Essex Free Press - February 10, 2022 by Essex Free Press

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Vol. 142

A LOOK INSIDE

Town of Essex Council meeting - February 7, 2022

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Issue No. 05

Remembering the life and legacy of Essex native Ralph Mellanby

PAGE 3 ______________ OPP’s Mental Health Response Unit available to help those in need PAGE 12 _______________ Essex County Council Notes for Wednesday, February 2 PAGE 15 _______________ Local Business update: New openings, new owners PAGE 21 _______________ Top four calls for OPP service in December related to traffic PAGE 24 _______________

Looking For A Good Home

“FARVIO” See Page 5 for adoption info.

by Garrett Fodor photos courtesy of the Mellanby family. “No matter where he went, whether it was Toronto or Montreal, Ralph Mellanby would order a copy of the Essex Free Press each week to see what was happening in his hometown,” Jim Mellanby, Ralph’s brother, recalled. Friends, family, and colleagues are paying their respects and sharing their memories of the late

broadcaster, Ralph Mellanby, who passed away on January 29 at the age of 87. Originally from Hamilton, Mellanby moved to Essex with his family when he was 12. Ralph’s father, Ed, became the Editor of the Windsor Star at that time. Ralph quickly become one with the community, attending Essex District High School (EDHS), where he’d play football, volleyball, soccer, and basketball. In 1954, led by Coach Roy

Battagello, Essex won the 1954 Senior ‘A’ Basketball title, with help from Mellanby. He would go on to work at CKLW, while attending Wayne State University, before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. Upon graduation, Mellanby moved onto Detroit’s WXYZTV, then CFCF-TV in Montreal, and later the CBC, serving as the executive producer for 19-years, working on Hockey Night in Canada.

“He was very proud of his roots, there was no question about it,” Mellanby’s younger brother, Jim Mellanby, said. “We’d come back to visit a few times, and even when we’d call, he’d often mention Essex and talk about some of his old classmates and just what was happening in town. Essex was always in his heart. He made sure to treat everyone the same, whether it be stage hands on set or the doormen in the

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2 I Community Essex Free Press

I Thursday, February 10, 2022

Remembering the life and legacy of Essex native Ralph Mellanby... Continued from Front Page

buildings.” During his time at Hockey Night in Canada, Mellanby helped instill more than 20 innovations on the Hockey Night broadcasts, many of which are still in the broadcast industry today and help bring the viewers closer to the action. Those innovations included putting cameras behind the bench and behind the net, the first program to employ slow-motion replay, use of aerial shots, along with transferring between games via satellite. HNIC also was the first Canadian program to use an animated opening sequence in 1975. Mellanby also helped produce the

CBC feature series Peter Puck. “I think every show that we see now as a foundation, somewhere in the corner, there’s a brick with Ralph Mellanby’s initials on it,” John Shannon said, who was hired by Mellanby at Hockey Night in Canada. Shannon worked with Mellanby for over a decade and would remain in contact with him. “I would tell you that Ralph Mellanby didn’t invent Hockey Night in Canada, he modernized it. He made Hockey Night in Canada the show that we all remember. Whether that be the music, the powder blue jackets, or whether it be the structure

of the intermissions, that is what most people remember because that’s what Hockey Night in Canada stood for. And it’s Ralph’s Hockey Night in Canada that most people remember.” During his time at CBC, Mellanby introduced several notable names in the sports broadcasting world including: Dick Irvin, Dave Hodge, Don Cherry, John Shannon, Mickey Redmond, and Howie Meeker, among others. Mellanby’s brother, Jim, recalls him coming back to Essex a few times with Foster Hewitt and Dave Hodge, showing him the area, including a garage Mellanby worked at after class while in high school, showing how proud of his town he was. “All of his hirings brought so many different things you hear a lot today, kind of the mantra of the modern world is to be unapologetically yourself and Ralph championed that notion back in the ‘60s and ‘70s,” Ron MacLean, host of Hockey Night in Canada, described. “If it was your analyst, his first rule was you don’t think, you know. He wants you to trust your opinions, that they were the result of your life’s work and but without them, you’re not bringing yourself and so he was great with the analysts and as far as the journalists, he just really encouraged them to stand by their work and be themselves.” Outside of his work, Shannon and MacLean both note how proud Mellanby was of his children, Scott and Laura. Scott would go onto suit up in over 1400 NHL games, while dressing for

five teams, across 20 seasons before joining the hockey operations side, most recently serving as the assistant general manager with the Montreal Canadiens. Laura followed in Mellanby’s footsteps, in the TV production and media industry, receiving various awards and recognition for her work in the industry as well. “He was very proud of his children. Even early on in my career, when Laura and Scott were kids, they would come to Maple Leaf Gardens for some games with their dad and we were introduced to them at that point and he was very proud of both of them,” Shannon recounted. “Ralph made a real effort to make sure that Laura got as much credit and accolades as Scott did. It was very important to him that Laura, who followed his footsteps more than Scott did, got the same attention that Scott did and that was important to him.” Aside from hockey, Mellanby helped produce coverage for the MLB, including the Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays, Canadian Football League, along with golf and tennis coverage as well. Topping it off, Mellanby featured the Olympic coverage as well, winning five Emmy awards for his work, including directing ABC’s 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice’ telecast from Lake Placid. Mellanby worked in some capacity across 13 Olympics, including both summer and winter. For his work, Mellanby is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Canadian Film

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Thursday, February 10, 2022

News I 3

Essex Free Press

Monday, February 7, 2022 INSIDE THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL NOTES... • Council approached about affordable housing • • Colchester Harbour operating agreement renewed • Essex Fire 2021 Annual Review •

by Sylene Argent Photo courtesy of the Town of Essex Essex welcomes 11 new firefighters Essex Fire Chief Rick Arnel was thrilled to take the opportunity to welcome 11 new probationary recruits to Essex Fire & Rescue and congratulate them on their successful completion of training. “Tonight, I am very happy to be able to introduce our newest fire recruits, who have been promoted to probationary firefighters,” Arnel said, adding each of the new recruits received their badges, an Essex Fire Coin, and a special coin that symbolizes supporting easier access to mental health and well-being. “Their journey began March 1 of 2021. They have endured and overcome several challenges to get to this point in their career. With the COVID pandemic and delays in receiving their issued turn-out gear, this is the second last step in the process. They will move on to be evaluated by their peers over the next several months, and they are scheduled to write their provincial examinations

• Meloche provides update regarding E.L.K. Energy • • & MORE...

to become certified firefighters on April 30.” He thanked all of the recruits for their dedication to the service. “Together, we are strong, but only when we hold each other up,” Arnel said. The new recruits include: Adam Mitchell and Kevin Sinn for Station # 1; Cole Freeman, Angela

Lang, Dennis Lang, Austin Power-Wagenaar, and Kyle Vermast for Station # 2; and Jared Burns, Alex Dunmore, Daniel (D.J.) Lacey, and Kyle Renaud for Essex # Station 3. “We are very pleased to have these 11 as part of our Essex team. We look forward to working with them,” CAO Doug Sweet

said. Council approached about affordable housing Colchester Resident Dave Mota approached Council regarding affordable housing. He said many individuals are struggling and facing complex Continued on Page 6

4 I Opinion Essex Free Press

Editorial &Opinion Serving Essex and the surrounding communities since 1896.

Published Thursdays as an independent weekly newspaper, owned and operated by The Essex Voice Limited. A London Publishing Corporation Publication LIMITED OFFICE HOURS: Our office is closed to the public, currently. If you need to schedule an appointment, please call the office. COVID protocols in place. OUR STAFF Sandy Kennedy - Office Jessica Azar - Graphic Design / Social Media / Production Lana Warwick - Graphic Design Greg Belchuk - Advertising Sales Manager Sylene Argent - Editor/News Reporter Shelley Beaudoin - Graphic Design / Production / Distribution

CIRCULATION The Essex Free Press is a publication with controlled circulation of 11,000. Also, it can be read online at: issuu.com/ essexfreepress

I Thursday, February 10, 2022

Howling at the Moon ••• Comment by Sylene Argent ••• Coming together

Well, it seems that the weatherman was finally right, as we did end up experiencing quite the snowstorm last week. I joke about the weatherman being right, because it seems more often than not, the weather report is never really that accurate. Last week, we did get quite a bit of snow as was predicted, and I am grateful that there was advanced warning, so people could prepare ahead of time in anyway they thought was right. I have never been a fan of having to drive in the snow, and I never will be. I don’t care if I have the best vehicle with the best tires, the stress of driving with reduce visibility and slippery conditions was never been something I was comfortable with. So, I’m always grateful to know when they are expecting unprecedented weather, so that I can prepare and bunker down if I can. I’m sure many

others feel the same way I do. I got a sense hope last week when I read the numerous stories online about people helping people. In the midst of the storm, I read stories of neighbours helping neighbours get unstuck from drifts or from ditches, ensuring they did what they needed to do to help their neighbours get home safely, just like they did. It gave fresh breath to my faith in humanity. We as people often rise to the occasion and help our neighbours, friends, and family members in need, and even strangers if we can. We could ignore the needs of others to make sure we are comfortable, but I’d like to hope the majority of us would not select the latter. I think the universe gives us these little tests every now and again to show us what we are capable of; who we are at our own core. It puts us in theses scenarios to see how we

will react while under duress. When we are faced with challenges and difficulties, that is when we are really being tested and really need to find a way to rise above. The slogan “united we stand, divided we fall” are not just words, it’s the truth. Every single one of us could use a hand at one point in our life or another, and conversely are in a position to help others when we see a need. If you look for reasons and ways to support one another, we’re standing united for each other and giving hope that we can move forward together, even if we are only taking little babylike steps.

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OPINION & COMMENT The opinions expressed on these pages are those of their original authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Essex Free Press, its Editor or Publisher.

LETTER POLICY The Essex Free Press welcomes letters to the editor on topics of interest to our readers. Letters should be typed or neatly handwritten and present the issues as clearly as possible in 300 words or less. We reserve the right to edit for length, grammar, and legal considerations. All letters must contain the name, address, and daytime phone number of the writer for verification purposes. Anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. If you have a legitimate concern and cannot sign your name to a letter, please contact the editor to discuss alternative means of handling the issue.

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Letter to the Editor Canadians, like everyone else in the world, have had their lives greatly impacted by the Covid pandemic. Two years ago we didn’t know what we were dealing with, and prayed that the scientists of the world would find a solution to this dreadful virus. Everyone’s lives have changed dramatically, but none more so than in Canada. Fortunately, because of vaccines and pandemic protocols on masks and social distancing, we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. However, at what cost? I don’t mean monetarily, but emotionally, socially, and economically. Our children were schooled virtually, deprived of their social and extracurricular activities with friends. Elderly retirement or nursing care living were, and still to be in lock downs, and have been deprived of spending the last two Christmases isolated in their rooms, rather than spending it with their loved ones. Small businesses have been forced into bankruptcy. Mental health issues and the risk of suicide has become evident in a lot of people. Whether you believe in masks, vaccines, or social distancing, we are a democratic country, and slowly our rights are being taken from us. The Freedom Convoy represents the thoughts of most Canadians. They had a peaceful demonstration, and our Prime Minister and his family were wisked off to an undisclosed location, as if the participants in the convoy were terrorists. What a coward our Prime Minister is, that he couldn’t address the truckers and other demonstrators to offer us some hope for the future. I was pleased that Chris Lewis, our local MP, was in Ottawa representing our area.

I have doctor/patient confidentiality of my medical records, and even police officers have to get a warrant to seize my medical records. And yet, to go and watch my grandson play hockey, I must reveal my private medical information, regarding my vaccine status, at the door of the facility. What legal authority do they have to demand my vaccination status? A child under the age of twelve is not allowed to enter a grocery store without an adult. Paragraph 8 of our Charter of Rights states that everyone has the right to secure against unreasonable search or seizure. Chapter 6 of our Charter says “Every citizen of Canada has the right to enter, remain and leave Canada. And yet Trudeau implements all these restrictive regulations. This is worse than the 1970s when, ironically the prime minister at that time, Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s government, tried telling our farmers what crops they could plant. I guess blood is thicker than water. As far as I am concerned, we have a high school drama teacher running our country. He has been spoon fed his whole life and wouldn’t know how to budget himself to live on minimum rations. He hands out our hard earned money to refugees while our elderly have to survive with a bare minimum. We aren’t just heading to a Fascist state, I believe we are in the beginning of one, and hopefully there are more protests. Hopefully our Prime Minister will have the courage to face his constituents and address how and when we can get back to NORMAL. Unfortunately, I don’t think that will be the case. Kurt Schroeder

Clear a path for your Newspaper carrier! Please make sure you have a clear path for our walking carriers, as well our driving carriers to your door or mailbox. The snow and ice make it difficult for any delivery service employee to do their job efficiently. Our hope is to safely deliver your local news each week, free-of-charge to you. We appreciate your patience, kindness, and cooperation during this winter season.

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Opinion / News I 5

Essex Free Press

Letter to the Editor I was shocked by the comments and actions of our Federal MP Chris Lewis over this past week. His article in last week’s Essex Free Press leads me to believe that he really doesn’t understand the reality of what he has done. He states that he, and fellow Conservative MPs, met with the Truckers Association. That is strange because every Canadian Trucking Association has stated very clearly that they support vaccinations and do not support this protest. So, who are these people who are protesting in Ottawa that Chris says are good, true blue Canadians? They are not representatives of the Trucking Associations. They are aligned with the protest organizers, one of whom, is the leader of a group

promoting the separation of the western provinces from Canada. They have aligned themselves with the goals of the protest organizers who proudly proclaim that their purpose is to overthrow the elected members of parliament. (that is means every MP including Chris Lewis) by pressuring the Governor General and Senate to do their will. Sadly, they don’t understand that the Governor General and Senate are appointed by the elected members of parliament and have no power to remove these elected members. These same “good” people have swarmed the downtown market, swarmed and dishonoured the war memorial site, swarmed the Rideau Mall threatening and harassing shoppers, workers, and security people

Essex closes deal on future home of Grove Motor Inn submitted EFP On Monday, January 31, 2022, the Town of Essex closed the deal on the purchase and sale of the municipally-owned property at 96 County Road 50 West, the future home of the Grove Motor Inn. Town

of Essex Administration began working with the developers over a year ago on site selection, rezoning, site plan control, and environmental remediation. Following the official sale of the property, the Town will continue to

Hearing tests, hearing aids, wax removal, and speech therapy

work with the developers on acquiring building permit approvals and community improvement grant opportunities. Building on the success of the Grove Hotel, a boutique hotel in Kingsville, Ontario, The Grove Motor Inn will be located steps away from the Colchester Harbour, Colchester beach, local wineries, and the cycling network offering a unique experience for visitors near and far. The Town’s AgriTourism Development Strategy identifies specific objectives aimed at supporting more opportunities for shortterm accommodations in the area. The Grove’s twostory, 28 room amenity will

enhance tourism within the Town while boosting the local economy. “We are thrilled to welcome the Grove Motor Inn to Colchester! The longawaited development will offer a unique experience to local residents and tourists alike.” said Richard Meloche, Mayor of the Town of Essex. “This unique development will add tremendous value to our community and positively contribute to the local economy.” There is currently no anticipated completion date for the development. To learn more about development opportunities in the Town of Essex, please visit the Town’s website: essex.ca

and swarmed the local food shelter, demanding food that was meant for the homeless and poor. These “good” people carried swastika and confederate flags and signs calling for the hanging and imprisonment of our Prime Minister, an elected MP. These same “good” people threatened citizens, used abusive language toward reporters, dishonoured the statue of Terry Fox and are blowing horns throughout the day and evening. What do these people want? They say that they are tired of restrictions. Well…so, is every Canadian that I know. No one wants to be isolated, to be restricted or to wear masks, but the enemy here is the “Virus,” not the people who are working so hard to keep us safe and to get us through this pandemic. Chris stated that he was proud to be in Ottawa and proud to represent Essex. I am sorry to say Chris, that I and I believe a majority of the people in the Essex riding, are not proud of you, your words or your actions in this matter. Lonnie Jones

Pet Of The Week: Farvio Farvio is a timid and independent feline who needs a furever home. He needs some time to develop trust with new people and settle into new places. He enjoys being pet, once he gets to know you and especially loves his chin scratched. He likes to spend a lot of time lounging in small spaces and values his solitude. He will blossom best in a calm and quiet household. If you think you are the right fit for Farvio, submit an adoption survey today! The Windsor-Essex County Humane Society shelter is at 1375 Provincial Rd., Windsor. Ph: 519-966-5751. To start the adoption process online, please go to: windsorhumane.org/adoptable-animals

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6 I News Essex Free Press

Essex Council notes - Monday, Febraury 7... pathways to secure housing and live a more stable life. Mota said he is an advocate for homelessness and affordable housing. He has volunteered to distribute food, clothing, and other basic living necessities to people who are homeless or live in severe poverty. In addition, he has hosted rallies on the matter in the recent past and plans to host a sleep out this month in front of the Windsor-Essex Community Housing Corporation to rally for more affordable housing and emergency shelters. Through his efforts, “I have learned how a little misfortune results in a downward spiral for so many,” Mota said, adding homelessness can occur due to many factors, including abuse, loss of employment, unmanageable living expenses, mental illness, or issues with addictions.

He said COVID has compounded these challenges. He said it is difficult to access emergency shelter services, which he said there is a lack of in Essex County. Possible solutions, Mota said, include modular dwellings that can be built by a company in Harrow. He suggested streamlining the process for this. He also suggested more zoning options to help combat homelessness, such as for residential second dwellings or second income. Modular homes could quickly become a solution for additional dwellings. He also suggested making it easy to view property eligibility for potential second dwellings, such as through a mapping website. In addition, he also suggested land be leased for modular dwelling parks, and create a land trust. Benefits, he said, include increasing tax revenue, conserve land, economic spinoffs, and existing infrastructure are already in place in some locations, he said. He suggested a group – including input from the community, Councillors, residents, and business owners – could determine the strategy to expedite an affordable housing plan. A task force could look at timelines and short and long-term goals to help solve the affordable housing crisis. Deputy Mayor Steve Bjorkman said affordable housing is a real issue, and the Town has perused allowing secondary dwelling units in certain areas. One of the things that needs to be done is define affordable housing.

He liked the idea of finding ways to get secondary dwelling units into areas where they can be added. Councillor Morley Bowman suggested giving the presentation to the Town’s Planning Department to see if there are any comments, ideas, or recommendations. He would like the department to come back to the table with those ideas in the near future. Council supported this motion unanimously. Director of Development Services, Lori Chadwick, said she is happy to look at the issue and noted the Planning Department is already planning on bringing a report forward that will include ideas behind obtainable housing. The availability of land is something she said needs to be talked about, in addition to efficiency of new housing construction, affordability of construction, and flexibility of providing options in Essex. The Planning Department, she said, wants to talk about tiny home incentives, opening up zoning, possibly allowing first floor dwelling units in commercial areas, infill development, and secondary dwelling unit policies. Chadwick liked Mota’s mapping idea and will speak about it with those who work on the GIS team for the Town. Councillor Sherry Bondy said everything is becoming unattainable, including housing, gas, and groceries. She suspects that it will get worse. She believes the Town needs to look at policies, and have a meeting on the matter to come up with a strategy. Bowman added the real issue is how to make it economically feasible to move forward with development. All three levels of government need to collaborate on the matter. Councillor Chris Vander Doelen said red tape needs to be removed for housing projects. Council has done a great job in the past three-years in getting construction going. But, there are still projects on the sidelines, due to matters like studies that need to be conducted. Council appoints engineer to complete 2022 bridge and culvert inspections Council appointed Keystone Bridge Management Corporation to provide engineering services to complete the 2022 inspections of structures within the Town of Essex. The Report to Council on the matter notes The Town of Essex has 97 structures; 58 bridges and 39 culverts. The Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act requires that these structures be inspected every two-years under the direction of a professional engineer using the Ministry’s Ontario Structure Inspection

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Manual (OSIM). The Report to Council continues that Keystone’s fee for the 2022 inspections of bridges and culverts within the Town is $37,101.70, including applicable HST. The Town’s 2022 Operational Budget currently allocates $40,000 for these inspections.

2021 engineering services for bridge replacement/rehabilitation awarded Council awarded the engineering services for bridge rehabilitation to RC Spencer Associates Inc., in the amount of $61,152.67, and further approved the additional funding of $11,152.67 above the approved 2022 Capital Budget of $50,000 for engineering for various bridges and culverts from the Town’s Asset Management Lifecycle Reserve to cover the shortage.

Colchester Harbour operating agreement renewed Council approved By-Law Number 2121, to renew the operating agreement of the Colchester Harbour with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans under the same terms and conditions for an additional five-years, commencing February 1, 2022. Council also passed Bylaw 2121. In the Report to Council, it notes the Town has been in partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to operate the Colchester Harbour ever since the Municipality was incorporated, and even prior when it was under the operation of Colchester South Township. The rent is $500, plus taxes, per annum or 20 percent of Gross Revenue plus taxes, whichever is the higher amount. The past fees paid as per the agreement were $28,086 in 2018, $27,194 in 2019, and $21,307 in 2020. It is too bad Essex cannot get the federal government to bring the Harbour up to date and give it to the Town to operate, Councillor Morley Bowman said, adding it would be great to own it, but the Town would like to own it when it is fixed up to where it should be. In the meantime, this is the best option. CAO Doug Sweet said the issue is basically federal funding. Two-years ago, an assessment was completed on the Harbour, which noted around $6m was needed to get the Harbour updated. The DFO does not have the funding, but is willing to sell it to the Town as is for $1.

Essex to submit application to Canada Community Revitalization Fund for Essex Centre for the Sport Field Council approved submitting an application to the Canada Community

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Thursday, February 10, 2022

Essex Free Press

Adl Feature I 7

8 I Ad Feature Essex Free Press

THE ART OF THE CRAFT

HOCKLEYBEER.CA

I Thursday, February 10, 2022

Thursday, February 10, 2022

News I 9

Essex Free Press

Essex Council notes... Revitalization Fund (CCRF) for the development of a portion of Phase 1 of the new Essex Centre Sport Fields. Council further motioned that should the Town of Essex be successful in receiving the maximum of 75 percent of all eligible Canada Community Revitalization Fund costs submitted, up to a maximum of $750,000 of the total Phase 1A project, the Town of Essex confirmed funding for the remaining $318,899 of the total Phase 1A project cost through the General Contingency Reserve. The budget cost of phase 1A is $1,068,899. CAO Doug Sweet said the total cost for the whole project in 2019 was $20.7M. Administration has continued to apply for grants, but has been unsuccessful to date. Administration worked with the plan designer to create a phase-in approach. In the Report to Council, it notes the Town of Essex has been exploring land options to be able to accommodate the outdoor sport field shortage in Essex Centre. Several of the main user groups have presented to Essex Council in the past, requesting that the Town create additional fields to accommodate their current and future needs.

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In July of 2021, Administration applied to the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) to potentially receive up to $750,000 towards developing Phase 1 of the project. In January 2022, Administration was notified that the Town’s application was being reviewed but confirmation was required that the remaining funds for Phase 1 were confirmed. If the Town of Essex is successful in receiving funding, work for Phase 1A would need to be completed by March 31, 2023. The fields would not be able to be used until the fall of 2023 or spring of 2024 to give the grass time to be ready for regular play. Phase 1A, Sweet said, includes adding a bridge culvert for entrance and exit, a gravel road to the gravel parking lot, and four senior soccer fields. Essex Fire 2021 Annual Review Essex Fire Chief Rick Arnel provided Council with a 2021 annual review, which Council received. Arnel noted the document provides some of the highlights of what the values and principals are. It also includes a list of the names of firefighters. “We have a

wonderful team here in Essex and they do a fantastic job for us,” he said. In 2021, Essex Fire & Rescue did not do as much public education as it has in the past, due to COVID. Call volume in 2021 was similar to the year prior, Arnel noted, which bounces between 320 and 350 annually. In the report, it noted crews were dispatched 332 times in 2021, with 90 being false fire calls, 25 rescues, 35 medical incidents, and 26 property fires/explosions. He said there was a large increase in false alarms in 2021. The false alarms happen through a variety of reasons. 2021 has been a demanding, but rewarding year, Arnel said. “I am proud of each and every one of our firefighters for what they have accomplished. Together, we worked hard to improve fire safety in Essex for residents, businesses, and visitors.” Arnel took the opportunity to thank each member of Essex Fire & Rescue for their courageous, compassionate, and dedicated service to the community.

Ice rental/floor rate increase approved Council received the report, “Ice Rental/Floor Rate Increase Starting 2022-2023 Season” and further

Continued on Page 11

10 I Community / News Essex Free Press

The life and legacy of Essex native Ralph Mellanby... and Television Association Hall of Fame, and was Canada’s Broadcaster of the Year in 1990. He received an Honourary Doctor of Laws from the University in 1991. His daughter, Laura, noted that many years ago, Mellanby wanted to move back to Essex and open a McDonalds franchise in the town, a move which did not go over well with the family and they all quickly vetoed. She noted her dad really did enjoy the small-town life compared to the big city living, for the fact that everyone knew everyone. It was this value, she noted, that Mellanby took with him, getting to know everyone’s first names, including the doormen and cleaning staff at Maple Leaf Gardens. Scott, Ralph’s son, started to refer to him as “the mayor” when he’d stop and say hello to everyone. “He was the voice of God. When Ralph spoke, it was fact and it was authoritative and you did everything you could in your power to do what he wanted and prayed you never let him down,” Shannon said. “I think the one lesson that Ralph taught me was never be comfortable. Don’t be afraid to take chances or afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. That’s the way we approached the show and HNIC when I took it over in 1994. That’s where Ralph’s imprint re-emerged, because a lot of that philosophy he taught me and things I still hold today.” Shannon noted that he believes there’s more than a dozen people Mellanby had touched, who have gone on to win the acclaimed Foster Hewitt Award, speaking to the volumes he was at understanding talent and teaching his philosophy. As he passed away on January 29,

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which was Hockey Day in Canada, tributes began to pour in. On social media and on the HNIC broadcast as well, featuring MacLean. “There is some irony in the fact that Ralph passed away on a Saturday on a day that he touched so many Canadians for so many years,” Shannon said. “He was one of our great mentors. There’s no question about that. He touched so many of us as well as the viewers that watch the games. Anytime that I’m in the broadcast industry, anytime I’m doing anything, there’s lots of the lessons that Ralph taught me that are in the back of my mind when I’m working behind the scenes or in front of the camera.” Shannon noted Mellanby would still mentor him, following his Friday episodes where he’d feature on Bob McGowan’s Prime Time Sports. He noted that he would receive a phone call from Mellanby with a critique of his work from the night before. “He never stopped mentoring and he never was shy to give his opinions, which is something that I will treasure,” Shannon said. “Ralph understood that the true payoff isn’t the Emmy or the Canadian screen award, and it isn’t the salary-- it’s the simple joy of doing it and that… is such a gift,” MacLean said. “We always say in hockey every shift is a gift and Ralph understood that and every frame is the game.” Mellanby leaves behind his wife, Gillian, along with his son, Scott, and daughter, Laura.

I Thursday, February 10, 2022

Vacant Ward 3 seat on Essex Council to be filled by application process by Sylene Argent After former Mayor Larry Snively plead guilty during a pretrial session at the Provincial Court on Friday, January 7, to the charge of having induced or procured a person to vote when that person was not entitled to do so, contrary to section 89(d) of the Municipal Actions Act, he soon after resigned from the top position on Essex Council. Following that decision, during a special meeting hosted on January 24, a majority Council vote selected Deputy Mayor Richard Meloche to take over the mayoral position for the Town of Essex. Then, on January 31, a majority Council vote appointed Ward 3 Councillor Steve Bjorkman to the Deputy Mayor position. On Monday evening, Council had to decide on how to fill Bjorkman’s former position at the local decision-making table. Director of Legislative Services/ Clerk, Robert Auger, said it was a Council decision on how to proceed with filling the vacated seat on Essex Council. There were a number of method options Council could consider to fill the position. Noting at the January 31 special meeting, Council voted that it would not be interested in hosting a by-election to fill the position, Council had the option to fill the position by appointing a qualified candidate from the 2018 Municipal Election or by appointing someone at large from the community. Council, he added, could fill the position by issuing an open call for applications.

Whomever Council decided to fill the position, the individual selected would have to be qualified to serve, Auger said. Bjorkman said he strongly believes the person who represents Ward 3 should live in Ward 3. He said there was a slate of candidates who ran for a number of positions from this area in the last Municipal Election. “A very quick thing to do would be to take that slate of runners, I believe there were three, and we could talk about them, vote on them, do whatever, but we would be able to come up with a replacement for that seat in Ward 3 tonight,” Bjorkman said. Councillor Morley Bowman said he was more inclined to lean toward the submission of applications, then move forward from there. Councillor Joe Garon agreed with Bowman that it should be an application process, but also agreed with Bjorkman that the candidate should be from Ward 3. Bowman put forward a motion that Council fill the Ward 3 position by application process, and left it open to any eligible voter, as Council will vote on the applications at that time. A majority Council vote passed the motion. Auger noted the application process will likely be open until around February 22. Council will host a special meeting on February 28 to hear from the applicants, then further make a decision. The Town will advertise the dates for which the applications for the position will be accepted. This would have the new member sworn in for the March 7, 2022 meeting.

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Thursday, February 10, 2022

News I 11

Essex Free Press

Essex Council notes... approved a 1.5 percent rate increase for all ice rentals beginning August 1, 2022. The Report to Council notes the Town of Essex has been operating the Essex Centre Sports Complex and the Harrow and Colchester South Community Centre with no change to the user fees since 2012. Additional funds for Harbour gate requested Council approved an additional $8,840.83 from the Parks and Recreation Building and Equipment Reserve to install gates and FOBs at each Colchester dock entrance. In the Report to Council, it noted that during the 2021 budget deliberations, Council approved that Parks and Facilities install controlled access gates at the entrance to each dock at the Colchester Harbour to increase security of the seasonal boats and prevent unauthorized people from walking in those areas. The Town of Essex approved $40,000 in the capital budget. Quotes were received for three different aspects of the project, including gate fabrication, FOB access installation, and electrical installation. The cumulative price of the three components totals $48,840.83 which leaves a shortfall of $8,840.83, the Report to Council continues. Council receives Community Improvement Plan 2021 annual summary Council received Economic Development’s report, “Community Improvement Plan (CIP)-Annual Summary 2021,” and further approved the transfer of $30,901.38 from the Harrow and Colchester CIP budget to fund pending applications through the Essex CIP program for the December 31, 2021 year end. Lori Chadwick, Director of Development Services, said there was quite the rush for businesses to take advantage of the CIP programs, which are now completed in Harrow and Essex Centre. Instead, funds from the Essex Centre and Harrow CIP programs will go towards the streetscape projects in both project areas. The Colchester & County Road 50 CIP Program will expire in 2027 and has an approved budget of $50,000.00 in 2022. Moving ahead into 2022, Chadwick said staff see a lot of potential in businesses taking advantage of the Colchester/County Road 50 CIP program. Staff will continue to bring forward quarterly reports on that. The report totals $130,901.38 for nine projects through the Essex Centre Community Improvement Plan projects supported in 2021 that have either received CIP funding in 2021 or are pending approval based on the

Continued from Page 9

reallocation of funds from the Harrow and Colchester/ CR50 CIP 2021 approved budget. Meloche provides update regarding E.L.K. Energy Mayor Richard Meloche updated Council on a meeting he, when he was still Deputy Mayor, and former Mayor Larry Snively had with Kingsville’s Mayor Nelson Santos and Deputy Mayor Gord Queen regarding E.L.K. Energy. Meloche said the meeting was also held with Essex’s and Kingsville’s CAOs. “We had an open discussion about issues Kingsville has heard from [its] residents and staff,” Meloche said. With Essex being the major shareholder, Meloche said he and Snively thought they should reach out, after Kingsville issued a letter to Essex on the matter. Meloche said they set out to see if there was something Essex could do as a town. During the meeting, Meloche said Kingsville was made aware of a meeting Essex had with Hydro One with regards to outages and that another meeting was to be held. One of the major issues Kingsville presented was with customer service from E.L.K. Energy, Meloche noted. Other issues had to do with tree trimming, communication with residents on issues, such as power outages or work to take place on streets, and lack of communication with wait times to developers on equipment, such as transformers. Kingsville noted it felt E.L.K. did not take ownership if contractors were used, and provided examples to pass along. “Everyone agreed on communication and customer

services need to be improved,” Meloche said. Currently, if a resident is not happy with customer service at E.L.K., they would contact the E.L.K. through its website. Concerns, he added, were also noted that E.L.K. Board Members are not listed on the utility’s website. “We did pass these communications along to E.L.K.,” Meloche said. CAO Doug Sweet will look to see if Essex has a road use agreement with E.L.K., as they wanted to see if one could be created between the utility and the three municipalities it serves: Essex, Kingsville, and Lakeshore. E.L.K. this year, in response to the Kingsville service area customers, will initiate a pilot project with small fault indicator systems to assist operations and monitor the distribution system, and provide quicker recovery times from outages. “We are hoping, over time, some of these issues can be resolved,” Meloche said.

NoM to be discussed on February 22 The following Notices of Motion will be brought forward for Council’s consideration at the February 22, 2022 Regular Council Meeting. • Councillor Sherry Bondy will ask that Council give direction to Administration to explore and report back the cost of rehabilitating County Road 20, from Walnut Street easterly to the County of Essex Connecting Link limit in the Community of Harrow, and that the County of Essex be consulted on completing this in partnership under the connecting link agreement. • Councillor Kim Verbeek will ask Council to have a discussion about returning to in-person meetings.

12 I Community Essex Free Press

I Thursday, February 10, 2022

OPP’s Mental Health Response Unit available to help those in need by Sylene Argent The local Mental Health Response Unit was the first for the OPP for the Province of Ontario, originally coming into effect in 2012. After twenty-years of service to the community, the program continues to grow and evolves to suit the needs of the region and the individuals it serves. “It has evolved quite a bit,” Constable Blake Cohoe said of the Mental Health Response Unit. He has been involved with the service since 2015. The local Mental Health Response Unit consists of four teams, each operating differently. “The general public would not necessarily realize it, and that’s the point to it,”

Cohoe said. “We like to provide a service to people seamlessly, without them knowing, but the right service at the right time for them.” There are two Mental Health Response Units, one of which is located in Essex and the other in Leamington. The locations of the units are based on geography for better response, Cohoe noted. “Those teams primarily do follow up for adults, 16-years-and-up,” Cohoe explained. “We take referrals from anybody. A lot of our referrals come from police, but they also come from service providers, doctors, concerned family members; it could be anybody really.

Even the Town of Essex staff has called us before. “We follow up with people when they are noncrisis related and provide them with services in their own home,” Cohoe said. “Our goal is to try to keep

them out of the hospital.” The OPP also has a Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team [MCRRT], which provides rapid response service for adults, those over the age of 16. This team is dispatched through 911, Cohoe said, adding the team responds to calls for service with other officers and tries to triage a person who is in crisis. Every response team is partnered with a Social Worker from Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare. The team designated to respond to assist youths is equipped with a Youth Worker. Both teams work in collaboration with OPP officers. “Primarily, the police before would respond with little to no knowledge on mental health resources

or assistance to be able to provide to people,” Cohoe said. “But, this time, we are actually bringing the emergency room to the person, and we are bringing a social worker to speak to them directly. The officer is there really to provide a safety setting for everybody.” If the individual they are assisting does need to go to the hospital, the police officer has apprehension authority, under the Mental Health Act. “Some people really do need to go to the hospital to see a doctor,” Cohoe said. Before the creation of the Mental Health Response Unit, the OPP had a hybrid team that conducted followup calls and responded to calls for service. “Now, the call volume is so high, that we really had to have that blended response. It is better for people and allows us more capacity to expand,” Cohoe said. “Now, we are seeing, where our Mental Health Teams do follow up after the fact, we are keeping people out of the hospital, but now, when we have a first response unit, like our MCRRT and YCRT [Youth Crisis Response Team], we are keeping them out of the hospital during their

emergency and helping them on the spot.” That was the goal of the OPP’s Mental Health Response Teams, Cohoe said. “And we are seeing results. The police are diverting about 70 percent of the people away from the emergency room for the calls we respond to. It is a huge difference. Of the people who are taken to the hospital, we have a 100 percent admission rate. That means we are really taking the right people to hospital, because they need it.” There are many societal issues to go along with the pandemic that people are experiencing, Cohoe said. That could include job loss, increase in cost of food, housing shortages, which has become a severe thing, a lot of people are becoming homeless, he noted. Many people have also not been able to utilize in-person services, have not been able to see their doctor, not been able to get a ride to appointments, have experienced limited office hours, and unemployment. He added. “It is a tough time on people,” he said, adding the Mental Health Response

Continued on Page 13

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Community / Opinion I 13

Essex Free Press

OPP’s Mental Health Response Unit available... Units have not stopped seeing people since the pandemic started. Last year, the OPPs local Mental Health Response Units responded to close to 1300 calls, Cohoe said. “It is the busiest in the province.” Some of the factors for that are based on geography and the population, Cohoe explained. “If people are struggling, they need to reach out,” Cohoe added. People even reach out to call on behalf of themselves to get some advice. “That is really what we want. We want to be proactive with people, before it turns into a crisis,” Cohoe said. He noted everyone the Mental Health Response Units deal with, are provided with some safety planning, and a solid plan for follow-up to help them to better themselves, he noted. Looking ahead, Cohoe said he would like to see this service available on a 24/7 basis. “I hope that we can get there. It takes a lot of investment from the community, but it is a service that is very much appreciated.” Cohoe noted the service is currently expanding, and is looking to have it available seven-days a week. He has spoken to the Essex Police

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Services Board recently about applying for a grant that could bring on a social worker for the weekends. “We are proceeding ahead with plans to be successful for that,” he said. Cohoe noted that if anyone has concerns outside the service’s hours of operation, they can reach out to the community crisis call line for support 519973-4435. This is a 24/7 number, run through HôtelDieu Grace Healthcare. “They’ll help a person whenever they need any type of assistance,” Cohoe noted. “If anybody needs any type of assistance from us, reach out and call. Anytime they are feeling overwhelmed, and they need assistance

immediately, they are to call 911 or go to their nearest emergency room,” he said. “If people are wondering, or feeling a little overwhelmed, call us, call the community crisis line. There are people there 24/7 who very much want to hear from people and we want to hear from people before they are in crisis,” Cohoe said. The Mental Health Response Unit can be reached at 519-724-0123 or 519-723-4600. Those 15 years-of-age or younger can call or text 1-800-668-6868, and those 16-years-of-age or older can contact 519973-4435, or are urged to go to their nearest emergency department, if experiencing a mental health emergency.

OFA releases statement on freedom protests submitted to EFP The tractor rallies that are currently targeting Queen’s Park and local MPP and MP offices are not organized by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. OFA respects the right to peaceful public protest that all Canadians enjoy, provided there is no risk to the biosecurity and safety practices that ensure the wellbeing of people, animals and the food supply. And we understand that the pandemic has been difficult on everybody and is causing rising frustration. We have felt the pressure that has been put on all parts of the food supply chain - farmers, processors, truckers, restaurants, grocery stores and consumers - by public health measures intended to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. But these pressures also underscore

the importance of having and protecting local sources of food. Throughout this pandemic, we have and will continue to work with all levels of government, supported by science and health-care professionals to find the best way to return to normal once again. Ontario agriculture is an economic powerhouse that will help to pull this province and country out of this pandemic. We all need to eat, and the local food supply chain is essential to all Ontarians. It ensures food on our plates and drives economic growth in both urban and rural Ontario. Farmers will continue to meet the challenges and ensure there are food and drinks on our tables and around the world as we edge closer to the end of this pandemic. OFA will continue to work towards Farms and Food Forever.

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I Thursday, February 10, 2022

Town of Essex looks ahead: Community Services will

maintain existing infrastructure, will purchase a new fire truck in 2022 by Sylene Argent EFP file photo 2022 will be a year the Town of Essex’s Community Services Department will spend a lot of time maintaining existing infrastructure, while tackling a few new projects as well. This includes anything from installing new HVAC units or fencing to enhance what the Town already has available to the public, Jake Morassut said, who is the Manager of Parks and Facilities. One of the biggest purchases the Department of Community Services is making in 2022 includes a new $1.5M ariel platform truck, between 80’ and

100’, for Essex Fire & Rescue. It will be located at Station #2. In welcoming this new piece of equipment, the Town will decommission two existing trucks, which have exceeded their life span. During the initial Budget Walkthrough held in late November, Fire Chief Rick Arnel said the 70’ and 95’ aerial trucks currently in use are both 25-years-old, and need to be replaced. “That will be a large purchase for us,” Morassut said. “But, at the end of the day, it is going to save with the maintenance, replacing two vehicles and going down to one.” Morassut noted Station

Over the next few weeks, the Essex Free Press will touch base with senior staff members with the Town of Essex to learn about their plans for the coming year and projects they will tackle. #2 responds to all fire calls, where the truck will be needed. Essex Fire & Rescue will also replace the “jaws of life” at Station #1 this year and will also purchase new ice water rescue equipment for the Ice Water Rescue Team. As mentioned at the Budget Walkthrough, this will include an all-service rescue boat and equipment for $9,400. Morassut noted Essex Fire & Rescue’s Ice Rescue Team includes firefighters who have been specially trained to conduct water rescues. A bigger piece of infrastructure coming to Harrow will include the change room for the Harrow Splashpad. This project was originally budgeted for 2021. During the 2021 budget deliberations, Council approved the Harrow splashpad washrooms to be constructed last year, with

an approved $150,000 in the Capital Budget. Additional funds, however, were needed as the tenders were all over budget. In August, Council voted to postpone the tender issued in 2021 for the Harrow Arena splashpad washroom and changeroom and to forward the capital project to the 2022 Budget, with a request for additional funding. It is hoped construction on the changeroom will start in the spring, though many factors will come into play in determining when the shovel will hit the ground. In Essex Centre, the Town will install new washrooms at the Heritage Gardens Park, with help from the Rotary Club of Cottam and the Essex Centre BIA. “We are excited to work

Continued on Page 16

Thursday, February 10, 2022

News I 15

Essex Free Press

Essex County Council Notes for Wednesday, February 2 by Sylene Argent Windsor-Essex County Health Unit provides COVID-19 Update Members of County Council received a presentation from Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, Acting Medical Officer of Health, and Nicole Dupuis, CEO of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU), who provided an update on COVID-19 within the region. “COVID still remains a challenge in the Windsor-Essex Health District. Up to this point in the pandemic… approximately 11,500 people have died of COVID in the Province and about 550 of those deaths have been in the WindsorEssex Health District,” Nesathurai explained. Death, he said, is at least one measure of the burden of COVID-19 in the community, he added. About 40 percent of the patients ventilated in the ICU in the province are related to COVIDrelated diseases. “When we look at the metrics and the data, that COVID still remains a significant challenge,” Nesathurai said, adding the current level of burden of disease, is in part related to the public health measures that have been instituted, the vaccination status, and the cooperation and commitment of the people of the health district. The Monday prior, Nesathurai noted the Province relaxed some of its public health measures. The effect of that, he said, will be noticed shortly. Nesathurai added, at this point in

the pandemic, “We don’t have testing capacities. And, if we do not have testing capacities, then we can’t use case counts, being the number of people who actually tested positive as a clear metric of disease, because we are restricting testing to a subset of the community.” As the local health unit moves forward in the pandemic, Nesathurai said other measures will have to be used, such as hospitalization, the number of people in the ICU, the number of individuals on a ventilator, as well as data from wastewater sampling. “So, as we move forward, this creates one more challenge for all of us, those in the public health service and the community and beyond, about what is the current level of disease in the community and what is the burden of disease,” Nesathurai said. “The strategy moving forward is to try to reduce the burden, or manage the burden of disease, so that individuals who are sick don’t saturate the hospital. I think the data would suggest Omicron is probably causing – on an individual level – less severe disease. But…more people are getting affected because it is more infectious, and therefore the proportion of people who present with severe disease, disease that requires hospitalization or ICU admission or ventilator support, is actually the risk we are trying to mitigate,” Nesathurai said. Nesathurai added there are two broad categories of people who are passing away of COVID; those who are vaccinated

and have significant medical problems. “But, speaking to my colleagues, threequarters of the deaths are still people in people [who] are unvaccinated, and the people who are unvaccinated are dying and many of them are dying in the prime of their life.” He urged those who are unvaccinated and eligible, to get vaccinated. Things the community can do includes getting the vaccination rate higher. In the immediate term, public health will monitor for the burden of disease, he said. One thing that needs to be considered is how to return to a level of normality, Nesathurai said. “I don’t believe, in looking at the data overall, that COVID isn’t going away. If it was going away, it would have gone away by now, it [has been] two-years.” Moving into some level of normalcy, Nesathurai said a suite of approaches needs to be considered. “That means that we can’t go back to the way we were before. We ultimately normalized HIV… the new level of normalcy has to include, I think, considering things, that moving forward, may be different.” “So, we may have to wear masks indoors indefinitely. We may require vaccination as a booster for the near future. We have to welcome the fact that antiviral drugs may be one additional treatment that we have to mitigate the burden of disease. We may have to accept that restaurant dining is not as risk-free as it was before. We may have

to accept, as a culture, travel is going to be a little bit more difficult… in the near or intermediate term. We may have to accept that we will have to modulate public health measures, based on whatever variance we may be exposed to.” He said the hospital system and healthcare system were already running at near-capacity before COVID. He estimated at the time of the meeting, those in hospital with COVID accounted for around ten percent. “That ten percent is added to a hospital system that’s already stretched to the limit. We have to think, moving forward as part of normalization, is how do we reorganize the health service overall, so that we can manage these surges or these additional demands on the health system,” Nesathurai said. He said he will remain optimistic, with the right suite of policy choices, public health measures, and rational decisionmaking, that the community can move on.

Annual update for the County Wide Active Transportation System Diana Radulescu, Active Transportation Coordinator, presented the annual update on the County Wide Active Transportation System (CWATS) to County Council. CWATS, she said, connects all seven Essex County municipalities with safe, active transportation. In addition to Continued on Page 18

16 I Classifieds / Special Feature Essex Free Press

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519.776.4268

I Thursday, February 10, 2022

PRAYER TO the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, You who makes me see everything and who shows me the way to reach my ideals. You who gives me the Divine Gift to forgive & forget all that is done to me, and you who are in all the instances of my life with me. I, in this short dialogue, want to thank you for everything, and conﬁrm once more that I never want to be separated from you, no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with you and my loved ones in your perpetual glory. A person may pray this prayer three consecutive days without asking for their wish. It will be granted no matter how diﬃcult it may be, and promise to publish this dialogue, as soon as your favor has been granted. With grateful thanks. M.C.

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LEGAL NOTICE

_____________________

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF OSWALD BULLOCK LATE OF THE Town of Essex, in the County of Essex and Province of Ontario, Deceased

All persons having claims against Oswald Bullock, late of the Town of Essex, in the County of Essex, who died on or about the 4th day of October, 2020, are notiﬁed to send to the undersigned on or before the 8th day of April, 2022, full particulars of their claims. After that date, the Estate Representative will distribute the assets of the said deceased, having regard only to claims of which they shall then have notice. DATED at Leamington, Ontario this 4th day of February, 2022. RICCI, ENNS, ROLLIER & SETTERINGTON LLP Barristers, etc. 60 Talbot Street West Leamington, Ontario, N8H 1M4 Solicitors for the Estate Representative

Sell It! Find it! Rent It! Buy It! in The Classifieds

519-776-4268

Town of Essex looks ahead... Continued from Page 14 with both those local partners on getting those projects completed,” Morassut said, adding it is hoped to continue to add to this park in the future, by adding electrical work and even an amphitheatre to make it more of a tourist and eventful area. The Community Services Department will also replace the skate parks in Essex Centre and Harrow this year, for $50,000 each. “They are pretty old and are deteriorating pretty good. We want to make sure the equipment we have is safe, so we will have public consultation with people who use the skateboard parks.” This will allow the users to have a say as to what kind of equipment they would like, in sticking to the budget. The Town, he added, will also conduct an assessment on the recently purchased Harrow High School. $60,000 was put into the budget to determine potential restoration costs. Down at the Colchester Harbour, the Town plans to install charcoal barbeques and bins to store the used charcoal. This will allow facility users to barbeque while enjoying the amenities. Morassut noted the Town currently does not permit the use of barbeques at the Colchester Harbour, but will allow visitors to use the charcoal

barbeques, as they will be accommodated with a charcoal bin for safe disposal. The Community Services Department will also add a shade structure to Townsview Park and the Harrow and Colchester South Arena will also get security cameras. It will also add fencing and lighting upgrades to baseball Diamond One. The lightning upgrade was over $200,000, Morassut said, noting it was needed as the Town needs to rent a special lift every time a light goes out, which could take weeks. The lift is heavy, so it cannot be put on the grass unless conditions are dry. When the Town prepares the ball diamonds at the future sports complex, on the southside of the by-pass, these new lights can be relocated, depending on plans moving forward. Morassut is also excited to officially open the multi-use tennis courts and recently moved tot park, both located at the Essex Centre Sports Complex grounds, and Hunter Park this spring, as work on these projects wraps up. With residents wanting to take advantage of outdoor amenities, Morassut said it is important to Town staff that they are in good repair and reliable for users to enjoy.

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Sports I 17

Essex Free Press

Essex Southpoint Ravens U12 Hockey

Pictured: Owen Derksen takes a slap shot against Riverside

submitted to EFP The Essex Southpoint Ravens U12 hockey team opened its playoff round robin this past weekend, after an extended break. On Friday night, in Essex, the Ravens hosted the Erie North Shore

Storm. The game started slowly as it appeared that both teams needed to shake the rust off. The Storm opened the scoring five minutes into the middle frame which seemed to be the catalyst

to wake up the hometown boys. With six to go in the second, Derek Dunn, off the draw, chipped the puck past the Storm defence, out skated his opponents, and finished the play with a goal off a wrist shot. One minute into the third period Nash Fuerth hit Austin Goudie at the side of the net and he banged the puck in to take the lead. Four minutes into the period, Lucas O’Neil grabbed the puck at mid ice and skated wide right, firing his snap shot into the net, blocker side. Less than a minute later Tyler Thomas passed to Goudie who hit Fuerth mid-stride and he wired his shot in to make the final score 4-1. Trent Chevalier secured the win in net, for Essex. On Saturday the

Ravens travelled to Windsor to face off with the Riverside Rangers. The Essex players had a little more jump in their legs for this game. With four minutes left in the first period, Ben Liebrock made a great move to slid the puck back to Nash Fuerth who one-timed it

home and take the lead. Riverside tied things up early in the second period. But, less than 15 seconds later, Lucas O’Neil busted through the Rangers defense, fired his shot wide where Brayden Foster picked up the rebound off the end boards, to score for Essex. Less than two minutes into the third period, Fuerth picked up the puck

as it popped out during a scramble to score and increase the lead for Essex. Later into the period, while short handed, Brayden Foster chipped a puck past to Kayden Cook who stepped in, over the line, and rifled his slap shot home to round out the scoring. Kevin Ondic, in net, backstopped his team to the 4-1 victory.

Essex-Southpoint U10 Team is Back in Action submitted to EFP Over this past weekend weekend the Essex Southpoint U10 team dove right into OMHA playdowns, facing off against Erie North Shore Storm on Saturday and the Riverside Rangers on Sunday. Zander “Cookie” Cook started the game against Erie off with a goal in the first 30 seconds, followed by another from Christian Rutgers two minutes later. The Capitals continued a strong presence into the second period, scoring three more goals. Conner Blain tipped in Jordyn Lefaive’s shot to finish the second period up 5-0. Final score was

5-1. Sunday’s game against Riverside kept the fans on the edge of their seats! The Capitals came out strong in the first period, scoring three goals from Brody “Churchie” Church, Eddie Zeiba, and Christian Rutgers. The teams swapped goals back-and-forth throughout the second and third periods, but ultimately the Capitals held on for a 5-3 win. The U10 team finished the first weekend of Playdowns up 2-0 and ranked #1 in the province! The team will finish Playdowns in a few weeks and then head to the SilverStick Finals in Newmarket over March Break.

18 I Personals / News

I Thursday, February 10, 2022

FromThe Heart Essex County Council Notes for Essex Free Press

Email your photo and content to contact@ essexfreepress.com or drop by our oﬃce at 16 Centre St., Essex. Personal notices must be received by Monday at 12:00 noon to appear in the Thursday edition. _________________________________________________________

IN LOVING MEMORY _________________________________________________________

C ALHOUN

Frances Jean June 7, 1930 – Feb. 8, 2009

Ray Anson Aug. 25, 1927 – Feb. 9, 2005

Loving and kind in all their ways, Upright and just to the end of their days. Sincere and true in their hearts and minds, Beautiful memories they left behind. Always remembered and sadly missed by Doug (Robin), Janice (Bill), Ron (Wendy), Lois (Tim), Chris (Jennifer), and their families _______________________________________________

CARD OF THANKS

_______________________________________________

Thank You - Gillett Family The family of the late Ron (Gilly) Gillett would like to thank everyone for the cards, donations, beautiful ﬂower arrangements, fruit basket, food, and phone calls. Thank you to Geri & Mary Jane for all their help. Also, special thanks to Jana Dame & Glennie O’Neil for the beautiful eulogy. And thank you to the hockey and baseball players, as well as parents for the wonderful tribute to Ron. We would like to thank Kennedy Funeral Home, Tony and his staﬀ for their compassion and guidance and for being there for our family throughout our grief. It was greatly appreciated.

- Geri, Tami, Jana, Dane, and Family _________________________________________________________

IN LOVING MEMORY

_________________________________________________________

Wednesday, February 2... creating connections, it promotes healthy living and contributes to economic development and tourism, she said. CWATS was originally adopted in 2021. Its plan is based on three pillars: policies, network, and programs. “First, the plan incorporates language from County planning policies and provides specific design guidance for implementing the proposed 800km network. It also provides guidance for relevant town policies, when they are updated,” Radulescu said. Since 2015, the County has conducted annual active transportation traffic counts, to measure network usage. Since then, the number of cyclists has doubled and more women and children are on the network than ever before, Radulescu said. Through CWATS, Radulescu said, area municipalities submit applications every year, to build parts of the network, based on their budget and priorities. The County has a cost-sharing formula that is applied. Applications are decided upon by the CWATS Committee. She noted the CWATS Budget for 2022 has been approved by County Council, and is $2.1M in general

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OBITUARIES

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CHAMPEAU, Arthur - Passed away peacefully with his family by his side on February 4, 2022 at 90 years of age. Beloved husband of the late Marilyn Champeau. Loving father of Carol Heppel (Francis), the late Marjorie Champeau, Katherine Champeau (Don Mathies), Michelle Barley (Alex), Wendy Bell, Nicole McCauley (Horace), and Blaine Champeau (Carrie). Dear grandpa of Tyler Watson, Blake Bell, Lia Barley, the late Logan Barley, Tamara Smith, C.J. Smith, Jackson Champeau, and Marshall Champeau. Great-grandpa of Micheala Jacques and Rylynn Watson. Arthur retired from Morton Terminal in Windsor, Ontario. Both Arthur and Marilyn were dedicated to the Blues at Victoria Tavern in Windsor. Cremation has taken place. A life celebration will take place at a later date. Donations may be made to the Canadian Mental Health Association. Kennedy Funeral Home Ltd. (519-776-7378) 128 Talbot St. North Essex entrusted with the arrangements. You may send your condolences online at www.kennedyfh.com

Continued from Page 15

and $1.5M is reserved for core infrastructure projects. “Since 2012, we have built over 55 percent of the network, due to these programs,” Radulescu said. Currently, Radulescu said the CWATS Committee is working on tendering and building its 2022 projects, and is working on updating the CWATS Mater Plan. Essex Mayor Richard Meloche thanked the CWATS Committee for their efforts. He is proud to see the plan progress as it has over the years. _________________________________________________________

OBITUARIES

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GIBB, Ronald Garnet - Nov 1, 1937 – Feb 6, 2022 - It is with broken hearts we announce the passing of Ron at the age of 84 following complications from Covid. Beloved husband of Pam for 30 years. Former spouse of Bonnie (nee Trimble). Cherished brother of Barb Sunderland (Neil), Carl, and Donna Crawford (Wayne). Predeceased by brother, Doug (Fran). Devoted father of David (Colleen), Stephen (Jacquie), Debbie D’Aloisio (Joe), Lindsay Drozdz (Rob), and Craig Miller. Sadly, missed by grandchildren, Joel, Emily, Ellen, Celine, Evan, Phoebe, Keely, Abbey, Ashton, Logan, and Finley, and great-grandchildren, Ethan and Hudson. Ron was a popular teacher/principal in Essex County for thirty-five years. He had an uncanny ability to remember past students who approached him everywhere he went. A sports fanatic, he was always involved in coaching baseball, basketball, volleyball, and track. As a retiree, he loved playing slopitch and volleyball, singing with the Sun Parlor Barbershop Society and the Guys Who Like To Sing, catching the news with his morning coffee buddies, and following grandkids’ sports and activities, as well as spending time with family. Ron was always actively recruiting others to join in the fun, and many retirees did. At home, he loved gardening, woodworking, feeding the birds, and spending time with his beloved cats and dogs. He often said how lucky he was. Many thanks to the staff at Windsor Regional Hospital, especially special Nurse Emily, for the wonderful care in such difficult circumstances. Cremation has taken place. Appointments and masks are required by booking online at www.kennedyfh.com Family and friends are invited to gather at the Kennedy Funeral Home Ltd. (519-776-7378) 128 Talbot St. North, Essex on Thursday from 3-7 p.m. for a time to celebrate Ron’s life. Donations may be made to the Windsor/Essex Humane Society. You may send your condolences online at www.kennedyfh.com

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BIRTHDAY ANNOUNCEMENT

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Voice Of Inspiration “Top 15 Things Money Can’t Buy... Time. Happiness. Inner Peace. Integrity. Love. Character. Manners. Health. Respect. Morals. Trust. Patience. Class. Common sense. Dignity.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

Happy

Birthday FEBRUARY 10, 1942

JOHN BLAIR! Love all your children, Tracy, Jana, Vicki, Lorrie, Stuart and families

What’s Going On... FEB. 16  AMHERSTBURG BLOOD DONOR CLINIC - Knights of Columbus, 190 Richmond St. 2-7pm. To book an appointment: www.blood.ca OR 1-800-2-DONATE. MAR. 9  ESSEX BLOOD DONOR CLINIC - Essex Centre Sports Complex, 60 Fairview Ave W., Essex, 2-7pm. To book an appointment: www.blood.ca OR 1-800-2-DONATE HIATUS HOUSE: oﬀers counselling services in Essex County. Women’s Fresh Start group therapy is once a week. For info or to schedule an intake appointment, call the 24-hour Hiatus House helpline at 519-252-7781. SUN COUNTY LYME AWARENESS SUPPORT GROUP oﬀers monthly support for Lyme disease patients, family, & friends. Look us up on social media for updates.

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Community Hub

Essex Free Press

sponsorship by:

Sundays at 10:30a.m. Masks and social distancing are required. Hand Sanitizer is provided. Bible Study is suspended until further notice. Our Food Bank continues to serve our community. For information, please call the church oﬃce at: 519-776-4628.

I 19

For more information, about what is happening at St Paul’s, visit our website (www.stpaulstrinity.org) and social media for updates. You can reach us at 519-776-7711. Stay safe and see you soon!

Woodslee United Church

Fresh food. Friendly neighbours 191 Talbot St. S., Essex

519-776-4255 Essex Christian Reformed Church submitted by Beverley Van Huizen

Please join us each Sunday at 10am in-person, or online. Visit www.essexcrc.ca for a link to our social media page for upcoming services, information, and updates. Enjoy our ‘Take-a-book-Leave-a-book’ library located in front of the church.

Essex United Church Join us on Sunday at 10:30am for our regular worship service. Keep up to date on our website: www.essexunitedchurch. ca Also, you can join us on our social media. The Essex Food Bank is open - Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30am – 11:45am. The Food Bank phone number is: 519776-4070.

Central Essex County Catholic Family of Parishes Essex, Maidstone, McGregor, and Woodslee news New spiritual resources for all ages can be found on our website under Resources. The oﬃce is closed to the public. Please call to make an appointment. For up to date news please visit our website at centralessexcatholic.dol. Please keep all frontline workers in your prayers. Please stay safe!

Salvation Army Essex Church submitted by Carolyn Barnett

Join us for Family Worship led by Major Jim Hann on

Trinity Anglican Church

submitted by Sue Holman

Thank you to all who attended our online Vestry and to those who submitted reports. Our meeting was well attended. Well done everyone. We are returning to in church services on Sunday, February 13. Please register with Pat Jackson at 519-776-8005. Covid protocols remain in place. We are all invited to wear red on Sunday, not only for Valentine’s Day, but to recognize and bring awareness to Canada’s Women’s heart health day. We will hold a take-out Pancake Supper on Tuesday, March 1st. Details will follow. We welcome everyone to our 9:15 Sunday morning services with Rev.’d Hilton Gomes. Stay warm and healthy. Do an act of kindness to someone you meet.

Come join us for Sunday Service at 11:15 am. Our guest speaker is Sue Anderson. Rev. Carl will be at Belle River United Church, as they are holding the Annual Meeting. Please say a special for our friends on our Prayer List. There are no special events planned at this time.

Essex Baptist Church Our congregation is open and welcomes you to join us for Sunday worship at 10:30 am. Recorded messages are on our website at: www.essexbaptist.com We contiue to pray for God’s blessing on all of Essex County. Let us know how we can, more speciﬁcally, pray for you. (email: pastor@essexbaptist.com). 71 Maidstone Ave East..

Bethel-Maidstone United We are open for in-person worship at 10:00 am each Sunday, with with Ontario Covid requirements in place. Our Annual Meeting is on Sunday, February 20, following the service. The secretary can be reached Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9am to 1pm. Reach us by phone (519) 723-2284, email bmuc@xplornet.ca or vist us online: www.bethelmaidstone. com. Located 933 Talbot Road, Maidstone.

St. Paul’s Anglican Church submitted by Sandra Lypps

We return to in-person worship this Sunday, February 13 at 11am. We look forward to seeing you! Thank you to everyone who supported our most recent pasta dinner. We appreciate it! If you are cleaning out closets, please keep our Clothing Cupboard in mind.

Essex Region Goodfellows The Essex Region Goodfellows held its election for a new Executive. Congratulations to the following members, all unanimously voted in to their positions. President - Richard Meloche, Vice President - Mike Ryan, Treasurer - Christine Hayes , Secretary - Julie Simard. The Essex Region Goodfellows look forward to the next campaign this fall and are dedicated to serving the needy in the community.

Brooker News submitted by Ruth Newman

Worship service this Sunday, February 13 at 10am with Mike Morency bringing the message. On Sunday, February 20, Mark Story will be with us. Masks and social distancing are required. Please remember in prayer, those in our community who are ill, those in nursing homes, our frontline workers, our nation and all the turmoil in our world.

Voice Of Inspiration “Thinking something does not make it true. Wanting something does not make it real.” ~ Michelle Hodkin *********************************

“Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on.” ~ Criss Jami

20 I Business Directory Essex Free Press

I Thursday, February 10, 2022

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ESSEX AUTO WRECKERS & SERVICE

O: 519.562.8090 C: 519.965.8091

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Thursday, February 10, 2022

News / Business Directory I 21

Essex Free Press

Local Business update: New openings, new owners by Sylene Argent The downtown Essex Centre business district is always changing, with new businesses opening, closing or under new ownership. NEW BUSINESSES: • C remation First Limited Owner & Cremation Professional, Lucas Martin, has opened an office in Essex. Located at 35 Victoria Ave. Unit #3, appointments can be made M-F 8:30am 5pm, Call 519-398-9188. There are three locations throughout Windsor-Essex County. • Original Guys Pizza is opening up a new location in Essex, in the former Spoonz location, at 292 Talbot Street North. This newest addition will be the franchise’s seventh. This will be Justin Shepley’s first franchise of the business. He said he always wanted to get into Essex. When the opportunity came up, it was just too good to pass up, he said. • Simple Choice Cremation Centre Inc. now has opened a new office in Essex,

located at 78 Talbot Street North. Gabrielle Denonville, Cremation Specialist, noted the Essex location was opened so the business could accommodate residents in the area, who were previously heading out to the South Windsor location. The new office in downtown Essex Centre makes their services more accessible to residents in the county. Simple Choice Cremation Centre Inc. now has six locations throughout the region, with the first one opening in 2014. • Boondom Cannabis celebrated its Grand Opening in Essex on November 26, 2021. This new business to Essex Centre is located at 169 Talbot St S #4, Essex. Stop by Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm and Sunday 12 noon-6pm. • Previously operating in LaSalle, Phat Albert Wok and Grill has moved into the former The Deluxe Restaurant facility, located at 51 Talbot Street North, and is offering Chinese food. • Sunsations Tanning and Resort Wear

has had a change of name and of location. Now operating under the name FATE Fashion, Accessories, Tanning, Etc, is located at 68 Talbot St. N., Essex ( former Schinkel’s Meat Market & Deli location). Owner Krista Sweet is offering her customers women’s apparel, accessories, footwear, and unique gifts. Tanning is also available. • Save + Retail & More has moved into the corner building at Medora and Talbot (131 Talbot St N, Essex). Managed by Laiba Irfan, the retail store offers close-out fragrances, shoes, grocer items, toys, and more. New Ownership / Management: Jeff’s No Frills now operates under the name Josh’s No Frills: Josh Girard took over the Essex No Frills (53 Arthur Ave, Essex) location from previous owes Jeff and Donna MacPhee. Retirement: After 22-years of business, Bill Drouillard officially handed the keys over to Wine O’Willie’s new owners, Peter and Karen Youngson. The recent acquisition was celebrated with a community grand

opening on Saturday. Drouillard first established Wine O’Willie’s in 1999, after accepting an early retirement from the University of Windsor. At that time, Drouillard was making wine from home as a hobby, and was inspired to start up his own winemaking business. Drouillard said he enjoyed every minute as a business owner in Essex Centre, and is confident he has left Wine O’Willie’s in very capable hands. “Peter and Karen are very energetic and young, and really want to do business,” he said. “They are great people.” Accomplishment: Jeff Smith’s County Chevrolet congratulates Rob Sivyer on graduating top of his four-year class in the GM ASEP Automotive Service Program at Fanshawe College. Sivyer just finished his fourth year of studies, and is now an official candidate to become a journeyman. On February 3, he will take his final exam to earn his red seal. If he passes, he will officially earn the “journeyman” title.

REAL ESTATE

CUSTOM KITCHEN CABINETS

PRIVATE COLLECTOR

PLUMBING • GAS FITTING

WINDOWS & DOORS

INSURANCE

FINANCIAL

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HICKS, MACPHERSON, IATONNA & DRIEDGER LLP. Chartered Professional Accountants Tyler Hicks Heather MacPherson Lindsay Iatonna Tim Driedger Ashley Meyer P.O. Box 189, 49 Erie St. N., Leamington, Ontario N8H 3W2 Phone 519-326-2681 • Fax 519-326-8044 • www.hmid.ca

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T 519.776.6262 F 519.776.1293 E skmcmorick@bakertilly.ca W www.bakertilly.ca

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22 I Opinion / Sports Essex Free Press

I Thursday, February 10, 2022

Windsor-built 1950 Meteor sedan

Milan Lobana is continuing to develop athletic skills at UWindsor

Low mileage 1950 Meteor sedan.

Bill and Bev Demerling of Elmwood, Ontario, are the proud owners of a gleaming black 1950 Meteor sedan with wide whitewalls and fender skirts built at the Ford plant in Windsor over 70 years ago. “We have owned this Meteor since 1997. It has eight cylinders and 3-speed manual transmission. I purchased this Custom Deluxe Meteor from Bill Ross of Nestleton, Ontario, who bought it in 1978 from Robert Rowe of Pontypool, Ontario, who had bought the car in 1974. “In 1998, I had the car taken down to bare metal and repainted. The chrome was also redone. The motor and interior are original and the mileage is original at 35,000.” Kelvin’s car was blue when built. Kelvin thinks it was changed to black by Bill Ross. The serial number is 0173H5051494. The “H” means Home plant in Windsor and this car was built three years before the Ford plant moved from Windsor to Oakville. Ford of Canada introduced the Meteor in 1949 to give the Mercury-Lincoln dealers a car to sell in the low price field. The Meteor was built only in Canada. Over 23,000 were sold in its first year and over 26,000 in 1950. It was basically a Ford with Mercury grille and Meteor trim. Two models of Meteor were available: Deluxe and Custom ONLINE & IN PRINT Deluxe. The Deluxe sold for about $35 less than Ford and the Custom Deluxe models listed for about $150 more. The ads proclaimed “Miles Ahead with Meteor.” Murray contact@essexfreepress.com issuu.com/essexfreepress Myles was the Mercury-Lincoln-Meteor dealer in Leamington and worked his name into that slogan: “Myles Ahead with 16 CENTRE ST., ESSEX Meteor.” I’m always looking for stories. Email billtsherk@ 519.776.4268 www.essexfreepress.com sympatico.ca.

READ US

2021 EFP File Photo

by Garrett Fodor For Essex native, Milan Lobana, life is a balancing act. Whether it be on the track or in the classroom, Lobana is looking ahead, aspiring towards big things. The 18-yearold is in his first year at the University of Windsor, where he is competing for the Lancers’ track and field team, while studying biological science with the hopes to pursue medical school in the future. For Lobana, even in high school, he admitted he would have to implement time management measures into his

daily schedule. He was a busy student, and noted the importance of divvying up his time between the three sports he played in high school, while also staying on top of his studies. While excelling in athletics, Lobana was also excelling in the classroom. He earned the Governor General Award in 2021, recognizing his academic success. He earned a combined grade average of 98.8 percent for grades 11 and 12. He noted that it taught him to focus on one thing at a time, whether it’s homework

Continued on Page 23

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Sports I 23

Essex Free Press

Sports Feature: Milan Lobana is continuing to develop athletic skills at UWindsor... or workouts. He admits he tries not to be hard on himself, something that he feels is important. When Lobana was growing up and in high school, he played several sports, from volleyball to basketball and track and field. But it would be the latter which he fell in love with and decide to pursue, focusing on sprints, along with the triple jump and long jump. “I remember learning triple jump for the first time when I was 12 or 13,” recounts Lobana. “I was learning it on like the cement at Essex Public School, because there was no actual pit or there was no runway there. My friend, Sebastian Tofflemire, taught me how to do the triple jump that year and I have just liked it ever since.” As he looks back, Lobana said he is grateful to have had the opportunities to play multiple sports, not only for the memories, but because he said it helped him develop and create

muscles and the reflexes he uses today for track. As he had the opportunity to play multiple sports, Lobana credits the coaching he received at EDHS, from Joe Amicarelli to Izzy Oozer and Mary-Beth Tilson, who helped him with basketball and volleyball, along with Andy Hahn, Lobana’s track and field coach at EDHS. When he was looking at options, Lobana said Windsor was really his only choice. Lobana admitted he got to know the coaching staff there and liked the facilities the school had. They were also very supportive of his academic desires. Looking ahead, Lobana noted he is excited to get back to the Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse and begin to wear the ‘Blue and Gold’ and compete for the Lancers. The freshman was able to spend the summer training with coaches at the school, while also competing with the Border City Athletics Club.

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While at the University, he has been working with Head Coach, Colin Inglis, along with Jumps Coach, Rich Coughlin. “Whenever I am at the track training, I always see the boards with the records on it, seeing names like Noelle (Montcalm) and Melissa (Bishop-Nriagu), and then I see the team triple jump record board and I want to be on that board one day. Seeing those boards encourages me to keep working hard, because I want to be on those boards. I want to follow their paths and have success nationally and internationally,” Lobana said. Getting to know Lobana, Coach Inglis admitted he and the coaches at the University of Windsor try to give their athletes everything they require to succeed in the classroom and in life, individually. When getting to know Lobana, and hearing his desires to pursue medical school, he put Lobana in contact with Dr. Houser, the Dean for the Faculty of Science, someone who he can potentially do research with and help achieve his personal goals. On the track, Inglis noted the team has resumed training and is continuing to get back to a sense of normalcy as their season quickly approaches and resumes. On the track, Inglis and his team are excited to continue to work with and develop Lobana as an athlete. “As an athlete, there’s so much potential there that you’re not really going to notice it probably for a couple of years,”

Inglis said. “There’s still a lot that he has to learn and develop as an athlete. And once those things start to come together in the next couple of years, then I think we’re going to really see the real Milan as an athlete. Rich Coughlin is really good as well as our triple jump coaches at establishing goals for these kids and challenging them on a daily and weekly basis, as well. So, they have things to strive for in training and competing.” Due to COVID-19, Lobana admitted that training and competing in the last couple of years has not been easy, with events few and far between. He credits the support system he has, including his parents

Kuldeep and Rajwinder Lobana, along with friend, Ben Panjer. Lobana noted that with gyms opening and closing in the last few years, Panjer has helped Lobana train and the pair have been working out at Panjer’s house to keep growing and getting stronger. As their season is set to resume, the Lancers

Continued from Page 22

will once again be back hitting the track. The Lancers will host the “Lancer ReBoot” at the Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse on February 13, showcasing all of their track and field athletes on their roster. The first event is scheduled to begin at 9 am.

Voice Of Inspiration “There comes a time in your life when you have to choose to turn the page, write another book or simply close it.” ~ Shannon L. Alder ****************************

“You will evolve past certain people. Let yourself.” ~ Mandy Hale

24 I News Essex Free Press

I Thursday, February 10, 2022

Top four calls for OPP service in December related to traffic by Sylene Argent Last Thursday, members of the Essex Police Services Board learned the top four calls for service to the OPP during the month of December had to do with traffic. There were 23 RIDE programs, followed by 22 traffic complaints, 18 traffic enforcement requests, and 16 motor vehicle collisions, with at least 11 charges made as a result. In addition, the top calls for service from Essex for the month of December also included 15 requests for each bylaw complaints and well-being checks, 14 calls each for alarms, family disturbance, and suspicious individuals, and 12 for property-related occurrences. In total, 412 calls were put to the OPP from within Essex in December, which is comparable to the 389 put in the same month 2020 and 411 in 2019. In addition, in December, Essex

had the lowest calls to the OPP from area OPP policed areas, with Kingsville having 421, Tecumseh having 509, and 765 made from Lakeshore. Overall, there was a 14.4 percent increase in Calls for Service in December 2021 compared to December 2020, not including E-tickets. There were eight violent crime instances in Essex in December, which was comparable to the eight made in the same month in 2020 and nine in 2019. In addition, there were 13 in Lakeshore, six in Kingsville, three in Tecumseh, and one through the Provincial Unit. In December in Essex, there were 17 property crime calls, which was comparable to the 14 made in the same month in 2020 and 24 in 2019. In addition, 28 were made from Tecumseh, 26 from Lakeshore, and 18 from Kingsville, with one made through the Provincial Unit. There were 16 motor vehicle collisions in Essex during the month of December, which was lower than the 23 put in during the same month in 2020 and 32 in 2019. Fifty calls regarding motor vehicle collisions were made from Lakeshore in December, 37 from Tecumseh, 21 from Kingsville, and 38 through the Provincial Unit. There were seven impaired and exceed offences in area OPP policed municipalities in December, three of which were from within Essex. There were also five Driver’s License suspensions in Essex in December, which was higher than the three in the same month last year and one in 2019. There were five through the Provincial Unit, four through Lakeshore, two through Kingsville, and one through Tecumseh. Overall, there was a 41.7 percent increase in ADLS suspensions in December 2021 compared to December 2020. Essex had the lowest criminal code/YCJA charges in December, with 17 (comparable to the 11 in the same month in 2020 and 14 in 2019). Kingsville had the highest at 63, Lakeshore had 21, Tecumseh had 19, and 13 were through the Provincial Unit. Overall, there was a 107.8 percent increase in Criminal Code charges in December 2021 compared to December 2020. There were no drug offences in Essex in the month of December. There were 17 Provincial Offences from Essex in December, which was

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comparable to the nine in the same month last year and the 20 in 2019. In addition, in December, 57 Provincial Offences were recorded in Lakeshore, 54 in Tecumseh, and 25 in Kingsville, and 44 through Essex County. There were 54 traffic stops in Essex in December, which was comparable to the 64 put in the same month in 2020 and 40 in 2019. 129 were made through the Provincial Unit, 79 in Lakeshore, 59 in Tecumseh, and 49 in Kingsville. There were four mental health calls from Essex in December, which was comparable to the 14 put in the same month in 2020 and four in 2019. In addition, 36 were put in through Kingsville, 16 through Lakeshore, and 10 through Tecumseh. There were 11 emergency misdials/hang-ups from Essex in December, while there were 29 through Lakeshore, 15 through Kingsville, 14 through Tecumseh, and five through the Provincial Unit. In addition, there were 14 false alarms put in through Essex, compared to 49 in Tecumseh, 37 in Lakeshore, and 25 in Kingsville. 23 RIDE programs took place in Essex in December, in addition to 77 foot-patrol hours and five auxiliary hours, which contributed to monitoring parks and around Tim Hortons when students were on their lunchtime, Staff Sergeant Jennifer Wilson noted. Essex County OPP Detachment Commander, Inspector Glenn Miller, took the opportunity to urge residents to “go slow in the snow.” With all the snow mid-last week, he said officers were busy, due to the weather. If it is not necessary to be on the roads in adverse weather, he urged residents to stay home. He added there is zero tolerance for impaired driving for drugs or alcohol. Essex residents continue to call in suspected impairments behind the wheel and officers are responsive. Please abide by the rules, he said. Cyber-related crimes across Ontario and the region continue to take place. Miller said it is important if someone makes a misstep or clicks on something they should not have, please do not be embarrassed. Contact the OPP, as the instance needs to be investigated. He said in the past few days nearing the meeting, individuals have lost significant amounts of money.