The Chatham Voice, April 11, 2024

Landfill battle continues

By Pam Wright Local Journalism Initiative pamwrightlji@gmail.com

Dresden’s David and Goliath fight against the proposed York1 landfill project continues to gather steam.

In a strong show of support, some 278 people turned up at the first Dresden Citizens Against Reckless Environmental Disposal (CARED) public meeting held at the Old Czech Hall April 4. A Power Point summary by Dresden CARED ex-

ecutive members Wendy Vercauteren and Martha Fehr outlined the process to date. Both emphasized that the legal battle against York1 will be complicated and expensive. The public meeting is the latest development in the backlash against York1 Waste Management Solutions’ proposed development on Irish School Road, which came to light at the end of January. The GTA-based company is looking to resurrect a dormant landfill to receive and repurpose demolition

waste with plans to build a new regenerative recycling facility on the site.

“We’re

“We’re going up against a big corporation but there’s strength in numbers.”

- Rashin Alizadeh-Dimeski

giving you all the info we have so you can make your own decisions,” Fehr told the crowd.

The meeting also saw residents ask questions and suggest ways Dresden CARED can best move forward.

Volunteers were also on hand to help people sub-

mit comments to the Environmental Registry of Ontario letting the Ford government know they oppose the project.

Pins and signs reading “Our History, Our Home, Not a Dumping Zone” were on sale as well. Donations were also being accepted.

Rashin Alizadeh-Dimeski was among those who showed up to offer support. The Chatham resident stressed that other communities, such as Kingston, have successfully stopped landfill projects through

On behalf of the “Friends of Chatham Gathering” 2024, we would like to thank the individuals and the community for the success of another Hospice event.

Special thanks go to Julie Dorner & Kim Toulouse for putting on a delicious meal of pulled pork and donating 100% of the proceeds ($300). Other special thanks go to the KBD Club (Fred Dierickx) for hosting the venue and Chris Bird for supplying all the fabulous entertainment. Once again the community has shown their support through the generous donations that were used to raise money through door prizes. Thank You: QPS Heating and Cooling, Denomy’s Audio, Red Barn, Auto Tech, FX Display, Pete Baert, Pie-Zano’s, Industry Salon, Pizzazz Flowers, What’s 4 Dinner, Molson Labatts, Brenda Hastings, Ken & Rose Day, C.U.P.E. Local 12, Dodi Summerfield, Retro Suites Hotel, Charlene Marchand, FGI Fort Garry Industries, Schinkels Gourmet Meats, McNaughton Ave Pharmacy, Kim Toulouse & Julie Dorner, Gold’s, Wosley, KBD Hall, 401 Mack, Rubies Inc., BAJA Café, Ross Farms, Dover Auto, Mike’s Place, Peavey Mart, All Canadian, Honda House, Original 2 Pizzas, Camithorn Farms, Frick’s Fish & Chips, M&M Food Market, Augie’s Barber Shop, Sarah’s Farm Market, Back Yard Iron Works, Great Canadian Oil Change, Chilled Cork Restaurant and Lounge, Autolive, Crazy Carpet, Honda House, Scott Stanley, Charlie’s Place, Mike’s Car Toys, Valet Car Wash, Paincourt Market, Dempsters Bread, Konstantino Pizza, Dave & Pam Carey, Preferred Transport, Waddicks Fuel - Petro, Riverside Restaurant, Valvoline Express Care, APC Auto Parts Centres, Real Canadian Super Store, Field of Dreams (Matt Smyth), Lenover’s Family Meat Market, Hidden Hills Golf & Country Club.

a concerted group effort.

“We’re going up against a big corporation but there’s strength in numbers,” Alizadeh-Dimeski said to applause.

North Kent municipal councillors Jamie McGrail and Rhonda Jubenville were both in attendance, as were three of the candidates vying to represent Lambton-Kent Middlesex at Queen’s Park in the coming by-election.

McGrail, a representative of Rural Ontario Municipal Association Zone 1, said the Dresden landfill is on the organization’s radar.

“Everybody is watching, especially in northern Ontario,” McGrail said.

Located just a kilometre north of town, the York1 project would run 24/7 with as many as 700

trucks coming to the site daily. The company has three applications before the province, which if approved, would allow the input of 6,000 tonnes of waste every day. A wastewater system would also be constructed, potentially threatening the sensitive Sydenham River watershed.

Chatham-Kent, the Dawn-Euphemia and Lambton County are all strongly opposed, as are Environmental Defence Canada and the Sydenham Field Naturalists. As a result of public pressure, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Andrea Khanjin has stated that an environmental assessment will be conducted on the York1 proposal.

Continued on page 3

Luce Cools would like to give his thanks to everyone who took the time to recently send their congratulations to celebrate his 60 year milestone as a local salesman in the car industry. Whether they reached out with a visit, called or sent a message, he’s enjoyed sharing special memories over the last few days with his friends and clients, some who have spanned over decades and even generations. Special thanks to Adam Lally from the Lally Group, Mike Hogue and his entire Chatham Chrysler family for making this anniversary one to remember for years to come.

Still time to let province hear your views

Continued from page 2

The MECP is currently accepting public comment on the proposed assessment.

While that’s being viewed as a win, buying the community some time, opponents say it isn’t enough.

“We’ve already pushed this off for a minimum of three years when their plan originally was to have a start date of 2025,” said Dresden resident Jake Sayer. “We’ve won the first step, but we’ve gotta keep going. We can’t stop; we’ve got to make sure we continue to do our research on this.”

New Blue Party candidate Dr.

Keith Benn didn’t mince words in his comments to the crowd.

“Never assume that the government bureaucracy is going to do what’s right,” he said. “We’ve got to put their feet to the fire. It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”

East Kent Coun. Steve Pinsonneault, who is running for the Progressive Conservatives, assured the gathering that the province is listening.

“Keep up doing everything you are doing because you are doing it right,” the Thamesville resident stated. “You won the first round. This is an unfair landfill and I don’t support

it and I won’t support it.”

In her comments, NDP candidate Kathryn Shailer said the landfill is a provincial matter, adding it’s within the province’s power to shut down the project at any time.

“But they haven’t done that,” Shailer stressed.

Dresden CARED is putting on a second public meeting at the Ken Houston Memorial Agriculture Centre April 11, beginning at 6 p.m.

More information can

Pam Wright/The Chatham Voice

Rhonda Hodges asks a question at the Dresden Citizens Against Reckless Environmental Disposal public meeting regarding the York1 landfill expansion April 4. A second public meeting is planned on April 11 at the Ken Houston Memorial Agriculture Centre.

Top Sunshine listers strain public: CTF says

By Pam Wright Local Journalism Initiative pamwrightlji@gmail.com

High municipal wages in small communities puts a hefty burden on taxpayers, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

That’s what Ontario director Jay Goldberg said about the paycheques of folks leading the way on what’s known as the Ontario Sunshine List. Under the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, wages in the public sector for organizations, including municipalities, school boards, colleges and hospitals, for those earning $100,000 a year and up must be publicly disclosed.

Based on data compiled on the Ontario Sunshine List website – an independent non-government agency – 319 Chatham-Kent municipal employees were on the list for 2023 with overall wages totaling more than $41 million. Approximately a third of the cost is related to policing, with 57 Chatham-Kent Fire & Rescue employees cresting the $100,000 mark.

With an annual salary in 2023 of $319,277, C-K Chief Administrative Officer Michael Duben is the highest paid municipal official. Chatham-Kent Police Services Chief Gary Conn is second with a salary of $265,545. Third highest was April Rietdyk, general manager of community human services who earned $244,391 in 2023.

“I think that in a town of that size, that’s an astronomical sum of money,” Goldberg said, noting that when government workers make way more than

the average taxpayer, they tend to be out of sync with the ordinary citizen.

“These folks that are in charge of making policy aren’t really able to be in touch or relate to the day-to-day struggles of people putting food on the table or fuel in the gas tank,” Goldberg said. “They’re more willing to tax and spend.”

High municipal salaries that are on par, or exceed those of bigger municipalities with a much larger tax base, pose a significant challenge in areas with smaller populations such as Chatham-Kent, he added.

Chatham-Kent has another expensive wrinkle. Thomas Kelly, former head of engineering and infrastructure, who was tapped to take on the CAO’s position, earned more than $240,000 in 2023, but didn’t work a single day.

Goldberg called the payment “outrageous.

“It’s unbelievable,” he added. “People are struggling to pay property taxes and these salaries are putting a greater burden on them. Obviously, he must have had this written in a contract.”

Kelly was slated to take over the CAO job following the retirement of long-time CAO Don Shropshire. However, the municipality changed lanes at the last minute and hired Tony Haddad as the interim CAO, prior to Duben coming on full time.

Citing privacy concerns, municipal officials offered no reason as to why Thomas was dropped from the CAO position.

While critics are recommending the Sunshine List threshold should be raised to $150,000 from $100,000 saying it doesn’t reflect current times, Goldberg doesn’t think $100,000 is an unfair benchmark.

“While we know that incomes have changed since 1996, I think we should have maximum transparency,” he stated, noting that some Canadian municipalities disclose the wage of any government employees making more than $60,000.

Outside of municipal

staff, the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance has 333 staff on the Ontario list, while the Lambton Kent District School Board

has 906 employees above the $100,000 mark. The St. Clair Catholic District School Board has 114 people listed.

Chatham Voice image

The salaries of top Chatham-Kent officials stunned the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, who say the wages are putting too much pressure on taxpayers.

Upper managers in civil service – and the people hiring them –are generally tone deaf when it comes to the wages they pocket.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, being tone deaf is “having or showing an obtuse insensitivity or lack of perception particularly in matters of public sentiment, opinion, or taste.”

Opinion

deaf

based on that same 37.5-hour week. It takes him less than 1.3 work days to make what someone on ODSP is provided with for an entire month.

One look at the province’s Public Sector Salary Disclosure list for wages paid out in 2023 underlines just how deaf they are.

Michael Duben, CAO for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent: $319,277.

Gary Conn, chief of the Chatham-Kent Police Service: $265,545.

And then there is Thomas Kelly, a former municipal general manager who was nearly named CAO: $240,746.

Tone deaf is not realizing how the rest of us live, especially those on fixed and limited incomes.

According to provincial figures, a single person on the Ontario Disability Support Program receives up to $1,308 per month “for basic needs and shelter.”

Duben made nearly that – $1,222 – in one day (based on a five-day work week).

For Conn, he made $135.66 per hour,

The most annoying element here is what Kelly is being paid to not work for the municipality. In fact, he hasn’t worked for C-K in more than two years. Once touted as the man to replace Don Shropshire as CAO in November 2021, Kelly was gone by mid-March 2022 and municipal officials didn’t go into details over why. Instead, they kept paying him. And paying him.

Officials say he won’t be on the Sunshine List next year. OK, but that is after he pocketed more than half a million dollars to NOT work for the municipality.

Can taxpayers blame these aforementioned individuals for such largesse? Perhaps to some extent, as they successfully negotiated these salaries.

However, the real people to blame are the folks who agreed to such massive salaries. That falls at the feet of municipal council and the police services board.

And a final note, all the big earners here are paid by we, the taxpayers, out of our much smaller paycheques.

Editor: This is in reply to the March 21 column

“Big-city problems land in Chatham.”

Thanks, Bruce, for your column from several weeks back. Just read it and have a hopefully short response.

Chatham Voice advertising policy

The publisher of this newspaper, CK Media Inc., reserves the right to clarify or refuse any advertisement based on its sole discretion. The publisher reserves the right to reject, discontinue or omit any advertisement without notice or penalty to either party. Liability for errors or non-insertion is limited to the amount paid for the cost of space occupied by the error. Claims of errors must be made prior to the next publication date. A member of:

I can’t speak about the homeless problem here in Chatham-Kent, as it is an issue that goes coast to coast to coast across Canada these days. No one seems to have a perfect answer on how to deal with this long and old issue. Yes, it’s nothing new.

As for teen swarming,

Editor’s note: This letter is addressed to reporter Pam Wright.

We would like to thank you for interviewing Rev. Martin Mwale. The three congregations of Rural United Pastoral Charge appreciate that you talked to him. You presented his thoughts and ideas well.

Your Local Journalism

or as it can be called, “Putting the boots to someone you didn’t like,” that has been going on for as long as I was in school in Cha tham-Kent.

Still, attacks on people for doing nothing more than walking through a local park, on one’s way to work or while shopping downtown isn’t only uncalled for, it can be cause for criminal charges to be laid! Especially attacks on disabled people and the elderly; there is no justification for these attacks.

Thank you for bringing this subject to the attention of your newspapers readers. It is a subject of concern to all who live in C-K. What can be done to solve all the hardship this issue is causing, not just to the homeless, but also to people who have to deal with it at the front or back doors of their homes? It is an issue that many of us wish we had the perfect answer to, but there doesn’t seem to be one at this time.

Frank Doyle Chatham

Initiative in The Chatham Voice helps others to meet Martin and read about his views since coming to Canada from Zambia. As a church, we do many things through our little rural churches in our buildings, in the community and beyond. Your interview helped tell the story. Thanks again for searching for truths in these times of untruth. Real journalism takes time, work and one is often given little thanks for the efforts. It was appreciated.

Barry & Carolyn Fraser Chatham-Kent

Scouts right at home at C.M. Wilson

By Pam Wright Local Journalism Initiative pamwrightlji@gmail.com

A move by Chatham-Kent Scouts No. 19 to the C.M. Wilson Learning Centre is proving to be a perfect fit. Not only does it offer youth a nature-infused space for activities, it’s a golden opportunity for them to give back by reviving the former Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village. The village, home to 17 tiny businesses and services – including a mini-

Tim Hortons – is looking good these days. Thanks to the combined efforts of No. 19’s Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers, the small-scale town that’s used for safety awareness campaigns is making a comeback after falling into disrepair during the pandemic.

Members of the scouting brigade have cleared brush, scrubbed graffiti, repaired broken windows and even installed a new roof on the Main Street Credit Union replica. The LTVCA purchased the materials and with

the Venturers pitched in the elbow grease.

Along with revamping the safety village, youth have also planted trees and cleaned up waterways.

Their hard work has earned the group one of LTVCA’s Volunteer Hero Awards for 2023.

LTVCA chief administrative officer Mark Peacock said the collaboration with the scout group is but one of many successful joint initiatives LTVCA has experienced.

“The reason the conservation authority works

NEW Availability at Park Place Chatham!

Previously 100% occupied, there are new units coming available THIS SPRING at Park Place Chatham!

Don’t miss your opportunity to live in Chatham’s most desirable rental apartment building.

Every suite features granite countertops in the kitchen and bath, in-unit laundry, NO carpets, private balconies, and suitecontrolled thermostats.

PLUS...all utilities are included in the monthly rent. With rents on available units starting at $1,695 they will go fast!

is because we have good partnerships,” Peacock said. “This is a really good example of what people can do to help make the watershed better. The scouts are one of many tenants that are coming in and using the building and grounds.” Mike Dodman, group commissioner for No. 19, said the group moved to the C.M. Wilson Learning Centre during the pandemic as their church hall meeting space closed down. The centre’s main building has a communal meeting room, wash-

rooms and four classroom spaces, making it ideal for Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers to meet.

It’s been a win for the group, Dodman told The Voice, adding the pond at C.M. Wilson provides ample opportunity for water activities and safety.

“We’re avid canoeists and we do a lot of training on the water,” Dodman said. “It’s a good partnership we have with the Lower Thames and we hope it continues.”

Two other Volunteer

Hero Awards were presented at the LTVCA’s annual general meeting earlier this year. The Rotary Satellite Club of Chatham-Kent was also recognized for its efforts in helping revamp the Learning Centre. Longtime Chatham-Kent and Lambton Children’s Water Fest volunteer Gary Eagleson was recognized as a volunteer hero for 16 years of service to the event.

Other 2023 conservation awards were given out at the annual meeting.

Continued on page 8

A symbiotic relationship at C.M. Wilson

Continued from page 7

Chatham-Kent drainage superintendent Blaise Chevalier was acknowledged for his collaborative efforts with the authority in restoring erosion along drains through nature-based solutions and other projects.

As well, Gary and Linda Kalita were given the nod as the most generous landowners for planting 2,000 trees on their property and for their ongoing care and maintenance of the trees.

Other milestones achieved by the LTVCA in 2023 include the planting of more than 71,000

seedlings in the watershed; the restoration of nearly five acres of wetlands; the establishment of close to 40 acres of tallgrass prairie; the planting of 625 large-stock trees in urban areas; the removal of 1,500 lbs. of garbage from the Thames River; the planting of just under 9,000 acres of cover crops; and the engagement of more than 5,000 students in educational programs. The general meeting also saw the re-election of Sarah Emons as chair of the LTVCA board for a second term, with Trevor Thompson and Paul Tiessen elected as vice-chairs.

Chatham-Kent No. 19 Scout leaders Mike and Bill Dodman, Venturers Drake Samson, Fletcher

Ruby

Arcane Reneau, Bee Light and leader Julien Samson pose in front of the new roof on the Main Street Credit Union

the C.M. Wilson Learning Centre. The scouting group, which includes Beavers, Cubs. Scouts and Venturers, has been recognized for its dedication to revamp the site, formerly known as the Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village.

Pam Wright/The Chatham Voice

Samson,

Dodman,

replica at

Marco Acampora* 519-784-4348

Ashley Amato* 519-365-5677

Dane Appleton* 519-436-7195

Kelly-Anne Appleton* 519-365-7155

Sarah Callow* 509-809-5446

Megan Canniff* 226-626-7133

Stephen Carroll* 519-355-9774

Terry Chauvin* 519-437-8498.

Anna-Marie Clark* 519-354-7890

Ron Collins* 519-401-8464

Adam Deseure* 519-350-5787

Lisa Everaert* 519-330-8548

Eric Fitzgerald* 519-436-4865

Michael Gibbons* 519-365-5634

Jeff Godreau* 519-365-4852

Darren Hart* 226-627-8580

Michelle Hetherington 519-401-2635*

Wayne Liddy* 519-436-4810

Janet Ellen Mader* 226-881-0098

Krista Mall* 519-365-7462

June McDougall* 519-358-5199

Sylvia Moffat** 519-355-8189

Ghassan Najjar** 519-355-8668

Heather Najjar** 519-355-8666

Cass Opiela* 519-355-7804

Meg Palin* 226-627-2078

Chris Papple* 519-350-1402

Brian Peifer** 519-436-2669

Elizabeth Peifer* 519-436-8959

Patrick Pinsonneault** 519-360-0141

Chris Polley* 905-903-0505

Scott Poulin* 519-350-5320

Katherine Rankin** 226-542-2964

Deborah Rhodes* 519-401-5470

David Smith* 519-350-1615

Chris Spafford* 519-917-2635

Kate Stenton* 519-436-8377

Ashley

Elliot

Tori

Lisa

maintained bi-level. 4br, 2 bath, open concept, 3 season room. Call Gus or Heather Najjar.

living! 4br, 2 bath, plenty of cabinetry, gas fireplace, boat access. Call Eric Fitzgerald.

Quiet neighbourhood. 4br, 2.5 baths, open concept, close to walking trails. Call Steve Carroll.

Modern raised ranch. 4br, 3 bath, upgraded kitchen, walk in closet. Call Adam Deseure.

Captivating bungalow. 3br, 1 bath, updated, expansive deck. Call Katherine Rankin or Kate Stenton.

Charming ranch. 3br, 1 bath, partially finished basement, corner lot. Call Asley Amato.

Great neighbourhood. 3br, 1.5 bath, full basement, wood burning fireplace. Call Tori WInters.

Mobile home in Southside Estates. 2br, 1 bath, lots of storage. Call Elliot or Ashley Wilton.

Great North side! 3br, 1 bath, bungalow, gazebo, curb appeal. Call David Smith.

Beautiful 4 level. 4br, 2.5 baths, finished lower level with family entertaining room. Call June McDougall.

Cyber update: 69,000 CKHA patients impacted

By Pam Wright Local Journalism Initiative pamwrightlji@gmail.com

The estimated 69,000 Chatham-Kent Health Alliance patients whose information was compromised in last fall’s criminal cyberattack can expect to receive written notification in the mail later this month.

According to CKHA president and CEO Lori Marshall, the bulk of the stolen data mainly involved names, addresses, diagnosis, treatment and

appointment dates, with “very few” Ontario health card numbers compromised.

In an update to the public April 3, Marshall joined four other healthcare leaders from across Southwestern Ontario whose hospitals were impacted by the attack. In conjunction with Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner and the TransForm Shared Service Organization, officials said a review into the Oct. 23 attack that affected some 326,800 pa-

tients is now complete.

Patients who accessed services at more than one hospital should be aware they may receive more than one letter, Marshall told reporters.

Notices will start going out April 8, she added, pinpointing the information that was impacted, as well as a hospital contact number patients can call.

Marshall apologized for the “inconvenience and anxiety” the data breach has caused, noting systems are coming back online and the majority

should be restored by the end of June.

“We deeply regret any distress this has caused,” Marshall said.

The unprecedented cyber-attack saw Sarnia-Lambton’s Bluewater Health heavily impacted, with 82,000 patients affected. Erie Shores Health-

Care saw 102,000 patients impacted and Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and Windsor Regional Hospital saw 46,000 and 27,800 patients impacted respectively.

With the exception of Bluewater Health, electronic medical records were untouched, officials

said, however personal health information stored elsewhere on computer systems was involved, as well as employee information for some of the organizations. All of the affected hospitals will continue to utilize TransForm Shared Services.

Chatham Voice image

The Oct. 23 cyberattack on local health-care institutions exposed an estimated 69,000 Chatham-Kent Health Alliance patients to information theft.

Seasonal care clinic was a hit

By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com

The success of this year’s seasonal care clinic between November and March has local health officials looking at ways to have it return next fall, with some improvements. The clinic operated from the third week of November 2023 until March 8 of this year, run by Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) staff and local paramedics. It was intended to provide care to the public if

they did not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner or could not be seen in a timely manner by a health-care professional during the seasonal surge of cold, flu and respiratory illness.

Caen Suni, vice-president of clinical programs and operations for CKHA, said nearly 1,600 patients utilized the clinic, which was a portable building that was set up adjacent to the emergency department in Chatham.

Of the patients that

utilized the clinic, Suni said nearly 400 provided feedback.

“Ninety-two per cent graded their experience as excellent,” he said. “There was a rapid ability to provide care to patients who needed it.”

Wait times were generally between 30-45 minutes, much lower than a typical wait time for a person with the same symptoms would generally encounter in the

Murder mystery nights await

The Chatham Voice

The Chatham-Kent Public Library is hosting a murder mystery this month.

Attendees take on the roles of eccentric characters that feel like they’re straight out of a 1980s movie. But when a mur-

der occurs, it’s up to guests to figure out whodunit.

Grab your leg warmers and hairspray because this night of intrigue and nostalgia promises to be totally tubular, organizers said in a media release.

Staff at Chatham Branch will be hosting the mur-

emergency department, which Suni said could be anywhere from 3.5 to seven hours.

“We’ve been saving thousands of hours of staff and patient time,” he told The Chatham Voice in early February.

der mystery parties for three nights this month.

The events on April 16 and 30 are for adults aged 18-plus, While April 18 is for teenagers.

To register, people can do so by phone, 519-354-2940; by text 519-401-7174; and via email at cklibrary@ chatham-kent.ca.

The people who operated the clinic will meet to debrief on how the clinic performed and how to make improvements for the future.

Suni said one thing they noticed was that the clinic closed a bit too early.

“The clinic closed on the eve of March Break. We did see a spike in number,” he said of emergency department visits after the seasonal care clinic closed. “There are virtues in extending it past March Break, if possible.”

Contributed image

The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s seasonal care clinic saw nearly 1,600 patients this past cold and flu season. Feedback from users was overwhelmingly positive.

YMCA kicks off fundraising with a bang

Thanks to a pair of major donations, the YMCA of Chatham-Kent’s 2024 annual campaign to raise $100,000 is off to a running start.

A gift of $15,000 from TekSavvy Solutions Inc., and another of $5,000 from Waste Connections of Canada were presented to the agency recently, to kickoff this year’s drive. The money raised helps

the organization achieve its mission of making sure that Y facilities, programs and services are available to everyone – regardless of their ability to pay.

According to a media release from the Y, the agency provided $168,400 in financial assistance in 2023 for health, fitness and aquatic programs, camp programs and services, and child care and school-age programs. That means that 33 per

cent of the membership received some level of support, and with current inflationary pressures, the need is expected to grow.

At the launch, the gathering heard from member Robel A., who shared how important the YMCA is to him and his family.

Robel, who escaped civil war in the Tigray state of Ethiopia as a child, calls the YMCA his “heaven on earth” and a “safe place to heal my heart, mind, body and soul.”

He learned how to swim and attended camp as a youngster and now is back more than a decade

later with his wife and five children, utilizing many programs.

“Now it’s basketball, swimming, working out in the weight room

and enjoying the steam room,” Robel said. “The Y has upgraded our lives as a family. It’s something you must experience personally.”

The Chatham Voice

Contributed image

A gift of $15,000 from TekSavvy Solutions Inc. helped kick off the YMCA of Chatham-Kent’s 2024 annual campaign.

Lavender & Honey

Over 30 Local Artisans 25 King St. E. 226.296.0164

lavender_honey_chatham

(Massage & Foot Reflexology)

Tuina works by applying pressure to acupoints, meridians and groups of muscles or nerves to free the flow of Qi energy throughout the body.

• Lessen stress & tension

• Improve blood circulation

Relax mind and body

Improve quality of sleep

• Reduce fatigue and boost energy • Improve overall physical health

• Relieve muscle pain/sciatica/frozen shoulder

Remove toxic wastes Appointments Monday - Saturday 9am-6pm 18 Witherspoon, Chatham • 519-401-9210

ckboomersonthemove.ca

WHAT IS ANIMAL CRUELTY?

Animal cruelty generally falls into two categories: neglect, or intentional cruelty. Neglect is the failure to provide adequate water, food, shelter, or necessary care. Examples of neglect include: starvation; dehydration; inadequate shelter; parasite infestations; failure to seek veterinary care when an animal is in need of medical attention; allowing a collar to grow into an animal’s skin; confinement without adequate light, ventilation, space or in unsanitary conditions; and failure to trim hoofs or nails resulting in excessive growth (e.g. hoofs curling upwards).

Equally disturbing as neglect is the brutality of intentional cruelty, involving deliberate physical harm or injury inflicted on an animal. Regretfully, cases of animals being beaten, burned, poisoned or stabbed to death are not uncommon. In some cases neglect or cruelty is the result of people using animals as tools for commercial profit, such as in the cases of puppy mills, dog fighting, cock fighting and illegal slaughterhouses. Perpetrators of animal cruelty often portray themselves as kindly animal lovers, making it difficult for people to believe them capable of abuse. From the “friendly” neighbour who mistreats his

1-833-9ANIMAL

Call this number 24/7 if an animal is in distress or being neglected. This includes animals that are injured, in pain, sick, suffering abuse or lack of proper care, water, food or shelter.

If you report an animal that is in distress, being abused or neglected: The Ontario Animal Protection Call Centre will file an incident ticket and connect you with the appropriate local contact. Based on the location and nature of the incident, the call centre may flag the ticket for further investigation with the appropriate authorities, such as a provincial inspector or the local police. After the appropriate authority reviews the incident, they may investigate on-site or involve other authorities as needed. Authorities may contact you directly if they need more information.

pets behind closed doors, to the “respected” community member who operates a puppy mill or substandard zoo – there is no one identifying feature that marks a person as capable of committing such unfathomable crimes. Abuse of any animal is upsetting, not only for the pain and suffering inflicted on the animal, but for the fact that animal abuse is often a precursor to humandirected violence and an indicator of family crisis. Untreated, any type of abuse can escalate.

Fortunately, if people witness animal cruelty and neglect and report it to

organizations with cruelty investigation authority, legal action can be taken.

Federal, provincial and municipal laws all cover animal cruelty.

Animals, particularly household pets, are selfless providers of love and comfort. Those traits are why so many people welcome pets into their lives. Although animals can show their affection in many ways, they are not able to advocate for themselves nor always convey when something is not right, which is why pet owners sometimes have difficulty recognizing when a pet is ill or in pain. They also cannot let the public know when they have been suffering abuse.

They rely on us to watch out for them!

Put a Stop to Animal Abuse

Animal Abuse is against the law, but unfortunately, many cases go undetected every year due to one reason or another. This April please take the time to make the prevention of animal abuse a priority. Do what you can to make a difference in a pet’s life, either through reporting a case of abuse, having a pet spayed or neutered, or finding a home for an abandoned pet.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE ANIMAL CRUELTY: Look for these common signs of neglect or intentional cruelty and report it:

• Wounds on the body.

• Severely overgrown nails (often curling under) or hooves (often curling upwards).

• Patches of missing hair.

• Extremely thin, starving animals with ribs or backbone protruding.

• Infected eyes that have been left untreated.

• Limping.

• Animals who are repeatedly left alone without food and water. Often they are chained up in a yard.

• Animals who have been hit by cars and have not received veterinary attention.

• Animals who are kept outside without shelter in extreme weather conditions.

• Tropical birds especially cannot tolerate cold temperatures.

• An owner kicking, hitting or physically abusing an animal.

• Animals who cower fearfully or act aggressively when their owners approach.

• Severe flea or tick infestations left untreated.

• Animals left in a car on a hot or cold day.

• Animals crammed into tiny cages in overcrowded conditions.

• Abandonment (often when pet owners move or by unprofitable farmers).

• Reptiles with dull, darkened skin, tremors, gaping mouth and excessive saliva, or experiencing difficulty climbing.

• Aquatic and amphibious creatures kept in tanks with murky water.

• Illegal trapping of wild animals or animals left for extended periods in traps.

• Excessive scratching of the head area, shaking of the head and dirt or discharge in ears indicative of a possible ear infection.

• Chronic diarrhea or vomiting.

• Animals kept in dirty conditions including being forced to stand in their own urine and excrement.

• Swellings, such as tumors or abscesses, left untreated.

• Rabbits with a severe head tilt.

• Slaughter by untrained individuals.

Teams continue to Play it 4Ward

The Chatham Voice

In a win-win situation, a group of Chatham-Kent women continue to have fun and give back to the community.

The Play it 4Ward CK league recently completed its fall-winter season of mixed sports, and capped it off by having raised more than $10,000 to various charities since the league’s inception in 2019. A total of 17 local charities have benefited from $10,410.50 from the women’s efforts.

go head to head in a different sport each week, and based on their wins for the night, are allotted a certain number of dollars towards that teams charity.

The league consists of approximately 40 players who are re-drafted to a different captain/team each week. The four teams

The dollars come from the $100 membership fee each player pays to play in the league, as well as donations from local businesses that sponsor a

specific night or activity, leveraging the amount of dollars the teams are able to give towards their charities.

The sports that are played range from your typical sports such as volleyball and basketball, but also include gym-class activities like dodgeball, soccer baseball, and floor hockey.

Matteo is a Hero – a fund supporting a local boy who has been diagnosed with brain cancer – received nearly $830 this year, while the Chatham-Kent Student Nutrition program came in second with more than $741 raised.

Other charities to benefit include the Alzheimer’s

Society of Chatham-Kent, and A.L.L. for Kids.

The league has also raised funds and donated material items to help with local emergent causes, like supporting families through unforeseen health emergencies, house fires, etc.

The league runs for six months at a time.

Honouring those who give back to C-K

Two-dozen Chatham-Kent residents are being honoured by the municipality for giving back to the community. The recognition is part of the second annual Community Recognition Awards.

Mayor Darrin Canniff expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative recently. “Volunteers are the heartbeat of our community, and their contributions are invaluable. The Community Recognition Awards provide a platform to acknowledge and celebrate their tireless ef-

forts,” he said in a media release

CN Railway sponsors the awards. Daniel Salvatore, manager of public affairs for Ontario and Atlantic Canada echoed Cannif’s sentiment.

“As a company deeply rooted in the communities we serve, CN Rail-

way is proud to support the Community Recognition Awards and recognize the outstanding contributions of our local volunteers,” he said. The awards ceremony is to be live streamed on April 24.

Included on the list of recipients are a former

municipal councillor, a radio station owner, and a host of dedicated volunteers.

They include Mark Authier, Crystal Bilinski, Susan Thiessan, JP and Catriona Huggins, Cindy Brewer, Joe Pinsonneault, Dave Cameron, Virginia Smith, Brian

Armitage, Henry Van Haren, Bruce Warwick, Walter Tomaszewski, Geri Ann Hughson, Tim Haskell, Heather Belley, Frank Parker, Christine Knights, Rafi Veettil, Peggy Pankrac, Greg Hetherington, Colin Poole, Michael Wright, and Lynda Weese.

The Chatham Voice

By-election set for May 2 for L-K-M

The Chatham Voice

The Ford government recently announced by-election dates for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex and Milton electoral districts.

In L-K-M, the riding has been without an MPP since Monte McNaughton stepped away from politics to take a job in the private sector last fall.

Rumours swirled since early January as to when the by-election would be called. The writ dropped April 3 and voting day will be May 2.

Five parties have announced candidates. Steve Pinsonneault will run for the Progressive Conservatives, Kathryn Shailer is the NDP candidate, Cathy

Burghardt-Jesson will run for the Liberals, Keith Benn represents the New Blue Party, and Andraena Tilgner will be on the ballot for the Green Party.

Our questions to the L-K-M candidates

The Chatham Voice

Why are you running to represent the riding of L-K-M?

I am very pleased to be running in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, which includes my hometown of Wallaceburg where my family has deep roots. As your MPP, I will gladly represent and defend the interests of the people of L-K-M at Queen’s Park. I will also act keenly as the “tip of the spear” for a much-needed return to smaller, more efficient government, based on the principles of common-sense conservatism that are ignored by the other parties.

I recognize the need to defend the people of L-K-M and Ontario against the reckless waste of our taxpayers’ dollars that has been all too common under several previous governments.

What are the biggest issues facing the riding?

Right now, there are two very pressing issues specific to L-K-M. First, we must push for investigations of potential health hazards caused by industrial wind turbine complexes that appear to have interfered with domestic water supplies in rural Chatham-Kent.

Second, we need to prevent further environmental and social hazards that might arise from ill-conceived projects such as (but not limited to) the proposed landfill and recycling facility near Dresden.

Other very important issues facing L-K-M, as well as the whole of Ontario, include the quality of primary-through-secondary education and the proper management, delivery and funding of health care.

Regarding the funding of health care, I suggest the Government of Ontario should insist on directly collecting a larger portion of the income taxes from within our province, rather than having those tax dollars laundered through Ottawa.

Continued on page 18

Why are you running to represent the riding of L-K-M?

I am running to represent L-K-M in Queen’s Park because I love my community and what I do as the mayor of Lucan Biddulph and as the former warden of Middlesex County.

It is an honour to take this next step and run in this provincial by-election so that I can continue to be of service to a larger region.

I am proud of who we are, and I know the challenges local municipalities face, and how to get more value for all of us from our biggest partner, the provincial government. I know that residents do not feel represented by this government. My track record shows that I do the hard work of representing the voices of our community. That is why I am running as your Ontario Liberal candidate.

What are the biggest issues facing the riding?

The increasing costs the Ontario provincial government is downloading onto municipalities is a serious issue that worries me.

Municipal governments have a handful of tools to take on service deficits and delivery.

Continued on page 18

Why are you running to represent the riding of L-K-M?

With 17 years as a municipal councillor, 26 years as a business owner, and 32 years as a volunteer firefighter, I have extensive experience with our region’s infrastructure, cost of living, housing, and homelessness issues. My work with local service clubs also underscores my commitment to community improvement. This background has prepared me to be a strong voice for the residents of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex in Queen’s Park.

What are the biggest issues facing the riding?

The cost of living – housing heating, groceries, and fuel – is a primary concern. Our strategy to improve housing affordability involves cutting red tape to enable the construction of 1.5 million new homes. Additionally, we are challenging the federal carbon tax to lower expenses for groceries, home heating, and transportation.

Continued on page 20

Why are you running to represent the riding of L-K-M?

Life has become much tougher for the residents of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex over the nearly six years since the Ford government came to power...

Continued on page 19

Why are you running to represent the riding of L-K-M?

I have worked as a registered respiratory therapist in my community for the past 19 years. As a frontline health-care worker, I have seen firsthand the gaps in our health-care system.

Continued on page 22

The Chatham Voice

The Chatham Voice

The Chatham Voice

The Chatham Voice

Keith Benn New Blue

Cathy Burghardt Jesson Liberal

Steve Pinsonneault Conservative

Kathryn Shailer NDP

Andraena Tilgner Green

Lambton-Kent-Middlesex Votes

Keith Benn, New Blue Party

Continued from page 17

Do you feel rural Ontario is getting overlooked?

If elected, what if any steps will you take to remedy that?

In my opinion, rural Ontario is not so much overlooked but rather misunderstood and to some degree abused. Large urban populations that are, of course, strongly represented at Queen’s Park seemingly view rural Ontario as empty space to be filled with their waste and their destructive “development” projects. See, for instance, industrial wind turbines and landfills, as discussed above.

We need to remind those in government that rural areas are where much of our food originates and where much of the province’s ecological richness resides. From Queen’s Park, I will remind Ontarians that the destruction of farmland and the disruption of rural communities will not benefit the province or its people, especially with regards to food prices. A rapidly increasing population combined with decreased food production will never lead to a good

place.

What are your goals as a Member of Provincial Parliament?

I would seek to define and then to achieve a specific set of objectives that would be clearly identified as highly important to L-K-M and to Ontario. My leadership and management strategies would be guided by the fundamental principles of responsible government. Those principles include achieving all objectives efficiently and in a timely and transparent fashion, while avoiding fiscal waste.

I do not believe in throwing taxpayers’ dollars at projects in order to buy press releases and photo-ops. Please share some per-

sonal details about yourself.

My family arrived in Wallaceburg in the 1880s. My great-grandfather became chief of police and his son established Benn Iron Foundry in the 1930s after returning from the First World War.

My father and his brother grew that business to employ upwards of 300 workers.

I spent my early years living on the banks of the Sydenham River.

I hold a doctorate in geology and I was previously an associate professor at the University of Ottawa. I now work internationally in the minerals industry as a professional geoscientist (P. Geo.).

Cathy Burghardt Jesson, Liberal

Continued from page 17

But the province has far greater means to help rural communities, and I think they should.

Not just in LKM, but right across the province, we have ageing infrastructure, coupled with the demands of creating more housing, we are seeing a lack of meaningful investment in infrastructure in L-K-M.

I am increasingly frustrated that Premier Ford and his Progressive Conservative government ha-

ven’t been more proactive, and instead seem content with letting us foot the bill for their programs, and as a result, municipalities must decide to increase property taxes or claw back services. These concerns are echoed by many colleagues from rural Ontario. Rural communities in L-K-M need guarantees from the province for greater access to local healthcare and education funding.

Continued on page 19

My personal and family ties to the area provide me with a broad and deep understanding of the people and the land. The professional experience I have accumulated has prepared me well to deal with matters of planning, budgets and the large bureaucracy that is the government of Ontario.

Keith Benn

Cathy Burghardt Jesson

Kathryn Shailer, New Democrats

Continued from page 17

Good health care is less accessible, the cost of living has skyrocketed for groceries and rents, elder care is precarious, young people are giving up on the dream of buying their own home, rural communities faced with the high costs of infrastructure maintenance are nearing the breaking point, farmers question how they can continue, while farmland is disappearing at a frightening speed.

I know that people suffering these hardships are ready to give up on government. I want to restore optimism and hope by lending a strong voice for rural Ontario to the Official Opposi-

tion at Queen’s Park.

What are the biggest issues facing the riding?

Access to health care when you need it and where you need it is the top issue because it impacts people across the riding.

Affordability and support for rural communities are also huge.

When family doctors retire or leave the area, the caseload of remaining physicians doubles or triples, so even those who have a doctor face weeks’-long waits for an appointment and end up joining those without a doctor in overcrowded ERs. This is unacceptable.

Many ORs in our public hospitals sit empty for

lack of resources while the Ford government funds the building of private clinics with your tax dollars. Recently, Strathroy-Middlesex Hospital announced the impending closure of its obstetrics program, sending patients to London or St. Thomas. Why is this happening when Strathroy and Middlesex are growing?

We need more homes people can actually afford and our municipalities need help with infrastructure and full veto power on landfill expansion.

Do you feel rural Ontario is getting overlooked?

If elected, what if any steps will you take to remedy that?

Absolutely – and this started under the Liberals and has become worse under Doug Ford’s Conservatives. The key issues are funding and authority. The main source of municipal funding from the province is the OMPF (Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund). The province has drastically reduced transfers while claiming to upload offsetting costs for social programs.

The funding formula benefits larger municipalities while small rural communities are left with the major costs of road, bridge, and culvert maintenance, as well as policing. This is not sustainable. A rural in-

Cathy Burghardt Jesson, Liberal

Continued from page 18

Do you feel rural Ontario is getting overlooked? If elected, what if any steps will you take to remedy that?

L-K-M has growing, changing communities throughout, and we are not the same communities as we once were. We have environmental and agricultural heritage that must be protected. Residents are concerned that their future is in jeopardy from urban sprawl, limited access to health care or education, and possible contamination of drinking water sources such as in Dresden with the recent landfill expansion proposal.

We have the same demands as larger urban centres, ageing infrastructure, and stressed health care. The Progressive Conservative government needs to know that rural Ontarians won’t keep Premier Doug Ford in power if he’s going to keep ignoring rural Ontarians. We can no longer afford the pressures of the silent downloading that is happening. L-K-M isn’t Etobicoke or any municipality in the GTA, but we matter just as much as any Ontario urban centre.

What are your goals as a Member of Provincial Parliament?

As your Member of Provincial Parliament in the legislature, my first order of business would be to meet with leaders from across L-K-M – elected, business, etc. – and hear firsthand what they are missing from this government and I would advocate for those needs.

I would build relationships in Queen’s Park, and work to provide the level of service residents of L-K-M expect from

an elected public representative.

My track record in L-K-M speaks for itself. I can, and I do, work with everyone, and with the Ontario Liberal party and Bonnie Crombie as our leader, we will get what matters done for you. Please share some personal details about yourself.

I am a married mother of four adult sons and an avid baker and gardener in my spare time. I can’t wait for spring. I’m also a pandemic pup mom and I enjoy swimming, walking and yoga.

frastructure program is desperately needed.

We know from the Dresden landfill purchase by a GTA waste management company that current legislation allows the Minister of the Environment to approve such proposals with or without a full environmental assessment, and with or without municipal consent.

We can’t trust the Ford government to follow through with this and hundreds of dormant landfills in rural areas by amending legislation to give municipalities full veto power over expansion proposals.

L-K-M does not need to become more of a dumping ground for GTA waste. Continued

• Probate and Estate Information Return • Taxation on death

• Joint ownership issues and the restraints on preparing a will • Being prepared for an unexpected death while travelling

• Saving money through an Eligible Funeral Arrangement

• Ensuring your wishes are understood and carried out

Kathryn Shailer

Community Events

Thursday, April 11, 2024:

• Retired Workers Chapter Meeting: Keep up to date with the community, pensions, benefits and info provided from informed leadership and guest speakers. Spouses are welcome. 10:00am at the Unifor Local 127, 405 Riverview Dr., Chatham.

• Bill’s Place Community Space Drop-In. 3:30-6:30pm. Come spend some time in a 2SLGBTQIA+ safe space 48 Centre St., Chatham. Hang out, have a coffee, do your homework, ask a question, read a book, or chat about life or what we’ve been working on. Get some clothes from our Out of the Closet program, use the Community cupboard & more! No RSVP needed! Come & go as you please. All ages & allies welcome.

• Join us for a fun filled afternoon with the Jam Session at the Merlin Legion.1-4:30pm. All are welcome with a $2 donation. 4-7pm: Homemade Panzerotti + Menu available.

• The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. Chatham open 11:00am-9:30pm. Kitchen open for lunch 11:00am-1:30pm. Come check out our daily specials. Senior Euchre starts at 1:00pm. Everyone is welcome.

• Come join us Thursdays for Exercise at 10am and Essentrics at 5:30pm. Tilbury Leisure Centre (10-Canal St. W)

Friday, April 12, 2024:

• Join us for our delicious Cabbage Rolls 4:30-7pm. Served with Perogies and Veggies. Merlin Legion 519-689-4884.

• The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. Chatham open 11:00am-9:30pm. Kitchen open for lunch 11:00am-1:30pm. Supper served 4:00–6:00. No orders after 5:30pm. Specials are roast beef dinner or fish & chips $13.00. Take out available, call 519-351-8733 or 519- 351-5639. Fun Darts at 7:00pm. Everyone Welcome.

• Come join us Fridays for Euchre at 1pm. Tilbury Leisure Centre (10Canal St. W)

Saturday, April 13, 2024:

• Morning Breakfast Program at First Presbyterian Church (corner of Fifth St. and Wellington). A delicious and nutritious breakfast served free of charge from 9:30am-11:00am, serving indoors, no take out. Wheelchair accessible.

• Join us for our delicious Merlickin Chicken plus menu serving 4 to 7pm & appetizers from 7 to 9 pm ENTERTAINMENT – 7 to 10 pm “The Marquis”. Merlin Legion Br. 465. 519-689-4884.

• Kent Coin Club 54th Spring Coin show at the Active Lifestyle Center (9am-3pm), 20 Merritt Ave Chatham. 30 Dealer Tables will be Selling and Buying. Free Admission and Parking. For more info contact President Paul Robb (probb1@cogeco.ca) (289-228-2817).

• The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. Chatham open 11:00am-9:30pm. Meat draw at 3:30, 4:30 and 5:30pm. Kitchen open for lunch 3:00pm-5:30pm. Entertainment by Back to Back; 4:30-9:30. Come check out our menu. Everyone Welcome.

• KCCC Swap Meet; 8am-1pm. Kent Cloverleaf Conservation Club. Kitchen open for breakfast and lunch, trap lines open. Fishing, hunting, lures, archery, camping, ammunition, boating, etc. Modern or Antique, new or used, swap, sell, buy, trade. 9092 English Line, Chatham.

Sunday, April 14, 2024:

• Calling all Veterans. The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. will be hosting a Buddy Check for all Veterans from 10:00am-12:00pm. Come enjoy a coffee and talk to other Veterans. This venue is for Veterans Only.

Monday, April 15, 2024:

• Today is the deadline! The Kent Bridge Minor Ball Association is now accepting Ball Registrations for ages 3 – 13 years, as well as Adult Slo-Pitch. Registration forms can be obtained by contacting Kathryn at 519-683-2929 or on our Information Page on Facebook by searching Kent Bridge Ball.

Tuesday, April 16, 2024:

• The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. Chatham open 11:00am-9:30pm. Kitchen open for lunch 11:00am-1:30pm. Today’s special is Spaghetti with meat sauce. Come play Euchre at 1:00 or spend the evening playing Shuffleboard or Euchre starting at 7:00 p.m. Everyone Welcome.

• Lee Burrows has been collecting and researching fire departments in Chatham-Kent for many years, and will speak about this. Presentation is at the Cultural Centre at 7:30pm. The Historical Society welcomes everyone.

Wednesday, April 17, 2024:

• Kent Coin Club meeting at the Active Lifestyle Center (7pm-8pm). 20 Merritt Ave Chatham. New Members & guests welcomed. Come to a meeting and meet others with similar interests. For more info contact President Paul Robb (probb1@cogeco.ca) (289-228-2817).

• The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. Chatham open 11:00am-9:30pm. Kitchen open for lunch 11:00am-1:30pm. Our daily special is meat loaf dinner. Come check out our other daily specials. We have Fun Darts at 7:00pm. Everyone Welcome.

• Bill’s Place Community Space Drop-In. 330-630pm. Games Night at 6:30pm. Bring a game or play what we have! Come spend some time in a 2SLGBTQIA+ safe space 48 Centre St., Chatham. Hang out, have a coffee, do your homework, ask a question, read a book, or chat about life or what we’ve been working on. Get some clothes from our Out of the Closet program, use the Community cupboard & more! No RSVP needed! Come & go as you please. All ages & allies welcome.

• Dart Night Tournament at the Merlin Legion. 519-689-4884. Special: 1lb Wings + 12oz Draft $10 +tax.

• Join Chatham-Kent Police Service Special Constable Brenda Koldyk at Thamesville Branch at 6:30pm as she speaks about current online problems with sexual predators, trafficking, luring, and more. Adults may attend by themselves or with children who are 12 years or older. Please contact Thamesville Branch at 519-692-4251 with questions. No registration required.

• Please join The Wallaceburg & District Museum for a Free National Canadian Film Day at 11:00am. Feature film will be Bone of Crows.

Thursday, April 18, 2024:

• Jam Session from 1-4:30pm. All are welcome to attend. A donation of $2. 4-7pm: Homemade Panzerotti + Menu available. Merlin Legion 519-689-4884.

• The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. Chatham open 11:00am–9:30pm. Kitchen open for lunch 11:00am-1:30pm. Come check out our daily specials. Senior Euchre starts at 1:00pm. Everyone Welcome.

Are you affected by someone else’s drinking? Al-anon can help! Call – leave message – 519-350-3462

Alcoholics Anonymous, we can help! Information Line 519-360-5246.

Submit your coming events to bruce@chathamvoice.com or michelle@chathamvoice.com

Fun Stuff

Steve Pinsonneault, Conservative

Continued from page 17

Do you feel rural Ontario is getting overlooked?

If elected, what if any steps will you take to remedy that?

My team and I have knocked on almost 30,000 doors, and the consensus is that the Ford government has a strong grasp of rural issues. We’re investing heavily in rural areas: $4 billion in broadband, $15 billion in schools, $3.7 million in the Strathroy hospital, and expanding the Wallaceburg hospital. Additionally, we’re widening the

401 from Tilbury to London to increase safety and facilitate transportation of local

Kathryn Shailer, NDP

Continued from page 21

What are your goals as a Member of Provincial Parliament?

My goals include lending a strong voice at Queen’s Park to the above issues and concerns of L-K-M residents and ensuring these are amplified in the legislature by Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition.

I will also work hard to help individual constituents decipher and navigate what often seems a daunting maze of policies and procedures. This is where my decades of postsecondary experience supporting students, parents, and faculty will hold me in good stead. Rural Ontario needs another strong voice in the service of building resilient, caring communities. I want to make your life easier,

more affordable, and more hopeful.

Please share some personal details about yourself.

I am at home in Alvinston and Central Lambton where I am active in the community, supporting local arts and culture programs, contributing to local heritage recognition, and helping set up a community meal program.

Family means a great deal to me, and I followed my daughter and her family to SW Ontario to be a support and part of my grandson’s life. In all, I have two adult daughters and three grandchildren.

Ensuring our schools can provide our children the necessary foundation for future educational and vocational opportunities is extremely important to me.

products.

What are your goals as a Member of Provincial Parliament?

I look forward to building on the strong legacy of my predecessor, Monte McNaughton. He broke down barriers with labour and

brought skilled trades to another level.

I’m a tradesman and I want to continue that work. I’ll also use my experience as a municipal councillor to bring the issues that concern rural Ontario to Queen’s Park.

Please share some personal details about yourself.

I have spent my entire life in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, born and raised in Thamesville. My partner, Jodi, and I have three children and now enjoy two grandchildren.

For 17 years, I served as a municipal councillor and have been protecting our community as a volunteer firefighter for 32 years. Additionally, I hold licenses in three trades from the Ontario College of Trades, which I apply in my local business.

Steve Pinsonneault

Jacob Blatz

61, Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Blenheim Community Funeral Home

Barbara Hill

70, Thursday, March 28, 2024

Blenheim Community Funeral Home

Linda Suzor

65, Thursday, March 28, 2024

Blenheim Community Funeral Home

Glenda Sales

69, Friday, March 29, 2024

Blenheim Community Funeral Home

Edie Lacey

99, Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Blenheim Community Funeral Home

Michael Phillips

61, Monday, March 25, 2024

Alexander & Houle Funeral Home

Clayton Leach

97, Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Alexander & Houle Funeral Home

Jack Barr

91, Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Alexander & Houle Funeral Home

Shirley Pyatt

95, Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Alexander & Houle Funeral Home

Marjorie Ellen North

93, Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Badder Funeral Homes

Jake Goldhawk

82, Tuesday, April 2, 2024

McKinlay Funeral Home

Carol Pilbeam

72, Tuesday, April 2, 2024

McKinlay Funeral Home

Robert “Bobby” Wood

77, Wednesday, April 3, 2024

McKinlay Funeral Home

Gerard Bechard

87, Thursday, March 28, 2024

McKinlay Funeral Home

Mary Ilene Gough

Thursday, March 28, 2024

McKinlay Funeral Home

Orval Ries

86, Saturday, March 30, 2024

McKinlay Funeral Home

John Peter Beuglet

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

McKinlay Funeral Home

Teny Brouwer

88, Tuesday, April 2, 2024

McKinlay Funeral Home

Kelly Williams

57, Monday, March 25, 2024

Life Transitions

Kimberly Robinson

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Life Transitions

Marjorie Simmons

95, Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Life Transitions

Cora Carpenter

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Life Transitions

Evelyn Wilbur

96, Monday, April 1, 2024

Life Transitions

Susan Ann McGuire

70, Sunday, March 28, 2024

Hinnegan-Peseski Funeral Home

Connie Deborah Round

62, Monday, March 29, 2024

Hinnegan-Peseski Funeral Home

Grant Ladd

88, Thursday, March 28, 2024

Hinnegan-Peseski Funeral Home

Mary Patricia Dauphin

92, Friday, March 29, 2024

Hinnegan-Peseski Funeral Home

Antonio Machado

79, Wednesday, March 26, 2024

Hinnegan-Peseski Funeral Home

Andraena Tilgner, Green Party

Continued from page 17

They are leaving everyday Ontarians behind.

Greens have a plan to fill those gaps by investing upstream in key social determinants of health like housing, education and a stronger social safety net. Our vision puts people before profits, which is what motivated me to run in the by-election. What are the biggest issues facing the riding?

Housing: As the housing crisis spirals out of control, life is becoming harder and more expensive for far too many members of our community. But for the past six years, the Ford government has failed to implement any of the tried-and-true solutions that are proven to increase the supply of homes without the need for costly sprawl.

taxpayer money into a private system that puts shareholder profits before patient care.

Greens have a plan to properly fund all healthcare sectors – primary care, long-term care, home and community care, mental health care and hospital care – to bring our per-capita health-care funding up to national standards. We will also implement a worker-retention strategy that includes permanent raises and better benefits and working conditions for all health-care workers.

Do you feel rural Ontario is getting overlooked? If elected, what if any steps will you take to remedy that?

Andraena Tilgner

Greens have an ambitious, practical roadmap to building more connected communities where everyone has a great place to live. Our housing plan would build more homes that regular people can afford by legalizing gentle density, strengthening protections for renters, and investing in deeply affordable and supportive housing.

Climate: Climate change is a global crisis that touches every aspect of our lives, from the cost of food and fuel to the increasing frequency of storms and severe weather. Greens have a climate action plan that slashes emissions while putting money back in people’s pockets through savings on household energy, transportation and transit.

Health care: Decades of neglect have eroded the public healthcare systems we all rely on daily. Instead of repairing the damage, the Ford government is pouring

Ontario’s rural communities are essential to the prosperity of our province – but for far too long, we have been under-appreciated and under-served by successive provincial governments.

Right now, our province is losing 319 acres of prime farmland every day to urban sprawl. As Greens, we would put a stop to this by freezing urban boundaries and legalizing gentle density so we can build the homes we need without destroying our $50-billion food and farming economy. To ensure that rural communities have the resources they need to thrive, Greens will reverse decades of cost downloading onto municipalities and local property taxpayers and continue pushing the Ford government to provide stable, predictable funding to municipalities to repair and strengthen their infrastructure.

What are your goals as a Member of Provincial Parliament?

In Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, and all across Ontario, people are tired of empty promises from governments who don’t deliver. They’re ready for change, and Greens are ready to provide the leadership to build more caring, connected, climate-ready communities.

As Greens, we will always put people before politics to bring home better for the people of Ontario. We have a plan to tackle the housing crisis, address climate change, and improve our health-care system while standing strong for the people and places we love. Please share some personal details about yourself. I grew up in British Columbia with a deep appreciation for the outdoors. I moved to Ontario in 1998 to study at Western University and have called the region home ever since. I graduated from Western with a degree in health sciences and went on to study respiratory therapy at Fanshawe College.

I now live in Lucan with my family and work as a registered respiratory therapist in London.

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR HOUSE IS

Beuglet, John Peter

It is with tremendous sadness for the family of John Peter Beuglet to announce his passing on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance after a traumatic illness. Born in Windsor and raised in Chatham, he was the son of the late William Beuglet & Donna Kee (nee Willis). John will forever be missed by his wife, Kim Beuglet (nee Clogg), daughter, Dawn Beuglet-Pidgeon, son-in-law, Kim and his furry companion, Maggie. He will be reunited with his late son, Michael (1997). Dear brother of Michelle Cornies (Richard) of Chatham, Susan Hoffus (Wayne) of B.C., David Beuglet of Dresden, Lizzy (John) Bard of Chatham, brother-in-law of Scott Clogg of Erieau, and Fred Castle of Chatham. Predeceased by his sister, Barbara Castle (2010) and his brother, Jeffrey Beuglet (2017). Missed by several nieces, nephews as well as many longtime and loyal friends. John was a fan of many sports and his allegiance to the Dallas Cowboys was unwavering. A weather aficionado, he was often referred to as Sunny Beuglet. He loved the simple pleasures of landscaping and yard work at his home and the Kent Club. John loved blackjack at the Windsor Casino and playing Bolo Ball. He began his career at Union Gas, moving on as an Insurance Adjuster for 20 years with Beuglet Insurance Adjusting alongside his father. He then became the Steward of the Kent Club for over 30 years. He continued to work at the Kent Club until his hospitalization on March 14th. He was fun, loving, & dedicated, could tug at your heartstrings while at the same time, had a cantankerous side, which only endeared him to us more. As per John’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Kent Club, 287 King Street W., Chatham on Sunday, April 21, 2024 from 2:00-5:00pm. In memory of John, donations may be made to the Chatham-Kent Animal Rescue or charity of choice. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.mckinlayfuneralhome.com.

For Sale

Quantum Motorized Wheelchair

Great shape, with battery and book. $700. Phone 226-229-9463.

Stay in the loop and receive daily news updates right to your inbox

Visit chathamvoice.com/subscribe

Peter Dierickse

February 11, 1941 - April 7, 2014

It’s been 10 years since you left us

CASH BAR

May the winds of love blow softly On a quiet peaceful spot

Where the one we love is sleeping And will never be forgot.

Remember him with a smile today He was not one of tears

Reflect instead on memories

Of all his happy years.

Recall to mind the way he spoke

And all the things he said His strength, his jokes, the way he laughed

Remember those instead.

The good times he shared with us. wife Barbara, sons; Brad, Greg, Andrew & their families

You are cordially invited to a

COUNTRY JAMBOREE

Saturday, April 13th, 2024

Chatham Armouries, 44 William St N, Chatham In Honour of the 70th birthday of MR. JIM ADAMS,

RIDES

of Adams Industrial Forklift Music & Dancing 3:00-5:30 & 7:00-9:00 • Pizza Lunch 5:30pm

Musicians and Singers Welcome • Music by The Good Ole Boys Western Attire Encourages!

No gifts please, $5 cover charge, no charge for musicians. Jim said all he wanted for his birthday was a good jamboree! Let’s Give Him One!

For Sale For Sale

Silk Cemetery Saddle Arrangements. Everyday/ Holidays. Ready-to-go. Many colours available. $40. 519-354-3411

Help Wanted

Chev Pick Up Mag Wheels 285/70/ R17. $250. Phone 519-360-7337.

Lessons

Beginner Guitar Lessons. Call 519917-2339.

Ministry

Redeemer of Love Ministry has a Christian male support group for males struggling with sexual addiction. Coffee and bible study weekly. Prayer line open 12am-7pm daily and a fellowship pot sharing meal on Sundays at 6pm. A house based ministry call Doug for more info 519-354-3532, if not in, leave a message, your call will be returned.

A Celebration of Life

Patricia Caryl Wood

July 20, 1946 - January 31, 2024

Please join us April 13, 2024 1-5pm

Thamesville Sertoma Club, 104 Railroad St., Thamesville, ON

Wanted

Wanted to rent or buy 1 or 4 acres of land in Chatham-Kent area. No buildings or utilities needed. Rural area preferred. 519-3525414 or 226-6275414.

Wanted to Buy: Antiques, costume jewellery, gold, silver, coins, military, furniture, tools. We Buy All - Paid Cash. 519-727-8894.

KCCC Swap Meet

Saturday, April 13th. 8:00am-1:00pm. Kent Cloverleaf Conservation Club, 9092 English Line, Chatham. Everyone welcome! Kitchen open - breakfast & lunch. Trap Lines open. Fishing, hunting, archery, camping, shooting, boating, etc. New, used, swap, sell, buy or trade. Feee admission.

Wanted

Wanted part time “licensed” driver for 1 stop grocery shopping in Chatham. Senior citizen needs “caring and responsible” person to take & return back home from stores. Contains about 3-4hrs time, roughly 3 times per month, every 10-11 days, going to only 1 store each trip. This is a “paying” job only to the right person. Not a charity trip or use of a volunteer or a freebee scam. Reply by stating first name only, male or female, desired rate of pay for time/vehicle/gas/etc. Use home phone number when writing me & best time to call you at that number. Write to PO Box #534, Stn. Main, Chatham, ON. #120 Wellington St. N7M 5K6.

You’re in good hands.

Purchase the Champions book at championsofthetruth.ca

CKHA seeks to fill openings

By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com

Wanted: registered nurses, and more.

Chatham-Kent Health Alliance officials are holding their job fair April 11, with nurses at the top of the wish list.

However, Meredith Whitehead, vice-president and chief nursing executive at CKHA, said that’s not the only sector where staff are needed.

CKHA’s vacancy rate at the end of February sat at about 6.24 per cent, with the vacancy rate for registered nurses at about 8.7 per cent.

Whitehead said both figures are better than the provincial averages.

The job fair takes place from 1 p.m.

to 5 p.m. at the Bradley Centre on Richmond Street in Chatham.

Whitehead encourages people to attend.

“It’s the easiest gateway to discover the range of opportunities we have in our building,” she said.

“People can come in and talk to leaders, front-line staff; all areas of the hospital will be represented.”

Aside from registered nurses, the health alliance is looking for ultrasound techs, medical lab assistants – “We have opportunities everywhere,” Whitehead said.

Lori Marshall, president and CEO of the CKHA, said they may be looking to fill immediate needs, but the CKHA also has an eye on the future.

Outdoor courts open for play

The Chatham Voice

A sure sign spring is firmly in the air is the fact municipal tennis and pickleball courts are now open for the season.

“With ice now being removed at several Chatham-Kent arenas our parks and recreation staff have started preparations for the outdoor season,” said Ian Clark, Manager, Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries, in a media release..

“Members of the public will notice nets have been reinstalled at municipal sport courts.”

Courts are available at the following locations:

• Centennial Park Pickleball Courts, 19955 Pook Rd., Blenheim;

• Doug Allin Tennis Courts, 300 Cecile Ave., Chatham;

• Jackson Park Pickleball Courts, 319 Brown St., Dresden;

• Joe Carpenter Tennis Courts, 287 McNaughton Ave., Chatham;

• Kinsmen Park Tennis Court, 760 Tecumseh St., Dresden;

• Kiwanis Park Tennis Courts, 5 George St., Ridgetown;

• Laverne Kelly Memorial Park Pickleball Courts, 1315 Mariners Rd., Erieau;

• Memorial Park Tennis Courts and Pickleball Courts, 24 Stewart St., Tilbury;

• Parc Centennaire Tennis Courts, 16 Notre Dame, Pain Court;

• Steinhoff Park Tennis Courts and Pickleball Courts, 220 Napier St., Wallaceburg;

• Victoria Park Tennis Courts, 498 Elm St., Bothwell; and

• Wheatley Area Sports Complex Tennis Courts, 196 Erie St. N., Wheatley.

Courts are available to the public for casual use on a first-come-firstserved basis except during posted times reserved for local clubs and schools.

Windscreening will also be installed at the new pickleball courts in Dresden, Blenheim, Wallaceburg, and Tilbury which were completed in late 2023. The public is asked to help prevent damage to other sport grounds by staying off ball diamond infields and wet sport fields. Diamonds and fields are still being prepared for teams and leagues set to begin play in May.