Orangeville Citizen_June 2022

Written By SAM ODROWSKI

National Indigenous Peoples Day is being marked locally with a special in-person celebration after being on pause due to the pandemic.

The event is being held June 25, from 12 to 3 p.m. at the Alder Street Recreation Centre Playing Fields and will feature a variety of drummers, dancers and performers on stage.

At the Mino Kamik Medicine Wheel Garden there will be tours and teachings from Community Elder Karen Vandenberg, while the Orangeville Public Library will be doing storytelling with Indigenous books for kids.

“Karen will take people on a tour of the garden and educate them on the four directions, what they mean, and their importance in the Indigenous community,” said Debbie Egerton, chair of the Dufferin County Cultural Resource Circle (DCCRC), the organization holding the event.

“We also have another elder who will be teaching about each of the regalia that the dancers wear, so you’ll get a bit of history and a bit of understanding of what each of the regalia really mean. It’s a beautiful teaching.”

Everyone is welcome to attend the local event for National Indigenous Peoples Day.

It is the first one being held in-person since 2019, while a virtual event was held in 2021.

The event is family friendly and a new addition this year is inflatable bouncy castles for kids.

For music, the event will feature the Eagleheart Drummers and Singers, led by respected elder and cultural leader, Jimmy Dick. Other bands and singers include Mama D, Rene Meshake and Larry Kurtz.

Egerton told the Citizen she hopes attendees of this year’s celebration learn about Indigenous culture, traditions and some of the issues impacting First Nation’s communities.

“When I started this, my whole concept was building a bridge,” said Egerton of the DCCRC’s creation in 2014. “I wanted to bridge all the racism, all the negativity, and bring the two sides that can agree together so that it builds a stronger foundation.”

“One – if we can get through to one person, then I have done what I’m supposed to,” she added.

Egerton said in the past for National Indigenous Peoples Day, the event saw 200 to 300 attendees but she’s hoping it will be even bigger this year.

At the event there will be an opportunity to join the Moose Hide Campaign, which is

a grassroots movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous men and boys who are taking a stand against violence towards women and children. Those who sign the Moose Hide Campaign pledge, signify that they are committed to honouring and respecting, the women and children in their life and will work with other men and boys to end violence against women and children.

Individuals that make this commitment receive a small square moose hide pin that represents their support for the movement.

Egerton said she’ll have an iPad at the National Indigenous Peoples Day event that attendees can sign the pledge on.

Those who would like to sign the pledge now or donate to the not-for-profit campaign can visit: moosehidecampaign.ca

Egerton said she’d encourage everyone to come out to the Alder Recreation Centre for the event on June 25 and learn something new.

“Come and explore, take an opportunity to see what the culture brings,” she enthused. “I think the most important thing is break the bias. Come see for yourself, stop letting people tell you what people are like. If we do that our whole lives, we could miss out on some amazing people, if we listen to the bias of others.”

Exreme Savings Event

Understanding and respect from the public

with brain injuries, light being shed on issue for Brain Injury Awareness Month

Written By SAM ODROWSKI

June is Brain Injury Awareness month in Canada and this year’s theme is “Shine a Light on Brain Injury”, designed to show the prevalence and impact of the injury that impacts more than 500,000 Ontarians.

For most who are impacted, it’s an invisible injury, one that can lead to stigmatization and discrimination when interacting in the community. Depending on the type of brain injury someone has, they can have trouble with balance or communicating and become easily angry, confused or sad. The injury can also lead to poor mental health and facing barriers when out in the community trying to live their lives.

Barbara Gilchrist, day services program coordinator at Mind Forward, a government funded organization that supports adults with brain injuries, said its common that when clients go into stores they’re misunderstood and can receive disrespect from other customers or employees.

“There can be misdirected comments from the customer service staff,” she said. “That’s something that is always being worked on, how to be allies, how to be aware.”

If someone appears to be acting in an unusual or difficult way but look normal it could be that they’re suffering from the impacts of a brain injury, Gilchrist explained.

Shelburne resident, Katie Lang, 35, who was born deaf and with learning difficulties, had an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) in 2018 when she was walking across Main Street and struck by pickup truck, forcing her 25 feet into the air. Katie told the Citizen, people sometimes

organizations

behave harshly towards her because of her brain injury.

“I think people needs to be much more understanding and patient with people. If they’re struggling to understand something you just have to think, well why?” said Katie’s mother and caretaker Karen Lang.

In addition to increasing one’s awareness that anyone can have a brain injury and it may present itself in a variety of ways, it’s also important to make people who have brain injuries feel included in society, Karen noted.

“The main thing that I see is a lack of inclusion and lack of understanding,” said Karen.

“Just because my daughter’s deaf and has some learning disabilities, I’ve watched it my whole life, and I’ve seen how people treat her.”

She added, “That’s my message, include them, don’t leave them out thinking that they

Community Calendar

Friday, June 24, 3pm – 6pm & Saturday, June 25, 9am – 2pm

FUNDRAISING SALE

AT TWEEDSMUIR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Original Art, Antiques, Household, one of a kind, collectables, Jewellery & MORE! Tweedsmuir Presbyterian Church Basement, 6 John St, Orangeville. All proceeds to Choices Youth and Men’s Homeless Shelters. Don’t miss this one – lots of quality items –help us help others!!

Wednesday, June 29, from 4:30 - 6:30pm

HIGH COUNTRY UNITED CHURCH HAM & STRAWBERRY SUPPER

The supper will be Take Out Only. $20.00 per person and must be paid in advance by June 15. Contact Bev Dawkins at 519-942-2977 with your name and order amount. Pay with cash/cheque or e-transfer to highcountry.ucw@gmail.com

For information on how to include your community event in this calendar, please call 519-941-2230

DUFFERIN COUNTY FOOD DISTRIBUTION

PROGRAMS - CENTRALIZED LOCATION

In response to COVID-19, food programs in Dufferin County have come together to provide centralized points for food distribution.

In Orangeville: Now operating out of the new Orangeville Food Bank, 3 Commerce Blvd.

Tuesday 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Wednesday 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Thursday 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Friday 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Saturday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

have no feelings, don’t ignore them, don’t think that they don’t matter.”

Talking about the issue and speaking up when witnessing discrimination are two important things people can do to help fight the stigma, said Karen.

Meanwhile, an ongoing problem for those impacted by brain injuries is a lack of funding for organizations like Mind Forward, according to Gilchrist. She added that Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) isn’t enough to cover rental costs for a lot of the people who have a brain injury and the wait list for rent geared to income is around seven years in Orangeville.

Gilchrist noted that with a lack of monthly funding for individuals who are unable to work because of their brain injury and the array of impacts serious brain damage can cause, a lot of individuals without strong familial support systems can find themselves living on the streets.

Of the 235,000 people who are homeless in Canada each year, approximately 50 per cent of them have a brain injury, according to Brain Injury Canada, a national advocacy group.

Another area where people with brain injuries are disproportionately impacted is the prison system. People who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) are roughly 2.5 times more likely to be incarcerated in a Canadian federal correctional facility than those have not, according to a study published in the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES).

In the early stages of a brain injury, impacting an area of the brain that controls disinhibition or self-monitoring, a person can become violent or aggressive, Gilchrist said. This makes it important to seek help and become rehabilitated as soon as they can.

When looking at success stories for Mind Forward, which offers support services in Dufferin, Peel and Halton, Gilchrist says she’s seen many over the years.

Katie Lang is among the Dufferin County residents who the organizations supports and said they have helped greatly with her energy, emotions, and making new friends.

“Mind Forward is a very good place, they helped me a lot,” Katie said. “It’s helped me meet new people and making new friends. Get out of the house.”

Karen told the Citizen accessing Mind Forward has been a “lifesaving experience”.

In terms of other success stories, Gilchrist said she’s seen a client who was extremely violent due to his brain injury, receive counselling and support through Mind Forward that led him to living a non-aggressive, independent life.

“Now he lives in his own apartment in Mississauga. He’s got lots of friends and he’s just one person that’s just been amazing to watch him thrive,” she noted.

A woman who received support attended Mind Forward’s writing groups and became an author, with 12 children’s books and three novels published to date.

The psychosocial, anger management, and men’s and women’s groups at Mind Forward have helped a lot of others as well, said Gilchirst.

“Friendships develop between the people there who realize they’re not alone, because we’re there to facilitate their talking and sense of community,” she told the Citizen.

Without supportive resources, a lot of people who struggle with a brain injury can feel isolated, excluded, and alone.

In Orangeville one of the main types of support Mind Forward provides is case management, which helps clients find a place to live, deal with court cases, get the right medications, and ensure there not facing barriers to living a healthy life.

“With every single individual we work with, they all have their own needs their own service plan, we cater to every individual and what they need for their rehabilitation. Then we’ll find those extra resources,” said Gilchrist.

To apply for services from Mind Forward visit: mindforward.org/apply-for-services or call 519-942-0111.

Another local resource for people with brain injuries is the Headwaters Acquired Brain Injury (HABI) support group, which Karen said has been an incredible help since Katie’s suffered her brain injury four years ago. Visit: headwatersabi.net to learn more.

of

weekly walk at Island Lake stopped at the boardwalk to soak in the beautiful views of the conservation area. The walk takes place every

at

a.m. From left, Tim Petersen, Kathy Dickie, Katie Lang, Karen Lang and Barbara Gilchrist.

WE’RE HIRING!

Facility Technician Community Services Department (Full-time position, 40 hours per week)

For all job listings, please visit https://orangeville.applicantstack.com/x/openings

The Community Services Department has a full-time opportunity available for the position of Facility Technician. This position assists with the operation and maintenance of the Town’s recreation facilities and other Town-owned buildings and grounds. This position is expected to begin as soon as possible.

Hourly Range: $27.27 - $31.93, Band 5 on the Town’s 2022 Pay Grid, plus a comprehensive benefits package.

To Apply: Qualified candidates are invited to submit their resumes, in confidence, to Sarah Alexander, Human Resources Assistant, no later than 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Applications may be submitted online, or in person to the Town Hall located at 87 Broadway. For details, visit https://orangeville.applicantstack.com/x/openings

Facility Assistant Community Services Department (Casual position, up to 24 hours per week)

The Town is seeking dedicated individuals for the position of Facility Assistant with the Community Services Department. This position assists with the maintenance of the Alder Street Recreation Centre and the Tony Rose Memorial Sports Centre. The successful candidates must be able to work a flexible schedule including weekends, late evenings, and statutory holidays in accordance with operational needs.

Hourly Range: $16.00 to $17.31, Band 1 on the Town’s 2022 Pay Grid.

To Apply: Qualified candidates are invited to submit their resumes, in confidence, to Sarah Alexander, Co-ordinator, Human Resources, to be kept on file for the next round of hiring. Applications may be submitted online or in person to the Town Hall located at 87 Broadway. For more information, visit https://orangeville.applicantstack.com/x/openings

Successful candidates will be required to complete a background check, including but not limited to a Vulnerable Sector Check and a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, in accordance with the duties of this position. All Town of Orangeville employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of being hired by the Town of Orangeville. The full details of these requirements are indicated in the job posting qualifications.

Fifth Annual Dufferin County

Written By PAULA BROWN LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

From steel pan drumming to dancing, food and artwork the Dufferin County Multicultural Day Event made a return with a bang this past weekend.

The Dufferin County Multicultural Foundation and the Museum of Dufferin (MoD) hosted the Fifth Annual Dufferin County Multicultural Day Event on June 11, celebrating the diversity within the community.

“It’s incredibly humbling experience every time. As much as I host these events, when I actually attend and see how we come together it’s honestly so exciting,” said Althea Alli, founder and president of the Dufferin County Multicultural Foundation. “You can see everyone coming together and lifting each other up and how happy everyone is.”

Before the Multicultural Day festivities began the celebration kicked off with a few words from local dignitaries and the raising of the Multicultural Day Flag.

“We have a lot to celebrate in Dufferin County,” said Wade Mills, Warden for the County. “We are, I think it’s fair to say, one of the most successful multicultural communities within the province of Ontario, and we became that fairly quickly. What we’ve been able to accomplish as a county community, I think is nothing short of remarkable.”

The Dufferin County Multicultural Day Event was first organized 2018 and held

Multicultural Day celebrates diversity

community hub for the diversifying community of Dufferin County.

“We are asking folks of diverse nature to come and share their history with us even if they’re new to Dufferin. We want them to know this is their community hub,” said Malek.

The County of Dufferin has spent the last few years focused on creating changes within the community in regards to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Rohan Thompson, the County’s first director of people and equity, spoke with the Free Press about how events such as the Dufferin County Multicultural Event can aid in tangible policy change.

ALL

BY PAULA BROWN

DOING THEIR DANCE: Morris Dancers showcase their old English folk dance performance during the Multicultural Day Event. The dances come from various regions including: Cotswold, Northwest, Border, Molly, Long Sword, Rapper, and Clog.

in the Shelburne Public Library. Alli said the idea for the event came from her own experience moving to the community in 2013 and the gap she witnessed for diverse families.

“It started at my kitchen table with the idea of what can I do to help the community, how am I going to make Dufferin my home and a home for everyone else,” said Alli.

The event quickly outgrew its original

location, moving to the Centre Dufferin District (CDDHS) cafeteria in 2019. The event was recently established as a not-forprofit known as the Dufferin County Multicultural Foundation (DCMF).

For two years the Dufferin County Multicultural Day Event has been held virtually in partnership with the MoD.

Nanci Malek, marketing and events co-ordinator at the MoD noted the work the museum is doing to become a stronger

“I see a tremendous amount of connection to this event from a knowledge, awareness and community building perspective and how it can relate to policy, procedure and initiative directly related to equity,” said Thompson. “This event really normalizes the fact that we’re changing and says ‘we’re here and we have cultures, and traditions to be celebrated’, the same thing with the County in regards to the strategic work. It’s more of how do we bring those folks who have been marginalized, who have been decentered and begin to center them, and to put the correct supports in place.”

With the Dufferin County Multicultural Day Event now part of a year-round foundation, Alli adds that a number of initiatives will be coming up in the near future to continue celebrating and recognizing the diverse community in Dufferin County.

Orangeville Rotary Ribfest returning July 15-17 with variety of vendors

Where there’s smoke, there’s probably mouth-watering, finger-licking ribs nearby, sizzling on a barbeque. Residents of Orangeville and beyond will soon be able to enjoy a delicious rack of ribs with the return of the 13th Annual Orangeville Rotary Ribfest to the Alder Recreation Centre July 15, 16, 17, after a pandemic hiatus.

Ribfest Chair, Michael Wright, welcomes this rite of summer.

“After missing the community excitement for two years, we are thrilled to be hosting Ribfest in its full size,” he said. “We have new food experiences as well as the ribs that everyone looks forward to all year. And of course, the music will be rocking with the Practically Hip, Larry Kurtz and the Camp-

fire Poets headlining the weekend. We can’t wait to see everyone come out.”

Ribfest is centred around community; bringing together supporters, attendees, volunteers and sponsors to champion a positive, vibrant community.

The proceeds from Ribfest are donated back into the community, through the Orangeville Rotary Club, to support local projects and charities.

Admission to Ribfest is free, however donations are gratefully accepted by the Rotary Club.

Ribfest food guarantees a feast of the senses; six professional rib teams grill heaven-on-the-bone ribs, chicken and pulled pork with all the fixings while other foodie favou-

rites such as burgers, tacos, corn on the cob, Jerk and ice cream tantalize the taste buds.

There’s definitely something for everyone: a midway with new attractions; the Classic Car Show on Saturday; merchandise vendors and 11 bands playing music non-stop. Sunday, the focus is on the family, with a kids zone featuring everything from music to magic, and an extra bonus – toonie rides at the midway.

“The excitement of another Ribfest is building,” said Nancy Frater of the Orangeville Rotary Club. “Cast off the memory of lockdowns and social distancing, join your friends and family for tasty food, quality entertainment and a unique social experience.”

SHARING KNOWLEDGE: Kristin Evensen, who is Anishinaabe and a member of the Dufferin County Cultural Resource Circle, teaches attendees about the Medicine Wheel.

INDIAN DANCE: Kathak and Bharatanatyam dancers performed during the Dufferin County Multicultural Event at the Museum of Dufferin on June 11. Both forms of dance come from India.

FLAG RAISING: The Dufferin County Multicultural Foundation, alongside local dignitaries, raise the Multicultural Flag to kick off the day’s celebrations

STORY TIME: Odin, Astrid, and Roscoe Evensen take part in the Shelburne Library’s Story Time event at the Dufferin County Multicultural Event on June 11.

STEEL DRUMMER: D’jango Pan Fyah, a Guyanese steel pan performer who has played all across the Caribbean, plays for attendees of Multicultural Day at the MoD on June 11.

PHOTOS

CRICKET REPERSENTED: Founders, management, and players from the Shelburne Cricket Club attend the Dufferin County Multicultural Event for a game.

2021 RIBFEST: A drive-thru Ribfest was held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers are excited to have the event return to an in-person community gathering.

FILE PHOTO

Ram Rodeo taking over Orangeville Fairgrounds this weekend

Dust off your cowboy hat and boots – the rodeo is coming to town.

The Orangeville Fairgrounds will feature bucking horses, bull riding, barrel racing, trick riding, and pole bending competitions this Saturday and Sunday (June 18-19) for Ram Rodeo Tour’s 25th season. There are 14 stops on this year’s tour and the rodeo will be back at the Orangeville Fairgrounds August 20-21.

“There’s going to be about 150 cowboys and cowgirls coming to town, and they’re competing as part of the ram rodeo circuit where there’s a quarter million dollars of prize money up for grabs this summer through the tour,” said Ross Millar, Ram Rodeo Tour president.

The event is family friendly and there will be a kids rodeo where children can go in the arena for rodeo themed games before the ranked events begin.

“I like to think that there’s something for all ages,” said Millar.

A variety of vendors will be present as well, selling everything from western apparel to small batch BBQ sauce sourced from the southern United States.

Competitors travel from all over to partici-

pate in Ram Rodeo with several coming from Quebec, Nova Scotia, the United States. There are even bull riders coming from Brazil to compete, Millar noted.

He said a highlight of Ram Rodeo is the Canadian Cowgirls Team, who are coming off of an American Tour, with Orangeville’s rodeo being their first show back in Canada.

The rodeo helps raise money for Tuff Therapeutic Riding Foundation, which is based out of Mono, and offers horseback riding lessons to at-risk youth. The program serves children who are referred from child protection and mental health organizations within Dufferin, Caledon, Peel, and Toronto.

Last year, $10,000 was raised for the charity.

Another not-for-profit Ram Rodeo is supporting this year is the 85 Tornado Royal Canadian Air Cadets Squadron of Grand Valley.

Ram Rodeo sold out last year, and Millar said he’d encourage everyone thinking of attending to secure their tickets ahead of time, as they’re $5 cheaper.

To purchase tickets online go to ramrodeoontario.com/p/tickets.html or buy them in-person at Orangeville Chrysler-Ram (207163 Highway 9) or at Circle K in Grand Valley (24 Main Street).

Blues and Jazz Festival sees over 40,000 attendees, sets record

The numbers are in and this year’s Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival was the biggest yet.

The three-day event, which ran June 3-5, saw over 40,000 attendees, representing a 10 per cent increase in attendance over 2019, when the festival was held last.

“We are pleased to share that the festival exceeded previous records in almost all areas and this certainly represents our most successful year to date,” said Josh Leitch, festival president. “This unprecedented success represents something that the entire community experienced, in record numbers, and enthusiastically shared with others.”

While the financials are still being

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

GOOD TURNOUT: Crowds flocked to the various stages set up in downtown Orangeville.

assessed and finalized and attendee intercept surveys are still being tabulated,

Leitch shared what organizers are hearing about the 2022 Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival.

“The relocation of the Local Stars tent from the TD parking lot to a proper stage on Broadway was extremely well received and this coupled with the reinstatement of the New Orleans-style march on Saturday Downtown Ramble, resulted in significantly more people taking advantage of Broadway as an integrated event space for the Festival,” Leitch noted. “We were advised by one local business that they experienced a high volume of business exceeded only by Christmas shopping levels.” He told the Citizen the feedback from festival attendees has been positive and

they’re still hearing from folks who enjoy the variety of programming and events offered over the three-day event.

“It’s always been a great festival but the vibe this year was distinctly celebratory,” wrote Dylan Paul Wickens on social media. “Thanks to the many volunteers and wonderful music fans.”

Leitch said he’d like to thank everyone who attended and volunteered to make the 2022 Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival such a success.

“We appreciate and recognize the members of the OBIA and the Town’s services who play such a major role in co-hosting the festival by ensuring a first-class and well-run visitor experience,” he lauded.

Tacos and live music under the stars coming to Orangeville Legion

Orangeville’s Branch 233 of the Royal Canadian Legion is holding an exciting fundraising event on Friday, June 24 at the Legion Hall.

Dubbed TACOS UNDER THE STARS, the event will occupy the Legion’s parking lot where guests may purchase food from Paco’s Tacos food truck and outdoor bar facilities

for beer, wine and spirits on the patio, starting at 4:00 p.m. and ending at 9 p.m. Guests must be at least 19 years of age to attend.

Live entertainment begins at 7:00 p.m. with performances by local talents Itchy & Scratchy and Campfire Poets.

Proceeds of the event will support the ongoing operation of Orangeville’s branch

of the Royal Canadian Legion and its mandate of support for the community at large and Canada’s veterans and their families in particular.

Legion Comrades invite all Orangeville-area friends and supporters to join us for an entertaining and appetizing special event.

Looking ahead, to future events at the Orangeville Legion: July 1 – Canada Day Celebration, July 16 – Meat Spin, 3:00 p.m., July 22 ¬– Barbecue, Patio Bar, 3:00 p.m., Aug. 5 – Barbecue, Patio Bar, 3:00 p.m., Aug. 13 – Meat Spin, 3:00 p.m., Aug. 20 – Summer Garden Party, Aug. 26 - Barbecue, Patio Bar, 3:00 p.m.

MP Kyle Seeback changes support to Pierre Polievre for Conservative Party Leader

Dufferin–Caledon MP Kyle Seeback has changed the candidate he’s supporting in the Conservative Leadership Race. Seeback had initially backed Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who joined the Conservative Party in 2006 as a Member of Parliament, as the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, but announced last week his support has changed to Pierre Polievre.

“I believe there’s one candidate – one my constituents support – who can unite conservatives & Canadians to become our next PM. That’s @PierrePolievre,” MP Seeback tweeted.

“Let’s put the divisiveness away, unite our movement behind #Pierre4PM & defeat Justin Trudeau to win the next election.”

When contacted for an interview regarding the change in support, Seeback said he was unavailable but provided a statement saying that he didn’t have much to add apart from his recent tweet other than that the “divisive nature” of the lead-

ership campaign is not good.

“It’s time for Conservatives to unite. I believe we should unite around Pierre,” he told the Citizen in an email on Friday (June 10).

Erin O’Toole was the former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and ousted in early February, sparking the current leadership race.

Hockley Village Community

Hockley Village Community

Hockley Village Community

Hockley Village Community

Strawberry Pancake Breakfast

Strawberry Pancake Breakfast

Strawberry Pancake Breakfast

Strawberry Pancake Breakfast

Saturday June 25, 2022

Saturday June 25, 2022

Saturday June 25, 2022

Saturday June 25, 2022

From 8 am to 11 am

From 8 am to 11 am

From 8 am to 11 am

From 8 am to 11 am

At the Hockley Historic Community Hall 994174 Mono-Adjala Townline (In the Village of Hockley)

At the Hockley Historic Community Hall 994174 Mono-Adjala Townline (In the Village of Hockley)

At the Hockley Historic Community Hall 994174 Mono-Adjala Townline (In the Village of Hockley)

At the Hockley Historic Community Hall 994174 Mono-Adjala Townline (In the Village of Hockley)

Strawberry Pancake Breakfast Adults - $12.00

Strawberry Pancake Breakfast Adults - $12.00

Strawberry Pancake Breakfast Adults - $12.00

Strawberry Pancake Breakfast Adults - $12.00

Children Ages 4 to 10 - $8.00

Children Ages 4 to 10 - $8.00

Children Ages 4 to 10 - $8.00

Children Ages 4 to 10 - $8.00

Children Ages 3 & Under - FREE

Children Ages 3 & Under - FREE

Children Ages 3 & Under - FREE

Children Ages 3 & Under - FREE

Proceeds go towards Hockley Historic Community Hall & Church

Proceeds go towards Hockley Historic Community Hall & Church

Proceeds go towards Hockley Historic Community Hall & Church

Proceeds go towards Hockley Historic Community Hall & Church

RODEO: Bull riding is one of the signature events for Ram Rodeo each year. You can watch the sport live next weekend at the Orangeville Fairgrounds during the Orangeville–Headwaters stop on the 25th Annual Ram Rodeo Tour.

Arts Entertainment & LOCAL

David Nairn starring in ‘1812’ at Niagara’s Foster Festival

“It is lovely to be back on stage,” Theatre Orangeville’s Artistic Director told us from Niagara on the Lake, where he is staying during the show, 1812 by Norm Foster, which he is performing in. “The last time was three years ago in Midsummers Night’s Dream.”

That was the unique and exceptional production of Shakespeare’s comedy produced by Theatre Orangeville’s Young Company in August, 2019 on the Island Lake Waterfront Amphitheatre in Island Lake Conservation Area.

Of 1812, Mr. Nairn, playing the role of the patriarch and the mayor of St. Stephen, remarked, “We’ve found our groove and now we’re into the second week.”

All the shows are evening performances starting at 7:00 p.m. The shows this week ran from Tuesday to Thursday (today) and next week performances begin Friday (tomorrow) June 17 and run until the closing day, Thursday, June 23. As an outdoor performance, it is subject to possible rain dates. Opening night was rained out and rescheduled, which is the plan in case of future rainy cancellations.

David Nairn said, “It’s really unique to be doing it in Fort George on the 210th anniversary of the declaration of war in 1812. This is a play about two small communities on either side of the Canadian/American border that don’t want to fight.”

In brief, Mr. Foster offers a story about two small towns, St. Stephen in New Brunswick and Calais in Maine, for which the shared border has been a barrier in theory only when in fact, citizens have always

passed back and forth over the adjoining bridge freely. Now they are confronted with the order to fight each other because their countries are at war but they don’t want to. So, the mayors of the two towns meet and agree they are not going to war. How much the idea of war changes their

The Citizen C R O S S WO R D

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

relationships and defines them is handled by the very reliable Norm Foster with witty dialogue and plenty of food for thought.

“Even now,” Mr. Nairn commented, “there is still very much a sense that they [the two towns] are really just one community.”

As the play is staged in a national historic site, there are the add-ons of historically relevant demonstrations, wine tours and ghost walks. Mostly taking place before the show, costumed staff at Fort George discuss various aspects of life at the fort 200 years ago. It is after tomorrow’s show that there is a ghost tour to spots where the phantoms have been spotted. After all, what is the good of an antique fort where men have lived and died without a few ghosts to commemorate them?

“There’s a really great vibe in the space,” David Nairn observed. “Two hundred years ago they were shooting at each other.” But... “about this war, nobody understood it or how it was declared over.”

Speaks volumes.

Naturally, Mr. Foster does not resist bringing a love story into the whole and this one of mixed race, raising the same sort of comments that might still surface today.

“Romantic mix race black male and white female, with that discussion. It is always wonderful to do Norm,” said Mr. Nairn. “The audiences have really been enjoying it with the unique creative opportunities of being outside for the set and lighting during each performance.”

He went on to tell the Citizen about the somewhat struggle between the show and a family of swallows who have a nest within the parameters of the set, “I don’t [know] how pleased they are about us being there. They’re not above dive bombing one of the crew.” Emily Oriold the founding executive director and artistic producer of the Foster Festival has had a hand in the creative organization of the show and we are assured that “The audiences are really taken with it.”

It is fun to consider that the officers of Fort George performed in a show, in 1815, called John Bull, a character created by the British to incite patriotism of which Uncle Sam is the American version. A stout chap with a Union Jack waistcoat or Stars and Stripes.

“Here we over two hundred years later in the very spot the officers performed then,” he pointed out.

He had high praise for the creative team and the crew, citing the opportunities offered by doing the show as an outdoor production, building the set within the structure of the fort building and designing the lighting and the sound, saying the actors are all mic’d.

Norm Foster has written 10 plays over the Covid-19 years 2020/21 and he shared 1812 with his good friend, David Nairn shortly after he wrote it.

“... in which is the much put-upon idiot husband, I thought it [the play] was really delightful ...a wonderful story with real social relevance. When the Foster Festival decide to do the play, they did a reading and I was asked to be the part of Wallace Edwards, the patriarch and mayor of St. Stephen. Then they offered it to me,” admitting “there’s been a bit of stress. We rehearsed in St Catharines [at the arts centre where the plays are usually performed] but Fort George is in Niagara on the Lake directly across the road from the Shaw Festival.”

The National Historical Site of Fort George is located in Niagara on the Lake, a short distance from Niagara Falls. It overlooks the Niagara River and Fort Niagara across the river in the United States.

David Nairn told us he is billeted with a couple and is actually staying in the Town of Niagara Falls.

a crossword puzzle with a pen.

“My morning walk is to the falls,” he said, “The most wonderful time is taken to my little bench that I sit on. It’s so wonderful to sit there for a short while. One hears so many different languages and sees so many people of different ethnic backgrounds and their excitement of being here for the first time. Maybe those of us living here in Southern Ontario have been here many times and sort-of take it for granted.

“It’s great to hear their voices enjoying the freshness of it.”

Norm Foster’s play 1812, starring David Nairn, Edmond Clark, Ellen Denny, Jesse Dwyre, Lisa Horner and Patricia Yeatman and directed by Jim Mazon is on at the Foster Festival, playing evenings only at Fort George.

For all the details, go to www.fosterfestival.com or call them at 289-786-0950

LOCAL TALENT IN ‘1812’: David Nairn (right) on stage opposite to Edmond Clark in Norm Foster’s play 1812. The play is produced by the Foster Festival outdoors at Fort George in Niagara on the Lake.

No one has more self-confidence than the person who does

Compass Run for Food exceeds goal of fundraising $75,000

Food banks and programs in Dufferin County are getting a massive boost in funding.

The 9th Annual Compass Run for Food, held by the Compass Community Church on Saturday (June 11) exceeded its goal of $75,000, which will go a long way in combatting food insecurity locally.

After two years without an in-person event, it was great to see hundreds of people unite under a common goal of ensuring people in Dufferin County don’t go hungry, said event organizer David Marshall.

“The energy and the feel that the event had, being back in person, it just it felt right,” he enthused. “It was fantastic to have runners out there, sponsors out there,

everybody could meet each other again.

The Orangeville Food Bank as well as Shepherds Cupboard from Shelburne had a good presence.”

Over 600 people participated in the run, which featured a 0.5km, 5km, and 10.5km walk, with the longer routes running through the trail along Island Lake.

Top racers this year for the 10.5km loop are Jack Gillies of Mono, who won first with an elapsed time of 36:21, while Robert Bougai of Concord won second with 44:20 and Benjamin Smith of Orangeville won third with 45:11.

In terms of fundraising, Move Well, Race Riot and the Food and Fitness Podcast were the top three fundraisers, while local schools generated $3,700 this year for the Compass Run.

The issue of food insecurity isn’t always talked about, but Marshall noted the importance of running fundraisers to lessen its impact.

“It’s always present within the community and the fact that we’re able to donate $75,000 into Dufferin County, for some places, that’s a big change kind of donation,” he said.

Marshall recalled at the last volunteer meeting for the Compass Run on June 7, someone who regularly volunteers at the local food bank said every time they go in, they see one or two new faces. Another person who volunteers at a school breakfast program in the region shared that at the beginning of the school year they saw about 30 participants regularly but they’re now up to 90.

Presented By

“This is this is something that’s going to get sadly continue, but we would love to see this not be a problem anymore.”

Going forward, Marshall said he hopes one day the Compass Run isn’t needed because the issue of people not having enough food is taken care of, but they’ll always be ready to serve the cause as long as it’s needed.

Marshall added that he’s grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s Compass Run such a success.

“Each and every sponsor, each and every runner, each and every donor, we couldn’t have done it without you,” he said. “One person did not write a cheque. This is done by the community together for the better and we’re really looking forward to our 10th year next year.”

Hockey Night in Dufferin-Caledon, organized by Member of Parliament Kyle Seeback, will be held on August 10th, 2022, at Teen Ranch in Caledon. The game will feature local NHL stars including Andrew Mangiapane, Taylor Raddysh, Darren Raddysh and many more to be announced soon!

Game day and raffle tickets can be purchased NOW through the website www.hockeynightdc.ca/buy-tickets Game day tickets will be available for $15 each or 4 tickets for $50 Raffle tickets can be purchased for $20 each or 6 tickets for $100

Three lucky winners will have the opportunity to win one of the following raffle prizes:

1. Two Air Canada Economy Class Return Tickets for travel to any Air Canada scheduled destination in the worldwide network;

Get ticketsyourtoday before they sell out!

2. Two tickets to Twenty One Pilots – The Icy Tour in Toronto on August 27th, 2022 and a one night accommodation at One King West in Toronto;

3. Four Tickets to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto for a 2023 game and a Miller Tavern Gift Certificate (Bay Street Location)

Platinum Sponsor

Raffle License: M753461

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Businesses interested in becoming a sponsor should visit www.hockeynightdc.ca/sponsors to learn more about packages still available.

Written By SAM ODROWSKI

AND THEY’RE OFF!: Kids participating in the 0.5km run at the 9th Annual Compass Run For Food were off to the races on Saturday (June 11) at the Compass Community Church.

TOP THREE RUNNERS: Top racers this year for the 10.5km loop are Jack Gillies of Mono, who won first with an elapsed time of 36:21, while Robert Bougai of Concord won second with 44:20 and Benjamin Smith of Orangeville won third with 45:11.

ALL PHOTOS BY PETER RICHARDSON

Linda Banks recognized as Orangeville’s 2022 Senior of the Year

Written By ISABEL BUCKMASTER

Linda Banks, Orangeville’s Senior of the Year, enjoys participating in community events as much as volunteering for them.

A large part of Senior’s Month in June, the provincial award is given on an annual basis to seniors involved in the social, cultural, or civic life of their community.

The award ceremony took place Monday (June 13) evening at Orangeville Town Hall and was attended by Mayor Sandy Brown and councillors that nominated Banks earlier in the year. Filled with food, emotional toasts and good spirits, Banks was blown away by the whole experience.

“I was glad I had the opportunity to thank the people that came to the presentation and to thank the Council for the nomination,” said Banks. “It was a great honour to invite me and quite an honour to be at town hall.”

Before Banks moved to Orangeville seven years ago, she lived seasonally in Wasaga Beach for nearly 30 years. During her time in the community, Banks says there were fewer opportunities to get involved and that she’s “so, so happy she came down to Orangeville”.

“My life sort of took off when I arrived in Orangeville,” said Banks. “I became very busy and active in the community and it’s been marvellous. I’m thankful to the town council for nominating me and to the Min-

YEAR:

SENIOR

Town Hall.

award

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Award

2022

celebration of Seniors’ Month in June. The Province of Ontario pays tribute each year to seniors who have enriched the social, cultural, or civic life of the community. From left: Coun. Debbie Sherwood, Orangeville Mayor Sandy Brown, Ontario Senior of the Year Linda Banks, and MPP for Dufferin-Caledon Sylvia Jones.

istry of Seniors and Accessibility for giving me this award.”

Banks supports several local organizations including Heritage Orangeville, Theatre Orangeville, and the Blues and Jazz Festival. She also helps out at the Senior Centre, assisting with technology, income

tax and supervising dance or bus trips.

“There’s so much you can do here. It’s such a busy town especially after getting out of COVID, and so I just jumped right in,” said Banks, who turns 80 at the end of the year. “So, I truly hope that I can continue volunteering in all the areas I do and I

will continue as long as I’m healthy and can walk around.”

Banks fundraises for many community events, including walking annually in the Coldest Night of the Year event to raise money for the local food bank. She’s also the treasurer of the Friends of the Orangeville Public Library and helps with fundraising initiatives for the library as well as delivers flyers for shows at Theatre Orangeville.

“Well, I really enjoy walking and I hike, although I don’t hike as long as I used to do,” said Banks, who hikes for an hour every Wednesday morning. Last year, she participated in the Coldest Night of the Year with the Ukeladies, a local ukulele group. “I love walking and I’m so happy that I can get involved to raise money.”

When she isn’t out and about in the community, Banks loves to partake in the events she assists with, specifically at Theatre Orangeville. Since moving to town, her favourite play has been Orillia is Doris and Ivy in the Home at the Orillia Opera House. It’s based on Jonas and Barry in the Home, by Norman Foster, with creative director David Nairn.

“It was really funny,” said Banks, who enjoyed that Nairn switched the gender of the characters in the senior home from two men to two women. “I love going to the theatre, I live for theatre.”

Winners announced for Multicultural Day Event Art Show at MoD

Written By PAULA BROWN LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

The Dufferin County Multicultural Foundation and Museum of Dufferin (MoD) announced the winners of the 2022 Multicultural Day Event Art Show on June 11.

This year marked the second time the juried art show has been a component of the Multicultural Day Event celebrations. Artists of all mediums were tasked with sharing works representing the theme of “Unity in Diversity”.

“Art, music and entertainment is common throughout every culture – it unites us. [Art] is the one nonverbal communication that we all share that brings us all together and is so inclusive,” said Althea Alli, founder of the

Dufferin County Multicultural Foundation.

“It’s one thing we can all celebrate and that’s the reasoning behind having this art show.”

The Dufferin County Multicultural Art Show presented three awards: Juror’s

Choice, Student, and Best in Show.

Orangeville-based artist, Stephanie Casino Esguerra was presented with the Juror’s Choice Award for her piece ‘T’Boli Tribe Woman’.

The Dufferin County Multicultural Art Show marked Casino Esquerra’s first juried show and win.

“It’s honestly amazing and I love being part of the Dufferin community – there’s such a rich arts and culture community here,” said Casino Esquerra. “I just would like to share a little piece of Filipino history and this art show is amazing because it’s highlighting the different diversity in the Dufferin area. My hope is that people learn a little bit while they’re here.”

Luise Cisnero, a Toronto-based artist, was

the recipient of the Student Award for their piece ‘Resiliente/Resilient’. ‘Resiliente’ is the narrative of their journey from being born in Mexico to immigrating to Canada.

“To me it was really important to not just show my culture but also the narrative of my story here into Canada as an immigrant and adapting to the culture,” said Cisnero. “Having a platform where you can share part of who you are is really amazing.”

The Best in Show Award was given to Jeneile Greene of Scarborough for her piece ‘The Prayer’.

The Dufferin County Multicultural Art Show features the works of over 40 visual artists from across Ontario. The art show will remain on display at MoD until August 13.

Residents frustrated as mural of Alex Raeburn gets painted over

Written By ZACHARY ROMAN

Some Caledon residents and Orangeville councillor Lisa Post are expressing dismay that a mural celebrating the contributions of Post’s grandfather, Alex Raeburn, has been painted over at Caledon Central Public School.

Raeburn (1912-2012) was a fourth-generation resident of Caledon Village and involved in many projects in the community. He served on the local school board, was a charter member of Caledon Town Council and Peel Regional Council, and served two terms on the Niagara Escarpment Commission, among other community involvements. Perhaps most relevant to this story is the big part he played in getting Caledon Central Public School built.

According to Peel District School Board trustee Stan Cameron, just before 10 a.m. on June 3 he received a call from Caledon Central’s principal letting him know the mural of Raeburn — located in the library at Caledon Central that’s named after him — had been painted over.

Cameron said in the call, he asked why it was painted over and never got a solid reason. He also asked what the plan for the wall was now that it’s a blank slate again, and the response was that there wasn’t a definitive plan yet.

“You can imagine I was flabbergasted and disgusted and disappointed in these answers,” said Cameron. “The bottom line is I’ve been trying to advocate for the family as a result of this bizarre painting over of a mural without any plan… without any connection with the family about what was being done.”

Cameron explained back in 2014, a group of Caledon Village residents and members of Raeburn’s family had approached him asking for his help in getting Caledon Central named

after Raeburn. Cameron explained how difficult that would be, and he and the residents then worked with the school’s administration and parent council at the time to get the school’s library named after, and get a mural painted of, Raeburn instead.

The mural featured Raeburn’s face and name, and the background was scenes of Caledon and nods to the things he accomplished. Also in the mural were words describing Raeburn such as inclusive, honest, responsible and caring.

On Monday, June 6, a letter was sent from Caledon Central Public School principal Lesley Kennedy and vice-principal Alexandra Charette to Caledon Central families notifying them of the mural change.

“We’ve been enthusiastically thinking of how to best honour the legacy and values of Alex Raeburn in our school, while also re-envisioning and modernizing a focal wall in our library to encompass community voice,” the letter reads. “Our plan for our new, refreshed art installation is to engage and encourage our students, school community, and staff to bring their own unique ideas and imagination to a conversation about how we might represent their lived experiences and identities on this wall to further nurture, challenge and invite the exceptional learning and growing Cal Central is known for.”

Kennedy was reached for comment on

June 15 but was unable to respond by press time.

Orangeville Councillor Lisa Post, Raeburn’s granddaughter, said she only found out about the mural being repainted the Friday after the letter was sent out, June 10.

Both she and Cameron are of the opinion that they weren’t notified of what was happening until after it was done because if they were, they would have tried to stop it. Post said she thinks the letter was only released as a result of “some of the fury” that happened as people slowly found out the mural had been painted over.

“I’m disheartened and I’m frustrated that an action like this is being passed off as equity work… I think it just undervalues the work that we do as equity practitioners,” said Post, chair of Orangeville’s DEI Committee and working to get her bachelor of community development degree with a focus on equity work. “Actions like this are why it’s hard to get people on our side, why it’s hard to get people doing the meaningful work — because when they hear that something like this is deemed equity work, they don’t want to be part of it.”

Post said she’s worried that support for proper equity work for students is being passed over and replaced with “tokenized” things like an unnecessary mural change.

The June 6 letter from Caledon Central administration goes on to state the process of “art installation revisioning” happened much faster than anticipated, and let families know the wall was already primed and ready for a new mural.

“Please be assured that our new wall-display will be an ongoing collaborative effort, one that continues to recognize Alex Raeburn and his contributions, as well as the creativity, spirit, and energy of our amazing student body. We look forward to conceptualizing our beautiful new art installation and

are committed to effective and timely communication with stakeholders – and the Raeburn family – as we see it take shape,” the letter to families reads.

Post said one of the most frustrating things about the whole situation is no one reached out to her or her family before the mural was painted over.

“I think my family has remained firm that we’re pretty disheartened by the fact that this was done and we really believe that it was a disservice to my grandfather’s memory to do it this way,” she said.

Cameron said Post and her family, as well as the Caledon residents supporting them, are making two requests of the Caledon Central administration.

The first is that if possible they’d like to bring back the original mural, such as by commissioning the original mural artist to repaint it. Post said she’s received many messages of support and even offers to pay for the mural’s repainting.

The second ask is that an apology letter be sent to Caledon Central families. Post said the letter sent by Caledon Central administration makes it seem as though her grandfather was racist, and Post said he was not. While that may not have been the letter’s intent, Cameron and Post said it does not matter as it may seem that way to a reader and tarnish Raeburn’s legacy.

Post explained that she read the letter from Caledon Central administration as implying the mural was being painted over in an effort to implement an equity plan and dismantle racism and oppression in the school system. Then, she thought, “What are you saying about my family?”

Raeburn was a big advocate for the public school system and every child’s right to a good education close to their home, said Post. She acknowledged that Raeburn was “an old white guy” and that he came from a privileged place, living in a time when white people were even more privileged than they are today.

Still, she said, in a generation when it wasn’t popular, Raeburn was working really hard to get more women into politics and fighting to save the environment.

“He thought at that time, back when it wasn’t popular to think that way, that women’s voices mattered,” said Post. She added that her grandfather believed in shattering glass ceilings and making the world a better place.

Cameron said he has been contacting senior administration within the school board about the issue and that he’ll continue to fight for the Raeburn family.

“This one for me is a very serious infraction against the Raeburn family and it’s my responsibility to represent them,” said Cameron

OF

Linda Banks of Orangeville recieves a Senior of the Year

for

at

The

is part of the larger

LOCAL WINNER: Orangeville-based artist, Stephanie Casino Esguerra won the Juror’s Choice Award for her piece “T’Boli Tribe Woman”.

FORMER MURAL: A mural of Alex Raeburn in the library of Caledon Central Public School was recently painted over, making a blank wall, sparking frustration.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Local author publishes ‘Frog of Arcadia’ picture book for kids

Written By ISABEL BUCKMASTER

A classical-style story taking inspiration from Narnia and other children’s adventure books, Frog of Arcadia by new local author Blake Bobechko will appeal to anyone with even “the most basic toad sensibilities.”

While Bobechko says he “always wanted to be an author”, his recently published book, Frog of Arcadia was written as a gift for his three children. Publishing the book didn’t even occur to the real-estate-agentturned-occasional author until his wife encouraged him to take a chance.

“I’m a big fan of adventure stories so Frog of Arcadia is a traditional children’s story in the sense that it’s classically told but it’s for young and old,” said Bobechko, who lives in Orangeville. “People get tripped up when they hear it’s a children’s story, they somehow instinctively think that it’s a book for like little babies or something like that but kids love it, and adults love it too.”

Since the book launch, Bobechko has

received nothing but “positive feedback,” most of which has been “energetic and encouraging.” Even children in Bobechko’s eight-year-old son’s class have their parents

reading it to them before bed.

“I’ve had people who are smarter than me, kind of praise it and gush over it and that’s a very big compliment to me,” said Bobechko. “It’s good because you put your name out there, I didn’t use a pen name, and so you know, you hope for the best. I’m not very sensitive, but you hope people are going to think ‘wow, this is okay.’”

But it’s not all writing and book signings. Because Bobechko is self-published, he’s had to do the legwork “to get the word out there” about his book. Luckily, his brother and real-estate partner, Matlock, illustrated the novel in full.

“To me, what’s been harder than actually writing the book is marketing the book,” said Bobechko. “I’m very uncomfortable talking about myself, I don’t really want to go around telling people all about me, but that’s kind of part of the process of marketing a book I’ve learned and so that part’s been very challenging.”

However, Bobechko’s love of writing

is something he would pursue even if his books hadn’t attracted a local audience. Thomas, the frog was created for Bobechko’s children “to grow into,” since all of their favourite fairy tales featured similar amphibians. However, Wind in the Willows, Bobechko’s favourite book “of all time” was “certainly an indirect influence” on his toady tale, he noted.

“In all anamorphic fairy tales, the classic ones always have a frog, especially in little kids literature,” said Bobechko. “And because I was writing to my kids, hoping they would grow into it, I wanted to use a frog because all their favourite stories did.”

Fans of the book will be excited to hear that there is a sequel in the works and that the author has ideas for a third to round out the Arcadia trilogy. Until then, the best way to support the author is to buy Frog of Arcadia or leave a review on Bobechko’s website: frogofarcadia.com.

The book is also available at Booklore in Orangeville.

Orangeville councillor Joe Andrews seeking re-election this fall

Written By SAM ODROWSKI

Coun. Joe Andrews recently filed his nomination papers at Town Hall seeking re-election as councillor this fall.

He says the fact that’s he’s been a part of Orangeville’s fabric for over 30 years and committed to the region as a leader in education, business, and volunteerism, makes him qualified to continue serving on Council.

Coun. Andrews added that strong integrity, fiscal responsibility, professionalism, and accountability are other attributes that he’s demonstrated through his four-year term.

“I have consistently displayed my ability to focus on the key issues affecting our Town today and for the long-term,” he said. “I brought to the table years of senior-level experience in both the public and private sectors which has paid huge dividends. This Council has worked together and has done so for the betterment of our community. I am proud of what has been accomplished, yet there is so much more to do.”

Looking back at accomplishments during his term on Council, Coun. Andrews noted his work on the Business Economic Development Advisory Committee. He said he was able to provide timely responses to the needs of the local business community through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Work that’s been done while co-chairing the Town’s Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee with Coun. Lisa Post is another

area of achievement. Coun. Andrews said the committee’s helped to get Orangeville on the beginning steps of training and meeting requirements from a human rights perspective and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

Being on the Men’s Homelessness Committee, which evolved into a review of the need for affordable housing in Orangeville, Coun. Andrews said it allowed for the development

of affordable housing at 236 First Street.

“Also, what evolved in that dialogue over a number of months… was the development of a crisis care facility, which is still very much in its infancy, but one that we will be looking at supporting at the former fire station,” Coun. Andrews noted.

He said traffic mitigation and increasing safety, through listening to residents’ concerns and bringing them forward at Council, were two priorities during his last four years on Council as well. This was seen with the addition of stop signs and reduction of speed limits from 50 to 40 km/h on residential streets in Orangeville.

With Coun. Todd Taylor seeking the deputy mayor seat and Coun. Lisa Post vying for mayor, Coun. Andrews told the Citizen it’s imperative for him to have representation on Council because of the experience that he brings, providing familiarity, stability and civility.

“I bring senior level experience that is really needed in these times as we navigate through inflationary concerns, and a ton of projects that are on the table that benefit the community. But a number of these projects really require individuals who have an understanding of what the implications are and what those financial commitments are,” Coun. Andrews remarked.

“The luxury that I have is I didn’t need a long runway to understand the needs of the community, someone that doesn’t have that

experience is going to take a long time to kind of get a handle of what municipal politics is all about how you navigate through the processes.”

He said he sees himself as a consensus builder, and it’s important to have a strong background and history in the community to fulfill the roles on Council.

“Anyone who is considering running, they have to be prepared for a lot of work. As much as this is defined to be a part time role it is a full-time commitment,” Coun. Andrews noted.

“If someone is thinking that this is just an easy opportunity to get involved, it is a lot work. You have to roll up your sleeves, you have to be connected to so many different levels of government, be that the next tiers up. But also, being aware of the needs of our community and being available to respond to people in the community when they have questions, whatever those may be.”

In the coming weeks Coun. Andrews said his official re-election platform will be released and after the nomination period closes later in August, he’ll ramp up his campaign.

“I look forward to connecting with the residents of Orangeville throughout the summer and early fall to listen to what is on their minds, and to ensure that their voices are heard,” he noted.

The municipal election takes place Oct. 24, 2022.

Dufferin County celebrating Bike Month with a self-guided caommunity ride

In celebration of Bike Month, Dufferin County is inviting cyclists and families to explore Orangeville during a self-guided community ride on June 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A self-paced 3km bike loop will start and

end at the Mill Square parking lot in Orangeville, where bikers can register for the event anytime between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Before setting out, bikers have the opportunity to learn about biking safety with Dufferin OPP.

HEAR MORE and SPEND LESS

“Going by bike improves our health and the health of our community,” says Sara MacRae, manager of climate and energy for Dufferin County.

“It is our hope that this event encourages residents to explore local bike routes, prac-

tice some safety tips to increase their confidence on the road, and learn about great environmental initiatives that are happening in our community.”

Along the bike loop, riders can stop at nine community stations to learn about local environmental projects, participate in a series of family-friendly activities, and collect stamps to win a $250 gift card to an independently owned local business, among other prizes. Community stations will be hosted by Sustainable Orangeville, Downtown Orangeville, Cycling Elements, Orangeville Hydro, Orangeville OPP, the Town of Orangeville, and the County’s Climate and Energy, Forest, and Waste Services Divisions.

For the safety of all road and trail users, cyclists are reminded to follow the rules of the road, be courteous to other trail users, and obey all shared trail etiquette. Helmets must be worn by cyclists under the age 18; however, everyone is strongly encouraged to wear a helmet when riding their bike. The

adopt a cat

Ophelia is a hard one for our volunteers to write about, because she is so loved. She is a no-problem 8 year old gal, who adores snuggling and belly rubs. Ophelia was rescued off an euthanasia list and took a little bit to warm up... before coming the FCR queen! Ophelia is looking for a family who gives her a few weeks to decompress, but then will adore her snuggles and purrs. She is spayed, microchipped, vaccinated, dewormed/ flea treated and just had full dental work.

is $200.

NEW AUTHOR: Blake Bobechko recently published his first book, “Frog of Arcadia”, which is available now at Booklore.

SEEKING RE-ELECTION: Orangeville councillor Joe Andrews is seeking re-election in the upcoming municipal election this fall.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

SPO RTS SPO RTS

60-4th Ave, Orangeville 519-941-5407

Bengals make strong comeback but fail to close the gap Bengals suffer 12-8 loss

By BRIAN LOCKHART

A slow start and one inning cost the Orangeville Bengals their game against the Georgina Bulldogs at Springbrook Park in Orangeville on Saturday, June 11.

The Bengals rallied in the later innings and had a good comeback but couldn’t close the gap and had to settle for a loss.

The game started off with Adam Sutowski getting a single then stealing second base. Braydon St. Denis hit and drove in the first run of the game.

With the bases loaded, Ryan Hussey hit to bring in a run and an error at second base allowed the Bengals to bring in another run for an early 3-0 lead.

It was a tie game, Georgiana took advantage of good scoring opportunities and brought in three runs. They then went ahead by a run to take over the lead.

The third inning saw the Bulldogs have a good offensive strategy with a lot of hits and success on the bases.

The Georgina squad managed to bring in seven runs for the inning to take an 11-3 lead.

The Bengals were back in the game in the fourth inning. Zach Davis started with a single then stole second base to put Orangeville players on first and third.

Sutowski hit a single to bring in a run. That was followed by a huge play when Tyler Robertson put on the afterburners to steal home plate for a Bengals run.

The Bengals had a good effort in the final inning but couldn’t score and had to settle for a 12-8 loss.

“It was a couple of small errors that cost

LAWN BOWLING: Orangeville Bengals third baseman, Braydon St. Denis looks for the throw as a Georgina Bulldogs player slides into base during their Junior game at Springbook Park in Orangeville on Saturday, June 11. The Bengals overcame an eight run deficit to close the gap but had to settle for a 12-8 loss.

us three runs,” summed up Bengals coach Terry Sheppard after the game. “Our guys like to battle. They have a good approach at the plate. The morale is still pretty good – despite losing that game – it’s a good gell-

ing group. We’re happy with that and we’ll be fine for the rest of the season. We have a lot of guys that can pitch and we’re defensively sound. We put #31, Ryan McIlhargey on the mound, and did a good job – they

only scored one run after that.”

The Bengals will be back on their home diamond on Saturday, June 18 when they will host the Creemore Padres.

Game time is 4:00 p.m.

Junior C Northmen currently in first place in OJHL standings

Written By BRIAN LOCKHART

The Orangeville Junior C Northmen are leading the Ontario Junior C Lacrosse League after a 12 game winning streak that saw the Northmen win again on Saturday (June 11) in Barrie.

The Northmen started the game against Barrie with a huge first period that saw the Orangeville squad score ten goals in the first 20 minutes of the game. Barrie fought back to close within five

goals over the next two periods.

The Northmen held on and shut them down to take the game 13-8.

On the score sheet, Josh Presley led the offence with three goals and four assists. Colin Thompson chipped in with two goals and an assist.

Scott Clapham scored two for the night with Keaton Walsh, Luke Downard, Nick Devins, and Logan Marshall getting single goals. Jack Fitzpatrick got a goal and an assist, Preston Gear had three assists, Nick

Haladuick got two assists, and Mac Rawn picking up a single assist for the game.

The weekend was a prelude to the Jr C Northmen’s biggest weekend of the season. On Saturday they will host second place Fergus Thistles at noon as part of Northmen Day at Tony Rose Arena.

The last time these two teams met was in front of a crowd of 400 people in Elora when Orangeville came back from a three goal deficit to win 10-8 in overtime.

It is expected there will be a similar crowd

for what should decide first place as the season is winding down to its final two weeks of the season.

The next day the Northmen travel to Six Nations and the continue to Halton the following night.

The Northmen are leading the League with a 12-1 record.

The Fergus Thistles are close behind with a 12-2 record for the year so far.

Junior A Northmen squeeze out a one goal win over Whitby

Written By BRIAN LOCKHART

The Orangeville Junior A Northmen pulled off a late game win over the Whitby Warriors when they tied the game with 1:20 left on the clock in the third period then got the goahead goal with one second remaining in the game during their Friday night home game on June 10, at Tony Rose arena.

The Northmen were leading the Friday night game 2-1 at the end of the first period on goals from Nick Bafia and Liam Matthews.

Whitby battled back hard in the second period tying the game at two then taking a two goal lead midway through the period.

Orangeville was back on top when the tied it up on goals from Trey Deere and Owen Rahn.

Two more goals followed by Aiden Long and Liam Matthew to give the Orangeville squad a 6-4 lead with one period left to play.

The Northmen gave up three goals to Whitby in the third period that left them trailing 7-6 with more than a half of the period left to play.

Orangeville’s Cole Teeple scored to tie things up, but the Warriors were again in the

lead when they scored with 3:28 left on the clock.

The final turned into a nail biter when Trey Deere hit the back of the Whitby net to again time the game with 1:20 left on the clock.

The game ended with a 9-8 Northmen win the Cole Teeple took the shot with just one second left on the clock to score and give the Orangeville team the win.

The win brought the Northmen record to 4-3 for the season and a number seven place in the standings.

The Mimico Mountaineers are in first place in the League going undefeated after seven games. They are followed by the Oakville Buzz, the St. Catharines Athletics, and the Toronto Beaches.

BRIAN LOCKHART PHOTO

The Northmen will be back on their home floor at Tony Rose arena on Saturday, June 18. Game time 8:00 p.m.

BRIAN LOCKHART PHOTO LAWN BOWLING: The Orangeville Junior A Northmen host the Whitby Warrior at Tony Rose arena on Friday, June 10.

LOCAL CHAMPIONS: The Twisters Gymnastics Club sent four athletes to the Ontario Provincial Trampoline Championships in Kingston on June 3 to 5 who competed with good results. From left, Maija Alberts, 1st place, Amanda Alberts, 2nd second place, Lily Grey, 5th place, and Serenity Vollmerhaus, 12th place.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

An eye for an eye

“An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”

That is pretty much a standard old saying that many people use as an example of how to apply justice when someone is wronged.

It shouldn’t be taken literally – it means the punishment should fit the crime.

A society can be judged and rated on how well its justice system operates. This includes the entire procedure including individual rights, the court system, and punishment given to offenders who are found guilty.

The western notion of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ is designed to eliminate the old way of hanging a witch based on an accusation from someone who claims they saw their neighbour flying on a broomstick on a moonlit night.

This system has generally been adopted in western society, but not entirely.

There was a case in British Columbia several years ago where police from a European country arrived to question a prisoner who had been arrested and detained in B.C., but also had warrant for a murder committed in Europe.

The European police demanded the prisoner be questioned and made to talk.

The RCMP told the Europeans they can’t force a prisoner to talk, and that he had the right to remain silent.

The Europeans then claimed he was guilty because he refused to speak and defend himself. The mindset of the two police agencies was entirely opposite when it came to procedures and the way they conducted an investigation.

The death penalty is of course the ultimate penalty that can be applied to a convicted person. Generally speaking, it is applied as a punishment to only the worst crimes – usually murder – but not always. In some countries you can be hanged or beheaded for fairly low level offences on the whim of the court or judge.

Currently there are 93 countries that still have the death penalty as an option in their criminal justice system. Of those countries, 27 have not executed anyone in least ten years.

Eight of those countries still have it in the books but only for extreme cases like war crimes.

Almost all western democracies have abolished the death penalty.

Outside of China, which routinely executes its citizens by the thousands every year, but does so secretly, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt accounted for 88 per cent of all known executions worldwide in 2020.

In the U.S. the death penalty is a matter of justice according to state law – not federal

The Red Ryder Rifle

One spring weekend in the 1990s, my parents and the dog came down to the city to visit me. This made for a nice change, because usually I was the one going home to visit them. I enjoyed being a host and took quiet joy in my family enjoying my hospitality for the weekend.

Coincidentally, there happen to be an antique toy show going on that Sunday afternoon at the local convention centre. I loved to attend these shows to enjoy a nostalgic blast from the past.

Because it was billed as an ntique toy show, I thought my parents might enjoy seeing some of the things from their youth on display at this show. I asked them if they might be interested in going down to attend.

Mom had no interest, but Dad decided he would like to go. He liked to attend the occasional antique show when he had the opportunity. You never knew what you might see at one. So Mom stayed home to babysit the dog and Dad and I went down to the show.

It was a very large show. Dad was impressed

with the size of the show and amount of items for sale as we walked through.

Dad was enjoying it, but most of the stuff for sale there was stuff from when I was growing up or later and did not hold that much interest for him. We slowly walked from table to table casually perusing what the dealers had to offer.

Suddenly, my Father’s eyes got big and his mouth popped open. He couldn’t believe what he saw.

He walked over to one of the dealer tables and just stared at an item on the table.

I followed him over to the table and saw him staring in disbelief at one of the antique toys on the table. He turned to me and said:

“A Red Ryder air rifle! I had one of these when I was a kid!”

He picked it up off the table and slowly turned it over in his hands. It was a little rough and rusty, but otherwise in decent shape. You could still see the faded ‘Red Ryder’ stenciling on the stock of the rifle.

Ukraine: rockets and policy

How would we know if the United States is deliberately starving Ukraine of weapons in order to force it into a compromise peace settlement that leaves some Ukrainian territory –maybe even a lot – in Russian hands?

You can imagine the White House having such a strategy, though it would never admit it. After all, if Ukraine managed to drive the Russian army out of the whole country, Moscow might panic and escalate to nuclear weapons. President Biden’s prime duty is to keep the United States safe, not to put the Ukrainian border back where it used to be.

For Ukraine, the war is literally existential.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants not only to conquer Ukraine but to erase its very identity, so President Volodymyr Zelensky would risk anything, including nuclear war, to prevent it.

For Russia it’s not existential at all, but Putin appears to have convinced himself that it is. Maybe he’s bluffing, but would you bet the world on it?

Whereas for President Joe Biden and the United States, the ONLY existential threat is nuclear war. If he didn’t at least consider how he could put the Ukrainian government on a short leash, he would be remiss in his consti-

law. That means a person can end up being strapped to a gurney and given a lethal cocktail of drugs in one place, but two miles down the road across the state line, that same person might someday receive parole for the same crime.

Some people are in favour of the death penalty for terrible crimes, others are opposed to it for any reason.

It 1959, mass murderer Charles Starkweather killed ten people in Nebraska and Wyoming in a crazy seven-day murder spree with his girlfriend, as well as an 11th person he murdered days earlier.

Thirteen months after being convicted of murder and sentenced to death, Starkweather met his fate while seated in the Nebraska State Penitentiary’s electric chair. That seems to be a reasonable time for a sentence to be carried out, and was a normal time frame for those events at the time.

Currently there are 25 states that have the death penalty with various levels of enthusiasm.

The U.S. reinstated the opportunity for states to have the death penalty in 1977 after several years of a halt to all executions. With that, came a new system whereby the appeals

process can last for years or decades.

This past week, the State of Arizona executed a man for a crime he committed in 1984. The previous week that same state executed a man for a crime committed in 1978 – 44 years after he was convicted.

How can killing a person so many years after the crime be justified, since that person has been in prison serving which amounts to a life sentence, that in many places would place them on parole and ready for integration back into society? The thinking is these executions will open the path to clearing out Arizona’s death row in a hurry.

Neither of the two men who were executed were Boy Scouts. The both deserved a severe punishment for their crimes.

However, executing a person so many decades after their crime is a miscarriage of justice. Those sentences should have been commuted to a prison term. Both prisoners have now served double sentences – a life behind bars as well as an early death.

Justice is supposed to be blind.

In these cases, the eyes are wide open and the state has failed in carrying out justice.

KEITH

He cocked the rifle. The rifle was still in good working order, still making the compressed air ‘bang’ sound when he pulled the trigger. His eyes softened and a smile came to his face. And at that dealer’s table I watched as my Father became a kid again.

After he fired the rifle, he slowly turned it over in his hands again and then put it back on the table.

There was a price tag on the rifle. I asked Dad if he wanted to buy it. He said, “No, I don’t think so.” And we quietly walked away from the table.

But as we walked through the rest of the show, I noticed a little smile on my Father’s face. I understood exactly what he was feeling. I have experienced that feeling myself several times at these shows when I saw toys for sale that I played with in my childhood.

He was experiencing the feeling of nostalgic joy, the happy feeling you get when you see something from your childhood that brought back the childlike happiness you experienced

when you played with it.

As we continued to walk through the show, we came to a table with a large display of vintage Dinky Toys.

There was a fire truck on the table. I stopped to admire it.

Dad asked me, “Do you like it? “I replied, “Yes.” And he bought it for me on the spot. And soon after that we went home.

In hindsight, I think that Dad’s purchase of that Dinky Toy Fire Truck for me was his way of saying ‘Thank You’ for everything that happened on that day.

But I got much more out of that day than a Dinky Toy fire truck. I got a wonderful memory that I will keep with me for the rest of my life.

For a brief moment in time, I got to see my Father be a kid again.

(Miss you, Dad. Happy Heavenly Father’s Day!)

tutional duty.

The obvious way to limit Zelensky’s freedom of action is by controlling the scale and speed with which ‘advanced’ weapons are delivered to Ukraine. (Not VERY advanced: there’s nothing less than 15 years old.) And there are some indications that Biden is doing exactly that.

Since the Russian army gave up trying to seize Kyiv and other northern Ukrainian cities ten weeks ago and concentrated its forces in the east (the Donbas), it has reverted to the style of warfare it does best: massive artillery bombardments followed by infantry assaults. It’s crude, bloody and expensive, but it often works in the end.

It has become an artillery war, and although the Russians have a lot more artillery, the Ukrainians used GPS, drones and the like to level the playing field. It started to resemble a miniature version of the First World War, with the Russian army taking big casualties for small advances – but it kept grinding inexorably forward.

Both sides were mostly using old Soviet weapons, but in a war of attrition the Russians had more of everything: soldiers, guns, shells, the lot. Ukrainian losses went up to between one and two hundred killed a day, and they began running short of both guns and shells. Their pleas for more and better weapons mounted – and they got a curious response.

The US sent just eighteen 155 mm. howitzers to Ukraine in April, but stripped them of the advanced computer systems that improve the weapons’ efficiency and accuracy. It then spent three weeks training crews for these guns abroad before they were deployed to the front. Only then did it send some more howitzers (also without computers).

There are now 109 of those howitzers in Ukraine, but many thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have doubtless been killed or wounded in the meantime who might have been spared if the guns had arrived more promptly. It’s still far from enough – and now the same scenario

is replaying with rocket artillery.

Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) have twice the range of howitzers (8090 km.), and the Russians have been using them to pummel the Ukrainian lines mercilessly. Ukraine’s rocket launchers were old, few, and not very accurate, so for many weeks it has been begging for comparable NATO weapons.

The United States has now sent Ukraine four – count them, four – HIMARS rocket launchers. It could send additional HIMARS after the three-man crews of these four launchers have finished their three weeks of training abroad and “demonstrate that they can use them effectively,” said U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhaylo Podolyak says his country needs 300 MLRS launch systems and a thousand 155mm guns to achieve “heavy weapons parity.” with the Russians. We will see formations of pigs flying overhead before that happens.

It’s striking that the United Kingdom announced that it is sending similar rocket launchers at the same time, but there was no nonsense about three weeks of training outside Ukraine. The Ukrainian army has one of the best artillery schools in Europe, so the UK is just sending along instruction manuals.

There is reason to suspect, therefore, that the very slow drip-feed of American weapons to Ukraine is deliberate, and is intended to keep the Ukrainian government from winning too soon or too big. Better that both sides exhaust themselves and arrive at some sort of compromise peace deal.

Of course, the Ukrainians might actually lose as a result of this policy, in which case Biden would have to choose whether to save them by direct military intervention or not. Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets.

~ William Jennings Bryan GENERAL MANAGER

Doug Rowe

EDITOR Sam Odrowski

Thomas Claridge

The humblest Citizen of all the land, when clad in armour of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of Error.

SCHELL REMEMBERING WHEN

GWYNNE DYER OUR WORLD TODAY

Masters of misinformation

The Trudeau government has taken #fakenews, #alternativefacts, #misinformation, and #disin-formation to a whole new, breathtaking level.

Last week, the Liberals introduced legislation that will freeze the buying, importing, and selling of handguns and pretended gun owners won’t be affected. You may agree or disagree with that approach, but what is clear is that if you own a handgun in Canada, you will now never be able to sell it or give it away to someone else. If you had a handgun collection that you thought you or your heirs might wish to sell at some point, that collection is now worthless. And you can never buy a new one.

Regardless, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wasted no time in cautioning a reporter – chiding him really – to be “careful about spreading misinformation and disinformation about this.”

The bill is “not targeted to law-abiding firearms owners. Those who currently own and operate handguns safely are not at all targeted by this legislation,” Trudeau said – with a straight face –before going on to explain the freeze that will prevent law-abiding firearms owners from selling, buying, or transferring ownership of handguns.

The most generous interpretation of that statement can only be that the prime minister didn’t intend for this bill to have any impact on law-abiding gun owners.

If that’s the case, he either hasn’t read his own legislation (possible) and should amend it (unlikely), or his aim isn’t very good and the law-abiding gun owners are victims of a drive-by legislative shooting.

As noted above, you may think tighter gun control is a good thing or a bad thing. But what is definitely a very bad thing is this naked gaslighting of anyone (particularly someone who might actually have read the bill) who raises fact-based concerns about the impact of government leg-islation. It is, essentially, an attack on those seeking the truth.

This is particularly rich from a government developing legislation – working title: Online Harms – that would regulate what you can say on the internet in an effort to crack down on “misinfor-mation and disinformation.” One assumes the new Online Harms act will not apply to the gov-ernment’s own practice of characterizing the views of its critics as “disinformation” while insisting only its, at times, fantasy-laden interpretations of reality represent the correct information.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino provided another example last week when he declared that new legislation regarding searches of people’s mobile devices, texts, photos, and emails would “institute clear and stringent standards that must be met before a traveller’s device can be searched.”

It turns out there’s nothing clear and

Running for office

So we are back to the polls to vote on October 24th this year and there is no need to feel abused by overkill of the electoral process, since less than half of us voted provincially. Maybe electing candidates for offices in our local Council, this close to home will entice us to make a better effort to vote in October.

Wait a minute, make sure you have a clear picture in your head of who is on the ballot – my cousin put his cat up for election once and the feline won. Then there was the chap whose name was put forward but he’d been dead for 15 years... had some good policies though.

Just kidding but let’s face it, if we are so indifferent to the privilege of voting why does it matter if that process is treated like a farce?

Yet and yet, the importance of participating in the election process cannot be overstated and monitoring the debates that precede them matters too, for the souls that we put into office have the power to be a mighty influence on our very personal lives. We should care who goes into those offices, keeping an eye on them and make them accountable for all that they promise and all that they do.

Take a look around at the folly and the villainy of other countries and note how lucky we are to have the system that we do and the

people surrounding our governments, calling them to account and not (usually) going to jail or being ostracized for their oversight.

There is nothing much to say about Doug Ford that is good but he will face strident opposition when he wants to start digging in Caledon for his precious and completely misguided Highway 413. This time around, people are ready to defend the environment against his destruction and for whatever reason he was slipped back into power, he will be restrained.

Still, he is not the force for crazy that is Donald Trump, who seriously has and is working to bring democracy to an end in the United States, who openly admires tyrants and dictators; leaders who oppress their citizens with death and indefinite imprisonment. Trump has deep admiration for Putin’s aggression against Ukraine. Putin, comparing himself to Peter the Great, plans to continue his invasion not only of Ukraine. Once and if he dominates and conquers Ukraine, he will march forward to the five other countries running along Russia’s western border, including Finland.

Now there is a scramble for Finland at least to join NATO, balancing the terror of Putin’s reaction to such a move: he has warned against it – will he attack Finland and test

Cost of ignoring science

Our materialistic world has provided a powerful reminder of the cost of doing nothing or at least of putting our priorities in the wrong place. Debt begets debt. If one takes out a loan, failure to pay the interest increases indebtedness. Unless the debt is paid down. How many folks have noted that a loan has increased despite efforts to pay back the original amount, due to the accumulation of interest? How many countries particularly in the third world have become bankrupt on the same basis.

The major problem facing the planet today is no longer financial but ecological but the same principles apply. Human induced global warming has resulted in the melting of ice conditions world wide, which in turn is the basis for major changes in climatic patterns. The impact on humanity shows up with drought conditions hence severe wildfires destroying vast areas of the world including complete destruction of communities and loss of life. In the process thousands of square miles of forest have been lost. Nature’s inability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere a major cause of increasing heat world-wide is restricted.

Mankind has shown us many exam-

ples of endeavouring to correct the situation. The latest issue of the National Geographic has evaluated the status of forests in different regions of the world, not an encouraging picture. The article provided one strong note. The government of China has banned the harvesting of forests on the basis that standing trees were of greater economic value to the nation than in the form of logs at a sawmill. It was recognized that lack of forest cover failed to control dust storms from the Gobi Desert reducing society’s manufacturing capability as well as causing severe erosion of land inhibiting agricultural potential. Sawmill operations were converted to tree nurseries and a pledge was made to reforest the land base with the planting of billions of trees over the next 50 years, a target apparently on course.

The Great Green Wall of Africa is proving to be a means of limiting encroachment of the Sahara Desert. Various reports have indicated increased agricultural productivity due to improving ground water balance due to stabilization of ecosystems, On the Canadian scene new forests on Ontario’s Oak Ridges Moraine helped to eliminate the region’s desert conditions

stringent at all about giving border agents the power to search people’s phones on the basis of something as bizarrely vague as “reasonable and gen-eral concern.” The phrase itself appears to be something the architects of the legislation more or less just made up.

“The very low (and legally novel) threshold of ‘reasonable general concern’ for border officials to conduct a search of a traveller’s personal electronic device does not adequately protect travel-lers’ privacy,” wrote the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

Or, as the Globe and Mail editorial board put it, “We think the proposed legal standard sounds a lot like asking CBSA officer Peter Parker if his Spidey senses are tingling.”

Not to be outdone, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced a “historic step” toward a more consumer-focused policy on telecommu-nications, while the cabinet he is a part of upheld a regulatory decision that handcuffs efforts by small operators to offer consumers lower-cost internet service.

But the creme de la creme on the week went to Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who contin-ues to insist that his Bill C-11, which gives the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunica-tions Commission (CRTC) sweeping

powers to regulate speech and other content on the internet, doesn’t do things it actually does.

Despite waves of expert analyses and confirmation from CRTC Chair Ian Scott that the legisla-tion does indeed grant the regulator the power to deal with social media posts, Rodriguez stood up in the House of Commons and once again declared it does not.

Either Rodriguez never read his own legislation – the power to regulate social media posts is right there in black and white – or he is intentionally saying things that aren’t true.

If disinformation and misinformation are undermining Canadians’ faith in their institutions, the cause appears to be the people who insist they are seeking a solution to a problem – misinfor-mation –they themselves compound daily.

When it comes to the lust for power, the first victim is always the truth. The next one is you.

Peter Menzies is a senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, an award-winning journal-ist, and former vice-chair of the CRTC.

NATO’s allegiance or back off?

Elections are scheduled to take place in Russia this year. Putin’s propaganda has done its work but overwhelming evidence of war crimes in Ukraine is also filtering through to the Russian people.

In Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro’s crimes are against all of us in his depletion, development and destruction of the Amazon Rainforest, the “lungs” of the planet, not to mention the harm to the Indigenous people who live in the forest.

Here in Canada, we have much about which to be concerned and which in the long run dictates our country’s future. First, our environmental policies are held to ransom by the fossil fuel industry – still the world’s problem and while change is cumbersome and painful, as a nation we have to bite that bullet and make change. That and the consumption of our boreal forest in the north is destroying another “lung.”

It is long since time to end our colonization of Indigenous lands and people. So much harm to mend.

We have to address our poverty issues in this extremely rich country and deal with how we treat our disabled and deserted population. Ostensibly, politicians make the decisions, for better or worse, about what happens to our

– everything. Ostensibly, I say, because we are not really privy to the influences pressuring on those decisions – we may know who but not how much money, promises, “black mail” about support and “jobs” and propaganda, not only the tool of government but of business too and we can never forget that.

It is important that we participate, if only to keep ourselves informed by filtering through the volume of information and disseminating fact from fiction. This is best done by knowing the reliability of the source of information, not simply going with whatever we read “online”. There is media that has earned our trust over their decades of authentic reporting. The Globe and Mail is reliable, as is the Toronto Star. One can count on the CBC to bring unbiased and balanced news and analysis to the airwaves. CBC radio at least is not beholden to advertisers and is free of pressure from political interests.

The only safe harbour for democracy is the people that practice it. Us. We must be prepared to call out when those we count on by virtue of voting for them fail us.

hence becoming ecologically productive, contributing to the nation’s prosperity.

One note in “Getting to Zero, Canada confronts global warming” (Tony Clarke, 2018) outlined the success of one not-for-profit aboriginal enterprise, Aki Energy, in Manitoba. At time of publishing the company had converted 150 homes from heating with fossil fuels to geothermal energy and had contracted to change another 850 tribal homes over the following five years.

Those who live closest to the natural world have shown the value of balanced harvesting of forests ensuring social benefits while maintaining Nature’s capacity for providing ecological well being. Community forests have illustrated the potential of land to serve commercial and ecological purposes, proving the basics of human life do not preclude economic growth.

Various reports in the media have shown efforts made to convert from fossil fuel energy to renewable sources. A recent Facebook item outlined Denmark’s conversion of rail transport to electricity. Hundreds of workers commuted to work daily without emissions of carbon to the atmosphere. Many leaders have pledged to increase their county’s level of forest cover

‘Awesome Human Library’ returning to Mill Street

Stories come alive at the Orangeville Public Library on Saturday, June 18 from 1-4 p.m. with an “Awesome Human Library”, in partnership with Celebrate Your Awesome. A Human Library challenges preconceived notions humans have about other humans. Volunteers (books) tell their stories to people (readers).

The public is encouraged to drop in, select an Awesome Human Book, and sign up for a 25-minute session. Questions and conversation starters are available to inspire engag-

ing and educational conversations.

“On behalf of the organizing committee for Celebrate Your Awesome, we are so pleased to be working in partnership with the Orangeville Public Library again to bring an important educational component to our celebration of Pride,” said Councillor Lisa Post, team member of Celebrate Your Awesome.

“The Awesome Human Library gives people an opportunity to learn from someone else’s experiences and to see the world with

for

in order to absorb more carbon emissions from the atmosphere. The cost of creating increased levels of renewable energy and reducing global warming has decreased steadily over many years while producing new sources of fossil fuels has increased.

The current lesson, debt reduction, to be learned from the commercial world applies as well to the environmental field as the impact of global warming illustrates a similar pattern. What we inherited from policies established by past generations now is on loan from our children and grand-children. Today’s occurrence of severe drought conditions, flooding from impacts of more severe hurricanes, loss of forest ecosystems, encroachment of deserts etc. represent debts which future populations will have to repay.

Creating balance, reduction of ecological ‘debt’, is only part of the story. The ‘interest’ must also be addressed. Correcting the results of human caused abuse requires even greater effort.

Pride and Diversity Day

different eyes. It also creates a safe space for people who are questioning to learn and ask someone who has similar lived experiences.”

Mill Street is closed on Saturday, June 18 for Celebrate Your Awesome. The Mill Street Library is open on Saturday, June 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information regarding the Orangeville Public Library and upcoming events, visit orangevillelibrary.ca, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or call 519-941-0610.

CONSTANCE SCRAFIELD WITH YOUR PERMISSION

Dana Bronfman offering sustainable jewellery at Gallery Gemma

Written By CONSTANCE SCRAFIELD

When sourcing materials, it’s very important to take a closer look and do the best you can and inform people about the process. This is the philosophy of jeweller Dana Bronfman, whose “Oculus” designs are currently featured at Gallery Gemma in the Alton Mill Arts Centre.

During a telephone interview with Ms. Bronfman calling from her home in New York, she told the Citizen, “I have achieved this, mostly the way I use gold and gems through my signature collection by using recycled materials.”

“Recycled” is relatively a misnomer, as she pointed out, “nobody throws gold and diamonds away. I make mostly things to order; nothing is wasted. ”

Yet mining is changing and around the world there are growing trends toward sustainable mining. In Peru and Columbia under the banner of Fairmined, Alliance Sustainable Mining is making headway in many regions globally. This is artisanal mining that works with miners to achieve the Fairmined standard.

As a young person, Dana Bronfman did not like fine jewellery and she did not know anyone in the business. Her grandmother loved native jewellery and that was her own first liking for jewellery. In college she studied Spanish and when she travelled, she liked looking the jewellery on little stands, purchasing small items as mementos of where she had been and the stories.

“I loved that connection to the place, to my loved ones too, that age old connection,” she said. “The things that I loved were the things that belonged to [my grandmother]. Jewellery is the one material object that lasts and is beyond the money value and it became the way I started being interested in making it.”

She wanted to do something that made a difference, held some “meaningfulness to it.”

After a few years she went back to school to see how jewellery was made.

She was engaged in apprenticeship to see how designers worked and eventually started her own line while she was still working for other jewellers.

Describing her work, she said, “So, it’s all 18k gold and sterling silver and oxidized sterling silver with a lot of diamond accents. I like open space better than negative space. The patter of the circular space – oculus –is the term for open space in architecture. I do take energetic inspiration from my surroundings rather than literal, like the industrial quality to New York. I always love the contrast between light and shadow and sometimes I even create blackened detail to contrast with the diamonds.

“I’ve alway been attracted to the beauty of something that makes you take another look. My pieces might look minimal,” she continued, “they’re actually more complex. I want pieces that you can wear every day, that you can live with by being casual or dressed up.”

Ms. Bronfman called her pieces quietly bold; not ostentatious and not huge; a little bit bold, outside the box. It is a matter of a

real confidence in the person that wears her pieces, saying, I don’t need to be the biggest person. I have value. This is something I wear because I want to, not because I’m looking for a reaction to it.

Eighteen karat gold and precious stones for long lasting and to give pieces structural integrity, “This is what my intention is maybe emotionally and artistically.”

Starting in 2014, she was not working full time but she is now and considers herself “very lucky.”

Lucky to be working with a jeweller for his level of technical expertise and his length of experience in the industry; lucky to have attended the Revere Academy of Jewellery Arts which closed a couple of years ago.

Reflectively, she mentioned, “Sometimes things come from the randomness places. I had a great assistant Daniella. She felt very differently than I did and that was very helpful. You can get in your own way.”

Founder and owner of Gallery Gemma, Anne-Marie Warburton spoke to artisanal diamond mining, “Small mom and pop miners who go daily panning and mining and bring the gems out in the rough. One person will represent the gem stones but you’re supporting a whole family.”

In addition to selling fabulous jewellery for a wide range of prices, Ms. Warburton refurbishes old jewellery and makes new pieces from old, perhaps outdated items.

“I take people’s family jewellery and reuse them and polishing them to make them look fantastic,” she told us.

Her history with Ms. Bronfman began with an agent representing her pieces. Said Ms. Warburton, “The first jewellery designer we represented here in 2008, to represent people who were starting out, with a few new young artists and you could see the potential – of the five, Dana’s work sold the best.”

The two ladies met this year at the jewellery show in Tucson, Arizona where “I asked if we could have her work back again,” said Ms. Warburton, adding, “Dana has a lovely unique style. We have the Oculus collection. It has a lot of appeal, plus her consciousness around her sourcing. Gallery Gemma has always been about bringing things that are unique and that you just can’t find anywhere else.

“And we have to be grateful to the community who had really understood the importance of shopping locally. If they didn’t before, they watched stores closing down and realized why shopping locally matters.”

As ambition Dana Bronfman reckons she is less ambitious now and more interested in strengthening relationships, interested to improve in all the different areas of what she is doing. At the end of the day, I want to have a successful business and be doing something that I feel positive about and doing something to improve the industry’s transparency and continuing to improve the industry itself.”

For more information and to see examples of Dana Bronfman’s jewellery, Oculus go towww.gallerygemma.com There is much more to see that is wonderful there too.

Headwaters to keep mask mandate as restrictions ease

Headwaters Health Care Centre president and CEO, Kim Delahunt released the following statement last Friday (June 10) regarding the hospital’s decision to maintain mask requirements after the mandate expired last Saturday (June 11).

“While masking requirements in other high-risk areas like public transit will expire on June 11, 2022, hospitals in Ontario Health’s Central region have confirmed their commitment to keep patients, staff, visitors, volunteers and vendors safe through a continuation of the masking requirement within these facilities.

“Health experts have agreed that continued use of masking in hospital settings remains a simple and necessary safeguard. Masking helps prevent the most vulnerable patients from contracting COVID-19. It can also prevent transmission of COVID-19 to health-care providers, keeping people healthy and at work. Hospitals across the province are challenged with Health Human

Resources and all efforts must be made to prevent further transmission of COVID-19 within hospitals.

“This direction aligns with a statement provided June 8, 2022 by the Ontario Hospital Association that recommended that the Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Order regarding mandatory masking for patients, caregivers, visitors and other members of the public in hospital settings, issued under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, be maintained.

“At Headwaters, we will also be maintaining current active screening requirements

and visitor restrictions until we plan for any other changes. We will continue to monitor and evaluate practices in place, in collaboration with our Central Region hospital partners.

“This means that even after June 11, 2022, anyone entering the hospital will still be required to be screened and wear a medical grade mask. This is consistent with recent guidance issued by Public Health Ontario.

“Thank you for all that you do to protect yourselves and our patients each and every day.”

Position: Part-Time

Hours: 10 hours/week

remotely

• Must be able to travel within the community for assignments

• Living in Orangeville is an asset

Please submit a cover letter and resume with writing samples to: sam@lpcmedia.ca

ORANGEVILLE

The Lord Dufferin Chapter IODE holds their meetings at the Lord Dufferin Centre on the 4th Tuesday of every month. We are looking for women who would like to help in the Community. Call 519-9411865.

IF YOU WANT to keep drinking, that’s your business. IF