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12 | 14 | 2017 VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 50

YOUNG SKATERS SHINE WHILE DANCING ON ICE SPORTS PAGE 14

COMMENT PAGE 10

AUDITOR GENERAL TEARS ANOTHER STRIP OFF WYNNE

Woolwich looks at redrawing its redrawn settlement boundaries

www.OBSERVERXTRA.com

Tree sales an annual Christmas tradition

Township getting closer to swapping out land parcels in order to create more industrial land in Elmira, St. Jacobs STEVE KANNON THOSE ON THE OUTSIDE looking in may have earned a reprieve as Woolwich looks at redrawing the boundaries of Elmira and St. Jacobs.

Rather than voting on a plan that focuses on making more employment land available in the communities, councillors meeting Tuesday night sent planning staff off to do some tweaks that might make room for those landowners excluded from the mix.

The process, underway since 2012, is literally redrawing the map, deciding which pieces of land are brought inside the borders and which are cut loose to await a future decision on development potential. That means there are some property owners unhappy to be on the outside looking in, development plans for their land on hold until the maps BOUNDARIES | 48

Scout Zain Wilson stands in front a decorated Christmas tree at the bandstand in Elmira’s Gore Park, where the 1st Elmira Scouts are selling Christmas Trees once again for their annual fundraiser.

[ALI WILSON / THE OBSERVER]

ALI WILSON YOU WON’T FIND ANY Charlie Brown Christmas trees at Gore Park: the 1st Elmira Scouts select only the best to put on sale.

The appearance of a large quantity of trees and the little sales trailer in the Elmira park is a Christmastime tradition. The group

uses the money raised from the sale of trees to support programs such as camping, hiking and canoeing for the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Ventures and Rovers that make up the 1st Elmira Scouts.

Zain Wilson was one of the Scouts on duty to sell trees Tuesday afternoon, just after the first snow had fallen.

The Grade 6 student has moved up to being Scout just this year in Elmira, having been a Cub for two years prior.

He has helped out at the Christmas tree lot for the last few years.

“Well, we just sell trees; it is a bit of a fundraiser for us, and people get Christmas trees, and that’s great,”

he said.

Wilson has a live tree at home and enjoys being able to help other families find one of their own, as well.

“People get to get a Christmas tree, which is great, and then my friends and I play hide and seek and [build] forts, which is TREES | 9

2 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

OPEN DECEMBER DECEMBER17 17 12-4pm 12-4pm

GIFT IDEAS STOCKING STUFFERS

Ear and Hearing Clinic Gives the Gift of Hearing to Two Lucky Community Members!

CHRISTMAS

For the 4th consecutive year, Juliane Shantz and her team at Ear and Hearing Clinic have selected the winner of their annual Gift of Hearing giveaway!

The winner will receive hearing aids free of charge.

Having enjoyed the support of the local communities in which they have operated for twenty years, Juliane and her staff feel that an opportunity to give back is one not to be missed.

This year’s winner, John Leibold, was nominated by a friend, who worries about him. She said: “He rides his e-bike 30K to work in all weather, down the very dangerous Hwy 6. To me, this is terrifying, since his hearing loss is substantial. I fear for his safety, however he must get to work!

When I visit this couple, John is in a world of his own. He must wear headphones to hear his beloved Blue Jays games, & often sits with the sound completely off, just watching only.

He feels there's no point in having his hearing tested, if he can't afford the hearing aids.”

Our second winner wishes to remain anonymous.

Helping people overcome such situations is exactly what the Gift of Hearing is all about. According to Juliane Shantz, Doctor of Audiology, “It’s our pleasure to help John take a step toward getting back behind the wheel, back into the wonderful conversations of life and back to being able to hear his beloved Blue Jays on TV and radio!”

Those involved in selecting the winner say the many heartfelt nominations Ear and Hearing Clinic received made for a difficult choice.

According to Juliane Shantz, “It goes to show just how many kind and caring people we have in our communities. We’re very grateful to everyone who took the time to send in a nomination.”

Now that the contest is over, the Ear and Hearing Clinic staff is looking forward to another year of caring for the communities served by their three locations. The clinic offers a full range of hearing assessments, treatments and devices for both adults and children.

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NEWS | 3

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

Ambulance response times a key issue as region looks to finalize its 2018 budget FAISAL ALI WATERLOO REGION COUNCIL WAS looking at keeping tax increases below three per cent going into Wednesday’s budget vote.

Also on tap were rate hikes for water use and sewage treatment, and consideration of big-ticket expenditures for 2018.

Speaking to the Observer before the Wednesday budget meeting, regional Chair Ken Seiling described it as a fairly “straight forward budget year.”

“We have some - a very limited number of expansions in the budget this year, mainly to paramedics and to some transit service,” he said. “I think that [council will] very easily come in under three per cent [increase].”

Looking to lower ambulance response times, staff are recommending an increase in the number of crews during peak periods by two, to 26 ambulances from 24, to keep up with increasing demand and problematic coverage. This would increase operating expenditures by $1.9-million in 2018, and cost $1.1-million in capital expenses.

“One of the biggest expenses is for EMS,” noted Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz, the township representative on regional council. “I know that we need to work on response times and I also know that there are more calls.”

“Well I think anything we can do to improve the service region-wide is something that we have to look at,” said Wellesley Mayor Joe Nowak.

“There’s a significant problem right now with the aging population, and I think there was one [request] last year and it didn’t really make a big dint in the response times,” he said.

In the 2017 budget, staff had requested increasing the number of staffed ambulances from 21 to 24 in peak periods.

Ambulance response times are a particular problem for Wellesley Township, which experiences the slowest times in BUDGET | 8

Park Manor students among those taking part in a “Week of Giving” in keeping with the Christmas spirit ALI WILSON YOU MAY HAVE SEEN across the town signs showing the “Week of Giving” at many area schools, one of those being Park Manor Senior Public School.

The week of giving is a student-run charity push, with participants each day bringing to school something to help those less fortunate.

Items were then placed under a decorated tree at the front of the school and then donated to Woolwich Community Services to be given out to those in need.

“The week of giving is about looking at those families in need in our community and pinpointing those areas of need over the holiday

season, asking students to bring different items each day that related to a theme,” explained one of the organizing teachers, Marnie McKenzie.

At Park Manor, the week unfolded with Munchkin Monday (things like diapers, small baby toys), Toiletry Tuesday, Woolly Wednesday (socks, mitts, hats), Twoonie Thursday and Fun Frenzy Friday.

“Monday was Munchkin Monday, so everything was related to baby items. Tuesday was Toiletry Tuesday, so everything dealt with bathroom products and toiletries for the community. Wednesday was Woolly Wednesday, so we looked at hats scarf’s mitts socks – warm items for families,” she explained. “Thurs-

day was Thrilling Thursday with a Toonie Twist and so we looked for a cash donation of a Toonie or any monetary dollar amount to go towards Woolwich Community Services. And then today was Fun Friday and it was to bring in a toy for a little girl or a little boy for the holiday season.”

A longstanding tradition, the week of giving is not only important to community, but also those attending the school, said principal Sharlene McHolm.

That rings true for Grade 7 students and student council members Natalie Elliott, Alexis McKenzie and Sarah McGuire.

“It really shows how much we care for our community

and how much we want to give back to the community,” said McKenzie. “... because then it shows the community that we care and we can help them through anything,” McGuire said. “... especially around Christmas,” added Elliot.

For everyone involved bringing the week of giving into schools helps to instill a sense of giving back, from a young age.

“I think it is extremely important for youth these days to remember that although they may come from a family who is able to provide for them there are still friends and families around them GIVING | 8

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Park Manor Senior Public School student council students show off their Week of Giving items in the school’s front foyer. Front row: Kayla R, Hailey. Middle row: Allie, Amy, Emily, Sara, Alexis, Natalie. Kneeling beside tree: Ian, Eric. Back row: Taylor, Kayla S, Megan, Raewyn, Sam, Tucker, Destiny, Olivia, Caitlyn, Recce, Anouk.

[ALI WILSON / THE OBSERVER]

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THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

Wellesley gets a visit from jolly ol’ Saint Nick as parade hits town Santa Claus rode into Wellesley Friday evening for the annual Christmas Tyme parade, which features floats that light up the night.

[ALI WILSON / THE OBSERVER]

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NEWS | 5

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

School rankings all over the map The rankings are all over the map for public and Catholic schools in the Woolwich and Wellesley in the latest Report Card on Ontario’s Elementary Schools, released this week by the Fraser Institute.

The corporate-centric think tank has been ranking the province’s elementary schools for 15 years. For 2016-17, the organization looked at more than 3,000 schools based on nine academic indicators from results of annual province-wide reading, writing

and math tests.

The average ranking for Ontario schools is a 6 out of 10, with some in the townships shooting well past that mark and others falling well short.

For Waterloo Region District School Board schools in the townships, St. Jacobs PS earned the highest marks, with a score of 8.0 (307th out of 3,064 schools). It was followed by Conestogo PS and Floradale PS at 7.1 (tied for 852nd), Wellesley PS at 6.7 (1,126), Breslau PS at 5.6 (1,887), Riverside PS at 4.9 (2,280), John Mahood PS at 4.0 (2,652) and Linwood PS at 3.9 (2,692).

The highest ranked WRDSB school was Laurelood PS in Waterloo at 9.2

(52nd).

At the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, St. Clement earned a grade of 7.0 (912), St. Teresa of Avila in Elmira a 6.7 (1,126) and St. Boniface in Maryhill a 4.9 (2,280).

WCDSB’s highest performer was Holy Rosary in Waterloo, given an 8.3.

Firefighters back blood drive

The Woolwich Fire Department’s Maryhill station have adopted a blood donor clinic set for December 29 in Elmira.

The timing draws attention to

the fact Canadian Blood Services is looking to boost stocks to ensure blood products are available over the holidays.

A team of Maryhill Fire Fighters will be donating at the clinic, while committing to recruit new donors and fill appointments to help collect 115 blood donations.

“The Maryhill Fire Department thrives on helping and giving back to the community and this is another great opportunity for us to do so in a positive manner,” said Maryhill fire chief Kevin Karley in a release. “We encourage all who are able to donate during this event to come out and do

so. It is especially hard for Canadian Blood Services to get people to donate blood during the holiday season. That is why we chose that day to support and donate together.”

The clinic goes December 29, 2-8 p.m., at Lions Hall in Elmira.

Surplus land process in play

Acting on a request from some Winterbourne residents, Woolwich will investigate selling some or all of an unused road allowance.

Meeting this week, councillors voted to start the process of declaring the land

surplus, clearing a way for a sale of the property.

The move follows a request in October from Allan Street residents Stephanie Hackbart and Marg Minster, who are interested in buying the land adjacent to their properties. Since then, another neighbour has expressed an interest in buying another portion of the road allowance, director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley reported Tuesday night.

The land in question is two portion of an unused road allowance, the former Stock Street.

The vote sets off a formal process for selling surplus municipal land.

POLICE BLOTTER

OPP blitz looking for distracted truck drivers THE ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE this week kicked off Operation Safe Trucking, a province-wide commercial motor vehicle (CMV) enforcement blitz targeting distracted transport truck drivers. Driver inattention leads the list of causes in truck-involved collision, accounting for almost 27 per cent of such crashes.

During the initiative, OPP officers will conduct patrols in truck tractors (transport trucks), giving them a better vantage point for spotting commercial drivers who are distracted or engaged in other dangerous behaviours behind the wheel, police report.

The trucks are being used for the first time during Operation Safe Trucking, the latest OPP enforcement initiative to support its CMV mitigation strategy, which aims to reduce the number of CMV collisions on OPP-patrolled roads.

During the blitz, OPP officers will be targeting CMV moving violations such as distracted, aggressive and impaired driving, speeding, following too closely, occupant restraint and hours of service violations. CMVs found with mechanical, load security or other safety issues will be subject to inspections and enforcement actions in collaboration with the Ministry of Transportation.

While the focus of the

initiative is on transport trucks, officers will also be addressing dangerous behaviours on the part of all drivers.

“Every year, collisions that involve commercial motor vehicles are in the thousands and they result in significant loss of life.

So far this year, the OPP has responded to more than 6,200 transport truckrelated collisions, with 87 people dying in 72 of those crashes. Adding truck tractors to our list of enforcement tools will enhance our officers’ observation and investigative skills during Operation Safe Trucking and future initiatives

that focus on commercial motor vehicle safety, said OPP commissioner Vince Hawkes in a release.

DECEMBER 5

7:45 PM | A Wellington County OPP officer was monitoring traffic on County Road 7 near South Street in Elora when he observed a male driving a 2017 Nissan Rogue at a speed that appeared to be well above the posted 50 km/h speed limit. The vehicle was locked on radar in excess of 105km/h. The driver, a 42-year-old Guelph man, was stopped and charged with ‘race a motor vehicle’ contrary to the Highway Traffic Act. His driver’s licence and vehicle were seized for a period of seven days as per statute.

He is scheduled to appear in Guelph Provincial Court on January 3.

DECEMBER 6

9:01AM | Sometime between Dec. 2 and Dec. 5, a storage container located at a construction site behind Riverside Public School in Elmira was broken into. Various tools were taken from the William Street site.

The investigation is ongoing and police are asking anyone who may have observed a suspicious vehicle or person(s) in the area during that time to contact Waterloo Regional Police at 519-570-9777, ext. 4320 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

DECEMBER 10

10:59 AM | A 31-year-old New Hamburg man was driving a white

Pontiac northbound on Nafziger Road near Snyder’s Road West when he lost control of his vehicle, crossed into the other lane of traffic, and struck a southbound black Honda CRV, driven by a 42-year-old Baden man. No injuries were reported, but both vehicles were towed from the scene. The driver of the Pontiac was charged with ‘careless driving.’

8:48 PM | A 21-year old St. Catharines woman was driving a grey Buick eastbound on Lobsinger Line in Woolwich Township when she lost control of her vehicle, leaving the roadway and striking a guardrail. The driver was shaken up but did not receive any injuries. She was subsequently charged with ‘careless driving.’

DECEMBER 11

6:15 AM | Waterloo Regional Police responded to a report of a collision on Chilligo Road near Fife Road in Woolwich Township.

A Volkswagen Jetta, driven by a 22-year-old Guelph woman, was travelling south on Chilligo Road when the driver lost control on the snow-covered surface, left the roadway and collided with a hydro pole, causing the pole to snap. The driver was treated for minor injuries at the scene and the road remained closed for approximately five hour while hydro crews repaired the pole.

The vehicle was towed from the scene. No charges were laid.

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THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

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THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

SCHOOL BOARDS / GOVERNANCE

Public, Catholic school trustees re-elect their respective board chairs for 2018 Woolwich/Wellesley trustee Scott McMillan has been re-elected as chair of the Waterloo [FILE PHOTO] Region District School Board.

THE WATERLOO REGION DISTRICT School Board (WRDSB) and its Catholic (WCDSB) equivalent decided to stay the course for the 2018 year by last week re-electing trustees Scott McMillan and Wendy Price as their respective chairpersons.

For McMillan, an Elmira resident and relative newcomer to the board, this will be his second year as chairperson. In a sign of the positive influence of McMillan’s conciliatory tone, the oft-times fractious board members chose to unanimously back McMillan for the position.

“I was the only one nominated this time, and hopefully that’s an endorsement from the other trustees that they like the direction that the board’s going,” said McMillan. “Hopefully we can continue going in a good direction.”

The board has had a number of public spats with one another. Most recently, trustee Mike Ramsay was embroiled in a “code of conduct” violation that he described as “retribution” by other members of the board.

Ultimately, Ramsay was cleared of all charges in June after an investigation; however, in the same month, the members of the board (excluding McMillan as chair and a few others) admitted in an anonymous survey that they worked poorly together.

“It’s got its challenges for sure,” said McMillan of his position as chair.

“I think last year certainly provided some unique challenges with the code of conduct complaint that we had and trying to get trustees to work together.

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vious chairperson had to step down due to medical reasons. With eight years of experience as a trustee of the board, the Cambridge and North Dumfries representative is hoping to build upon with the schools’ success.

“Well hopefully we’ll continue to work on our achievement rates with our students and continue to look at our graduation rates and continue to improve them. They’ve done very well and we hope that we will continue to do that,” she said.

EQAO results for the Waterloo Catholic schools show 55 per cent of Grade 9 students in applied mathematics performing at or above the provincial level, down from 59 per cent last year, but still above the provincial average of

44 per cent. In academic mathematics, 83 per cent of students met provincial standards for the past four years.

McMillan and Price are expected to serve as chairs of their respective boards until the end of their terms in late 2018, when trustees will be on the ballot in the municipal election.

“We’re coming into an election year and I think it’s important that people pay attention to trustees,” said McMillan. “It’s an important position and its one that not a lot of people know about. But trustees do a lot of good work.

“Make sure you’re educating yourself on who the candidates are and then get out and vote,” he added.

The municipal elections are scheduled for October 22, 2018.

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per cent for the past four school years, in line with the provincial average.

At the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, trustee Wendy Price was re-elected as the board’s chair. A teacher of almost 30 years at the Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School in Cambridge, Price went almost immediately from the classroom to the boardroom after she retired from teaching in 2010.

“I still have a passion and an interest for Catholic education,” said Price about her continued involvement with the school system.

“I’m a big believer in being able to work with our students to teach them to be critical thinkers and to have a moral compass.”

Price was initially elected to the chair in September of this year, when the pre-

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McMillan sees Waterloo Region schools moving in a positive direction, with better EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office) scores and higher graduation rates, and he is hoping to continue pushing forward on those fronts. He credits the board for collectively working to put their differences aside to focus on the betterment of the school system.

According to the 201617 EQAO report for the WRDSB, 54 per cent of Grade 9 students were at or above the provincial standards in applied mathematics, up from 40 per cent two years ago, and above the provincial average of 44 per cent. Grade 9 students in academic maths, meanwhile, have consistently performed over 80

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8 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

GIVING: With a different focus every day, the

week offered up plenty of fun at Park Manor

NOTICE OF STUDY COMPLETION EASTSIDE LANDS SANITARY SERVICING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT The EA Study The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Region) has recently completed a Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) for the provision of sanitary servicing to the area known as the “East Side Lands”.

This Class EA study has built upon the approved 2014 East Side Lands Master Environmental Servicing Plan (MESP) andthe Region’s 2007 Wastewater Treatment Master Plan (WWTMP), both of which have included extensive public consultation in the past.

Alexis McKenzie working hard to pack up the Week of Giving haul that was later delivered to WCS.

The Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Process The Region has undertaken this study in accordance with the requirements for a Schedule ‘B’ project under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) (Municipal Engineers Association, June 2000, as amended in 2007, 2011 and 2015). The study completes Phases 1 to 4 of the Municipal Class EA Process.

FROM | 3

that are in need,” said McKenzie. “And it is important for us to remember the importance of giving back so that everybody can experience happiness and joy at any time of year.”

Study Findings

The week of giving also helps to make youth aware of not only the idea of giving back, but giving back in their community around a time when receiving is so thrilling.

“This will go back to our

[ALI WILSON / THE OBSERVER]

local community. What we really wanted to do this year, we wanted to make sure that we were hitting our local communities and local families because they are important to us,” said the teacher.

BUDGET: Wellelsey has the most to gain if

Based on the study findings, a preferred solution has been identified as gravity sewers without the need for a pumping station. The gravity sewer begins at a location north of Freeport Creek, is aligned through the Deer Ridge subdivision, and ends at the inlet of the Kitchener Wastewater Treatment Plant. A dedicated service bridge for the sewer pipe is proposed to cross above the Grand River.

region can improve ambulance response times

Environmental Study Report Available for Review

FROM | 3

An Environmental Study (ESR) which documents the study process and findings has been prepared and is available on the Region’s website at:

the region. In a November presentation to council, region staff showed Wellesley residents generally had to wait twice as long as the regional average for an ambulance response.

For “Code 4” calls, which are for the most severe emergencies, the regional response time in 2017 up to the end of October was

http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/aboutTheEnvironment/MasterPlansandProjects.asp The ESR is also available for viewing during regular business hours at the following locations between December 18, 2017 to January 31, 2018: The Regional Municipality of Waterloo Clerk’s Office 150 Frederick Street, 2nd Floor Kitchener, Ontario Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Regional Municipality of Waterloo Maple Grove Operations Centre 100 Maple Grove Rd., Front Reception Cambridge, Ontario Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

9:20. For Wellesley it was 18:41. The next highest response times were Wilmot with 15:01, followed by North Dumfries at 13:50 and Woolwich at 13:34.

However, while Wellesley experienced the longest response times in the region, it also made the least number of calls for paramedic services. There were only 364 calls made

Please provide written comments on the ESR to Ms. Nicole Sapeta, Region of Waterloo by the end of the business day on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, at the address provided below.

Nicole Sapeta, P.Eng. Project Engineer Water Services, Region of Waterloo 150 Frederick Street, 7th Floor Kitchener, Ontario N2G 4J3 Telephone: 519-575-4400 ext. 3682 Facsimile: 519-575-4452 Email: nsapeta@regionofwaterloo.ca All comments and information received from individuals, stakeholder groups and agencies regarding this project are being collected to assist the Region of Waterloo in making a decision. Under the “Municipal Act”, personal information such as name, address, telephone number, and property location that may be included in a submission becomes part of the public record. Questions regarding the collection of information should be referred to the person indicated above.

If concerns regarding this project cannot be resolved in discussion with the Region of Waterloo, a person or party may request that the Minister of Environment and Climate Change make an order for the project to comply with Part II of the Environmental Assessment Act (referred to as a Part II Order), which addresses individual environmental assessments. Requests for a Part II Order must be received by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change by Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at the following address: Minister of the Environment and Climate Change 77 Wellesley Street West, 11th Floor, Ferguson Block Toronto, Ontario M7A 2T5 Phone: 416-314-6790 Fax: 416-314-6748 Email: Minister.MOECC@ontario.ca The request to the Minister must be copied to the Region’s Project Manager. If no request is received

by Wednesday, January 31, 2018, this phase of the project will be deemed as complete.

This notice is being provided pursuant to the Environmental Assessment Act, the Municipal Engineers Association’s Municipal Class Environmental Assessment, dated October 2000, as amended in 2007, 2011, and 2015 and the direction of the Ministry of Environment.

This notice was first issued on December 14, 2017.

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between January and October of this year, versus the 43,000 made regionwide.

“It’s a challenge. There are issues that are certainly beyond the control of the dispatch people.

The wait times at the hospital are a big issue,” said Nowak. “Unload times, the ambulances are waiting to let their patients off and that takes time to do that and that keeps them away from other calls.”

Among the items in the 2018 budget being deliberated on, Nowak said he was keen to keep the Community Environmental Fund (CEF) going.

“I’m not sure how it’s going to go in the big scheme of things. It’s not a big budget item but it’s one that stood out for me,” he said ahead of Wednesday’s meeting.

Region staff requested councillors to approve the CEF, a reserve of $150,000 out of which grants can be awarded to various environmental projects in the region.

“It was very helpful for us in Wellesley Township to get the seed money to have some work done on the pond, to get an engineering report done on the pond. And I’m not sure how we would have done that without that support,” said Nowak.

NEWS | 9

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

TREES: Sale

YULETIDE / TRADITIONS

is the biggest fundraiser of the year

Victorian England is at the root of much of what we love about an old-fashioned Christmas

FROM | COVER

fun,” he said of mixing business with pleasure.

One of the primary fundraisers for Scouts for the year, the tree lot helps to subsidize activities for local participants. Camping trips and rock climbing are a few of Wilson’s favourites from among the activities made possible through the Scouting program.

“I like being outdoors and just learning new skills that some people don’t get to know; we get to go outside and have fun and go camping,” he said.

Each year they sell some 350 trees, which come from Kris Kringle Christmas Trees at Somerville Nurseries near Barrie.

Brian Soehner, the Scout group co-commissioner in Elmira, has been involved in the Christmas tree sales for 30 years now.

Looking around the park less than two weeks before the big day, you can see the options are becoming limited, yet he says you won’t find any picked-over trees here.

“Several years ago we decided to buy only numberone grade trees,” he said.

“So we pay a premium for that, we don’t have any Charlie Browns.”

Last year and the year before they sold out all 350, after all expenses they bring in anywhere between $5,000-$6,000.

“It is our biggest project of the year,” Soehner said.

Volunteers from the 1st Elmira Scout group can be found at Gore Park Monday to Friday 6-9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday, 12-5 p.m.

If you’re celebrating Christmas, chances are you’ve got an annual tradition or two associated with the season and its festivities. From picking out a tree, to the choice of decorations and even the trip to the store to buy presents, many of the things we do to mark the holiday can trace their roots back not to a manger in the Middle East but to a queen in England.

FAISAL ALI MANY OF OUR QUIRKY Christmas traditions can be traced back to Victorian England, and in fact to the old Monarch herself. Likewise, images of Christmas often reflect an idealized 19th century version depicted by Charles Dickens, whose A Christmas Carol is one of the most recognizable and iconic stories of the season.

Karen Richardson, curator at the Haldimand County Museum and Archives, explains that we owe quite a lot our current merriment to the time period, in particular to Queen Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert of Germany. After their marriage in 1840, the Prince brought his traditions with him to Buckingham Palace, including the iconic Christmas tree.

“They were the first to actually put one up in the palace, and it was a tabletop tree at the time, not a full length tree like we’re used to today,” says Richardson. Far from being the prudish type we often associate them as, the Victorians were actually a very sentimental and even romantic people, and decorated their trees with handmade ornaments

of deep personal value, she says.

“Sometimes they would put perhaps a dried bouquet of flowers that they may have got from a special boyfriend,” she says. Or they might decorate their trees with pictures of loved ones who had passed away or Christmas cards that were dear to them.

They also loved anything gilded in gold, says Richardson. “So sometimes they would actually gather acorns and gild them, and put them on the tree because the acorn means you have a very strong foundation in the home.” Butterfly ornaments, meanwhile, were the symbol for good luck, and many Victorians took their superstitions seriously.

One of the interesting practices to fall into obscurity was the German custom of hiding a glass pickle in the tree, that children had to find in order to win a prize. Richardson explains that because parents put a lot of work into the trees, they used the game to get their kids to fully appreciate the tree itself. Instead of just going straight for the gifts and candies, the kids would be forced to look at – and assumedly admire – the decorated tree while they searched for the hidden pickle ornament.

Sentiment and symbolism aside, Richardson notes that the yearly consumerism associated with the season is not a modern trend, but actually has its roots in

Victorian England as well.

“In the early stages of Victorian era, it was all homemade. But by the time we got to about the 1870s, it became a real marketing ploy to get Victorians to buy dolls and buy toys and buy presents for each other” says Richardson.

“At Christmas time, oh yes! They were the ones that started the big storefront windows with all the dolls and magical toys that the kids would want, and special perfumes and all that kind of stuff because it was all about ‘oh, let’s get them in here to shop.’ And so the 1870s really opened up the door for shopping and marketing [on] Christmas.”

Of course it’s not all presents and ornaments.

Christmas is also seen as a time of giving back and helping those in need. If there is one person in Victorian England we would associate the most with the era and Christmas, it might very well be Charles Dickens. And indeed, says Richardson, the author certainly made his mark on the Victorian social conscience with his portrayals of poverty and injustice in the country, sparking a charitable spirit in the people.

“It was because of Charles Dickens and his writings that the Victorians felt the need to give back.

So at Christmas time, especially, was the time that

they gave presents to homeless children, and did all the charity work, and wanted to make sure everybody had a proper meal and their proper working conditions for children ... and that was because of Charles Dickens.

He had a huge influence on the society and wanting them to be charitable,” says Richardson.

So when you’re sitting the living room, basking under the shiny bejeweled Christmas tree, eyeing the presents and drinking some eggnog, it’s a good a time as any to reflect on the long and strange traditions we’ve adopted from our Victorian predecessors.

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10 | COMMENT

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

JOE MERLIHAN PUBLISHER STEVE KANNON EDITOR

COMMENT

DONNA RUDY

PATRICK MERLIHAN

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OUR VIEW / EDITORIAL

THE VIEW FROM HERE

Wynne provides wrongdoings aplenty for AG CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY AND often to the handful of beneficiaries of Kathleen Wynne’s hydro giveaway. Ripped off consumers can expect nothing but a lump of coal, however.

Scratch that – coal is persona non grata in Wynne’s Ontario, so your stocking will be filled with the product of a wind turbine or solar panel: hot air.

Among the many shortcomings of Wynne’s government identified last week by Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk is some $260 million in ineligible expenses claimed by power plants, adding to the burden of Ontario’s expensive electricity system. Much of the blame for rising rates falls to mismanagement, including the government’s selloff of a valuable public resource in the name of Wynne’s reelection scheme.

More than $80 million of the ineligible claims remains unpaid, with the government making no effort to do right by consumers – there appears to be no Christmas miracle forthcoming, with Ontarians having to wait until the spring to send Wynne a charge of their own.

Lysyk’s report is a condemnation of much of Wynne’s energy program, particularly the poor management and lack of oversight of something called the Standby Cost Recovery Program, which appears to be something of a slush fund. It’s from there that the $260 million in suspect costs came, representing some 40 per cent of submissions from power plants under the program.

Her report notes that generators claimed thousands of dollars annually for staff car washes, carpet cleaning, road repairs, landscaping, scuba gear and raccoon traps. One generator claimed some $175,000 for coveralls and parkas at one facility over a two-year period, for instance. None of the expenses had anything to do with running power equipment on standby, Lysyk notes.

Opposition parties at Queen’s Park are calling for a deeper review, including a police investigation.

Adding the fiscal mismanagement charges, now legion, is the revelation that not only did Wynne fail to ignore repeated warnings about suspect payouts, her government rewarded poor oversight. Ontario Power Generation’s Tom Mitchell led the charge on the sunshine list while CEO from 2009 to 2015, but also in 2016 when he was given a $563,000 bonus a year after retiring.

The report notes that the Independent Electricity System Operator has not implemented some important recommendations made by the Ontario Energy Board’ over the last 15 years that could have saved Ontarians millions of dollars.

The electricity file is only one damning component of the auditor’s report, which chronicles mismanagement that extends from health care and emergency planning to the provincial real estate portfolio and crop insurance.

As has been the case with past reports, the auditor finds the government continues to spend taxpayers’ money attempting to convince taxpayers what a good job it’s doing – last year it spent $58 million on advertising, about a third of which was on ads “to make the government look good.”

Perhaps most notable, Lysyk reiterated the findings in a special report from earlier this year when she called into question the very accounting model used by the government. “Incorrect accounting treatments” have been used to make it appear Wynne had balanced the books, concealing actual deficits and a ballooning debt.

In some circles, that would be called fraud.

When it comes to claims about the premier, most Ontarians know exactly what’s what.

WORLD VIEW / GWYNNE DYER

Trump’s mucking about another nail in peace’s coffin WORLD AFFAIRS “All of us are saying: ‘Hey, United States, we don’t think this is a very good idea’,” said Jordan’s King Abdullah II in 2002, when it became clear that President George W. Bush was going to invade Iraq.

But Bush didn’t listen, and it turned out to be an extremely bad idea.

This time, with President Donald J. Trump about to announce that the United States will recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. embassy there, King Abdullah simply sounded resigned: “The adoption of this resolution will have serious implications for security and stability in the Middle East.”

He knows there’s no point in protesting, even if it ends up meaning that Jordan has to break diplomatic relations with Israel.

Trump is simply keeping a campaign promise he made in order to win the votes of American Jews and evangelicals, and he neither knows or cares about the

implications of his decision for the Middle East.

Neither does he care that he is abandoning an American policy that has endured for seven decades and is still observed by every other country with an embassy in Israel. They are all down on the coast, in Tel Aviv, because the final status of Jerusalem in international law is still to be determined.

It’s still up in the air because the 1947 United Nations resolution that recommended the creation of independent Jewish and Arab states in Palestine also put Jerusalem under a separate Special International Regime, since it is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.

That never happened, because the UN resolution triggered a war that left Jerusalem divided between Israel and what remained of Arab Palestine (all of which was promptly annexed by Jordan and Egypt). And since the Old City, the heart of Jerusalem, was now part of Jordan and exclusively Arab in population, all the embassies stayed in Tel Aviv.

In the 1967 war Israel

conquered the eastern, Arab-majority part of Jerusalem (and all the rest of Palestine too), and in 1980 it declared that the entire ‘reunited’ city would be Israel’s eternal capital. The embassies still didn’t move, however, because Israel had no more right to annex East Jerusalem in 1980 than Jordan did in 1948.

International law no longer allows borders to be moved by force.

Nothing has changed since then. There are 88 foreign embassies in Tel Aviv, and not one in Jerusalem. This is inconvenient, since most Israeli government offices are up in Jerusalem, but diplomats and foreign ministries generally take international law quite seriously. They’d gladly move if Jerusalem were internationally recognized as Israel’s capital, but it is not.

This view of things is enshrined in the Oslo accords of 1993, a U.S.-sponsored pact that has defined the Arab-Israeli ‘peace process’ for the past quarter-century. It leaves the final status of Jerusalem to be decided by negotiations between the two parties – although,

significantly, Israel did not cancel its 1980 annexation of Arab Jerusalem when it signed the accord.

Now in fact, everybody knows that Israel has no intention of ever giving up Jerusalem as its capital, and that it is too strong for any combination of Arab countries to force it to do so. Everybody realizes (or should realize) that the ‘peace process’ has actually been dead for at least a decade, and that there is currently no possibility of resurrecting it. So this whole fuss is just about symbolism – but symbols matters.

Everybody goes on pretending that there is a ‘peace process,’ just as they pretend that the status of Jerusalem is still unsettled and that the United States is neutral between Israel and the Palestinians, because these fictions allow the Arabs, and especially the Palestinians, to pretend they have not lost the struggle decisively. But they have, at least for this generation.

What Trump is doing now, for no better reason DYER | 13

COMMENT | 11

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

THEIR VIEW / QUESTION OF THE WEEK

How do you stay active in the winter?

» Aveline Rice

» Rebecca Przychodzki

» Caleb Ray

» Madison Malloy

» Natasha Walton

“Me and my family go skating at the arena.”

“I like to go sledding with my family.”

“Building snowmen.”

“When it snows I go down to the golf course and go sledding.”

“Going skiing.”

“Armageddon is what the Bible prophesies, in their reading of it, and they eagerly await the prophecy’s fulfillment.” Gwynne Dyer | 10 HIS VIEW / STEVE KANNON

Power imbalances lead to issues that go beyond Weinstein-like sexual misconduct EDITOR'S NOTES WE’VE SEEN SOMETHING OF a tipping point where sexual abuse and harassment are concerned in the post-Weinstein era. Shining a light on a long-unspoken blight is but the beginning.

We’ve got a long way to go before the status quo changes: those in power take what they want, typically without fear of reprisal.

That applies to more than just unwanted sexual advances. Abuse of power is rampant, particularly in corporate and political circles, extending well beyond the casting couch.

A spate of high-profile cases in the entertainment world have finally put a spotlight on an issue that has surfaced now and then for years. It’s much the same story in the political sphere, where past revelations caused a scandal, but no real discussion of the underlying issues we see today. Think of the likes of Bill Clinton and Newt Gin-

grich to Anthony Weiner and Donald Trump.

Since Harvey Weinstein came to our attention for all the wrong reasons, we see accusations in a new light, one that didn’t have the same resonance with, say, Bill Cosby or even Trump’s electoral bid last year.

In the past, the outrage and the stories themselves quickly blew over. There was no real accountability, and a sense of a boys-willbe-boys mentality.

Now, there’s a growing list of men who wish Weinstein hadn’t opened the floodgates, the likes of Charlie Rose, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Al Franken and Matt Lauer.

Add to that list Roy Moore, the would-be Alabama senator.

This is not a partisan issue – it’s about power, no matter what stripe.

The tax bills being steamrolled through the U.S. Congress speak to the influence money and power still have: the budget is bad for all but the wealthiest of Americans, but those are precisely the people who own the

HOW TO REACH US

up anger and shame spilled out, setting off a tidal wave – and an even bigger tsunami is needed, washing through all aspects of society, especially those places farthest away from the glamour of Tinsel Town.

Whether there’s a systemic change that provides equality to those suffering from the power imbalance – in this case, women, but society is rife with other minority issues – or just a storm that the boys-willbe-boys mindset has to ride out is yet to be determined. Is this a moment or a movement?

The public reaction thus far has been encouraging, suggests Alexandra Schwartz, a staff writer at The New Yorker, in a discussion on NPR. But there’s a long way to go.

“It would be really nice if misogyny could be ended by finding and eliminating one perpetrator. But no one man is accountable for the patriarchy. It is a power structure that relies on a network of people and institutions who have all bought into the same lies,” she says. “We can, and should, keep finding

the stories of abuse buried throughout the industry.

But we also have to think about why these men have internalized what they did, so that we can start to undo this harm for the future.

How is it that so many men determined that their actions would be acceptable or even encouraged? Where do these preconceptions of what it means to wield power and how one goes about having sex come from?”

From Weinstein to Trump, women are naming names because they now have the freedom to do so.

Some of the accusers have fame and power of their own, giving them both credibility and leverage.

That’s not always the case.

In fact, those most likely to face an abuse of power are those with little of their own.

Unite Here, a union representing the likes of hospitality, textile and food service workers in the U.S. and Canada, sees plenty of imbalance. On the sexual harassment front, that applies widely in industries where workers are predominantly female and paid

poorly.

When the union surveyed hotel and casino workers in Chicago last year, for instance, it found that 58 per cent of hotel workers and 77 per cent of those working in casinos had been harassed by a guest. (In a who-woulddo-that-kind-of-thing moment, 49 per cent of those working in hotels had experienced a situation where a guest answering their knock at the door was naked.)

That may have been part of what prompted the city to pass an ordinance this summer mandating that all hotel housekeepers and those working alone in a guest’s room should have a panic button.

The need for such rules is indicative of a problem that goes well beyond Hollywood and Washington.

Awareness is the first step, to be followed by an environment that allows all victims of abuse, sexual or otherwise, to speak freely without fear of retribution.

That goes beyond policies and codes of conduct KANNON | 13

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politicians, many of whom have acknowledged their support for the budget is all about keeping the donations coming. That means keeping the donors happy – that’s is all that matters, the public good be damned.

Sex and money and power go hand in hand. The fourth horseman is abuse.

While politicians have yet to suffer the same amount of pushback as those in Hollywood does not yet negate the idea we’ve reached a tipping point. (A large chunk of voters in Alabama notwithstanding.)

Some men have undoubtedly paid a price for their actions, but the issue runs deeper than payback to a few high-profile cases.

It’s a systemic problem, a power imbalance that has fostered abuse for all of recorded history ... and then some. And it’s not going away anytime soon.

Stories of Weinstein’s predilections circulated in Hollywood for decades, with everyone turning a blind eye due to his power and influence. With the silence broken, all the pent

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12 | COMMENT

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

Wishing you a Blessed Christmas!

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COMMENT | 13

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

THE MONITOR

VERBATIM

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

Some 25,700 Ontario college students, about 10% of the total, dropped out of school as a result of the five-week strike that shuttered province’s 24 colleges.

“We know OPG was gaming the system at the same time hydro rates were skyrocketing, seniors were getting their power disconnected, and families were afraid to open their hydro bills.

How did the government respond? They ignored warning after warning after warning, and then they rewarded the former CEO of OPG with a bonus worth half a million dollars.”

Police are seeking information regarding two men who fled the scene of a suspicious house fire in Wellesley Village Tuesday night.

Two males emerged from a duplex at 1020 Molesworth St. at the onset of the fire, both with flames coming from their clothing. They extinguished those fires by rolling around on the ground and in the snow and then fled the scene. Firefighters from all three township stations tackled the blaze. Damage was pegged at $200,000.

» Ministry of Advanced Education statistics

» Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown takes aim at the Wynne government’s latest

» From the Dec. 13, 2008 edition of The Observer

fumbling of the hydro file, including $260 million in payments of ineligible costs and a $563,000 bonus paid to a retired OPG executive

DYER: Some welcome moving

NATIONAL VIEW

one step closer to Armegeddon

FROM | 10

than to keep some American voters happy, is rubbing the Arabs’ noses in their defeat. Being normal human beings, they will respond by re-opening the struggle – not to the point where they risk being destroyed by Israel, but at least enough to save face and do a lot of damage.

Some Arab countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel (and even some other Muslim countries) will feel compelled to downgrade them or cut ties completely. Jordan and Egypt, which actually have peace treaties with Israel, may be forced to

reconsider them. The Palestinians may feel obliged to launch a third intifada, just to show that somehow they are still in the game. It won’t be Armageddon, but it could get quite ugly.

There is one important group of pro-Trump voters, however, who would be delighted if it did turn into a real war: white evangelical Christians, or at least the ‘dispensationalists’ amongst them.

Armageddon is what the Bible prophesies, in their reading of it, and they eagerly await the prophecy’s fulfillment. Even if it comes at the hand of a thrice-married pussygrabber.

KANNON: On the whole, we’re

moving in the wrong direction FROM | 11

– most workplaces, for example, have such things, to little avail in some cases – to a change in our culture.

More equality, specifically economic equality, would

Season’s Greetings to you and yours

go a long way to righting the imbalance.

While we’re doing some good post-Weinstein, the big picture shows us moving in the wrong direction where economic inequality is concerned.

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Thinking of you and wishing you a season of heavenly peace.

THE OBSERVER OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED FRIDAY DECEMBER 22, 2017 AT 12 NOON AND WILL RESUME BUSINESS TUESDAY JANUARY 2, 2018

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14 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

SPORTS SKATING / DANCING ON ICE

An early start paying dividends for young local ice dancers Wellesley pair winning all kinds of competitions and accolades this season, with an eye towards future appearance at the Olympic Games ALI WILSON A WELLESLEY ICE DANCING pair have made a name for themselves at the national level.

At the tender ages of 12 and 14, Sophia Kagolovskaya and Kieran MacDonald sprung into the spotlight this season – winning medals at both the provincial and national level.

Ice dancing, in which the skating emulates ballroom dancing on ice, differs from pairs figure skating in that the competitors don’t include throws and overhead lifts in their routines.

Carleigh MacDonald has been coaching the pair for five or so years now – with a special connection to the two, being Kieran’s older sister.

The former skater picked up coaching around the same time the young athletes made their switch from Kitchener Waterloo Skating Club to someplace a little closer to home, Ayr. “They were at the same club, coached by the same coach before me and they both actually had partners before they started skating together,” she said, explaining they were put together based on size, skills and aesthetics.

The partners medaled at every competition they entered this season. Among their achievements, the two

were selected to travel to British Columbia and represent Ontario at the BC Summer Skate event, where they proudly took home the gold.

Rounding out the season, the two competed against 30 teams from across Canada at a three-day 2018 Skate Canada Challenge Event held in Pierrefonds, QC just last month, taking home the silver medal.

To qualify, the pair had two options: place top-five overall in the Skate Canada national summer series, which they did, or qualify through sectionals, where the pair also received gold.

During the national competition, the first portion saw the pair do two pattern dances.

“They were in first after that and got two personalbest scores there,” said the coach.

The following day was their free dance.

“They placed second on that, but their total score was a three-point personal best and had they skated earlier in the event they would have had a Canadian record. The team that beat them by 0.26 had the record, so it was very, very close, but it was really good experience for them,” said the coach.

A good experience indeed, having competed in SKATERS | 17

The

Hare hunting your way to health and happiness OPEN COUNTRY AS I WRITE THIS, there is just about seven inches of snow on our front lawn.

The good news is I will not have to mow it any time soon. The bad news is, I will probably be tempted to hunt for varying hares.

Most people think of this as bad news for the hares – and, boy, are they ever mistaken. Hunting hares is one of those things that desperate hunters do when all the other hunting opportunities are no longer available.

It begins as a cold, damp and often exhausting activity. But after you squeeze yourself in to last year’s snow pants, it’s just plain frustrating. For the hares, however, it is their version of satellite TV – basically the most entertaining thing about winter.

Don’t get me wrong.

Hunting hares can be a lot of fun – but only if you see them first. Yes, if you see a white animal sitting perfectly still under a bunch of branches on a snowy, white backdrop first.

The old adage is look for the glistening black marbles of their eyes against the snow. This should not

Wellesley residents Kieran MacDonald and Sophia Kagolovskya took home the silver medal at the Skate Canada Challenge event in Pierrefonds, QC just last month.

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SPORTS | 15

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

GALEA: Desperate times call for desperate measures, which is why we go hunting for hares FROM | 14

be confused with the glistening black pellets they leave behind, though it often is.

Most times, a hare hunt is merely a walk, often on snowshoes, through conifer forests, swamp edges and other places where delinquent branches conspire to remove your hat and then dump snow down the back of your collar. Of

course, this does not always happen. Sometimes the snow gets dumped down your plumber’s crack.

On occasion you will see this ambush coming. So you will smile knowingly, take a side step to avoid it and promptly jam the tip of your snowshoe under a buried log so that you can do a proper face plant in the snow.

Then, you will pick your-

self up and dust the snow out of your eyes, only to see a snowshoe hare run off.

Now, let’s talk about what happens on a bad hare hunt.

Just kidding.

On the plus side, hare hunts are actually a great way for the hunter to develop fitness, but only in that, if you hunt for hares more than a few times each winter, you’ll soon want to take up cross country skiing.

One of the worst things about hare hunting is the hat head you get after snowshoeing for hours and building up a sweat that you’d rarely attain in summer.

The worst example for me happened a few years ago after spending hours and hours traversing a cedar swamp and building up quite a lather. Despite all this, I only put up two hares, each of which I

stares, since I was now in a more urban area. But wouldn’t you know it, people still immediately figured out that I had been chasing hares and was unsuccessful to boot.

As much as I tried to wipe off the sweat on my brow, people immediately noticed.

In fact, the woman who served me whispered to her co-worker that I was having a bad hare day.

missed cleanly.

By the time I left the woods, I was soaked, shivering, frustrated and had sweat dripping down my head. So I stopped at a local coffee shop to buy a hot chocolate and a donut to stoke the furnace and regroup.

Before entering, I took off my hunter orange coat and hat and all my hunting paraphernalia so that I wouldn’t get too many

HOCKEY / JUNIOR B

Kings go through another weekend at .500 Split comes via a strong road win in Guelph, followed by letdown when returning to home ice against Kitchener ALI WILSON DOMINATING THE HURRICANES WITH a 6-1 road victory on Saturday, the Elmira Sugar Kings fell flat the following day en route to a 4-1 home-ice loss to the Kitchener Dutchmen.

The first of weekend games saw the Kings skate to a 6-1 victory at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph Saturday night, a big part of that win being Tyler Beauparlant’s four-point game.

It was his second weekend back after being cleared for an upper body injury, with Beauparlant saying he was happy to contribute to his team.

“It is great to be back.

I miss the game,” said Beauparlant. “I think a big part of my success was my teammates – we played as a really good team yesterday.

Also, the work off the ice is really important when you’re injured, making sure you stay focused and the mentality that you want to be back and in game shape.”

His hard work did not go unrecognized.

“He brings so many things to our team. He brings offence, he brings veteran leadership, he brings momentum swings – he is a guy that we can throw out on the ice when we need to shut things down or kick off offensively,” said head coach Trent Brown of Beauparlant. “We were missing that jump aspect from our game, that energy that he provides too. Iit is great to get that jolt from him back.”

Ryan Takamatsu started the game off for the Kings with a goal at 8:11 from Beauparlant. Guelph answered back with their only goal, a power play marker at 13:53.

Ethan Wiseman reclaimed the lead with a shorthanded goal unassisted at 14:30. Wrapping

The Kings celebrate Jeremey Goodwin’s goal Sunday afternoon that signalled the tossing of hats and mitts onto the ice. up the first, Jeremey Goodwin extended the lead from Wiseman and former Hurricane Braydon Munn with 30 seconds left.

“He was excellent, he might have been our best player on the ice,” Brown said of Munn. “His ability to see the ice and then execute his options, it really helped against Guelph.

Obviously he has familiarity against those players and those systems; he was excellent.”

Beauparlant scored his first of the game at 2:54 after Guelph took a penalty, assisted by Tyler Biles and Wiseman. His second goal also came on the power play, this one at 7:38 from Wiseman and Munn.

“Our special team executed very well,” said the coach. “We pushed the pace of the game. We executed what we needed to execute in terms of getting pucks deep and exposing their defense.”

In the third, Beauparlant completed the hat trick at 12:30, putting the Kings up 6-1, the final score when the buzzer sounded. Tyler McBay and Biles picked up assists.

While Beauparlant would pick up another assist, things didn’t go nearly as well for the Kings the following night at home against the Kitchener

Dutchmen.

The visitors scored the only goal of a quiet opening period – shots were 6-5 Elmira. While things livened up in the second, most of the excitement wasn’t the kind the home crowd was hoping for.

Kitchener made it 2-0 with a goal at 6:19 before Goodwin got the Kings on the board with a power play marker at 15:24, from Beauparlant and Biles.

That brought a shower of hats and mitts onto the ice, a collection effort for Woolwich Community Services.

“It was pretty special,” said Goodwin of the goal.

“It is for a good cause.

I think that anybody could’ve scored it and its going to feel the same to me – it’s going to a good cause.”

That was as close as the game got. Just over three minutes later, Kitchener rounded out the frame’s scoring to make it 3-1 after 40 minutes.

Having outshot the visitors 16-8 in the middle period, the Kings looked flat in the third – the Dutchmen put 11 shots on netminder Rhett Kimmel, getting one by him, while the home side could must just four shots.

“We have to get back to 60-minute, Sugar King hockey. Tonight I thought that we were chasing the game all over the ice. It doesn’t matter who is out of the lineup – it matters who’s in the lineup, because those are the guys that can help you or hurt you, and tonight we failed to execute on a number of levels,” said Brown following the game Sunday.

The Kings are back in Guelph Thursday night to take on the Hurricanes (7-18-1) before returning home Sunday for a matinee against the Stratford Warriors (21-8). Game time at the WMC is 2 p.m.

Tyler Beauparlant takes a shot in Sunday afternoon’s game that the Kings ultimately lost to Kitchener. He picked up a point, but had a much better time of it in Guelph the night before.

[ALI WILSON / THE OBSERVER]

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16 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

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SPORTS | 17

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

Season’s Greetings

Sophia Kagolovskaya and Kieran MacDonald are joined by their coach Carleigh MacDonald at the competition last month that wrapped up the pair’s pre-novice career.

[SUBMITTED]

SKATERS: Pair is moving on up in the world FROM | 14

the national competition only once before – placing eighth – the silver-medal finish showed a big improvement in their skills.

However the most recent success didn’t come overnight, as it’s been a long road.

“It is funny to look back.

We laugh about it because their very first season together they got last at every single competition that they did; we joke about it all of the time, that year compared to the last few seasons, because they have had so much success from pre-juvenile all the way up to pre-novice,” said MacDonald. “It makes me happy and it makes me proud that they do so well.”

The two have skated together for six competitive seasons, having started individually at the ripe age of 4.

Kieran’s origin was more circumstantial.

“Kieran had no choice, I guess, he was there since birth, so he just wanted to skate,” explained Sandra Couper, Kieran’s mom, noting that in addition to Carleigh skating, her eldest son

had as well.

“I kind of grew up in the rink,” Kieran confirmed.

Sophia, however, sort of fell into the sport. Or, rather, she didn’t, so to speak.

After a pre-school visit to the Wellesley arena for a skate, her steadiness on the blades garnered some attention.

“I noticed that she hardly ever falls. She was very cautious, and in general she is cautious, but she didn’t fall,” said her mother, Natalia Trubochkina. “She would just stand and then walk a little bit very, very slowly, and somebody said, ‘Well, when did she start?’ and I said, ‘It’s her first time.’”

“I called my husband and said well I think we found a sport for her.”

Sophia still remembers her first skates she wore: pink, with Velcro straps.

However, those days are long gone. Now, the two train five days a week for a total of 20 hours. The dream has not come without sacrifices and hard work on a strict schedule that sees the two with a jam-packed day on ice before school, online classes for school, dance, a second on-ice training ses-

sion and off-ice conditioning stint daily throughout the week.

In addition to their daily training, the two also travel across the border to Novi, Michigan twice a month where they train with Olympic-level athletes under coach Igor Shpilband and his team. After seeing a tape of the two skating, he warmly invited them to come down and skate this past spring.

“They work with his team of coaches there. It is absolutely great that they are on the ice with the world medalists and junior world medalists – it’s an amazing atmosphere for them to go down to,” explained the coach, noting they are by far the smallest ones. “It is good for them to see where they have to get to and more eyes are always good as well.”

As for the goal, it’s unanimous: the Olympics.

Although the season is wrapped up for now, and the Olympics are still a few years off, the pair is preparing to move up from pre-novice to novice, which will see new dances and components added to their résumé.

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Tiny tots took to the ice at the WMC on Sunday afternoon during the first intermission of the Sugar Kings game. The young athletes put on quite a show for the crowd, scoring a handful of goals at each end. [ALI WILSON / THE OBSERVER]

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18 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

HOCKEY / JUNIOR C

Jacks go on the offensive to win a pair of road games Wellesley follows up a 7-2 win over the Travellers in Delhi with an even bigger 9-2 victory against the Burford Bulldogs ALI WILSON PERHAPS SOME SEASONAL MAGIC rubbed off on the Applejacks, as the team parlayed a Friday night appearance at the Wellesley Christmas Tyme Parade into a pair of decisive wins over the rest of the weekend.

In Delhi Saturday night, the Jacks beat the Travellers 7-2, only to go one better – well, two better – the following night in Burford, handing the Bulldogs a 9-2 defeat.

“Two wins, we will take that anytime,” said head coach Brad Gerber. “It was a good weekend for a lot of

players. The scoring was pretty spread out, which is always nice. So, yeah, it was a good weekend for the guys, that’s for sure” Delhi has yet to win a game this season, and the Jacks were in no mood to see that change, having won the previous two games. They made it three, getting goals up and down the roster, with Kyle Soper posting a four-point night via a hat trick and an assist.

Soper got things rolling with a goal at 2:31, assisted

by Zach Ribeiro and Ryan Sparkes. The Jack’s Shaun Pickering padded the lead with an unassisted goal at 10:03.

Soper saw his second of the game at 15:20, from Sparkes and Ribeiro. And Pickering (Alex Uttley, Trent Dundas) finished off the period with his second to make it 4-0.

Delhi finally got on the board just over halfway through the middle frame, but Wellesley’s Will Martin scored at 13:31 from Lamarche to extend the lead to 5-1.

Soper snatched a hatty before the end of the second, from Sparkes and Gerber at 18:32, to wrap up the frame.

The Travellers managed one more at 11:12, but the game was long over

PARADISE & DISTRICT LIONS CLUB

The Paradise and District Lions Club would like to thank the following businesses and individuals who generously contributed $50.00 or more to our 10th Annual Tree of Light Campaign which was another resounding success!

SPECIAL THANKS to Andrew, CIBC, St. Clements Branch, Creative Hair Works, Exotic Wings & Pet Things, Father Martin Mikulski, Heart & Home, Heidelberg Parks and Recreation, in Season Home + Garden, Jason Barry and daughter, Jeff Tanner and daughter, Kate’s Hair Den, Laura Kelly, My Sister’s Kitchen, St. Clements Arena, St. Clements Library, St. Clements Recreation Service Board, St. Clements Roman Catholic Church, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and Styles By Lori for their continuing support.

MAJOR BENEFACTORS DTI LOGISTICS CANADA INC. EXOTIC WINGS & PET THINGS (Mark, Lisa and Emma Koenig) GORD EARL and the ST. CLEMENTS OLD TIMERS HOCKEY HERRGOTT INDUSTRIES LIMITED

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TREE TOP STAR – OVER $50 Bender Developments Ltd. Helen Brick CMT Engineering Inc. Richard Chandler Dietrich Plumbing & Pump Ltd. Forwell Electric Bill and Mary Haffner Hank’s Auto Wreckers Keith Hehn Heidelberg Recreation Association Ted and Diane Hennebry K & K Liquidation and Auction Ltd.

Greg Lapienes Murray and Bev Lorentz Murray and Marlene Miles John Pfaffinger St. Clements Heart & Home Steed and Evans Limited Gerard and MaryAnn Stemmler Stemmler Meats and Cheese (Heidelberg) Inc. Paul and Jo-Anne Straus and Family Jay and Wendy Sutherland (Relectronic – Remech Inc.) Jim and Judy Taziar Dr. Erin Walker

by then. Brady Gerber wrapped up the scoring, assisted by Soper and Sparkes at 18:45. The final score was 7-2.

“Delhi is a team that, they don’t have a very good record obviously, but they work hard, so we wanted to make sure that we were ready to go,” coach Gerber said. “We were winning 4-0 after the first period and that’s the start we wanted, for sure, down there especially. We had three lines going for us that night and every line contributed. That was a good win for us.”

The team was off to Burford the following evening. Having come across victories the three prior meetings, the Jacks didn’t disappoint and increased their on the road record to 9-4, showing they are a force to be reckoned with in enemy territory.

As with the stop in Delhi, Wellesley scored early and often, eventually peppering Burford netminder Curtis D’Orentzio with 63 shots. At the other end of the ice, Wellesley’s Ryan Hergott faced just 29 shots, the ice seeming to tip the other way.

“We have been telling the guys for quite some time, if not most of the season, we want them to shoot the puck more, get the puck to the net and then go to the net,” said Gerber. “There is good goaltending in the league, but the goaltenders

do allow rebounds and all the goals don’t have to be pretty tic-tac-toe goals.

Most goals come in the ugly way and that’s going to the net hard and crashing and banging – we have been telling the guys to shoot a lot more and they definitely did just that in Burford with the 63 shots.”

In addition to the overall offensive push, it was another four-point game for a Jack. This time it was Pickering pulling off a hat trick in the first, with an assist coming later during the 9-2 win.

Pickering got the ball rolling with a goal at 3:30 from Uttley and Jack’s captain Spencer Brick. Brady Gerber picked up the Jack’s second goal on the power play from Ribeiro and Nathan Schlupp at 7:56.

Pickering got his second of the game from Uttley at 8:26, and rounded out his hat trick at 10:24 from Uttley and Brick extending the lead 4-0 by the end of the first.

Brick got one half way through the second, from Pickering and Uttley.

While Tomas Azzano, from Sparkes, wrapped up the second-period scoring for the Jack’s at 13:30.

However, Burford made it on the board before the end of the frame to make the score 6-1 in the Jack’s favour.

Wellesley’s Gerber opened up the final frame

with a goal from Soper and Greg Huber. Burford answered back with one of their own at 7:47 to complete scoring for the home team.

The Jack’s, however, weren’t quite finished just yet, with Ribeiro potting one from Dundas and MacInnis at 10:32, followed

by Soper from Azzano and Dundas to make it 9-2 by the time the buzzer sounded.

“It is nice to get scoring from all three lines. Our defenseman, both nights joined in and played some good games for us, so all in all it was a good weekend,” said Gerber. “Anytime you can get four points on the road, you know it’s a good weekend. We are quite happy.”

The Jacks (14-10-1-1) are on the road Thursday night in Ayr to face the Centennials (21-4-0-2) before returning home to play against the Woodstock Navy Vets (19-6-0-1). Game time is 7:30 p.m.

“Woodstock is a good team. We haven’t played them for quite a while now and they won the first two games – both games were close, but we are excited to get them in our barn and hopefully get two points from them this time. We owe ‘em one,” Gerber said.

“We are looking forward to the weekend, getting more points and keep moving up in the standings.”

SUN RAYS GET IN ON THE ACTION

$50 STRANDS Anonymous Auto Fleet Services Inc. Wendy Basse and Brenda Bender Mike, Lori, Dustin and Nikki Beam Darlene and Charlie Bechthold Janet and Dave Robb Diane Bender Louis and Mary Bender Marg Blundell/Carol Weidinger/ Gerri Howell/Annette Kuhn C. T. Tooling Inc. Creative Hair Works – Janet Holland Lisa, Brad and Emily Culbert Curry/Linseman/MacDermott Families Firm Foundations – Jane Warner, Chiropodist Wes and Eylene Fraser Paul and Linda Frey Doris Hartman Heidelberg Metal Inc. The Olde Heidelberg Restaurant & Tavern Marie Hergott and Family Mark and Susanne Hergott Jones Feed Mills Ltd.

Denise and Murray Jordan and Family and Deb and Dave Roeder and Family Jackie Kuhn and Jeffrey Kuhn Jim Kuhn and Family Rick and Beth Kumpf Donna Lynne Lamont Anne/Patty/Janet Lienhardt The Marshall Family Jim and Ken Meyer Jake Redpath Richmond Heating & Air Pamela Ringrose Paediatric Physiotherapy Margaret Schuller Carolyn Siopiolosz and Family Carl Smit Dolores Straus Grandchildren Sun Construction John and Denise Sutherland Tri Con Haid Concrete Finishing Ltd. Verspagen Family Voisin Chrysler Ltd. Doug and Barb Wagner The Harold and David Walser Families James Witmer

The Woolwich Sun Rays’ goalie blocks a shot from an advancing Orangeville Wolves forward Saturday morning at the WMC in Elmira.

[ALI WILSON / THE OBSERVER]

SPORTS | 19

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

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20 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

LENDING A HAND ON THE ICE TO HELP OTHERS KEEP WARM THIS WINTER

Players from the Woolwich Wild helped to pick up hats and mitts tossed onto the ice when the Elmira Sugar Kings scored during Sunday afternoon’s game at the WMC. All of the items were donated to Woolwich Community Services.

[ALI WILSON / THE OBSERVER]

THE SCORE

WOOLWICH WILDCATS

Novice: AE Dec 09 vs Centre Wellington fusion Home: 3 Visitor: 1 Goals: Colton Sinclair, Matthew Kochut, Levi Adams Assists: Zach Carter (2) Shutouts: Thomas McCarthy

Novice: MINOR Dec 06 vs Tyke MD Home: 7 Visitor: 2 Goals: Cody Paquet (1), Carter Crane (1)

Novice: NOVICE LL #2 Dec 09 vs Beverly Home: 3 Visitor: 5 Goals: Zion Shadd (2), Grant Rintoul Assists: Aiden Basler, Jackson Wolfe

Novice: MAJOR Dec 09 vs Brampton Home: 16 Visitor: 0 Goals: Zack Forwell (4), Mason Gear, Cameron Fisher (2), Cruz Balog, Colton Brito (4), Liam Straus, Max Krasovec, Evan Hall, Reese Martin Assists: Rhys Taylor, Reese Martin, Evan Hall, Nolan Martin (2), Cameron Fisher (2), Liam Straus

Shutouts: Cohen Patterson/ Cohen Hamburger

Shutouts: Carson Waechter

Novice: MAJOR Dec 11 vs New Hamburg Home: 2 Visitor: 1 Goals: Liam Straus, Cruz Balog Assists: Zack Forwell, Reese Martin

Dec 07 vs Erin-Hillsburgh Devils Home: 2 Visitor: 2 Goals: Karsten Smith, Ethan Burkholder Assists: Connor Goebel, Josh Carson

Atom: MAJOR AE

Atom: MAJOR A

Dec 04 vs Guelph Home: 2 Visitor: 6 Goals: Patrick McCarthy, Tyler Gingrich Assists: Haiden Wagner, Hayden Weber, Blake Dueck

Atom: MAJOR AE Dec 10 vs Flamborough Home: 3 Visitor: 2 Goals: Tyler Gingrich, Carter Snider, Haiden Wagner Assists: Gavin Sager, Haiden Wagner, Austin Roth, Tyler Gingrich, Blake Dueck

Atom: A Dec 10 vs Brampton Home: 7 Visitor: 0 Goals: Sutton Meier, Mitchell Krasovec, Spencer Hume (5) Assists: Michell Krasovec, Adam Bloch, Sutton Meier, Carter Weir, Declan Martin (2), Alex Veitch, Mac Zettel

Atom: MAJOR A

PeeWee: MAJOR A Dec 07 vs Halton Hills Red Home: 4 Visitor: 4 Goals: Mason Spark (2), Joey Martin, Ryan Brubacher Assists: Jordan Chang, Ethan Bickerton

Home: 3 Visitor: 2 Goals: Cameron Leonard, Michael Hayes, Eric Lacey Assists: Owen Lee, Eric Lacey, Ethan Birmingham, Nate Snyder

Bantam: MAJOR A

Dec 09 vs Caledonia Hawks Home: 1 Visitor: 4 Goals: Danny Schaefer Assists: Keaten Kidd, Evan Woods

Dec 09 vs Brampton Home: 4 Visitor: 2 Goals: Ethan Bickerton, Ethan Martin, Joey Martin (2) Assists: Ryan Brubacher, Eric Hutton, Will Lavigne

Dec 11 vs Caledon Hawks Home: 4 Visitor: 0 Goals: Carter Servais, Austin Becker, Owen Lee, Eric Lacey Assists: Kolin Weigel (2), Alex Hutton, Cameron Leonard, Kyler Austin Shutouts: Kody Lewis

Atom: MAJOR A

PeeWee: MAJOR AE

Jr. Sugar Kings

Dec 11 vs Burlington Eagles Home: 4 Visitor: 2 Goals: Danny Schaefer, Karsten Smith, Brandon Fishman, Evan Woods Assists: Brandon Fishman, Drew Snyder, Owen Weppler, Keaten Kidd, Danny Schaefer, Jakob Noot, Connor Goebel

PeeWee: LL#1 Dec 09 vs Embro Edge 2 Home: 6 Visitor: 0 Goals: Preston Hackert (4), Jake Patterson (2) Assists: Preston Hackert (2), Jake Patterson (2), Zachary Snider, Nathan Whittom Shutouts: Luke Mann/ Connor Huber

PeeWee: MAJOR A

Dec 08 vs Hespeler Home: 5 Visitor: 1 Goals: Emmett Weissenboeck, Teagan Cadeau, Jonathan Enns, Evan Lucier, Owen Brown Assists: Ben Wilkie, Riley Snider, Owen Brown x (2), Sam Hacock, David Taylor, Teagan Cadeau, Jonathan Enns

PeeWee: MAJOR AE Dec 10 vs Caledon Home: 1 Visitor: 3 Goals: Sam Hacock Assists: Evan Lucier, David Taylor

Bantam: MAJOR A Dec 06 vs Milton Winterhawks

Dec 11 vs Hespler Home: 8 Visitor: 0 Goals: Riley Runstedler (3), Lukas Shantz (2), Cole Altman (2), Bart Sherrer, Assists: Griffen Hergott, Nolan McLaughlin (2), Austin Cousineau (2), Griffin Rollins (2), Bart Sherrer (2), Brad Hale, Keaton McLaughlin, Nolan Hislop Shutouts: Bryce Dettweiler TOURNAMENT

PeeWee: MAJOR A Dec 01 vs Woodstock Home: 4 Visitor: 1 Goals: Ethan Martin (2), Parker Alles, Ethan Bickerton

Assists: Keenan Martin (2), Mason Spark (3), Joey Martin, Denver Martin

PeeWee: MAJOR A Dec 02 vs Collingwood Home: 3 Visitor: 0 Goals: Joey Martin, Mason Spark, Parker Alles Assists: Will Lavigne, Jordan Chang, Ethan Bickerton Shutouts: Evan Catton

PeeWee: MAJOR A Dec 02 vs Bradford Home: 2 Visitor: 0 Goals: Ethan Bickerton, Parker Alles Assists: Jordan Chang, Eric Hutton, Ryan Brubacher, Ethan Martin Shutouts: Ian Darroch

PeeWee: MAJOR A Dec 03 vs Center Wellington Home: 2 Visitor: 4 Goals: Parker Alles (2) Assists: Eric Hutton (2)

Jr. Sugar Kings Dec 08 vs Parry Sound Home: 2 Visitor: 0 Goals: Riley Runstedler, Evan Gowing Assists: Nolan McLaughlin,, Riley Runstedler, Griffin Hergott, Brad Hale

Shutouts: Bryce Dettweiler

Jr. Sugar Kings Dec 08 vs Cambridge Home: 2 Visitor: 1 Goals: Riley Runstedler, Griffin Hergott Assists: Griffin Hergott, Nolan McLaughlin, Bart Sherrer, Austin Cousineau

Jr. Sugar Kings Dec 09 vs Napanee Home: 3 Visitor: 1 Goals: Lukas Shantz, Nolan McLaughlin, Griffen Rollins Assists: Griffen Rollins, Bart Sherrer, Griffin Hergott, Lukas Shantz, Owen Harnock, Austin Cousineau

Jr. Sugar Kings Dec 09 vs Casselman Home: 1 Visitor: 2 Goals: Griffen Rollins Assists: Bart Sherrer, Griffin Hergott

Jr. Sugar Kings Dec 10 vs Valley Storm Home: 3 Visitor: 1 Goals: Lukas Shantz, Griffin Hergott, Cole Altman Assists: Austin Cousineau, kurtis Hoover, Nolan McLaughlin, Bart Sherrer, Brad Hale

Jr. Sugar Kings Dec 10 vs Ottawa Home: 2 Visitor: 3

Goals: Griffen Rollins, Nolan McLaughlin Assists: Lukas Shantz, Bart Sherrer, Austin Cousineau

WOOLWICH WILD

Atom: LL Dec 09 vs Cambridge Roadrunners Silver Home: 2 Visitor: 2 Goals: Sofia Fitch, Mia Medeiros Assists: Hailey Mueller, Maggie Ropp, Zoriana Kocan

Atom: BB

TOURNAMENT

Bantam: B Dec 08 vs Hamilton Hawks Home: 0 Visitor: 0

Bantam: B Dec 08 vs Lambeth Lancers Home: 2 Visitor: 0 Goals: Tanis Uhrig, Makenna McLaughlin Assists: Braelyn MacPherson Shutouts: Sarah Walker

Bantam: B Dec 09 vs Aurora Panthers Home: 0 Visitor: 1

Dec 08 vs Waterloo Ravens Home: 7 Visitor: 0 Goals: Sarah Forwell (2), Taylor Weber (2), Kara MacPherson, Emily Martin, Brie Brezynskie Assists: Sarah Forwell, Emily Martin, Brie Brezynskie, Claire Catton Shutouts: Riley Nelson

Bantam: B

Atom: BB

Atom: MAJOR

Dec 10 vs Waterloo Ravens Home: 4 Visitor: 0 Goals: Taylor Weber (2), Brie Brezynskie, Olivia Strauss Assists: Emily Martin (2), Claire Catton, Charlotte MacMillan (2), Olivia Strauss, Kylie Rayfield Shutouts: Riley Nelson

Dec 09 vs Walkerton Capitals Home: 1 Visitor: 1 Goals: Carly Bauman Assists: Avery Leech, Jane Hinsperger

WATERLOO WOLVES Dec 10 vs Kitchener Rangers Home: 4 Visitor: 5 Goals: Onyx Spark (3), Tyson Carter Assists: Priyen Jobanputra (2), Carson De Vries, Ian George

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SPORTS | 21

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

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22 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

HOCKEY / SIBLING RIVALRY

Goodwin brothers reunited on Kings roster Veteran Jeremy Goodwin and rookie Kurtis Goodwin are enjoying being teammates for the first time ALI WILSON HIS ELDER BROTHER HAVING captured the Sutherland Cup as part of last year’s Sugar Kings roster, the new arrival to the Elmira squad has seen the bar set fairly high. Still, Kurtis Goodwin, 16, is excelling in his first season of junior hockey, playing alongside 18-year-old Jeremy Goodwin, who leads the team in points.

They’re not the first brother act to play for the team, but they’re certainly making their mark.

“They are great young men. They want to win, they want to develop as players and as people – it is awesome to have the Goodwins,” said head coach Trent Brown of the brothers.

It has been almost ten years since the Goodwin

brothers last laced up together for the same team.

Having seen his brother win the Sutherland Cup last year, Kurtis says he couldn’t be happier starting his junior career as a Sugar King.

“Watching him win the cup, it was pretty special,” said Kurtis. “It’s pretty fun playing with him and all, but it’s just nice to be part of the team. We’ve got a good team here, really gelling – so just hoping we can repeat, that’s the main goal.

“I like it here, it’s a great organization. The guys are amazing, coaches are good, great room – just everything about Elmira is nice.

[I] couldn’t ask for a better start to my career.”

That Kurtis scored a goal in his very first game as a King made the on-ice reunion all the more special

for big brother Jeremey.

“It was pretty cool to watch. My family were all there – it was pretty exciting to watch him get his first ... just awesome to see him get his first one out of the way early,” he said.

One of the younger players on the team, Kurtis brings skill and a drive that can be seen on and off the ice, says Brown.

“Kurtis is eager to learn, which is really fun to coach because he is just a sponge.

He will take what I ask him to do and he will execute it – he will also ask questions if he is unsure about a play or scenario,” said Brown.

“He is a momentum guy: he brings energy. He plays the game the right way, he does everything the right way, he does everything the correct way and that’s how he is going to see ice time and develop.”

On the other hand, the more-established Jeremey has stats that speak for themselves.

“For Jeremey, we are counting on him to put up points, which he has. There obviously is room for him to grow in that role as well, but that’s kind of his role for us,” said Brown . “He is fast and when he uses his feet and his strength to the outside he is hard to defend. When he uses his skill down low, he is even harder to defend.”

Although the two have grown into driving forces for the Kings, the young Fergus athletes say they just sort of fell into the sport.

“I guess my parents liked it and then they put me in it; once they put me in it, I just loved it,” said Jeremey.

“I guess kind of the same reason he did: they just

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kind of stuck me in there,” Kurtis said. “I guess some of the reason could be because he played hockey, I just wanted to follow him.”

While they’re both forwards, they’ve never played on the same line.

“Not yet,” said Kurtis.

Although they enjoy playing together, a certain amount of longstanding sibling rivalry continues to this day. That’s part of their relationship, on and off the ice.

“I’d say competitive.

We have always competed against each other in everything, like who can throw a ball farther, when we were kids and now when we play Xbox against each other ... we are just competitive in anything, even when it’s who can eat dinner faster or something as dumb as that.

We are just real competitive,” said Jeremey.

Asked the same question, fittingly enough Kurtis said, “He kind of stole mine on that one.”

However as competitive as they are, you won’t hear any brotherly bickering in the dressing room, as the two take their job on the ice seriously.

“Everybody in here is part of your family, but we are here to get better as players. We are here to push each other, like if he is doing something wrong on the ice, I’m going to let him know and he is going to do the same thing for me. We are here to push each other to be better as brothers and as a team,” said Jeremey.

A community club, just 20 minutes away from their home in Fergus, the Kings have been a great fit for the Goodwin household. For GOODWINS | 23

We’re wishing you and Santa’s Little Helpers a Happy Holidays!

Serving Elmira & Area for 56 years

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SPORTS | 23

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

GOODWINS: Having both boys on the same

team is a real boon for their busy parents FROM | 22

the boys, playing on the same team goes beyond a good move for them, but also it meant a lot to their parents, as any competitive hockey mom or dad can attest to.

“They were pretty excited, obviously. In previous years the travelling for them has been ridiculous – they are travelling across Ontario to watch us

play hockey, and we have a sister, too, that plays, so between three kids they are going different ways every day almost. So now that they know [we] are together, it is pretty big. It makes life easy on them and they are really excited to be able to watch us,” said Jeremey.

With a good chunk of their first season together now behind them, the brothers are focussed on helping their team get back

to the playoffs.

“Obviously we want to go to a late playoff – that’s the team goal, to win, but we have to take it step by step.

Start by getting wins down the stretch here to put us in a better spot in playoffs and go from there. Our mentality is to win, so we expect really nothing less than that as a team ,” said Jeremey.

“Well, I can’t say it much better,” quipped Kurtis.

Jeremey Goodwin is the Kings’ leading scorer. He was part of last year’s Sutherland Cup squad.

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26 | VENTURE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

VENTURE FOOD FOR THOUGHT/ OWEN ROBERTS

PEER RECOGNITION / A WAY OF DOING THINGS

Woolwich firms among nominees for Business Excellence Awards

Giving every bit of land a 911 number

Beyond the business aspect, Chamber of Commerce looks for public-spirited companies FIELD NOTES

FAISAL ALI THERE’S A WOOLWICH CONTINGENT among the list of nominees for 2018 Business Excellence Awards announced last week by the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce. It’s a group that includes the likes of Breslau’s Mike the Roofer, St. Jacobs-based Menno S. Martin Contractor, the Elmira Sip N’ Bite and the Woolwich Bio-En Inc. The annual awards recognize not only business excellence in the respective categories, but the nominees’ impact on the wider community.

“What we’re looking at really for all of our award categories is a commitment to public service,” explained chamber vicepresident Art Sinclair.

In the running for the KW’s Small Business of the Year award alongside nine other nominees is Mike the Roofer. The Breslau business, run jointly by the eponymous Mike Ninaber and his wife Amber, has been steadily building a reputation of integrity and quality in the region.

“Just the fact we’re being nominated as a small business, it’s exciting. It’s possible recognition for the efforts we’ve been pushing through and striving towards,” said Mike Ninaber.

Ninaber started working with his father in the roofing and construction

ers’ rights.

“I say it probably four times a week,” she said. “All we want to do is equip you to make a good decision.

We genuinely want homeowners to feel empowered

NO MATTER IF YOU’RE urban or rural, you have a house or building number to help the pizza delivery person or first responders find you.

For the most part, you determine how visible that number is to the rest of the world.

In some cases, I suspect it may be easier to find rural addresses now that a civic address system is in place for rural properties. At least in the country there are consistently identifiable green number signs at the end of driveways.

Conversely, in town, I’ve seen shuttle bus drivers using high-powered spotlights in the dead of night to try to find a house number on poorly-lit residences and streets.

But in the country, there’s still a problem.

There, you get a civic address if you have a building on your property. However, what if a situation arises – a farm accident, for example – out in the field? Or, if you’re a hiker and you get in trouble on a trail somewhere?

Trying to explain concession numbers can be tough. As Grey Bruce notes on its emergency services webpage, in emergency situations, people are often unable to accurately

AWARDS | 29

ROBERTS | 27

Amber and Mike Ninaber are co-owners of Mike the Roofer in Breslau, nominated for the Small Business of the Year Award from the KW Chamber of Commerce. business during the summer months while in high school – or from “humble beginnings,” as he describes it – and gradually came to start his own business with his father’s help in the late 1990s.

In 2005, Amber joined

Mike in matrimony and, from there, the company, leveraging her talents on the administrative and office front to grow the business. The couple form an effective team, neatly delineating their roles, with Mike on the rooftops and

Amber on the front desk.

Amber Ninaber explains that they strive to teach homeowners, who often tie up considerable money in their roofs, to make the best possible decisions, keep them accountable and emphasize the homeown-

[FAISAL ALI / THE OBSERVER]

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VENTURE | 27

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

ROBERTS: Goal is to see addresses for farmland, woodlots and the like to help emergency response FROM | 26

describe where their rural property is located and how an emergency vehicle can find them. Their heightened level of anxiety and the pressure of the situation creates its own roadblock.

So this fall, municipalities in eastern Ontario have started stepping forward to help Ontario’s Farm 911 project for emergency signage for agricultural land get off the ground.

The initiative, named “The Emily Project” after seven-year-old Emily Trudeau, who died in a farm accident in 2014, is designed to promote the idea that emergency addresses and signage are important for vacant rural land, including Ontario farm fields.

The situation around Emily’s death underlines the current problem. First responders had trouble finding her accident site because it happened in a field, on land that didn’t have signage at its entrance or an emergency address that could be found through GIS. A nine-person project committee has been working for the past 18 months on the Farm 911 project. It was officially launched in the summer at the Hastings County Plowing Match, and recognized at this year’s Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) convention in November.

The initiative is starting to get some traction. Project committee member Resi Walt, OFA member services field rep for Hastings, Len-

nox-Addington, Northumberland and Prince Edward counties, says this winter, Northumberland County and its seven municipalities are implementing a cohesive system.

And Prince Edward County will be working the project into its 2018 budget, she says.

Walt says the project has received tremendous moral support from the farm community and from emergency responders.

Now, it needs more municipalities to step forward and commit to assigning civic addresses to farmland without buildings and land such as woodlots, trails and sugar bushes.

Walt estimates each address entrance sign will cost a municipality $20$30. In a recent survey of

100 OFA members, respondents said they had as few as two entrances, and as many as 10 entrances to their farmland. As well, participating municipalities would need to dedicate some administrative costs to assigning the addresses.

To Walt and her committee, the cost and the exercise itself is reasonable.

“Municipalities often talk about what they can do to make emergency response more efficient. This would definitely help.”

Walt encourages farmers to contact their municipalities directly if they believe the project has merit.

“Once some municipalities take the lead, others will follow,” she says.

Information about the project can be found at www.farm911.ca.

Named for Emily Trudeau, who died in a farm accident in 2014, The Emily Project aims to improve emergency signage on rural properties.

[SUBMITTED]

The

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28 | VENTURE

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Dr. Lawrence Mohan and his Staff wish their Patients & Friends a ...

Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas & A Happ y New Year!

Christmas is here, and we hope the season delivers much happiness and good fortune to you and yours!

We appreciate the year-round support of good friends like you, and we wish you all the best at Christmastime and throughout the new year.

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VENTURE | 29

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

AWARDS: St. Jacobs contractor puts their money where their mouth is when it comes to doing good FROM | 26

to make the right call, and we’re out of line if we think that has to be us.”

Menno S. Martin Contractor was selected in the category for the Employee Engagement Award. The longstanding contracting business in St Jacobs has roots going back decades in the community to its founding in 1942. To mark the 75th anniversary of the company, co-owners Art Janzen and Trent Bauman, who became the business’s third generation of owners after purchasing the business in 2010, wanted to do something special.

“It seemed to be a nobrainer when it came time to celebrate our 75th that [our] ‘putting people first philosophy’ just needed to shine through,” said Janzen. “And it needed to be about giving back to the community that got us to where we are.”

To honour the legacy of the original founder, Menno S. Martin, as well as the subsequent owner Laverne Brubacher, Janzen and Bauman put together an initiative that brought together the whole staff in that altruistic spirit, and could certainly be said to

Besides that, the company also gave each of their employees $500 to donate to a charity of their choice, and donated a day to the Kitchener House of Friendship, putting their professional skills to use in construction for the organization.

In the Service Excellence in Hospitality and Tourism bracket, the Elmira Sip N’ Bite received the nomination. Naide Schnider, owner of the family restraint, said she was happy to be nominated, especially alongside fellow nominees like the Cambridge Mill.

In the Environment & Sustainability Award category, the Woolwich Bio-En Inc. plant, which processes some 70,000 tonnes of organic waste each year, producing green energy in the process.

The winners of this year’s Business Excellence Awards will be announced at an awards gala on February 22.

have engaged their employees.

“We enabled all our staff here to give back,” explained Janzen. “Using the number $75 to commemorate our years in business, we gave each of our employees, including myself and Trent, $75 to use for random acts of kindness. So it could be broken up into increments if you wanted.”

Each employee was given a month to perform their acts of kindness, and then at the end-of-year Christmas party, the employees shared their stories with one another.

“We had one of our staff here, he wanted to inspire a future builder,” said Janzen. The employee went to the Lego store where he saw a single mother with her son who was playing with this one Lego kit.

“So he went up to [the mother] and said, ‘I’d like to buy that,’ and he explained who he was and why he was doing it. And I got an amazing email from this woman who was just so grateful that we would do that with our staff, and she assured me that she would one day pay that forward,” says Janzen.

Menno S. Martin Contractor co-owners Art Janzen and Trent Bauman, whose St. Jacobsbased business was nominated this week for the 2018 Employee Engagement Award.

[FAISAL ALI / THE OBSERVER]

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25 Industrial Dr., Elmira | Tel: 519-669-2632 allen_morrison_insurance@cooperators.ca

30 | VENTURE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

Accreditation Number: 38988

Serving you for over 100 Years

WISHING YOU A VE VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! We Look Forward to Working with You in 2018!

We hope you enjoy the many wonders of the season.

GLH

GLH

Merry Christmas!

Give the gift of flight.

Christmas Special - $25 Off Custom Homes & Exquisite Renovations 3575 Broadway Street Hawkesville, ON N0B 1X0

519-699-4388

countrylanebuilders.com

Learn to fly a helicopter.

MASTER CRAFTSMEN OF FINE HOMES AND INTERIORS

Starting at $25000/person Call for details. Expires December 31st, 2018 Located at: Region of Waterloo Airport

1-877-648-3732

www.greatlakeshelicopter.ca

THE ARTS | 31

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

THE ARTS SOMETHING NEW / BAND-ING TOGETHER

Sounding brassy is just fine by this group Focusing on the unique dynamics of the instruments, the King Street Brass Band meets twice a month in Breslau FAISAL ALI IN A GRAVELLY VOICE, the venerable conductor pauses to coach the band. He finely tunes the dynamics of the players, the precision of the instruments, the meter and rhythm. It’s ‘bah b-bah bbah’, he says to the players; there are no slurs. The players listen and, each one of them seasoned musicians in their own right, adjust their playing to create the clear, even and even majestic sound of the King Street Brass Band.

It’s an ensemble of pure brass, in the form of a traditional English brass band, explains baritone player Lowell Williamsons, one of the founders of King Street.

Together with fellow musician Dave Romagnoli and a few others, they formed King Street to bring the distinct sound of a traditional brass band to the Waterloo Region.

“This is a new project,” explains Williamson.

“We’re like a brass band like you would see in England – the instrumentation is all brass instruments, and that is something new to the area.”

Meeting in the basement of the Breslau Mennonite Church twice a month, the King Street ensemble are still in the developmental stages, says Williamson, but are coming along fast.

Because they are the only brass band in the area, King Street has players coming from outside the township to play.

They are hoping to add to the roster with more re-

The King Street Brass Band practices two evenings a month at the Breslau Mennonite Church. [FAISAL ALI / THE OBSERVER] cruits, and encourage players to try out, but caution that it is not for beginners.

“I’ve been playing for 60 years, not that I’m any better than I was after 10 years,” says co-founder Romagnoli with a laugh.

Romagnoli also plays for the Waterloo Regional Police band, while other King Street members have experience with the Salvation Army band, the Kitchener The band has about 23 players on the roster so far, and they’re hoping for even more recruits.

Musical Society, Cambridge vidual habits or skills,” he “We’re basically not a Concert Band, Oakville says. “If someone was willstart-up group,” says WilWinds and Ayr-Paris Band. ing to join, they could come liamson. “We want them at “Like every band that out and play with us for a a certain level to be able to exists around in this area, bit and see if it’s a good fit.” come in and read and besomebody from one of Brass bands have a cause there’s no instruction those bands is playing. unique sound to them, per se.”

And in some cases there’s a explains Romagnoli, quite Rather, the group caters couple,” he adds. “I like to different to concert bands think that the better players to experienced players looking for a creative outlet. and the like. The biggest of all those bands are playdifferences, in his mind, is “It’s more about developing here. Really.” that there are no reed inAmateurs, the King Street ing the sound as a group as struments. Rather, the band opposed to building indiBrass certainly are not.

Warmest thoughts and Best Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday Season and a very Happy New Year!

Come, Come,

instrument’s all have a similar “vibration” that give the playing a clear ringing sound. For brass bands especially, it’s not just the notes that are played but the dynamics – the volume of the instruments – that really matters in getting to that right sound.

“If you have a brass instrument play a note, they seem to have that same

resonance, which gives it that [quality],” he says. “If you hear a big band play all brass, it’s got a real unusual, almost like an organ resonance to it.”

“I’ll be honest with you: I love the sound of a brass band,” says Williamson.

I’ve played in concert bands and stage bands and that sort of stuff, and they’re OK and it’s good to get out and play. But there’s something different about a brass band, that the sound is very unique.”

For now, they’re polishing up their sound, says Williamson, but the band already has gigs planned for a few nursing homes in the short-term. They’re also hoping to join the Kiwanis Music Festival later in 2018, and plan to be ready to play in next year’s Christmas celebrations.

COME JOIN US FOR THE ANNUAL

EMMANUEL

New Year’s Tickets Available Now

FRI. DEC. 22nd & SAT. DEC. 23rd OPEN STAGE CHRISTMAS JAM - THUR. DEC. 21st

AUMAN Excavating • Grading • Site Service | 519.669.2551

PRINTING

Since 1955

1303 MARYHILL RD., MARYHILL Call ahead for RESERVATIONS and ADVANCED SEATING!

4 Herbert St., Elmira

519.669.2540

www.commercialtavern.ca

519-648-3644

32 | THE ARTS

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

• SEASON’S GREETINGS • SEASON’S GREETINGS • SEASON’S GREETINGS • SEASON’S GREETINGS • • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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Brokerage

Independently Owned and Operated

DIRECT: 519-572-2669 3 Arthur St. S. Elmira DIREC OFFICE: 519-669-5426

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EMAIL: bert@remaxsolidgold.biz

Call For Your Property Evaluation Today!

May your homes be filled with the spirit of the holidays! from Waters, Hastings g & Grainger ger Professional Corporation

Have A Great Holiday!

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Your referrals are appreciated!

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• HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • MERRY CHRISTMAS • HAPPY NEW YEAR •Thank MERRY CHRISTMAS • HAPPY NEW YEAR • MERRY you for voting us

WISHING EVERYONE a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday season!

One of the Best Roofing Companies in Waterloo Region!

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season We look forward to working with you in 2018

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Sales Representative

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linda@soldbylinda.ca

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THE ARTS | 33

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

WE WISH YOU A

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! As we wind down from the hustle and bustle of another year we take pleasure in reconnecting with friends, focusing on family and experiencing all the joys of the holiday season.

We look forward to a busy and productive schedule in 2018.

For now, however, it’s time to enjoy the Christmas festivities and bask in the possibilities of the New Year.

All the best of the season from all of us at the Observer!

Joe Merlihan, Donna Rudy, Steve Kannon, Ali Wilson, Faisal Ali, Pat Merlihan and Jake Stallard

HOLIDAY HOURS: OFFICE CLOSED

December 22nd (noon) RE-OPENS January 2nd

The Observer will be published on Dec. 28.

34 | CLASSIFIED

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED DEADLINE:

WEDNESDAYS BY 10AM

THE OBSERVER SPECIALIZES IN GETTING THE WORD OUT!

HELP WANTED

PLACE AN AD IN OUR CLASSIFIED SECTION TODAY!

HELP WANTED

YOUTH WORKER (Permanent Part Time)

Promote, design, and implement activities of the Youth Centre in Elmira.

Post secondary degree (or working towards degree) with emphasis on youth and youth issues. Must be enthusiastic with the inherent ability to relate to youth.

Excellent for someone seeking a career involving Youth.

Tues – Fri 4:00 to 8:00pm with some flexibility.

Apply to: Woolwich Community Services 5 Memorial Ave. Elmira, Ont N3B 2P8 Fax: 519-669-4210 Email: tina_wcs@yahoo.ca Resumes accepted until Dec. 22nd 5pm

Together Making A Difference

Floradale Feed Mill Limited is an independent, family owned and operated feed company serving livestock and poultry producers in Ontario.

We currently have an opening for:

Truck Driver (DZ) - Part Time This part time position will involve safe operation of a bag unit or bulk hopper bottom unit on Saturdays and holidays.

The successful applicant will have: • A valid commercial driver’s license

HELP WANTED

• Strong oral and written communication skills • Ability to develop effective work relationships with co-workers, and • Ability to represent the Company positively with customers.

Floradale Feed Mill Limited is an independent, family owned and operated feed company serving livestock and poultry producers in Ontario.

We currently have an opening for:

At Floradale Feed Mill Limited we take pride in providing the finest in quality feeds and service to our customers in the livestock and poultry industries. Therefore, a background in agriculture is considered an asset.

To apply, forward your resume to:

Night Loader / Production Worker This fulltime position will involve shift work week days (Monday to Friday) with an occasional Saturday shift. Responsibilities will include night loading , warehouse duties and possible pelleting/batching.

Brian Chamberlain, Operations Manager Floradale Feed Mill Limited 2131 Floradale Road, Floradale, ON N0B 1V0 Or e-mail: brianc@ffmltd.com We appreciate all who apply but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

The successful applicant will have

HELP WANTED RECEPTIONIST FOR DR. Mark Brubacher, Chiropractor.

Mature, experienced, caring and self-reliant person required to handle all the duties of the front desk.

Approximately 25 hours/ week, starting January 2.

Drop resume at the front desk or mailbox or mail to 10 Hampton St. Elmira N3B 1X7.

WANTED - PSW/CAREGIVER to assist family with elderly mother in her home. Primarily day shift help needed to stay over. Must have own transportation. Call 519-6695240.

FOR SALE MATTRESS AND BOX Spring, new, never used, still in sealed bag. Sacrifice $195.

Delivery available. Newly refurbished digital dehumidifiers, 90 day warranty, $95. 519-635-8737.

FIREBRICKS FOR ELMIRA oval + sweetheart cookstoves. Other parts available. Durham 519-369-5272. ernies@woodstoves.on.ca FRESH TURKEYS. GOVERNMENT inspected. From 18 - 30lb. Order now for pick up on Dec. 20. Lloyd Martin 519-669-4753.

FOR SALE CATERING EQUIPMENTSMALLWARES LARGE quantity like new white dishes, and plain black dishes, coffee Percs, chafing dishes, cutlery, pitchers, bread baskets, dish racks, sugar shakers, kitchen equipment, $15 stacking chairs, 5’ round tables, disposable cater trays, glassware GREAT PRICES 519-654-2554, Located In Waterloo.

ROUND OAK TABLE with 6 matching chairs, one large leaf, in very good condition.

Call 519-595-3858.

2013 TOYOTA COROLLA. Blue, 5-speed manual, keyless entry, bluetooth, AC. Spacious and fuel efficient.

Well maintained, dealer serviced. Highway driven 202,000kms. Certified & e-tested $7500 o.b.o. Call 519-504-1176.

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.

FERTILIZER AND SEED GRAIN - at competitive pricing. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141.

ICE SALT & ICE MELT - Ice salt comes in 20 & 40kg’s, Ice melt comes in 20kg bags. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

KILN DRIED CORN & CORN SCREENING Delivered by Einwechter. Minimum 15 ton lots. Call George Haffner Trucking 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

WALK-IN COOLER,FREEZER AIR cooled Freezer 14’9”x11’x96”H, 208 volt, 3 phase. Cooler-wood interior 19’3”x9’7”x9’5”H, 208 volt, single phase and additional 143”x 94”. Call 519-654-2554.

CLASSIFIED LISTINGS CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

ALMA GARDEN CLUB MARKS CANADA’S 150

• Strong oral and written communication skills • Ability to develop effective work relationships with co-workers, and • Ability to represent the Company positively with customers.

At Floradale Feed Mill Limited we take pride in providing the finest in quality feeds and service to our customers in the livestock and poultry industries. Therefore, a background in agriculture is considered an asset.

To apply, forward your resume to: Brian Chamberlain, Operations Manager Floradale Feed Mill Limited 2131 Floradale Road, Floradale, ON N0B 1V0 Or e-mail: brianc@ffmltd.com We appreciate all who apply but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

LOOKING FOR LOCAL WORK? YOU’VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE.

Call: 519-669-5790 or Visit: www.observerxtra.com

HOW TO REACH US

Volunteers from Alma Garden Club, Alma Sparks, Brownies and Guides and the Alma Optimists planted daffodil bulbs in Alma to mark Canada 150. Front row: Jim de Bock, Optimist Club member; Iris Perriman; Sharon Grose, Alma Garden Club president; Ashley Gregory, Alice Smith, Piper Wagner. Second row: Alma Guide parent helper Maggie Kienapple; Jeannie de Bock of the Alma Optimists; Shannon Smith, Alma Sparks/Brownie/Guide leader; Lily Meszaros; Cathy Bruder, Alma Sparks/Brownie/Guide leader; Angela Massey, Alma Sparks/Brownie/Guide leader; Lillie Massey; Sierra Bambach; Eliana Grose. Back row: Laura Gromeder, Alma Sparks/Brownie/Guide leader; Sabrina Wagner, Alma Sparks/Brownie/Guide leader; Ben Wagner; Samantha Heymans, Alma Sparks/Brownie/Guide leader; Marlene Skerritt, Alma Sparks/Brownie/Guide leader.

[SUBMITTED]

PHONE 519.669.5790 | TOLL FREE 1.888.966.5942 | FAX 519.669.5753 | ONLINE WWW.OBSERVERXTRA.COM

ADDRESS 20-B ARTHUR ST. N., ELMIRA, ON N3B 1Z9 PLACING A CLASSIFIED WORD AD

CLASSIFIED ADS

DISPLAY ADS

519.669.5790 EXT 0

519.669.5790 EXT 104

ads@woolwichobserver.com

sales@woolwichobserver.com

RESIDENTIAL COST $7.50 /20 WORDS EXTRA WORDS 20¢ PER WORD

COMMERCIAL COST $12.00 /20 WORDS EXTRA WORDS 30¢ PER WORD

In person, email, phone or fax submissions are accepted during regular business hours. Deadline for Thursday publication is Wednesday by 10 a.m. All Classified ads are prepaid by cash, debit, Visa or MasterCard. Ask about Observer policies in regard to Display, Service Directory and Family Album advertising.

CLASSIFIED | 35

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

Babies of the

!

R YEA 17

Full colour photo of your little one published in the January 11, 2018 edition.

BOOK EARLY! Deadline for submission & payment

$40 +hst

20

Monday, January 8, 2018

Last Name, First Name

Birth Date | Tow n Parents Names

Email photos & caption information to: ads@woolwichobserver.com

20-B Arthur St. N., Elmira | 519-669-5790 | www.ObserverXtra.com |

@woolwichnews |

/ObserverXtra

36 | CLASSIFIED

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

CLASSIFIED ADS CONTINUED FROM PG. 34 PUBLIC NOTICE

FIREWOOD “PROUDLY REMEMBERING OUR PAS T; CONFIDENTLY EMBRACING OUR FUTURE.”

Community Information Page

P.O. Box 158

24 Church St. W. Elmira, Ontario N3B 2Z6

GERBER’S FIREWOOD SERVING you for over 10 years. Your #1 source of quality slabwood and bodywood. Delivery available.

519-656-2057.

HORSES 7 YEAR OLD Black small trotting mare. 2 year old 16 hand black pacing bred gelding, 2 whites and a star. 2 year old 16 hand bay pacing bred gelding, some white, fresh, $3000. Jonathon Jantzi 519-698-1179.

519-575-4400 www.woolwich.ca Start your new year in a healthy way at the Woolwich Memorial Centre!

Phone: 519-669-1647 or 877-969-0094 Fax: 519-669-1820 After Hours Emergency:

HORSES WILL BUY OLD and used horses and ponies to go direct to plant in Quebec. Will buy all types, drug form required but will buy either way. TOP PRICES PAID. Contact Calvin Kuepfer for prices at Horizon Trail Equine at 519-272-3290.

WANTED BUYING ROLEX, OMEGA, Zenith etc, pocket watches, vintage clocks, all gold & sliver, coins, scrap costume jewellery, musical instruments, rock & roll; jazz records, military items, toys, sports. Email gallamore@golden.net or 519242-6900, fair honest prices.

RENTALS MODERN ONE BEDROOM apartment - close to downtown, with gas fireplace, air conditioning, secured entrance.

Non-smoker, appliances included, including no charge laundry. Lots of closet space. Call Hugh 519-669-5533 after 6 p.m. or daytime 519-746-5111 ext. 295.

#1

NEWS

SOURCE

RENTALS 2 BEDROOM APARTMENT in Elmira. Quiet building, newly renovated, close to downtown. Call 519-669-5798.

FURNISHED ROOM FOR rent with a private entrance in Elmira. Starting January. Call Annie at 519-635-1033.

TRADES & SERVICES RON’S DRYWALL AND Renovations. Over 35 years experience. Please call 519-496-7539 or email ron. spncr@gmail.com

4-H’ERS LOOKING TO ACHIEVE AT THE SHEEP SHOW

Get started with an annual Fitness Membership “PROUDLY REMEMBERING OUR PAS T; CONFIDENTLY EMBRACING OUR FUTURE.” and get an additional month FREE! P.O. Box 158

Community Information Page

Fitness Memberships include full access to the Fitness Centre, and all drop-in programs (fitness, swimming and skating).

24 Church St. W. Elmira, Ontario N3B 2Z6

Interested? Come for a tour!

8am-8:30pm Monday - Friday & 8am-3pm Saturday - Sunday

Check out www.woolwich.ca for more information on our programs.

Phone: 519-669-1647 or 877-969-0094 Fax: 519-669-1820 After Hours Emergency:

519-575-4400 www.woolwich.ca

OBSERVERXTRA.COM

Sheep judge Amanda Comfort gives pointers to each 4-H member following the placement of the class while Andrew Grose hands out class ribbons during the 4-H Achievement Day. First place went to Brooklyn Passmore with her lamb Amber, second place to Helena Fernandes with Daisy and Amanda Martin with Nellie. The Waterloo 4-H sheep show was hosted at Lloyd Diehl farm in Floradale.

[SUBMITTED / SHARON GROSE]

OBSERVER SERVICE DIRECTORY

PRINTING SERVICES

CLASSIFIED | 37

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

OBSERVER SERVICE DIRECTORY AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

TIRE

WHERE TIRES ARE A

SPECIALTY, NOT A SIDE LINE.

GENERAL SERVICES

Auto Tech Inc. Providing the latest technology to repair your vehicle with accuracy and confidence.

Farm • Auto • Truck Industrial On-The-Farm Service 35 Howard Ave., Elmira

BIKE SALES & REPAIRS

THOMPSON’S

Accredited Test & Repair Facility

30 ORIOLE PKWY. E., ELMIRA www.thompsonsauto.ca

www.biobobs.com 519-648-3004

GENERAL SERVICES

We are geared to meet your timing and volume requirements

SEE US FOR

Window & Screen

REPAIRS

BLENDED TO MEET YOUR NEEDS!

800-232-6396

22 Church St. W., Elmira

519-669-5537

STORE HOURS: M-W 8-6, TH-F 8-8, SAT 8-6, SUN 12-5

Ph: Elmira (519) 669-5219

HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES

AMOS INC

R O O F I N G

Various sizes & rates

• Specializing in residential re-roofs • Repairs • Churches A Family owned and operated business serving KW, Elmira and surrounding area for over 35 years.

CLEAN • DRY • SECURE Call

Blown or Pushed Off

or call today! or

PROFESSIONAL BIKE MECHANIC ON STAFF

Premium Softwood

Visit our website

519-669-4400

519-669-3232

Quality Bedding

WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEED

519-669-4964

CALL JAYME FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE.

519.501.2405 | 519.698.2114

100 SOUTH FIELD DRIVE, ELMIRA

In Business since 1973 • Fully Insured

IRA HOME COMFORT M L E (519) 669-4600

“25 years in Business”

CONSTRUCTION INC. (519) 569-0772 • Commercial & Industrial General Contracting • Specializing in Concrete Work & Excavation • Retaining Walls

info@trappconstruction.ca www.trappconstruction.ca

• • • •

Stamped Coloured Concrete Demolition Bin Service Machine Bases

APPLIANCES – FURNACES – FIREPLACES AIR CONDITIONERS – WATER HEATERS SPRING SPECIAL ON AIR CONDITIONING TUNE UP $99, INSTALLED FROM $1999 FURNACES INSTALLED FROM $2499 FRIDGES $499, STOVES $399, WASHERS $399, DRYERS $369, FREEZERS $199 Come visit our show room FREE QUOTES 1 Union Street, Elmira

Concrete Breaking & Removal

ehc@hotmail.ca (519)-669-4600

HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES

The Right Window Treatment Can

Save you

Blinds

Steve Co.

Plumbing and Maintenance Inc.

by Elite or Mera

In home consultations Wide selection of styles & fabrics 1011 Industrial Crescent St. Clements | 519-699-5411 www.LetUsFloorYou.ca

• Residential • Commercial • Industrial

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL

FREE

INSTALLATION When you buy 3 or more

Hours: M-F 8:30 - 5:30 Sat 9:00 - 3:00

Evenings By Appointment

- Design and build -

AGRICULTURAL | RESIDENTIAL FRAMING • ROOFING RENOVATIONS • EAVESTROUGHS

For all your Plumbing Needs.

Randy Weber

ECRA/ESA Licence # 7000605

24 HOUR SERVICE Steve Jacobi

Wayne Martin | 519-504-2016

519-669-3652

darwayconstruction@icloud.com | Alma, ON

www.rwelectricltd.com

ELMIRA

18 Kingfisher Dr., Elmira | 519.669.1462

HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES

WINDOW FASHIONS

Free in-home Consultations.

Call someone you can trust.

Brands You Can Trust 22 Church St. W., Elmira

Tel: 519-669-5537 or 1-844-866-5537 STORE HOURS: M-F: 8-8, SAT 8-6, SUN 12-5

SPACE FOR RENT

COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL

ST. JACOBS

GLASS SYSTEMS INC. 1553 King St. N., St. Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0

• Store Fronts • Thermopanes • Mirrors • Screen Repair • Replacement Windows • Shower Enclosures • Sash Repair

Your Business Here!

Advertise your business services in our service directory. Weekly exposure with fantastic results!

Call Donna at 519.669.5790 Ext 104.

TEL:

519-664-1202 / 519-778-6104 FAX: 519 664-2759 • 24 Hour Emergency Service

homewindowfashions.ca

HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES

RESIDENTIAL & AGRICULTURAL

Driveways • Sidewalks • Curbs • Patios Finished Floors • Retaining Walls • Steps Decorative/Stamped and Coloured Concrete www.marwilconcrete.ca

519-577-0370

OUTDOOR SERVICES Since 1998

John Schaefer Painting FREE ESTIMATES Interior/exterior Painting, Wallpapering & Plaster | drywall Repairs

519-503-6033

(CELL)

519-669-2251

36 Hampton St., Elmira

CONCRETE FLOOR/PAD BREAKING & REMOVAL SKID STEER SERVICES • ALL ATTACHMENTS AVAILABLE

CALL ABOUT OUR 28FT FLAT BED SERVICE

CALL DUSTIN AT

226-750-4532

•Final grading •Lawn repair & complete seeding well equipped for large stoney areas •Spike Aerator/Overseeding •Natural & Interlocking Stone •Retaining Walls, Walks & Patios •Help for Top Water & Drainage issue

Murray & Daniel Shantz

ALMA, ONTARIO | PHONE: 519.846.5427

ROLL OFF INDUSTRIAL BIN RENTALS CALL FOR AVAILABLE SIZES CALL DUSTIN AT

226-750-4532

38 | CLASSIFIED

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

REAL ESTATE

Wishing You A Merry Christmas!

NEW PRICE

Alli Bauman Paul Martin Sue Wideman SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT

SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT

SALES REPRESENTATIVE CALL DIRECT

519-577-6248 519-503-9533 226-750-9332 allibauman@rogers.com

paul@remaxsolidgold.biz suewidemanhomes@gmail.com

Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., Brokerage Independently Owned and Operated

3 Arthur St. S., Elmira | 519-669-5426

$615,000 Elmira - Stunning 2014 Claysam home boasting 2089 sq ft with 4 generous size bedrooms and ample flex space throughout. The open concept main floor is carpet free w/lots of natural light, formal dining and California shutters. The kitchen has granite countertops and new backsplash plus upgraded appliances (gas stove) all included and main floor laundry. Both bathrooms come with soaker tubs while the main bath also includes double sinks. The fully fenced, oversize upgraded lot with no rear neighbors comes with a shed and stamped concrete patio. Don’t miss out! MLS.

Elmira - The Tristan II features an amazing Barzotti kitchen complete with Granite counter top, 9’ main floor ceilings, Hardwood and ceramic throughout the main floor. This 4 bedroom 3 bathroom is equipped with two sinks in the ensuite as well as the main bathroom. Currently being built and at the drywall stage it is available for viewings in daylight only. With a January 26 closing date and a neighborhood park behind, you will want to come and see this beautiful Verdone built home.

T H A N K YO U FO R C HO O S I N G R E / M A X !

Shanna Rozema

Bonnie

A portion of each sale commission is donated to The Woolwich Community Services.

Brubacher

EXCLUSIVE!

HELPING YOU IS WHAT WE DO …

519-669-2772

13PM • 125 KILLDEER RD., ELMIRA

$459,000 ELMIRA Minutes walk to Riverside School. 3 bedrooms, 3 baths. Lovely natural elm hardwood in the mainfloor family room, spacious kitchen dinette area with patio doors. Upper and lower decks and patio area complete with hot tub. Finished rec room, 3 piece bath and laundry in the walk out basement. NEW MLS.

$639,900 DRAYTON Stunning custom built brick bungalow with triple car garage & triple concrete driveway!

Almost 2000 sq.ft on the main floor, walk-up from the basement to the garage. Open concept, 9' & 11' ceilings, entertainers dream kitchen offers over sized island, quartz counters, built in appliances. Large great room with floor to ceiling stone F/P., walkout off dining area to covered composite deck! MLS.

$714,000

R.W. THUR REAL ESTATE LTD. Office:

OPEN HOUSE | SAT, DEC 16TH

appointed inside units available, freehold, standards include gas fireplace, hardwood in great room, maple ARTIST RENDERING kitchen w/island, a/c plus much more. Here is an opportunity to own in Southwood Park Estates, ELMIRA. Closing dates starting in March/18. Call today for further details.

45 Arthur St. S., Elmira www.thurrealestate.com

BRAD MARTIN

JULIE

LUKE

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CLASSIFIED | 39

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

FAMILY ALBUM STAG & DOE

OBITUARY

OBITUARY

Stag and Doe for

Frey, Elam W.

Snyder, Audrey

Passed away peacefully on Friday, December 8, 2017 at his residence, RRÂ 1, Elora, at the age of 95 years. Elam was the husband of the late Blandina (Martin) Frey (2004). Father of Oscar and Doreen of RR 3, Listowel, Abner and Lena of RR 1, Elora, Naomi and Lloyd Martin of RR 2, Wallenstein, Clarence and Florence of RR 2, Elmira, Elmer and Beatrice of RR 1, Elora, Lucinda and Murray Martin of RRÂ 2, Wallenstein, and Mary and Bart Clemmer of RR 5, Mount Forest.

Also survived by 57 grandchildren and 225 great-grandchildren. Brother of Maryann (Mrs. Sydney) Martin of RR 2, Wallenstein, and brother-in-law of Alvin Bauman of St. Jacobs and Samuel and Melvina Martin of RR 2, Elmira. Predeceased by his parents Israel and Lucinda (Weber) Frey, son Paul, five grandchildren, two greatgrandchildren, a sister, two brothers, four brothers-in-law, and four sistersin-law. Friends called at the home of Abner Frey, 7188 Sideroad 11, RR 1, Elora, on Saturday, December 9, 2017 from 5-7 p.m. and Sunday, December 10, 2017 from 1-7Â p.m. Funeral service was held at the home on Monday, December 11, 2017 at 9 a.m. then to Elmira Mennonite Meeting House for burial and public service.

Arrangements entrusted to the Dreisinger Funeral Home, Elmira.

Passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 7, 2017 at Chartwell Elmira Retirement Residence, at the age of 88 years. Audrey Lydia Snyder (Veitel) of St. Jacobs was the beloved wife of the late Milferd M. Snyder (2008). Cherished mother of Sheila (Neil) Schmidt of St. Jacobs, Brenda (Craig) Hoyt of Elmira, and Paul (Nola) of Newfoundland.

Devoted grandmother of Jamie (Stephanie), Jennie (Tony), Chad (Steph), Keri (Mike), Luke (Megan), Aaron, Jenna, Frankie, and 16 great-grandchildren. She will be remembered by many nieces and nephews. Audrey was the last surviving member of her family having been predeceased by her parents Norman and Dora (Schwalm) Veitel, brothers Clarence, William, Lloyd, Edward, and sisters Ruth Schwark and Rita Forler. A memorial visitation was held on Monday, December 11, 2017 at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, 131 Flax Mill Dr., Conestogo, from 10 a.m. until time of service at 11 a.m. Interment in St. Matthew’s Lutheran Cemetery with a reception followed in the church hall.

The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to Audrey’s caregivers; Dr. Dianne Ensing, the staff of Chartwell and Care Partners, and the palliative care team; nurses Dianne, Jane, and Heather, and nurse practitioner Jessica.

As expressions of sympathy, donations to St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church would be appreciated. Arrangements entrusted to the Dreisinger Funeral Home, Elmira.

www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Amberlee Fast & Ryan Bankmann

December 31st, 2017 at 8pm St. Jacobs Community Centre 31 Parkside Drive, St. Jacobs

Come out to have a great time and help the couple celebrate New Year’s Eve! Great Raffle prizes, food, DJ and Games!

Tickets available at the door for $15

RETIREMENT

Happy Retirement Tim!

OBITUARY

SCOULAR, Robert In loving memory of Robert (Bob, Scotty, Pappy) Scoular, of Elmira, (formerly Waterloo) Ontario, passed away peacefully at Freeport Hospital, Kitchener on Monday December 11, 2017, 74 years old.

He leaves behind his loving children, Tina and her husband Scott Brown, Robert and his wife Wendy Scoular (Wagner) and cherished grandson, Robert (Bobby) Scoular. Will be missed by his beloved dog, Ruby.

He is predeceased by his parents Robert and Ruby Scoular (Wright); sister, Jean Paterson (Scoular) and brother, John Scoular.

Robert was born and raised in Scotland, and moved to Canada as a young adult. Robert was a former employee at Sunar Industries for many years, then at AG Simpson Automotive, until his retirement.

Robert will be remembered with love.

He did not wish to have a visitation or memorial service. If you would like to honour his memory, condolences for the family and donations to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Humane Society of Canada may be arranged through the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King Street S. Waterloo at 519-745-8445.

DEATH NOTICE KRUKOWSKI, BRIGITTE | Passed away peacefully on Monday, December 11, 2017, at Grand River Hospital, Kitchener, at the age

of 58, of Linwood.

As one chapter ends, another begins.

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With love from your family – Val, Ally & Emma

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HEADLINES

IN THE COMMUNITY.

THE OBSERVER FAMILY ALBUM IS HERE TO SHARE YOUR FAMILY NEWS.

PLACE A FAMILY ALBUM NOTICE! Call: 519-669-5790 or Visit: www.observerxtra.com

40 | LIVING HERE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

LIVING HERE CHEF’S TABLE/ DIERRE ACHESON

VOLUNTEERISM / A KEY INGREDIENT

Festive appetizers for keeping your guests happy and wanting some more

Christmas Goodwill the result of community effort Longtime WCS volunteers delight in preparing hampers that will make the season bright for those in need

RECIPE NOTES

Phyliss Dosman and Linda McNabb lend a hand earlier this week as Woolwich Community Services prepares hampers for its Christmas Goodwill Program.

ALI WILSON NOT NECESSARILY SANTA’S ELVES, but perhaps equally busy at this time of year, some 200 volunteers who make possible the Christmas Goodwill Program at Woolwich Community Services could very well be mistaken for them.

The program makes sure families in need are able to truly have a happy holiday, providing them with gifts under the tree and food in their cupboards. WCS chalks that up to the community’s generosity.

Each year dedicated volunteers shop, wrap and pack Christmas hampers

for low-income families in Woolwich Township and into the north part of Wellesley Township, using donations of food, new toys and clothing. This ensures the holidays can be celebrated by all families.

Donations and handson volunteers come from all over the townships,

pen and we are so appreciative of all they do,” said Reed. “There is enough for all of these families to get some food for the holidays, a turkey or a ham, and for the whole family to open up some gifts.”

Among those hands

PART OF THE HOLIDAY rush is the joy of entertaining, though it’s not easy for everyone. But there are strategies to help throw a party with a minimum of stress.

For many, calling a caterer can seem intimidating but during the weeks before Christmas we spend most of our day helping people entertain their family and friends – lots of people just need a little help. A few appetizers, baking or dinner ideas to supplement what you are comfortable making.

In the kitchen, try not to do brand new recipes you haven’t tried before – now is not the best time to be experimenting. This recipe, however, can be assembled and prepared ahead of time, then baked when the guests start to arrive.

Another way to cut down on the stress is to stay local. Enjoy and share the special stores, services and people in your community.

We always avoid the mall, much to our daughter’s

GOODWILL | 43

CHEF’S TABLE | 44

[ALI WILSON / THE OBSERVER]

even extending to support coming from outside. Tina Reed, WCS’s coordinator of community support, notes donations come from many sources: businesses, service clubs, churches, schools, individuals, sports clubs, teams and families.

“It is a very large list of people who make this hap-

LIVING HERE | 41

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

.

We can relate Have a Great !

Holiday Season

Shelly & ylor Scott Ta

Wishing You A Merry Christmas

THANKS FOR A GREAT 2017!

From David & Karen Martin & Family and all the staff at

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ring in the new year.

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42 | LIVING HERE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

Vacuum Sales,

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COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR

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Cell: 519.581.7868

Truck & Trailer Maintenance Cardlock Fuel Management

DECEMBER 14 WOODSIDE EVERGREEN - 10:30 a.m., Woodside Bible Fellowship, 200 Barnswallow Dr., Elmira.

Christmas music: singing, yodeling, Swiss alpine bells: Deb Meisner Jones. Devotional speaker: Randy Hoffman. For information call 519-669-8752.

NEW HORIZONS A GROUP for boomers, zoomers and seniors. Join us at 10 a.m. at the Maryhill Community Centre. Greg Gerber, farmer and auctioneer. Topic: Going, Going, Gone!

E-MAIL: ads@woolwichobserver.com

COMMUNITY CARE CONCEPTS INVITES you to join Seniors Community Dining at Breslau Community Centre for a light lunch and fellowship, $6. Please call 519-664-1900.

519-669-8362

DECEMBER 19

www.elmiravacuumelectrical.ca

PARADISE & DISTRICT LIONS Club invites you to their annual Christmas bingo, 7 p.m. upstairs at the St. Clements Community Centre. Lots of door prizes and free snacks. Everyone welcome. Wheelchair accessible.

DECEMBER 15 LISTOWEL MENNONITE CHURCH INVITES you to take a journey back to the time when Christ was born and the celebration of his birth. An indoor guided walking tour. December 15 & 16 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., December 17 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Donations accepted.

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Registrations, corporate events, open houses and the like do not qualify in this section.

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DECEMBER 20

The Events Calendar is reserved for non-profit local community events that are offered free to the public. Placement is not guaranteed.

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COMMUNITY CARE CONCEPTS INVITES you to join Seniors Community Dining at Calvary Linwood Community Centre for lunch, fellowship and entertainment, $11. Please call 519-664-1900 by noon, Dec. 18.

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SUBMIT AN EVENT The Events Calendar is reserved for non-profit local community events that are offered free to the

public. Placement is not guaranteed. Registrations, corporate events, open houses and the like do not qualify in this section.

HOW CAN I HELP?

24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE

TOTAL

NANCY KOEBEL

HOME ENERGY SYSTEMS

Bus: 519.744.5433

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL

Home: 519.747.4388

Individual life insurance, mortgage insurance, business insurance, employee benefits programs, critical illness insurance, disability coverage,

YOUR OIL, PROPANE, NATURAL GAS AND AIR CONDITIONING EXPERTS

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WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

PLACES OF FAITH | A DIRECTORY OF LOCAL HOUSES OF WORSHIP

St. James Pastor: Hans J.W. Borch Lutheran Proclaiming Christ through Church Love and Service

33 Industrial Dr., Elmira 519.669.1591

NURSERY PROVIDED

SUNDAY SCHOOL

HEARING ASSISTED

Sunday, Dec. 17th

10:15 am: Worship

60 Arthur St. S., Elmira 519-669-5591

MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED

COUNCILLOR | WARD 1 WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP

VERMONT Castings

11 HENRY ST. - UNIT 9, ST. JACOBS

SANYO CANADIAN

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It’s time to call your Welcome Wagon Hostess.

10:45 am

The Christmas Child Speaker: Ron Seabrooke

Discovering God Together

4522 Herrgott Rd., Wallenstein www.wbconline.ca • 519-669-2319

Speaker: Ron Seabrooke

Service at 10:30am Rev. Paul Snow

Sunday Services

9:15 | 11:00 AM

REACH WITH LOVE. TEACH THE TRUTH. SEND IN POWER.

200 Barnswallow Dr., Elmira 519-669-1296 | www.woodsidechurch.ca

Elmira Mennonite Church

290 Arthur St. South, Elmira • 519-669-3973 www.ElmiraAssembly.com (Across from Tim Horton’s)

Zion Mennonite Fellowship 9:30am Sunday School

Worship: 9:30am

Third Sunday in Advent

10:45am Worship Service

Jason Haut preaching

58 Church St. W., Elmira • 519-669-5123

REACH OUT. KEEP FAITH ALIVE, ADVERTISE HERE.

Finding The Way Together 47 Arthur St., S. Elmira • 519-669-3153 zionmenno.com

Emmanuel EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH

Worship Service

www.OBSERVERXTRA.com

Sundays 10:30am

ecelmira.com

519.669.5030

REACH OUT Spread the word, advertise your service here every week.

LIVING HERE | 43

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

GOODWILL: From donors to delivering hampers, it takes many hands to make Christmas merry FROM | 40

on volunteers are Linda McNabb and Phyliss Dosman.

McNabb has been involved for 27 years and Dosman right by her side for the last six.

“This is just something that I like to do, I look forward to this day very much. The closer it gets, the more excited I get,” said McNabb. “I can’t tell you why I started, it was just something that caught my interest. I used to take a day off work to come and volunteer. I enjoy it, I like helping people and this is fun. To me, this isn’t work here today.”

While there are many hands-on roles with the program, the two spend their day ‘shopping’ through donations to make sure that each box, each wish list is full and complete ahead of the wrappers.

“We shop in all of the stations here,” said McNabb.

“We shop in the clothing store, in the toy store,” said Dosman, pointing around the hall to the sorted clothing closet and overflowing toy tables.

“And pick up everything that needs to be on the list that they want so then Christmas morning, ‘Wow!’,” said McNabb.

“And we make sure that mom and dad get something too so that nobody is left out,” added Dosman.

The pair have been volunteering at the program for so long they have seen the ins and outs, the happy families, the kind donors,

ber of community-minded people there wouldn’t be enough gifts, money, or manpower to pull off this amazing program. Every single toy, every single dollar, and every single minute donated helps give

Merry Christmas!

Wishing You & Your Family a Blessed Holiday Season.

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It takes some 200 volunteers to make WCS’ Christmas Goodwill Program go round, from organizers to shoppers to wrappers. [ALI WILSON / THE OBSERVER] the overwhelming community support – it makes it all worthwhile to donate their time to help make it possible.

“It is when you think of a kid who might not have anything to open on Christmas morning, it’s bad,” McNabb said. “There

t n e m e r i t e Happy R Congratulations!

John!

to donate and volunteer, passing on these wonderful values to the next generation.”

This year almost 160 families will be supported through the WCS Christmas Goodwill program.

Christmas to families in our area that are struggling,” said Reed. “We are a close community that cares about our members and strongly values helping others. Families are showing their kids how

12

After years of employment at Premier Equipment/ Elmira Farm Service, John Hasting has decided to retire!

Please feel free to drop in at Premier Equipment, Elmira on

Thursday Dec. 21st

to wish John well in his retirement.

(Light refreshments will be served.)

dication Thank You for your de - We wish you all the best!

is a lot of work that goes into it – the community is really good for donating and helping out.”

Reed echoes that, noting it’s the community support from all places that really makes this program possible.

“If not for the vast num-

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44 | LIVING HERE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

CHEF’S TABLE: Keeping the fuss to a minimum

STORYTIME WITH THE JOLLY MAN HIMSELF

FROM | 40

disappointment. There are so many artisans and creative people in our community, creating gifts that are unique and special to our area.

Enjoy the season, as it goes by so quickly. Before we know it, we will be ringing in a new year of adventures and cooking up a New Year’s resolution. Happy holidays!

Sautéd Apple, Brie and Cranberry Tartlets 1 pack 2” tart shells Brie cut into 1/2” cubes Sautéed apples 2 tsp. butter 2 diced apples 1/2” square (we leave the skin on gala apples work well) 1/4 red onion diced 1/4 tsp. grated ginger 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped 2 Tbsp. dried cranberries 1/4 cup apple cider Pinch of pepper

Brie goes well with so many combinations.

Melt butter in a cast iron pan. Add apples, red onion, ginger, thyme, and sauté until slightly tender, then add cranberries.

Deglaze with apple cider and reduce until cider is thicker syrup.

Season with pepper. Allow to cool.

Place 2” tart shells on a cookie sheet. Place in oven at 325 F until golden. Pull out of oven and allow to cool.

Add a cube of Brie to the bottom of the tart shell. Fill with the apple cranberry

mixture. Don’t add too much moisture.

Bake in oven at 325 F until the cheese is melted and the pastry is cooked through.

Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Happy cooking!

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n e M e s Wi m i H k e Still Se

May He bring you peace, comfort, joy, and hope throughout the season and in the new year.

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Tel: 519-884-7070

Ramping up for the holidays at the end of November, Santa Claus dropped in to the Elmira Library to read to the kids.

[FAISAL ALI / THE OBSERVER]

Letting in some light on the longest night Bloomingdale United Church planning a special service on Dec. 21 in conjunction with the solstice, recognizing Christmas can be a stressful time for many people ALI WILSON THE WINTER SOLSTICE BRINGS with it the year’s longest stretch of darkness.

It arrives in conjunction with all the stress of the holidays.

With that in mind, Rev. Anne Gajerski-Cauley is preparing for a Longest Night Service – commonly known as the Blue Christmas Service – at the Bloomingdale United Church on December 21.

Arguably the busiest time of the year for many, the Christmas season can turn from a joyous celebration into a busy and stressful experience. For others, the season can amplify a sense of loneliness and of loss when there are so many expectations to feel only joy, she notes.

The Longest Night Service, therefore, aims to help participants let go of the stresses of the season, finding some peace amid the chaos. New to the area, having just started at Bloomingdale United at Easter, Gajerski-Cauley is eager to introduce the service into the church’s offerings.

“Christmastime is just a really stressful time for a lot of people and traditionally Longest Night Services or Blue Christmas Services

have been done for people that are facing losses or have lost somebody in the last year – often a death or job loss or other events that are really hard to deal with,” she explained. “And hard to deal with, especially around Christmas cheer because there are such expectations that it’s supposed to be a really happy, joyful time of the year – for a lot of people, it’s not. For a lot of people, it’s very stressful.

“I wanted to do this service to give a different kind of feeling and a different kind of tone for people that want and need to have their feelings acknowledged, that they don’t necessarily feel joyful when everybody else is having a good time,” she explained.

The Longest Night Service is her favourite service of the season, helping people to take a break from the stresses of life. While the focus is to aid in the process of healing during the Christmas season, Gajerski-Cauley says it is for anyone who really needs to unload stress and work on healing for any reason.

“I have never had a loss around Christmastime where I have felt that I am mourning, but it’s the stress of the season, really,” she said.

“It is a time to just have an hour in that month where it is really unpacked and it is calming and tranquil and restful so that is why I want to convey that to the public that you don’t have to necessarily experience a major loss at this time of year to come to this, it’s just a quiet reflective tranquil hour in this season to kind of unpack,” she said of the service. “I think it is sort of a spiritual massage.”

The service will begin around 7 p.m. and run roughly for an hour.

“There will be some scripture reading, some hymns, carols and there will be some silence, prayers, candle-lighting. So we are going to give people the opportunity to come and light a candle in memory of someone they are thinking about so that will be part of the service as well,” she explained of the agenda.

The service is open for all to join.

“Anybody, anybody is welcome to come. Especially, I want to encourage anyone who just feels they need an hour of peace, an hour of calm and tranquility in this time of year,” she said, noting there is no preparation or things needed to attend. “They can just come as they are.”

LIVING HERE | 45

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

• SEASON’S GREETINGS • SEASON’S GREETINGS • SEASON’S GREETINGS • SEASON’S GREETINGS •

May

• HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS

J y

• MERRY CHRISTMAS • HAPPY NEW YEAR • MERRY CHRISTMAS • HAPPY NEW YEAR • MERRY

Christmas

Blessings this Christmas Season to You and Your Loved Ones

Surround You

Our Best Wishes to you and your family.

Thank You for placing your trust in us.

Monty & Karen Steenson & Grace Maher

BROKERAGE

REAL ESTA ESTATE STAT STA TATE LTD. LD LT

Kindly accept my sincere Thank-you for giving me the privilege of being of service to you in 2017.

After years of sending out Christmas Cards to new and former clients, I have BRAD MARTIN decided to Broker of Record make a personal donation to MennoHomes Inc in lieu of sending cards.

Wishing everyone a Blessed Christmas.

1.800.265.6126 |

45 Arthur S. S., ELMIRA 519.669.2772 bradmartin@bellnet.ca

62 Arthur GREETINGS St. S., Elmira |• 519.669.2207 • SEASON’S GREETINGS • SEASON’S SEASON’S GREETINGS • SEASON’S GREETINGS •

• HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • MERRY CHRISTMAS • HAPPY NEW YEAR • MERRY CHRISTMAS • HAPPY NEW YEAR • MERRY

• SEASON’S GREETINGS • SEASON’S GREETINGS • SEASON’S GREETINGS • SEASON’S GREETINGS • • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • HAPPY HOLIDAYS • MERRY CHRISTMAS • HAPPY NEW YEAR • MERRY CHRISTMAS • HAPPY NEW YEAR • MERRY

46 | LIVING HERE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

STRANGE BUT TRUE / BILL & RICH SONES PH.D.

Domestication extends beyond dogs and cats to include various insects WEIRD NOTES

Q. NASA is looking for a new planetary protection officer (PPO). Are you ready to defend Earth from alien attacks? You might want to read the job description first.

A. As given in the job

posting, â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Planetary protection is concerned with the avoidance of organicconstituent and biological contamination in human and robotic space explorationâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; In plain English, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about microbes,â&#x20AC;? says Leah Crane in â&#x20AC;&#x153;New Scientistâ&#x20AC;? magazine. NASA strives to avoid microbial contami-

nation from Earth, since it might lead to confusion between relocated bacteria and extraterrestrial life, or even worse, it might result in Earth microorganisms overrunning the locals, â&#x20AC;&#x153;destroying our chance of making one of the greatest discoveries in history.â&#x20AC;? Of course, protection must also be taken to prevent Earth from being contaminated by alien microbes.

But since no spacecraft is ever perfectly clean, the PPO must determine the number of microbes that are an acceptable risk, generally depending on where the mission is headed: An orbiter can have a large number of microbes since theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll probably all die before it crash lands. But no rovers are allowed in â&#x20AC;&#x153;spe-

cial regions,â&#x20AC;? generally areas with water, â&#x20AC;&#x153;because they are the areas where extraterrestrial microbes are most likely to live and thus the spots most dangerous to contaminate.â&#x20AC;?

In the future, tough decisions loom about whether to leave the most interesting areas in space alone, or to push ahead, probably contaminating them. For the new PPO, it will mean helping decide how much exploration to allow.

Q. Can you make a grammatically correct eight-word English sentence using only the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;buffaloâ&#x20AC;??

A. Buffalo buffalo Buffalo

buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo. Got it? Maybe

this will help:Â Bison from Buffalo, whom other bison from Buffalo bully, themselves bully bison from Buffalo. Three distinct meanings of â&#x20AC;&#x153;buffaloâ&#x20AC;? are used here: the proper noun â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buffaloâ&#x20AC;? for the city of Buffalo, New York; the noun â&#x20AC;&#x153;buffaloâ&#x20AC;? for â&#x20AC;&#x153;bisonâ&#x20AC;?; and the verb â&#x20AC;&#x153;buffaloâ&#x20AC;? meaning â&#x20AC;&#x153;to bully.â&#x20AC;? The creation of sentences from just the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;buffaloâ&#x20AC;? has been known since at least the 1960s. Dizzying to contemplate is the claim that a â&#x20AC;&#x153;buffaloâ&#x20AC;? sentence of any length is grammatically correct, assuming appropriate capitalization.

Other words with multiple meanings, such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;police,â&#x20AC;? can also give rise to such bizarre multiplesame-word sentences.

Q. When we think of

domesticated animals, we generally think of mammals, such as dogs and cats. But can one domesticate insects?

A. A species is domesticated when it has been selectively bred â&#x20AC;&#x201C; usually for hundreds of generations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to live closely with humans. Honeybees and silkmoths are domesticated insects and have been for a very long time. Based on archeological evidence from ancient Egypt, the transition from collecting honey from wild bees to beekeeping happened at least 4,500 years ago.

And genetic evidence suggests that the domestication of silk moths began as early as 7,500 years ago in China. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People bred the

[caterpillars] to produce more silk and to tolerate human handling and extreme crowding,â&#x20AC;? says Erika Engelhaupt in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Science News.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;For more than 2,000 years, the Chinese kept their silk-making methods top secret, and smuggling silkworms out of the country was punishable by death.â&#x20AC;?

Silkmoths have now been domesticated to the point that they cannot survive without humans: they are flightless, require help mating, and the feeding of their caterpillars must be supervised.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Bill is a journalist, Rich holds a doctorate in physics. Together the brothers bring you â&#x20AC;&#x153;Strange But True.â&#x20AC;? Send your questions to strangetrue@compuserve.com.

OBSERVER CROSSWORD PUZZLER ACROSS 1. Rays 6. Manx, e.g.

12. Mosque V.I.P. 16. Drive 17. Martial art 18. Opening time, maybe 19. Mauna ___ (Hawaiian volcano) 20. Bronx Bomber 22. Attractor 24. Allergic reaction 25. Bad day for Caesar 26. Bandit, in Italy 27. Medical research org.

28. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our Time in ___â&#x20AC;?

(10,000 Maniacs album) 29. Paâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partner 30. Pub game 31. Frost up 33. Citation 35. Cabernet, e.g.

36. Rife with seaweed 37. Deaden 40. Command 43. Coal container 44. â&#x20AC;&#x153;___ the fields we goâ&#x20AC;?

46. Chit

47. Dimmer 49. Immediately 51. Mermaidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home 52. â&#x20AC;&#x153;___ Gangâ&#x20AC;?

53. Bubkes 54. Dreams 55. Feed bag contents 57. Dupery 59. Taxi 60. Toronto nickname of old 62. Baked dish 66. Pago Pagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s place 68. Connected 69. Big bag 70. Ben Jonson wrote one to himself 71. Withdrawal method 73. Computer info 74. Assist, in a way 75. Aware of 76. Some chops 78. â&#x20AC;&#x153;___, humbug!â&#x20AC;?

79. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eâ&#x20AC;? of B.P.O.E. 80. Bliss 82. Accord 84. Medical advice, often 85. Packing a punch 86. Subdues, with â&#x20AC;&#x153;downâ&#x20AC;?

DOWN 1. Two-piece suit 2. Nauseant 3. Military helicopter 4. ___ , myself, and I 5. Cunning 6. Goose 7. â&#x20AC;&#x153;American Idolâ&#x20AC;? singer Clay 8. Barely gets, with â&#x20AC;&#x153;outâ&#x20AC;?

9. Deception 10. Ego counterpart 11. Deep sleep 12. Instill 13. Clubs and diamonds, in bridge 14. About 15. Allots, with â&#x20AC;&#x153;outâ&#x20AC;?

21. Bettered 23. Combines 26. Kerosene 28. Exceedingly 29. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coolâ&#x20AC;? amount 32. Sundae topper, perhaps 33. Checkers, e.g.

34. Appraiser 36. Do-it-yourselferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purchase 38. C.I.A. worry

39. Acquires 40. Approximately 41. Actress Perlman 42. Post-death castings 43. Cantina 45. Say 48. Bunch of hair 49. Accomplished 50. 27, to 3 53. Mother Teresa, for one 56. Earliest 58. Barley bristle 59. Chocolate source 61. Bearing 62. Some drum sounds 63. Spool 64. Imagine 65. Moon of Saturn 66. One planting seeds 67. Old and feeble 69. Gown material 72. Early course 73. Fool 76. Bon ___ 77. Cashew, e.g.

81. __ and fro 83. Express rejection

SUDOKU CHALLENGE

HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once. Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. We have got you started with a few numbers already placed in the boxes.

LIVING HERE | 47

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

HOLIDAY EVENT

UP TO

6,250

$

(INCLUDES $750 GM CARD APPLICATION BONUS)

MAX CREDIT AVAILABLE ON 2017 ACADIA SLE-1 AWD MODELS*

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2017 GMC ACADIA SLT-1 ALL TERRAIN SHOWN

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Offer valid for a limited time only. Customers can receive up to $1,500 in total Holiday Bonus incentives with the application of a GM Card. Total incentives consist of manufacturer-to-dealer credits (tax-exclusive) and the GM Card Application Bonus (tax-inclusive). GM Card Application Bonus applies to individuals who apply for a Scotiabank ® GM ® Visa* Card or current Scotiabank ® GM ® Visa* Cardholders. Credit value depends on model purchased. This offer may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives. Conditions and limitations apply. Void where prohibited. See Dealer for full program details. GM Canada reserves the right to amend or terminate offers for any reason in whole or in part at any time without prior notice. <GMC Holiday > total value valid toward the retail purchase or lease of one eligible new 2017 or 2018 model year <GMC> delivered in Canada between December 1 – January 2, 2018. Total Value consists of $500 manufacturer-to-dealer Holiday Bonus (tax exclusive) delivery credit and manufacturer-to-consumer GM Card Application Bonus (offer applies to individuals who apply for a Scotiabank ® GM ® Visa* Card [GM Card] or current GM Card cardholders) (tax inclusive). GM Card Application Bonus credit value depends on model purchased: $500 GM Card Bonus on new 2018 Terrain, $750 GM Card Bonus on new 2017 Terrain, Canyon (excluding 2SA), Acadia, Savana, $1,000 GM Card Bonus on new 2017 & 2018 Yukon, Yukon XL, Sierra LD & HD. As part of the transaction, dealer may request documentation and contact General Motors of Canada Company (GM Canada) to verify eligibility. $500 Holiday Bonus is applied against eligible 2017 & 2018 MY vehicles purchased during the program period. 2017 & 2018 MY vehicles not eligible for this offer are: exclusions outlined under GM Card Bonuses above, Spark, BOLT EV and all Cadillac models. This offer may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives. Certain limitations or conditions apply. Void where prohibited. See your GM Canada dealer for details. GM Canada reserves the right to amend or terminate offers for any reason in whole or in part at any time without prior notice. Void where prohibited. See dealer for details. (Lease) Eligible 2018 GMC Sierra Double Cab Elevation Edition: Lease based on suggested retail price of $45,550, includes, $1,000 manufacturer-to-consumer GM Card Application Bonus (offer applies to individuals who apply for a Scotiabank GM Visa Card [GM Card] or current GM Card cardholders) (tax inclusive) and a manufacturer-to-dealer $500 Holiday Bonus (tax exclusive) towards the retail cash purchase, finance or lease for an eligible new 2018 Sierra Double Cab Elevation Edition at participating dealers. Bi-weekly payment is $199 for 48 months at 2.9% interest rate for 48 months on approved credit to qualified retail customers by GM Financial. $3,200 down payment is required. Total obligation is $23,894, plus applicable taxes. Taxes, license, insurance, registration and applicable fees, levies, duties and, except in Quebec, dealer fees (all of which may vary by dealer and region) are extra. Option to purchase at lease end is $20,533. See dealer for details. Discounts vary by model. Dealer may sell for less. Limited time offer, which may not be combined with certain other offers. General Motors of Canada Company may modify, extend or terminate offers in whole or in part at any time without notice. Conditions and limitations apply. Offers may not be redeemed for cash and may not combined with certain other consumer incentives. ® Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. 2017 Acadia SLE-1 AWD Total Value $6,250.

Limited time offer available to qualified retail customers in Canada. $6,250 Total Value is a combined total credit for finance purchases on select 2017 Acadia SLE-1 AWD; includes: $5,000 non-stackable manufacturer to dealer cash credit (tax exclusive), $500 manufacturer-to-dealer Holiday Bonus (tax exclusive), $750 GM card application bonus (this offer applies to individuals who have applied for the Scotiabank ® GM ® Visa* Card [GM card] and to current Scotiabank ® GM ® Visa* Cardholders) (taxes included). (Lease) Eligible 2018 GMC Terrain SLE FWD: Lease based on suggested retail price of $32,040, includes $500 manufacturer-to-consumer GM Card Application Bonus (offer applies to individuals who apply for a Scotiabank GM Visa Card [GM Card] or current GM Card cardholders) (tax inclusive) and a manufacturer-to-dealer $500 Holiday Bonus (tax exclusive) towards the retail cash purchase, finance or lease for an eligible new 2018 GMC Terrain SLE FWD at participating dealers. Bi-weekly payment is $159 for 48 months at 0.9% interest rate for 48 months on approved credit to qualified retail customers by GM Financial. $1,500 down payment is required. Total obligation is $18,076, plus applicable taxes. Taxes, license, insurance, registration and applicable fees, levies, duties and, except in Quebec, dealer fees (all of which may vary by dealer and region) are extra. Option to purchase at lease end is $13,799. See dealer for details. Discounts vary by model. Dealer may sell for less. Limited time offer, which may not be combined with certain other offers. General Motors of Canada Company may modify, extend or terminate offers in whole or in part at any time without notice. Conditions and limitations apply. Offers may not be redeemed for cash and may not combined with certain other consumer incentives. ® Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia.

48 | BACK PAGE

THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

SERVING UP BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

SALE HOURS

THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

9AM 9AM 9AM 10AM

9PM 9PM 6PM 5PM

STARTS TODAY! K TOC

Pat Perry, Garry Perry, Winn Faries and Kevin Radford helped to serve some 330 people at the Optimist Club’s Breakfast with Santa last Saturday morning at Calvary United Church in St. Jacobs.

[ALI WILSON / THE OBSERVER]

DECEMBER

DEALS! K TOC

IN S

IN S

made in CANADA

BOUNDARIES: Township redrawing the map FROM | COVER

are redrawn to their liking.

For now, the township can only shift lines, as for every acre brought into the fold, another has to be dropped somewhere.

Under the direction of the Region of Waterloo, the exercise requires no net increases in the total size of settlement areas in the township.

Some of the requests will have to go unfilled.

The township is looking to add more industrial land on the east side of Elmira, and to provide more room for expansion at the Home Hardware headquarters in St. Jacobs. That means taking land from elsewhere, removing it from the settlement boundaries, and allocating it somewhere else.

In Elmira, that includes taking land that’s unlikely to see development, such as the forested Victoria Glen or the golf course, and using it to provide more industrial land in the southeast part of town.

Seeing that, Ward 2 Coun.

Mark Bauman suggested a similar approach in St. Jacobs, sending planners back to the drawing board.

That decision may mean landowners excluded from

the boundary rationalization may have another chance.

Councillors seemed keen to support the bid of St. Jacobs’ Mike Gilles, who along with Richard Frede, wants to see part of their holdings adjacent to 118 Northside Dr. added to the settlement, pointing out the potential for a shared project with nearby Calvary United Church, which has talked about developing seniors’ housing.

With Home Hardware growing, there will be an increased demand for housing, Gilles told councillors, noting that developing his property would allow for shared services for the church project.

To do that, he needs Woolwich to include in the settlement boundary a twoacre parcel that connects the Northside Drive property with the back portion of the church lot, which fronts on Hawkesville Road.

“That makes sense to me,” said Bauman of the project, a sentiment that seemed to be shared by his colleagues.

They seemed less inclined to reverse course on another pitch for inclusion, however.

As with a previous meet-

ing in June, MHBC planner Pierre Chauvin asked the township to include at least some portion of his client’s land at 460 and 461 Arthur St. S., which he said could serve as an industrial gateway to the town, perhaps even as part of a long-discussed Elmira bypass route.

The township prefers an area just to the northeast, however, slotting in an area east of Arthur Street and south of South Field Drive for new industrial land.

Likewise, the township plans to expand the countryside line – the line in the sand between urban and rural areas – to clear the way for future growth of the settlement area, including a future bypass route on the east side of town.

“We absolutely need some new employment land,” said Dan Kennaley, the township’s director engineering and planning.

The road in the new industrial area could form the start of what could become a bypass route, he added, noting the township is pushing the Region of Waterloo to include a route in the formation of its new transportation master plan.

CLICK LAMINATE WIDE PLANK!

87

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