CommunityNews N O R T H
W E L L I N G T O N
Volume 53 Issue 09
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Education at issue - Education workers were picketing in Palmerston on Feb. 21 as part of withdrawal of services at all publicly-funded schools in the province. The four major unions representing Ontario educators staged a one-day strike across the province. This is the first such joint strike since 1997, according to a union press release. All schools in Wellington County were closed on Feb. 21. All Upper Grand and Wellington Catholic District School Board schools are also scheduled to be closed on Feb. 28 as education workers represented by OSSTF will be striking. The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association has cancelled rotating strikes for the week of Feb. 24 to 28 as the union continues to negotiate with the province. No other strikes were announced by press time. Photos by Patrick Raftis
Mapleton taking deeper look at vacant commercial building taxes JAIME MYSLIK REPORTER DRAYTON – Mapleton staff has been directed to investigate alternative solutions to discourage specific commercial buildings from being vacant. The resolution was passed at the Feb. 11 council meeting in response to a notice of motion brought forward by councillor Marlene Ottens on Jan. 28. “The motivation behind
this is because we have a few commercial properties that have been empty for quite some time MARLENE and I know OTTENS we stopped giving a tax discount at some point, but it doesn’t seem to have encouraged them to rent it out,” Ottens said. “So I feel like maybe we
need to do it in the opposite direction and maybe if the taxes go up every year that they’re vacant then maybe that will make them a little bit more proactive in renting them out.” She added, “Because it’s a blight on our downtown to just have vacant properties, especially when you do hear through the grapevine, whether it’s true or not, that people have made inquiries and are turned down. “I don’t want these to SEE COUNCIL » 11
Wellington North council received $111,563 in 2019 compensation MIKE ROBINSON REPORTER KENILWORTH - Wellington North council was paid over $111,563 in remuneration and expenses last year. The report received by council on Feb. 24 indicates the amount is down from the $113,000 in 2018. Mayor Andy Lennox received $27,256 in annual pay plus $1,743 in benefits, $0 for conventions and seminars, $463 for telephone and inter-
net, and $720 in travel expenses, for a total of $30,183. Councillor Sherry Burke received $17,161 in salary, $1,031 in benefits, $1,189 for conventions and seminars, $1,164 for telephone and internet, and $720 in travel expenses, for a total of $21,266. Councillor Lisa Hern received $17,161 in salary, $1,031 in benefits, $0 for conventions and seminars, $991 for telephone and internet, and $720 in travel expenses, for a
total of $19,904. Councillor Steve McCabe received $17,161 in salary, $1,031 in benefits, $0 for conventions and seminars, $1,091 for telephone and internet, and $720 in travel expenses, for a total of 20,004. Councillor Dan Yake received $17,161 in salary, $1,031 in benefits, $0 for conventions and seminars, $1,290 for telephone and internet, and $720 in travel expenses, for a total of $20,204.
Arthur teen seeing success in acting career JAIME MYSLIK REPORTER CENTRE WELLINGTON – An Arthur teen is making a name for herself in the acting industry. Madison Brydges, 15, has already appeared in high profile films and TV shows, including Flatliners and Big Top Academy. This year, her latest project, Grand Army, will be released on Netflix. The teen began acting when she was just six years old. “At first my parents noticed how much I liked being in front of people, how much I liked doing all that stuff,” she said. “Plus because I was just so busy and I always wanted to do something different or something new, and then I tried acting and funny enough the first job I ever got was a Polly Pocket commercial and that was so much fun.” From there she landed a short film and a few other commercials. “I did many auditions because I actually loved the entire experience of being on camera, getting all my makeup done; I got so excited,” Brydges said. And then she got the role of Tessa on Flatliners. Released in 2017, the science fiction psychological horror film follows five medical students who attempt experiments that produce near-death experiences. She got to “meet all those amazing people like Ellen Page, Nina Dobrev,
Actress - Madison Brydges of Arthur has already had a successful acting career in her 15 years. Here she is with her horse Scarlett at Travis Hall Equestrian Centre in Centre Wellington. Photo by Jaime Myslik Michael Douglas (producer), all those people were really, really, influential at that point,” Brydges said. “So definitely that was a huge step up.” From there she landed a spot on Big Top Academy, a series about an extraordinary group of youth at a circus boarding school. The audition
process took about two years. After she first auditioned she was told there wasn’t enough budget to continue. Then, the show called back a couple months later and she completed more auditions, only to be brought to Toronto, where she learned some circus tricks and lines and then she
was told once again that the show wasn’t happening. A couple months later, Big Top Academy was back and Brydges was one of 30 people the producers chose to audition, from over 10,000 options. So, Brydges travelled to Montreal for a final audition where show officials chose the final eight actors. “They did the same thing,” Brydges said. “Made us all do circus tricks, taught us all these things, made us do scenes.” At this point the actors knew which parts they were auditioning for. “All of these kids, I am not even kidding, were literally so talented,” she said. “It was definitely really, really intimidating.” However, it looked like Brydges was the only person auditioning for April, the part she was eventually offered. There were over 800 girls who originally auditioned for the part. “So I kind of got excited a bit because I just saw my name, but I wasn’t sure because I saw all these people acting and I did so many scenes with them,” she said. “I’m like ‘these are really good actors.’” A couple of weeks later she learned she got the part. “I got really excited and then as soon as I knew it, we were packing up and moving to a small condo in Montreal,” she said. She moved with her mother while her father remained in Ontario to work. That meant Brydges spent her
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Grade 8 year away from her friends and classmates. “It did suck a little bit but every single day I’d talk to my friends, I’d Facetime them at lunch, or try to contact them,” she said. At that point the elementary school senior had to juggle school work on Google classroom, training, learning weekly performances and learning lines. The cast was taught by Cirque du Soleil artists. “So it was crazy but it was super fun at the same time,” Brydges said. “And very tiring.” Over 14 months, from August 2017 to October 2018, Big Top Academy filmed 52 episodes. “What a future that girl has,” said Leila Basen, one of the show’s creators and writers wrote on Facebook. “So multi-talented and such a big heart. “You start off with a sketch for a character and then you find the actor like Maddie and you begin to dream in colour.” Brydges said it was a big jump then from the circus and magical kid show to Grand Army. She went from playing an 11-year-old to playing a 14- to 15-year-old. “That was the first time I ever played my actual age,” she said. “I am just loving how I realize how different things can be and how much I’ve actually grown from doing Big Top Academy, working with all these amazing kids to going up to working SEE LOCAL YOUTH » 11