April 20, 2023

Region forced to make more land available for development

WHILE THE PROVINCE LAST WEEK approved the regional official plan (ROP), it also made several changes, most notably opening up much larger swathes of land for development.

The province included 12 modifications to the region’s official plan, forcing the region to open up an additional 5,900 acres of land for development, including areas in Woolwich and Wellesley townships.

All the land up to the countryside line is now considered urban area open for development. According to the regional official plan, the countryside line represents the, “long-term boundary between the existing urban area/township urban areas and the countryside.”

Established in 2003, the countryside line acts to protect the cultural, economic and environmental heritage of rural lands from urban sprawl. The goal is to keep rural settlements distinct.

“What they’ve done is they took all the land inside our countryside line that was designed to last for the next five generations or as far in the future as we could stretch it, and they’re using it all up in one

go here,” said Kevin Thomason, vice chair of the Grand River Environmental Network, a group which advocates against urban sprawl.

“Every square inch of it is being designated and the Premier said ‘Go ahead, you can build on it right away.’ Not exactly what we had planned on. The countryside line was very much to be our land bank and the reserve that we would draw very judiciously from for generations.”

The notice of decision from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing states the decision is final and not subject to appeal.

The additions include opening up land throughout the region. In Woolwich Township, that included lands on Farmers Market Road designated for business, and a change stating the township must review and update its phasing and staging of development policies to expedite development applications for housing projects. There are more additions in Elmira and Breslau, particularly near the airport, which is earmarked for industrial uses.

“The changes to the regional official plan will add additional land to the settlement areas in St. Jacobs, Elmira and Breslau,”

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Leah Gerber Observer Staff

Prior to winter’s reappearance, the sun was out and so were the kids and families during the warm snap last week, Taliesin Aberle, 1, Corbin Caldwell, 2, Parker Benesch, 16 months, and Rob King and Ryliegh King, 4, all paused at Kate’s Place in Elmira. Leah Gerber

Land-use policy

Page Three

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Province stresses 3 Rs From the archives

The province this week rolled out a backto-basics approach to education with The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, which calls for a focus on reading, writing and math skills. The unions were quick off the mark, criticizing the changes and calling for more funding, setting up the latest grounds for labour unrest.

With a lack of fanfare and evidence of construction and landscaping still to be finished, the first two paramedics reported for duty at Waterloo Region’s newest EMS station in St. Jacobs. The 15,000-squarefoot facility opened for business at 6:30 on Monday morning, when the first two-person crew moved in for their 12-hour shift.

From the Apr. 19, 2003 edition of The Observer

Getting a move on for mental health

IT’S TIME TO GET A move on again for the Woolwich Counselling Centre.

The organization is hosting its second annual Move-A-Thon May 1-7. The proceeds from the event will help the centre provide access to professional counselling for those who otherwise couldn’t afford it, and also toward the no-cost workshops the organization offers for the community.

Participants in the Move-A-Thon pledge to raise money for every kilometre of activity accomplished. Participants can walk, run, swim, dance – any kind of movement is valid.

Pamela Esbaugh of Pam’s Fit World participated in last year’s event. The personal fitness trainer last year teamed up with Kim Basler, a food freedom and mindset coach, to put on a wellness event that included a 45-minute workout session led by Esbaugh and a talk about body image, self-love and mindset by Basler. It was a success, says Esbaugh, as they raised about $2,000.

This year Esbaugh says they’re hosting the event again on May 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Esbaugh says people can register by emailing her at pamsfitworld@gmail.com. The event is free to attend, but donations are collected.

“You can exercise and eat healthy and do all

those things, but if you’re not aware of your mental health and keeping an eye on that, you’re always going to feel like something’s missing. So I think it’s very, very important, especially now, going through what we’ve gone through with COVID, mental health is something we definitely need to address and speak out more about, because there are a lot of people that are suffering in silence and it’s time to reach out and help one another.”

Shweta Satyan, a spokesperson for the Woolwich Counselling Centre, says the event was a great success overall.

“We were blown away by the response of our community,” she said.

Letting victims of family violence know they’re Not Alone

Leah Gerber

Observer Staff

WOOLWICH COMMU-

NITY SERVICES IS PARTNERING with Woodside

Bible Fellowship to present the Not Alone Conference: an event to equip rural congregations to effectively address family violence.

Its purpose is to help members of rural congregations and their leaders recognize the signs of violence, and equip them with tools for what to do in these situations and how to care for congregants.

The one-day event takes

place May 4 at Woodside Bible Fellowship (WBF) in Elmira.

A similar conference, called “Let there be Light,” took place in 2011 in honour of the memory of Valerie Ferguson, a member of Woodside Bible Fellowship who had been murdered by her husband.

Cairine Domzella, the director of care support at Woodside, spoke about the impact of Ferguson’s death, saying the event was catastrophic for the congregation.

“I think one of the first priorities [with this conference] is really about

awareness and reminding people this really happens here. It’s a reality. Choosing to respond puts us in a better place than reacting,” she said.

In the fall of 2021, Virginia Logan, the director of the family violence prevention program of Woolwich and Wellesley with Woolwich Community Services, approached church leaders in Elmira to ask if anyone was interested in forming a working group for how to address family violence in churches. The Not Alone conference was the result.

sessions for everyone to learn followed by smaller break-out sessions covering a range of topics. Lunch will be provided. There will also be time for networking. The session is open to members and church leaders of all denominations, said Domzella.

The conference is also open to social services professionals who might be interested in joining. Logan says the event will have representation from many of the social services sector such as police, family and children’s

The event will offer → WCS 6

Leah Gerber Observer Staff

Pamela Esbaugh of Pam’s Fit World is preparing to host another boot camp event to raise funds for the Woolwich Counselling Centre’s second annual Move-A-Thon. Leah Gerber

Woolwich Counselling Centre is hosting its second annual Move-A-Thon event next month

Cairine Domzella of Woodside Bible Fellowship in Elmira is helping coordinate the Not Alone Conference May 4. Leah Gerber

said Deanne Friess, Woolwich’s director of development services. “The township will need to work with the region and adjacent municipalities to plan for servicing of these lands and through the official plan review we will plan for land uses and road networks.

“The development of the land will be contingent on planning for the infrastructure needed but we still need to have further discussions on timing and responsibilities.”

Mike Harris, MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga, said the province decided to go with a higher growth model than the region had planned.

“We know that the population of Waterloo Region is expected to grow to 923,000 people by 2051. That is why, after careful consideration, the minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing is taking the necessary action to ensure this significant growth could be accommodated by adding a 2,380-hectare

settlement boundary expansion throughout the region and allowing for more desperately needed housing to be built,” he said.

When asked how the province will ensure the houses built on the greenfield space will be affordable, he responded, “It’s important to remember that everyone should have a choice as to where they want to call home, some may want to live in a condo or stacked town, some may prefer a single-family home, and it’s incumbent on government and community builders to make sure that all options are available. Supply and demand will ultimately dictate price, as well as other market factors like interest rates.”

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When asked how the province will ensure the protection of the countryside line, Harris responded, “Our government will continue to work with the region and other municipal partners to ensure we are doing all we can to protect the natural heritage and way of life here in Waterloo Region.”

Hospital campaign seeks to replace scanning equipment

Bill Atwood

Observer Staff

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Friess said planning staff are still working to understand the information provided by the province and will be giving a report to council in May.

A planning report from the Planning Commissioners of Ontario released last month stated that 1.25 million homes are already approved in the province, which makes up most of the province’s goal to build 1.5 million homes without needing to open up more land.

Boneless Chicken Breasts

THE ST. MARY’S GENERAL HOSPITAL Foundation has launched a fundraiser to replace a vital piece of medical imaging at the hospital.

The equipment, known as a SPECT-CT camera, captures three-dimensional images of organs. Unlike an X-ray scan, SPECT-CT uses a radioactive substance to examine a specific area of a body. The hospital currently has one of these cameras; however, it is 17 years old and is often having to be shut down for maintenance. The foundation needs to raise $3.6 million

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According to Dr. Rick Dubeau, medical director of the regional nuclear medicine program for St. Mary’s and Grand River Hospital, the SPECT-CT camera is used with other imaging techniques, such as an MRI or X-ray to help tell the full picture of what is happening with a patient.

have a condition, such as cancer in a certain organ or part of the body, but need the SPECT-CT scan to get an accurate picture of the disease.

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“It’s much more common to need two or three modalities applied in the same disease process, rather than getting the answer from just one. So that’s why you’ll often see patients go for an ultrasound and they need a CT then they might suggest an MRI or a different medicine study. That kind of healthcare route is very common because each modality answers different questions... Sometimes the nuclear medicine modalities are the best modality to apply to answer a certain question,” he explained.

Often doctors may know that their patients

“Many of our cancer patients are being staged. Many of our patients are cardiac patients that have either had heart surgery, or have symptoms that may lead to heart surgery. So our studies help define the abnormalities in the heart. It’s right up there with the necessity for CT and MRI. We need nuclear medicine as much as you need any of those other modalities,” Dubeau said.

However, with old equipment and 7,000 patients cared for annually, delays in maintenance can leave patients without another option, said Stacey Gallo, a nuclear medicine technologist at St. Mary’s.

“[When] we are postponing those tests for the patients because we know that their tests really should be done with the CT element, we don’t want to do their images just to do their images…

So for our cameras to go down just means tests are now being prolonged, which we never like to see. The patients don’t want to see that and we take it quite personally too because we care very much about our patients,” Gallo said.

Some situations require urgent attention that could be a matter of life and death, Dubeau explained.

“We do some studies, for example, like in lung scans where you have blood clots to your lungs. That’s a very urgent study that has to be done and it has to be done that day. And then you have to start treatment that day… Other types of studies for cancer spread to the skeleton, that is something that isn’t going to be life or death today, but you want to have that answer relatively soon so that you can get on with the appropriate therapies,” he said.

Those wanting to donate can do so via https://supportstmarys. ca/give.

Stacey Gallo, a nuclear medicine technologist at St. Mary’s and Dr. Rick Dubeau, medical director of the regional nuclear medicine program, stress the importance of replacing the hospital’s SPECT-CT camera. Submitted

DEVELOPMENT: Province says it wants to encourage more housing

MPP Mike Harris File Photo

MOVE-A-THON: Mental health event

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“Participants and donors were incredibly generous with their time, their effort in promoting mental health, and in donating to the cause. Local businesses, community organizations, and individuals from Woolwich and Wellesley townships participated – we had people walk, bike, skateboard, and run for mental health.”

Optimists preparing for bike rodeo

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

THE CONESTOGO

WINTERBOURNE OPTI-

MIST CLUB is getting set to hold its annual bike rodeo and family fun day on May 20 at Conestogo Community Park.

In the morning (starting at 10 a.m.) kids under 12 are invited to bring their bikes and helmets for an hour of safety training and bike inspections through six stations.

“If they need air in their tires, or if anything

needs tightening, there’s a couple of people that look at their bikes first to make sure they’re safe and teach them how to look at that stuff,” said Steph Forte, who is helping to organize the event. There will also be six trophies for each age group.

“It’s been running for years and years and it’s just a way to help kids remember to be safe when they’re on their bikes, and road safety too,” she said.

At 5 p.m., families are invited back to the park for an evening of kids amuse -

ment rides, food trucks, games, and entertainment by Erick Traplin. While the bike rodeo is free, entrance to the evening event will be $5 per person or $15 per family, with the food trucks and rides being an additional cost. It’s a cashonly event.

This is a big fundraiser for the Optimist Club, which supports several organizations in the region. However, which one it will support has yet to be decided.

“After each event that we hold we take a look around

the community and see where the need is. Our latest contribution was to the adolescent children and adolescent inpatient program at Grand River Hospital,” explained Forte. “We’re just really hoping to make it a very family friendly evening and day in general. Hopefully, people know that we keep the costs low because the entrance amount has not gone up in years and years. And so that the money that we make can go back to the community,” Forte added.

She says last year the Move-A-Thon raised $16,790 in total.

This year, Satyan says they’ve reached out to local businesses and schools in particular to bring workshops and other services to employees directly. “We want to make them aware that we can offer this type of support right here in their neighbourhood. With schools, we want children, their caregivers, and their staff to feel supported throughout. We are here for them,” she said.

This year’s event kicks off with a team walk from the centre’s Elmira office to the downtown business

core at 2 p.m. on May 1.

Satyan says between January to April in 2023, the centre hosted 1,653 therapy sessions compared to 1,493 in the same time period last year, with 659 unique clients in 2023 compared to 575 in 2022. She says the largest increases in the use of the organization’s services are mainly in child and seniors therapy.

“When you participate in the Mental Health Move-A-Thon, you are telling your friends, family, neighbours and others that caring for our mental health is just as important as caring for our physical health. You are sharing the message that it is OK to ask for support.

“Having a compassionate and caring counsellor can help you navigate life’s challenges. You don’t have to bear the burden alone. You can be empowered with tools and strategies for a healthy, balanced life,” she said.

To find out more about participating or donating, visit woolwichcounselling. org.

Past events have shown the bike rodeo to be a popular event hosted by the Conestogo Winterbourne Optimists. File photos

Pam Esbaugh’s wellness event raised about $2,000 during last year’s fundraiser. Leah Gerber

services, the St. Mary’s sexual assault and domestic violence program, and the John Howard Society.

Logan and Domzella say the conference will provide tools to help those in attendance identify family violence, learn where to go, and what to expect if certain social services do become involved.

Logan says she hopes to dispel misconceptions church-goers may have of the family violence prevention program at WCS.

“I have heard over the years that we might be seen as a program that’s breaking up families or advocating for divorce. That’s just not true. We are a program that assesses danger. We are a program that does safety planning. We are a program that speaks to individuals about options and choices. But it is not our job to tell somebody what to do,” she said.

“We would not be promoting divorce per se – that’s not something we would do. We would meet individuals where they’re at and we would respect their values and help them to see what’s healthy, what’s not healthy, and

help them to see what their choices are and aren’t, and help connect them to other resources.

“But I think where we come together with churches, would be it’s about families being safe and healthy. That’s the bottom line, and that I think we can come together on.”

Domzella said churches are uniquely positioned to intervene in family violence. “I think churches have a unique perspective on families, because they see families, they see the whole family unit, often across generations. There’s no other organization that really has that.”

The break-out workshop sessions include topics such as family violence (what to look for, how to help), supporting women in your congregation, how men can help, and somewhere shared: what do I do now? There will be others about elder abuse or teen abuse, to name a few.

The day will include an audience of clergy, pastors, lay leaders, deacons, elders, small group leaders, youth ministers, children’s ministry leaders from across Waterloo Region.

The keynote speaker is

Dr. Peter Jaffee, director of the centre for research and education on violence against women and children at Western University.

The schedule begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. Deadline for registration is April 28.

Logan and Domzella say the main goal of the conference is to promote healthier and safer families in Waterloo Region.

“So if I’m supporting, we’ll say a woman –although this program supports men as well – but if I’m supporting a woman, and she has a church circle, that could be such a beautiful resource in somebody’s life.

“I also know there have been times where that circle hasn’t been able to support a woman or maybe hear her or maybe understand what she’s truly living, surviving. So if we can get to the point of better working relationships, more trusting relationships.”

“And from a church perspective, we can feel out of our depths because we don’t know how to support someone in those ways,” said Domzella. “So the ‘not alone’ piece for a church is recognizing that there is help available.”

A four-vehicle collision Monday about

brought emergency responders to Kossuth Road on the boundary between Woolwich and Cambridge. Bill Atwood

Three face charges after OPP traffic stop

The Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police charged three individuals after an officer on patrol was alerted to a stolen vehicle by the Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system that is now in all Wellington County OPP cruisers. On April 15at approximately 3:30 a.m., an officer was patrolling along Wellington Road 39 when the ALPR system alerted them to a stolen

APRIL 9

3 : 16 PM | Waterloo

Regional Police received a report of a collision involving a vehicle and a bicycle in Bloomingdale. A cyclist travelling east on Sawmill Road began making a left-turn onto St. Charles Street West when a Hyundai stopped at a stop sign on St. Charles Street West began to turn left onto Sawmill Road and struck the cyclist. The driver of the Hyundai, a Maryhill woman, was charged with ‘fail to yield to traffic on through highway.’ The cyclist sustained minor physical injuries as a result of the collision.

APRIL 10

7:13 AM | Police received a report of a theft from a vehicle in Elmira. Sometime between April 6 at 3:30 p.m. and April 10 at 6 a.m. an unknown suspect(s) smashed the back driver’s side window of a van parked in a lot in the area of Earl Martin Drive and Arthur Street South. Numerous tools were stolen out the vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call police. Anonymous information can be provided to Crime Stoppers.

1:40 PM | Police received a report of a residential break and enter in Breslau. Sometime between April 9 at 4 p.m. and April 10 at 9 a.m., an unknown suspect(s) entered the garage of a home on Flanders Road. The suspect stole personal property. Anyone with information is asked to call police. Anonymous information can be provided to Crime Stoppers.

APRIL 12

12:01 AM | Perth County OPP responded to a domestic disturbance in the Township of Perth East. It was determined

vehicle. A tire deflation device was used after the vehicle failed to stop for officers, and the three occupants of the vehicle were placed under arrest.

As a result of the investigation, Dusty Sharpe, 42, Cambridge, was charged with ‘possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000’ and ‘flight from peace officer.’

Natalie Anne Parsons, 45, of Cambridge was

that one person involved in the disturbance had assaulted the other. The victim sustained minor injuries. The accused also broke the victim’s cell phone and damaged a wall. As a result, a 43-year-old Waterloo man was arrested and charged with ‘assault – spousal’ and ‘mischief – domestic’ (two counts). The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford on May 8.

12 : 37 PM | Waterloo

Regional Police received a report of a theft from a vehicle parked at a Bloomingdale location. Sometime between 11 and 11:30 a.m., unknown suspect(s) smashed the passenger-side front window of a vehicle parked in the conservation area lot on Snyders Flats Road. Personal property including payment cards were stolen and used at convenience stores to make purchases. Anyone with information is asked to call police. Anonymous information can be provided to Crime Stoppers.

3:10 PM | Police received a report of a theft from a store on Farmers Market Road in St. Jacobs. At approximately 2 p.m., an unknown male entered the store and selected merchandise from a shelf. The male then reportedly attended the customer service area, provided a receipt for the item he had taken from the shelf, and was provided a refund. The suspect is described as a white male, 20-30 years old, with a thin build. He was wearing a grey baseball hat, black t-shirt, black capri pants and black shoes and socks. Anyone with information is asked to call police. Anonymous information can be provided to Crime Stoppers.

charged with ‘possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.’ Samantha Smith, 33, of Cambridge was charged with ‘possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000’ and ‘possession of a Schedule I substance - methamphetamine.’

All three accused are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Guelph on June 9.

APRIL 13

8:00 AM | Wellington County OPP responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at the entrance of the Belwood Lake Conservation Area. When members of the Grand River Conservation Authority approached the vehicle, the driver exited the vehicle and entered a wooded area. It was later determined that the vehicle had been reported stolen. At approximately 11 : 30 p.m., the OPP responded to reports of a theft that had just occurred at a residence on Fourth Line, Centre Wellington. Officers attended the area and located the suspect nearby. The investigation determined it to be the same suspect from the stolen vehicle investigation earlier that day. As a result, a 31-year-old Toronto man was charged with ‘possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000,’ ‘trespassing at night,’ ‘theft under $5,000’ and ‘fail to comply with probation order.’ The accused has been held for bail.

9:30 PM | Wellington County OPP responded to reports of a disturbance at a Centre Wellington address. As a result of the investigation, a 34-year old of Centre Wellington resident was charged with ‘spousal assault.’ The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Guelph at a later date.

APRIL 16

10:30 AM | Wellington County OPP responded to a report of a break and enter that had just occurred at a residence in Elora. Officers attended the area and located the suspect. As a result of the investigation, A 54-yearold Nichol Township man was charged with the ‘failure to comply with under-

The Wellington County OPP is continuing to investigate and anyone with any information regarding this incident can contact the Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or, if you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477 (TIPS) or submit a tip online at www.csgw. tips. You may be eligible for a reward from Crime Stoppers of up to $2,000.

taking,’ ‘mischief under $5,000’ and ‘break and enter a dwelling house with intent to commit indictable offence.’ The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Guelph on May 26.

3:00 PM | Wellington County OPP responded to a report of a collision involving an SUV and a cyclist on County Road 12 between County Road 8 and Twelfth Line, Mapleton Township. The cyclist, an 81-year-old Hamilton resident, was transported to a local hospital where they were pronounced deceased. The driver of the SUV was uninjured. Police are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Wellington County OPP at 1-888-3101122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip on-line at www.csgw.tips. You may be eligible for a reward from Crime Stoppers of up to $2,000.

APRIL 17

7:05 AM | Emergency services responded to the area of Shantz Station Road and Victoria Street North east of Breslau for a single-vehicle collision. The driver of a Honda Civic was travelling north on Shantz Station Road when the car veered across the south lane, striking a hydro pole before coming to rest. The 23-year-old male driver was transported by air ambulance to an out-of-region hospital with serious injuries. The driver was the lone occupant of the vehicle. Shantz Station Road, between Victoria Street North and Kramp Road, was closed for several hours for the police investigation. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or may have infor-

mation or video footage is asked to call the Waterloo Regional Police Service’s Traffic Unit at 519-5709777 extension 8856.

3 : 50 PM | Waterloo Regional Police responded to reports of a collision involving two vehicles in the area of Arthur Street South and Listowel Road in Elmira. One driver was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. As a result of the

investigation, a driver was charged with ‘careless driving.’

4:46 PM | Police and Woolwich firefighters responded to the scene of a four-vehicle collision on Kossuth Road in Cambridge. There were no physical injuries reported. As a result of the investigation, one driver was charged with ‘careless driving.’ Any witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact police.

Emergency crews responded to a collision and Arthur Street South and Listowel Road on Monday afternoon. Bill Atwood

Opinion

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Government schemes will do little for housing crisis

Increasing the housing supply is the excuse for a range of developer-friendly policies enacted by the provincial government. From dropping the Greenbelt pledge to stripping away local planning controls, Premier Doug Ford insists the moves will address the housing crisis. That’s pure fiction.

Given current realities, the changes he’s imposed won’t overcome the supply issue, and do nothing for the affordability problem.

All of the attention is on the supply, none on the demand side of the equation.

Canada’s population grew by more than a million people last year due to immigrants and temporary residents. The federal government wants to boost immigration numbers higher still. Even leaving aside the issues of labour and materials, there’s simply no way to build quickly enough to accommodate that kind of growth.

In Ontario, Ford’s call to build 1.5 million new homes over the next decade appears doomed from the start – there just isn’t the capacity to build that much, that quickly. And, more ominously, population growth is primed to outstrip the capacity to construct enough housing to match today’s needs, let alone 10 years hence.

Still, the charade will continue, with the housing issue providing the impetus for yet another review of regional government, as though some fabled streamlining would conjure up new homes. Affordable ones, to boot.

In fact, there is only one way to ensure housing prices fall and become more accessible: degrowth that reduces the number of people, thus reducing demand. Of course, a massive recession or economic collapse such as we saw in the US in 2008 would also do the trick, at least temporarily, but that’s not something to wish for, and it remains as beyond the pale as halting growth to those making the decisions that contradict their talking points about affordable housing.

Whether by easing planning restrictions or allowing people to more readily add rental spaces to their homes, the current pace of growth and immigration in a ring around Toronto and the GTA ensures that supply will never catch up with demand.

Sure, municipalities can cut some red tape and even lower or eliminate the multitude of fees and costs, development charges chief among them, that add tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of a new home, but the market would only end up replacing those costs as profits. (Which is not to argue that municipalities shouldn’t work towards eliminating fees and associated expenditures in their own budgets, only that such moves would not have much of an impact on housing costs.)

Rental options are very limited in the townships, but even where more abundant, as in the region’s cities, there’s very little in the way of affordability. Rental costs have skyrocketed in most cities across the country – a new report shows, year over year, average monthly rent in KW for a one-bedroom apartment was up 19.4 per cent and up 15.9 per cent for a two-bedroom –making it difficult for even those who aren’t earning simply minimum wage to commit less than 30 per cent of their earnings on rent, which is Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s income threshold for spending on core housing needs.

This at a time when more and more Canadians are getting used to the idea that they may never own a home, limited to becoming permanent renters whether or not that’s their preference.

The rising cost of buying a home is ultimately reflected in higher rental rates – the issues are linked. Not by any stretch of the imagination could it be said that buying a house in this area is affordable, particularly for first-timers. The crunch gets even larger the closer one gets to the GTA.

None of that is going to change due to the current action of provincial and municipal governments. In fact, profligacy could see the public end up with less money for essentials, including housing. Plus ça change ...

“At a time when governments across Canada are facing serious fiscal pressures as a result of the recession, bringing government sector compensation in line with the private sector would help reduce costs without necessarily affecting services.”

Some 69% of Canadians believe that our competition laws and regulations are set up to benefit large companies over consumers, while only 7% believe they benefit consumers; 92% believe that high market concentration is driving up the prices we pay across multiple sectors.

ANALYSIS OF CURRENT WORLD EVENTS

Fallout among the thieves of Sudan

It’s a pity that both sides can’t lose in the war that broke out between rival generals in Sudan on Saturday, but the best that the 48 million Sudanese can hope for now is that one side loses quickly. Beyond that, it’s all bad: the rival generals both want to strangle the democratic revolution that began in the streets of Khartoum four years ago.

It was a long overdue revolution. The previous military dictator, Omar al-Bashir, was in power for 30 years, waging constant wars against minority groups and handing huge chunks of the economy over to military interests while civilian living standards stagnated.

Bashir overthrew the elected government in 1989 for negotiating with separatist rebels in the south, but he ended up having to let South Sudan go himself.

He created the Janjaweed, an ethnic militia, to destroy rebels in the western province of Darfur, and wound up indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for genocide. He stole at least $9 billion.

The revolution that overthrew him in 2019 was a spontaneous popular uprising driven by idealistic students and the exhausted commercial and professional classes of Khartoum. The military

dumped Bashir and jailed him for corruption, but they also forced the rebels to join a ‘Transitional Military Council’ (TMC) with them.

Jailing Bashir kept him out of the hands of the ICC, whose investigators might link other generals to his crimes. The TMC deal forced the democratic movement to accept a two-year delay before free elections. But the Sudanese generals were really waiting for billions in help to arrive from other nervous dictatorships in the region like Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

By 2021, $3 billion of financial aid from Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia had duly arrived, and the senior military officer on the TMC pulled the plug on “power-sharing” with the civilians. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan declared on TV that the military would “stop negotiating with the Alliance for Freedom and Change and cancel what had been agreed on.”

Burhan had to kill a lot of civilians to make them accept this betrayal, of course, and he worried that his own soldiers, who had been fraternizing

with civilians on the streets for the previous two years, might refuse to massacre them. He solved that problem by bringing the Janjaweed to town, now renamed the ‘Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF).

The commander of the RSF, ‘General’ Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as ‘Hemeti,’ was already a power in the land second only to Burhan. The RSF is essentially Hemeti’s own private army, and killing a few hundred people on the streets of Khartoum was no big deal to a man who slaughtered tens of thousands in Darfur, so he was happy to help.

The coup succeeded in derailing the plans for free elections and a handover to civilian rule. Many civilians were killed and the key trade unions and professional groups that had organized the big protests were dissolved, although smaller protests and barricades keep appearing and disappearing again in Khartoum.

Burhan, the chief thief, and ‘Hemeti,’ now No.2 in the regime as a reward for his help in the 2021 coup, should have been able to cooperate in some lying promise about an election in a few years, and renege on it later. Amazingly, they couldn’t even manage that.

... it matters where you get your local news.

GWYNNE DYER Global Outlook on World Affairs

Earth Day a reminder there are platitudes, but little real action

STEVE KANNON Editor's Point of View

oday, the perils of toxic chemicals and the need for regulation are common knowledge, but at the time Carson’s findings, which focused on the harm caused by certain classes of pesticides such as DDT, was met with the same kind of corporate propaganda that exists to this very day, as witnessed in the climate change “debates.”into self-serving interests while gaining tax write-offs in the process.

Carson’s research was a game-changer, revealing the dangers to public health, the untruths of industry and the lack of oversight from governments that just took the word of corporations. The movement that followed was directly responsible for the regulatory framework that emerged in the US, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and, eventually, the likes of the Environmental Protection Agency. Each of those efforts to protect the public was met by corporate efforts to undermine the process.

The fight against environmentalism followed the playbook for attacking efforts to curb the tobacco industry, introduce civil rights and a host of other reforms that were hallmarks of the decade. It’s a playbook that continues to be refined today, largely by those in the pay of the wealthy, from academics to politicians instructed in how to confuse the issue or lie outright if all else fails.

The early gains made by those looking to protect the public met with a backlash from the corporate class, which took to stealth in spending massive amounts of money over many years to bend the rules in their favour. That included the likes of setting up ersatz charities, foundations and think tanks – many with ambiguous or disingenuous names and stated goals – that allowed them to secretly funnel their money

Those advocating measures to mitigate climate change today paint a pay-me-now-or-payme-later picture: either we spend time and money combating rising global temperatures, or we spend what’s likely to be a whole lot more down the road dealing with more severe weather-related disasters and applying technological fixes, if we come up with any.

While we’re cautioned against extrapolating today’s weather with climate issues, it’s easy to see the recent spate of extreme events and the resultant toll, human and financial, as a harbinger of things to come.

Future weather events in the US, for instance, are expected to cost more than $35 billion a year over the next decade. The intensity is getting worse, leaving large swathes vulnerable to flooding and, droughts and wildfires and crop-related issues.

As well, the World Health Organization estimates that 12.6 million people die globally due to pollution, extreme weather and climate-related disease. Climate change between 2030 and 2050 is expected to cause 250,000 additional global deaths.

The apocalyptic view suggests we might be on the road to our own demise in relatively short order due to floods, famine and disease that follow in the wake of a climate change tipping point. Those who favour the status quo want to ensure we’re kept distracted and cowed enough to avoid looking

behind the curtain.

The sordid history of such tactics, exemplified in the likes of Charles Koch and Richard Mellon Scaife, was painstakingly documented in Jane Mayer’s 2016 book Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right. In it, she shows the efforts of wealthy corporate owners to bypass government and the public interest in favour of their own bank accounts. It’s a decades-old battle, one that rages on today in the form of the Trump administration packed with unqualified shills who do their best to undermine their own departments, from stripping away environmental protections to weakening education and workers’ right, among a host of other malfeasances.

Mayer points to a 1971 memo written by Lewis Powell, the future Supreme Court justice, as the impe-

tus for the corporatists’ counteroffensive against the progressive gains of the 1960s.

“Powell was the author of a brilliant battle plan detailing how conservative business interests could reclaim American politics. In the spirit of Hannibal, it called for a devastating surprise attack on the bloated and self-satisfied establishment, which regarded itself as nonpartisan but which the conservatives regarded as liberal. Carrying out this attack would be an alternative opinion that would look like the existing one, except that it would be privately funded by avowedly partisan donors intent on implementing a pro-business — and, critics would say, self-serving — political agenda,” she writes.

“Powell’s ties to corporate conservatives were manifold. In addition to a thriving corporate law

practice, he held seats on the boards of over a dozen of the largest companies in the country, including the cigarette maker Philip Morris. So in the spring of 1971, Powell, who was then 63, had watched with growing agitation as student radicals, antiwar demonstrators, black power militants, and much of the liberal intellectual elite turned against what they saw as the depravity of corporate America. Powell believed American capitalism was facing a crisis.”

The manipulation –bribery, lying and outright corruption – of would-be oligarchs are what should be angering citizens. Instead, fear-mongering and misdirection have created a divisive and partisan electorate, allowing the downward spiral to continue.

Sure, Americans in particular are angry and scared. But the anger is directed at the wrong targets. Supporters of the authoritarian right movement who vote for fringe candidates do so in direct opposition to their own best interests. There’s the obvious stuff – the so-called grassroots organizations created and funded by the likes of the billionaire Koch family, which has been working for decades to undermine the public good for its own benefit. Then there’s the underlying issue of corporatism and consumerism-trumps-citizenship, far more difficult to get on the agenda, let alone resolve.

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Earth Day and the environment are no more than platitudes for politicians of all stripes fixated on growth.

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The problems in the US, and to a lesser extent in Canada, are complex. Partisan sniping and sloganeering won’t help. Apparently, that’s the best we can do. That’s why we have pundits yelling on TV. Ersatz politicians using homey platitudes. And issues reduced to the lowest common denominator.

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T

The Milwaukee Bucks are the reigning NBA champions having won the title in 2021.

The NBA play-In Tournament gives teams finishing 7-10 in the standings for the final two spots in the playoffs. This rule has become a permanent feature for future seasons.

In response to concerns about the length of games, the NBA reduced the shot clock from 24 seconds to 20 seconds for the playoffs.

ↆ LAST WEEK:

True – The other major men’s golf championships are The U.S. Open, The British Open and the PGA Championship.

True – The green jacket can only be worn by the champion for one year before being returned to the Augusta National Golf Club.

Lie – The Masters Tournament has been played without interruption since 1934.

SMOKED BBQ PORK CHOP DINNER

DYER: Those in power manipulate the system to keep themselves there

Burhan has already had decades to make his pile, while Hemeti, despite all his gold mines in Darfur, feels he is just getting started. So Burhan’s plan to ‘integrate’ the RSF into the army within two years (which would destroy Hemeti’s power base) was completely unacceptable to the assistant thief. He wanted 10 years – so the

„ Taking issue with dairy industry practices

To the Editor, Re: Owen Roberts’ April 6 column about the dairy industry. Actually 73 per cent of Canadian cows are currently confined in tie stalls, according to the dairy cattle code of practices’ own researchers – quite a bit higher than the 40 per cent in the US, noted by Mr. Roberts. And of the 73 per cent, more than half were found to be stalls that did not meet the dimensional requirements for size, as required by the 2009 version of the dairy code.

Stall size and configuration is reported by researchers to have a major impact on cow welfare. Cows tied in stalls suffer more injuries, and even more so when tied in stalls that are undersized, as well as other health impacts resulting from continual lack of movement, including reduced milk production. More importantly, imagine the misery of standing in one place for many months at a time!

thieves fell out. The fighting is happening all over the country, because both the army and the RSF are everywhere. At the time of writing it’s hard to tell which side will win, but it’s also hard to care. Both men have a lot of Sudanese blood on their hands, and neither has the skill to run even a dictatorship efficiently.

(Mr. Roberts reports that – ‘Animal advocates detest tie stalls. They say this kind of housing restricts the dairy cow’s movement…’ So, do tie stalls not restrict the cow’s movement?)

The 2018 American study referenced also reported that while the general public were found to have low knowledge of tie stalls as a method of housing cows for dairy, should they become informed about tie stalls, their study indicated that this would cause ‘considerable’ public concern.

The new code of practice that dairy farmers in Canada are ‘taking control with’ is the update to the 2009 code version (similarly to other farmed animal codes of practice) and has been undergoing the update process since 2019. It was finalized Apr. 1, 2023 and comes into effect Apr. 1, 2024. Notice that they are described as doing this more to get ahead of public perception issues, not as much to improve cow welfare.

The tie stalls are being phased out as reported, but that requirement does not come into effect until Apr. 1, 2027. That’s another potential 1,460 days that

The one thing we can say with confidence at this point is that it is not an ‘African’ problem. Civilian rule has taken a beating in the Sahel belt of Africa recently, but democracy, however imperfect, is still a reality or a live prospect in most of sub-Saharan Africa.

The Sudanese, or at least the dominant ethnic groups there, still see the

dairy cows are permitted to be tied. And many cows being milked today unfortunately will not likely be around to enjoy this freedom by the time it is implemented.

And hopefully this requirement will be followed by farmers more than the stall size requirement has been followed. We won’t know for sure as these conditions are behind closed barn doors. A trespass or worse charge(s) await anyone caring or curious enough to look inside, largely thanks to the rushed passing of Bill 156 during the height of the Covid crisis. The only agency (PAWS) that can enforce code requirements in Ontario operates on a ‘complaints only’ basis. So, who will complain? The cows?

The argument that farmers treat cows well because what’s good for the cows is good for the business just doesn’t quite ring true given the prior information. Codes do need to be in place to protect the cows, but there also needs to be enforcement and oversight to make them effective.

There are some positives in the code, and that can and should be supported.

country as part of the Arab world – and in that context what is happening in Sudan is not at all surprising. There are no democracies whatever in the Arab world, and military or monarchical tyrannies are the norm. Moreover, they collaborate to maintain the status quo. Move along, please. There’s nothing new to see here.

What we should not support is the current ‘spin’ that the dairy industry is using their massive marketing budget to try to make the diary industry appear more wholesome than it is in reality.

Dairy milk is not a healthy or necessary option, unless you are a calf. Since 2019, the Canada Food Guide has minimized the role of meat and dairy in healthy diets and advised Canadians to increase consumption of fruit and vegetables and drink water as their beverage. This is the first FG update that did not include input from powerful industry interests like Dairy Canada.

Putting ‘Milk’ on Maple Leaf jerseys. TV commercials of cute kids preparing Santa’s milk and cookies in front of a twinkling Christmas tree. ‘Dairy Done Right’ on the side of trucks and in commercials. None of this ‘spin’ will make the wrong thing right. And according to the research, people are telling you that it is not right.

Hoping that calf huts will come up soon for discussion.

Connie Rodgers ELMIRA

Hall of Fame inductees Kings on the links

Provincial title was sweet for Woolwich U21 hockey team

Bill Atwood

Staff

Observer

A GROUP OF WOOLWICH

MINOR Hockey players are celebrating that they were able to cap off their playing days by finally getting a championship, defeating one of their biggest rivals to do so.

The Wildcats U21 team won the Ontario Minor Hockey Association championship earlier this month with a 2-1 overtime win over the Ennismore Eagles, making a victory that was a long time coming for several members of the team.

“For them to get the OMHA championship, that age group as Junior Sugar Kings, they went to the finals of OMHA and lost to Centre-Wellington and they went to the finals of CWOSSA in their high school year and lost, so they were always right there in the finals, but never completed. So for those 20-year-old players, getting that championship was a big weight off their shoulders, kind of a monkey off the back,” said coach Gavin White.

Winning with teammates he grew up playing with made the victory that much sweeter, said captain Joel Washington.

“We’ve been so good. We’ve just been so close and we haven’t been able to do it. And to finally get over that hump when COVID took us out that one year as well, it’s just that much sweeter that we got it done together,” he said.

The victory over the Eagles was also a long time

coming for the team who lost to Ennismore in the OMHA final in 2019, and again last year. The team finished with a record of 21-6-3 this season leading up to the OMHA tournament, with three of the six losses coming against their rivals. The Eagles also posted a 4-2 victory in the first game of the tournament in Whitby.

“Ennismore is a really good hockey team. We knew we could beat them and finally it happened,” said goalie Simon Huber.

“We definitely expected to put our heart and soul into it,” Huber said of the team’s attitude going into the final.

“We were hoping to win and we knew we could do it. But it was also a lot of our players’ last game so they’re just kind of out there to enjoy it and do their best and let the results be.”

The team would not have won the championship with Huber, White said.

“It’s really hard to win a championship without a good goalie…He was dialed in, and you could see it in his eyes. He really wanted the game, he really wanted to win. He wanted to make sure that he was able to shut down Ennismore,” White added.

Huber was able to enjoy the championship with his twin brother, defenseman Lucas.

“Playing with him is an experience that I really enjoyed just going to the rink and growing up together. He always helped

→OMHA 12

Preparing for an epidemic of turkey flu

In case you haven’t guessed, I’m not a medical doctor. Nor do I play one on TV. But I do know a thing or two about the outdoors and epidemics. I’ve lived through both.

EDSS basketball standouts recruited

The best of friends, Delaney Cortes and Macy Weber will be attending the University of Guelph in the fall

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH GRYPHONS

women’s basketball team will have some EDSS influence on it next season, with two new recruits from the school in the persons of Macy Weber and Delaney Cortes. The signings were made official Tuesday night.

While every player wants to win, the thing that sets these two athletes apart is that they do everything it takes not to lose, said Gryphons head coach Megan Reid.

“I watched [them] just tear people’s arms off for the ball [at OFSAA] trying

to get that rebounding, which, sadly, was part of our challenges this year.

“So I know that not only are [they] going to come in from day one, and start working hard, and make us better that way and make everybody else on the team better because of the way that [they] work. But I also know there’s going to be that immediate impact of going after the ball to compete, never stop,” she added.

Weber and Cortes bring different elements that both make great fits for the team, Reid said.

“We’re an up-tempo team. Delaney is not only a compete guard, she’s a push-the-ball guard, she’s

one to get it up the floor. Macy can run the floor, she can rebound because every fast break’s going to start with that rebound. And she can finish up near the hoop – there is no rebound that she won’t go and get.”

It is uncommon for schools to recruit teammates from the same secondary school, Reid added. While Weber was initially on their radar, Cortes quickly followed.

“The fact that they’re super tight and get along well together is great. And I know they’ll bring great chemistry for our team.”

Weber is joining a team that she grew up watching.

“There’s always been

→ BASKETBALL 13

That’s why I feel comfortable in telling you that we will be facing an outdoors-related epidemic starting Tuesday, April 25. But don’t worry, it will be shortlived. In fact, I suspect it will taper off by the end of the week. Though it will likely linger until the end of May.

You are probably wondering why you haven’t heard about this in any of the news media. This is primarily because this epidemic is flying under the radar of our local, provincial, federal, and international health agencies.

But it shouldn’t. It happens every year about this time.

It’s a subtle thing. And no one has ever died of it. But come Monday night or even Tuesday morning, employers all over this province – as well as from other jurisdictions – will start getting calls from employees who are suddenly not feeling

HERE WE GO! It's Lawn and Gardening season!

The weather is getting good and it’s time to hit the yard HARD! But what about your poor body! Get help. Fix your aches and pains and start the season o strong!

The latest inductees to the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame include four people noted for their outstanding contributions to sports: Keely Brown of Kitchener for ringette, ice hockey, inline hockey; Mandy Bujold, the only female boxer in history to win two Pan American Games titles; soccer player David Edgar of Kitchener and Leigh Hobson, recognized for her career as a road cycling racer.

The Elmira Sugar Kings this week opened registration for their annual golf tournament, to be held June 5 at the Elmira Golf Club, with a 1 p.m. shotgun start. Registration is open until May 22. www.sugarkings.gojhl.ca

STEVE

EDSS teammates Delaney Cortes and Macy Weber have signed on to play with the Gryphons when they attend the University of Guelph in the fall. Bill Atwood

Scholarship caps Wellesley golfer’s first year at BC college

Steve Kannon Observer Staff

WHAT WAS ALREADY A GOOD year at university and on the links got better this week, as Wellesley native Andrew Rouble was awarded a scholarship that will provide him with $4,500 per year over the four years he’s at UBC Okanagan.

Rouble, this week in the midst of term finals, is studying health and exercise science at UBCO.

He’s just completed his first year as a member of the Heat men’s golf team, which he calls a “fantastic” experience.

Being the recipient of the 2022-2023 Acera Insurance Athletics Entrance Scholarship will provide a boost to his time at the university.

Rouble took up golf about six years ago at the age of 13, gradually opting to play competitively and earning success on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour. After graduating of Waterloo Oxford District Secondary School, his

goal was to play golf at the college level. He opted to head to UBC’s Kelowna campus.

“I just started playing a lot of junior tournaments and realized I wanted to go somewhere. I wanted to stay in Canada for education reasons, and the weather out west allowed me to play a lot more golf and play a lot more tournaments,” he explained of his choice of universities.

“Playing here, we play a lot of NCAA teams. We go down to Vegas. We play in Arizona. I think that really attracted me to the school, and Kelowna is a beautiful place to live, so I can’t go wrong.”

In announcing the scholarship, the university noted Rouble has consistently been the Heat’s number two finisher at most events in his rookie season. He began the fall season with a tie for 20th at an NCAA Division 2 event, the Western Washington Invitational, followed by a tie for 14th at his first Canada West Championship.

His best showing of the season came at the UBC West Coast Collegiate tournament where he finished at four-under par to finish in a tie for sixth. He added a second top-10 performance to his rookie resume in March at the Warrior Invitational in

GALEA: Condition remains a threat until May 31

well and deciding that the most noble course of action would be to call in sick – and remain off work for a day or three at most, until this highly contagious fever has passed.

The illness I am referring to is mysterious, but here’s what I do know about it. First off, it happens primarily in places where the wild turkey hunting season starts on April 25. Also, it seems to only affect wild turkey hunters, so it is reasonable to assume that it spreads by contact (even phone or texting contact) between them.

These facts are the reason that pioneering researchers such as me call it WTHS or Wild Turkey Hunting Syndrome. Interestingly enough, the bird has nothing to do with the malady.

In fact, generally speaking, the only cure seems to come from taking a photo of the patient with a wild turkey. If this doesn’t happen, the illness can be recurring – but only until May 31, which interestingly enough, also marks the end of wild turkey season.

Since contact with the bird seems to be the cure, the question is, how does the illness take hold?

There are many theories. So far, I have examined the commonalities of employees who have called in sick with the disease.

The findings, thus far, are startling.

First, not a single one of the afflicted employees had available vacation time or, if they did, permission to use it. Every one of them had at least one wild turkey tag in their wallet too. Also,

each one of them had practiced turkey calling with mouth calls, box calls, friction calls or by voice. And since many of the calls they use were developed in the southern US, there is a possibility that this was ground zero.

Another commonality is that almost all of the afflicted tend to wear camouflage frequently, so more research is needed into the green, black, brown and grey dyes used.

I don’t mean to alarm anyone, but this epidemic is almost a certainty. But, as I said, the good thing is this will pass.

In the meantime, I’ll be out there studying this from April 25 to May 31. Probably by myself, because frankly, I’m feeling a little queasy right now and shouldn’t be near anyone.

You don’t want something like this to spread.

Nevada, tying for ninth. He was also a finalist for the department’s rookie of the year award.

“We play against a lot of the top teams – we play against NCAA teams, play against UBC Vancouver, which are all great golf programs – so you get

to test your golf against great golfers. That was a big attraction for me,” said Rouble of golfing for UBCO.

Rouble praises his coach, Clay Stothers, for helping him to improve his game.

“The coach here at the

school is honestly one of the best coaches. We get along so well, and he’s taught me a lot. There’s a lot from this year that I’ll be able to bring back home. When I play golf in the summer, take some of that stuff and use it on the course.”

Likewise, he credits his teammates for making his first year an enjoyable experience.

“The seven guys that are on the golf team this year with me make the game so fun.”

After opting out of working last summer in order to concentrate on his golf game, Rouble plans to spend this summer working at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge, which was his home course and where he attended the Ontario Golf Academy.

“Hopefully, I’ll be able to still practice every day – go to work in morning, and then go out to practice, to be able to keep my game up.”

He’ll be returning to Wellesley at month’s end when the term wraps up.

OMHA: A very satisfying end to their time together

→ FROM 11

me out and it’s awesome and I got to finish off my minor hockey career playing with my brother,” Simon Huber said.

Woolwich was up 1-0 for most of the final, which was an evenly matched game, said White.

“You can’t really ask for a better championship game when it goes over time. It wasn’t a blowout. It was very toe to toe, back and forth. The shots were 22-21. The penalties were really

even. Our faceoff guys were very even. So a backand-forth game, for sure.”

The Eagles tied it up with four minutes left to play.

“It kind of deflated us a bit, but we ended up getting it done in overtime,” said Owen Lee, who scored the winner, with Washington logging the assist.

“I didn’t really see it go in, I just saw the net move. It was a great feeling, I was hugging all the guys. I

was crying and then I was happy and crying again. Emotions were everywhere. It was amazing that it got done in overtime like that,” Washington said. There was a lot of relief scoring the winner, Lee said.

“One of the memorable goals of my minor hockey career, for sure….So to get the goal and celebrate with coaches and all my teammates, especially the guys who won’t be playing next year, it’s pretty sweet.”

Andrew Rouble in action at the Canada West Championships last October. APShutter.com

The Woolwich Wildcats U21 team celebrate their OMHA title earlier this month. Submitted

BASKETBALL: Two friends will be together to help each other with new school, new team and new challenges

a little bit of favour for Guelph, but being able to play there now, after watching the girls play for so long, it’s going to be a really cool experience,” she said.

Although honoured to get an offer from the team, Weber was unsure if she would accept as she

did have other options. However, Reid won her over, she said.

“It’s just really awesome to be given a place on the team. They’re definitely more of a family, you can definitely see they’re a tight-knit group, which I’m really excited to join and get into. I’m going to work really hard, dive for a lot of

loose balls and hopefully bring some aggression to the team that I know that they’re looking for me to bring,” she added.

For Cortes, Guelph was one of her top three choices, she explained.

→ FROM 11 on a team, especially a good one like Guelph. So for me when I was told I had a team, I knew I have a couple more years of improving greatly and I have a lot more years with people to learn from,” she said, adding she is excited to be going to school with Weber.

“It was very exciting [to get an offer] and I think a lot of relief because it’s really hard to get a spot

“Having a best friend

who keeps you accountable and will always show up places with you is a really lucky thing. I’m super lucky to be going to school with her and have her start this next journey with me. She’s been on every journey with me so far,”

Weber agreed, noting the pair have been best friends for 10 years.

“We play really well together on the court, but off the court, we’re best friends, so obviously there’s some chemistry there that is hopefully really going to help Guelph out.”

Weber will be studying psychology while Cortes will be taking human kinetics.

Young team progresses through

The Elmira Sugar

Kings’ 2022-23 season was pegged as a rebuilding time right from the start. That much is obvious when the team sees more than a dozen roster spots turnover, with rookies galore in the lineup.

Still, there was never any quit as the team got better as the season went along.

Early on, there was another transition, as head coach Rob Collins left in mid-October to join the OHL’s Guelph Storm as an assistant coach. Direc-

tor of Hockey Operations

Scott McMillan stepped behind the bench, eventually taking on the job full-time.

The Kings eventually ended the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League regular season with a record of 29-20-1, good for fourth place in the Midwestern Conference behind the KW Siskins, Stratford Warriors and Cambridge Redhawks.

“It was an interesting year, with obviously a lot of turnover in the roster. And then losing our

coach, I think six games in, it was certainly a season with a lot of unique challenges. But at the end, I think we were able to close the gap between us and the top three teams and get into that group,” said McMillan of the Kings’ season.

With their finish in the standings, the Kings faced the fifth-place Ayr Centennials in the first round of the playoffs, taking the series in six games.

Next up, they faced the conference’s first-place

team, the KW Siskins, falling in six games.

While noting every team wants to go the distance, McMillan said the playoffs were indicative of the Kings’ development through the season.

“We look back at it, I think you always want to win your last game, but there were a lot more successes than disappointments in this year given everything that we had to go through.”

While every season begins with some turnover as players age out

P.O. Box 247, RR 1 Elmira | 519.669.5105

M&G MILLWRIGHTS LTD.

Front row: Madden MacDougall, Jayden Lammel, Chris Black, Liam Everleigh, Adam Grein, Daniel Botelho, Brock Reinhart, Austin Mumby, Logan Schwindt, Tanner McDonald, Ian Speiran, Taylor Bothwell, Jackson Heron, Dustin Good, Ryan Forwell, Carter Lawson, Malcom Scott, Carson Rob Waters, Scott Basler, Laurie Wittie, and Mark Erb. Missing: Hayden Sabourin. Submitted

a challenging 2022-23 season

and others take other opportunities, perhaps moving up or heading off to school, this season was exceptional, says McMillan. The difficulties were compounded by the pandemic, which not only halted the Kings’ first-place season in 2020 ahead of what was expected to be a deep playoff run, but put a hold on scouting and player development. The organization is only just now starting to get back to normal on those fronts.

“I think it’s easy to

forget sometimes that we had a first-place team on a strong playoff run and it was cancelled. And then the whole season was lost with what was probably our best team that we’ve had in my time here. We never got to play.”

When play resumed, the club had to play some catch-up. That included incorporating 14 rookies, where in a regular year the team might have half a dozen. That made the progress all the more noteworthy, said the coach.

“The experience that

was gained by our firstyear guys this year, it certainly was reflected in the playoffs. By the time we got to the playoffs, they were different players than they were at the start of the year,” said McMillan.

“One of the joys of coaching is being able to see kids come in and see where they are at the start and then see where they ended up. I think that the improvement that we saw in all of our individuals...

I don’t think one of our players went backwards,

which is something in itself. I don’t think that I would say I’ve ever had a year like that where not one player went backwards – every single guy got better. And then collectively as a group, we got a whole lot better.”

McMillan says he expects the team will build on this year’s experience in the 2023-24 season, which is already under construction. In that vein, the Kings will hold a prospect camp April 29-30 at the Woolwich Memorial Centre.

Logan Crans, and Brennan Kennedy. Second row: Scott McMillan, Ian McAdam, Parker Allen, Luke Della Croce, Joey Martin, Jacob Feijo, Brady Kelleough, Nick Horrigan, and Corey Prang. Back row: Lyle Binkley, Dan Southwell, Kevin Moser, Connor Martin, Bob Cummings, Joe Amlinger,

Kyle started Apex Truck & Trailer Inc. 8 years ago with his truck, trailer and a vision. Carrying this vision forward with the help of the team there are now 12 full time mechanics, three office staff, two shifts, two fully equipped service trucks operating 24/7 to support their existing customer base, and a newly

expanded 8,640 square foot shop. Kyle notes “We have recently doubled our space and completed our renovations. This has been a long time coming. The team couldn’t be more excited to be working out of the new space, along with the ability to grow in the future.” The shop has been outfitted with bright newly painted walls, new

LED lighting, and a ventilation system to create a welcoming and safe working environment. “Our employees are the foundation of our business and contribute greatly to our success,” said Kyle.

Apex Truck & Trailer works on all makes and models of trucks, trailers, and equipment for the heavy-duty truck indus-

try. “We pride ourselves on building a team of well-rounded, enthusiastic, and experienced Technicians utilizing state of the art tooling and OEM diagnostics to be able to handle any job. We have built a shop culture that stems from respect, integrity, and accountability. Our customers are the focus for everything

we do, and we strive to be the best at what we do and offer with on-cost, on-quality, on-time service. Our team takes great pride in serving our customers and ‘Keeping [them] on the Road,’” Kyle stated.

Apex Truck & Trailer is always looking for 310T Technicians to join their growing team who

demonstrate a strong work ethic, take pride in their work, and have a desire to continuously learn.

Kyle reflects on where the business is today from where it started: “It’s been a long, hard road to get here, but seeing how far the team has come has truly been rewarding and a very proud moment for all of us.”

Business

Leading the way.

Shining a light on local enterprise, stoking the economic engines.

Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com

New Business: observerxtra.com/enterprise

Rental costs keep rising Workers under stress

The average asking rent for all property types in Canada rose 10.8% cent annually in March to $2,004, according to the latest National Rent Report. KW finished 15th on the list of 35 cities for average monthly rent in March for a one-bedroom at $1,925 and 13th for average monthly rent for a two-bedroom at $2,396.

Financial progress gained during the pandemic has declined in the past year with only 1 in 5 Canadian workers describing their financial situation as strong and 2 in 5 describing it as fair or poor, according to the third annual Manulife Retirement survey: Stress, finances, and well-being.

Elmira MCC Thrift shop unveils its new look

Store was closed in January to allow for extensive renovations to the Church St. building

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

MCC THRIFT & GIFT IN

Elmira reopened this week after undergoing substantial renovations to make the store more accessible, and the product displays more organized.

The store, which was closed on January 20, has seen major changes, including adding an automatic door at the entrance, an accessible washroom, new change rooms, including one that is accessible, and moving the cash register from the front centre portion of the store to the left front corner while making it a row of three instead the semi-circle design it was previously.

The latter change is expected to alleviate congestion at the register, said general manager Debbie Siertsema. The store has also moved several displays, including the men’s, kid’s and toy sections.

“I think they’re going to be excited just about how open it is and how much they can see. Say if there’s a family, they will be able to find [each other] a little bit easier. We’re also not

increasing our pricing,” Siertsema said.

Making the store accessible was important in making every customer feel welcome, she added.

“Just making sure that we had the space so that they don’t have to sit outside. I know, someone has had to sit outside for a little while in the cold until somebody else came in, and getting in through those front doors was a bit more challenging when we had that set of double doors. This is going to be a lot easier for people to come in.”

The store has also made changes to its operations, including office renovations and removing a wall in its production area. The designers learned from what other MCC Thrift locations have done and incorporated that into their renovations, Siertsema noted.

“[For example] just using a different type of hook, or how much product they can get on a certain rack those types of things….So visiting one of the other shops, we were able to see how they worked their receiving into production so that we can get things out on

Agriculture

We’re witnessing some challenging times in world politics, and it’s likely that agriculture is going to get brought into the fray sooner than later.

While the eyes of most of the world have been focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, US strategists have been looking at how China is flexing its muscles, particularly with regards to Taiwan.

Some of it seems like posturing. China has said it won’t supply weapons to Russia, which weakens Russia’s opportunity to “win” the war it started, as if winning was an option. And it makes China seem like it isn’t siding with Russia.

the floor faster and not store them, which we’ve had some challenges with sometimes checking in storing and then had too much storage,” she explained.

Some of the processing improvements involve

out-of-sight areas such as the basement. In a similar vein, upgrades to the heating and air-conditioning systems were also carried out.

The store, which is also changing its outside signage, will have a grand

re-opening on a yet-to-bedecided day in May.

“We are very excited to see the changes and the brightness and the freshness of the store. So that’s really what we see as we come in the door. It’s brighter, it’s fresher,”

Siertsema said. The renovations make a big difference to a building that was previously home to the Stone Crock Restaurant but had a number of previous uses that included a chicken hatchery and Zehrs market.

will become part of the US-China face-off

OWEN ROBERTS Food For Thought

But China is certainly not on America’s side, either. Although the chirping between the two superpowers over technology in particular doesn’t necessarily mean we’re headed for a showdown, I don’t sense any appetite for compromise and conciliation.

And neither does a growing faction of US legislators, even those you wouldn’t normally consider hawks. Most lately, there’s a push to make the upcoming US Farm Bill – which may come in at $1 trillion –

more focused than ever on domestic food security and critical supply chains.

This began as a postCOVID White House priority. Americans understandably became nervous when they thought their food supplies were threatened, despite the abundance of food they produce.

But how does that food get to their table? Labour is needed to process it. Inputs like fertilizer are needed to grow it. Land is needed beneath it, and that’s getting increasingly eaten up by foreign or absentee ownership. And the livestock we count on need feed supplements (specifically, amino acids)

to be productive. But US authorities say some supplements produced in China are being purposely held back from American producers.

President Biden has allocated tons of money into improving domestic production and capacity on many fronts. But if China dials up the aggression, the US feels it will likewise have to dial up its response.

That’s where the Farm Bill comes in. Former US secretary of agriculture Mike Espy penned an opinion piece in AgriPulse this week calling for a bipartisan approach to address the China situation.

“Undeniably, China sees

agriculture and our food supply chain as leverage to use against us,” he wrote.

He’s urging President Biden to consider adding the secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services as members of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which reviews the sale of critical infrastructure to foreign entities.

“This may help the current and future administrations to consider the security of our nation’s food and agriculture systems as a factor when determining to act to block foreign investment,” he says, “especially from China. Protecting American farmers is paramount

for both Democrats and Republicans.”

He didn’t specifically say how he wants both sides of the house to work together, but the implication is that whatever they do, they should make sure the Farm Bill is as well endowed as possible with money for agriculture, not just nutrition programs. These programs are vital to many Americans, but what if the food supply that feeds these programs is unreliable because of inadequate investment?

It’s yet another stressor on Farm Bill money that makes you wonder, even as its coffers balloon, how all interests will be even close to being met.

MCC Thrift & Gift Elmira’s renovations will make the store more welcoming, says general manager Debbie Siertsema. Bill Atwood

Arts

Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com

Tips: observerxtra.com/tips

They push the Spamalot A symphony of students

Monty Python’s Spamalot hit the stage this week in Stratford. The production offers up a hefty share of irreverence in a hilarious spoof of the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they go in search of the Holy Grail. The musical comedy features a book and lyrics by Python Eric Idle and music by John Du Prez. www.stratfordfestival.ca

There’s something about Judy

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony welcomed over 6,000 youth from the Waterloo Region to four sold-out student concerts at Centre In The Square. The concerts, entitled Women in Music, saw the greatest attendance of students in more than a decade, and marked the return of Student Concerts following the pandemic. www.kwsymphony.ca

Steve Kannon Observer Staff

DELAYED BY THE PANDEMIC, AS so many things were, the Judy Garland Centennial Weekend is finally a go starting tomorrow night.

The Registry Theatre is hosting a talk by famed biographer John Fricke Friday night, followed by a concert with Mary-Catherine Pazzano on Saturday night that will explore Garland’s musical legacy. On Sunday, Fricke and Pazzano will host a special screening of Summer Stock at the Princess Cinemas in Waterloo.

“I would say out of all the concerts that I’ve ever prepped, this is probably the definition of labour of love or passion project,” said Pazzano. “It makes it probably the most excited I’ve ever been for a concert.

“I’ve been a Judy fan all my life. My parents said that when I watched the Wizard of Oz for the first time, I was about two years old and my eyes were just glued to the screen. I’ve remained a Judy fan for my whole life, her films and her concert work. Having become a singer myself, she’s become my number-one inspiration for how to deliver a lyric and how to commit yourself to really delivering a song.”

While the 100th anni-

Along with her Hollywood fame, Garland was acclaimed for her recordings and live concerts – in fact, she was the first woman to win a Grammy Award for ‘Album of the Year’ with her 1961 live recording, Judy at Carnegie Hall.

Though relatively short – Garland died June 22, 1969 at the age of 47 – her life provides plenty of material for Fricke, a two-time Emmy winner and noted Garland historian, as he travels from New York to open the weekend with “Centennial Judy: So Much More Than Dorothy!”

“When I was a kid, I would read the books about her by John Fricke. About nine years ago, we actually met, because he was speaking at a classic movie festival that I had tickets for in Hollywood. We met and had a great

Better Hearing Month Event

Come

legendary music.

Registry Theatre plays host to the Judy Garland Centennial Weekend, featuring John Fricke and Mary-Catherine Pazzano versary of Garland’s birth was last year, the delay hasn’t curbed Pazzano’s enthusiasm in the least. Garland – or Frances Ethel Gumm as she was known then – was born June 10, 1922 in Minnesota. She would begin performing with her sisters at a very young age, eventually signing with MGM when she was 13. After a series of films, she sprang to fame in 1939 as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz, the role for which she was most widely known.

“On the Sunday afternoon at the Princess Twin, when we screen Summer Stock, John will introduce that movie for us and give some context into the film as it pertains to her career,” said Pazzano of the screening with Fricke.

“It was her final movie that she made at MGM, with one of her best leading men, Gene Kelly – it’s my personal favourite Garland movie. We’ll lead a Q&A together after the screening of that movie, so he is a key entity to kind of bring us through as our guide for that weekend,” she added of Fricke’s role as biographer and historian.

chat. We exchanged emails and said ‘Let’s keep in touch.’ Over the years, we would do that, and I was trying to think of ways to maybe bring him to Canada, because he’s never really done an official event here,” said Pazzano, noting the idea emerged to celebrate the centennial of Garland’s birth with music and a talk about her life.

“She didn’t live long, but her career was decades long – she started when she was two or three, so

there’s still so much material that her talent speaks for itself.”

For her concert April 22 – “Centennial Judy: A Love Letter in Song” –Pazzano will use the first act to cover the MGM years, the likes of her films with Mickey Rooney, Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Harvey Girls and Easter Parade.

The second part of the show will be dedicated to her post-MGM career, including A Star is Born, her TV show and her

concert recordings.

“That will speak to her Grammy-winning live album, Judy at Carnegie Hall, which a lot of reviewers at the time called the greatest night in showbiz history. So bringing to light those arrangements from that era of her life, that will be the second act.”

Overall, the weekend will have something of a TCM feel to it, incorporating biographical information, a hosted screening of a movie and Garland’s

The Judy Garland Centennial Weekend kicks off Friday (April 21) at 8 p.m. with Fricke’s talk, “Centennial Judy: So Much More Than Dorothy!” at The Registry Theatre. Tickets are $15 or free with a purchase of a ticket to the Saturday night concert.

On Saturday, Pazzano takes to the Registry stage at 8 p.m. Tickets for “Centennial Judy: A Love Letter in Song” are $35. Visit www.registrytheatre.com or call 519-5781570.

On Sunday, Fricke and Pazzano host a screening of Summer Stock at 2 p.m. at the Princess Twin Cinemas: www.princesscinemas.com.

Waterloo Screening Event

Thurs May 25

On all 3 screens at Princess Cinemas! Director and other guests in attendance. Exclusive 'BLACKBERRY' Beer available.

Mary-Catherine Pazzano will pay tribute to her vocal inspiration as part of the Judy Garland Centennial Weekend that gets underway Friday at The Registry Theatre. Submitted

Classifieds

Help Wanted

Seven days. One paper.

A bestseller every week.

Phone: 519-669-5790 ext 104

Email: ads@woolwichobserver.com

Job Listings: jobs.observerxtra.com

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

Millbank Family Furniture has a position available for a full time Sales Representative

The candidate must have good customer service skills, be detail oriented & have marketing knowledge. Previous knowledge in interior design/decorating would be an asset.

Help Wanted

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.

Apply with resume at: Millbank Family Furniture Ltd. 4044 Line 72, Millbank , On. N0K 1L0 Fax: 519-595-7107 or email: joe@millbankfamilyfurniture.ca Only suitable candidates will be interviewed.

SPRING VEHICLE & EQUIPMENT AUCTION - WEBCAST ONLINE

Cars,

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 45 YEAR OLD MALE LOOKING FOR WORK. Have drivers licence and car. Call Rob at 519-664-2161.

NEED A RIDE? MEDICAL APPOINTments? Up Country? Airport? Yard Clean-up?

Windows Washed?

Pressure Wash Decks? Sidewalks? Siding? Call or Text Gary 519-577-1750.

For Sale

LAWN FERTILIZER AND LAWN SEEDCall George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

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)

For Sale

RECLINER, POWER LIFT CHAIR, GREEN mist. $125. Call 519-669-5388.

SOLID WOOD PATIO SET WITH CUSHIONS

$250. Ladies white leather jacket $70. Large Poker (game) set in aluminum case $50. Coca-Cola Barbie in original box $25. 519-638-2359.

Hay & Straw

WHEAT STRAW FOR SALE. 4 X 5 ROUND bales, feed grade, stored inside. Call or text Kevin at 519-616-4985.

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.

Farm Services

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.

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Reception / Admin Assistant

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

Tuesday May 30, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.

NOTE – pre-registration required for in person attendance

Regarding Zone Change Application 5/2023

Nevin and April Martin – 1441 Cedar Spring Road

Chadwick and Shannon Reger – 1475 Cedar Spring Road

Please note this will be a hybrid meeting where you may attend virtually via a zoom meeting link or you may attend in person at the Township offices subject to pre-registration with the Clerk’s department. Below is information on how you can submit comments, view or participate in the meeting. You may also contact Development Services staff by sending an email to planning@woolwich.ca or by phone at 519-669-6040 if you have any questions.

Take Notice that in accordance with the Planning Act, R.S.O., 1990, c.P.13, as amended, the Township of Woolwich has received a complete application for the proposed zoning amendment application more specifically described below. This notice summarizes the details of this application and includes a location map of the subject lands. Please be advised that Notice of a Complete Application does not indicate whether the municipality is in support of, or in opposition to the proposal. That determination will be made at a later date.

The Township of Woolwich will hold a Public Meeting, under Section 34 of the Planning Act, to consider the following Zone Change application. No decisions will be made at this meeting; its purpose is to provide additional information to the public and agencies and to receive comments and information from them.

APPLICATION DETAILS

Property Description:

1441 Cedar Spring Road (Martin)

The approximate 8.6 hectare property, which also has frontage on Arthur Street North, is designated Prime Agricultural Area in the Township Official Plan and is zoned Agricultural. The property is developed with a dwelling, livestock barn, accessory shed and Quonset hut.

1475 Cedar Spring Road (Reger)

The approximate 1.2 hectare property is designated Prime Agricultural Area in the Township Official Plan and is zoned Agricultural. The property is developed with a dwelling and contains a pond.

The purpose of the application is to amend the Agricultural zoning with the addition of site specific regulations for each property to recognize them as undersized parcels within an Agricultural zone.

The resulting parcels sizes would be:

1441 Cedar Spring Road (Martin) – decrease from 8.6 to 7.95 hectares, and

1475 Cedar Spring Road (Reger) – increase from 1.2 to 1.85 hectares.

The proposed site specific zoning amendment will facilitate a future lot line adjustment through a consent application process. The consent application would propose to convey an irregular shaped parcel of land being approximately 0.65 ha in area and, containing the Quonset hut and treed area, from the Martin lands as an addition to the Reger lands (see Site Plan).

APPEAL RIGHTS

TAKE NOTICE that if a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the Township of Woolwich to the Ontario Land Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Township of Woolwich before the by-law is passed, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision.

AND TAKE NOTICE that if a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting, or make written submissions to the Township of Woolwich before the bylaw is passed, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

In-person meetings have resumed at the Township of Woolwich, subject to pre-registration with the Clerk’s department. Below are details on how you can view or participate in the Public Meeting as follows:

VIEW the Public Meeting / Council meeting livestream on the Woolwich Township YouTube channel at the following link - @woolwichtownship9588 ;

PARTICIPATE in the Public Meeting either in-person or via Zoom by REGISTERING with Council/Committee Facilitator on or before 1:00 pm on Wednesday May 24, 2023.

To register please:

• visit www.woolwich.ca/delegations for more information on speaking before Council and to register through the online delegation request form; or

• email councilmeetings@woolwich.ca or phone 519-669-6004.

When registering please indicate whether you would like to attend in-person or via Zoom. You must provide your name, phone number, email and the application number you would like to comment on. Once you are registered staff will provide instructions to attend in person or will forward information on how to connect to the Zoom meeting (i.e. zoom Wi-Fi login or conference call number).

If you are concerned that you do not have access to phone or internet or are otherwise concerned about the reliability of your signal, please ensure that you submit written comments. Written comments do not negate your opportunity to also speak at the Public Meeting but do ensure your voice is heard should your electronic connection to the meeting not work.

If you are unsure whether or not you would like to speak at the meeting but want to listen and have the option to comment on a particular application, please register with the Council/Committee Facilitator. You will not be required to speak if you do not want to.

WHY REGISTER

By registering staff can ensure that you are permitted access to the meeting, we know which application you are commenting on and, can call on you at the appropriate time to comment if you wish to do so.

SUBMITTING COMMENTS AND REQUESTING NOTIFICATION

You can express your concerns/ comments about the proposed changes in writing to the Township of Woolwich. Any comments received on or before Monday May 15, 2023 (Note that this date is before the public meeting) will be included in a report prepared by Development Services and presented at the Public Meeting. Any comments received after the Public Meeting, but prior to Council making a decision on the applications, will be considered.

The personal information accompanying your submission is being collected under the authority of the Planning Act and may form part of the public record which may be released to the public. This information is collected and maintained for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public at the Committee of the Whole and Council meetings. Please note that while the Committee of the Whole and Council may redact some personal information such as email addresses and phone numbers, your submissions will otherwise be made public in their entirety. Questions about this collection should be directed to the Records and Freedom of Information Officer at 519-669-1647 or 1-877-969-0094 ext. 6005. Should you wish to be notified of future meetings and reports regarding the Zone Change application please:

• submit a written request, noting that you wish to be kept informed, to the Township of Woolwich, Development Services, 24 Church Street West, Box 158, Elmira, Ontario N3B 2Z6, or

• email your request noting that you wish to be kept informed to planning@woolwich.ca If Council approves the change, a notice will be mailed to you explaining the By-law.

MORE INFORMATION

Additional information related to these applications can be viewed or obtained as follows: Schedule an appointment to view the documents at the Township Administration building located at 24 Church Street West, Elmira weekdays between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. To schedule an appointment please call 519-669-6040 or email planning@woolwich.ca Dated at the Township of Woolwich this 21st day of April 2023.

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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

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 inperson 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

Notice to Residents

TAKE NOTICE that the Council of the Township of Woolwich intends to discuss a by-law to amend fees or charges for Corporate Services on May 16, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers situated at 24 Church Street West in Elmira. The meeting will be livestreamed to the Township of Woolwich YouTube Channel. Registration is required by 3:00 p.m. on May 16, 2023 for in-person attendance. Please visit www.woolwich.ca/council for more information.

Notice of Public Meeting

Township of Woolwich

Technical Advisory Group (TAG)

Thursday, April 27, 2023 6:30 p.m. Public Meeting

How to Participate:

You can view the meeting by registering on or before 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. To register, please contact the Support Specialist at licensing@woolwich.ca or 519-669-1647 ext. 6119. Following registration, the Support Specialist will provide virtual participation options (i.e. Zoom or toll-free by phone).

Please Note: Written delegations must be submitted a minimum of eight (8) business days prior to the Technical Advisory Group meeting date to be included on the agenda. For more information, visit the Committees of Council page on www.woolwich.ca.

Paul Wintermeyer is turning 80!

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.

Obituary

Happy 75th Otto!

is 90!

Stroh, Luke

In loving memory of Luke, who passed away, April 25, 1996. 27 years ago you left us, your memory is as dear today as the hour you passed away. Forever remembered and always loved by Mom and his late Dad, brother Skye and Charolette, Aunt Dianne and the late Uncle Brian and Uncle Scott and Aunt Michele, four cousins Cody, Jesse, Lucas and Isabella, Grandparents Irene Hamilton and the late Ken Hamilton.

Obituary Obituary

Christian, Donald Patrick

Passed away peacefully at Nithview Nursing Home, New Hamburg on Saturday, April 15, 2023 at the age of 92 years. Husband of June Heibein of West Montrose. Dear father of Donna Christian of North Carolina, Patricia (Patty) Shantz of Ottawa, Michael of Markham, and Gary of Brooklin. Loved by his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Don was the last surviving member of his family having been predeceased by his parents Harry and Delina (Bushey) Christian, his wife Vida (Thomson) Christian, and his siblings. Don served in the Canadian Navy during the Korean War. He was an electrician with Ontario Hydro Construction, working on power plants in three different parts of the province. He retired from Darlington Nuclear Power Station. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at a later date. As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Last Post Fund would be appreciated and may be made through the Dreisinger Funeral Home, Elmira.

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Geraldine “Gerri” Straus-Moser

After a long and courageous battle with cancer, our dear Gerri Rose passed away surrounded by family on Monday, April 17th, 2023. Gerri and her beloved husband, Mark, have called British Columbia their home for many years, but it was her desire to live out her final days with family in Ontario. Though it took great fortitude to endure the travels, we are so thankful her desire was fulfilled.

Mark will be sincerely joined in his grief and remembrance by Gerri’s mother, Dolores Straus, and sister- in- law Brenda ( late Steve) and her siblings Brad (Catherine), Dan (Eva), Jeanette (Joe Meeks), Mark (Lynn), Rodney (Tracey), and Cameron (Julie). Also lovingly remembered by in-laws, Blanche and Bill Moser, Luanne (Paul McGinley), Dale (Lise), and her many nieces, nephews, their spouses and children. She was predeceased by her father, Harold Straus and brother, Steve Straus.

Gerri had a contagious zest for life, and was brave of heart even in the darkest moments, when her faithful motto was, “This too shall pass”. She had a successful and fulfilling legal career since 1989. This eventually led her and Mark to a life in B.C., where they fully embraced the West Coast lifestyle, and loved spending time outdoors in White Rock and at their cottage on Mayne Island.

Gerri Rose lit up any room with her beautiful soul and vivacious laughter. She inspired all who knew her with her openness to new experiences and people, and her gift for making those around her feel loved and seen. Her life revolved around her faith, family, and friends, and she embraced them all with an unparalleled warmth.

Gerri was so thankful for the thoughts, prayers and support of her many friends and family members. Right until the end, she was never alone. We take comfort in knowing that she is reunited with loved ones who have already stepped beyond the curtain, and that she will be with us in spirit always.

Our heart felt thanks to the many supportive family, friends and care providers in Ontario, British Columbia and around the world, especially the team at Surrey Memorial Hospital in BC as well as Dr. Donna Ward and Dr. Claire Harlick here in Waterloo.

The family invites you to celebrate Gerri’s life at a funeral mass at St. Clement’s Catholic Church in St. Clements on Saturday, April 22nd at 10 am. It was her wish that her funeral would be a colourful affair, so please dress accordingly. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Graham Giddy Funeral Home Waterloo 617 King Street N Waterloo ( 519-888-7700 ) To leave an online condolence for the family, please visit www.grahamgiddyfh.com In lieu of flowers, donations in Gerri’s honour may be made to BC Cancer Foundation - Surrey https://bccancerfoundation.com/ donations/bc-cancer-surrey/.

We leave you with some of Gerri’s final written words: “You can be sad. You can cry. But do not be afraid. I am safe with God. He prepared a place for me. When Jesus welcomes me, I am home.”

❖ www.grahamgiddyfh.com

Krahn, Ellen B.

Peacefully passed into the presence of her Lord, surrounded by her family at her home in Elmira on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at the age of 73 years. Beloved wife and best friend of David for 46 years. Cherished mother of Darcy and Suzanne Krahn and Jolene and Ryan Johnson. Devoted Grandma of Matthew, Olivia, Alyssa; Ephraim, Gavri, Nicholas, and Dawson. Sister of Abner and Eleanor Metzger, Edward and Gayle Metzger, Isaac Metzger, David and Marjorie Metzger, and Amsey and Eileen Metzger. Ellen will be lovingly remembered by her many cousins, nieces, nephews and their families, as well as David’s family, Dorothy and Roy Cheechoo, Viola and Paul Virts, Arthur and Marj Krahn, Esther Krahn, Elvera and David MacInnes, Daniel and Brenda Krahn, Paul and Margruite Krahn, Marianne Krahn and Victor Bartel, Tim Krahn and Dalila Seckar. Predeceased by her parents John and Lovina (Bauman) Metzger, brother John Metzger, sister Almeda Martin, brother-in-law Abner Martin, and sister-in-law Mary Metzger.

Ellen devoted her life to the service of Christ and impacted everyone both at home and around the world. She will be missed but her light and love for Christ will continue to shine.

Visitation will be held on Friday, April 21, 2023 from 1-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at Emmanuel Evangelical Missionary Church, 2 First St. W., Elmira, where a funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 1 p.m. followed by interment in Elmira Union Cemetery. The service will be livestreamed and will be available on Ellen’s tribute page of the funeral home website. As expressions of sympathy, donations to Women Together or EMCC World Partners would be appreciated and may be made through the Dreisinger Funeral Home, Elmira.

❖ 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

Some dam work on tap Trails prove popular

As part of its annual safety procedures, the GRCA will be installing warning booms or buoys upstream of GRCA dams to alert paddlers, anglers, and boaters to stay away from the dams. The installation of the buoys and booms will take place upstream of GRCA dams through April 27, subject to weather conditions.

A new survey by Trans Canada Trail finds 72% of Canadians have used trails in the past 12 months, up slightly from 70%, with 80% of respondents noting that they intend to use trails in the next year; 89% of Canadians agree that trails add value to the quality of life in their community.

Community pitches in to raise funds for surgery

Elmira’s Kennedy Shannon is scheduled to head to Arizona next month for a life-changing procedure

Leah Gerber Observer Staff

KENNEDY SHANNON

AND HER MOM have booked their flights and Airbnb for Kennedy’s stay at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona, the destination she’s heading to next month for the life-changing surgery she needs. And it’s all thanks to the help of her community.

People in the area have hosted hockey tournaments, pie sales and this Friday, a chicken dinner with more pie, to help raise the money the family needs to pay for the surgery in Arizona booked for May 16.

Kennedy was born with pectus excavatum, a condition involving a depressed chest cavity. It impacts about one in 150 to 1,000 births, though Kennedy’s case is much more pronounced than most. As a child, Kennedy says the condition didn’t impact her too severely,

but as she grew into her teens and now young adult years, it became worse and worse. Medical imaging shows her organs are squished together, with her heart sitting on top of her stomach. She suffers from shortage of breath and high heart rates of up to 180 or 200 beats per minute even when completing simple tasks like folding laundry, making a bed or going up stairs, she says.

The surgery to correct the condition involves inserting metal bars into the chest to reform the chest cavity, and then removing them later. A patient in Canada can receive two bars at most, says Lori Shannon, Kennedy’s mom, but her daughter requires four.

Staff with the Ontario Health Insurance Program say that the surgery is performed in Ontario and have not committed to paying for the surgery in the United States, though

the Shannons could not find a local surgeon able to perform what Kennedy needs.

The Shannon family launched their GoFundMe campaign in January to

have Kennedy’s surgery performed in Arizona. The most recent estimate the family received from the Mayo Clinic for the cost of the surgery is US$102,000 or about CA$140,000, but

they’ll only know the total cost of the surgery after it’s complete, depending on how long and how many resources her recovery takes.  Then, four years later, she will need to

return to Arizona to have the bars removed, which will also cost more money.

The family’s GoFundMe now reflects more than $47,500 raised, but this does not include the amount from a February pie fundraiser done by Fran Adsett, owner of Frannie’s Restaurant and Bakery in Breslau, or tomorrow’s chicken dinner hosted by local barbecue take-out restaurant, SmokinQ.

Adsett said she heard about Kennedy on the news while in bed one night, and decided to help out by doing a pie fundraiser, and donating a portion of each pie sold. She estimates she made about 500 pies for the cause.

“I’m always looking for different fundraisers in the community and I try to do my part,” she said. “I try to  help out people the best that I can. You know what, I was a single parent

→ SURGERY 28

Functional dyspepsia can significantly affect quality of life

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have dealt with digestive issues for much of my 30s. Ulcers run in my family. My doctor said that while I could have an ulcer, testing could determine if it is functional dyspepsia. What is the difference, what causes functional dyspepsia and is it treatable?

ANSWER: Functional dyspepsia, also called nonulcer dyspepsia, and peptic ulcers can feel

▢ Mayo Clinic

Professional Clinical Health Advice

much the same. But, unlike a peptic ulcer, which involves open sores in the digestive tract, functional dyspepsia involves recurring indigestion or stomach pain that has no obvious cause. Common signs and symptoms of functional dyspepsia include a burning sensation or discomfort in your

upper abdomen or lower chest; bloating; belching; an early feeling of fullness when eating; and nausea. While not life-threatening, the symptoms can significantly affect your quality of life.

To begin the diagnostic process, your health care professional likely will perform a physical exam. Blood tests may be performed to help rule out other diseases that can cause symptoms similar to dyspepsia.

One component to help with diagnosis is endoscopy, in which a thin, flexible, lighted instrument called an endoscope is passed down your throat so that your health care professional can view your esophagus, stomach and the first part of your small intestine. Endoscopy also allows your health care professional to collect small pieces of tissue from your stomach or duodenum to look for inflammation or cancerous growths.

This procedure is called a biopsy.

Your health care professional can determine whether an endoscopy is needed, but endoscopy generally is recommended in adults 60 and older who have symptoms. A normal result on this test most often indicates functional dyspepsia. Endoscopy also may be performed on adults younger than 60 who have “alarm” features — such as weight loss, anemia, difficulty

swallowing or persistent vomiting — along with dyspepsia symptoms.

This is determined on an individual basis.

If no abnormal results are found with endoscopy, a noninvasive breath or stool test to check for the Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori, bacterial infection may follow to guide the course of treatment. This test also is used for adults under 60 with no alarm features. If H. pylori is

Kennedy Shannon (right) and her mother Lori are preparing to travel to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona next month. Leah Gerber

Three-layer cookie bar only requires one trip to

the oven

The idea of making a three-layer cookie bar seems daunting, since the process often involves baking and assembling the dessert in stages. But we figured out a way to do it in one go to make it easier for the home baker.

The trick for this cookie bar is making one dough do double duty, using part of the dough for a sturdy base and the rest to form a

▢ America's Test Kitchen

Rigorously tested recipes that work.

crumbly topping. A mixture of oats and almonds gives these cookie bars a chewy yet crunchy texture, while a creamy fudge filling provides all the sweetness you could want in a dessert.

Milk Chocolate Revel Bars

▢ 3 cups (9 ounces)

old-fashioned rolled oats

▢ 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour

▢ 1 1⁄2 cups packed (10

1⁄2 ounces) brown sugar

▢ 1 cup raw whole almonds, chopped

▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda

▢ Salt

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make a foil sling for a 13-by-9inch baking pan by folding two long sheets of aluminum foil; the first sheet should be 13 inches wide and the second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in the pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over the edges of the pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.

2. Combine oats, flour, sugar, almonds, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk melted butter, eggs and vanilla together in a second bowl. Stir butter mixture into flour mixture until dough forms. Set aside 1 1⁄2 cups dough for topping. Press remain-

▢ 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

▢ 2 large eggs

▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

▢ 2 cups (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips

▢ 1 cup sweetened condensed milk

ing dough into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.

3. Microwave chocolate chips, condensed milk, 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a bowl at 50 percent power until chocolate chips are melted and mixture is fully combined, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Mixture will resemble thick fudge.)

4. Transfer chocolate mixture to pan and spread evenly over crust to sides of pan. Crumble reserved dough and sprinkle pieces evenly over chocolate mixture. Bake until topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and let bars cool until set, about 6 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars out of the pan. Cut into 24 squares and serve.

⚠ If all you can find is an 11.5-ounce bag of chocolate chips, there's no need to buy a second bag to make up the extra 1/2 ounce. Either light or dark brown sugar may be used in this recipe.

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

FRIDAY, APRIL 21

▢ Friday Food at the Elmira Legion. Doors open 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. All welcome.

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.

FRIDAY, APRIL 28

▢ Friday Food at the Elmira Legion. Doors open at 4 p.m., tickets on sale at 4:30 p.m., serving at 5:45 p.m. Menu: Hot hamburger sandwich, fries, salad & dessert, $10/plate. Join us in the lounge. All welcome.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3

▢ Senior's Community Dining at Calvary United Church, St. Jacobs at noon. Community Care Concepts invites you to join us for lunch and fellowship. Cost: $12. Must pre-register by noon April 28 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.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10

▢ Smoked Pork Chop Supper at Gale Presbyterian Church, Elmira. Join us from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eat in (limited seating) or take out. Adults $20, child $5. Menu: Adult - chop, baked potato, veg., coleslaw, cheesecake; Child - mac & cheese, carrot sticks, cookies, milk. Advance tickets only - deadlineMay 4th, 3 p.m. Call church office 519-669-2852 or office@galepresbyterianchurch.com

▢ Senior's Community Dining at Wellesley Community Centre at noon. Community Care Concepts invites you to join us for lunch and fellowship. Cost: $12. Must pre-register by noon May 5 by calling 519-664-1900.

THURSDAY, MAY 11

▢ Woodside Evergreen for Seniors, 10:30 a.m. at Woodside Church, Elmira. "Uplifting Songs with Heartfelt Impact" by the Viscounts, Southern Gospel Vocal Harmony Trio. A concert of music and devotional reflections. Suggested donation $10 includes a hot lunch. Registration is required by Sun May 7 at www.woodsidechurch.ca/evergreen or 519-6691296.

SATURDAY, MAY 13

▢ Woolwich Gardeners‘ Perennial Plant Sale, 8 a.m. until noon at the Elmira Home Hardware parking lot. Accepting donations of plants and other garden related items on Friday, May 12 - same location— thank you.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24

▢ Senior's Community Dining at Linwood Community Centre at noon. Community Care Concepts invites you to join us for lunch and fellowship. Cost: $12. Must pre-register by noon May 21 by calling 519-664-1900.

Mini-Word

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

Sudoku EASY

Crossword

ACROSS

1. Smack

5. Islamic title

10. "___ accompli"

14. Harness part

15. Make smile

16. Irish National Liberation Army

17. Jordan is in it

19. One-horse carriage of India

20. Protect sensitive patients health information

21. Maximum price

23. Takeout menu general

25. "Das Lied von der ___"

26. Cravat's cousins

30. Bavarian brew

32. Biol., e.g.

transit letters

54. Italian patriot

58. Syrup source

63. ___ arms

64. Keeps track of money

66. In perfect condition

67. Have insight

68. Polygon with n sides

69. Big name in computer games

70. Be crazy about

71. Bones, anatomically

DOWN

1. The former monarch of Iran

2. Equal to one hundredth of a rufiyaa

3. "Want me to draw you ___?"

4. Armadillo

SOLUTION:

5. Freelancer's enc.

6. Baritone Pasquale

7. '80s-'90s Serbian auto import

8. "The jig ___!"

9. One of rock's Ramones

10. Pasture

11. Some no-shows

12. Chase of "Now, Voyager"

13. Arabian tambourine

18. Caffè ___

22. Irish exclamation

24. Apr. 15th IDs

26. English race place

27. Bombards with junk

28. It's helical and gets compressed

29. Creole vegetable

30. "Casablanca" star's nickname

31. Flatten, in a way

33. One quoted

34. That is, in Latin

36. Groups of rels.

38. "Je ___" ("I go," in French)

41. "Your majesty"

44. Basil, e.g.

46. Eucharist container

49. "Lawrence of ___" (1962 epic)

Sudoku HARD

35. Not available

37. Bypass

39. Advocacy org. for Muslims

40. Certain palms

42. Entr'___

43. Courthouse staff in India

45. Off-road vehicles

47. Writer Eliot and drummer Monk

48. "___ on Down the Road"

50. Brown shade

51. Engine sound

53. Parisian rapid

52. Utah range

53. Commander on the USS Enterprise under Picard

54. Adhesives

55. "... blackbirds baked in ___"

56. Big Ben's loc.

57. "I can only ___ much!" ("I'm only one person!")

59. Prefix with -phile

60. Role playing games

61. 1997 Prizms, e.g.

62. Trieste wine measure

65. Soy Sauce company Lee Kum ___

ACROSS

1. Dark rock

7. Key of Mozart's "Odense" Symphony

8. Like a romantic dinner

9. Unencumbered

10. Dennis and Duncan

1. Golf strokes

2. Learned rabbi of ancient times

3. Femme fatale

4. Chipped in 5. Humble

6. Weights used for precious metals

TARCHIA TROODON

MACGYVER

To MacGyver something is to make, form, or repair it with materials that are conveniently on hand

Figure out the mystery letters to complete this eight-letter word reading clockwise or counterclockwise.

MAYO CLINIC: Diagnosis of condition can be challenging

present, your health care professional may recommend an antibiotic to eliminate the infection. For those who test negative for the bacterium, as well as for those whose symptoms persist after antibiotic treatment and clearance of H. pylori, the first line of treatment is to reduce stomach acid. This may be performed using two types of medications: proton pump inhibitors or H2-receptor blockers. Proton pump inhibitors reduce acid by shutting down the tiny

pumps within stomach cells. Examples include esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec). H2-receptor blockers, including famotidine (Pepcid) and ranitidine (Zantac), reduce acid production by blocking histamine receptors in stomach cells.

If these options don’t manage your symptoms, other medications are available, including those that affect nerve endings in the stomach. Cognitive behavioral therapy also may be recommended to

cope with the symptoms and reduce the stress that may trigger stomach pain. Because functional dyspepsia lacks a fully understood cause and its symptoms overlap with other gastrointestinal conditions, the diagnosis of functional dyspepsia can be challenging. Researchers continue to explore better means of clearly identifying it.

ↆ Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit www. mayoclinic.org.

Mitch

by Jeffrey Hatcher & Mitch Albom

Based on the book by Mitch Albom

Join us for the true story of journalist Mitch Albom, and Morrie Schwartz, his college professor, who is battling ALS. One visit turns into a weekly pilgrimage and a last class in the meaning of life.

April 28 – May 13

76 Howard Ave, Elmira

Tickets $25

elmiratheatre.com/tickets

519-578-1570

Albom Tuesdays With Morrie

The Cheng family from Elmira took a little easter vacation to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic the week of April 10. Dacheng, Althea and their two daughters Persephone and Seraphina had a great week on the beach, interacting with tropical animals, parasailing and enjoying a wide variety of food and drink. A dose of local news is good for any vacations, so the Cheng's brought their favourite paper with them.

SURGERY: Fundraising remains an ongoing pursuit

once upon a time and I had such an amazing community when I raised my kids and it takes a village to raise a child and no matter how old they are, they still need love and still need help.”

Adsett will be donating pie to go with SmokinQ’s barbecue chicken dinner as well.

Cherylanne Weber of SmokinQ heard about Kennedy through her nephew, Kennedy’s boyfriend. She got involved because she could relate to the Shannons’ experience.

“Our own personal family,  when our kids were young, we had a lot of major medical expenses and our son had cancer and so we know what kind of stress that can bring and the finances and we had a lot of people band together for us. And so I just wanted to give back to the community that way again, to help them out.”

The meal costs $25, and the proceeds will be sent to the Shannon family and also used to partially cover the costs.

The deadline to order ahead was Wednesday, but Weber says people can call on Friday to order the meal, as she is making extra. Pick up will be on April 21 from 4-8 p.m. at

the SmokinQ’s Wallenstein location, 7215 Wellington Road 86.

Weber says she has many people stepping up to offer help to prepare and serve the meal, and even to direct traffic in the parking lot for the pick-up day.

“The biggest thing is just to help out community –we all might face a time in life where we need a helping hand. So however we can support each other and help each other through tough times, I think that is what makes us a stronger community,” she said.

“The support from the community has been so, I can’t even describe it. It’s so heartwarming, the complete strangers. Frannie of course, doing a pie fundraiser.  I didn’t know Frannie at all. I’ve been to her restaurant twice before her doing this. Not just her, everybody who’s done this – the Sugar Kings, the Lions Club. The support has been so overwhelming not just from organizations, but from just general people that we don’t even know who are contributing to our daughter,” said Lori.

“It’s been crazy,” said Kennedy.

Lori Shannon says she isn’t holding her breath that the province will step

in and pay for the surgery, but in case they do, she says the money raised will be held in a separate bank account for four years for when Kennedy’s bars need to be removed. If the province steps in to pay for the removal surgery, then the money will be sent to another pectus excavatum patient who needs help, or toward another pectus excavatum-related cause.

Kennedy is nervous about the surgery, as there is a chance her chest could fracture during the procedure. That said, she is also excited for the possibilities after the surgery is complete. Her first activity after she’s healed from surgery?

“Probably go on a hike with my boyfriend,” she said. “Maybe somewhere near Hamilton.”

She also wants to give words of encouragement to others who may be in her situation.

“If [people] know someone with pectus excavatum, and they have symptoms, or anything related to it, just know it’s not [necessarily] cosmetic. And they’re not crazy. And I want people to also fight for their health care and fight for what they know is right. And they know their body,” said Kennedy.

“You have to be your own advocate,” said Lori.

Born with pectus excavatum, Kennedy Shannon will require surgery. Leah Gerber

Kennedy has been busy with the information provided by the Mayo Clinic. Leah Gerber