentation Borges noted the Township of Mapleton and the Palmerston and District Hospital both contribute $10,000 annually to support the committee’s efforts. A report from the committee explains recruitment strategies focus on significantly increasing the number of family medicine residents and practicing physicians “interested in exploring what our area has to offer, in terms of both work and leisure. “We continue to put Mapleton-Minto on the map as a great place to live and work. While there are no
guarantees when it comes to physician recruitment, we do know that the more interest and positive experiences we generate, the greater the odds of recruiting,â€? the report states. The report points out Dr. Christine Peterkin took the lead in organizing the inaugural Physician Charity Baseball Game last June, with physicians from Palmerston and District Hospital, Louise Marshall Hospital and Groves Memorial Community Hospital taking part. “Many family and community members came out to cheer the teams,â€? the report states. The report notes recently-recruited physicians Dr. Tamara Chu and Dr. Joanna Wielgosz are now settled into the Minto Rural Health Centre with their practices up and running. The centre now provides office space for three physicians: Dr. Chu, Dr. Wielgosz and Dr. Doyin Okoye, as well as the Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team, Life Labs, CMHA Waterloo Wellington, Sheri Schiestel with the Family Health Organization, the local LHIN SEE MINTO Âť 3
Minto seeks savings through vehicle utilization efficiency By Patrick Raftis
Finding efficiencies - The Town of Minto is seeking efficiencies through its vehicle replacement program, eliminating unnecessary units and those with limited function. Photo by Patrick Raftis McIsaac states in his report. The report explains the addition of a second backhoe and adding snow push-
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ing blades has enabled staff to increase the level of service for snow removal in the downtown cores, parking lots
and various other areas “utilizing these pieces on a regular basis year-round.� Purchase of a service
WEEKLY WAG
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MINTO – The Town of Minto is saving money through efficiencies in its vehicle replacement program. Road and drainage manager Mike McIsaac told council that over the past eight years staff have been “working on ways to become more efficient with our equipment.� Such efforts have “created the opportunity to reduce our fleet in multiple areas,� he explained on Feb. 5. Finding creative ways to utilize and maximize replacement equipment and eliminate units not needed or with limited functionality “has led to the ability to be more efficient by incorporating uses into other equipment to better serve the community and increase service levels,�
“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.� - Desmond Tutu
truck in 2014 has better prepared staff to react to multiple projects throughout the community with the ability to carry a variety of tools, supplies and safety equipment at the same time, increasing service, efficiency and safety. “Restructuring the winter maintenance operations created opportunities to increase the level of service in multiple areas, increase public and staff safety, extending hours of service in the rural areas along with a reduction to the fleet,� the report states. The sale of surplus trucks and savings on one replaced unit funded the purchase of a utility dump truck and attachments and created a surplus of approximately $20,000, which was added to reserves in 2018, said McIsaac.
Over time, the savings are even more impressive, the report notes. “In 2013 the total unadjusted cost of equipment over a 14-year period was $5,295,000 for an average annual cost of $378,000. The replacement cost has been reduced through equipment allocated to their respective departments, restructuring maintenance operations and surplus equipment to an unadjusted cost of $3,760,000 over a 14-year period with an annual cost of $268,000.â€? In total, the town is now operating 17 units, down from the 26 units in service in 2013. McIsaac estimated a further savings of $22,000 could be attained through purchase of used graders or tandem axle plow trucks “from quality sources,â€? combined with SEE TOWN Âť 3
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