The Chatham Voice, Dec. 8, 2022

Holiday Train draws young and old

Pam Wright/The Chatham Voice

Girl power in the trades

By Pam Wright Local Journalism Initiative pamwrightlji@gmail.com

“You can’t be anything you don’t know about.”

That’s what Windsor carpenter Delaney Krieg er had to say as part of We Build a Dream Career Discovery Expo held at the Bradley Centre last week.

Put on by Windsor non-profit organization Build a Dream, the event showcased careers where females are underrepre sented, such as the trades, emergency response, and STEM (Science, technol ogy, engineering and mathematics) based pro fessions.

Sponsored by St. Clair College, the expo gave young women the op portunity to meet women in the trades and expose them to ideas they may not have considered.

Krieger, who spoke as part of the Dream Mak er panel, said she felt pushed in high school

to attend university. She originally planned to study journalism, but then released she could “barely sit behind a desk for five minutes.”

She was also told she was too smart for the trades – an idea she now disagrees with.

Krieger ended up at tending a career fair and was sold on the trades within 10 minutes.

She said the high cost of university, versus getting paid as an apprentice, also factored into her de cision.

“I love my job,” said Kreiger, who works as a drywall, acoustic and lathing applicator. “It’s hands on. I’m so excited to go to work. It’s been four years and I still feel like that. If you love what you do you never work a day in your life.”

Kreiger was part of a five-member panel that took to the stage to dis cuss the advantages and barriers facing females entering the male-domi

St.

part of a Build a Dream

considered to be male dominated.

nated jobs.

Chatham’s Bella Stein field was also part of the panel. The 16-year-old Chatham-Kent Second ary School student is doing co-operative ed ucation placement with Armstrong Macko Auto motive in Chatham.

She’s learning the ba sics of being a mechanic and is really enjoying it. And while the teenager is the only female work ing in the shop, she said she feels supported and

respected.

Steinfield said she chose the placement after tak ing an automotive course at school, where she was only one of two girls in the class.

Her advice to other young women is to not be afraid.

“Don’t let anyone in terfere with what you want to do,” Steinfield stressed. “Don’t let it scare you.”

Warren Seton, who was helping staff the OYAP

Help solve the mystery so Christmas won’t be late!

(Ontario Youth Appren ticing Program) booth for the St. Clair Catholic District School Board, said change is afoot when it comes to females choosing careers that have traditionally been male-dominated.

“I’m definitely seeing a change when it comes to young women entering the trades,” Seton ex plained.

“Skilled trades offer vi able and rewarding ca reers, and there are many

good jobs here in Cha tham-Kent.

“We want our young people to stay here,” he said. “There are good op portunities right here.”

By 2026, the province projects that one in five job openings will be in the skilled trades. Cur rently, 85 to 90 per cent of an apprenticeship is on-the-job training and there are some 24,600 employers in Ontario at present offering paid ap prenticeships.

Come to the Armoury in Lights for a spectacular immersive theatrical show, tree decorating, ornament making, food trucks, and even meet Santa!

CHATHAM ARMOURY December 15th - 18th Get your tickets today! www.armouryinlights.com

The Armoury In Lights is in collaboration with the Merry Magic Fundraiser to support CK Children’s Services.

Pam Wright/The Chatham Voice

Clair Catholic District School Board OYAP representative Warren Seton talks with Jessica Moor, her daughter Maddy Moor, and Deserae Harrison about the many opportunities available in the skilled trades through apprenticeships. It was

career discovery expo held last week to expose young women to professions and trades traditionally

Horsing around with Santa for a cause

By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com

From hamsters to horses, and everything in between, pets showed up in droves to pose with Santa recently.

Hyundai of Chatham hosted the annual Big Fix Grassroots Cat Rescue Pet Photos with Santa event Nov. 26, and the furry visitors had the folks at Hyundai hopping.

Mike Cartier, general man ager of Hyundai of Chatham,

said it was a great day, as the event raised about $600 for the charity.

People brought in animals of all sizes, with dogs being the popular choice.

But then again, there weren’t two dogs in the service bay. Cartier said two horses can tered through there.

“Those horses, we had them in the drive-thru of our ser vice department,” he said with a chuckle.

Cartier and staff enjoyed the

event so much they want to host it again next year. In fact, they want to be the annual host for the fundraiser.

“We’ll get some publicity out there on paper next time. I’d love to make it a bigger event,” he said.

The funds raised this year are earmarked for animal care costs and vet fees.

Photographer Tyler Brown ing of Beyond Our Lenses

Photography donated her time to capture the images.

CKHA feels the pressure

By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com

Chatham-Kent Health Al liance (CKHA) officials are closely monitoring the rising traffic levels at the Chatham and Wallaceburg hospitals.

Caen Suni, vice-president of clinical programs and op erations at CKHA, said the number of visits to the emer gency departments is slowly on the rise. What is different is the types of patients com ing in.

“Since August, there has been a slow uptick in the patients coming through the door and the number of people coming through the admission process,” he said. “But people are sicker and they require a higher level of

care.

“What we are seeing now across the province is signif icant pressure of access to care for pediatric patients, as well as access to care for adults and children who re quire respiratory treatment,” he added.

It’s a concern heading into flu season.

The number of patients showing signs of the flu, COVID-19 and RSV (respi ratory syncytial virus) is up about 20 per cent in October in Chatham and 40 per cent in Wallaceburg, Suni said. He expects the November fig ures to be much higher.

“We believe those numbers will double for the month of November,” he said. The number of children im

pacted by these respiratory illnesses is worrisome, and they are mainly young kids.

“Eighty-five per cent of those pediatric visits com ing through the emergency department are for children aged eight and under,” Suni said. “We are working very hard. The pediatric system is under a significant strain.”

More seriously ill patients translates to longer hospital stays, meaning beds are oc cupied longer. That can leave a shortage at times.

Suni said 12 procedures in a recent two-week stretch had to be postponed due to a lack of hospital beds.

Health-care workers aren’t superheroes. They are hu man, and as such are vulner able to illness as well.

Image courtesy Tyler Browning/Beyond Our Lenses Santa poses with Billy, an inquisitive Daschund, during a fundraising event for the Big Fix Grassroots Cat Rescue annual Pet Photos with Santa event.

Porchlight shines bright

Raises nearly $60,000

By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com

The Chatham Goodfel lows are all smiles these days as their annual Porchlight campaign saw volunteers pick up near ly $60,000 in donations in just one evening. That’s an increase of about $10,000 from 2021.

Tim Haskell, past presi dent of the Goodfellows, had recently stated Porch light is an intrinsic part of the charity organization’s annual efforts. It is usually a strong indicator on how their year will proceed. He is now very optimis tic.

“I think it (Porchlight’s success) says we are well loved in the community, and I love them back!” he said. “They keep tak

ing care of us every single year.”

Raising $59,789 in one night set a new Goodfel lows Porchlight record. Haskell said the timing is excellent, given the stress es inflation is putting on everything.

“Chatham continues to always have our backs,” he said. “Thank you for your continued support. Our organization is truly blessed, and your gener osity is truly incredible.”

On top of the mone tary support, volunteers brought back in excess of 1,500 toys and more than 40 banana boxes full of food, Haskell said.

Next up for the Goodfel lows in terms of fundrais ing are Street Sales, set for Dec. 9 and 10.

Last year, the organi

Volunteers

$59,789 in donations, more than 1,500

zation raised about $215,000, which allowed the team to pur chase the many needed items for the hamper pro gram.

Contributed image

from TekSavvy celebrate a very successful Chatham Goodfellows Porchlight night Nov. 28, as they helped collect

toys and in excess of 40 banana boxes of food.

Opinion

Throw away the stereotypes and take advantage of the opportunities.

That’s our advice to young women, and men, when it comes to following a career path.

Teens of today, like many of their parents, are encouraged to head to university to gain a better education than what their mothers and fathers obtained.

Four years of education, and a great deal of expense to cover the cost of tuition and living outside of Chatham-Kent is no guarantee of a job.

Go into the skilled trades, and your job is all but guaranteed. And the need will soon be on the rise.

By 2026, one in five job openings will be in the skilled trades.

Those working in the industry are aging, with many looking to retire. There are businesses craving apprentices to groom into positions that are already available or will soon come available.

From HVAC technicians to millwrights to electricians, you name it, the workforce needs it.

The stigma with skilled trades is you are poorly paid and you get your hands dirty. Well, you may get your hands dirty, but compensation is well worth it.

Welders, electricians, plumbers, etc.,

Letters policy

The Chatham Voice welcomes letters to the editor. Our preferred method to receive letters is via e-mail to bruce@ chathamvoice.com (use “Letter” in the subject line).

You can also drop them off or mail them to us at The Chatham Voice, 71 Sass Rd., Unit 4, Chatham, Ont, N7M 5J4.

generally make considerably more money than many a university graduate who did not find a job in his or her field, or took a major in a subject of very limited scope.

Imagine coming right out of high school into a paying gig that trains you on the job, with large pay raises awaiting you down the road.

It’s not fantasy.

Certainly, we have a need for nurses – a traditionally female dominated profession – and a host of health-care professionals. Engineers, teachers, lab techs, etc., are required as well.

But for people who don’t want to spend years in the classroom or lecture hall, there are alternatives; jobs that help drive our economy too.

The Bradley Centre recently hosted a trade expo earmarked towards young women.

When you essentially have half the population not involved in skilled trades – women – there’s an excellent place to obtain needed skilled workers.

Consider skilled trades Raise your voices

The trades have for too long been male dominated and considered male-only. It is time to see more equality.

And when there is a good career awaiting, with excellent pay, it’s worth a serious look.

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A member of:

Editor: I’ve been think ing – not always a good idea – does the grey generation matter?

I believe we do.

A shoulda, woulda, coulda attitude gets us absolutely nothing. If we want change, we need to be vocal and hold our elected officials account able.

What should we expect of our representatives? Is it to only read agen das and attend meet ings without listening or responding to the issues their taxpayers are concerned about? Do we expect them to make decisions without con sultation? Should we just be apathetic? Should we say nothing and just live by the old saying, “You can’t fight city hall?” I

think not. We need to hold them and all peo ple employed by our tax dollars ac countable. Whether it be administration, the mayor, a councillor or a police officer, we need to hold them accountable. We need to remind them who pays their wages. It seems they forget who does far too often.

I have tried being polit ically correct and polite; it doesn’t work well for me. I prefer to be honest and not sugar coat or sweep things under the rug.

We have a lot of issues in C-K and it is time we, the taxpayers, made our concerns known. Wheth er it be calling out dumb decisions like building

a new section of the Talbot Trail instead of sim ply fixing the spots required or continually ignor ing the homeless issue and not remembering others affected such as homeowners and people wanting to walk safe ly downtown without being hit by a bicycle or approached by strangers yelling obscenities or asking for money.

I am but one person, but I care. Let your opinions be heard. Don’t let fear keep you from voicing your concerns. Maybe we need to pro test like in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The grey matter.

Lynn O’Brien Chatham

Greetings, and thanks

By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com

Hundreds of Canadian military personnel sta tioned overseas will re ceive written pats on the back thanks to the efforts of Chatham resident Sha ron Chapple.

For the third straight year, Chapple has co-ordi nated sending Christmas cards and greetings to Ca nadian men and women in the Armed Forces.

“We’re sending hun dreds this year, with thousands of signatures on them,” she said.

It began when Chapple saw an ad encouraging people to send a greeting card to a member of the military.

“I thought, ‘If you can send one card, why can’t you send more?’ That’s how it started,” she said. “When I first heard about it, I thought it was a really great thing. I do it because I just love people.”

Thanks to card dona tions from Gabriele Janka and Ruth Ann Dodman, and support in getting cards signed from Su zanne O’Rourke-Warner, Chapple was able to send

cards and letters by the hundreds. She dropped her last batch off at Cana da Post on Nov. 30.

Chapple and O’Ro urke-Warner took cards to businesses, schools, retirement homes and groups, asking people to sign the cards. Chapple said the response has ex ceeded expectations.

“They are very gracious and thankful we are do ing it,” she said of the folks they’ve approached. “I’ve run into some who have relatives in the mil itary.”

Housing projects approved

By Pam Wright Local Journalism Initiative pamwrightlji@gmail.com

At its Nov. 28 planning meeting, Chatham-Kent council paved the way for the construction of some 225 new dwellings in Chatham and Wallaceburg.

The four individual projects –which include a mix of single-fam ily dwellings, row housing and townhouses – will bring more badly needed housing to the municipality.

In north Chatham – despite push back from nearby residents – coun cil approved an amendment to the official plan to permit the con struction of a sizable housing de velopment directly north of Cha tham-Kent Secondary School and Erickson Arena.

The policy change allows devel oper Mohawk Farm Ltd. to take the next steps in designing the build on Delaware Avenue that includes 108 single detached homes and 50 row house units on a 20-acre parcel of land that’s currently zoned agricul tural.

Mohawk Farm Ltd. owns 80-acres of farmland at the site, including the 20-acre parcel.

However, a total of 14 deputations – including two in person – were presented to council expressing concern about the new build.

Michelle Owchar/The Chatham Voice

Sharon Chapple shows off some of the hundreds of Christmas cards and letters she sent overseas this year to members of the Canadian Armed Forces wishing them happy holidays. It’s Chap ple’s third year sending the messages. She had students, retirement home residents and business personnel fill out the cards.

Residents worried about traffic flow

Traffic congestion and concerns about introducing row houses to the

were among the issues ex pressed.

An involved discussion about the development’s pros and cons en sued around the council table, hit ting on points brought up by the public. Many detractors took issue with the fact a traffic study sup porting the build was done in July 2022 with critics saying it does not accurately reflect how busy the area is when school and arena programs are operating.

However, as part of his presenta tion to council, Chatham-Kent plan ning director Ryan Jacques said an updated traffic study will be completed prior to any further approvals from council.

He said future planning will see Delaware Avenue connect ing to Idlewild Drive, and sub sequently to Taylor Trail. An additional traffic light could also be added, he said, stressing that the policy change is one of the first steps forward.

Several councillors expressed support for the project, citing the demand for housing.

Chatham Coun. Marjorie Crew said she sees the need for adding rental units.

A second Chatham build was also approved by the munici pality at the meeting. Council green lighted a zoning bylaw amendment to allow for the construction of a row house development on Park Avenue East.

Moccia Concrete and Concrete Products has put forth a pro posal to build seven new units, incorporating an existing home on the site.

According to a planning re port, each new unit will be 746 square feet. The development will include a new laneway and access to 10 new parking spaces at the rear of the lot.

Wallaceburg

An empty parcel of land in Wallaceburg, formerly the home of W.T. Laing Public School, is being developed by Trident Builders, making it one of the first new subdivision

builds in the town in years.

Phase one will see the construc tion of 16 semi-detached residences, while another segment fronting El gin Street will see the construction of four townhouse buildings that will contain 24 units.

Because further sewer and wa ter improvements are needed, the townhouses will be built first in 2023, as the infrastructure is already in place.

Construction of the semi-detached homes is expected to start in 2024.

A second, smaller development on the site of a historic home that burned down last year was also giv en the green light.

Armoury to host Christmas fun

By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com

There’s trouble at the North Pole, and families can help fix things by coming to the Chatham Armoury.

Between Dec. 15 and 18, Four Diamond Events is putting on “Trouble at the North Pole” inside the Armoury.

Four Diamond’s Lisa Lester said their annual Christmas show is headed indoors this year and features a greedy real estate developer seeking to take over the Pole.

In previous years, holiday performances were show cased on the front of the Ar moury building and on an outdoor stage. Lester said winter weather is just too un predictable.

In fact, the weather wreaked

havoc on the Halloween and Christmas events she ran in 2021.

“The weather was atrocious last year. We had to can cel two days of shows,” she said of the Holiday in Lights events.

For the Halloween show, Mother Nature delivered rain and a cold wind. The Christmas show suffered from very high winds.

Christmas Memorials

“There were pretty treach erous stage conditions for our performers,” Lester said. “We had to cancel the Satur day and Sunday shows. We were supposed to host the Children’s Treatment Cen tre on the Sunday, and it just broke our hearts.”

Lester added the outdoor shows involved using nearby municipal property as well. “As soon as you do any

thing on municipal property, there are tons of hoops to jump through,” she said. “And our projectors had to be set up on municipal property. “Moving inside, we have more control. We can create this amazing, magical world for everyone to en joy,” Lester added.

The performance week kicks off Dec. 13 with an adult-oriented event, The Merry Mingle.

“We are doing a huge kick off on the 13th. It’s our show opener and it’s the first night people can come and view the trees,” Lester said.

With Christmas in Muskoka now on the shelf, Lester said anoth er program has sprung up, Mer ry Magic CK, which will raffle off Christmas trees in similar fashion as Christmas in Muskoka did in the past. Except where the funds from the former event helped send students on leadership trips to the Muskokas, Merry Magic funds will

go to support Chatham-Kent Chil dren Integrated Services Founda tion which supports children and families through Linck. Funds will also be dedicated to Feeding Our Children by providing lunches to schools in need, as one-in-five children live in poverty and go to school hungry.

Between Dec. 15 and 18, there are two performances each evening –from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. – which are geared for children.

“The performance takes place in the middle of those times. The kids have a chance to do crafts and visit with Santa before and after,” Lester said.

Each child will also receive their own elf kits, she added.

Tickets for the shows are $16 for kids under 19 and adults are $24. Tickets to The Merry Mingle are $25.

Summit a ‘call to action’ on housing

By Pam Wright Local Journalism Initiative pamwrightlji@gmail.com

Amber Pinsonneault is hoping Chatham-Kent’s recent attainable market housing summit will create a “permanent call to action” to solve the municipality’s housing afford ability crisis.

The president of the Chatham-Kent Association of Realtors said sharing information amongst government and business leaders about housing is the path to fostering solutions.

“That’s how we get things done,” Pinsonneault said following the one-day event. “Everyone has to come together to bring solutions to the table.”

Held at the Capitol Theatre Nov. 29, the summit was a partnership between the Municipality of Cha tham-Kent and the realtor’s asso ciation. It brought together local stakeholders, as well as a handful of experts from around the province.

Pinsonneault, broker of record for Royal LePage Peifer Realty, said smaller rural centres like Cha tham-Kent have unique problems, noting there’s no one-size-fits-all

solution to the Ontario-wide prob lem.

“We’re not the same as bigger centres,” Pinsonneault explained. “Condos and high rises are not go ing to fix our problem. We need small homes and semi-detached homes.”

Life lease projects, housing co-op eratives, supportive housing and co-operation “from all levels of gov ernment” are other key solutions, Pinsonneault noted. “We need to be creative.”

From December 2018 to September 2022, the resale price of homes in the municipality rose 123 per cent, mak ing homeownership unfeasible for many residents.

Compounding the problem is the fact rental units are at a premium with Chatham-Kent’s current va cancy rate sitting at one per cent.

Chatham-Kent’s director of plan ning services Ryan Jacques, who was one of the presenters at the summit, agrees the solution requires a group effort.

“Bringing people together to share community success stories and de fine our challenges is important,” Jacques said.

St. Andrew’s Christmas show set for Dec. 10

The Capitol Theatre and St. Andrew’s United Church will present the annual Saturdays at 7 at St. Andrew’s Christmas concert on Dec. 10.

It is becoming a tradition for the Capitol Theatre to make its facility available for Saturdays at 7 Christ mas concerts.

The concert with the theme FA LA LA LA LA celebrates the spir it of Christmas in Cha tham-Kent. The highlight of the program will be a dramatic reading of The

Polar Express, with or chestra, choir and narra tion.

St. Andrew’s Concert Choir, a 50-voice choir, and the Chatham-Kent Chamber Orchestra will be conducted by Devon Hansen, director of music at St. Andrew’s. Christine Baribeau will direct the Bel Canto Choir Sshool’s presentations. These choirs will form a mass choir, who, along with the Chamber Or chestra and other local musicians performing so los, duets and trios, will present cherished carols

from the past and new renditions from today. The program will in clude familiar Christmas music such as ‘Twas the

Night Before Christmas, Let It Snow, Jingle Bells and more.

Saturdays at 7 will also welcome Chatham’s 3

Tenors (Xander Bechard, Colin Bell and Andrew Dernyck) as part of the program.

Tickets ($25) are avail

able from the Cultural Centre Box office on Wil liam Street or from www. cktickets.com. Children 12 and under are free.

Top marks for CKHA from accreditation group

By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com

The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) earned top marks from Accreditation Canada re cently.

Lori Marshall, president and CEO of CKHA, said they received Accredi tation with Exemplary Standing, the highest pos sible designation for an ac credited organization.

Accreditation Canada is a not-for-profit organi zation aligned with the International Society for

Quality in Health Care. It provides health-care orga nizations with an external peer review process to as sess and improve their ser vices based on standards of health-care excellence.

Accreditation is one of the best assurances to communities that its hos pitals are achieving safety and quality. It is a volun tary process to assess and benchmark the quality of services with patient safe ty as the cornerstone of the accreditation process.

Marshall said an on site survey took place at

CKHA in the last week of October. The results came back Nov. 25.

“We were so pleased and so proud,” Marshall said.

“A huge congratulations to staff, members of the

hospital board and patient advisors.”

“Receiving ‘Exemplary Standing’ affirms CKHA’s dedication to providing safe, high-quality care in line with Canadian best

practice guidelines,” Mar shall added. “The Ac creditation process helps health-care organizations improve on various lev els, including quality and safety, communication

and collaboration, leading practices and accountabil ity. I’m proud of our entire team for their outstanding work and dedication to the provision of best prac tice care.”

The Chatham Voice

Bruce Corcoran/The Chatham Voice

Devon Hansen, director of music at St. Andrew’s, conducts the performance at the 2021 Saturdays at 7 Christmas concert. This year, the even takes place Dec. 10 at the Chatham Capitol Theatre.

CKHA relaxes screening process

By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com

The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) is changing how it will screen people entering its two hospital sites.

For more than two and a half years, the CKHA has employed screen

ers to check to ensure visitors have tested for COVID-19, in an effort to minimize the potential for exposure to patients and staff in the hospitals.

But as of Dec. 1, CKHA is adopting a passive screening process.

“Patients and staff, care partners and visitors will

still be required to wear a mask and be fully vac cinated and have a neg ative PCR test to enter,” Meredith Whitehead, vice-president of transfor mation and chief nursing executive for CKHA, said. She thanked the people who served as screeners with the alliance for their

work.

“It has not always been the easiest of jobs during these two and a half years, but they have done an amazing job,” she said.

Lori Marshall, presi dent and CEO of CKHA, agreed.

“It really has been an incredible role they have

played in helping to en sure our most vulnerable patients have remained safe,” she said.

Passive screening will be achieved through signage guiding all individuals through a self-assessment of symptoms before en tering the hospital.

Hand sanitizer and med

ical grade masks will be made available at all pub lic entrances.

Additionally, CKHA’s volunteers will be re-ini tiated to the hospitals’ in formation desks to assist with wayfinding, and will encourage the public to clean their hands and don a medical mask.

Top marks Bold steps for Chatham singer

By Pam Wright Local Journalism Initiative pamwrightlji@gmail.com

The second Thursday in De cember is going to be a big day for Kaitlyn Frances. Not only will the Chatham native mark her 25th birth day on Dec. 8, she’s also re leasing a new EP.

Entitled Love and Light, the mini album features four new R&B-infused songs pro viding a taste of what the art ist has to offer.

Noting that her “cham pagne and cupcakes” birth day is a special day, Frances is looking forward to the re lease of the music that is “so important to her.

“This is a cohesive piece and when you listen to it, it’s all the same vibe,” the emerging songstress said in a telephone interview from Windsor. “I want people to be lifted up with positive vibes.”

But there’s some “sassy bad bitch” moments thrown in. Frances made the news ear lier this year when she was selected to compete in an

online contest to perform at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The contest winner claimed the honour of per forming as the opening act for the likes of superstars Coldplay and Doja Cat.

She didn’t win, but Frances did well and remained first in her category in several rounds of voting until close to the end.

“I really want people to know that I appreciated their votes,” she said. She was disappointed but it didn’t slow her down. Since

leaving university in October 2021 to work on her music career full time, Frances has been hard at it.

She’s currently in the pro cess of creating a new web site and recently shot a music video in Detroit with Canadi an videographer and director Nathaniel Pabalate.

It’s onward and upward for Frances.

She’s extremely busy with numerous projects, including the release of an album ear ly in 2023. She has about 30 songs in the bank that she’s working on with sound engi neer Giuliano Giarraputo.

Her emphasis is full-on pop, and she’s meticulous about laying down the tracks.

“I’m very picky,” Frances said. “I do all my own vocals and it takes a lot of hours.”

Frances hopes to emulate the music of her idols, that include mega-stars such as Beyonce and Ariana Grande.

“I feel really lucky to have grown up in a great era of pop music,” she explained.

Frances’s recordings can be found on all major streaming services as well as Instagram.

Contributed image

Madelyn Hayes, right, and James Nauta, centre, of the Merlin Community 4-H club were honored at the excellence in agriculture luncheon recently at the 100th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. They placed first and third respectively in the soybean class of 4-H field crops at the fair. Pictured with Nauta and Hayes is Shelley Peterson, president and chair of the Winter Fair.

Kaitlyn Frances

Event aims to raise cash for Ronald McDonald House

with Santa.

A

eve ning of fine food and fundraising is on the menu Dec. 17, with Ron ald McDonald House (RMH) targeted as the beneficiary organization.

Organized by Prem’s Tiffany Cunningham and her hus band, Wes,, Cocktails and Candy canes will take place at the Ever est Conven tion Centre (formerly Club Lenti na) and will feature a happy hour including appetizers and cocktails, a four-course meal, a DJ and dancing, a photo booth and pictures

The Cunninghams are parents to two daughters who were born prema turely, and part of their experience included a stay at RMH in London, Ont.

Tiffany said the organi zation supported them during a challenging time, and they’ve been com mitted to giving back ever since.

“We were so grateful for our stay there as it allowed us to be close to Ella while she fought her fight, and we were also able to connect with many other families, all going through challenging situations.”

- Tiffany Cunningham

“Both our daughters were born premature ly at 29 weeks. Aria in Tulsa, Okla. and Ella in London,” Tiffany said in a media release..

“Following Ella’s birth, we were fortunate to call

RMH London our home for the 71 days she spent in the NICU. We were so grateful for our stay there as it allowed us to be close to Ella while she fought her fight, and we were also able to connect with many other fami lies, all going through challenging situations.”

Overwhelmed with gratitude from the out pouring of support from Ronald McDonald House London, and the local community of Cha tham-Kent, Cunningham knew she had to find a way to give back.

“I’ll never forget how supported Wes and I felt during that time. It takes a village to raise children, and our village rose to the occasion,” she added.

From a family with deep roots in the restau rant and entertainment

industry, Cunningham had the idea of hosting an evening event that would give back to those who had supported her and her family.

“I started planning the event during Ella’s stay in the NICU, and we hosted our inaugural Cocktails and Candy canes event the day she was able to come home, making it even more spe cial,” Cunningham said. In 2018, the event raised $10,000 for the RMH London; in 2019, more than $14,000 was raised. The Cunninghams have big goals this year and have committed to try ing to raise $15,000 at this year’s event and are ask ing the local community to help make this hap pen. To purchase tickets or donate a prize to the silent or live auction, you

Effort underway to light up C-K

Municipal officials chal lenge residents to get cre ative and show off their holiday spirit by decorat ing their homes, business es, and public spaces with as many lights as possible this holiday season. The effort is to make the community more festive

and welcoming for resi dents and visitors alike, but it will also help sup port local businesses.

Light Up Chatham-Kent is a community-wide ini tiative showcasing the different streets and areas decorated for the holiday season.

Through Let’s Talk Cha tham-Kent, residents are

encouraged to place lo cation pins on a map and add a photograph of their decorations to the web site. Residents and visitors can use the mobile-friend ly map on their phones as they drive or walk around Chatham-Kent.

Residents placing a pin on the map will be en tered into the “12 Days of

Christmas” contest for a chance to win a gift card from Canadian Tire. Those placing a picture of their holiday display along with a pin on the map will be entered into the “Best Light Display” contest.

Community voting for displays will run from Dec. 12-18.

can email cocktailsand candycanes2022@gmail. com and follow the event

on Instagram for the lat est updates.

Contributed image

The Cunningham family, from left, Wes, Ella, Tiffany and Aria, following the 2019 Cocktails and Candycanes event.

The Chatham Voice

Community Events

Thursday, December 8, 2022:

• Unifor Local 127 Retirees Meet ing at 10:00am. 405 Riverview Dr., Chatham.

• Panzerotti Special at the Merlin Legion Br. 465, 2 Stanley Street Merlin.

• Festive Christmas Music - Pipe Organ Music of the Season, a 3-week Advent pipe organ series at the church. All recitals begin at 12:15 and will be approximately 45 minutes. Each recital is a very informal “come and go” format. Everyone is welcome to attend. Recital schedule: Thurs. Dec. 8 - Dr. Carroll with Kathleen Gahagan, harpist. Thurs. Dec. 15 - Dr. Carroll with the Carroll String Ensemble, an 8-member chamber orchestra. The audience will be invited to sing Christmas carols. Where: Holy Trinity-St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 81 Selkirk St., at the corner of Victoria Avenue, Chatham. Lots of parking. Free. Donations gratefully accepted to cover expenses. Masks are optional. For further informa tion, contact: ian.chathamcen trercco@gmail.com Chatham Centre, Royal Canadian College of Organists. https://www.facebook. com/groups/2154088471326478.

• The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. Chatham open from 11:00am–9:30pm. Kitchen open for lunch from 11:30am–1:30pm. Senior euchre at 1:00pm. Everyone is welcome.

Friday, December 9, 2022:

• Turkey Dinner with mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetable, roll and dessert at the Merlin Legion Br. 465, 2 Stanley Street Merlin.

• The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. Chatham open from 11:00am–9:30pm. Kitchen open for lunch from 11:30am–1:30pm. Supper served from 4:00–6:00. No orders after 5:30pm. Tonight’s specials are roast beef or fish & chips. Take out is also available by calling 519-3518733 or 519-351-5639. Darts start at 7:00 p.m. Everyone welcome.

Saturday, December 10, 2022:

• Morning Breakfast Program at First Presbyterian Church (corner of Fifth St. and Wellington). A delicious and nutritious break fast served free of charge from 9:30am-10:30am. Take out only.

• Kitchen menu at the Merlin Legion Br. 465, 2 Stanley Street Merlin.

• The Chatham Capitol Theatre presents Saturdays at 7 at St. Andrew’s “FA LA LA LA LA”. Come to the Capitol at 7pm and enjoy an evening of Christmas music featuring St. Andrew’s Choir, Chatham-Kent Chamber Orchestra, Bel Canto Children’s Choirs and other local performers. Tickets $25 available at the Cultural Cen tre Box Office or www.cktickets. com. Students under 12 are free. For further information www. standrewschatham.org/music or call 519-352-0010.

• The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. Chatham open from 11:00am–9:30pm. Meat draw at 3:30, 4:30 and 5:30pm. Kitchen open for lunch from 3:00pm–5:30pm. Entertain ment by the D.A.M. Band from 4:30-9:30. Come check out our menu. Everyone welcome.

Tuesday, December 13, 2022:

• The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. Chatham open from 11:00am–9:30pm. Kitchen open for lunch from 11:30am–1:30pm. Today’s special is spaghetti with meat sauce. Eu chre 1:00 & 7:00pm. Shuffleboard 7:00pm. Everyone is welcome.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022:

• The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. Chatham open from 11:00am–9:30pm.

Kitchen open for lunch from 11:30am–1:30pm. Daily special is meat loaf dinner. Fun Darts at 7:00pm. Everyone is welcome.

• Ostomy Chatham Support Group. Meets second Wednesday of every month 7-9pm, at the Christ Church. 80 Wellington St W, Chatham, rear entrance. Peer support for ostomates and family/ friends: socializing and educational speakers. For information email: ostomychatham@gmail.com.

Thursday, December 15, 2022: • Panzerotti Special at the Merlin Legion Br. 465, 2 Stanley Street Merlin.

• Festive Christmas Music - Pipe Organ Music of the Season, a 3-week Advent pipe organ series at the church. All recitals begin at 12:15 and will be approximately 45 minutes. Each recital is a very informal “come and go” format. Everyone is welcome to attend. Thurs. Dec. 15 - Dr. Carroll with the Carroll String Ensemble, an 8-member chamber orchestra. The audience will be invited to sing Christmas carols. Holy Trini ty-St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 81 Selkirk St., at the corner of Victoria Avenue, Chatham. Lots of parking. Free. Donations gratefully accept ed to cover expenses. Masks are optional. For further information, contact: ian.chathamcentrercco@ gmail.com Chatham Centre, Royal Canadian College of Organists. https://www.facebook.com/ groups/2154088471326478.

• The Chatham Legion, corner of William & Colborne St. Chatham open from 11:00am–9:30pm. Kitchen open for lunch from 11:30am–1:30pm. Senior Euchre starts at 1:00pm. Everyone is welcome.

Are you affected by someone else’s drinking? Al-anon can help! Call - leave message519-350-3462

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

CLUES

Fun Stuff

ACROSS

A people of Eastern Afghanistan

Supervises interstate commerce

Touch lightly

Angelo Tourlas, DD

Classifieds

In Memoriam

Cheryl (Cheri) Lynn Doman

December

13, 1957 – December 7, 2020

Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day.

Unseen, unheard, but always near, so loved, so missed, so very dear. We know you’re looking down from heaven above, sending out smiles with days of sunshine and showers of love.

Cheri there is not a day that goes by that you are not in our thoughts. We love and miss you dearly. We love you more, Mom and your entire family

Coins

BUYING coin collections and silver coins. Any questions call Paul 289-228-2817.

Auction

LARGE

Saturday, December 17th, 2022 Windsor Truck & Storage, 201 Sheppard Ave. East Preview: 8:00am, Auction Starts: 9:00am Jitney Crown forklift (as is), brand new fiber glass canoe and 2 new kayaks, old gum ball machine, old cast iron wheel dolly carts and wagons, lg quantity of leather and cloth couches, metal filing cabinets, sail board with sail, old beam scale, lg old welder, old paper bailer, metal staircase, lg quantity of large casters for wagons,over 20 storage bins, old steel skids, skid of flooring & tiles, 2 glass show cases, lg quantity of scaffold, old hockey cards

We’ve Moved!

Miller Christmas Trees! Now located on Hwy#2 at Travellers Motel (7715 Queens Line). 500’ West of Bloomfield Rd. 11:00am-7:00pm. Call 519-437-1008 for more info.

Personals - Meet & Greet

Unattached, RETIRED FEMALE seeking a nice retired or semi-retired UNATTACHED MALE companion for FUN and TRAVEL. Must own a car or truck, speak French, love cats and boating. Let’s talk. Call 226-229-2751

October Arnew 60, Thursday, November 24, 2022 Kendrick Funeral Home

Rose Wickwire 59, Monday, November 28, 2022 Kendrick Funeral Home

Dorothy Pearce 98, Monday, November 28, 2022 Kendrick Funeral Home

Pauline Trahan 92, Friday, November 25, 2022 Hinnegan-Peseski Funeral Home

Hazel Marion Leatherdale 92,Thursday, November 24, 2022

McKinlay Funeral Home

Jacob Brink 90, Wednesday, November 30, 2022

McKinlay Funeral Home

Alberto Babich 89, Friday, November 25, 2022

McKinlay Funeral Home

Mavis Malott 93, Sunday, November 27, 2022 McKinlay Funeral Home

Wanted to Buy: Kodak 8mm projector in working order. Reasonable. 519-354-2814.

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

For Sale

Silk Cemetery Saddle Arrangements. Everyday/ Holidays. Readyto-go. Many colours available. $35. 519-354-3411

Wanted Ministry

Healing Love Ministry is an all night prayer line with counsellors available from 12:00am-7:00am. Also, a male support group for those struggling with sexual addiction. A home based ministry, private and confidential. 519-354-3532.

Alan Smith 63, Thursday, November 24, 2022 Life Transitions

Roman Suliga 71, Friday, November 25, 2022 Life Transitions

Linda Erickson (Feltz) 72, Friday, November 25 2022 Life Transitions

Anna Toth (Visi) 84, Friday, November 25, 2022 Life Transitions

Elsbeth Fallak (Maass) 86, Friday, November 25, 2022 Life Transitions

Richard Deitriche 79, Sunday, November 27, 2022 Life Transitions

Andrew Lawson 66, Monday, November 28, 2022 Life Transitions

Chris Booth 79, Tuesday, November 22, 2022 McKinlay Funeral Home

Saundra Elizabeth Rombouts 74, Saturday, November 27, 2022 McKinlay Funeral Home

George William Smith 61, Wednesday, November 30, 2022 McKinlay Funeral Home

Bill Heathcote 79, Thursday, December 1, 2022

McKinlay Funeral Home

Lisa Ray 58, Saturday, November 26, 2022

Alexander & Houle Funeral Home

Katherine Glassford 96, Sunday, November 27, 2022

Alexander & Houle Funeral Home

Joseph Masuda 85, Monday, November 28, 2022

Alexander & Houle Funeral Home