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VOL 7, NO. 13 $1
SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2002
BACK TO BACK CHAMPS
Frustration mounts as negotiations stalled over contract talk Woolwich’s unionized employees seeking wage parity with other municipalities By Steve Kannon
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HOISTING THE CUP Sugar King captain Adam Hogg accepts the Cherrey Cup after the team defeated Stratford 4 games to 1. By Erik Mar tensson Martensson OBSERVER STAFF
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he Cherrey Cup will remain in Elmira this year as the Sugar Kings downed the Stratford Cullitons 5-4 at the Lair on Mar. 27, wrapping up their best-ofseven-series in just five games. The victory saw a large and noisy crowd of exuberant fans watch triumphant Sugar King captain Adam Hogg hoist the Cherrey Cup and lead his team in a victory lap around the Lair, celebrating the team’s fourth Mid-Western Jr. B title in six years. “It’s wonderful,” said Hogg of the back-to-back success. “The second year’s even better. Things have gone really well so far and we’re looking forward to the bigger one – the
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www.woolwichobserver.com INSIDE THIS WEEK
SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2003
Applejacks seven wins away from title See page 13
Thomasfield asks board to void appeal that would delay subdivision by one year
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groundwater. The Crompton Public Advisory Committee is at odds with the company over the existence of a so-called mound, a natural barrier to the spread of contaminated water. Such a barrier was long thought to exist on the west side of Crompton’s property; recent revelations
to CPAC that no such mound exists were aggravated by Crompton reporting it has known about the mound’s absence since 2002. CPAC members accused the company of burying the information under an avalanche of paperwork. For its part, Crompton said the absence of
the mound had no impact on its treatment of the aquifer under its plant. “For years, we have assumed that the mound was there – now it (these revelations) changes four years’ worth of data,” said APT Environment’s Susan Bryant, a member of CPAC, which met in Elmira Mar. 22.
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JOANNE PEACH OBSERVER STAFF
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he Ministry Environment (MOE) announced on Mar. 24 that it plans to stop testing Elmira’s air quality, prompting an angry response from environmentalists who say the province is shirking its responsibilities. “In essence, the ministry is pulling out of the air monitoring station … it’s simply not going to fulfill its mandate as the regulatory agent responsible for air,” said Ron Ormson, member of the Crompton Public Advisory Committee (CPAC). Ormson’s response came after MOE representative Carl Slater told CPAC and Crompton that the ministry would cease air-quality testing in April. The ministry began testing for contaminants known as TRS (total reduced sulphur) in 1999 after receiving complaints about air emissions and sulphurus odours from chemical producer Crompton. Since then, Crompton has made a number of changes to reduce the emissions. Odour complaints related to the company have subsequently declined. As a result, the MOE no longer feels it is necessary See MOE page 2
HUGO RODRIGUES
LINWOOD RESPONDS Firefighters from Linwood attended the two-car collision, using the jaws of life to free the Wingham resident from his Chevrolet Cavalier, later boarding him on a spine board for transport to Listowel Hospital.
Red sign means stop Alma resident causes two-vehicle collision
HUGO RODRIGUES OBSERVER STAFF
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male Alma resident was charged Mar. 21 after he failed to obey the stop sign at the intersection of Line 86 and Manser Road in Wellesley Township, causing a collision that sent a Wingham man to Listowel Hospital.
The Alma resident was southbound in his pickup truck when he proceeded through the intersection without noticing the westbound Chevrolet Cavalier travelling at speed. The force of the collision sent the pickup truck across the ditch and into a hydro pole, leaving the Cavalier facing east on the corner of the intersection. See TWO-CAR page 2
See THOMASFIELD page 2
EDITORIAL Rush to judgment on frivolous OMB ‘appeal’ PAGE 8 BIZ Extending hydro rate caps to mid-sized businesses PAGE 11
ARTS Romeo & Juliet set to ballet PAGE 17
Review committee wants partnership between council, BIA and business owners
Thieves rummage office areas, take petty cash
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always fun helping out the kids,” Tinus Clemmer of the Floradale station said during a practice pull at the station Mar. 22. This will be both the department’s and Clemmer’s third year participating. ▼ See LUNG page 4
▼ See THIEVES page 4
Firefighters pulling for the kids Firefighters prepare to defend their title RICHARD VIVIAN OBSERVER STAFF
he Woolwich Fire Department is looking to throw its fundraising weight around. The local fire stations have
pooled together a team of pullers to defend their title as the most successful fundraisers for the third annual Pull For Kids, hosted by The Lung Association. “Any time there’s fundraising for kids, it’s always my interest. It’s
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THIS WEEK’S OPINION: Politicians too quick to hike tax increases
Among the report’s suggestions are the need for better commercial offerings, more effective marketing and improvements to the look of the core. It also recommends the hiring of an economic development officer, who would also provide
part-time staff support to an expanded BIA. The report is the culmination of studies by a committee struck by council in April 2003. The diverse group of businesspeople taking part in the process gave the committee its
Local Conservatives pleased with convention outcome
▼ See USE page 2
Work-to-rule campaign means cancelled field trips, administrative functions KYLE REA
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OBSERVER STAFF
ith a little local influence, the Conservative Party of Canada met for the first time last weekend. In Montreal for the party’s inaugural policy convention Mar. 18-20, a team of 12 delegates from the Kitchener-Conestoga riding helped develop the newly merged parties first set of policies and constitution. “It was exciting to see it come together. The fact there were some heated discussions was a healthy sign. It got a little exciting a few times,” said St. Jacobs resident Frank Luellau, who ran under the party banner in last year’s federal election. “We now have policies that are quite consistent with what we had in the last election. Some of them are really nicely fleshed out. … It will be a very good policy statement on which the leader, the caucus and the candidates in the next election
F
HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL Having taken on similar decorating projects for Christmas and Valentines Day, the Ferguson family of Elmira’s Nightingale Crescent – including three-year-old K.J. - created an Easter tree for their front yard. The idea, explained mother Valerie, is to inspire a little enjoyment in the community. RICHARD VIVIAN
▼ See LOCAL page 5
ISSUE: VOL 10, NO. 12
PAGE 8
strength, said member Bob Waters, who has his law office in the core. “The end result became bold, perhaps provocative – it was intentionally done that way,” he said of the final report.
Elementary teachers step up job action
Next step: find a candidate RICHARD VIVIAN
t didn’t take long for pastor Dan Thomas to realize something was wrong as he walked up to St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Monday morning (Mar. 22). The church and two other Wellesley Village facilities were broken into and ransacked sometime overnight. While the thieves didn’t take anything from the church, they managed to get away with a quantity of cash from their two other targets; about $55 in petty cash from Dr. Brian Finn’s office on Nafzinger Road and about $200 in petty cash from the Wellesley branch of the Waterloo Regional Library on Henry Street. The three buildings are within about 100 metres of each other. “On Monday, it’s typically a day of rest for me, but I had to come into the church for something and as I came in I noticed that, as I came to the study door, it was open and the handle was hanging at a weird angle. I knew something was awry and as soon as I stuck my nose inside I knew exactly what had happened,” he told the Observer. “They went through any number of locations in the church where money might be thought of to be stored.” In the case of all three incidents, the thieves
UP TO THE CHALLENGE The Woolwich fire department has one of 19 teams entered into the third annual Pull for Kids event, hosted by The Lung Association. Firefighters – including Oscar Clemmer (front right) and Jason Martin (front left) - took time out Mar. 22 to practice for the Apr. 17 event.
boost the community’s retail sector. The Elmira Core and Commercial Area Review, tabled at Woolwich council Mar. 22, demands more cooperation between the township, the downtown BIA and individual business owners.
OBSERVER STAFF
RICHARD VIVIAN
ISSUE: VOL 9, NO. 13
blunt assessment of downtown Elmira calls for sweeping changes, particularly more township involvement, to
▼ See MOUND page 2
OBSERVER STAFF
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STEVE KANNON OBSERVER STAFF
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Wellesley bandits on the loose
OBSERVER STAFF
developer whose Breslau subdivision has been delayed by an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board this week got support from Woolwich council in his bid to have the action dismissed without a hearing. Meeting Mar. 25 councillors unanimously endorsed a motion to support Thomasfield Homes in its bid to fight the appeal launched earlier this month by Kitchener resident Steve Vogel. The company plans to build 475 homes in its Hopewell Heights subdivision. Tom Kirzsan, president and owner Thomasfield Homes, called Vogel’s appeal “an abuse of the process” in requesting council’s support for quick action. The company was ready two weeks ago to tender work on the recently approved project – the OMB proceedings threaten to delay construction just as the weather is making groundwork possible. The delays could cost his company “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he said. “Mr. Vogel never attended any of the many public meetings held for this project, nor did he ever correspond with us during the five years of the planning process. His only issue is the traffic at Bridge Street and Lancaster Street in Bridgeport, which is five to six kilometres away from our subdivision,” Kirzsan noted. Studies by his company’s consultants and Waterloo Region showed the subdivision’s impact on traffic in the Bridgeport area would be minimal, he added. “This is a frivolous appeal by someone who has not participated in the planning process and who is using this appeal to put pressure on the Region of Waterloo to resolve his perceived problem. This appeal thwarts the
She dismissed Crompton’s assertions it publicized information about the mound, saying it was “conveniently” buried under thousands of pages of paperwork. “[The lack of a mound] had been apparently reported in one of the million Uniroyal re-
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Kings celebrate the season Find the eggs-act recipe you at awards ceremony ▼ PAGE 10 need for any occasion ▼ PAGE 19
Report calls for overhaul of Elmira core
Environmental cleanup has taken a step backwards, local environmentalist says PETER CRISCIONE OBSERVER STAFF
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he case of the disappearing mound has Elmira’s environmental watchdogs crying foul over Crompton Co.’s handling of information about the containment of chemical-laden
LOCAL NEWS • WOOLWICH OBSERVER 1
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2005
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Crompton, CPAC at odds over report
STEVE KANNON
CPAC questions province’s decision to stop monitoring Crompton emissions
MARCH 26, 2005 •
Novice A Wildcats are Drug-free the way to the league champs ▼ PAGE 13 be, says ex-user ▼ PAGE 23
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Woolwich backs OMB dismissal
LOCAL NEWS • WOOLWICH OBSERVER 1
SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2004
VOL 8, NO. 13 $1.00
The fringe page 15 fest’s best See
Air-quality testing ends for Elmira, MOE to pull out in April
MORE INSIDE:
MARCH 27, 2004 •
1
ONLINE EDITION AVAILABLE: www.woolwichobserver.com
▼
ield trips are off, and extracurricular activities such as sports may be next as elementary school teachers in the region step up a work-to-rule campaign. The union wants to pressure the school board back to the bargaining table – the two sides haven’t met since October. Since Mar. 1, teachers have been dropping certain administrative tasks, secretarial and custodial duties that they previously performed, and are not attending staff meetings. Extra duties, such as organizing and supervising field trips, are also on hold. The goal is to introduce minimal disruptions, showing the board that teachers are serious about resuming talks, with escalating measures if an agreement is not reached soon, says the Waterloo Region local of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO), which represents some 2,000 teachers at 100 elementary schools in the region. “From our perspective the campaign is to get the board back to the table. We haven’t sat down with the board since Oct. 12. For us, it’s fairly clear that we can’t have a contract negotiated unless we sit down and negotiate it,” said James McCormack, president of ETFO’s Waterloo local. Teachers are seeking two main concessions: they want to increase their preparation time to 200 ▼ See ELEMENTARY page 5
THIS WEEK’S OPINION: Many need to step up to revamp Elmira core
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Sutherland Cup. It’s going to be tough but I think we’re ready for it. We have the talent here on the team to do it and we’re ready to go.” Assistant captain Andrew Lackner agreed it was magnificent to repeat as champs. “I knew we had the team this year to battle and come back and win. I thought we had the intensity and heart to win it. It was just a lot of hard work and the desire to want to come back from all the veterans and we just carried it over to the rookies and let them now what it was like to win.” “I’m just so proud of these guys,” said Kings coach Dave Officer. “They’re just a group of fine young men, I don’t now any other way to say it. They’re exceptional, every one of them. “Written up in the top right hand corner of our board in
OBSERVER STAFF
oolwich Township has to become “a little more realistic” with its wage offerings if it hopes to reach a new contract with its unionized workers, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees representative handling negotiations. Frustration over the lack of progress in contract talks prompted the union to go public with their demands this week, CUPE’s Mark Charboneau told the Observer Mar. 27. Wages are the major stumbling block. Workers are looking for wage parity with their counterparts in the region’s other townships. CUPE local 1542 represents 15 unionized workers in the township’s public works and parks and recreation departments. The existing three-year contract expired Dec. 31, 2001. “The guys who work in Woolwich Township are concerned that, of all the things that are expected of them, their wages have fallen considerably behind Wellesley and the other townships. We’re not trying to make the comparison with the big guys down in the big cities, we’re just saying ‘let’s look at the townships.’ Facility workers in Woolwich are paid $0.71 per hour less than such workers in Wellesley Township and $0.52 less than those in North Dumfries Township, he said. For public works operators, the gap is between $0.89 and $1.19 per hour in comparison to their counterparts in Wellesley and $0.55 to $1.04 in North Dumfries. Workers here are looking for increases to match those levels, said Charboneau. Those workers are also represented by CUPE – Wellesley employees share the same local. “We’re hopeful that we can get it resolved
MARCH 29, 2003 • LOCAL NEWS • WOOLWICH OBSERVER
RICHARD VIVIAN
MARCH 30, 2002 • NEWS • WOOLWICH OBSERVER
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Counselling service marks 30 years ▼ PAGE 25
EDSS moves on tales of drug use Cocaine and ecstasy reported at local parties during March Break, school plans awareness events for students and parents DESIREE FINHERT
OBSERVER STAFF
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few unseemly party favours over March Break have high school educators looking to tackle any growth in hard drug use among Elmira youth. The circulation of cocaine and ecstasy at parties during the holiday was brought to the attention of Elmira District Secondary School administrators when classes resumed on Monday. The school’s activities director said there are concerns every year, but this time the break brought things to a head. “It was this one student who said ‘look, over the March Break I was at a couple of parties and could not believe the prevalence that these drugs’ – cocaine and ecstasy were the two being mentioned – ‘and the number of people who are making those bad choices,’” said Dave Conlon. In an effort to quash the use of these and other substances among the EDSS population, the school plans an awareness assembly for Apr. 12. Another session, aimed at parents, will be held in the evening. Although noting drug use is not out of hand, the school’s principal said he is aware of the ebb and flow of such substance abuse in the
area. “The kids are absolutely fantastic, but my head isn’t in the sand and students don’t have their heads in the sand,” said Gary Ayre. “They are saying it’s here. Some cocaine, some ecstasy is here. Marijuana certainly is here.” The school has been holding annual drug awareness assemblies since there were two incidents of cocaine use at the school in 2004. The Waterloo Region District School Board maintains a strict code of conduct that does not tolerate the use or trafficking of illegal drugs. Suspensions await students under the influence of illegal drugs on school property or during school organized events. Students are taught the dangers of drugs in physical education classes and through class seminars with guest police officers. WRDSB does not keep track of which schools in the board are dealing with drug issues or how frequently the problems surface, said the board’s superintendent of instruction. “When there is a concern, if they feel that in the last month something has been going on in the building, what they will do is either ask for my assistance. [For instance], about eight years ago there was a real concern at one of the schools – there was a presentation that ▼ See DRUGS page 7
ON THE WATCH Principal Gary Ayre of Elmira District Secondary School is aware some of his studets are using hard drugs. The school is getting proactive, looking to tackle any rise DESIREE FINHERT in the use of cocaine and ecstasy.
Core to remain focus of retail business in Elmira Council denies request for expanded uses at Industrial Drive locations
their industrial land rezoned to allow more commercial uses. Represented by Don Voll, owner of the strip at 17-19 Industrial Dr., the owners asked for the same zoning the township plans to apply to the Perks plaza, where the M-5 industrial zoning will be augmented with a neighbourhood commercial designation allowing more retail options.
STEVE KANNON OBSERVER STAFF
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etail development in Elmira will continue to be focused in the downtown core, Woolwich councillors affirmed this week. They turned down an appeal from a group of Industrial Drive property owners, who wanted
ISSUE: VOL 11, NO. 12
Their request came as council prepared to amend its official plan and zoning bylaws in response to last year’s Elmira Core and Commercial Area Review. Holding to that document, councillors unanimously opposed the suggestions Voll put forward. The lengthy core review process involved some compromises, but determined downtown
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would retain the most retail options, channeling development to that area, noted director of engineering and planning Dave Gosnay. Everyone wants commercial flexibility, but the core review concluded the retail focus was downtown, otherwise there could be wide-open retail everywhere in town. “We open that Pandora’s Box at our peril.” ▼
The service industrial (M-5) zoning to be applied to a string of Industrial Drive properties is too limiting, argued Voll, adding the core provides no capacity for the larger retail operations customers are now demanding – “retail stores [in the core] are just not large enough in today’s market.” Adding to the problem, Elmi-
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▼ See COUNCILLORS page 2
THIS WEEK’S OPINION: Council pay should be transparent
PAGE 8
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SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 2007
» FIT-FOR-THE-FUTURE
www.woolwichobserver.com
VOLUME 13, ISSUE 13
PRICELESS
» WELLESLEY
The big day is here for maple syrup fans
Province kicks in $2 million for rec. complex
Wellesley looks at a 3% tax hike DESIREE FINHERT
New money will help offset cost of expanded twin-pad design from other government sources. The township is lookThe financial picture ing into separate profor a new twin-pad vincial funds and tryrecreation complex in ing to make inroads at Elmira got clearer this the federal level. week as the province “We know there’s a chipped in $2 million. pot of money there – we Money from the On- just need to find a way tario Infrastructure to approach it.” Projects Corporation’s Current plans for the Rural Infrastructure multi-purpose comInvestment Initiative plex have two arenas will help reduce the as an integral part of gap between Woolwich the design. The more Township’s $20-million money that can be budget and the $24-mil- found from upper-tier lion price tag for the fa- governments, the less cility. to be borrowed when “This will be very it comes time to build, important in terms of she added. advancing the overall At least $18 million project,” chief admin- has been earmarked for istrative officer Da- a plan that includes an vid Brenneman said NHL-sized ice pad and at Tuesday’s council seating for 1,560 specmeeting in relaying the tators, a six-lane pool, news. warm water therapy Woolwich had original- pool, seniors’ centre, ly applied for $4 million. youth centre, indoor Informed by ministry walking track, meeting staff the province had rooms, café and concesreceived $400 million in sion area and parking requests for the $70 mil- for 600 vehicles. lion fund, councillors The Woolwich Recreopted to cut its request ational Facilities Founin half. dations, which oversees The challenge now, the Fit for the Future C’MON GET SAPPY doug McLean, chairman of the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, and norman MONTDY-AD-WLOB-bnnr-Feb21 2/21/07 2:50 PM Page Horst, 1 owner of Maple Crisp Orchard, gear up for the thousands of visitors who’ll visit the area said Coun. Ruby We- fundraising campaign, Saturday in search of all things maple. See REC. FUNDS »02 ber, is to find money
pHOTO | dESIREE FInHERT
STEVE KANNON
Wellesley residents will be doling out three per cent more for their property taxes this year under a budget now in the draft stage. The increase would mean an additional payout of approximately $19.41 per year on an average home assessed at $203,000. Councillors meeting Tuesday night tentatively approved the increase to support a proposed operating budget of $5.2 million, said treasurer Diana Lorbetski. The increase parallels cost-of-living increases in spending across the township’s departments. Funds generated from the tax increase will be added to a growth in Wellesley’s assessment base to allow a 7.1-per-cent jump in spending. Given the township’s small budget, the increase doesn’t amount to a whole lot of extra dollars. “Little bits here and there. There’s nothing specific, [no] huge amount in the operating side,” said Lorbetski “The 7.1 per cent in the levy increase only brings us in $182,000. That doesn’t do us a whole lot on a $5-million budget.” At council’s request, the property tax increase was whittled down to three per cent from a staff proposal of 5.7 per cent. “We found a different way to fund one of the projects, which alleviated the necessity to increase taxes by almost three per cent, $81,000,” said chief administrative officer Susan Duke. To make the change, $155,000 was drawn from township’s ownership stake in Waterloo North Hydro. “By funding that budget from that particular reserve, you actually don’t have to collect the funds from tax dollars,” explained Duke. The $155,000 will be added to the
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MARC MIQUEL HELSEN
MARC MIQUEL HELSEN
Do the trees that line the Grand River at the West Montrose Covered Bridge and the rolling hills adjacent to it add to the overall experience of visiting the regional gem? Should, then, the physical landscape and the historical buildings in the area be protected by the same heritage designation policies? Those issues will be the focus of the West Montrose Cultural Heritage Project, an initiative by the planning department at the University of Waterloo as it surveys the public for its opinions. Through maps, pictures and a 15-minute survey available on the project website, researchers are hoping to ascertain exactly what makes the area unique. The online survey wraps up Apr. 23. “We’ve had a series of focus groups with local people to determine what they think is important about the landscape; the whole effort is triggered because these kinds of areas that are considered significant under the Planning Act, they are supposed to be identified and conserved,” said project researcher Robert Shipley, a professor of planning at UW. “Our project has been aimed at trying to understand exactly what it means for these areas to be significant, and what sort of measures there might be to make sure that what’s valuable about them is protected,” he explained, suggesting that protecting the actual covered bridge and its surroundings are, currently, two different tasks.
After several acts of vandalism on his business property the owner of The Gardens in Elmira is working with another local company to make the scenic space more secure. Last week the garden portion behind Mooder Horticultural Inc., the design and project management firm on Dunke Street, was broken into by unknown suspects. The perpetrators broke into a storage shed housing plants and supplies and threw them outside the building. Though this is not the first break-in to occur at The Gardens, owner Doug Mooder is now looking to add video surveillance equipment to the site. “I have to. I’ve got two kids at home: I can’t be sitting down here babysitting the place all the time,” said Mooder. The Gardens is a plot of landscaped land featuring stonework, ponds, trees, shrubbery and creeks located behind the company’s office. An interactive outdoor space that offers potential customers a virtual display of the firm’s services, it also offers local residents a quiet and scenic space to enjoy from dawn until dusk. Though The Gardens are private property, Mooder allows the public to use the space free of cost
See HERITAGE page »06
Province unveils modest budget
Minor economic stimulus package included as Ontario faces uncertain times MARC MIQUEL HELSEN Modest economic stimulus is the focus of the Ontario budget announced Tuesday. The McGuinty government emphasizes job training, the poor and the health care system in a middle-ofthe-road package. The budget provides for a $1.5-billion, three-year Skills to Jobs Action Plan meant to get more Ontarians into well-paying jobs and help 20,000 unemployed workers make the transition to new careers and well-paying jobs in
growing areas of the economy. The government will inject another $1 billion this year into municipal infrastructure programs, with the goal of supporting construction jobs. Also on tap is a new property tax grant for seniors that will help about 550,000 senior homeowners deal with property taxes; a boost in the healthcare budget to hire 9,000 more nurses, and establish 50 more family health teams; $135 million over three years for a free dental care program for poor families, $32 million over the same period for student nutrition programs in
schools and community centres; and $190 million in new funding for early identification of chronic diseases beginning with diabetes. There are no new taxes, and some modest cuts. With a recession looming south of the border, rising oil prices and a booming Canadian dollar, there had been calls for the McGuinty government to lower business taxes. Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has been leading the charge. The kind of radical cuts proposed See BUDGET page »02
See VANDALISM page 06
MaINTaINING aN OaSIS While he wants to keep the gardens open to the public, Doug mooder is taking steps to tackle the acts of vandalism inflicted on the elmira site that showcases his landscape designs.
ch and ay Wat r Gr in M ou for ning Ope
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Two Woolwich teams OMHA champions
VOLUME.....16 ISSUE..........12
SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011
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Albrecht defends government's use of mail-outs Federal Liberals look to curtail what they see as abuse of privilege Joni Miltenburg
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THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY Joseph Ditner put in some hard work at the Laurel Creek Conservation Area Mar. 23 when his class from St. Teresa’s Catholic Elementary School visited the historic site to learn about maple syrup production.
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he federal Liberals are taking aim at the mass-mailed flyers that fill up mailboxes and recycling bins, but KitchenerConestoga MP Harold Albrecht believes they serve a valuable purpose. MPs can send out four newsletters per year, called “householders,” to every household in the riding. Additional mailings can only be sent to 10 per cent of households in the riding, and are dubbed “ten-percenters.” MPs are also allowed to send leaflets into other ridings in numbers equal to 10 per cent of the households in their own ridings. The cost of printing and mailing the flyers is covered by taxpayers. The Liberal party estimates that “ten-percenters” cost taxpayers approximately $30 mil-
6°
Opinion...............06 Business.............09
lion per year, including $10 million for printing costs, $19 million for postage and $1 million for mail preparation. The party put forward a motion that later passed in the House of Commons, calling for an end to the practice of mailing leaflets into other ridings. Albrecht contended that the flyers allow MPs to communicate directly with their constituents, and allow the party to reach people in ridings where it doesn't have any representation. “I feel they’re a very good tool to get direct information right to the constituents, and it allows them a mechanism for feedback too,” he said. “It’s important people have the opportunity to hear what their government is up to.”
> SEE MAIL-OUTS ON PG. 23
Living Here..........11 Sports.................16
EXTRICATION EFFORT Emergency crews worked for an hour Thursday morning to extract a man from his SuV after a two-vehicle collision on Arthur Street, near Tilman Road, north of Elmira. firefighters were required to dismantle pieces of the truck, including the door and windshield, to get the driver out. See story on page 4.
Woolwich still wrestling with rec. cost overruns Steve Kannon
R
aising some of its rates could generate additional revenue for Woolwich’s recreation department, but not anywhere near enough to
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due to higher-than-expected costs at the Woolwich Memorial Centre. Overall in 2010, the recreation and facilities department overspent by 14.6 per cent, or $553,976, on an origi-
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Opinion...............10 Business.............13
nal budget of $3.78 million. The largest factor in that was the WMC, where expenses were up $384,965, 20.2 per cent higher than budgeted for.
> SEE BUDGET ON PG. 07
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took no action as they continue to discuss the recreation and facilities budget, which saw $550,000 in overspending last year. Much of the excess spending in the 2010 budget was
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cover the half-a-million-dollar shortfall seen in 2010. A consultant’s report tabled at council Tuesday night shows the township has some wiggle room to increase fees, but councillors
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03 | 30 | 2013
03 | 29 | 2014
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VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 13
Volume 20 | issue 13
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 12
KINGS BOW OUT OF THEIR QUEST FOR THE CUP
serving as a role model for others
SHARING HIS PASSION FOR READING
Kings off to a good start vs. Cullitons
GOOD BROTHERS TO PERFORM IN MARYHILL
LIVING HERE PAGE 24
Living Here pAge 31
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Two barns and a workshop were destroyed in a fire on Cox Creek Road near Winterbourne Monday evening, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage. The blaze was reported around 6:30 p.m. and saw approximately $300,000 worth of overall property damage ($200,000 in buildings and $100,000 in contents) according to Woolwich Township deputy fire chief Dale Martin. “It pretty much destroyed the whole thing,” he said Tuesday. About 40 firefighters from the Conestogo, St. Jacobs and Maryhill fire stations battled the blaze that’s believed to have started in a chimney. The property owners were boiling a small amount of maple syrup in a workshop on
World aware
Breslau Public School held a World Awareness Day on Mar. 23 encouraging students to learn and become tolerant of other cultures. Nii Addico (left) taught students about African drumming while other students learned how to dance hip hop. [COLIN DEWAR / THE OBSERVER]
Woolwich ponders appeal of biogas plant approval Council, Elmira citizens’ group disappointed with province’s decision to give project the green light been cleared to go ahead – receiving what’s known as a Renewable Energy Approval – Woolwich officials are now looking at the township’s legal options to appeal the decision. Addressing the issue in council session Tuesday night, Mayor Todd Cowan said he was “ex-
tremely disappointed” with the outcome, calling for quick action on the appeal front. “We’re not giving up. We’re going to continue the fight,” he said in an interview Wednesday, expressing frustration that the
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“It flies in the face of everything that’s been done – we made a case against the location and found a better place, where they actually want it (the plant),” he said of the provincial decision. “It’s kind of like spitting in the face of everybody who lives here.” Notified that the project had
57 Arthur St., South, Elmira
> STORY ON PG. 20
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WITH SPRING IN THE OFFING, THE FOCUS SHIFTS TO FOOD
sPorts PaGe 11
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Blaze destroys farm buildings, contents
Bio Fuel Citizens’ Committee, who felt the government had heard the public’s message and was prepared to see the plant moved to a site elsewhere in the township. Instead, Bio-En Power Inc. has been cleared to build the facility on Martin’s Lane, just north of downtown Elmira.
LOCATED AT
03 | 31 | 2012
SPORTS PAGE 16
STEVE KANNON
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MORE THAN SYMBOLISM IN EARTH HOUR ACTIVITIES
In approving a biogas plant for Elmira, the province is “spitting in the face” of residents, says the head of the citizens’ group fighting the project. This week’s decision came as a shock to Dr. Dan Holt of Elmira
SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2010
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> STORY ON PG. 16 VOLUME.....15 ISSUE..........12
Hockey great a spokesman for public education campaign His wife having succumbed to colon cancer, Darryl Sittler knows firsthand the importance of early detection in fighting the disease. That experience made the hockey hall of famer an eager recruit for Colon Cancer Canada’s public education campaign, which features other celebrities such as Anne Murray and Pamela Wallin. The advocacy role is a good fit for the St. Jacobs native, who has supported the cause since losing his wife Wendy in 2002. “Wendy, her message was that if she could prevent one person from not having to go through what she went through, then it would be worthwhile,” said Sittler in an interview. When Wendy was diagnosed at 50 with colon cancer neither she nor Darryl knew much about the disease. They were both, however, startled by information that depicted the colon cancer as both potentially fatal and highly curable. “We found out quite quickly that colon cancer was the number two killer of cancers
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Latest act of vandalism has The Gardens eyeing surveillance
AND THEy’RE OFF Danya Bowman was among the throng of children hunting for treats at the First Annual Easter Egg Hunt held Mar. 22 by the Elmira Optimists at Bolender PHOTO | MARC MIqUEL HELSEN Park in Elmira.
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»19
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Kissing bridge UW heritage project seeks public input
See BUDGET »02
Country Classics in Drayton
L DE N O PE M O W NO
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VOLUME 12, ISSUE 12
NEWS | 1
Development picture not all doom and gloom..............................................»18 THE OBSERVER | Saturday, March 28, 2009
Elmira’s Wideman in NhL playoff hunt
» ELIZABETH BATE
NEWS | 1
The Observer | Saturday, March 29, 2008
Woolwich Minor Midget Wildcats are now provincial champs
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fire | 4
[joe merlihan / the observer]
The Elmira Sugar Kings bade farewell to their fans on Sunday after losing to the Waterloo Siskins in the second round of playoffs. The Kings battled the Siskins to seven games in the semi-finals, falling 3-1 in the last match.
WILL SLOAN Elmira’s No Frills store is on the chopping block. The chain’s 232 Arthur St. S. location is one of three No Frills stores in Canada that Loblaws Companies Ltd. will be divesting after its acquisition of the Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation at the end of the month. The $12.4 billion purchase, approved by the fed-
eral Competition Bureau, will lead to the closure of either Shoppers or No Frills outlets in communities that have both. Fourteen Shoppers locations will be sold across Canada, but only three No Frills. “We’re expecting the divestment process will take several months,” said Kevin Groh, vice-president of corporate affairs and communication for Loblaws. “We’ll begin the process of
finding a purchaser once the deal is closed, which we expect will be March 28. But the process we expect to take several months." Paul and Adele Henderson, owners of the Elmira No Frills store, declined to comment. In response to the impending loss of the store, Woolwich council will send a letter to the Competition Bureau asking the agency to reverse its decision. The
MPP KiTCHENEr-CONEsTOGa
letter will focus on the already-limited number of grocery markets in the township, the unique travel limitations on those using horse-drawn buggies as transportation, and the potential economic impacts. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union estimates that the decision will affect more than 120 unionized No
SWIMMING POOLS PATIOS • DRIVEWAYS STAIRCASES • GARDENS
MichaelHarrisMPP.ca 519.954.8679
4281 King Street East, Unit 4 Kitchener, ON N2P 2E9
[WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]
Competition Bureau orders sale of No Frills store As part of deal for Loblaws to purchase Shoppers Drug Mart, Elmira is one of two Ontario locations that has to go
HAPPY EASTER from my family to yours MichaelHarris
Yet more reasons to closelY monitor bureaucrats
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Firefighters from three Woolwich stations battle a barn fire that started around 6:30 p.m. on Mar. 25 along Cox Creek Road near Winterbourne. Damage was estimated at $300,000.
comment PaGe 8
Concerns about Glasgow Street bridge hinder efforts to remove unpopular left-turn median
NO FRILLS | 9
There’s no quick solution for a made-in-Woolwich problem at the intersection of Glasgow Street and Millennium Drive in Waterloo, say township officials. A median that prohibits left-hand turns onto Glasgow Street is inconvenient and a longstanding source of grievance for residents of Conestogo, the township acknowledges. Reducing traffic on the Glasgow Street bridge, an old single-lane span that underwent rehabilitation in 2010, takes precedence, says director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley. He argues that a solution for the bridge, already subject to height and weight restrictions, must be found before the intersection at the other end of Glasgow Street can be addressed. “There’s a load limit on the bridge. Something has to be done about that,” he told councillors meeting March 24. The township continues to receive complaints about the Waterlooside intersection, as the prohibition against left-hand turns forces traffic to make a long detour before doubling back to make a right-hand turn.
Vandals took advantage of the milder temperatures this month by spray painting graffiti on the Elmira Skate Park, forcing the township to bring in a cleanup crew. [Whitney neilson / the observer]
Elmira skate park sees first bit of graffiti Quick action taken to remove the vandals’ work; special coatings put in place to make surfaces easier to clean
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Business will continue at the 232 Arthur St. location until a buyer is found. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]
median | 27
WhitneY neilson As the snow melts we find things we haven’t seen in months, like flowers, sidewalks and…graffiti? The Elmira Skate Park received some spring cleaning last week to erase the vandalism that appeared in the bowl portion of the park recently. Hans Nuys, co-owner of APP All Remove, had his crew out working last Friday.
“It’s not a victimless crime,” Nuys said. “Look at the equipment, look at the guys working. If you don’t stay on top of it then people think it’s alright to do it. Before you know it, this place will be closed.” And they’re starting to get busy now because aerosol spray paint can work again, due to the milder temperatures. After cleaning off the graffiti they put graffiti | 2
Cleanup efforts underway following last week’s ice storm
Woolwich and region plan special pickup days, while transfer station to waive fees for storm debris
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away as efficiently as possible. The damage is no worse than previous storms, says township CAO David Brenneman, with downed power lines and broken trees all around Woolwich. He even predicts the cleanup job to be a bit smaller than previous years. “We are expecting slightly less than previous ice storms, because it doesn’t look as significant, but still, it will be a big program that we are undertaking. We want to give people as many options as possible,” he said, adding the full extent of the damage and
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INSERTS We’ve been getting The Observer to local doorsteps for twenty years now. We have an engaged readership eager to read the next edition and receive the flyer package.
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INSERT/FLYER PKG POLICY: A minimum two weeks advance booking is required. Inserts/flyers must be delivered to our distribution centre — the centre’s address will be provided upon booking. Inserts/flyers delivered to our office will be assessed an extra minimum charge of $50. Insert/flyer dimensions of delivered product must not exceed 9”x12” in size. Inserts/flyers that require folding will be subject to a $45/1000 charge and risk non-delivery of product. All inserts/flyers are pre-inserted into a package that is delivered within our market coverage area Thursdays and Friday. • DISCOUNTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON INSERT/FLYER DISTRIBUTION • MINIMUM 1 COMPLETE ZONE MUST BE BOOKED • FIRST INSERT/FLYER BOOKING MUST BE PREPAID • PLEASE INSURE FLYER IS BOOKED WITH SALES REP PRIOR TO DROPPING INSERTS AT OUR DISTRIBUTION CENTRE
DISTRIBUTION ZONES: ALL ZONES:
ZONE 1:
ZONE 2:
ZONE 3:
15,700
4,600
6,800
4,300
St. Jacobs, Conestogo, Breslau, West Montrose, Winterbourne, Heidelberg, Bloomingdale, Maryhill, Waterloo
Wellesley, St. Clements, Linwood, Heidelberg
All zones
Elmira, Elmira Rural Routes, Floradale & Wallenstein
ONLINE: observerxtra.com
: @woolwichnews
: /ObserverXtra
HOME DELIVERY The Observer offers doorto-door delivery in the following areas: WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP Elmira, St. Jacobs, Floradale, Wallenstein, Conestogo, Breslau, Heidelberg, Maryhill, Bloomingdale, West Montrose, Winterbourne WELLESLEY TOWNSHIP Wellesley Village, Linwood, St. Clements, Hawkesville, Crosshill, Heidelberg WATERLOO Kiwanis, East Bridge, Colonial Acres, North Lake, Conservation Meadows*, Laurel Wood*, Lakeshore* *Flyer distribution only
HONOUR BOXES The Observer has more than 45 locations including honour boxes and premium racks distributing approximately 2,700 Observer’s every week.
ADVERTISING CALENDAR Plan ahead and know in advance what features will appear in The Observer. These features are tried, and tested, and timed to coincide with seasonal shopping or services.
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
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Happy New Year
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Bridal Feature
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Farm Safety
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Spring Car Care
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Brand New You Feature
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Valentine’s Feature
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Drayton Farm Show
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Financial Feature
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Elmira & Linwood Blood Donor Clinic
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Elmira & Linwood Blood Donor Clinic
Elmira & Linwood Blood Donor Clinic
Minor Hockey Yearbook
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Grillin’ Time
Rural Connections
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Rural Connections
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National Volunteer Week
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Elmira & Linwood Blood Donor Clinic
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Rural Connections
MAY •
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Rural Connections
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
Spring Home & Garden Feature
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Grillin’ Time
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Farm Safety
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Elmira Sidewalk Sale
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June Is Seniors Month
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Summer Activities
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Emergency Preparedness
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Bicycle Safety Sponsor
Home & Garden Feature
Home & Garden feature
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Mother’s Day
All About the Kids Feature
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Don’t Drink & Drive
Canada Day Event Sponsor Page
Buy Fresh Buy Local Feature
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Elmira & Linwood Blood Donor Clinic
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Elmira & Linwood Blood Donor Clinic
Elmira & Linwood Blood Donor Clinic
Back To School Safety Sponsor page
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Rural Connections
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Rural Connections
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SEPTEMBER • • • • • • •
Fall Home & Garden National Trucking Week Feature Farm Safety Terry Fox Run Wellesley Apple Butter & Cheese Festival Elmira & Linwood Blood Donor Clinic Rural Connections
Rural Connections
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
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Fall Home & Garden
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Winter Car Care
•
Gift Ideas Features
•
Fire Prevention Week Sponsor
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Elmira Moonlight Madness
•
Boxing Week feature
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Christmas Greetings
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Remembrance Day Sponsor
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Santa Claus Parade Sponsor
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Don’t Drink & Drive sponsor
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Elmira & Linwood Blood Donor Clinic
•
Elmira & Linwood Blood Donor Clinic
•
Elmira & Linwood Blood Donor Clinic
•
Rural Connections
•
Rural Connections
•
Rural Connections
HOW TO REACH US: PHONE: 519.669.5790 TOLL FREE: 1.888.966.5942 FAX: 519.669.5753
ADVERTISING PLANNER Talking to your audience at the right times and in the right places is key to successful marketing. Create a plan through research. Where is the audience you want to attract and what is the most effective way to reach it? Your ad planning should remain flexible and open to new creative approaches.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
(Or what we’ve learned over the last twenty years.)
Approach ad buying with your goal in mind. Is your goal strategic to set your company up for long term success? Or is this a tactical purchase focusing on a short term solution to market an event? Know your goal and adjust your plan to suit.
Consistency is key. When it comes to branding your business, your goal should be a design that is immediately recognizable. Frequency of your message is very important. You want to be talking to your audience at the right times and often.
There are plenty of options available to market your business. Your goals and budget will help decide which media to choose. Experiment only if your budget can afford it. Stretching a limited budget across multiple medias will water down your message.
Be creative. Use advertising to attract attention, engage minds, trigger emotions and change the way people think. It’s important to craft the message to get people to take action, build your brand and plant a belief in the minds of shoppers.
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FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
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MAY
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SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
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DECEMBER
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ONLINE: observerxtra.com
: @woolwichnews
: /ObserverXtra
DIGITAL AD DELIVERY SUPPORTED DIGITIAL FILE FORMATS
FILE PREPARATION | NEWSPRINT • Newspaper printed at 100 line screen • Halftone images: 200 resolution | .tif or .jpg • Lineart images: 600 dpi | .tif or .jpg Low-resolution web images or poor-quality images will be replaced with suitable graphic. • There should be no colour elements in black and white advertising. • Please prepare images accounting for a 30% dot gain printing on newsprint.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE We’re here to help and make working with The Observer easy peasy. Call or email during office hours and we will help.
SENDING LARGE FILES If your advertising files are too large for email or wish to have an automatic confirmation that your files arrived please drag and drop files and follow the on-screen instructions. Please let your sales rep know how you will deliver advertising artwork.
https://www.hightail.com/u/TheObserver DIGITAL AD SUBMISSION POLICY The Observer considers ads sent in a digital format approved as is. Once submitted the Observer is not responsible for errors arising from such ads. The Observer will attempt to fix issues with ads including font substitutions, spot-colour/pantone conversion to CMYK and other issues that may arise, however it is the customer’s responsibility to provide digital files that will print as intended.
ADVERTISING POLICIES • All advertising is accepted subject to the Publisher’s discretion at all times. • Advertiser assumes responsibility for unauthorized use of name, photograph, image, device, or word protected by copyright or registered trademark. • Any design, artwork or typesetting supplied by The Observer is copyright The Observer for the exclusive use by the Publisher. Any other use not authorized in writing is an infringement of copyright and subject to a minimum $75 per item production charge. • Any notice of cancellation must be sent in writing, and received by the Publisher prior to closing date. • The Publisher will not be responsible for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occured.
• There shall be no liability for non-insertion or late publication for any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement. ADVERTISING PROOFS All advertising prices include design, 2 ad proof(s) if required and the area occupied. Ads will be proofed by either fax or email. Please inform your sales representative how you would prefer receiving ad proofs. Once an ad proof has been supplied to the advertising client, unless otherwise notified by client, the advertisement is considered approved. Once approved and published, advertiser assumes all responsibility for errors or damages arising from errors.
HOW TO REACH US: PHONE: 519.669.5790 TOLL FREE: 1.888.966.5942 FAX: 519.669.5753
MODULAR AD SIZES
MAKE AN IMPRESSION
LEADER IN THE MARKET
A clean and organized newspaper allows advertising to be displayed at it’s best. Modular ad sizes keeps The Observer looking sharp. One of the practices we introduced 20 years ago.
The Observer print run has expanded circulation to 18,500 per week in 2015. Advertising weekly will get you almost 1,000,000 impressions of your ad printed and delivered to homes in Woolwich, Wellesley and Waterloo per year.
Publishing the community news is a business built on trust. We’ve earned and built that trust over twenty years. The Observer is the only source for news and advertising that is welcomed into homes and has the public trust.
100 + INDUSTRY AWARDS
WHOLE-ISTIC ADVERTISING
THE ORIGINAL SOCIAL MEDIA
The Observer is recognized by its peers from across Canada as being one of the best, year after year. Winning more industry awards then any other communty newspaper in Waterloo Region is just one of our accomplishments. We create award-winning editorial, advertising & websites to best serve you.
The Observer reaches doorsteps of the WHOLE market. Our 100% LOCAL editorial coverage insures that readers have plenty to read every week about what is happening in their communities. Advertising messages get maximum exposure to the most people. Period. Nothing else in this market compares.
The Observer is where word-ofmouth gets its start. Coverage in the pages of The Observer start the chatter throughout the community. This is social media. It’s portable, green, viral in local issues and shared wide and far. We also utilize those other social media options too, they just extend our reach even further online.
BILLING TERMS & CONDITIONS • All Invoice | Statements are payable without exception in 30 days. • Any discrepancies on the Invoice | Statement must be reported within 10 days of receipt. • Overdue accounts are subject to a 2% per month interest charge. • Accounts over 90 days shall be referred to collections and then to litigation. Delinquent or overdue accounts will be reported to credit agencies. Advertiser will be responsible for all legal costs associated with collections or litigation. • Non-payment of accounts will result in advertising being cancelled and all future credit terms revoked. • Cheques rendered NSF shall be subject to a $50.00 administrative charge added to your account. • Term agreements will be enforced regardless of whether the customer chooses to cancel the run prior to completion. • Tearsheets are available online by downloading Pdf edition located at www.observerxtra.com/archives
ONLINE: observerxtra.com
: @woolwichnews
BILL PAYMENT OPTIONS Invoice | Statements may be paid by cheque, cash, credit card or debit. Please reference your account # in the memo area of cheques or when making a payment by credit card over the phone. Visa, MasterCard and Debit only. MAILING ADDRESS THE OBSERVER 20-B Arthur Street North Elmira, Ontario, Canada N3B 1Z9 BILLING INQUIRIES Phone: 519.669.5790 ext 107 TollFree: 1.888.966.5942 billing@woolwichobserver.com
: /ObserverXtra
THANK YOU.
The Observer was created twenty years ago. We’ve since made a lot of newspapers ... ... and plenty of friends along the way. Thank you for the two decades of support for community journalism and entrusting The Observer with your marketing messages. We look forward to working with you! HOW TO REACH US: PHONE: 519.669.5790 TOLL FREE: 1.888.966.5942 FAX: 519.669.5753