THE
SERVING THE MAPLETON COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY NEWS Volume 48 Issue 21
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.15% 3 Year GIC - 2.35% 5 Year GIC - 2.55% Daily Interest 1.25%
638-3328
Friday, May 22, 2015
www.jackfinancial.ca
Council elects construction management approach for new maintenance facility by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - The township will hire a construction manager rather than a general contractor to oversee building of a new municipal maintenance facility. After meeting with facility designers Chamberlain Architects on May 12, council passed a resolution to receive the final design and contract format and to authorize staff and Chamberlain Architects to accept the plans and specifications for the facility and proceed with a Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) Construction Management Contract. Council also directed public works director Brad McRoberts to evaluate construction management options and make a recommendation to council. McRoberts noted Chamberlain Architects themselves could be one candidate, but other possibilities would be investigated. A presentation by
Chamberlain Architects indicated a number of advantages to the “construction manager� approach. The architects indicated a 50 per cent reduction in bonding costs could result from the ability to bond only major or selected trades, rather than bonding on the entire contract amount. They also said under construction management the project owner selects subtrades through an open tendering process, while a general contractor would select their own subtrades. Chamberlain officials pointed out if the general contractor is not local there is a good chance the sub-contractors will not be local either. “It actually gives us more control,� noted Mayor Neil Driscoll. The architects also indicated construction management fees would be 3% compared to 5 to 10% for general contractors. They also pointed out
all costs would be disclosed under the construction management approach, while a general contractor would not disclose actual costs. While expressing some concern about deviating from the established process, councillor Dennis Craven said, “I do have confidence in director McRoberts’ abilities� to make the approach work. With the approval of the 2015 budget on March 31, Mapleton council approved a layout design for the new facility, at an estimated cost of $5,433,000, which will be funded through insurance recovery, a municipal debenture and reserves/reserve funds. Development charges will also be leveraged for the project. The new facility will be built at the municipal administration office site on Sideroad 16. It will replace both a previous building on the same site that burned down in December 2013, and another maintenance facility in Moorefield.
Support for nurses - RBC presented a $10,000 donation to the Palmerston and District Hospital (PDH) on May 14 to fund training programs and educational opportunities for nurses. The donation is part of a $70,000 RBC commitment that included donations to Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Fergus and hospitals in Listowel, Orangeville, Walkerton, Hanover and Owen Sound. From left: front, PDH Foundation development officer Dale Franklin; Katie Olechowski; Cathy Hass; Ruth Johnston; Harriston RBC representative Wendy Albrecht; RBC branch manager Arthur, Drayton and Moorefield Bahaar Lultar; and RBC financial planner Drayton, Moorefield and Arthur Kathy Mallett; back RBC vice president of agriculture and commercial centres Gregg Mitchell, regional vice-president Dan Woods and Listowel, Harriston, Clifford branch manager Ron Gillespie. photo by Patrick Raftis
Author tells story of Home Children by Caroline Sealey DRAYTON - Author Sandra Joyce was the guest speaker at the Mapleton Historical Society’s annual meeting on May 8 at PMD arena. Joyce, a Toronto native,
is an advocate of the British Home Children and has given over 160 presentations on the subject across Canada. She has written two books based on the experiences of her British Home Child father, Robert Joyce, her uncle, Thomas Main St. W. Palmerston
Rated PG
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
TIMES: Fri and Sat 8pm and Sun 7pm
Ladies Night: Thursday, May 28, 7pm, “When Harry Met Sally�. Admission: $2.
For more info call 519-343-3640 or visit www.norgantheatre.com
Joyce, and aunt, Emma Joyce. In 2004, after her parents had passed on, Joyce travelled to Halifax Pier 21 to see the site where her father had landed after military service in the Second World War. Continued on page 8
‘Emotional’ challenge - Drayton Heights Public School Principal Jeff Crawford spent two days in a wheelchair on May 13 and 14, after accepting a challenge from a local family. “Being at a vulnerable height and position became an emotional issue for me,� Crawford said. photos by Caroline Sealey
Educators accept wheelchair challenge by Caroline Sealey DRAYTON - Two Drayton Heights Public School educators recently got a lesson on life with limited mobility. Teacher Andy Speers spent two days, May 11 and 12, in a wheel chair after accepting a challenge from the Clemmer family of Drayton. This is the second year Speers has participated in the challenge. “After the first day, I was physically exhausted. On Day 2, I really didn’t want to do the challenge but I made the commitment and was going to follow through,� Speers told the Community News. Speers spoke with students at Drayton Heights about the importance of learning about disabilities, as accidents can happen and someone they know could need to use a wheelchair. Inclusion and acceptance of people with disabilities is a major focus at the school, said Speers. “I have had great discussions with the students and have heard some amazing comments from them.� Drayton noted Speers Heights does a good job in accommodating people with disabilities but still has work to do. He faced many of the same challenges he faced last year, but found that he asked for help from fellow teachers and students a lot more. Teaching physical education was challenging as he was unable to demonstrate track and field events. “I am happy to do this as an awareness and promotion of
Weekly Wag
ey is not what th g in th t n a rt o em. The imp t I think of th a h w t u b , e think of m ria - Queen Victo
ANDY SPEERS
the Clemmer family’s cause,� Speers said. The family will be wheeling 30 kilometres from Gibson Park in Elmira to ABC Park in Drayton on June 20 as part of a fundraiser known as Kate’s Kause. Each member of the family will be on wheels of some sort: wheelchair, bike or skateboard. All proceeds from the Wheel-a-thon go to the family’s charity, Bringing Heaven to Earth, which helps families with children who have special needs afford medical or sporting equipment. Drayton Heights Principal Jeff Crawford spent two days in a wheelchair on May 13 and 14, after accepting the same
challenge as Speers. Crawford also undertook the challenge last year and asked other staff members to consider experiencing what a person with disabilities dealt with on a daily basis. A wheelchair will be available over the next two weeks for interested staff and students to use. On Crawford’s first day in the wheelchair he had to remove himself from it for the afternoon to attend to pressing issues that could not be dealt with while using a wheelchair. “I had the option to leave the chair,� Crawford said. “A person with disabilities does not have that option and would have to deal with the matters at hand in a different way.� On Day 2, Crawford was fitted with a wheelchair more suited to his body size that was easier to manoeuvre and more stable. He found his office would need major changes if he were to use a wheelchair, as he could not reach his phone, files, photocopier and computer. “I couldn’t stand for the national anthem, which is important to me. Being at a vulnerable height and position became an emotional issue for me,� Crawford said. A student at the school who is confined to a wheelchair gave the principal hints on how to deal with barriers at school every day. Over the summer the outdoor tarmac at the school will be extended for easier accessibility. Changes are made to the building each year to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities.
'5$<7216725$*( FRP ,QGLYLGXDO 6WRUDJH 8QLWV Individual Storage Units [ [ [ [ 5x10 10x10 10x15 10x20 6HDVRQDO ERDWV FDUV 59V ODZQ WUDFWRUV Seasonal VXPPHU ZLQWHU WLUH VWRUDJH boats, cars, RVs, lawn tractors, summer/winter tire storage