SERVING THE MAPLETON COMMUNITY
THE
COMMUNITY NEWS VOLUME 50 ISSUE 45
DRAYTON, ONTARIO
1 Year GIC - 2.30% 3 Year GIC - 2.50% 5 Year GIC - 3.00% Daily Interest 2.25%*
638-3328
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017
www.jackfinancial.ca
Population increase drives township insurance rate rise By Patrick Raftis
Memorial tree planting effort kicks off in Mapleton Special planting - An official tree planting and dedication ceremony was held for the Paul Day Forest on Nov. 4. A total of 10,000 trees are to be planted in Mapleton Township, one for each resident, as part of a Canada 150th legacy project in memory of Day. Volunteers and members of the Trees for Mapleton committee will plant the area surrounding Mapleton’s soccer fields and river trails with 35 different tree species native to the area. Two trees originally planted at the Day farm in Goldstone by Paul Day will also be moved to the site. ABOVE: Those at the official planting included, from left: County of Wellington Green Legacy tree nursery manager Rob Johnson, Trees for Mapleton committee member Liz Samis, Yvonne Day, Trees for Mapleton member Bob Burke, Mapleton Mayor Neil Driscoll, Trees for Mapleton member Bruce Whale and Grand River Conservation Authority forestry specialist Meghan Clay. RIGHT: Burke and Samis unveiled a temporary plaque dedicated to the memory of Paul Day of Goldstone. The plaque’s inscription says “The W. Paul Day Forest - A Living Legacy honouring Paul (1941-2016) and his vision and passion to create a more sustainable environment in Mapleton by planting the right trees, in the right places.” Photos by Caroline Sealey Additional photo on page 4.
MAPLETON – An increase in population means a rise in insurance rates for the township. Dave Campbell of Brown Insurance Brokers and Steve Smith, regional manager of the Frank Cowan Company, presented renewal information on the township’s insurance policy at the Oct. 24 Mapleton council meeting. Smith advised council the township’s premiums would be rising by a little over 2.5 per cent in 2018. “The biggest increase is in liability and liability is driven by population,” Smith explained, noting Mapleton’s population is up “a little more than five per cent” since the last census. The 2016 census data pegs Mapleton’s population at 10,527, up 5.4% from 9,989 in 2011. “More population means more access to your roads, more access to your facilities, more access to your sidewalks, so we have a rating structure based on population,” said Smith. Mayor Neil Driscoll suggested Mapleton should be considered for an exception due to its substantial Mennonite population. “A good portion of our population doesn’t believe in the court system or suing,
which I think we’re fortunate to have people that way still in 2017,” said Driscoll. “And so, honestly, I think it’s a little bit unfair that we would have our premiums increased because one third of our population has that belief that they don’t go to court and don’t have issues with suing the municipality.” “That’s one way of looking at it,” Smith responded. “It’s a situation that our rates have to have some determining factors to provide exposure related to premiums, so the more people that are in your municipality the more people that drive through your municipality, the more people that use your facilities, the more potential for litigation to occur.” Smith pointed out, “We’re in a very litigious society where lawyers are advertising, ‘We don’t get paid until you get paid - you bring on the action we’ll do whatever it will cost.’ So we are seeing an increase in litigation.” Smith noted Mapleton is fortunate in that “liability in your municipality has not been affected by lawsuits. “Your liability loss ratio is excellent … but there has to be some rating structure.” The township’s premium for 2018 will be $214,499, an increase of $5,599 over the 2017 premium of $208,900.
Challenges, opportunities focus of north Wellington joint economic development meeting By Caroline Sealey DRAYTON - Mapleton Township hosted a joint economic development meeting on Nov. 1, with representatives from Minto, Wellington North, Wellington County and Mapleton attending. Exploring changes, challenges and opportunities for rural economic development and the agribusiness sector through the lens of Doug Griffith’s book 13 Ways to Kill Your Community was the focus of each of the four speakers’ presentations. Guest speaker Dirk Dekker of Country Bait, located in Moorefield, spoke on the topic of immigrants and newcomers from the perspective of local agribusiness
and breaking into the international market. Dekker, one of eight children, was raised on a dairy farm in Holland. Forty years ago he took advantage of an opportunity to live and work on a dairy farm in Canada. “Canada had a good reputation as a land of opportunity and for the role it played in the Liberation of Holland during World War two,” Dekker said. “I fell in love with Canada and with a girl, went back to Holland to start the immigration process and then came back to Maryborough Township. The Canadian government gave me $40 to get started.” One year later, Dekker married the girl and the
NOW SHOWING
THE GLASS CASTLE
Friday and Saturday 8pm & Sunday 7pm RATED 14A & 127 MINUTES
BIG FILM FEST: Nov 20 at 7:15pm featuring “The Sense of An Ending” $10
MAIN ST. W. PALMERSTON 519.343.3640 www.norgantheatre.com
house the couple was to live in was deemed uninhabitable. With help from volunteers in the area and an eight per cent interest loan, the couple soon moved into the home and began a hog farming operation. “The community spirit that I saw when last year’s Syrian refugees were welcomed as newcomers to Canada is the same spirit that I saw when I immigrated to Canada,” Dekker said. “It’s good to see that the same spirit is still alive today.” When interest rates soared into the high 20s and income from hot farming was unstable, the Dekker’s looked at other options. Dekker and his wife Teresa picked dew worms
‘‘
off their front lawn and sold them to an elderly gentleman in Arthur. Looking to retire, the gentleman and Dekker worked out a schedule of free labour between the two with Dekker eventually purchasing the worm business. Gleaning support from established business contacts in the United States, Dekker moved the business to his farm. Six Vietnamese worm pickers from Kitchener were hired. Over 100 pickers from Toronto, Hamilton and London pick worms for the company. The company’s growth included the purchase of a worm and bait business. The Dekkers’ son Ryan SEE MAPLETON » 3
WEEKLY WAG
“If you think education is expensive, wait until you see how much ignorance costs in the 21st century.” - Barack Obama
‘‘
Farm family - Dirk Dekker of Country Bait, Moorefield was one of the guest speakers at the northern Wellington joint economic development meeting hosted by Mapleton Township on Nov. 1. Representatives from Minto, Wellington North, Wellington County and Mapleton attended the event. Dekker spoke on breaking into the international market. From left: Teresa, Dirk, Ryan and Amber Dekker. Photo by Caroline Sealey
BILL’S
PAINT and COLLISION Specializing in... Collision and Complete Re-Finishing, One Mile East of Moorefield.
519 638-2048