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COMMUNITY NEWS VOLUME 51 ISSUE 44
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018
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Bridge confident province will deliver on rural broadband funds By Patrick Raftis GUELPH – Ontario’s new Progressive Conservative government has slowed momentum on a project to bring high speed internet to rural areas in this region. However the chair of Wellington County’s economic development committee (EDC) is confident funding will come through and the project will proceed. The Southwester n Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) project aims to expand access to broadband internet by delivering fibre optic coverage to over 350 communities with a total population of 3.5 million across western Ontario, as well as Caledon and Niagara. Wellington County council agreed in 2015 to provide $1-million over five years to the SWIFT plan, which was initiated by the Western Ontario Warden’s Caucus (WOWC) and involves 14 counties and 10 separated municipalities. The federal and provin-
Party in Alma - Pigs n Rigs is a new event for 2018 for the Alma Bible Church Ministry Weekend. The community was invited for a free dinner with music provided by Stand Firm and the opportunity to explore the rigs on display, including farm tractors, a police cruiser, an Ayr Coach Lines bus, and Whitelaw Transportation transport truck. ABOVE: Seth and John Greenway of Fergus explore one of the John Deere tractors on display. RIGHT: Kevin Shantz, left, and Verden Martin carve the roasted pig. Photos by Jennifer Goertzen Additional photo on page 4
cial governments each agreed in 2016 to provide $90 million toward the project. EDC chair councillor GEORGE BRIDGE George Bridge, who represents Wellington on the WOWC, was asked to provide a status report on Oct. 25 by councillor Alan Alls, who said the topic “came up a lot” during the recent municipal election campaign. “Actually, with the new government, it’s delayed (a) little bit, but we’re getting close,” said Bridge. “We already have one project in the works down by ChathamKent … and we’re supposed to be getting our final business plan approved by the government in the next few weeks and once we get that then we can roll it out.” Bridge said he also heard about the issue on the campaign trail, including from a young participant in a mock election held at Palmerston
Public School. Bridge said a Grade 5 student told him after the event, “‘I voted for you, Mr. mayor, because you’re going to bring high speed internet out to me in the country.’” Bridge stated, “The new government slowed it down a bit, but they’re getting the picture and I think we’re going to be getting it done.” Asked in an interview after the meeting if there was any chance the provincial funding would be cancelled or reduced by the new government, which has already cancelled a number of initiatives approved by the previous Liberal regime, Bridge said he is confident that won’t happen. “No. They’re not reconsidering it … That money is already approved,” said Bridge, pointing out the project, like all spending, was part of a “line by line” review of the province’s finances conducted after the Conservatives took office. “We’re trying to move it SEE BROADBAND » 3
Love and time key ingredients to foster parenting formula DRAYTON – Through a decade of foster parenting, Drayton residents Fran and Andy Turner have provided a loving home environment to an amazing total of 24 children. “It’s been an exciting 10 years. We’ve seen lots of kids, we’ve adopted twice … I don’t think we imagined our life this way 10 years ago,” said Fran during an Oct. 19 interview. The previous evening she attended an appreciation event for area foster parents hosted by Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County (FCSGW). Kirk Jenkins, of FCSGW’s Foster and Adoption Team, said in an email statement the Turners “have been very active foster parents and have provided a warm, nurturing, and safe home to many children in need over their 10 years of fostering.” Fran said the couple first got involved in foster parent-
ing through friends in the program. “We had friends that did relief and that kind of sparked our interest. But I think the main thing was, we’ve always enjoyed kids,” she stated. Through their church, the Turners have been involved with mission trips to assist at orphanages in Peru, with Andy participating in such trips three times and Fran involved in 10. “It kind of got us thinking, ‘What could we do here to help out the kids?’ So it was a good fit,” Andy said. The Turners had three children, the oldest in Grade 8, when they initiated the process to become foster parents. “The first step is to call in to the agency and they will direct you to those that are handling recruiting,” Fran explained. “You go through a home study. It’s really indepth. They really need to know you and know your past, and know your struggles and your strengths.” She added, “Just because
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Dedicated foster parents - Andy and Fran Turner of Drayton were honoured for 10 years of fostering at the Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County Fostering, Adoption and Kin Appreciation Event on Oct. 18 at Ariss Valley Golf and Country Club. From left: Executive director, foster parents, Sheila Markle; Andy and Fran Turner; and foster and adoption supervisor Mitch Snip. Submitted photo you have struggles, doesn’t mean you can’t be a foster parent. Everybody has struggles, right?” Successful applicants are provided with an 11-week training course and assigned a worker by FCSGW before
taking in children. Since becoming foster parents, the Turners have welcomed two dozen children into their home. That included children who stayed only a few days on relief visits from other foster homes,
WEEKLY WAG
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By Patrick Raftis
“Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.” - Charles R. Swindoll
or for emergency care before being assigned a longer-term foster placement. “Some were pretty brief,” said Andy. “Others have not left,” added Fran. While foster parents are
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allowed to host no more than three children at once, the Turners have had as many as seven children in their home simultaneously, including four of their own. Providing foster care comes with both rewards and challenges, the Turners explain. “The rewarding part is when a child goes to their forever home - whether it’s an adoption, a kin, back home because every child has a different success in their story,” said Fran. “When you see a child face their challenges, because they come with challenges, … When you see progress … that they’re moving forwards not backwards, that’s really exciting.” Andy explained, “Each one comes here with a different set of circumstances and different either health issues or abandonment issues or … mental health issues; the challenge is kind of navigating through that, learning what works for each child.” Another challenge, notes SEE LOCAL FOSTER » 4
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