April 13, 2023

Woolwich Lions collects $8K for Ukraine

LIONS HALL IN ELMIRA

WAS filled with tables overflowing with bright purple and yellow pansies last week for the Woolwich Community Lions Club’s second annual “Pansies for Ukraine” fundraiser.

“[It was] highly successful, they pretty much sold

themselves,” said Valarie King, an organizer of the event. “People were very happy to hear that we were doing it again.”

Altogether, the group estimates they raised nearly $8,000 for the cause. The funds will go toward supplies and help for Ukrainian refugees and for Ukrainians still in the country, distributed by the

Lions Club International Foundation.

“In this time of great need, Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) is awarding grants to make sure Lions are there to help provide immediate relief to those struggling to meet their most basic needs, and Lions around the world are uniting through kindness to help the

people who desperately need it,” the organization says on its website.

“Grant funding will enable Lions to cover a broad spectrum of refugee needs, including immediate survival needs, transitional needs for mid- or long-term settlement, and support for services to help refugees integrate into their new community.”

People ordered their pansies ahead of time, and came to pick them up April 6 at Lions Hall. The group had more baskets of pansies on hand for people to buy the day-of, if they hadn’t ordered ahead. The pansies came in various sized baskets and hanging pots. Eight-inch pots sold for $12, ten-inch pots for $15. Hanging pots went for $19.

“We average $4 of every pot that we sell is actually going towards the fundraiser,” said King. Pansies were sourced from Warren Greenhouses in Kitchener.

“We appreciate the tremendous support from the community,” said Jeanette Bomhof, another organizer of the club’s event.

Leah Gerber Observer Staff

Nancy Booth, Vi Radcliffe, Jeanette Bomhof, Dorothy Campbell, Val King, Maryellen Townsend, Carol Jongerius and Christine Aberle of the Woolwich Community Lions Club pose with their pansies at their second annual “Pansies for Ukraine” fundraiser last week. Leah Gerber

Page Three

Bottle drive in support of cancer centre

Leah Gerber

Observer Staff

THE MARYHILL AND ARISS LIONS Club is holding a bottle and can drive next weekend to raise funds for children’s cancer treatment. It’s the second year for the event.

This year, proceeds will go to Scotland’s Yard, a new initiative from the Grand River Hospital Foundation to raise funds for a children’s cancer centre in Waterloo Region. The organization is incrementally working toward raising $50 million over ten years.

The campaign begins with more manageable

milestones, such as obtaining a PET CT machine, linear accelerator, nuclear medicine spectrometer and other specific pediatric-care equipment. Longer-term goals include a care lodge for families and endowment funds for family expenses while going through cancer treatment, and to support medications and treatments not regularly covered through provincial healthcare programs.

Last year, the Maryhill and Ariss Lions Club donated the bottle drive money to the children’s cancer unit at McMaster Hospital. This time

→ BOTTLE DRIVE 4

Funding for homeless From the archives

Waterloo Region will receive $17.8 million next year from the province to help deal with the homelessness issue, an increase of $3.5 million over the 2022-23 allocation. This week’s announcement was part of the province’s pledge of an additional $202 million annually for the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supporting Housing Program.

Hundreds of students from Elmira District Secondary School staged a walkout of classrooms last week as part of province-wide demonstrations against the Ford government’s proposed changes to education. The EDSS students voiced their opposition to the changes to classroom sizes, as well as cuts to student loan programs.

From the Apr. 11, 2019 edition of The Observer

Elmira player’s hockey essay wins OMHA contest

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

A LOCAL HOCKEY PLAYER IS being celebrated for his accomplishments off the ice.

Owen Misener, 11, was selected as the winner of the ninth annual Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) essay contest for his essay answering the question “I love to play hockey because ...”

“I thought that it would be a really cool project to do, because I haven’t really done anything like that before. It was just to try something new,” Owen said.

Owen described the lengthy process writing

about why he loves to play hockey.

“I worked on it for a while. I ran some ideas past my teacher. I would work on it after I got home from practice with new ideas and stuff. I would constantly be thinking about it, and then add to it,” he said.

His essay, which he also presented in video form, can be found on YouTube and the OMHA website (www.omha.net).

“Hockey makes me feel happy and confident in myself when I make a good pass or help my teammates score a goal. I feel proud of myself and my team. I’ve learned that we are better together than any one of us

essay about his love of hockey won an OMHA competition.

Bill Atwood

are on our own,” he stated in the video.

“It has helped me learn the importance of following through on a commitment by showing up for myself and my team. I will always follow through on my commitments because I know it not only affects me but my teammates as well,” he added.

At first Owen didn’t believe that he had won.

“My mom got the email while I was at school, when I got home from school, she came dancing up the stairs. And she told me, and at first I didn’t believe her. I was like, ‘No, you’re joking,’ because it had been a couple months.

→ OMHA 5

Owen Misener’s

Ray Bolton, Mildred Reynolds and Jim Davies of the Maryhill and Ariss Lions Club are looking forward to the bottle drive on Saturday. They’re hoping to collect more than $300 worth of bottles and cans. Leah Gerber

Wellesley seeking moderator for town hall meeting

Leah Gerber Observer Staff

Notice of Study Commencement and Public Consultation Center #1

Wellesley Water and Wastewater Master Plan Class Environmental Assessment

The Study:

The Village of Wellesley (Wellesley) lies in Wellesley Township, one of seven local municipalities in the Region of Waterloo (Region). The Region is responsible for the water and wastewater systems in Wellesley, as well as planning for new growth while meeting regulatory requirements.

The Region is undertaking the Wellesley Water and Wastewater Master Plan (WWWMP) to plan for future needs to 2051 (see Figure for study area). The WWWMP will incorporate recent population forecasts, existing asset conditions, and identify new opportunities to maintain or upgrade the water and wastewater systems while considering climate change impacts. By including the water and wastewater components under a single master plan, integrated water management solutions may also be developed.

The Study Process:

The study will be carried out as a Master Plan in accordance with the Municipal Engineers Association’s (MEA) Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) Process (MEA 2000, as amended 2007, 2011, 2015), which is an approved process under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. The study will follow MCEA Approach #2 for completing a Master Plan, which involves the preparation of the WWWMP at the end of Phases 1 and 2 of the MCEA process, while including sufficient supportive studies and investigations required to proceed to Phases 3 through 5. Approach #2 includes public and external agency consultation and an evaluation of alternative solutions.

Opportunities for Participation:

Consultation with interested parties, including the public, First Nations communities, municipal council, and technical or regulatory agencies, is an important part of the MCEA study process to identify areas of interest. Three virtual public meetings (public information centres) are planned throughout the study process to connect with the project team, learn about the study, and facilitate feedback. Join us for the first, virtual Public Consultation Center #1 is on Wednesday, April 19, at 7:00 p.m.

Upon completion of the study, a WWWMP report will be prepared and available for public review.

Project Information

If you would like more information regarding this project, visit regionofwaterloo.ca/wellesleywater. To receive email updates as the project progresses, and register for virtual Public Consultation Center #1, subscribe to engagewr.ca/wellesleywater. You can also contact us with any questions.

Kaoru Yajima

Project Manager Transportation and Environmental Services, Water Services Region of Waterloo

150 Frederick Street, 7th Floor Kitchener, ON N2G 4J3

KYajima@regionofwaterloo.ca

Tom Mahood Project Manager

Jacobs

72 Victoria Street South, Suite 300 Kitchener, ON N2G 4Y9 tom.mahood@jacobs.com

All personal information included in a submission, such as name, address, telephone number, and property location, is collected, maintained, and disclosed by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for the purpose of transparency and consultation. The information is collected under the authority of the Environmental Assessment Act or is collected and maintained for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public as described in Section 37 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Personal information you submit will become part of a public record that is available to the general public unless you request that your personal information remain confidential. Questions regarding the collection of this information should be directed to Kaoru Yajima at the Region of Waterloo.

This Notice was first issued on April 6, 2023

questions is 4:30 p.m. on Monday (April 17).

VOTED TO HOLD

HAVING

A town hall meeting later this month, Wellesley council is still working out the details.

The event, scheduled following public protest against the 2023 budget and a 14 per cent tax hike, is set for 7 p.m. on April 26 at the Linwood Community Centre.

Staff released a poster about the event last week, saying that people can submit their questions ahead of time through the online portal at www. wellesley.ca to ensure their questions are addressed.

The deadline to submit

“Questions and/or comments are to be within the topic of the 2023 budget and tax increase as stated in the approved resolution of council,” reads the poster released by the township.

The meeting will also be livestreamed on the township’s YouTube channel.

The final hurdle appears to be finding a moderator for the event.

Staff are looking for a moderator who is neither a resident or a staff member who has experience with this kind of meeting.

At last week’s council meeting, staff said they could only find potential

moderators willing to do the work for quotes of $750 to $2,000. Calling the pricing too expensive, they’re looking for other solutions.

“We are continuing to explore options. A moderator would be experienced in public meetings with a demonstrated ability to control the decorum of the meeting,” said Grace Kosch, the township clerk. “A powerful moderator communicates clearly and concisely, using straightforward language without being confrontational or biased. Their job is to ensure the speakers and audience members understand each other, creating a positive and productive atmosphere.”

BOTTLE DRIVE: Club’s ongoing effort to support the cause

around, a member heard about the local initiative and brought it forward.

“We thought it was a good idea, and we wanted to help out locally,” said Raymond Bolton, an organizer of the drive.

People can drop off their empty alcohol cans and bottles at the Maryhill community centre between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on April 22. The club can also arrange for pickup if needed.

Bolton said many of the Lions Club members know a family with a child dealing with cancer, adding

to the incentive to collect bottles and cans – “as many as we can.”

Bolton says it would be helpful for people to count the cans, put them in clear plastic bags and write the number of cans on the bags so that they don’t have to open them and recount them. To be extra helpful, people can remove the aluminum tabs from the cans and send them separately, as Bolton takes those to the Elora Lions Club, which still collects the tabs to go toward making wheelchairs.

Bolton also collects cans

and bottles throughout the year and donates these funds to the cause. He welcomes contact from businesses or other people in the community who would be interested in donating their cans and bottles. He would like to see bottles and cans collected year round for the cause.

Bolton, who can be reached at 519-261-1850, encourages everyone to get involved, noting it’s a simple thing to do for the community.

“You’ll be helping a child when you do this,” he said.

Figure: Master Plan Study Area

Trees for Woolwich last weekend planted the first of a planned 22,000 trees to be planted along roadways in the township. Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz and Coun. Evan Burgess joined Mark Schwarz April 8 on Reid Woods Drive. The organization is looking to plant 3,000 trees by mid-May as part of its “Bring Back the Maples” campaign. Submitted

More space, diverse habit also factors for bee populations

Leah Gerber Observer Staff

IF FALLING NUMBERS

AND ONGOING concerns about pesticide use weren’t enough of a threat to bee populations, it now appears we may not be setting aside enough land for the pollinators.

A new University of Guelph study shows the province needs to conserve about 11.6 to 16.7 per cent of land cover, including a variety of habitats, to safeguard wild bee populations.

The provincial government outlined a strategy in 2016 called the Ontario Pollinator Health Action Plan that aimed to conserve a million acres of pollinator habitat. While the study’s authors acknowledge that a million acres seems plentiful, in fact, the amount of land needed to actually conserve pollinator populations is much larger.

“Investigating the amount of habitat needed to support biodiversity is crucial for developing impactful and critical

policy around conservation at all levels of government,” said Alana Pindar, a lead researcher on the project.

The researchers found that the conserved land needs to include a diverse range of types of habitat, including wetlands, and that connectivity of conserved spaces is important. As well, the percentage of conserved land needs to apply at every scale.

“This is a percentage of the landscape at a bee scale. So, for example, you could say on a farm, or in a garden, or in a community space, or when you’re planning a city landscape, it would be great to have somewhere between 11.6 and 16.7 per cent of the landscape that was supportive of pollinators in that landscape,” said Nigel Raine, the other lead researcher on the project.

“What we’re saying is that if we can think about that at all scales, really. If we sort of took out a section that was 11.6 to 16.7 per cent of the whole of southern Ontario and

OMHA: As winner, he gets equipment, trip to hall of fame

And then she showed me the email and I didn’t have any words,” he explained.

At just 11 years of age, Owen thinks about hockey in many different ways, his mom Katie Misener said.

“[He has] really holistic thinking about it in terms of friends and sportsmanship and teamwork and relationships, not just the

technical side of the sport.

It was cool that he came up with all of those ideas himself, so we were really proud to see that,” she said.

For his efforts, Owen won $1,000 worth of hockey equipment and will be invited to the OMHA AGM at the Hockey Hall of Fame in June.

just put that in one big block, that wouldn’t be particularly helpful to support pollinators.”

The pair of researchers aimed to calculate how much of each specific habitat type is needed to support a specific kind of pollinator community.

The concept of calculating the amount of habitat needed to be conserved and built up across a landscape in order to preserve pollinator populations is not new. In 2015, the UK government unveiled a new scheme to pay farmers to preserve and enhance habitat needed by pollinator populations on their properties, along with other needed stewardship activities. The amount of land included for conservation was calculated according to pollinator conservation needs.

To conduct the University of Guelph study, the team looked at about 66,000 surveys of bee populations in Ontario over 12 years. That included the findings of what kind of habitats

were present for each survey through precision mapping data. They looked at five main types of bees, including solitary ground nesters, social ground nesters, cavity nesters, bumblebees and cleptoparasites and social parasites, and found the amount of specific habitat-type needed by each at local and landscape scales.

Raine says the planet is losing pollinators at a time when they’re needed even more since, as incomes are going up around the world, the demand for crops that rely on pollinators is increasing. These include the likes of fruits, vegetables and nut crops. As well, with more people on the planet, total demand for food increases, he said.

So what happens if we lose pollinators?

“From time to time, [we hear] this sort of spirit that if we lose the bees, then we’ll all die within five years, which is not true,” said Raine. But he did outline what a future without pollinators would

realistically look like.

“We’ll have a much more depauperate (less diversified) diet,” he said. “We’ll still be able to grow a whole bunch of things that are wind pollinated or self-fertile, so lots of cereals and those things, but the fruits and vegetables, particularly, may be things that we will find very much harder to grow effectively except in some sort of controlled systems, maybe. That means that a lot of the micronutrients that we need – things like vitamins and other micronutrients – that will be much harder to find in our diets. It will really change our diets if we lose pollinators and lose the pollination services they provide for crops.”

Raine said there are more and more studies reporting pollination services provided by wild and managed pollinators are falling short of what pollination crops need to achieve their highest yield and quality.

For example, a threeyear study of 24 conventional apple orchards in

Kent, UK, published last year found pollination deficits (where maximum crop potential was not reached because of a lack of pollination) between three and 22 per cent, or approximately $3,350 to $23,460 of product lost per hectare.

“We are at a pivotal point and can’t assume policy makers have all the information,” said Pindar. “Connections, outreach, communication and education are very important!”

“This study really underlines how important the abundance and diversity of bees are, selfishly in terms of crop production, but also more generally,” said Raine. “They’re providing services to a whole swathe of wild plants that are important to maintaining our environment in the way we want it to be maintained. We need to find more space and we need to find more protection for sensitive habitats to support these and the pollination services they provide.”

The habitat needs of wild bees such as these seen enjoying the flowers are the subject of a new University of Guelph study. Submitted

Wilmot teacher faces more sexual assault charges

Waterloo Regional Police this week laid additional sexual assault charges against a 52-year-old Wilmot Township man, a teacher at a public school in Kitchener.

Kahlil Deep was this week charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual interference.

The charges follow a joint investigation by police and Family and Children Services of the Waterloo Region.

On February 2, police received reports of youths being sexually assaulted by the male suspect. Deep was arrested on March 16

and charged with eight counts of sexual assault and sexual interference in relation to the incidents.

On March 21, investigators received a report of historical sexual assaults, involving a teacher and a youth at a senior public school in the Forest Hills area of Kitchener.

In a release Tuesday, police say investigators believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at 519-570-9777. Anonymous information can be provided to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477 or online at www. waterloocrimestoppers. com.

APRIL 2

2 : 00 AM | Wellington County OPP responding to a report of a single-vehicle collision on Highway 6 in Mapleton Township found that a red pickup truck had been involved in a rollover. As a result of the investigation, a 40-yearold Southgate man was charged with ‘operation while impaired,’ ‘operation while impaired – B.A.C. (80 plus)’ and ‘dangerous operation.’ The accused is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice –Guelph on April 21.

4:30 PM | A member of the Wellington County OPP initiated a commercial motor vehicle inspection of a pickup truck and trailer on Wellington Road 109, Centre Wellington. As a result of the inves-

tigation, a 38-year-old driver from Paisley and an Elora business face

11 Highway Traffic Act charges, including ‘drive commercial motor vehicle - improper license,’ ‘defective braking system,’ ‘permit operation of vehicle - fail to display inspection sticker of proof,’ and ‘no clear view to the rear.’

APRIL 4

9 : 30 PM | Wellington County OPP and Waterloo Regional Police responded to a disturbance call at an address on Pilkington Street in Ariss, where an individual refused to exit a residence. The area was cordoned off due to public safety concerns. At 4:30 a.m. the following morning, a 53-year-old resident of Guelph was transported to hospital for treatment

of minor injuries. No charges have been laid in the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222TIPS (8477) if you’d like to remain anonymous.

APRIL 6

12 : 55 PM | Waterloo Regional Police received a report of a vehicle that had been rummaged through on Norwich Road in Breslau. Sometime between 3:30 p.m. on April 5 and 6:20 a.m. on April 6, an unknown individual entered a vehicle parked in a driveway. There was no damage to the vehicle and nothing was reported missing from the vehicle.

APRIL 8

8 : 29 AM | Police received a report of property damage at a school on Queens Bush Road in Wellesley village. An individual out for a walk observed several broken windows at the rear of the school and contacted police. Officers responding found eight broken windows. The windows were all double-paned and only the outer panes were broken. It appeared that the damage was caused by small rocks being thrown at the windows. It is believed that the damage occurred around 11 p.m. the evening prior. Anyone with information is asked to call police. Anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers.

Woolwich to fete its volunteers at event

Leah Gerber

Observer Staff

THE TOWNSHIP OF WOOLWICH IS hosting its annual volunteer appreciation night next week.

Volunteers of all stripes are invited to attend the drop-in event on April 19 between 7 and 8:30 p.m.

The event includes live music from band Tea for Two and refreshments provided by Dyer Sweets and Never Enough Thyme. There will be a thank-you

message from the mayor and council as well.

“[This is] for all volunteers who are involved in various organizations, groups and committees within the Township of Woolwich,” said Marie Malcolm, community programs and inclusion coordinator.

“National Volunteer Week is set aside each year to recognize and thank volunteers for the time and energy they contribute to causes that benefit our

communities. The Township of Woolwich values the importance of acknowledging volunteers in-person annually by hosting a volunteer appreciation evening,” she said.

Malcolm gave examples of the kind of volunteer efforts the event is aimed to highlight and appreciate, including recreation association members, recreation group and committee volunteers, service club members, affiliated sport organizations, community

groups and community partners.

There is no cost to attend, and attendees do not need to register ahead of time.

“The National Volunteer Week theme for 2023 is Volunteering Weaves us Together. This reveals the importance of volunteering to the strength and vibrancy of our communities through the interconnected actions taken to support one another,” said Malcolm.

Tea for Two will be making a return to provide music at the event April 19. Submitted

Elmira firefighters responded to a call at a Union Street warehouse site April 6. Bill Atwood

WELLESLEY

The National Volunteer Week theme for 2023 is Volunteering Weaves Us Together. This reveals the importance of volunteering to the strength and vibrancy of our communities through the interconnected actions we take to support one another. These diverse forms of sharing our time, talent and energy strengthen the fabric of our community. What a wonderful statement to share this year as we celebrate our community volunteers in Wellesley Township.

National Volunteer Week

April 16 – 22, 2023

On behalf of your Mayor, Council and Township Staff we would like to thank our many community volunteers who are your neighbours, individuals, families, workers, retirees, community members of all ages and backgrounds, who have dedicated time and skillsets to mentor our children, support those

feeling isolated, beautify our green spaces, and fundraise for our charitable organizations. Many organizations in the Township of Wellesley rely on volunteers to support, enhance and maintain their boards, events, programs, and community initiatives.

Therefore, I, Joe Nowak, on behalf of the Council of the Township of Wellesley, do hereby proclaim April 16-22, 2023, as National Volunteer Week, and urge my fellow citizens to recognize the crucial role played by volunteers in our community. Should you be interested in learning more about local volunteer opportunities please visit our Township website and search volunteer or reach out to one of the local service clubs in the area.

33 Industrial Dr. • 519-669-1591

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Opinion

When local news matters ...

...

Verbatim The Monitor

“Ontarians know that this government has been choosing to squander what remains of Ontario’s quality farmland and rare southern forests and wetlands to enrich well-connected land speculators.”

Phil Pothen of Environmental Defence argues the Ford government needs to focus on existing neighbourhoods in its plan to build 1.5 million homes.

Connect: observerxtra.com/staff

in public sector wages is key to good governance

Few Canadians will be shedding tears at the prospect of the Canada Revenue Agency shutting down due to a labour despite.

Fewer still, however, will have any sympathy for the workers threatening to go out on strike.

CRA employees are looking for a 20.5 per cent pay increase over three years, plus an immediate nine per cent hike to bring their salaries in line with other government agencies. The 35,000 workers are in a position to strike as of tomorrow.

While Canadians are very much familiar with inflationary pressures, particularly on food prices, they’ve not been receiving double-digit wage increases. They’ve certainly got no interest in paying higher taxes and doing with less so that public workers can have more.

The contract demands are so outrageous that they should be dismissed outright and immediately. This is the government we’re talking about, however, so we can expect any new deal not to favour citizens.

This is surely a cautionary tale. A reminder of what happens when bureaucracies expand, and ever-increasing pay scales continue to grow, regardless of job type, skills, inflation, the tax burden or any other rationale measure that should be taken into consideration.

Statistics indicate a growing gap between civil service wages and the average earning of private sector employees. The discrepancy is likely to increase, as average industry wages will remain stagnant or decline dramatically in some industries as layoffs take hold – look at what’s happening in the tech sector, for instance.

Yet, as we’ve seen in this area, government employees continued to receive multi-year deals that exceed most workers’ realities. With no bottom line – politicians seem to have few qualms about dipping deeper on their repeated trips to the well – governments simply pass the increases along to a public forced to pay taxes, a far cry from the situation faced in the private sector.

This is not simply a tirade against government workers. We want services, so we need people to provide them. Those people should be paid a decent living wage. The trick will be to decide what services we really need – hint, fewer than we’re spending money on right now – and what constitutes “decent.”

As the recent Ontario sunshine list tells us, there is a growing number of people – some 267,000, in fact – earning far more than the average worker. (About $59,000, according to Statistics Canada).

The argument that the threshold for reporting salaries should be adjusted for inflation makes sense only to those who would seek to hide runaway growth in public sector salaries. It’s no overstatement to say $100,000 is still a significant amount of money, far more than most Ontarians make. Saying someone has a six-figure salary has meant something for decades. Though inflation has eroded the buying power, it’s still enough to put the recipient in a category that excludes 95 per cent of the public.

When those supported by public money begin making more than those paying the freight, friction is bound to follow – a boiling point may be reached as the gap widens and the public becomes more mindful of the inequalities, systemic and otherwise, that have been creeping back into the economy at a quickened pace.

The demands of CRA workers put a spotlight on the public sector’s detachment from the reality faced by most Canadian workers, a situation that hasn’t been helped by Ottawa’s profligate spending.

The CRA situation is also a more egregious example of the kind of thinking that fostered large, unchecked spending decisions by municipal governments unwilling to reel in tax increases, let alone reductions that would help citizens deal not only with current inflationary woes, but declining real incomes, the housing crisis and preparations for an uncertain future.

Good governance is wishful thinking that goes beyond the expectations of CRA employees.

More than 30% of charities report a significant drop in revenue, while 55% say they have fewer volunteers than before the pandemic, challenging their ability to deliver essential services to an estimated two in ten Canadians in need; 40% of charities report higher levels of demand today than before the pandemic.

The Giving Report

The Good Friday Agreement at 25

US President Joe Biden was visiting Ireland this week to celebrate an anniversary that almost didn’t happen. It’s the 25th anniversary of the ‘Good Friday Agreement’ of 1998 that ended 30 years of killing in Northern Ireland, but it almost unravelled this year.

The ‘Troubles’ saw more than 3,000 people killed in assassinations, ambushes and bombings as the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) waged a guerilla and terrorist war against the Protestant majority in Northern Ireland and the British army, seeking to unite the province with the Catholic-majority Republic of Ireland to the south.

Eventually the two sides fought each other to a standstill, and a 1994 ceasefire was followed four years later by the Good Friday Agreement, an intricate structure of balanced concessions, compulsory power-sharing, and of course amnesties for many people who had done terrible things.

The Agreement was guaranteed by the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and the European Union to which both countries then belonged. And for the next quarter-century Northern Ireland, with just under two million people, about half-Protestant, half-Catholic, enjoyed

both peace and a flourishing economy.

The secret of its success was the ultra-open border it created between the British-ruled province and the Irish republic.

Border controls were being dismantled between many EU members, but even the sign-posts disappeared along the 500-km. frontier between Northern Ireland and the Republic. The only evidence that you had crossed from one country to another was that the speed signs changed from miles per hour to kilometres per hour.

Catholic ‘nationalists’ dreaming of a united Ireland could live their lives as if it were true, and even claim Irish passports. Protestant ‘loyalists’ could still fly the Union Jack and pretend that nothing important had changed.

The British army was withdrawn from Northern Ireland, a new non-sectarian police force was created, and most people lived more or less happily ever after. Unfortunately, this agreeable compromise depended critically on the invisibility of the ‘virtual’ border, so when Brexit came along in 2016 the whole deal was undermined.

With nationalism resurgent everywhere and the British empire gone, an outbreak of English nationalism was quite likely, and the obvious target for it was the European Union. An ambitious journalist named Boris Johnson put himself at the head of the Brexit (‘British exit’ from the EU) cause, hoping it would make him prime minister – and, lo, in 2019, it did.

Johnson neither knew nor cared anything about Irish politics and diplomacy, but some kind of real border with the Republic of Ireland had to reappear if the UK left the EU. He denied this fact as long as he could, but in 2019 he signed a ‘withdrawal agreement’ that put the UK-EU border in the Irish Sea, between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

This infuriated the Northern Irish ‘loyalists,’ who believed they were becoming secondclass British citizens. It hugely encouraged the more militant ‘nationalists’ among the Catholic population, who imagined that it was the last step before the inevitable unification of all Ireland.

And just coincidentally, the 2021 census revealed that Catholics have finally become a narrow majority of Northern Ireland’s population. So the

it matters where you get your local news.

Reeling

ANALYSIS OF CURRENT WORLD EVENTS

GWYNNE DYER Global Outlook on World Affairs

Rapidly growing price tag should be enough to end region’s LRT scheming

You would think that hearing the extension of the little-used LRT into Cambridge is now expected to cost $4.5 billion would see regional council put an end to what was a bad idea even at a third of the cost, which had been the previous estimate.

You would be wrong.

Instead, the region will keep planning for the project. For “planning,” substitute hoping the provincial and federal governments will pony up the bulk of the cash needed.

That possibility doesn’t make light rail transit any less of a bad idea, but it does give the appearance that local taxpayers wouldn’t be bilked for the money to pay for something they don’t use. Only the appearance, though, because instead of paying billions to the regional government, local taxpayers will be paying billions in provincial and federal taxes to finance transit in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Edmonton, Vancouver ... and everywhere in between. It’s something of a zero-sum game as money gets moved around.

And, as with the first stage of the LRT, the provincial and federal dollars pledged early on won’t rise in proportion to the actual price tag years later when inflation, cost-overruns and missteps come home to roost, leaving local citizens even farther down the financial sinkhole.

Of course, given that Cambridge residents have spent years paying into an LRT scheme that benefits them not one iota, the region must at least drag out the charade lest taxpayers there demand a refund. They’ve forked out millions in advance

STEVE KANNON Editor's Point of View

of a promised extension, despite what is forecast to be inconsequential ridership even three decades from now – some 10,00015,000 per day (even that low number is bound to be optimistic given the region’s track record on such matters).

There are good reasons for mass transit, mostly having to do with providing transportation to those without cars. Grand River Transit’s own numbers bear that out: the majority of riders are students. Despite promises made when the LRT was first pitched – eventually abandoned – few of the riders are commuters leaving their cars at home. Youths, students and seniors, yes, but not commuters.

The lack of commuters undermines two standard arguments in favour of transit: reducing traffic on the roads and helping the environment. Studies have shown neither is the case.

When a transit system serves primarily those who do not have cars –low-income residents, students and seniors – it does nothing to reduce the number of cars on the road. Traffic and the resultant congestion remain the same. In actuality, the buses and trains slow down vehicular traffic.

As for the environmental argument, that only applies when the transit system is working at or near capacity. But full buses – or trains – are more the exception than the rule. Near-empty runs at all but peak times mean the system as a whole could be using more energy and causing more

pollution than would be the case if those riding transit made the trip by car. Not to mention the increased idling caused by buses and trains.

None of this is to say that we don’t need public transit in the region. But the less-than-convincing numbers are what have made LRT proponents here and elsewhere trot out the development arguments: the train will help reshape the cities by encouraging people to live and work along a transit corridor. That is to say: ridership numbers will never justify the expense, but there could be some intensification of some areas of the cities … if people decide that’s how they want to live, reversing a decades-old trend.

The if-you-build-itthey-will-come supposition also extends to ridership when advocates speak of light rail transit:

people don’t like to ride the bus, but they will flock to the train. Again, that flies in the face of the experience in other cities, where building LRTs simply transferred riders from the buses to the train, at greater expense. Moreover, in some cases that created longer travel times, as riders were forced to take a bus to a central train corridor, wait for a train, travel along a fixed route, then transfer to another bus to complete their journey.

That model, of course, simply eats up more time. And time is of the essence when discussing public transit.

That experience has played out here in the first stage of the LRT project.

There’s a truism about increasing public transit: if it isn’t some combination of faster, cheaper and more convenient, it just doesn’t make sense when

you’ve got the option of taking a car.

The mall-to-mall train makes absolutely no sense today, tomorrow or in your lifetime. Unlike the transit woes in Toronto, for instance, it is a solution to problems that doesn’t exist here.

Apart from the cost of wages, economic planners rarely acknowledge the value of individual time, but that has absolutely no impact on the reality that people themselves do put value on their time. One of the first things people do when they acquire some affluence is begin to buy back their time. They hire out boring or unpleasant tasks like food preparation, housekeeping, child care and repairs.

Failure to recognize the value of time to individuals leads to unproductive results, as we’ve witnessed here.

Making transit palatable to people would involve a major shift: once someone decides to buy a car, the economic balance shifts sharply in favour of driving. The only way to shift the economic balance in favour of mass transit is to create a system where it becomes feasible for large numbers of people to give up owning a car.

For that, it must be faster, cheaper and more convenient. That includes safer and more comfortable, a difficulty here where it means standing or walking in the rain or snow. The recent spate of police-involved incidents on the transit system – a growing safety issue also seen in other cities – is not a selling feature in our increasingly isolated world.

Having rolled craps with the first stage, regional councillors should firmly refuse to gamble another $4.5 billion on a losing bet.

JOE MERLIHAN Publisher 519-669-5790 x107

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The Cambridge stretch of the LRT sees estimates grow to $4.5 billion from $1.5 billion, before a shovel hits the dirt.

The winner of the Masters Tournament is awarded the iconic green jacket and can only be worn for one year.

The Masters Tournament is one of the four major championships in men’s golf.

The Masters Tournament has been held annually since 1934 with the exception of a couple of years during World War II

ↆ LAST WEEK:

True – Temperatures start to dramatically rise melting snow and ice which refuel aquifers. From the spring equinox daylight increases from about 12 hours and 8 min to about 15 hours and 25 min by June 20th if you live in Toronto.

True – Maple Syrup season stars and ends in spring when temperatures fluctuate around freezing during the day and below freezing at night. Also known as the “surgaring season.”

Lie – While the maple syrup industry in Quebec is regulated and has a strategic reserve system, they do not provide free maple syrup to residents. Quebec produces 90% of the world’s maple syrup, but the residents still have to pay for it.

„ Project delays lead to rising prices

To the Editor, In the news this past weekend was a story describing the tripling of the cost of the Cambridge LRT extension in only three years. A combination of inflation and demand has increased the cost by billions of dollars.

This is a well documented story that has repeated itself time and time again over the past couple of years with both municipal and private projects.

With the deferment of the Peel Street bridge project, Woolwich council has guaranteed that the project, already inflated by $1 million from its inception, will only escalate further in price, putting a totally unnecessary extra burden on Woolwich taxpayers. The old adage penny wise and pound foolish certainly applies to our current council.

Paul Marrow WINTERBOURNE

„ Seeking an explanation for Elmira road work

To the Editor,

519-340-4489

It was with great trepidation that I filled up today at the Esso gas station on Church Street in Elmira – road work everywhere again.

The poor owner of the gas station told me that she went to speak to the engineer to find out why there are now new road works after being subjected to nine months of such measures that nearly caused her a nervous breakdown. The engineer told her it was “due to wrong measurements.”

Can somebody from the region, who was in charge of this farce of a story, please explain to us if this could really be true? If it is, I cannot begin to convey my anger. It’s fine to take our tax dollars and spend it on maintaining infrastructure – no problem with that. What we do have a problem with is the fact that it could possibly take as long as it did – nine months – and then, on top of that, not get done properly.

Elze Bredenkamp ELMIRA

ancient conflict began to reawaken from its two-decade nap.

Johnson, having lied about the meaning of the treaty with the EU for two years, then threatened to tear it up, but his own Conservative Party dumped him last July over his incessant lying on this and other subjects. After the brief but deranged prime ministership of Liz Truss, the relatively calm and competent Rishi Sunak took over in London in October.

Sunak negotiated a deal

with the EU in February that eases the movement of goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, but leaves the border in the Irish Sea. Maybe that will lull the monster back to sleep –and maybe not.

There is still no democratically elected government in Northern Ireland, because the biggest ‘loyalist’ party is boycotting the Assembly until the border in the Irish Sea is removed. But put it back on land, and the ‘nationalists’ will revolt.

The ‘hard men’ on both

sides are gaining influence, and the next government in the Republic of Ireland, for the first time ever, is likely to be led by Sinn Féin, the political wing of the IRA.

Many good people are striving to head off a collapse of the agreement, and they will probably succeed. But it’s hardly surprising that Joe Biden, of Irish Catholic descent, started his Irish visit in Belfast, in Northern Ireland – and that he is not planning to attend the coronation of King Charles III in London next month.

Falling COVID-19 numbers may be due to lower rate of testing

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

WATERLOO REGION

HAS SEEN A decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases since the start of the year, but that’s likely due to fewer people getting tested or reporting the illness, suggests one expert.

“I think there’s… going to be a decrease in people testing and reporting COVID-19 infections. The numbers that we see are probably lower than what’s actually in the community,” said Stephanie DeWitte-Orr, a virologist at Wilfrid Laurier University.

In Waterloo Region, there was 124 active access as of this week, some 49 net new cases over the previous seven days. There was a sevenday moving average of 1.4 cases per 100,000 people last week, which dropped from the 6.6 cases reported at the start of the year.

Since that date, the number of positive cases has fluctuated from 35 to a peak of 58 on February 2 to five last week. Hospitalizations over the previous 90 days have also decreased from 53 on January 1 to 32 on April 4.

There has also been a steady decline in cases across Ontario. On January 7, there were 7,396 cases. The most recent reports put the number at 2,779.

The number of people getting tested for the virus has also fallen dramatically.

At the start of the year, the region administered 330.6 tests per 100,000 residents. Province-wide, that number was 420.

Three months later, the region administered 15 test per 100,000 residents, while the Ontario rate was 22.8.

The decline in tests is a combination of the novel coronavirus decreasing in severity and it not being as big of a concern among residents, DeWitte-Orr posited.

“The virus is becoming endemic. It’s less severe for healthy people. It presents itself with symptoms very similar to other respiratory viruses, so people are maybe selecting not to test because there’s really no reason to test unless it gets really serious,” she said.

DeWitte-Orr cautions, however that COVID-19 is not over and will never be over. Instead, she expects it will follow a similar pattern to other respiratory illnesses transmitted seasonally during the winter months.

“As we move into winter months and holiday season, we’ll see transmission of lots of different respiratory viruses, including coronaviruses,” she said.

As cases and testing have decreased, so too has the rate of vaccination. The sevenday rolling average of vaccines administered has decreased from 489 doses on January 7 to just 114 doses on April 1, the last date it was reported. While the number of region residents that have received their three-dose primary series is high at more than 324,000 people, the number dramatically decreases with each booster – a total of just 1,946 residents have received a third booster shot.

According to the region,

63 per cent of residents are recommended to receive an additional dose, while just 19 per cent of residents are up to date. Public Health Ontario needs to do a better job of communicating the need to remain up to date, says DeWitte-Orr.

“[They haven’t] created a model for everyone to follow. So, people are still trying to figure out ‘when should I get another vaccine? Should I get another vaccine?’ I think we need public health to give clear guidelines on what the next step should be as this virus becomes more something we deal with all the time and in nearly sort of a seasonal fashion,” she said.

To DeWitte-Orr, being up to date means receiving a new vaccine in November at the beginning of each respiratory virus season. She added that it is unrealistic to expect vaccines for respiratory illness to protect someone for more than one season.

“If you follow flu vaccines, one of the reasons we need to get vaccinated every year is because flu vaccines don’t mount immunity for life. It’s the same thing with coronavirus. There’s something about respiratory viruses …they don’t seem to mount lasting immunity.

“I think there’s a lot of skepticism. ‘I get vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella and I’m fine for years. What’s wrong with this vaccine?’ There’s nothing wrong with the vaccine. It’s just that these viruses, the vaccines don’t provide protection for any respiratory virus for longer than a year or two.”

PANDEMIC

Sports

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Sports tips are always welcome.

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Up front about canoes

STEVE GALEA

Not-So-Great Outdoorsman

When people talk about important canoeing skills, they usually describe various paddle strokes, white water skills, the ability to track in a straight line, steer precisely, or turn on a dime. But every angler knows there is just one important canoe skill –and that is ensuring that you are seated at the front of it.

The reason is simple.

The angler in the front of the canoe is the one who gets all the good fishing opportunities. He is the one who sees all the good fish-holding structures first. She is the one who takes one or two last casts while the fellow in the back is back-paddling away from an imminent collision with rocks.

As a result, the person in the front of the canoe usually catches more fish. And this makes them irritating.

Don’t get me wrong. There are times where being in the back seat of the canoe is more desirable – when heading towards an annoyed → GALEA 12

New b-ball league U21 Wildcats take title

It’s early days yet, but a new semi-pro basketball league of perhaps 10 or 12 teams in Canada and the US is now under construction. The Basketball Super League, announced this week in Kitchener, will be modelled on the premiere soccer league in Europe. Plans are to hit markets in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Newfoundland, The Maritimes, Ontario and Quebec.

Thrashers claim sledge hockey title

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

THE WOOLWICH THRASHERS SLEDGE

HOCKEY team finished a strong first season back to competition after the pandemic with a victory over the Elgin Imperials at the Ontario Sledge Hockey Association Champions weekend earlier this month.

“We obviously didn’t know what to expect at the start of the season with changes in our lineup. We’d lost a few

players during the pandemic in terms of families who didn’t return or some players moved to other cities. We didn’t really know how we would do, and we ended up being a pretty competitive team,” said trainer and assistant coach Rob Hoag.

The team competes in the open division, meaning it is open to people in a wide range of ages and skill sets. Despite the range, there is still a competitive nature to it, Hoag said.

Mayor Sandy Shantz's State of the Township Address

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Time: 7:15 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

“We very much ensure that everybody had fair and equitable time on the ice and got to participate fully and our opponents were very much of the same mindset.

“It was a very good experience for everybody, for the families, for the bench staff and especially for the players,” he said.

In the team’s return to the ice, it played 21 games and picked up two silver medals in tournaments along the way. Both of the gold-medal game losses

Location: Lion's Hall, 40 South Street West, Elmira Tickets: $50 per ticket, includes breakfast Purchase your tickets: www.woolwich.ca/SOTT-Tickets

Event proceeds in support of Woolwich Community Health Centre

were against the Imperials, making the 4-2 win in the final April 2 that much more enjoyable.

“We sort of figured that, coming into this, we’re going to end up playing them in the finals again. And hopefully we could finally have their number, which ended up happening. The team was pretty pumped that we finally were able to beat them in a big game,” said head coach Troy Stuebing.

This was the Thrasher’s first league champion-

ship, he noted.

“So they’re definitely excited, especially being a team that beat us two other times in a goldmedal game this year.

So it’s super exciting. Everyone had big smiles and lots of pictures with the trophy,” he said.

“After not playing for three years, it was great to see smiles on everyone’s faces again.”

“We had a competitive but fun season and we are very proud of the performance of all our players,” added Hoag.

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The Woolwich Wildcats U21A team defeated the Ennismore Eagles at the Ontario Minor Hockey Association championship in Whitby April 7-9 to claim the provincial title. They join their U15 colleagues in winning an OMHA title this year.

The Woolwich Thrashers Open Team won their league championship at the Ontario Sledge Hockey Association Championships in Brampton on April 2. Submitted

Young players explore ideas to make hockey more inclusive

Woolwich Minor Hockey awards prizes for submissions to its “Hockey for All" contest that looks to promote participation

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

IN AN EFFORT TO BE more inclusive and to encourage kids to think more about what that means, Woolwich Minor Hockey held a challenge inviting teams of the association to make submissions discussing the nature of the phrase “Hockey for All.”

Three team’s submitted responses, with the U13 BB and U12AA submitting videos of their players explaining what ‘hockey for all’ means to them, while the U11 LL #2 team chose to write a fictional story featuring a diverse range of characters all gathering at a magical rink to play a game of pick-up hockey.

For Laura Rintoul, a parent of two boys on the U12 team, it’s an important conversation to have, even with kids.

“Even though they might be difficult conversations to have, if we don’t talk about it, then we’re basically saying it doesn’t exist. And these issues do exist for a lot of people,” Rintoul said.

The kids were eager to share what inclusion means to them, providing more responses than expected, Rintoul added.

“I think that we could have had a much longer conversation with them.

A lot of their ideas were very thoughtful. For sure, it could be a difficult topic to discuss with 11- and 12-yearolds, but we felt that in order to make a difference and lead by example, [we should be] talking about being part of a solution and not being part of the problem,” she said.

The team’s video also had the kids give suggestions on what they can do to be more inclusive. Responses included inviting others to their games, recognizing that people in hockey can come from different backgrounds and volunteering with programs such as the Woolwich Thrashers sledge hockey team or the Sun Rays.

For the U11 team’s submission, each player created a different character to include in the story. Characters included a girl who was born blind, several para-hockey players, a boy going through cancer treatment, and Maksym, a recent immigrant from Ukraine.

“They went into pretty good depth of what they wanted to portray their story to be,” said coach Lisa Backman.

While Backman said there is a fair bit of visible inclusion in Woolwich’s hockey community, the team needed to add their

voice to the conversation.

“They wanted to make sure that their voices were heard and they want to make sure that hockey is positive for everybody and no one’s excluded regardless of what’s happening,” she said.

Having these conversations now can lead to even deeper discussions in the future, Backman added.

“We do that now, we open up the conversation, we open up their minds, and it’s just going to get better from there,” she said.

For its winning submission, the U13 team received $250 for a team party and $100 to the charity of their choice (Friends of Hockey).

The U12 and U11 teams each received $100 towards a community initiative that promotes inclusivity and diversity in hockey.

“Diversity in Hockey has a long way to go and we especially recognize that in our small but growing community. Our Hockey for All Challenge was designed to have our players think about what hockey for all means to them and then advocate and promote that theme through a video, story, poster etc. Diversity in hockey starts with our youth and we will continue to do that,” WMHA president Nadia Elmasry Weiss said in an email.

cow moose immediately

canoe, you must either deliberately choose a fishing partner who is heavier than you or get creative.

up front cannot see how much he or she is slacking

The former is not an easy thing to do, especially if your potential fishing partner is a sensitive person. That’s because there is no normal or risk-free way to ask, “Hey, how much do you weigh?”

in some cases might require the judicious use of a girdle. Then, to seal the deal, you need to fill your angling partner’s backpack or tackle box with rocks when they are not looking. Alternately, you could just hide a big rock under the back seat of the canoe and then quickly jump in the front seat.

where. It is H= B. In this

Heaviest, and B stands for nose plough, be harder to handle, and beach much

coveted front seat in the

Sure, you can take a different approach, but, when they catch you bringing out the measuring tape when their backs are turned, you are probably going to regret it. Likewise, there are few legitimate excuses for suddenly asking a potential fishing partner if they would like a brief piggyback ride.

The better way is to simply ensure they are heavier than you. This requires a two-pronged approach. First you need to lie convincingly about your own weight – which

This will cause them to say, “Dude, I thought you were way, way, way heavier than me, but judging by how much lower my end of the canoe is, I was clearly wrong.”

To which you can reply, “No problem, but have you ever considered a weight loss program?”

(This would normally be considered very rude, but when talking to a fishing buddy is as polite as you can expect it to get.)

That’s really all there is to it.

If you do this successfully, you can take a bow.

Woolwich Minor Hockey Association held a hockey for all contest to which the U12AA (above) and U13 BB teams submitted videos of players describing what inclusivity means to them. Submitted

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Dashboard radio is a matter of trust

The next time you plunk down $60,000 or so for a new pickup truck, ask the dealer: why can’t I get a $50 AM radio in it?

That’s a great question. Despite objections from the agricultural community, it looks like AM radios in some car and truck models, from Ford in particular, are on their way out. Electric motors are said to interfere with AM radio signals, causing poor reception. Eight manufacturers say they plan to eliminate it in some of their vehicles, and suggest that people who want it can stream it.

However, there are some real question marks surrounding all this.

First, it’s hard to understand why engineers aren’t trying to figure out a workaround. Electric vehicle sales are growing but they still comprise a small segment of sales. There’s lot of time to find a way to have electric motors and AM radio signals co-exist in a vehicle.

Second, it appears manufacturers forgot to ask the farm community – one of its most loyal markets – what it thinks about no more AM radio. Maybe they were afraid of the answer.

Because if they asked, here’s what they could have heard.

On the farm, radio counts. In the US, three-quarters of all

farmers listen to the radio five days a week. It’s their number-one mobile medium. According to the National Association of Farm Broadcasters, most farmers have a whopping 14 radios on their farm. Manufacturers must be aware of these statistics.

As well, farmers and many others trust radio for weather and other public safety information. In a well-travelled quote, Nathan Simington, a commissioner with the Federal Communications Commission, called AM radio “an indispensable source of information for more than three million farmers in the US.”

More importantly, he said, farm broadcasters, especially those on AM, are a trusted source of information. “Forget about oil and gas,” he said. “These days, trust is the most important commodity out there.”

Trust, along with tradition and image, is certainly what manufacturers lean on to sell pickups. How can you trust a company that dumps one of your important management tools?

Hoosier Radio out of Indiana reports that last December, Senator Ed Markey, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science

→ ROBERTS 14

Sales through the MLS system of the Waterloo Region Association of Realtors set another low last month, with the 611 homes sold in March representing 38.4% drop over March 2022. The average sale price for all residential properties was $779,017, down 18.6 from a year ago. Detached homes sold for an average of $910,152, down 17.4% from last year, but up 2.9% from February.

When asked about the impact of the current economic conditions in Canada on their personal finances, 50% say they believe that the worst is yet to come, while 35% feel that we are currently experiencing the worst part of the economic cycle, according to the latest MNP Consumer Debt Index conducted quarterly by Ipsos. There’s little optimism, with only 15% stating that the worst is behind us.

Area businesses having trouble finding youth to fill summer jobs

Leah Gerber

Observer Staff

YOUTH HAD A HARD TIME with employment in 2022, according to the Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin.

Business owners that rely on youth workers in the summer were reporting that they were having trouble finding workers during the pandemic. They requested the board to

investigate.

Workforce Planning Board keeping an eye on lower participation rates in the employment market after last summer’s decision by young people not to seek work Region did actually engage less with employment, Hofbauer noted.

“We have heard that a lot of the food and accommodation, the typical touristy groups, were having some struggles. Last summer, they were for sure. We also heard about issues with day camps and inability to find people to supervise children for the summer.

We also heard that sometimes really great jobs like working for the government, like the municipal government, went unful-

filled,” said Charlene Hofbauer, the executive director of the board.

The organization looked to discover if youth were actually engaging less with employment or if it was something that employers were only perceiving. It did so by analyzing information from the Labour Force Survey put out quarterly by Statistics Canada.

According to the study, in 2022 summer, youth ages 15 to 19 in Waterloo → YOUTH EMPLOYMENT 14

“We found in Waterloo Region that 15 to 19 year olds kind of just decided last summer not to look for jobs at the same level as they had in 2021 – their willingness to work just wasn’t quite there. Don’t get me wrong, there were more of them working than in 2020, but the employment wasn’t super

Many young people took a pass on summer jobs in 2022, with this year’s job market up in the air. Leah Gerber

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT: Too soon even now to predict what young workers will decide

high in comparison to other years.”

The result of the analysis was something of a surprise to Hofbauer, who had thought the trend would be something employers had only perceived, but there was an actual drop in youth engagement. While the reason for this drop is unknown, Hofbauer has some theories.

“I think in 2022, a lot of parents saw what their children had been through, and kind of discouraged work just for a summer,” she speculated. “I’m going to call them kids, but especially in that 15 to 19 year old group, just to let them be kids. Because the 15 to 19 year olds would have been 13 to 17 (before the pandemic), and I think their parents didn’t really encourage them the way they had in the past to seek employment. Maybe it was better for their mental health and their social life to take a summer off. That’s my theory at this point.”

If employers are having a hard time attracting youth to their jobs, Hofbauer suggests they take a look and reevaluate their job,

noting young people are looking for something different.

“Look at what you’re offering. If you can connect with any younger people, ask them what they’re looking for in a job and then try and figure out how to market that job to attract the people that you’re looking for.”

Other suggestions include giving youth some time off, even a minimal

R ef resh

amount, in the summer.

“Think about some ways maybe you can be flexible. I’m not saying every employer can, but where can you be and would it hurt you to be more flexible on that front? I don’t know what this summer’s going to bring. They might like the idea of taking two or three days and going somewhere with their family, and can you swing that?

“Asking yourself, ‘I know they have to fit for me, but I also have to fit for them.’”

Interestingly, even though there were fewer youth engaged, youth were still reporting higher than normal unemployment, she said.

Hofbauer suggests youth may have had unrealistic expectations.

Her advice for young people seeking a job is to keep expectations realistic

and to connect with some of the youth job connection programs that the province runs.

Something else

Hofbauer is keeping her eye on is youth aged 20 to 24 who aren’t working. While 80 per cent of this group is working or looking for work, 20 per cent are not.

“They seem to be kind of maxing out at 80 per cent of them participating. Participating means they’re working or looking for work. So I’m wondering what that other 20 per cent is doing. Is that something we will have to watch moving forward as they become 25 to 29 year olds? It feels a little bit like they’re stalling, and so I’m concerned they may struggle in the years ahead,” she said.

And the outlook for this summer? Well, Hofbauer just doesn’t know at this point.

“I’m optimistic that youth will come back, and I’m hoping that the [participation] rates will rise. As we get information, we will share it as quickly as we can to economic development and other business support agencies across Waterloo Region.”

ROBERTS: Stay tuned for more

→ FROM 13 and Transportation Committee, sent letters to 20 car manufacturers requesting that they maintain AM radio in their vehicles, including new EV models.

The senator stressed that free broadcast radio is a critical, reliable channel for local, state, and federal government officials, including the President of the United States.

Others outside of the farm community are chiming in, too. Earlier this month, Alex Siciliano, senior vice president for communication at the National Association of Broadcasters, shared his thoughts.

“There’s no question that AM radio plays a critical role in informing Americans and keeping them safe; it is the backbone of the Emergency Alert System,” he said. “This is why numerous policymakers have sounded alarm bells for automakers.”

Siciliano claims that nearly 48 million Americans listen to AM radio. Now it’s time for manufacturers to listen, too.

Charlene Hofbauer is the executive director of Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin. File photo

Jesse Cook has announced an Ontario tour, which includes a show April 18 at Guelph’s River Run Centre. Social media vaulted him into the spotlight during the pandemic, but Cook has been selling out venues in Canada for the better part of 30 years. www.jessecook.com

The Stratford Festival reports strong sales, generous donations and extraordinary government support combined for total revenue of $66.2 million. After expenses, the festival posted a surplus of $638,711 in 2022. Contributions from donors totaled $14.7 million, and the Endowment Foundation payout was $3.2 million. Government contributions totaled more than $13 million.

Life lessons for every day of the week

There’s plenty to be learned from spending Tuesdays with Morrie, the upcoming show from the Elmira Theatre Company

THE ELMIRA THEATRE COMPANY IS capping off its 2022-2023 season with a play that is humorous in nature while dealing with the serious subjects of death and the fear of dying.

Starting later this month the company will be staging Tuesdays with Morrie, which is based on the book of the same name.

Written by journalist Mitch Albom the story describes his real-life experiences of reconnecting with his former college professor, Morrie Schwartz, who had recently been diagnosed with ALS. While they had a close relationship as teacher and student, the pair lost touch with each other as Albom moved through his career. That is until Albom saw an episode of Nightline depicting Schwartz’s battle with the disease.

Albom paid a visit to Schwartz every Tuesday until his death months later. The stage production was written by Albom and playwright Jeffrey Hatcher.

In those discussions, Schwartz taught Albom his views on life and creating meaning in it.

“The two characters are at different crossroads in their lives – everyone can relate to what’s going on

here. There’s an old man who’s facing the fear of death, and there’s a young man who is facing the fears of life,” explained Micheal Austin, who will be playing Morrie in the upcoming production.

“The things that happen between them are things that any audience can appreciate, take to

Welcoming New Patients!

and then bring that to life as best we can with all of its nuances. I think it’s fairly straightforward.”

Austin is joined by Michael Klein, who plays Albom. Garner said she is thrilled about the cast.

“We had quite a few people try out because the characters are kind of iconic. I’m just delighted with this cast, and they’re working really hard. They hit it off, and it’s a difficult show to rehearse because some of the subject matter is really quite moving. So you have to take care of your actors and make sure that they’re supported as they work on the difficult things,” she explained.

There is something for each theatregoer no matter their stage in life, Garner said.

heart and feel within themselves,” Austin said.

One of the several lessons that Schwartz teaches is about aging and not being jealous of the younger generation, explained director Susan Garner.

“Age isn’t about decay, it’s about wisdom and knowing more and being

able to look back on your life. And every time I read that, I kind of get a little bit welled up, but the thought of that, because we do worry about ‘Oh, I’m getting older.’ I hate it and this just sort of changes that around. There are lots of little moments like that, that just sort of pick you up,”

she said of the play.

The set is key to the intimacy of the play, Garner noted.

“Conceptually it’s all about a semicircle, feeling like a hug.” Beyond this Garner is a big believer of telling the story that the playwright has created.

“I try to really figure out what the play is saying

Better Hearing Month Event

“[It’s about] ‘What is the legacy of our life?’ and ‘What are we doing to continue to live and be vibrant?’ – all of that sort of stuff. I think it really hits you differently depending on what your life is and what you need to take from it, which I think is kind of one of the beauties of the play,” she said.

The Elmira Theatre Company production of Tuesdays with Morrie runs from April 28 to May 13 with shows on Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25, available through the ETC website, www.elmiratheatre.com.

Jesse Cook on tour Festival posts surplus

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

Michael Klein is Mitch Albom and Michael Austin is Morrie Schwartz in the ETC production of Tuesdays with Morrie. Submitted

Classifieds

Help Wanted

NOW HIRING AT SCHNURR'S GROCERY

Store in Linwood, two to four days per week. Note, we are closed on Sundays. Call 519-897-2600.

Work Wanted

NEED A RIDE? YARD

CLEAN-UP?WINDOWS

Washed? Sidewalks, Decks Pressure Washed? Call or Text Gary 519-577-1750.

Farm Services

BAGGED PINE SHAVINGS AGRICULTURAL

Spray Lime, 22.5kg. bag; feed grade lime, 25kg. Delivered. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

KILN DRIED CORN DELIVERED BY Einwechter. Minimum 15 ton lots. Call George Haffner Trucking 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

Wanted

STILL BUYING ALL ANTIQUES, COINS, jewellery, wrist and pocket watches, Omega, Rolex, Tudor etc. Fair, honest prices. Over 40 years in business. gallamore@golden. net or call Terry at Elmira 519-242-6900.

WE BUY COLLECTIBLES, COINS, CHINA, antiques, partial and full estates, old pocket watches, tin toys, and anything interesting. Call Joe 519-889-0178.

Seven days. One paper.

A bestseller every week.

Phone: 519-669-5790 ext 104

Email: ads@woolwichobserver.com

Job Listings: jobs.observerxtra.com

Rentals

2 BEDROOM APARTMENT AVAILABLE near downtown Elmira. Call 226-600-0135.

Trades & Services

LAWN SEEDING AND OVER SEEDING. 519-503-5641.

Coming Events

BEST FRIENDS OF BIG SISTER LADIES CARD party May 17 from 12 noon until 4 p.m. Polish Legion, 601 Wellington St. N., Kitchener. Cost $25 includes draws, prizes and light lunch.

Information contact Diane 648-2432 or dstrickler@continuum.org

Garage Sales

MOVING/DOWNSIZING SALE. SATURDAY April 15, 8am - 1pm, 56 Peter St. in St Clements. Housewares, furniture, garden tools/ decor, christmas/ halloween decorations and much more.

Help Wanted

Bonnie’s Chick HatcheryLtd. Bonnie’s Chick HatcheryLtd.

FULL TIME HATCHERY

GENERAL LABOURER

Bonnie’s Chick Hatchery Ltd is currently accepting resumes for a seasonal full time Hatchery

General Labourer. Perfect position for a student to gain experience. We are seeking an energetic, self-motivated, reliable person. The successful candidate must be able to work in a team environment, learn quickly (training provided).

Physical Labour and lifting will be required.

Your duties will include:

Handling chicks and eggs while adhering to the Animal Welfare and Health & Safety Policies. Order preparation, clean-up, sanitation and other duties as required. Offering a competitive wage.

Please submit your resume to: info@bonnieschickhatchery.com or in person at 18 Arthur Street North, Elmira.

Help Wanted

Advertising Placing a classified ad

Please call or email for display advertising quotes for Help Wanted, Auctions, Real Estate, Public Notices, Service Pro Directory and Obituaries.

Family Album Notices: Order and pay for family announcement notices online at: observerxtra.com/order-family-album

Help Wanted

Bonnie’s Chick HatcheryLtd. Chick HatcheryLtd.

PART-TIME SEASONAL DRIVER

Bonnie's Chick Hatchery is currently hiring a Seasonal Driver. The candidate must be an experienced driver with a valid G Class license with a clean driving record and the ability to drive for extended trips. Familiarity with GPS devices would be an asset. May be required to occasionally tow a trailer. Some lifting and physical labour required.

Duties may also include:

Handling chicks and eggs while adhering to the Animal Welfare and Health & Safety Policies, sanitation requirements, preparing eggs and chicks for shipment and other duties as required. The successful candidate will represent the company positively and professionally in interactions with customers and be a team player.

Please submit your resume to: info@bonnieschickhatchery.com or in person at 18 Arthur Street North, Elmira.

All classified advertising is prepaid. Ads will be accepted in person, email, or phone during regular office hours. Deadline is Wednesdays by 10am. Order and pay online at: observerxtra.com/classifieds

Residential: $9 per 20 words (20¢ per extra word)

Commercial: $15 per 20 words (30¢ per extra word)

Help Wanted

Reception / Admin Assistant

Equipment Ontario Inc.

(formerly Stoltz Sales & Service) requires a full time RECEPTION/ADMIN ASSISTANT for our Elmira location. We provide a family first work environment that offers a comprehensive company benefit plan.

Do you excel in customer service, strong attention to detail and ability to work independently in a fast paced environment?

If you answered yes to these questions, we would like to talk to you about a career with us. Apply to accounting@equipmentontario.com or in person at 6805 Line 86, Elmira, ON N3B 2Z6 with resume.

Auction

ONLINE ESTATE AUCTION

Held at 2827 Hutchison Road (Just North of Crosshill, on the gravel road) Auction Begins to Close: MONDAY APRIL 24 AT 5:00 PM

Andy Irwin

@AndyIrwin23

Position involves providing service to contractors and customers in a hardware/lumberyard and building materials environment.

Tasks include, but not limited to, advising and assisting customers with product purchases, taking orders and quoting small projects as well as serving and growing our contractor base in the Elmira and surrounding area. Candidates must be neat, able to multi-task and have computer and organizational skills.

Experience in building materials, construction, and/or hardware an asset, but not required. Willing to train the right individual.

arnold@marspan.com

Follow

OVER 1275 LOTS INCLUDING: Home furnishings; antiques; collectables; antique furniture; coin and stamp collections; modern household appliances; Agco Allis 6690 MFWD tractor w/cab (4086hrs); 2023 Enbeck SAS58, 5x8ft. alum. trailer; Kuhn GA 3201 GM rotary rake; NH 489 9ft haybine; Hesston 3710 9ft tedder; 6x10ft hyd. dump trailer; Walco 7ft scraper blade; 8x18ft flat rack wagon; Land Pride 3pth fertilizer spreader; WIFO hyd. bale grapple; gates; feeders; and more

PREVIEW: Saturday April 22 from 1pm until 5pm and Monday April 24 from 9am until 4pm (or by appointment by calling Greg at 519-699-4451.

PROP: Several Area Estate

AUCTIONEERS:

Gerber Auctions Ltd.

519-699-4451

Jacob Auctions Ltd.

519-348-9896

How do Canadians know if it’s true (or not)?

They turn to the trusted source: newspapers in print, online, tablet and phone. And, research nds that they trust the ads there too – more than those in any other medium.

COMMUNITY MEETING ON PROPOSED NOISE BY-LAW

You are invited to join Township By-law Enforcement staff for a community meeting regarding proposed updates to the Noise By-law. Township staff will be available to answer questions and hear feedback from the community.

The focus of the meeting is on updates to the enforcement process and proposed changes to the Noise By-law requested by Council. In 2022 Offi cers began using a decibel reader to determine volume during the enforcement process. Proposed updates to the Noise By-law include:

• Prohibiting music above 45 dB if measured inside another property

• Prohibiting music above 55 dB if measured outside on another property

• Prohibiting music from 9:00 pm to 9:00 am on Sunday – Thursdays, or after 11:00 pm on Friday and Saturdays

• Allowing construction noise for residential renovations at a reasonable volume on Sundays from 9:00 am – 7:00 pm (does not apply to contractors)

• Increased fees for noise exemptions and fi ne (ticket) amounts

The meeting will be held in person on Thursday, April 27 at 5:00 pm at:

The St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre

11 Albert St W, St. Jacobs ON

Registration is not required. Please share this invitation with anyone else who may want to participate.

For questions, please contact:

Jeff Smith Director of Corporate Services/Clerk

519-669-6010

1-877-969-0094 ext. 6010

jsmith@woolwich.ca

NOTICE OF OFFICIAL PLAN FOCUS GROUP SESSIONS

NPG Planning Solutions Inc. (NPG) has been retained to undertake a comprehensive review and work with The Township of Woolwich to create its new Official Plan. The Townships new Official Plan will shape the community and its growth to the year 2051.

The Township in collaboration with NPG will host a number of engagement opportunities to gather input from the community. The engagement will kickoff with a Community Visioning phase over the month of April with a number of stakeholder meetings, focus group sessions and an online survey planned. The goal of the Community Visioning phase will be to increase awareness about the Official Plan review and to generate feedback and ideas from the community to establish a vision, goals and objectives that will guide the new Official Plan.

The upcoming focus groups session will be an in-person, two-hour session starting with a presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. Some of the questions you can expect to hear are – Is there anything the new Official Plan can do better than it does now? Or Does the current vision, goals and objectives of the current Official Plan resonate with you? Why or Why not?

Focus group sessions are being held:

Date:

Thursday April 20th, 2023

Location:

The Township of Woolwich - 24 Church St W, Elmira

Times: 1. 10:00am – 12:00pm, and 2. 7:00pm to 9:00pm

All residents are welcome! NO REGISTRATION IS NECESSARY!

TOWNSHIP OF WOOLWICH MUNICIPAL CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT GREENHOUSE ROAD RECONSTRUCTION AND EXTENSION PROJECT

NOTICE OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION CENTRE

The Study

Woolwich Township is completing a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment study for the reconstruction of Greenhouse Road from Highway 7 (Victoria Street North) to the Metrolinx Rail Corridor, in Breslau. This includes the extension of Greenhouse Road south of Kramp Road to the Metrolinx Corridor, with a turnaround area at the railway. The study is evaluating various alternatives for the cross-section design of the upgraded roadway. The intent of the project is to fully urbanize Greenhouse Road in this area to service existing and future development within the Breslau Settlement Area.

The Process

The study is being conducted in accordance with Schedule ‘B’ requirements of the Municipal Engineers Association "Municipal Class Environmental Assessment" manual (October 2000, as recently amended in 2015) which is approved under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act.

Public Consultation Centre

The Township invites anyone with an interest in the project to attend our in-person Public Consultation Centre:

Date and Time: Thursday April 27, 2023 - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (Drop-in-Centre Format)

Location: Breslau Community Centre (100 Andover Drive, Breslau)

The intent of the Public Consultation Centre will be to introduce and share information about the Project, including the preferred approach and conceptual design for the proposed Greenhouse Road reconstruction and extension. Attendees are welcome to drop-in between the hours specified above to view project materials and provide feedback. Representatives from the study team will be available to discuss and answer questions about the Project.

To stay up to date, visit the Township of Woolwich’s Engage webpage: https://www.engagewr.ca/greenhouseroad-ea

If you have any questions or comments regarding the project or wish to be added to the mailing list, please contact either one of the project team representatives below:

Ryan Tucker, P.Eng. Engineering Project Supervisor

Woolwich Township 24 Church Street West, P.O. Box 158

Elmira, Ontario, N3B 2Z6

Phone: 519-669-1647 ext. 6048

Email: rtucker@woolwich.ca

Steve Buckley, P.Eng Project Engineer

AECOM Canada Ltd.

50 Sportsworld Crossing Road Suite 290, West Entrance Kitchener, Ontario, N2P 0A4

Phone: 519-722-5834

Email: steve.buckley@aecom.com

All personal information included in your request – such as name, address, telephone number and property location – is collected, under the authority of section 30 of the Environmental Assessment Act and is collected and maintained for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public. As this information is collected for the purpose of a public record, the protection of personal information provided in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) does not apply (s.37). Personal information you submit will become part of a public record that is available to the general public unless you request that your personal information remain confidential.

This notice first issued on April 6, 2023

Birthday

Paul Wintermeyer is turning 80!

Celebration of Life

Death Notice

MARTIN, IRAPassed away peacefully at Listowel Memorial Hospital on Monday, April 3, 2023 at the age of 79 years.

Maurer, W. James “Jim”

Friends and family are invited to celebrate with Paul on Saturday April 22nd between 1-4 for an Open House at the Elmira Legion (11 First St. East). Finger foods, refreshments and cash bar available.

Best wishes only please.

Happy 12th Birthday Bryson

A celebration of life for Jim will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 22, 2023 at the Floradale Mennonite Church, 22 Florapine Road, RR 1, Elmira followed by a reception in the fellowship hall of the church. Burial took place on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 in the adjoining cemetery.

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

PANAGAPKA, WALLY - Wally Panagapka died on April 3, 2023, in his 85th year.

Remick-Pond, Pamela L.

Passed away on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at her residence in St. Jacobs, four days after her 66th birthday. Beloved wife of Darry for 39 years. Devoted mother of Josh and Sara, Justin and Ashley; and proud grandma of Julia, Callie; and Emma. Sister of Dan Remick. Predeceased by her parents Bud and Joanne (Allan) Remick. Pam worked at Grand River Hospital as a clerical worker for many years. Visitation will take place on Monday, April 17, 2023 from 5-8 p.m. at the Dreisinger Funeral Home, 62 Arthur St. S., Elmira. Donations to Canadian Cancer Society in Pam’s memory would be appreciated, and may be made through the funeral home.

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Living Here

It's about all of us.

Leading the way reporting about the people and places of home.

Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com

Report it: observerxtra.com/tips

Region opts for e-bikes The marathon continues

As of tomorrow (April 14), the region is rolling out a new e-scooter and e-bike share program. The region says that in its first year, the program will include up to 500 e-bikes and 500 e-scooters for community members to rent until the end of October.

It was on April 12, 1980 that Terry Fox set out on his Marathon of Hope. Now, the Terry Fox Foundation is introducing a new initiative based on words written to Terry during his run, often starting with “Dear Terry.” Supporters are invited to submit their #DearTerry messages for a chance to be featured in this year’s campaign. www.terryfox.org

Elmira’s support for African water project

Leah Gerber

Observer Staff

LANXESS CANADA

STAFF ARE PARTNER-

ING with Elmira-based Enviro-Stewards to bring clean water to Uganda.

This year, Lanxess is donating $24,000 to the cause.

Originally, the initiative began when Bruce Taylor, founder and president of Enviro-Stewards, helped build an orphanage in South Sudan in 2004. While there, he learned that people travelled long distances to gather clean water from the nearest available well. Then, it turned out that the well was contaminated anyway. In places where there is no access to clean water, people often get sick and spend much of their income on hospital bills. Being able to filter the water helps people stay healthy, saves them money that they can use for other things like sending kids to school, and also means people don’t need

to boil their water using firewood, which reduces their carbon footprint.

Taylor had brought over the instructions and materials needed to build a bio-sand filter for the orphanage. That’s an old

Eventually he returned to help train people to build and sell their own bio-sand filters.

Since then, the organization has grown, with local people running their own bio-sand filter

contri-

Lanxess continues to back Enviro-Stewards's biofilter program,which has extended to Ugandan refugee camps piece of technology, the concept for which is one of the first ways developed to filter water. He had an open-source patent from the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology.

businesses. Enviro-Stewards works to help train and guide these entrepreneurs to run their own businesses and employees to build and sell the filters. Taylor and the Enviro-Stewards company

The importance of a birth plan

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m expecting my first baby and feeling a range of emotions, from anticipation to apprehension, for labor and delivery. A friend suggested that I create a birth plan to identify my wishes for labor and after the baby is born. Why is it important to have a birth plan and discuss it with my health care team before I go into labor?

ANSWER: Congratulations! Adding a new

▢ Mayo Clinic

Professional Clinical Health Advice

member to the family is an exciting time. You’ve likely been planning — stocking up on diapers, newborn clothes and blankets, as well as considering what you’ll name your little one. Before your baby is born, you should create a plan leading up to the delivery and immediately

following the birth. This is known as a birth plan, and it’s an important piece of two-way communication between you and your health care team. It’s a way for you to communicate your preferences to your health care team during your labor and after the birth of your baby. It also allows you to become informed of all your options during labor. Here are answers to some common questions about birth plans:

Why is a birth plan necessary?

A birth plan is a way for you to communicate your wishes to your health care team during your labor and after the birth of your baby. Each birth is a unique experience.

Creating a birth plan empowers you to become informed of all your options during labor. At the same time, it’s a tool to let the team caring for you know about your preferences.

use donated  funds to help people purchase the filters and help with the start-up costs of expanding the program.

The organization was set to expand further in Sudan, when the civil war broke out. Both the entrepreneurs and the intended recipients of the filters were displaced to Ugandan refugee camps, where they opted to continue with the program.

Taylor notes there’s a difference between a traditional foreign aid and his group’s approach.

“In a normal approach, we would just get them some tents and pots and pans and stuff for the refugee camps. But instead, we rented a conference hall and they taught 40 Ugandans how to sell the filters – they sold 27 filters the first month. So the first month from a refugee camp, they were more than breaking even and making water filters,” he said.

The money donated

Do you need to write your own birth plan?

You don’t have to create your birth plan from scratch. Many hospitals have a standard form or booklet that you can complete at your convenience.

It’s recommended that you review your birth plan with your primary health care professional during your pregnancy. For example, if your pregnancy is high-risk, your health care team may recommend

certain things on your birth plan. It’s a good idea to have this conversation before you arrive at the hospital for the delivery. What needs to be included in the birth plan?

Although you may have in your mind how you want your baby’s birth to be, your choices may not be shared effectively with your health care team if you don’t have a birth plan.

Representatives of Lanxess made the short trek to the Enviro-Stewards office in Elmira to mark the chemical producer’s latest

bution to a bio-sand filter program in Africa. Leah Gerber

Soup season isn’t over just yet!

While we await warmer days this spring, there’s often a chill in the air. The kind of crisp temps that leave you craving for something cozy to warm you up. This hearty bowl of soup is the perfect meal to do just that.

Coconut milk kept

▢ America's Test Kitchen

Rigorously tested recipes that work.

our broth creamy and comforting, while ginger and curry powder added spicy heat to keep it lively.

Curried Chicken Soup with Coconut and Kale

Curried Chicken Soup with Coconut and Kale

▢ 3 tbsp extra-virgin

olive oil

▢ 1 onion, chopped

▢ 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

▢ 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

▢ 1 tbsp curry powder

▢ 1 1⁄2 tsp table salt

▢ 1⁄4 tsp cayenne pepper, plus extra for

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add ginger, curry powder, salt and cayenne; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in kale, chicken, water, and

seasoning

▢ 8 ounces kale, stemmed and chopped

▢ 1 1⁄2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1⁄2-inch chunks

▢ 2 cups water

▢ 1 (14-ounce) can

coconut milk

▢ 1 tbsp lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

coconut milk and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is cooked through and kale is tender, about 15 minutes. Off heat, stir in lime juice and season with salt and extra cayenne to taste. Serve, passing lime wedges separately.

⚠ Note: Garnish this soup with sliced scallions. If desired, you can serve this soup with brown rice for a heartier meal.

ↆ For 25 years, confident cooks in the know have relied on America's Test Kitchen for rigourously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. See more online at www. amercastestkitchen.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 13

▢ Woodside Evergreen for Seniors, 10:30 a.m., at Woodside Church, Elmira. "Happy Heart Equals Good Medicine" by Pastor Troy Tobey of Bright's Grove. A program of humour, music, inspiration and spiritual encouragement. Suggested donation $10 includes a hot lunch. Registration required by April 9 at www. woodsidechurch.ca/evergreen or call 519-669-1296.

▢ Senior’s Community Dining. Community Care Concepts invites you to join us at Breslau Community Centre at noon for lunch, fellowship and entertainment. Cost: $12. Must pre-register by noon March 31 by calling 519-664-1900.

FRIDAY, APRIL 14

▢ The Larry Mercey Trio with special guest Leo Stock in concert at 7 p.m. at Gale Presbyterian Church, Elmira. Tickets $25. Purchase tickets in advance from the church office 519-669-2852 or office@galepresbyterianchurch.com. Proceeds to Barnswallow Place.

▢ Friday Food at the Elmira Legion. Branch opens at 4 p.m., tickets on sale at 4:30 p.m., serving at 5:45 p.m. Menu: hot roast beef sandwich, mashed potatoes, veg and dessert, $10/plate. Join us in the lounge. All welcome.

SATURDAY, APRIL 15

▢ Talk to an Owner - net zero home walkabout. Exterior home tour with an owner of a Net Zero Home. Tours at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. in Elmira. Learn about: electric car charging, rooftop photovoltaics, solar hot water, air source heat pumps, vines for summer cooling, trees for shade and protection, driveway construction. Registration required at: woolwich.ca/ register questions: 519-514-7027.

MONDAY, APRIL 17

▢ Woolwich Gardeners April Speaker, DJ Hanna “Butterfly Rangers and Pollinator Gardens.” Join us 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at St. James Luther Church, Elmira (Wyatt St. entrance). Free-will donation for non-members. Open to the public! “Lug a Mug” for refreshments and treats.

TUESDAY, APRIL 18

▢ Tuesday Take-Out Lunch at Gale Presbyterian. Drive-Thru pick-up 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Menu ($12/person): pork roast, mashed potatoes with gravy, vegetable, salad, bread, cake. RSVP by April 14 (noon) to office@galepresbyterian.com or 519-669-2852.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21

▢ Friday Food at the Elmira Legion. Branch opens at 4 p.m., tickets on sale at 4:30 p.m., serving at 5:45 p.m. Menu: chicken drumsticks, potato, veg, roll and dessert, $10/plate. Join us in the lounge.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26

▢ Senior's Community Dining. Community Care Concepts invites you to join us at Linwood Community Centre at noon for lunch, fellowship and entertainment. Cost: $12. Must pre-register by noon March 31 by calling 519-664-1900.

SATURDAY, MAY 6

▢ Schnitzel Dinner at the Elmira Legion, 6 p.m. Menu: schnitzel, mashed potato, vegetable, salad, roll & dessert, $15 per person. Tickets purchased in advance at the Legion. Take out also available.

If your company would like to sponsor this page, please contact The Observer at 519-669-5790 ext.104 Or email donna@woolwichobserver.com

Mini-Word

ACROSS

1. Hurl, as a javelin

7. Do an electrician's job

8. James of "Star Trek"

9. Primula elatior

10. Impressionist landscape painter Alfred

DOWN

1. Hungarian mathematician Paul

2. Pope of 1605

3. Mil. base truants

4. "Nothing,"

Sudoku EASY

Crossword

ACROSS

1. Riot-control weapon

6. Made a new hole

11. Bisphenol A

14. Courtyards

15. "Mefistofele" role

16. "Exodus" character

17. Best player on the team

20. Forbidden: Var.

21. Hosted the event

22. Baggy

23. One ___ time

24. Edgar Allan and family

25. Former chairman and chief executive officer of Disney

26. Saltpetre

51. Active

52. "Metamorphoses" author

53. Matzo ___ (egg dish)

54. Facing a crucial decision

57. Figure out

58. "The Age of Bronze" sculptor

59. Russian collective

60. Extended Roaming Indicator 61. Rush 62. Soft leather

DOWN

1. Beach robe

2. Certain cloud formations

3. Paw

4. Hokkaido native

5. Anatomical pouch

6. Attend to again, as a sprain

7. Someone ___ (not mine)

8. Act

9. Symbol for hahnium

10. French

11. On the end of a rifle

12. Car stereo configurations

13. Drying racks

18. Med. care provider

19. Southeast Asian nation

24. ___ moss

25. Boredom

27. 1960s miler Jim

28. Canterbury can

31. Explorer Amundsen

32. Modern insecticide

33. U.K. honor

34. Gds.

35. Old typewriter brand

36. No (In German)

Sudoku HARD

28. Gender nonconformity

29. Aliens, for short

30. Railroad worker

34. High points: Abbr.

35. Prohibited

37. Translator's note abbr.

38. Antarctic penguins

39. Wartime group.

40. Become soft, in a way

41. Old name for Ireland

45. Improved bank security, perhaps

47. Letter abbr.

50. Night of poetry

37. Speaker part

39. Senescence

40. "Kate & Allie" actress Ari

42. Assess all over

43. Essential

44. Isolate

46. Old English letter

47. To have, in Le Havre

48. Quaint denial

49. Six-pointers, for short

52. Turkish army corps

53. Ancient Irish king

55. police

56. Dorm authority figures: Abbr.

To infantilize someone is to treat them as though they are an infant — to treat them as helpless, immature, or as one who lacks adult agency.

A taste of summer while the sun shines

Although it made its way to Latin America,  Gazpacho is actually of Spanish origin, with ideas stolen from Italy. The original recipe was more based on olive oil and garlic thickened with bread (a good use of old or stale bread).

Eventually it evolved into having a tomato base with finely diced summer veggies such as cucumber,

▢ 2 cups diced mango

▢ 2 cups orange juice

▢ Juice of 1-2 limes

▢ 2 Tbsp. olive oil

1. Puree mangos together with juices and oil.

CHEF DUFF

Recipes from the chef's table

peppers and onions. The addition of chilies to give some heat made it all that much more refreshing on a hot day!

One of the few things that comes into season in April is the mango (well in Mexico at least).

Mango Gazpacho

▢ 1 cucumber, diced

▢ 1 red pepper, diced

▢ ½ bunch green onion, diced

▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced

So we’re going to “use the premise of the Gazpacho while using a mango base!

When we just say “Gazpacho,” people will assume we mean with a tomato base, as they also would if we said “salsa.” By simply clarifying it by adding the word “Mango” in front, it allows creative license to change up the recipe anyway we

▢ 1 jalapeno, minced

▢ Salt, pepper,

▢ Chopped cilantro & parsley

2. Combine with diced veggies, serve.

MAYO CLINIC: A tailored plan is key before and after birth

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Some questions you may answer in your birth plan include:

„ Who do you want present in the delivery room?

„ Do you want medications for pain management? If so, what type of medications do you want?

„ Do you want a natural birth and use alternate measures for comfort?

„ Do you want to move freely during labor?

„ Do you want to use hydrotherapy?

„ Do you want your baby continuously monitored? These are just a few

ENVIRO-STEWARDS: Lanxess has donated more than $100K to project led by their neighbours in Elmira

from Lanxess at the time was used to help with the market assessment and start-up costs of the venture.

“We first learned of Enviro-Stewards and all of the great work they do by simply being neighbours in Elmira. Over the years, getting to know the team and learning of their updates from global projects and efforts, we all realized that their efforts aligned with Lanxess’ core values and met the criteria of our corporate responsibility program,” said Michael Mackin, a spokesperson for Lanxess.

The money donated this week by Lanxess will be used to help more Ugandan families purchase the filters at a discounted rate.

Taylor estimates in total,

Lanxess has donated just over $100,000 to the  Safe Water Social Ventures project.

Mackin said the work of Enviro-Stewards to meet the UN Sustainability Goals reflects many of the core values at Lanxess.

“Not only does the program aim to provide clean drinking water, it also helps to educate the recipients on the biofilter systems and how they operate, so that they can then take that knowledge and further help those within their community to attain access to clean water.

Taylor says people should be aware of “the benefits of development and walking with people rather than just reliefbased approaches which don’t respect dignity.”

Next, Taylor is working toward certifying the organization so that it can be accepted as carbon credit for other organizations. Basically, since the use of this technology reduces the carbon emitted by individuals by eliminating the need to boil the water, once certified, other companies can purchase carbon offset credits by investing into the Safe Water Social Ventures project.

Individuals can also help. This week, Taylor expects to release a call for the organization’s second film festival about inspirational development. It will screen at the Apollo Cinema in Kitchener in November. Proceeds will go toward the work of Safe Water Social Ventures.

items that can be included in your birth plan.

After the baby is born, how do you indicate your preferences?

A birth plan does not end with the delivery of your new baby. The care team will want to know how you want your baby to be cared for in the hospital. For example, explain who will cut the umbilical cord, change the baby’s first diaper and give the baby his or her first bath.

In addition, the birth plan can indicate how you wish to feed your baby. Identifying breast milk or formula as a nutritional preference is an important item for your birth plan. Religious or cultural

preferences should be included in your plan, as well.

Your birth plan should be tailored to meet your personal wishes. Keep in mind, your health care team may need to depart from the plan to ensure the safest possible delivery. The goal during delivery is to have a healthy mom and a healthy baby. Your birth plan can help communicate your preferences to the care team during one of the most exciting times of your life.

ↆ Chef Bruce Duff is the operator of “Chef Duff at RiverSong” Banquet hall, Café and Culinary Centre just outside of St. Jacobs, which hosts private events, banquets, team building and cooking classes and also run breakfast and lunch in the café from Wed. – Sat; info@chefduff.ca.

Lanxess’ most recent contribution was $24,000, presented on Wednesday. Leah Gerber

More sunshine as list grows again in the past year

Steve Kannon Observer Staff

WOOLWICH AND WELLESLEY TOWNSHIPS CONTRIBUTED

19 members to a list of people on the public dime who earned more than $100,000 in 2022.

Across Ontario, the list – which includes doctors, nurses, teachers, police and firefighters in addition to civil servants –some 267,000 workers, up 9.4 per cent from 244,000 in 2021. The provincial government attributes about 80 per cent of the additions to the salaries of nurses and teachers.

The provincially mandated salary information, known as the sunshine list, at the end of March.

Topping the list again in 2022 was the CEO of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Kenneth Hartwick, who was paid $1.7 million. Two other executives at the organization, Dominique Miniere and Michael Martelli made nearly $1.7 million and nearly $1 million, respectively.

The top-10 list was rounded out by Kevin Smith, the president and CEO of University Health Network ($932,085); Phil Verster, the CEO of

Metrolinx ($869,458); Ronald Cohn, CEO of The Hospital For Sick Children($833,689); Matt Anderson, CEO of Ontario Health($832,603); Mark Fuller, CEO of the Ontario Public Service Pension Board ($829,123); Timothy Rutledge, CEO of Unity Health Toronto ($801,185) and Christopher Ginther of OPG ($789,801).

In Woolwich, chief administrative officer David Brenneman was the highest paid of township employees, taking in $163,625.81. Director of finance/treasurer Richard Petherick received $130,894.85. The same was true of director of development services Deanne Friess and director of infrastructure services Jared Puppe. Fire chief Dennis Aldous was paid $113,941.46. Manager of planning Jeremy Vink was paid $109,586.17, as was chief building official David Heuchert. Manager of operations Carter Maguire was paid $119,097.21.

Director of information services Jeff Smith was paid 103,958.34, while manager of operations and projects Thomas van der Hoff got $106,125.30.

Recreation manager

Jennifer Horndl received $105,238.79.

The Woolwich list was rounded out by Bryce McDonald, supervisor of water/wastewater, at $101,463.85 and engineering technologist Randy Miller at $101,071.07.

In Wellesley, chief administrative officer Rik Louwagie was paid $150,653.54. Clerk Grace Kosch made $111,196.08. Chief building official Darryl Denny and fire chief Paul Redman each received $110,935.88. Director of public works Chris Cook made $110,727.94. Recreation director Danny Roth was paid $110,531.27.

The regional government had 634 people on the list, up from 481 in 2021. Chief administrative officer Bruce Lauckner was paid $315,412.40. The Waterloo Regional Police reported 739 people making more than $100,000, up from 730 the year before. The now-retired chief Bryan Larkin was paid $305,187.73 last year, while his successor, Mark Crowell, received $245,461.81 in payments during 2022.

When first introduced in 1996, the list contained 4,319 names. Inflation is responsible for much of the increase.

Ball hockey tournament aims to boost accessibility

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

A LOCAL CHURCH IS

HOSTING a road hockey challenge in an effort to make getting out on the ice a little more accessible for kids in Wellesley.

The tournament hosted by Crosshill Mennonite Church invites both girls and boys teams of up to five (including a goalie) for the novice to bantam age group. Co-ed teams are welcome and separate boys and girls divisions will be formed if enough teams are registered.

“We want to see as many kids play (ice) hockey as we can, [even if] their parents can’t afford it. We [are] trying to get more girls to play. So, that’s the whole intent,” said tournament organizer Marty Schwende.

The tournament has raised between $2,000 and $3,000 every year to help

assist players that cannot afford to either pay signup fees or for equipment, Schwende said.

Back for its sixth year, the tournament has also seen several local NHL players make an appearance in support, including Bryan Little from Cambridge and Stanley Cup champion Tanner Pearson from Kitchener.

“The guys that we had out really love giving back to the community, and they love helping the kids. That’s what it’s all about,” Schwende said.

The celebrity appearance has also included a question-and-answer period.

“They sign autographs and stuff like that for the kids and the kids are over the moon. Some of them played a little road hockey with some of the kids and all in between some of the games and stuff like that – they get right into it,”

Schwende added.

The church is still finalizing details on a potential NHL player appearance this year.

The tournament will happen on June 24. Registration is $120 up until May 20 and $125 after that. Lunch will be provided to participating kids. More information on rules and registration can be found at www.crosshillmennonitechurch.ca/roadhockey. Completed registration forms should be emailed to crosshillroadhockey@ gmail.com, payment will be arranged once registration is received. Once the registration form is received the team captain will be contacted with rules, waiver forms and further information.

Funds raised will be donated to the Twin Centre Stars and Twin Centre Hericanes Minor Hockey Family Assistance programs.