SERVING MAPLETON AND MINTO
THE
COMMUNITY NEWS VOLUME 52 ISSUE 16
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THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019
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Waterloo-based parts manufacturing company buys 10 acres of industrial land in Mapleton By Aryn Strickland MAPLETON - Township council approved the sale of 10 acres in phase two of the Drayton Industrial Park on April 9. Arjune Engineering and Manufacturing Inc. (AEM), currently based in Waterloo, manufacturing provides parts through specialized machinery for the automotive, aerospace, military, medical and electronics industries in Canada and the U.S. AEM plans to build a 20,000 square-foot facil-
ity in the industrial park, an improvement on its current 12,000ft2 facility in Waterloo. “They are buying the 10 acres because they have a feeling that they will be going bigger than the 20,000ft2 in their future, which is also a very good story for our area, not only economically for us but also for providing some industrial jobs,� said Mayor Gregg Davidson. AEM has 10 employees. With the new larger facility to be built in Drayton, the company will be looking to expand its workforce. “If I remember correctly...
[company representatives are] anticipating... [they] would have 40 people working there in manufacturing jobs,â€? said Davidson. Approval of the sale to AEM was a long time coming, Davidson told council. “I’ve been to this facility; both Manny and I have been to this facility, and it’s just not manufacturing, it’s very computerized, very specialized manufacturing that they are doing there.â€? Talks between AEM and Mapleton council and staff began in December, before SEE MANUFACTURER Âť 2
Northern Wellington municipalities set to host youth connections event
Bazaar fun - Community Christian School held its annual Let the SON Shine Bazaar and Auction on April 13 at the PMD arena in Drayton. Donations to the local food bank and free will offerings were accepted at the event, which featured games, home baking, food booths and more. TOP: Katie Brouwer, left, and Averi Hessels were working hard on the diggers in the soy bean pit. ABOVE LEFT: Romy VanTil speeds around on an electric four-wheeler, which was part of the live auction later in the day. ABOVE RIGHT: Luke Dekker enjoys his hot dog lunch. Additional photos on pages 2 and 6. Photos by Jennifer Goertzen
MINTO - The northern Wellington alliance Wellington Minto, of North and Mapleton has announced the third-annual Northern Wellington Youth Connections is set for April 30. The event was initiated to help bridge the gap between community and youth stakeholders, such as local employers, organizations and services. It focuses on providing youth with the opportunities to discover first-hand local career options available within northern Wellington
County by meeting with business owners and other employment professionals in the area. All Grade 9 students from Norwell District Secondary Wellington and School Heights Secondary School are invited to attend the annual, day-long event, which takes place during National Youth Week. Students will get to hear from keynote speaker Anthony McLean, a Canadian motivational speaker who delivers a powerful presentation on leadership, organizers note.
Students will then be able to connect with other students through activities, learn about RBC Future Launch and how young Canadians can prepare for the future and learn what skills will be essential for success, as well as attend five sessions on entrepreneurship, the trades, mental wellness, local job opportunities and resume writing. “The purpose of this event is to enlighten students about the career opportunities that are here and that they don’t have to SEE YOUTH Âť 3
Town to rely on ‘courteous self-policing’ to enforce smoking ban MINTO – Citizens here will be encouraged to “selfpolice in a courteous way� as the first step to enforcing stricter anti-smoking regulations at town facilities. To comply with amendments to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act of 2017 (SFOA), which bans smoking of tobacco or cannabis (medical and non-medical) and vaping in enclosed workplaces, public places and other designated areas, Minto is enforcing a smoking ban within 20 metres of community recreational facilities, public sports fields and playgrounds. The legislation also bans smoking and vaping within nine metres of an outdoor
area/patio where food is served. “I think the key here is just good signage and awareness and courteous self policing. We’re hoping that will result in minimal infractions,� recreation services manager Matt Lubbers told council on April 2. Lubbers explained that 2018 updates to the SFOA added lit cannabis, including medicinal, and vaping to substances that cannot be held or consumed within 20m of playgrounds and sports fields. The legislation also stipulates the products cannot be held or consumed within 20m of a community recreational facility and its property. That means, said Lubbers, that smoking will not be per-
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mitted within “20 metres from the perimeter of the parking lot,� for recreational facilities. “I think one of the problems is going to be the enforcement,� said councillor Ron Elliott. He cited people used to smoking outside of dances at facilities and slo-pitch players accustomed to smoking around ball fields as among those likely to resist the change. Non-confrontational “If we see an infraction or a complaint is directed toward us, we’ll certainly try and put a stop to that, but we’re not going to get confrontational,� said Lubbers. He explained people will have to adapt, as “smoking outside the front doors, that’s
going to be a thing of the past.� A staff report states town council and staff “encourage all to self-police in a courteous way so no person smokes or vapes in a signed area. Where ‘courteous self-policing’ is not successful, town staff will assist as available.� If smokers become confrontational, town staff members are directed to call police for enforcement and also report the person’s name and contact information to Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health for follow up. “Nothing much has changed other than we’ve added vaping and cannabis,� observed Mayor George Bridge. “At the end of the day we’re all responsible as citi-
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By Patrick Raftis
“It’s paradoxical, that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.� - Andy Rooney
zens for what the laws of the land are.� Bridge added, “I think if we just let our citizens know that they’re part of our big police force out there, they’re part of the solution obviously.� “I agree. People police people,� said councillor Dave Turton, who noted there have been few, if any, incidents related to previous smoking bans. “If people are doing something that they’re not supposed to be doing, they’re going to be told.� Councillor Jean Anderson was less optimistic. “There’s going to be issues here,� she said. “People are accustomed to standing outside of arenas and smoking and they pay no attention to the signage. They pay no
attention to the location of the ashtrays ... I have big concerns about this.� Councillor Mark MacKenzie asked if the OPP will enforce the ban. “Unless someone causes a problem, like physically, they won’t,� Bridge replied “This isn’t just a Minto thing,� councillor Judy Dirksen pointed out. “This is across Ontario, so there will be some education and information that we don’t have to pay for.� Lubbers suggested, “Like anything else they’ll be some hurdles to get past initially.� He predicted people will eventually adapt and comply with the new rules. Council received the report and approved the revised policy.
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