SERVING MAPLETON AND MINTO
THE
COMMUNITY NEWS VOLUME 52 ISSUE 39
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019
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Copernicus donates wetland in Mapleton to Escarpment Biosphere
Provincial crown - Heidi Frey of Drayton was crowned Ontario Queen of the Furrow at the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo in Verner on Sept. 20. Submitted photos
Drayton’s Heidi Frey crowned Queen of the Furrow at IPM 2019 VERNER – Heidi Frey is the new Ontario Queen of the Furrow. The 20-year-old Drayton resident was selected on Sept. 20 during the 2019 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) in Verner, West Nipissing, located between North Bay and Sudbury. “I can’t believe this is real. I’m so honoured to be chosen out of this amazing group of girls that I’ve gotten to spend the last couple of days with,” said Frey following her coronation. “I look forward to working with the Kawartha Lakes
committee for 2020.” As Queen of the Furrow, one of Frey’s responsibilities is to promote IPM 2020, which is set for Oct. 14 to 17 in Lindsay, Kawartha Lakes. Eighteen Queen of the Furrow contestants, each selected to represent their region of the province, were accompanied by three judges during two days of competition at IPM 2019. They were assigned points based on appearance and deportment, plowing abilities, an interview and a speech on an agriculturerelated topic delivered in front of a large IPM crowd.
The top five contestants were attributed additional points based on an impromptu speech delivered during the Celebration of Excellence banquet. Frey, a second-year student at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus, is set to graduate with an associate diploma in agriculture at the end of this school year. “I’m hoping afterward to get a job based in agronomy and eventually obtain my CCA (certified crop advisor), which basically means I make recommendations to farmers,” she explained.
Frey’s family was in the dairy business but sold its quota several years ago. The family now runs an agriculture retail business. “That’s where I got my love of cropping from,” Frey said. As Queen of the Furrow, she will act as an ambassador for Ontario agriculture, travelling the province and attending events to promote the IPM and the Ontario Plowmen’s Association. She will continue her reign until the 2020 IPM, at which time a new Ontario Queen of the Furrow will be crowned.
MAPLETON - Copernicus Educational Products announced Sept. 17 that 50 acres of reforested land here, containing provincially significant wetland and two ponds, is now designated as a nature reserve. Company officials state the move protects the land in perpetuity. By working through the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, which works with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change for approval, the rolling forested land, located in Mapleton Township, just outside of Arthur on the 18th Line, is now protected from future development. In 2017, Copernicus also entered into a conservation agreement with the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy for the 87 acres surrounding its facility outside of Arthur.
“With record amounts of land being destroyed, (including the recent degradation of the Amazon Rainforest), we believe it is our responsibility to conserve as much as we can for future generations of humans and wildlife alike,” explained Julia Scullion, social environmental responsibility coordinator at Copernicus. The land is currently home to threatened species such as the bobolink songbird and the monarch butterfly. Officials say they can rest assured knowing their habitat will be protected regardless of who owns the property in the future. Since 1989, Copernicus Educational Products has been a leading North American designer and manufacturer of classroom furniture and technology solutions.
Culture Days events planned in Minto MINTO – The Town of Minto has a wide range of activities planned for Culture Days, Sept. 27 to 29. Culture Days, a national annual event, encourages citizens to explore, discover and participate in arts and culture through free, hands-
on, interactive activities that take them behind the scenes to discover the world of local artists, creators, historians, architects, curators and designers. In Minto activities begin on Sept. 27, with various SEE EVENTS » 2
Youth engagement, transit, food economy covered at economic development gathering MOOREFIELD – Youth engagement, public transportation and progress on a circular food economy were among the topics on the agenda for a northern Wellington economic development meeting here on Sept. 18. Municipal council members, staff and business community representatives from Mapleton, Minto and Wellington North attended the gathering at the Maryborough Community Centre. Municipal Youth Intern Erin Raftis, who spent the a conducting summer research and outreach program aimed at underserviced youth in north Wellington,
provided an update on the project via video presentation. The initiative was funded through a grant from the Rural Ontario Institute’s new Municipal Internship Program, designed to encourage municipalities to facilitate more youth engagement across rural Ontario. “This project intended to research youth as an extremely important sector within our communities as they are our future leaders and vital to the longevity and long-term success of our municipalities,” Raftis stated in the report. Over the course of the summer Raftis identified and connected with youth aged 13 to 19, including a focus
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on those currently heavily involved in community clubs or organizations. Initiatives included: - connecting with local youth via social media, interviews, presentations and local events; - a series of articles provided to local media spotlighting north Wellington youth doing positive things; and - compilation of a list of resources available to local youth in the communities. Conclusions included a determination that youth up to 15 feel fairly well served within the community, while those 15 and up feel there are fewer activities and opportunities available to them. Raftis suggested initiat-
ing activities aimed at people in that older age group and using the term “youth adult” to describe them, as many don’t feel the term “youth” applies to them. The report indicated young people would like to see more spaces where they feel comfortable “hanging out” with friends and more recreational and sporting opportunities targeted directly at their demographic. A detailed report containing survey findings and conclusions was provided to the three municipalities for use in crafting a strategy to better address youth needs locally. Minto economic development and business manager Belinda Wick-Graham noted
WEEKLY WAG
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By Patrick Raftis
“I don’t want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them their job.” - Samuel Goldwyn
Minto and Wellington North are both budgeting for youth initiatives and expressed hope Mapleton would also continue participating. “Where do we go from here?” she asked. “We do need a youth strategy … There’s been a lot of great work that’s been done - we want to carry that on.” Ride Well Wellington County economic development officer James Vaclavek provided an update on Ride Well, Wellington County’s new transit service. On Oct. 1 the county is launching a demand-based, public transit service available to all local residents. The five-year pilot, funded by the provincial government,
uses a “rideshare” model of operation. The county has partnered with a technology company (RideCo) to provide on-demand shared rides aimed at ensuring as many people with as few vehicles possible are getting to their destinations in a reliable way. It provides an alternative option to owning and using a personal vehicle in a rural setting. By using Ride Well, “individuals can book a ride through a technological interface, much like Uber and travel anywhere within Wellington County,” said Vaclavek. He explained that initially four dedicated drivers and vehicles will be utilized, with SEE NORTH » 3
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