January 26, 2023

Wellesley rec. complex campaign surpasses goal by $1.4 million

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

WHEN IT WRAPPED UP LAST month, the Something for Everyone campaign raising money for a new Wellesley rec. complex had overshot the mark. The effort surpassed its $2.5-million goal by $1.4 million.

That was the result of overwhelming community support, said campaign chair Chris Martin, who revealed the numbers to Wellesley council Tuesday night.

The committee was charged with rallying the community around efforts to build the $27-million Wellesley Township

Recreation Centre, and it achieved that in spades.

“I’m so proud of our community and its generosity, and equally proud of our campaign team for their dedication and hard work in achieving this great accomplishment. Early on, our team privately felt our stretch goal was $3 million, but to even exceed that by almost $1 million is truly outstanding,” said Martin.

“This campaign and project have always been about improving the social and health opportunities for our township residents. I think the people we spoke to truly understood this and gave freely to most of their abilities. One can only conclude that we live in a

wonderful place.”

In total there were 112 businesses who contributed to the campaign, as well as 15 community and user groups. The largest donation to the campaign was $1 million, with the average being $33,000. Of the $3.9 million total, 45 per cent has already been given to the township with the remainder being pledged over the next five years.

There were several naming opportunities in the complex, including 41 rooms and spaces that were sold out five months into the campaign. There were also 291 seats available for naming as well as 20 benches and drink rails, all

→ WELLESLEY 5

New LCBO, Starbucks among retailers expected at Elmira site

will also be home to a new LCBO store.

Foodland plaza in Elmira’s south end will see new retailers in town, including a Starbucks, Stacked Pancake House and Barburitto. The development

Two new buildings are to be added to the site in the third and final phase of development, said Gordon Driedger, president of Skyline Retail REIT, the company that owns the property.

The new LCBO store will

be north of Rexall, and is expected to be about 6,000 square feet, larger than the current shop on Church Street that it will replace, he said.

The Starbucks, Stacked Pancake House and Barburrito will be located between the Harvey’s building and the Tim

Hortons. The Starbucks will have a drive-thru.

“Skyline purchased the property in early 2016. At that time, we identified the potential for additional retail density to serve the growing Elmira market. As you know, the plaza serves a large area of smaller communities

surrounding Elmira,” he said.

Driedger expects construction to begin in early spring and finish in the fall.

“Municipal applications for these developments have been in progress for several years. However, site plan approval and

building permits for the new development will be approved shortly,” he said.

Jeremy Vink, Woolwich’s manager of planning, said “the township is currently still finalizing the site plan and agreement with the landowner. We have given them

Leah Gerber Observer Staff

A 22-year-old Listowel man was charged with ‘disobeying a red light’ after the white Hyundai he was driving collided with a white Yukon Jan. 19 at the intersection of Arthur and Church streets in Elmira. Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact Waterloo Regional Police. Leah Gerber

News tips are always welcome.

Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com Online: observerxtra.com/tips

Snofest set to make its return to Linwood

Leah Gerber Observer Staff

AFTER A HIATUS DUE TO the pandemic, the annual Linwood Snofest is back on again this year.

The fun will take place February 4, starting off with a breakfast hosted by the Linwood firefighters at the Linwood Recreation Centre. The breakfast will run from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

This will be followed by events throughout the day including co-ed snopitch, solo card game tournament, Snowga (yoga in the snow) hosted by the Linwood Library, music by Erick Traplin, face painting, crafts, bingo and horse-race games.

There will be food and drink available during the day, including a bar later on, notes Margie Cressman, who sits on the Linwood Recreation Committee.

All proceeds from Snofest will go toward new playground equipment at the recreation centre.

Cressman says Snofest is held to “raise money but also I think very importantly to uphold the small-town community spirit that Linwood’s always had. It’s always been a very, very family oriented event.”

The recreation committee tries to pick events so there will be something that appeals to everyone, she added.

“We try to make sure that we have events or →

Elmira bonspiel a fundraiser for WCC

Gerber Observer Staff

CURLERS ARE GATHERING NEXT WEEK for fun, fellowship and to support youth mental health in the community.

Ken Irwin is the head ice technician at the Elmira and District Curling Club, and also a gymnastics coach. This

is the third year Irwin is organizing the Alisha Wilson Memorial fundraiser bonspiel, with the funds raised this time around going to the Woolwich Counselling Centre’s programs for youth.

The one-day event is held February 4 and starts at 9 a.m. The day includes lunch, dinner, an awards ceremony and a cheque

presentation to the centre.

The winners also get a one-hour on-ice session with Sherry Middaugh, five-time Ontario curling champion and four-time bronze medalist at the Canadian Championships.

Alisha Wilson was a Grade 9 student in Alliston and a promising

The road was cleared this week for a twin-pad recreation facility in Elmira. Previously split on the viability of building two ice surfaces at the Snyder Avenue complex, members of the Woolwich Recreation Facilities Steering Committee were unanimous in Wednesday night’s vote. From the Jan. 27, 2007 edition of The Observer

Woolwich sticks with 8.5% tax hike

Kannon Observer Staff

FOUR SPECIAL BUDGET MEETINGS

CONCLUDED, Woolwich council still has its heart set on hitting residents with an 8.5 per cent tax hike this year.

That figure, which will add an average of $84 to the township portion of property tax bills, is where deliberations began earlier this month, and where things ended when discussions wrapped up January 19.

While there was no substantive changes to the draft operating budget, there was some tweaking of the capital budget, with an eye on delaying repairs to the Peel Street bridge in Winterbourne. Councillors are looking at putting off that project, scheduled for this year, until 2024. There was also consensus to put off the acquisition of two electric vehicles and related charging stations, lowering capital expenses.

The tax increase for 2023 includes a seven per cent hike to the general tax levy plus 1.5 per cent for a special infrastructure levy. That would add $84.32 to the bill of an average home in the township, based on an assessed value of $418,000.

The draft discussed Monday night by Woolwich councillors includes an operating budget of $23 million, a nine per cent increase from the 2022 budget.

Changes to the capital budget were driven

largely by concerns about the amount of borrowing by the township. The Peel Street bridge project’s $2.75-million price tag, for instance, was to be funded fully through a debenture.

Woolwich is planning to borrow another $3.7 million this year, which also covers the planned paving of Greenhouse Road near Breslau. The Winterbourne project, which would rehabilitate the old steel-truss bridge for pedestrian use, was a stumbling block for some councillors looking at a long list of unfunded infrastructure projects.

“I have a concern with the Peel Street bridge –not saying that I could never get behind the project in and of itself, but this year I think that we should defer,” said Coun. Nathan Cadeau, arguing to push the work back a year.

Coun. Eric Schwindt said the delay could provide time for the township to find funding support from the provincial or federal government, decreasing the local tax burden.

“If we can get even 50 per cent funding, that’s a huge difference of capital items we can do for the next 15 years going forward. So instead of approving a budget this year that includes a bridge out of our bank account, why wouldn’t we use the next year to direct staff to say, ‘hey, apply everywhere you can, figure out whatever needs may work, and come back to us with

If it matters to you. It matters to us.

Plans to redevelop the site of Trinity United Church in Elmira cleared another hurdle this week as Woolwich council approved the required official plan and zoning amendments. The church group plans to build a five-storey apartment building with a ground-floor commercial area, including space for the church.

Trinity development OK’d From the archives

Amanda Woods-Atkinson, executive director of the Woolwich Counselling Centre, and Ken Irwin, the head ice technician at the Elmira and District Curling Club, which is hosting a fundraising bonspiel next week. Leah Gerber

Leah

Steve

SNOFEST:

parts of the day that appeal to all ages, from little tiny children for things like our face painting to things that I’ll call the younger teens and maybe people in their 20s and so on, like the snopitch. And then the things like the horse races and solo tournaments ... a lot of the middle aged or older people like to partake in those. So there’s something for everyone in the community.”

Cressman says the rec. committee works with groups in the community to make the day’s events happen.

Jerry Sherrer is the secretary for the Linwood and District Lions Club, which is running the solo card tournament and horse races.

“Snofest is a chance to bring everyone in town to socialize,” he said.

“We run wooden horse racing in the afternoon which seems to be a lot of fun for all.”

Cressman says the

first Snofest was held in 1979 by an independent Snofest committee.

Proceeds went to the “social betterment of the community” and also toward playground and park improvements.

She says the first Snofest included an outdoor bathing suit race, bed race, log sawing, nail hammering, plank walk, ski rally and a snow sculpture contest.

“Today it is run by our Linwood recreation board, on a smaller scale and more towards indoor entertainment rather than outdoor events, partially because of the less winter-like weather that we have been periodically having in February.”

The opening breakfast at the last Snofest before the pandemic in 2020 attracted about 200 people.

There may also still be room to sign up for Snopitch (slopitch in the snow-or mud as it may turn out to be this year). Call Jill at 519-504-1600.

Variable weather makes sidewalk snow-clearing efforts more difficult

Observer Staff

VICTORIA STEADMAN AND VOICU GOGA’S daughter fell three times in two weeks this year. They’re upset about the state of the sidewalk snow-clearing in Woolwich Township.

The pair say their 12-year-old daughter Ella fell at Park Manor School while kicking a ball the morning after an ice storm event January 9.

“She was home for a week off school. She was experiencing headaches every day,” said Steadman. “ We did take her to the doctor and the headaches were just coming from the head injury. So she didn’t end up having a concussion from all the tests that they did, but she did have the head injury, which was making her experience the headaches.”

Steadman said Ella also fell two other times while walking to her bus stop near Snyder Avenue and Church Street within a span of two weeks.

Other residents, too, have noticed the icy conditions.

Jack McEachern lives on First Street in Elmira. He said he was out for a walk to pick up breakfast on the the same morning Ella fell. He made his way from First Street to the deli on Church Street shortly after 8 a.m.

McEachern said he has a hernia that returned after a surgery last year. That makes a fall a risky proposition for his health.

“So I’m really careful how I walk and where I walk.”

That morning he had a hard time making his way on the sidewalks. “I got to the end of my driveway, and pretty much slid right onto the road.”

He said he ended up walking on the road and on people’s lawns for much

of the way to and from the the plaza, and also to the bus stop that same morning. While he walked, he saw people of all ages sliding around, including kids and families trying to get to school.

He said he walked near the high school, the arena, St. Teresa of Avila and John Mahood schools, with no salt on the sidewalks nearby.

Jared Puppe, Woolwich’s director of infrastructure services, says the responsibility for clearing sidewalks differs depending on location in the township.

In settlements in the township except Elmira, property owners must clear their sidewalks in front of and beside their homes and businesses within 24 hours of a snowfall of 38 mm or more.

In Elmira, “all sidewalks are maintained on behalf of the adjacent property owners by contracted services through a special service levy,” Puppe said, noting the same 24-hour timeline applies.

“The most challenging [aspect of] sidewalk clearing is dealing with weather that creates a freeze/ thaw cycle when there are warmer days and colder nights,” he said. “School sidewalks do receive a higher degree of attention, however, depending on the type of weather and timing that the event takes place has a direct impact on our contractor’s ability to meet the exact demand at the exact time. Winter control is a difficult service as winter in general is unpredictable.”

There are a variety of reasons sidewalks may be icy in areas by schools, he said. As the bylaw stipulates that ice and snow must be acted on within 24 hrs from the end of the winter event, the snow and ice may have been deposited after the most recent event and prior to the 24

hour period ending. Likewise, with winter temperatures often ranging above and below the freezing point ( 0°C), a thaw may cause water to pool on a sidewalk from melting snow and then refreezing when the temperature drops.

McEachern said that he saw a crossing guard trying to break up the ice with her boot so kids would be able to cross.

Puppe said the township staff are working on better options.

“It is being looked into to provide bins at some crossing areas with pickled sand (a blend of sand and salt) to be available for traction. Crossing guards will then be able to put down their own salt/sand if the homeowner or contractor hasn’t salted yet.”

He also said the township is also getting a quote from a contractor to “help with windrows around crossing guard locations because this has been an issue in past years.” Windrows are piles of snow formed at a pedestrian crossing when snow is plowed across an intersection.

The school boards are responsible for clearing sidewalks directly in front of school property but not the sidewalk in front of

nearby properties students may use on the way to school. The Waterloo Region District School Board hires a number of contractors to salt the areas in their contracts before 6:30 a.m., says spokesperson Estefania Rodriguez Y Brandenstein.

“WRDSB responds as quickly as possible to any icy conditions when we are made aware of them on our school sites.”

Voicu Goga, Ella’s father, says he wants to know how his taxes are being used.

“We are paying taxes to include the garbage and snow removal and all that, but yet, my kid goes to school and is expected to play on an unmaintained school property area and they get hurt. So I would like an explanation from the mayor – how is this allowed? How is this fair to the taxpayer?”

“And the sidewalks as well,” said Steadman. “If there’s a freezing rain warning, and they know that children will be walking to school the next day, they need to treat the sidewalks. We live right on Church Street and there are tons of people walking their dogs, there are elderly people right beside the township (office) that walk around that area. Especially when there’s a warning for things like this, they need to be taken care of.”

Puppe said residents can report any concerns or questions to the operations department between 8:30am and 4:30pm at 519-669-6043 or after hours, through the Region of Waterloo’s call center at 519-575-4400.

Email inquiries can also be submitted through the Township’s website, he said. We just ask that residents wait at least 24 hours after a winter event has occurred prior to reporting of any unplowed roads or sidewalks.

TAX HIKE: Peel Street bridge project remains a stumbling block for 2023

a plan that involves some funding somewhere else.’

And then we as a council, that can get your feet held to the fire to come up with a decision,” he said.

Other councillors pushed for the project before agreeing to allow staff some time to look at other funding options before, while keeping the project in the 2023 budget.

“I support doing the bridge because I know the residents really want to see this move forward. And, of course, I’m part of the heritage committee, so I’m going to support that particular item,” said Coun. Bonnie Bryant. “I would like to echo Coun. Bryant’s support of the Peel Street bridge. I feel that this has been something that the residents have been clear that

they’ve wanted this for several years. I think it is a project that is easy for us to push off year after year, and I really fear that next year we’ll be having this conversation again about the Peel Street bridge and finding justification for pushing it off,” added Coun. Kayla Grant.

Director of infrastructure services Jared Puppe noted a short-term delay would be manageable,

though the part of the work that involves turnaround space for township trucks will have to get done eventually.

“I would say that we’ve been without them for this length of time as well, so I guess that really it is a council decision if we’re not interested in debenturing ,” he said.

“We would live with the condition as it’s as exists today.”

Dr. Alice Chen Dr. Stephen Morris

Elmira’s Jack McEachern is very careful to avoid falls when walking due to health concerns, making icy sidewalks a real issue. Leah Gerber

Leah Gerber

Getting back into the swing of things after the pandemic

Police charge Wellesley man with firearm-related offences

Waterloo Regional Police last week charged a Wellesley Township man after an investigation involving a firearm in Kitchener.

On January 19, 2023, at approximately 2:30 p.m., police responded to a residence in the area of Stirling Avenue and Charles Street East after receiving

JANUARY 20

7 : 38 PM | A collision between a vehicle and horse-drawn buggy brought Waterloo Regional Police to a Sawmill Road location in Woolwich Township. The buggy is believed to have turned left in front of the vehicle. The horse died as a result of its injuries. There were no other reported physical injuries.

JANUARY 21

8 : 30 AM | Wellington County OPP responded to the scene of a single-vehicle collision on Township Road 3, Guelph-Eramosa. Officers were able to locate the driver of the vehicle and further investigation determined that the vehicle had been reported stolen. As a result of the investigation, a 32-yearold man of no fixed address was charged with ‘possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000,’ ‘dangerous operation,’ ‘fail to comply with probation order - three counts,’ ‘fail to comply with release order - two counts,’ ‘driv-

a report of threats involving a firearm being made.

As a result of the investigation, police arrested a 20-year-old male and charged him with several offences, including ‘assault with a weapon,’ ‘possession of weapon for dangerous purpose,’ ‘uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm,’

ing while under suspension’ and ‘fail to remain.’

The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice – Guelph at a later date.

9 : 00 PM | A Perth County OPP officer stopped a vehicle for speeding on Line 34 in the Township of Perth East after it was found to be travelling 147 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. While speaking with the driver, the investigating officer determined that the driver had been drinking alcohol. A roadside screening test registered an alert. As a result, the 29-yearold Kitchener driver was charged with ‘drive motor vehicle - perform stunt’ and ‘novice driver - B.A.C. above zero. A 30-day-driving suspension and 14-day vehicle impoundment were initiated as per statute. The accused is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford at a later date to answer to the charge. An additional three day driving suspension was initiated for the ‘novice driver- BAC over zero’ charge.

‘point firearm,’ ‘forcible confinement’ and ‘failure to comply with judicial release order.’

Two BB guns were seized by police.

There was a large police presence in the area for the investigation at the time, and Stirling Avenue was closed to northbound traffic at Charles Street

JANUARY 22

4 : 15 AM | Wellington County OPP responded to a break-in at an equipment retail store on Wellington Road 18, Centre Wellington. It was reported that multiple suspects had forced entry to a business and stole an estimated $14,000 in tool products. The investigation is ongoing and OPP are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the persons caught on surveillance. If you were in the area near this time and have a dash cam or surveillance cameras or even saw something suspicious, you are asked to contact the OPP. Anyone with any information about this occurrence is asked to contact the Wellington County OPP at 1-888310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous; you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip on-line at www.csgw.tips. You may be eligible for a reward from Crime Stoppers of up to $2,000.

WELLESLEY: A volunteer effort

of which sold out.

East for a short period of time.

The victim sustained minor physical injuries as a result of the incident. The victim and accused are known to each other, and police believe this was a targeted incident.

The accused was held in police custody pending a bail hearing.

JANUARY 23

5 : 16 AM | Waterloo Regional Police responded to a single-vehicle collision in the area of Ebycrest Road and Bridge Street East in Woolwich Township. The vehicle was located in a ditch. Through the investigation, police determined that the driver was intoxicated. As a result, a 20-year-old Waterloo woman was arrested and charged with ‘operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration’. The accused is scheduled to appear in court on February 17.

4 : 05 PM | Waterloo Regional Police have arrested and charged a driver after responding to a possible impaired driver in at the Region of Waterloo International Airport on Fountain Street North in Breslau. As a result of the investigation, the driver, a 54-year-old Brantford man, was arrested and charged with the ‘operation while impaired’ and ‘operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration.’ There were no physical injuries reported.

Woolwich residents will pay another $50 per year for water/sewer usage

THAT FLUSHING

SOUND IS CARRYING away more than just what you’d expect – it’s taking more of your cash with it.

Woolwich residents on municipal services will pay $50 more this year for water and sewer services under a budget approved this week by council.

Water rates are set to rise 3.7 per cent, to $1.89 per cubic metre from $1.82 last year. For the average customer using 2.4 cubic metres per year, that will amount to an

additional $14.28.

On the wastewater side, rates will climb 6.06 per cent, to $3.18 per cubic metre from $3.

Bulk water rates from the region account for 70 per cent of Woolwich’s costs, while the region’s portion accounts for 74 per cent of the wastewater budget.

Whereas the township’s increases are typically lower than the bulk-rate increases imposed by the Region of Waterloo, which provides both water and sewage treatment, that’s not the case this year. A bid to

contract out more water services and the repayment of a debenture for work done as part of the Industrial Drive, Elmira reconstruction project are part of this year’s increases, director of finance Richard Petherick told councillors meeting January 23.

Infrastructure projects have chipped away at the township’s reserve fund for such work, prompting a discussion about possible service rate increases.

“Since we ran out of funds in the reserve in 2022 are we confident we’re building enough

“We did this during the COVID pandemic. Economic uncertainty was everywhere. Just getting together, both as a campaign team and with prospective donors, was a challenge. And yet our team and community overcame this by being creative and industrious.

The residents of Wellesley Township never wavered in understanding the importance of what we were building,” Martin said.

There were several key factors and people that played a part in the fundraising, Martin added.

“First the province of Ontario’s grant at $16.1 million. From the beginning, our MPP Mike Harris was a strong supporter of our project and worked on behalf of the township to secure this money. Without his efforts and subsequent funding the project we were building today wouldn’t be possible. Second, the supportive township councils, starting with the council several years ago that had the good foresight

to purchase the land where the complex resides and the most recent council which voted to move forward with the project,” he explained.

The canvassers also played a big role, Martin said.

“Soliciting for money can be quite uncomfortable, and yet our canvassers took on the task with energy and enthusiasm. I applaud them and give them great credit for the success of our campaign.”

While the fundraising portion is over, the Something for Everyone campaign will continue to be active.

“We will share milestone moments of the construction as well as posting new and interesting details about the complex as we get closer to opening day. I’m very proud of what our team and community have accomplished. I feel lucky to have had the chance to lead and be involved with such a special group of people and to live in such a kind and generous community such as ours,” Martin said.

reserves going forward for the next project in the project after that?” asked Coun. Eric Schwindt.

Petherick noted the last full rate review was done in 2005, with subsequent councils avoiding increases given that rate was and is the highest in the region. The fee starts at $26 bimonthly, depending on the size of the connection.

To date, Woolwich has done “a very good job of keeping up with their infrastructure,” said Petherick, noting a review may be in order at this point.

Steve Kannon Observer Staff

WOOLWICH COUNCIL

OBSERVER EDITORIAL

OpinionWhen local news matters

Connect: observerxtra.com/staff

It’s onward and upward where water rates are concerned

Once upon a time, we drove large cars fueled by cheap and plentiful gasoline. In that time we also built poorly insulated homes, simply cranking the heat provided by cheap heating oil, natural gas and, yes, even electricity. It was also then that we ran sprinklers all day, flushed with abundance.

Those days, as we well know, are long gone.

The real costs of scarcity and environmental damage are now showing up in conventional energy prices. And for some years now, water has edged into that territory, no longer simply taken for granted and priced accordingly.

Again this year, rates for water and sewers are increasing. The annual hikes have traditionally outstripped inflation, though soaring overall rates have changed the math just now. We ignored the deteriorating infrastructure that brought us fresh water and piped away what we had used. We paid scant attention to the ecological system that provided the supply and absorbed our waste. No more. Prices are rising now to make up for years of neglect – the relatively free ride is over.

By now, Woolwich residents are no strangers to large increases in the price of water – the township has been hiking rates to reflect changes in provincial rules. For its 2023 budget, Woolwich council endorsed a water-rate increase of 3.7 per cent and boosted wastewater fees by 6.06 per cent.

Waterloo Region’s rates are up 2.9 per cent and 4.9 per cent respectively; with Wellesley provided services by the upper tier government, fees there will rise in accordance with a rolling 10-year plan that typically sees fees jump well above the rate of inflation, this year’s water increase being an exception.

With the region planning for ongoing significant jumps in its rates, you’ll continue to see those expenses appear on your municipal water bill.

The region justifies the hikes by pointing to the scale of the work needed to deal with aging infrastructure and to accommodate population growth.

In approving the new rates this week, councillors also discussed spending money for a study that would look at its service fees, already the highest in the region, with an eye towards building up reserves for future projects.

However, necessary or not, increases do not play well with the public, the people who have been digging deeper into their pockets to pay for water. Part of the problem, of course, stems from a public perception that water is just there for the taking.

Because it seems like we’re always paying more, but receiving nothing more in return – at least not much that we can see – the increases rankle.

While we can’t see where our cash is going, Woolwich and all other Ontario municipalities have been incurring increased costs due to government rules, much of it knee-jerk reaction to what happened in Walkerton. For communities with safe drinking water, the extra layer of red tape has served only to boost costs, with no effect on the product that pours out of our taps. (That’s par for the course for governments that place increasing burdens on citizens without reciprocating, feathering their own nests instead.)

Regulations governing water testing – warranted or not – have helped boost costs, but nothing like the infrastructure upgrades that will be needed in the coming years. Again, some of those are the fault of the province, which has changed the way municipalities must handle water and sewage. The province hands out rules but no money, leaving the municipalities responsible for passing on the costs to its residents.

The bottom line is you’ll be paying more this year and every year for the foreseeable future.

And just wait until growth demands a pipeline to service our water-poor region, perhaps exacerbated by climate change and threats to groundwater, brought on by the very same growth. Have your chequebooks handy.

Wages of government employees in Ontario were 34.4% higher, on average, than wages in the private sector in 2021, the most recent year of available comparable data. After adjusting for differences such as tenure and type of work, they are still paid 10.9%. Beyond wages, they enjoy more generous benefits, such as pension, early retirement and personal leave.

On the persistence of politicians

“All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs,” wrote British politician Enoch Powell half a century ago – and then proceeded to demonstrate the truth of this proposition in his own lengthy but undistinguished political career.

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s soon to be ex-prime minister, has created her own ‘happy juncture.’ Last week, to the astonishment of practically everybody, she announced that she would resign from the office because “Politicians are human. We do all that we can for as long as we can, and then it’s time. It’s time.”

That’s not universally true, of course. Many, perhaps most politicians cling on to power long past their sell-by dates. Indeed, they hang on for as long as the law and the voters allow – and in some cases even past that point, as the post-eviction careers of Brazil’s ex-president Jair Bolsonaro and US ex-president Donald Trump illustrate.

Short of those insurrectionary extremes, the woods are full of dethroned and deluded former leaders who imagine they can still regain power.

Consider British ex-prime minister Boris Johnson, for example, who is clearly plotting

a comeback despite his humiliating ejection from office by his own party last year.

Ardern is different. She did well in her five-and-a-half years in office, which included a mass-casualty terrorist attack, a volcanic eruption, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Her crisis-management skills were an unexpected bonus, but her real strength was a calm and empathetic approach to every problem she dealt with.

And yet her power and her popularity inexorably eroded, because that is the way politics works. Leaders have to make choices, and each one is bound to alienate some people. Probably the most costly in Ardern’s case was her decision to ‘Go Early and Go Hard’ in isolating New Zealand to protect it from the coronavirus.

The policy undoubtedly saved many lives in the pre-vaccine first year of the pandemic, but the extreme travel bans were probably maintained for too long, and the backlash grew with time. So did the antivaxxer movement, whose hate campaign probably did a lot to wear her down.

As another former New

Zealand prime minister, Helen Clark, put it: “The pressures on prime ministers are always great, but in this era of social media, click-bait, and 24/7 media cycles, Jacinda has faced a level of hatred and vitriol which in my experience is unprecedented in our country.”

Then add the global cost -of-living crisis, which is actually due mostly to the war in Ukraine, but is weaponized by opposition parties in every democratic country to attack the government in power.

Ardern’s popularity at home has been in decline for the past year – but she is still the most popular politician in the country.

She’s quitting anyway, and some critics say that it’s because her Labour Party is doomed to lose the next election. She denies that, saying that Labour can win but needs new leadership, and the numbers suggest that she may be right.

Three months ago the two major parties, Labour and the centre-right National Party, were level-pegging in the opinion polls. Right now the National Party leads by 5.5 per cent, but that’s almost within the margin of error when the sample is only 1,000 people. Her presence might make the difference in next October’s election, but she is suffering

...

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

“Even with a Freedom Mobile spinoff, Rogers buying Shaw means less choice and more expensive prices for every consumer in Canada. We’re seeing a collapse of independent ISPs that create positive price pressure on telecom giants, and we’re now on the verge of adding Shaw to that list.”

OpenMedia’s Matt Hatfield reacts to this week’s Federal Court of Appeal decision dismissing the Competition Bureau challenge of the Rogers-Shaw buyout.

Fraser Institute

Verbatim

ANALYSIS OF CURRENT WORLD EVENTS

GWYNNE DYER

Global Outlook on World Affairs

CEO pay report shines a light on the fact most of us are falling behind

The US has long been the poster child for political tomfoolery, rising inequity and un-ironic hypocrisy, with the current goings-on in Congress being somewhat par for the ever-sinking course.

Large swaths of the Republican party that have gone off the deep end see no problem in reversing course from the stances they took when the former guy was in the White House.

Overspending, tax cuts for the wealthy and resultant deficits weren’t an issue until Joe Biden was elected. That’s doubly so with the party taking control of the House of Representatives.

Low-information voters and outright lies may have helped Republicans pass damaging tax reforms, but as with all money matters with government in the States, there’s a certain element of aspirational hopes involved: Many Americans see themselves as middle class, with a good chance of becoming wealthy, at which point they too will benefit.

It’s a formula that allows for the kind of inequalities that go beyond those found in Canada, Europe and other advanced economies. Still, we may be seeing some increase in awareness, despite business and government intentionally forgetting the lessons of 2008.

As it does every year, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives brought the issue of inequality into stark relief with its report on the compensation of Canada’s top 100 CEOs. By 9:43 a.m. on January 3, that select group had already pocketed $58,800 – what it takes the average wage earner an entire year to make.

The report shows the country’s highest 100 paid CEOs make an average of $14.3 million, based on 2021 figures. That’s 243 times the

KANNON

average income, up from the previous high of 227 in 2018.

“If you measure this massive pay disparity in time, less than an hour after the first working day of the year begins, Canada’s highest-paid CEOs will have already made $58,800 or what it will take the average worker the entire year to make,” says CCPA senior economist David Macdonald of the report’s findings. “You could call CEO pay the breakfast of champions.”

While inflation hurts workers, it’s great for corporate profit that have hit historic highs, he notes. When profits go up, executive bonuses are driven way up. In 2021, variable compensation (bonuses) made up 83 per cent of the best-paid CEOs’ total

compensation, up considerably from 69 per cent in 2008.

“We think of inflation as bad for everyone, but for CEOs it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Historically high profits based on historically high inflation mean historically high bonuses for CEOs,” Macdonald says. “When times are bad, like during the pandemic, CEO bonus formulas are altered to protect them; in good times, like 2021, the champagne never runs dry.”

It’s a message advocates for real, public-oriented reform want us to take to heart, one that first gained some traction with the Occupy movement and, later, within the election campaigns in Canada, Europe and even the US (the Bernie Sanders effect, not Trump’s fake populism, quickly dropped in favour of personal gain).

Such movements gained some ground only to break

on the battlements of public apathy and entrenched corporate interests. While casting some light on the inequities of the system, the movement’s failure to breakthrough echoes the string of letdowns that followed the financial collapse of 2008, as politicians of all stripes sold out the public interest to corporations lobbying against regulation and accountability.

We got platitudes – lip service – but no action.

What did stick from the Occupy experience are the 1% and 99% labels. Not just catchy, they are appropriate as they show the growing economic inequities in our society: a handful of people got richer even as the majority of us took a hit. That’s a problem in itself, but the real story lies in the fact that those who have profited are responsible for the poor economy, having lobbied for the deregula-

tion, trade and fiscal policies that created the mess.

After taking inflation into account, weekly earnings are now lower than they were during the worst of Canada’s 2008-09 recession, resulting in a dangerous mix: Canadians are feeling the squeeze of shrinking disposable incomes, a rising cost of living, and record-high household debt. We can add to that list housing shortages and skyrocketing prices in the last few years.

To be sure, reports such as this latest from CCPA aim at the emotions of class warfare, of which we could use more. That’s precisely what’s missing from political debate, here as assuredly as in the US. Much of the public discourse is really just a distraction from the bigger issue, namely the framework of our civil society. That has more to do with regulatory matters than it does with particular

spending choices.

In short, it’s about who benefits from the political and economic systems we’ve created – and let’s be clear: they are manmade, not pre-ordained. For much of the postwar era, it was a large segment of the population. For more than 40 years, however, the number of beneficiaries has grown smaller, increasingly in favour of the wealthy and corporate classes. Everybody continues to pay, but fewer and fewer profit.

Conservative governments, funded by those who’ve seen the most benefits, have certainly led the charge against the types of advances that came out of the Depression/ Second World War experience, including regulations governing minimum wages, working conditions, the environment, corporate ownership and financial services, to name a few. But they’ve been joined by their major opponents here (Liberals), in the US (Democrats) and the UK (Labour) as money influences the debate.

Decision after decision that has been harmful to the middle class has been couched in just the opposite terms – supporters knowing full well you can’t sell policies by saying a handful will make out like bandits at everyone else’s expense.

As with drops in corporate taxes and shifts to consumer taxes, the goal is to shift the burden to you. This will continue transferring wealth to those already making the biggest gains while contributing to the debt loads of middle-class Canadians trying to maintain their position as real incomes – both pre- and after-tax – continue to fall.

It's all about the math, even if it doesn't add up.

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Governments of all stripes have been pushing the same agenda, while spouting public bromides. That’s unlikely to change just yet.

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Editor's Point of View

Gift exchanges, much like Christmas, is part of the celebration associated with the Chinese Lunar New Year.

The Chinese Lunar New Year is also known as the Spring Festival.

The Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated for 15 days.

ↆ LAST WEEK:

Truth: The first campaign was kickstarted by Alcohol Change UK in 2014 with 4000 people signing up to commit to abstain from drinking alcohol for a month. In 2022 130,000 people signed up.

Truth: You’ll be less bloated and have more money in your wallet as well. There are long-term benefits in participating like drinking less throughout the year.

Lie: Martha Stewart recently appeared in Tito’s Vodka commercials humorously mocking Dry January with home tips to use Tito’s products during January. Martha claims to not be a big drinker often putting ice cubes in her wine to water it down.

DYER: On the persistence of politicians

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from burnout.

She didn’t use that word, but it’s clearly what has happened. As she said herself: “I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It's that simple.” The hardest thing is knowing when to stop, but she has figured it out.

Is this because she’s a woman? Probably not. Margaret Thatcher went down fighting after 11 years in office, and only

assassination removed India Gandhi after a total of 16 years in power.

Is it because she’s a new mother? Perhaps in part. She’s only the second national leader to give birth while in power, and having an infant and then a toddler at home is one of life’s most exhausting experiences, even if you have a great deal of help from your partner.

Her own assessment is that she can’t do the job justice any more, and that’s greatly to

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her credit. Many in the Labour Party are angry at her right now because it feels like she left them in the lurch in an election year, but it was the right decision.

Men also suffer from burnout: everybody in demanding jobs is vulnerable. Maybe the average male politician would just soldier on instead, but burned-out people make poor decisions. She’s only 42 and she’ll go on to do other things, but she needs a break.

BONSPIEL: Raising funds for mental health causes, and stressing that those who need help should ask for it

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gymnast. She was bullied in school and passed away in 2018 by suicide.

Irwin coached gymnastics in Wilson’s community, though she passed before he had a chance to work with her.

“I had heard what happened from talking to the parents. I kind of didn’t quite understand, but I talked with one of the parents and asked and they explained what happened,” said Irwin. “I said ‘I want to do something to help,’ and this came out of it.

Amanda Wood-Atkinson, executive director at Woolwich Counselling Centre, says about 30 to 35 per cent of the centre’s counselling sessions are with children and youth, and that so far 2023 is consistent with this statistic.

“This year to date (so only three weeks of data), we have done 270 sessions and 83 of them have been child and youth therapy sessions,” she said.

challenges in their day-today lives that are new for parents to manage and to understand. Some of that could be the use of social media or peer interactions with their friends,” she said.

Irwin says the memorial bonspiel has room for eight adult teams and eight junior teams. Entry is $300 per team, and this includes lunch and dinner. He already has seven junior teams and five adult teams signed up.

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“It’s widely known that she was she was being bullied. Everybody in the high school: principals, vice principals, teachers, students, guidance counselors, even the police knew about it. And nobody did anything about it.”

Previous Alisha Wilson Memorial bonspiels have taken place in Alliston and Lindsay, towns where Irwin had also worked as an ice technician.

“Last year, our overall number of counselling requests have risen proportionately between children and youth sessions and adult sessions, with an increase across the board.”

She said to address this increase in need for children and youth therapy sessions, they’ve hired more therapists, and increased the number of parenting workshops and children and youth therapy groups on offer.

“I think that children and youth are facing stressors and are facing

There will also be a silent auction ongoing. The absolute deadline for registration is January 28. People can contact Irwin via email at awmcurling@ hotmail.com.

“My goal here is to help today’s youth in our community. I want to help them to be able to have the support that they need now and in the future, just to let them know that it’s OK. If they need help, to ask for it. You hear that all the time, but you can never say it enough.”

ROBERTS: Taking more risks in the midst of a crisis

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acres, will need to bolster production. And now, the spotlight is being recast. Crop innovations are once again a huge focus.

Bill Gates has often said he favours technology to help solve agricultural problems. You might expect him to say that, given his background. And so it’s not unexpected that we’d hear the same from CEO Cornelius.

He says new technology can help Africa “leapfrog” towards more efficient and

sustainable production.

“Just as the sophistication of today’s mobile phones are a result of multiple technologies converging to overtake the use of landlines, so too are advanced agricultural innovations reaching a level of maturity with potentially profound implications for the continent’s food security,” he told Agri-Pulse.

It’s not all pie-in-thesky dreaming. Cornelius pointed to Nigeria’s adoption of pod borer-re -

sistant cowpea, which uses biotechnology to help the crop naturally fend off one of its most pervasive pests. He says other crop innovations are in the works to improve plants’ natural biological processes through genetic improvement.

Risk is always present and always a criticism of technology. Society though accepts more risk when it’s in crisis. For Africa, it looks like that scenario could indeed unfold.

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St. Clements club host fundraising hockey tournament

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

THE ST. CLEMENTS OLD SAINTS Hockey Club is getting set to host its 44th annual tournament and fundraiser this weekend.

“This is our lone fundraiser of the year – it has to go well. We’ve done it for so long now; I’ve been involved since I was a little kid,” said club president Brian Bettridge.

Founded in 1977, the pickup hockey club has also made an effort to support charitable causes.

“We take a good portion of the proceeds from that tournament and give back to the community. Depending on the request, they come over from the community, so sometimes it’s individuals who are having a tough time with medical bills for kids or people who have gotten

ill and they need help with something – we’ll definitely reach out a helping hand financially,” Bettridge said. Annually, the club donates between $2,000 and $4,000 locally.

The majority of the funds raised will come through a raffle table and a silent auction. The club is also requesting donations of prizes or cash contributions. There will be a wide variety of prizes available.

“We usually ask for a variety because we do have a fairly mixed demographic that attend the tournaments. We go anywhere from kids toys to gift baskets to larger things like hockey sticks and jerseys and I believe there’s some furniture coming that’s hand built,” Bettridge said.

This year part of the proceeds will be donated → OLD SAINTS 10

The EDSS boys’ hockey team ran its record to 7-1-1-1 with a pair wins last week. The Lancers beat Southwood Secondary School 3-2 in overtime Jan. 18, then defeated Waterloo Collegiate 6-2 the following day. At the same time, the girls’ team were victorious against Laurel Heights (6-0) before edging Bluevale Collegiate 3-2 in overtime to remain undefeated at 9-1-0-0.

Sugar Kings chalk up another pair of wins over the weekend

IT WAS A GOOD WEEKEND for the Elmira Sugar Kings, who won both games on the schedule and helped raise some money in their annual charity game.

On the road in Caledon

January 20, the Kings beat the Bombers 4-0, then returned home for a Sunday to edge the Listowel Cyclones 3-2 in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Still, head coach Scott McMillan wasn’t entirely happy.

“I was little bit frus-

trated, not with the results and not the work ethic because our guys always worked hard, but I felt like we went into the games not trying to be our best, but instead just trying to be a little bit better than the other team. We got fortunate to come out with

At this time of year, you know the drill

four points,” he said. Even the 4-0 win was cause for some concern.

“The score is what it is, but goalie probably had to make a few too many saves than we would like in a game like that. Too many good saves.”

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I

f you are wondering why this winter is as mild as it is and why the ice on our lakes has taken so long to thicken, look no further than me. You see, last year I bought myself a gas-powered auger for ice fishing. Was it required? I thought so.

You see, I have gone through all my years of ice fishing using a hand auger. But last year I turned 60 and I figured it was high time for me to get a power auger so I wouldn’t have to expend a whole week’s worth of energy drilling one hole through 20

inches of late-season ice. How was I supposed to know that this would trigger a reverse Ice Age?

Obviously, there is no science to validate this or explain it. But nevertheless, it appears to be true. Ever since I bought that auger, I have had no need for it. In almost all cases, the ice I was over could have easily been drilled through with a hand auger – even by a man of my advanced laziness.

This phenomenon is something that routinely occurs with people who buy snow blowers. I have

at least three friends who have bought snow blowers over the last few years and now are wondering why.

But, as far as I can tell, my observations are the first that make a connection between buying a new power auger and the lack of ice.

I was out the other week ice fishing for the first time this year, so I took my power auger along

Do

thinking that I would finally have real use for it. It turned out we were over the thickness of ice a hand auger eats up. And a hand auger always works and weighs very little, too.

On the other hand, my power auger could be used as a weight in an Olympic-level deadlift event. Also, it requires 75 pulls to start and a 5-minute wait after I flood it, which it turns out is one of my God-given talents.

But forget all that. The real disappointment is after you start it and then start drilling and milli-

seconds later realize that you are through the ice.It’s hardly fun at all. Heck, my power auger is so effective at eliminating ice that I am thinking of placing my frozen turkey beside it next Thanksgiving.

I have begun to wonder why I bought one at all. But I also know deep down that if I did not have one I would be drilling with a hand auger through 47 inches of hard ice next time I went out. If I have learned anything in my 60 years, it is this.

It is one of those darned if you do, darned if you

wake up with neck pain or sti ness in the

don't situations. So, the real question is how do you make it work for you? I have been thinking about this a lot lately and I have come up with a solution. The problem I feel is that most ice anglers might not like it.

I am thinking of buying an even bigger power auger, an underwater camera, a snowmobile, and a portable and permanent ice hut. I figure that's all it will take to eliminate the lake ice completely and create enough open water for me to fish out of with my boat.

St. Jacobs-based Home Hardware and FlipGive, North America’s leading shopping rewards app for teams, have teamed up once again to help 500 youth sports teams get back in the game. In 2022, the Play More Matching Grant distributed $75,000 in funding to youth sports teams across Canada.

Supporting youth sports

Lancers succeed on ice

STEVE GALEA Not-So-Great Outdoorsman

now a proud carrier of Pillowise custom pillows!

The Elmira Sugar Kings, sporting special sweaters for a charity auction, defeated the Listowel Cyclones 3-2 on Sunday. Bill Atwood

Steve Kannon Observer Staff

HOCKEY CANADA: Coaches see a bright future for young player with dreams of playing for Canada at the Olympics

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She is still processing becoming a world champion.

“It’s just crazy to be a world champion, but when we first won it was an amazing feeling just seeing everyone’s face just light up. Everyone’s just waiting for that final game to come around because we all know what the end goal is. Just to see all my teammates and coaches, just their faces lit

up, and everyone just enjoying themselves because we did what we came to do,” she said.

Back home after the win Kraemer is already becoming an inspiration to younger girls in hockey, having shown off the medal at a recent practice.

“That was definitely a new experience. Something I wasn’t really expecting but it was cool

to see the little girls’ faces light up when they see the medal because I dreamed of holding this. Just to get to share that with them was pretty cool,” she explained

Kraemer’s accomplishments are a great thing for girls’ hockey in the region, Campbell said.

“The younger kids, they know of us and they look up to us, but after Caitlin

ↆ MINOR SPORTS SCOREBOARD

WOOLWICH WILDCATS

■ Atom U10 A

Jan/20/2023 vs Welland Tigers

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 2

GOALS: Daxton Habermehl

ASSISTS: Jack Frey

■ Atom U10 A

Jan/20/2023 vs Markham Waxers

HOME: 6 VISITOR: 0

GOALS: Brayden Clemmer (2), Keegan Bakker (2),Connor Shantz, Matteo Abate

ASSISTS: Braxton Wideman, Spencer Martin, Matvii Kamyshnyi, Alex Mielke, Daxton Habermehl

Shutouts: Chase Futher

■ Atom U10 A

Jan/21/2023 vs Aurora Tigers

HOME: 7 VISITOR: 0

GOALS: Connor Shantz (2), Brayden Clemmer (2), Daxton Habermehl (2), Jack Frey

ASSISTS: Matteo Abate (2), Matvii Kamyshnyi, Jack Frey, Devin Vogel, Daxton Habermehl

SHUTOUTS: Oren Ball

■ Atom U10 A

Jan/22/2023 vs Welland Tigers

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 2

GOALS: Daxton Habermehl

■ Atom U11A

Jan/21/2023 vs Milton Winterhawks

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 1

GOALS: Connor Gillies

■ Atom U11A Jan/22/2023 vs Hespeler Shamrocks

HOME: 4 VISITOR: 2

GOALS: Dominic Blake, Colton Cooney, Reid Denbok (2)

ASSISTS: Hayden Hunter, Xaiden Weber

■ Bantam U15BB Jan/20/2023 vs Halton Hills White

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 0 GOALS: Harrison Hartwick ASSISTS: Adam Bloch, Sam Kruschat

SHUTOUTS: Mason Maurice

■ Bantam U15BB

Jan/22/2023 vs Milton Winterhawks Blue

HOME: 3 VISITOR: 0

GOALS: Carter Weir, Adam

Bloch, Josh Wraight

ASSISTS: Alex Veitch (2), William Krubally, Cohen Clemmer

SHUTOUTS: Mason Maurice

■ Bantam U15BB

Jan/23/2023 vs Milton Winterhawks White

HOME: 2 VISITOR: 2 GOALS: William Krubally, Thomas McCrthy ASSISTS: Charlie Basler, Josh Wraight (2), Sam Krus

WOOLWICH WILD

Atom U11 LL-1 Jan/21/2023 vs Ayr Rockets

HOME: 0 VISITOR: 7 ■ PeeWee U13A Jan/21/2023 vs Stratford Aces

HOME: 4 VISITOR: 1 GOALS: Ellie Clemmer (2), Taylor Rayfield, Megan Nixon

ASSISTS: Megan Nixon (2), Rachel Heckendorn, Seryna Hessels

winning and getting all the publicity that she has, I think that that has been great for the local girls’ hockey, just seeing somebody that they can look up to and put a name to a face and being able to see her at the rink locally.”

Going forward Kraemer has committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for the 2024 season.

“I knew I wanted to go to a top school from the beginning. Of all the schools, they just really stood out with the team environment and culture. The coaches and players

seem like something I want to be a part of and seemed like a good fit.”

Beyond hoping to make the U18 team again next season she is setting her sights on the Olympics with the national senior team.

“I think I just [need to] keep getting support from my coaches and family and just keep learning and just keeping your mind open. I still have so much to learn and so much to improve on,” Kraemer said of what it will take for her Olympic dreams to happen.

Campbell would not be surprised to see Kraemer on

the Olympic team some day.

“There’s lots that could happen in the next couple of years. If she doesn’t get hurt and she stays healthy. And if even she does get hurt, I think she would work her butt off to get back into it,” he said.

Kraemer has a bright future with Hockey Canada, Birchard-Kessel added.

“She needs to continue to learn and grow along the way but really looking forward to watching her develop. If she continues to progress and work hard I definitely think we can see her in the red and white for years to come.”

OLD SAINTS: Still looking for support for tournament

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to the St. Clements Lions Club to help with their plans for a memorial monument.

The 16-team tournament held at the St. Clements arena gets underway at 6 p.m. on Friday and

the final game is at 5 p.m. on Sunday. The old Saints Club will also be hosting a dance on Saturday evening.

A lot of effort goes into hosting the tournament, Bettridge added.

“There are over 220 man

hours of volunteer time required to run this tournament.”

Those wanting to donate prizes or make cash contribution can contact Brian Bettridge at schmutzie4@ yahoo.ca. Pickup arrangements will be made.

KINGS: Team faces challenges against Centennials, Siskins

→ FROM 9

In Caledon, a first-period power-play goal by Luke Della Croce –assisted by Austin Mumby and Madden MacDougall – proved to be the winner, as netminder Hayden Sabourin would go on to post a shutout. That wasn’t it for the Kings, however.

In the second, Ryan Forwell’s unassisted goal at 8:54 put the Kings up 2-0. Less than five minutes later, Brenna Kennedy made it 3-0, with help from Carter Lawson and Logan Crans.

Less than two minutes into the final frame, Jayden Lammel potted Elmira’s final goal of the night. Liam Eveleigh and Adam Grein picked up assists. The 4-0 score is where things stood when the final buzzer went.

Shots were 33-23 in favour of the visitors, who went 1-5 on the power play, while the Bombers were 0-6.

It was a much tighter game Sunday afternoon as fans flocked to the

WMC for the annual charity game, after which specially designed sweaters were auctioned off for this year’s recipient of the funds, Friends of Hockey.

After a scoreless opening period, Elmira broke the deadlock at 5:20 of the second when Grein found the back of the net, assisted by Brock Reinhart and Mumby. That lead would hold for less than seven minutes, however, as the Cylones scored to make it 1-1.

It was the visitors’ turn to lead when play resumed in the third, as Listowel scored just past the four-minute mark.

Fans had little time to fret, however, as the Kings replied just two minutes later – Forwell’s tenth of the season made it 2-2, with a little help from MacDougall and Reinhart. At 12:11, Della Croce (Taylor Bothwell, Lammel) made it 3-2, which is how the game would end.

Again, McMillan had the feeling the team wasn’t giving 100 per cent.

“Listowel is a team that always works hard, wherever they are in the standings,” he said. “If you don’t work hard, they’ll make you pay. I think we showed up for that game hoping that we wouldn’t have to work hard.”

Shots were 30-27 in favour of the Kings, with goaltender Daniel Botelho stopping 25 to pick up the win. Neither Elmira (0-4) nor Listowel (0-3) could capitalize on the power play.

The Kings (23-15-1) are in Ayr tonight (Thursday) to take on the Centennials (13-14-1-1), who sit one point ahead of them in fourth place in the Midwestern Conference standings . They’re back on the ice at the WMC on Saturday to face the firstplace KW Siskins (30-8-01). Game time is 7 p.m.

McMillan expects some stiff competition, as Ayr has won four of this season’s five games so far, while the Siskins sit atop the standings for a reason.

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Technology gets another look as Africa feeds growing pop.

The “Help Feed Africa” mantra that, with good intentions, once dominated aid and development to the continent, shifted decades ago to “Help Africa Feed Africa.”

Droughts, disease, famine and unrest had wreaked havoc on many African countries. And while emergency aid was vital, going forward, Africa needed to somehow be sustainable and try new approaches to feed itself.

A multi-faceted effort was needed, and that included technology.

Researchers believed drought- and pest-tolerant crops, typically developed for large farms in wealthier nations, could likewise be adapted for small farmers.

But could costs be kept in check? How benevolent would crop technology development companies be in helping farmers adopt western-based science? Would they educate African farmers about properly applying crop protection to prevent the kind of overuse that has led to herbicide-resistant crops in North America?

These are mostly still unanswered questions. Some companies did rally around efforts such as vitamin A-rich golden rice, but public education was a problem. Anti-technology advocates succeeded once

again in convincing the public – Africans, this time – that science would harm them.

But it didn’t. In time, Africa started warming up to new technology. Some countries approved biotech crops on a trial basis, looking towards the possibility of better food security, particularly as climate change started taking hold.

Population growth estimates for Africa started changing too. Unfortunately, though, the news is worrisome.

As Dr. Joe Cornelius, CEO of Bill and Melinda Gates Agricultural Innovations says, Africa is now at an inflection point. He told the publication Agri-Pulse that by the turn of this century – which seems like a long time from now, at least according to the calendar – it’s estimated Africans will account for around 40 per cent of the global population.

That’s up from less than 20 per cent today and just 10 per cent half a century ago.

And as the world population balance goes, that’s a quick shift. Cornelius says once again, an enormous effort will be needed to feed Africa.

African farmers, who typically have only a few

Beyond Housing unveiled UW researches new patch

University of Waterloo researchers are developing a new patch that would offer diabetics an affordable, accurate, painfree, round-the-clock alternative to traditional tests that require pricking a finger for a blood sample every few hours. The patch would be extremely small – only a centimetre square – so it could be worn very discreetly on a person’s arm.

Telling the story of local food

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

AS A CHEF AND OWNER of the Fat Sparrow Restaurant Group, Nick Benninger has always been an advocate for farm to table, as well as products made locally in Waterloo Region.

“My entire cooking career, I’ve always been sort of fiercely proud of what happens in KW. I think that comes from having spent some time in other parts of Ontario that looked at KW as, like this off the highway blip on the radar that

didn’t offer much from a cultural or culinary point of view. So when I returned to this area back in the early 2000s, I just had this built-in desire to always showcase what was local. And it doesn’t hurt that so many things here are quite amazing,” Benninger said.

As part of this advocacy, Benninger recently hosted a six-part documentary series production in conjunction with Stratford-based Ballinran Entertainment and Explore Waterloo Region. Each 10-minute episode of “Farm to Fork” will show-

case Benninger’s visit to a different farm in the region. Each visit included Benninger learning about the operations of the farm and seeing the creation of a meal with ingredients produced at that location.

“We’re lucky to be surrounded by such agriculture and the farmers’ market, and this history of connection to the land, whether it be through the first settlers or the Indigenous people beforehand. So when they approached me with the opportunity at Ballinran Entertainment, I couldn’t help but say yes. To be the person that gets

to help tell the story in such a well-produced way, I think anyone would say yes to that,” he said.

One location that Benninger visited was the Oak Ridge Acres bison farm and store in Ayr. For store manager Jessica Gerber, supporting local farms means supporting the local economy.

“As a small family farm here, where we do raise animals, but also as a small family store who works with so many other producers, when you shop local, you buy local, everything stays local. The

At its AGM this week, MennoHomes unveiled a new name, Beyond Housing. The name change came about as an opportunity to do more than simply offer basic affordable housing, the organization says. A community support worker and community nurse address issues related to mental health and help tenants build connections within the broader community.

Nick Benninger (right) tours Robert Shuh’s orchard east of Elmira as part of the documentary series. Submitted

Chef Nick Benninger of St. Jacobs-based Fat Sparrow Restaurant Group jumped at the chance to host six-part series looking at the region's farm-to-table ethos

Rural Connections

Lessons from overpriced chicken breasts

I t all started with one reporter taking a simple, trivial picture of an overpriced pack of five boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The cost was $26.87 a kilo, a world-class sticker shocker, at least double what one would expect to pay for chicken breasts.

Within hours, the picture became the lightning rod for frustrated consumers on social media. Loblaw and Galen Weston – the company’s chairman, president, and well-known public persona of the company’s brand – became public enemy number one.

Attacks were instant, and mostly vicious.

On the surface, the collective uproar against Loblaw lacked any rational thinking. The chicken breasts in the picture were skinless, boneless, and free from hormones and antibiotics, which would make them premium products. The untrained eye may not have been able to see the “PC FF” on the label, which meant “Free From,” but it was there.

Other retailers in the Greater Toronto Area were even selling similar products at similar price points.

Furthermore, for

A harvest of local farming innovation.

Connect to the land.

Phone: 519-669-5790 ext 103

Tips: observerxtra.com/tips

months now the poultry industry, including egg producers, has been challenged by an avian flu outbreak, affecting almost 300 farms across the country. Many of them are in Ontario. Almost five million birds were culled in the last year, preventing millions in inventory from reaching the market. Supply-side pressures have been significant for a while. As such, prices for chicken, turkey, and eggs have all been impacted by the outbreak.

What also needs to be underscored is that chicken production is supply-managed in Canada. With our quota system, we essentially produce what we need and consume very little imported poultry products. According to Statistics Canada, the average net worth of a poultry and egg farmer in Canada is well over $6 million.

Farmgate prices are set by boards which, in turn, are heavily influenced by production costs. In most years, farm prices will go up and the rest of the supply chain will cope with supply chain economics.

That’s how supply management works. Poultry and egg prices have

14

CHICKEN

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And the survey says ...

The University of Guelph is conducting a survey to gather information on rental rates and farmland values in Ontario. The survey is open to all farmers in Ontario who own and/ or rent farmland. The results of the survey will be made available on the survey website: www.onfarmlandsurvey.com.

Farmland preservation top OFA priority list for 2023

The start of a new year is often a time for resolution and goal setting. Whether that goal is to walk more steps each day, grow a better tomato or win first place at the 4-H club show, each one requires us to look at what we want to achieve and find ways to get there.

As we start 2023, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is doing that too. As we’re reflecting on the year that was and some of our achievements, we’re also looking to the year ahead and what

we’ll be focusing on.

For me personally, the most important accomplishment for OFA over the past year has been the development and launch of the Farmer Wellness Initiative. Research has shown that farmers suffer from stress and mental health issues more than average Canadians, and we now have support available specific to the agriculture sector.

This includes a free bilingual helpline counselling service 24/7/365 by professional counsellors

with agricultural backgrounds and training, available at 1-866-2676255, thanks to a partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association – Ontario Division and financial support from the provincial and federal governments.

In 2022, OFA was also very active in raising the profile of farmland preservation in Ontario. The newest census numbers paint a stark picture of the speed at which we’re losing prime farmland in Ontario – 319 acres a

day – to development and urbanization.

That statistic has been quoted hundreds of times this past year, and combined with our Home Grown campaign, has helped raise awareness of how important farming is to our province in terms of our communities, our economy, and the food that we eat.

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of many people and organizations, including the OFA, the provincial government

The OFA Financial Literacy & Succession Planning Road Show will provide education on financial strategies for farms and farmers, as well as succession planning tools to keep the farm in the family. The in-person sessions will take place across Ontario throughout the month of February. The road show will conclude with a virtual webinar on March 1.

OFA takes it on the road

“Chickengate” exposes the crisis of confidence grocers face today

The newest census numbers paint a stark picture of the speed at which we’re losing prime farmland in Ontario – 319 acres a day – to development and urbanization. Submitted

has decided to proceed with its plan to rezone thousands of acres of prime farmland in the Greenbelt to build new houses.

We will, however, continue to advocate for the protection of farmland and the importance of maintaining our ability to grow food, fuel, and fibre here at home. At the same time, we recognize the importance of addressing Ontario’s housing crisis, and we will continue to work with government to propose workable alternative solutions to that issue.

We will also continue to focus on addressing the labour needs of agriculture and rural Ontario and attracting people to an industry that has room to grow. Together, we can help create a more sustainable workforce by prioritizing skill development and training and promoting jobs in the sector.

At the same time, Ontario needs continued investments in critical infrastructure like energy, broadband internet, roads, bridges, schools, and healthcare for rural communities so they can attract and keep new businesses and residents.

As the federal and provincial governments roll out the next agricultural policy framework

this year, the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, OFA will be looking to see how Ontario agriculture can continue to build on the environmental sustainability gains we’ve already made and help farmers more widely adopt the best management practices that have helped us achieve those gains.

It’s a reality that the start of 2023 is very different from the start of 2022. Costs for fertilizer, packaging, fuel, energy and more have all risen as our economy grapples with inflation levels we haven’t seen in years. Interest rates are up, and I believe all farmers are feeling the pinch. OFA will continue to support the industry as we have in past economic tough times.

Winter is meeting season in Ontario, which means we’ll be attending many annual general meetings in our own sector, and also attending conferences and events hosted by other organizations, such as the Rural Ontario Municipal Association and the Good Roads Association. Each of these will present an opportunity to make new friends and engage with politicians and other stakeholders in more informal settings about the issues that matter to farmers and rural Ontario.

historically been higher in Canada than elsewhere in the Western world. Nonetheless, supply management has offered Canadians stable prices. In fact, chicken has been the more stable component of the meat trifecta, which also includes pork and beef. But since early 2020, the meat counter has increasingly become expensive, no matter what protein you are after. Many of these factors are far beyond Loblaw’s control.

Still, call it “chickengate” if you will, but instant public outcries like the one we witnessed with the picture of overpriced chicken breasts do happen for a reason. The last time Canada’s food inflation rate was below our nation’s general inflation rate was in October 2021. While everything in our lives got more expensive, it got significantly worse at the grocery store.

Consumers are actively looking for a scapegoat, one they can relate to. Most consumers barely appreciate how farming, logistics, or even food processing works, but most of us have been to a grocery store. It’s a familiar environment for most of us. Grocery stores are portals to a very complex food system we can barely see and understand, so promptly blaming grocers

for overpriced products is instinctive.

Like in many Western countries, the politicization of higher food prices has led to a parliamentary investigation and broad-based inflationary support payments in provinces like Quebec and Prince Edward Island. These payments will likely make things worse, but it doesn’t matter.

Canada has one of the lowest food inflation rates in the Western world. Amongst G7 countries, only Japan has a lower food inflation rate right now. Higher food prices are a global phenomenon, full stop. Even if it makes little sense to blame one

grocer, or even one man for our ills at the grocery store, Canadians have every right to be upset. Context is everything, and consumers are on edge and will second-guess anything and everything and have every reason to do so.

The bread price-fixing scandal, which lasted 14 years, the hero-pay debacle during the pandemic, almost forcing consumers to use self-checkout counters, all add up to many Canadians feeling incredibly vulnerable and unprotected.

In December, our Parliamentary Standing Committee in Agriculture and Agri-Food called

top grocers to testify in Ottawa as part of an investigation of food inflation. None of the CEOs showed up, including Galen Weston himself. All of them opted to send their CFOs instead. They should have had the decency to show up and oblige our House of Commons, which represents the Canadian people.

The chicken breast incident points to how incredibly delicate things are right now. The food industry, and particularly grocers, are facing a crisis of confidence, no less. Consumers have become hyper-sensitive to any potential evidence suggesting abuse of market power, and grocers will need to navigate the coming months with extreme caution. Showing more public empathy would be a good start.

In the meantime, consumers should know their prices even before they show up at the grocery store, stay calm, and read labels. If a price is beyond what was expected, just walk away. A more affordable substitute in the same store is likely within reach.

Consumers have more power than they believe.

ↆ Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.

OFA: Greenbelt changes, housing crisis put pressure on farmland

CHICKEN: Another reason why consumers should know their prices

Poultry and egg prices have historically been higher in Canada than elsewhere in the Western world. Submitted

Advertising Placing a classified ad

Seven days. One paper.

A bestseller every week.

Phone: 519-669-5790 ext 104 Email: ads@woolwichobserver.com Job Listings: jobs.observerxtra.com

Help Wanted Help Wanted

Family

W. C. Brown and Sons

Looking for a Part Time Sales and Customer Service Clerk. Needed 2 - 3 Days a week. Flexible hours. Must be able to work Saturdays. Apply in person with a resume to: W.C. Brown and Sons --- Men’s Clothier --Downtown Elmira 519-669-1152

Auction

ONLINE AUCTION

Held at 2827 Hutchison Road, ½ mile North of Crosshill Auction Begins to Close: MONDAY FEBRUARY 6 AT 5:00 PM

OVER 700 LOTS INCLUDING: Ford 4000 diesel loader tractor; Exmark zero-turn mower; lots of tools; Waterloo County & other antiques; primitives; pottery; collectibles; farm literature; leather furniture; good bedroom & dining room sets; milk bottle collection; composite & other patio furniture; plus much more.

NOTE - Pickup located at 2827 Hutchison Rd. ½ mile north of Crosshill on the gravel road. Call 519-699-4451 to preview.

FOR CATALOGUE AND BIDDING please go to jacobauctions.hibid.com

AUCTIONEERS:

Gerber Auctions Ltd. 519-699-4451 Jacob Auctions Ltd. 519-348-9896

Help Wanted

HELP WANTED IN BAKERY - FULL OR part time. Hillcrest Home Baking 519-669-1381.

EAR & HEARING CLINIC SEEKING PT RECEPtionist - ELMIRA. Must be available days, evenings, holiday coverage. Submit resume to victoria@earand hearingclinic.com

Work Wanted

EXPERIENCED MENNONITE CLEANing lady. In Elmira & Floradale area only. Call Darlene at 519-496-1241.

For Rent

TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR rent in Elmira. First floor unit, eat-in kitchen with stainless steel fridge, stove, microwave and dishwasher. Separate dining, living room. Large master bedroom, good size 2nd bedroom in suite full size washer and dryer, your own hotwater tank. Huge outside private space including gazebo and large area for seating and BBQ. Large storage locker per unit. $2,200 /month plus hydro. Contact 226-748-4818

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

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

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

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.

ICE SALT & ICE MELT - ICE SALT COMES IN 20kg, Ice melt comes in 20kg bags. 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.

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

Wanted

RETIRED COUPLE SEEKS 2 BEDROOM, 1.5 bath townhouse or apartment to rent. No pets, non smokers. Please call 519-747-3874.

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

Trades & Services

TUTORING SERVICE. AGES 16 - 18. VISUAL arts, Mathematics, speak some German. Please call 519-620-0575 or m_konstan@alumni. waterloo.ca

Coming Events

SENIORS VALENTINE'S DAY DINNER and Dance at Hygate Active Senior Living, Waterloo, Friday, February 10 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. $22/ person. Menu: 1 pc fish and chip dinner. Live music, dance and door prizes. Call Stacey to buy your tickets 519-501-1131

Community Information Page

COMMITTEE OF ADJUSTMENT NOTICE OF HEARING

MONDAY February 13, 2023 at 4:30 P.M.

Pursuant to the Planning Act and Ontario Regulations 197/96 and 200/96 take notice that the Committee of Adjustment for the Township of Woolwich will meet for the purpose of hearing all persons interested in support of or opposition to any of the following applications as described below. Please note this will be a virtual meeting only and public attendance at the Township offices will not be permitted. Below is information on how you can submit comments, view or participate in the meeting. You may also contact the Committee Secretary by sending an email to planning@woolwich.ca or by phone at 519-669-6040 if you have any questions.

COMMITTEE OF ADJUSTMENT APPLICATIONS

MINOR VARIANCE APPLICATION A 3/2023 – 2224167 Ontario Inc., 251 – 271 Florapine Road

ZONE / USE: Agricultural (A) with Site Specific provisions in Section 26.1.3 / single detached dwelling, detached garage and millwright operation

PROPOSAL: The applicant is requesting relief from site specific Section 26.1.3 i) to increase the area of operation from approximately 2,695 square metres (0.6 ha) to approximately 14,374 square metres (1.4 ha) to recognize the existing outdoor storage, parking and loading areas that are associated with the millwright operation. No building additions are proposed. The site specific zoning permits the millwright operation on the subject property.

MINOR VARIANCE APPLICATION A 4/2023 - Safety-Kleen Canada Inc., 300 Woolwich Street South, Breslau

ZONE / USE: General Industrial – Dry (M-1) with Site Specific provisions in Sections 26.1.87 and 26.1.326 / oil re-refinery

PROPOSAL: The applicant is requesting relief from site specific Section 26.1.326 to permit a hydrogen generator as a permitted use at the rear of the site. The proposed generator is accessory to the operation, is the size of a shipping container and is proposed to be placed on a concrete pad to the rear of the existing safety flare.

MINOR VARIANCE APPLICATION A 5/2023 – Mennonite Central Committee (Ontario), 59 Church Street West, Elmira

ZONE / USE: Core Commercial – Urban / Flood Way and Flood Fringe (C-1(FW and FF) with Site Specific provisions in Section 26.1.35 / retail thrift store

PROPOSAL: The applicant is requesting relief from Section 16.3.3 Buffer Strips for an exemption to the installation of buffer strips where the subject property abuts a residential zone. The property is mostly bounded by residential zoned properties on the south, southeast and west sides of the property and a portion is adjacent to Township owned open space land.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

As in-person meetings are not an option at this time, you can view or participate in the meeting as follows:

• view the Committee of Adjustment livestream on the Woolwich Township YouTube channel at the following link https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCOnLlF3Srk2gLEBjkq8pIMQ OR

• participate by registering with the Committee Secretary on or before 12 noon on Wednesday February 8th. To register please email planning@woolwich.ca or phone 519-669-6040. When registering you must provide your name, phone

number, email and the application number you would like to comment on. Once you are registered the Committee Secretary will forward information on how to connect to the Zoom meeting (i.e. zoom Wi-Fi login or conference call number).

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

WHY REGISTER

By registering staff can ensure that you are permitted access to the virtual meeting, we know which application you are commenting on and, can call on you at the appropriate time to comment if you wish to do so. As it is virtual, registering will provide a level of security that is necessary to prevent unwanted guests from disrupting the meeting. Applicants and their consultants will be automatically registered and contacted accordingly by the Committee Secretary ahead of the meeting.

SUBMITTING COMMENTS

If you would like to comment on a particular application, staff always recommend that you do so by:

• submitting a letter by mail or delivering it to the Township office at 24 Church Street West, Elmira and placing it in the drop box on the Maple Street side of the building; or

• submit an email to planning@woolwich.ca

You can also contact the Township Planner at 519-669-6033 to discuss any comments / concerns however, this is not considered a formal comment.

The Committee will consider submissions for or against the applications. All submissions must be made no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday February 3rd (Note that this date is before the meeting). Any submissions received will be included in a comment package and presented at the meeting. This information is collected and maintained for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public at the Committee of Adjustment hearing. Please note that while the Committee may redact some personal information such as email addresses and phone numbers, your submissions will otherwise be made public in their entirety. This notice has been sent to commenting agencies, and to owners of property located within 60 metres (200 feet) of the subject properties. If you wish to be notified of any last minute changes to the agenda (i.e. withdrawal of an application) you must contact the Committee Secretary at 519-669-6040 or 1-877-969-0094 (Ext. 6040) or by email to planning@woolwich.ca.

Notice of Decision: Within 10 days of the meeting, a copy of each decision will be sent to owners, agents, those who submit written comments, and people who register for the meeting. If you wish to be notified of the decision of the Committee of Adjustment in respect to this application, you must submit a written request to the Committee Secretary or register ahead of the meeting. This will also entitle you to be advised of a possible Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.

Appeal of Minor Variance and Consent Applications: An appeal from a decision of the Committee of Adjustment to the Ontario Land Tribunal shall be filed with the Secretary-Treasurer of the Committee of Adjustment, in person at 24 Church Street West, Elmira. The Tribunal may dismiss an appeal without holding a hearing if the appellant did not make oral or written submissions to the Committee of Adjustment before a decision was given or does not provide a reasonable explanation for having failed to make a submission to the Committee.

QUESTIONS / FURTHER INFORMATION

Please feel free to reach out to Township Staff by phone or email to assist you should you have any questions. Contact the Committee Secretary at 519-669-6040 or 1-877-969-0094 (Ext. 6040) or by email to planning@woolwich.ca

Death Notice

AYRE, GARY RUSSELL - Thankful for a life lived with love, family, adventure, strength and determination, we announce the passing of Gary Russell Ayre, at home, surrounded by his loving family, on Monday January 16, 2023 at age 66.

GIES, WINIFRED VIOLET - Winifred Violet Gies passed away peacefully at Hospice Waterloo Region shortly before midnight on Sunday, January 22, 2023, three weeks short of her 106th birthday.

KOYICH, CLAUDINE CAROL - Born July 12, 1934, died January 18, 2022 after a short battle with Leukemia.

Thank you

DAVE KOEBEL

Oct. 18, 1957 – Jan. 24, 2021

Thank you to all who were able to attend our beloved Dave’s celebration of life

Our hearts are truly full with all your love, support and your kind words.

Its been 2 years since we have seen your smile, heard your laughter, and felt your warm embrace.

We miss you terribly each minute of every single day.

Thank goodness for our pictures and beautiful memories.

May the winds of heaven blow softly and whisper in your ear

How much we love you and miss you and wish you were here

Endless love, Dawn, Steph, Mike, Zach, Shannon, Brad, Brooklyn and Hudson

Obituary

Lackner, Ross Edgar

Passed away peacefully on Monday, January 23, 2023 at Freeport Health Centre at the age of 77 years. Beloved husband of Joan (Franklin) Lackner of Elmira, for 33 years. Loving dad of Tracey (Derek) Reid of Drayton. Dedicated papa of Nathan, Andy, Indica, and Odyn. Brother of Ruth (Terry) Thibideau and Joyce Hagen. Brother-in-law of Sonny Neeb and Garth (Ellen) Franklin. Remembered by his many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his parents Arthur and Amelia (Wilker) Lackner, sister Peg Neeb, and brother-in-law Bruce Hagen. Ross enjoyed his career working in Elmira at Borg Textiles, driving truck, delivering car parts, as well as being a crossing guard at John Mahood School. Ross was a loyal fan of the Elmira Sugar Kings. Visitation for family and friends will be held from 1-3 p.m. on Monday, January 30, 2023 at Woodside Bible Fellowship, 200 Barnswallow Dr., Elmira, with funeral service to follow at 3 p.m. Spring interment in Bethesda Cemetery. As expressions of sympathy, donations to Kiwanis Transit or Woolwich Community Services Food Bank would be appreciated and may be made through the funeral home. A special thank you to the nurses of Freeport 4th floor Neuro Unit and Dr. Kuhnert for their care and compassion.

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

In Loving Memory

Robert Wayne Lichty

March 3, 1953 - January 28, 2020

The ones we love never go away. They walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, yet always near. Still loved, still missed, and very dear.

Love, Sherry, Erika, John, Dakota, Makenna, Kiera, Delaney, Chris, Tammy and Liam

Obituary

Obituary

Kenneth Albert Martin

July 8, 1952 – January 16, 2023

Kenneth Albert Martin, 70, of Harrisonburg,Virginia passed away peacefully at his home on January 16, 2023 with family by his side after living the last year and a half with melanoma cancer that had spread to his lungs and eventually his brain.

Eckel, Leonard George

March 19, 1938 - January 25, 2023

Hutchison, Georgie

Violet Georgina ‘Georgie’ (Beach) Hutchison, of St. Jacobs and formerly of Clifford & Oakville, died peacefully on Saturday, January 21, 2023, in her 90th year.

Obituary Obituary

Witten, Shirley

Shirley Witten (nee Jarvis), passed away peacefully at her home in Flint, Michigan on Tuesday, January 17 th , in her 93 rd year. Shirley is survived by her sister, Elaine Schaefer of Elmira.

Ken was born in Kitchener, Ontario, on July 8, 1952, to the late Delton and Vera Martin. He is survived by his wife Arleta (Stutzman) and his two sisters Janice (Cal) Cressman (Ontario) and Isobel (Mahlon) Frey (Ontario). He was a proud father to, and survived by, Katrina (Eliot) Swartz, Nathan (Adrianne Herzog) Martin, and Alicia (Benjamin) Beitzel. He is also survived by his seven grandchildren whom he loved dearly: Mona, Hattie, Annie, Liam, Piper, Finnley, and Hugo.

Ken’s family would like to thank Sentara Hospice, especially nurse April, for their care and support over the past several months. They would also like to thank his oncologist at UVA, Dr. Gaughan, and her amazing team.

Obituary

BRICK, Terry Joseph

Terry Joseph Brick of Wellesley passed away peacefully at St. Mary’s Hospital with family by his side on Friday, January 20, 2023, at the age of 57. Terry was born on February 14, 1965 and was the son of Henry and Linda Brick. He was a dear brother to his sisters Sheryl Kuepfer (Keith), and Sheila Lorentz (Mike). Terry was the proud father of Derek (Carra), Tori and Lauren. He was a proud grandfather of Charles Brick. He was a proud uncle to Ryan (Alison), Nicole (Adam), Shannon (Mike) and the many nieces and nephews on the Cook side. Terry was a proud part of the Wellesley community, volunteering with many community groups during his life. In most recent years, he has been an active part of the Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival committee, the Wellesley Apple Jacks executive, and enjoyed time keeping for minor sports. He will be sadly missed by family, friends and those in the community. Friends called at the Futher-Franklin Funeral Home, 1172 Henry Street Wellesley, on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. Cremation has taken place and the interment will take place at a later date. If desired, donations to the Apple Butter and Cheese Festival to support community projects would be appreciated by the family.

OTTMAN, Denise Marie

Passed away peacefully at St. Mary’s Hospital, on Monday January 23, 2023 at the age of 49 years.

Beloved daughter of Robert and Lorraine Ottman. Loving sister of Jason (JL) and Jayme (Kara). Aunt of Emma, Chaz, Mila and Madison. Dearest niece of Richard Wolfe (Mary Ann), Elaine Wolfe (Tony Chen, d2019) Michael Wolfe (Marilyn) and Gail Meyer (Randy). She will be fondly remembered by many cousins and friends.

Predeceased by Grandparents, George and Gloria Ottman, Jules and Alice Wolfe. And her Aunt Diane Chapman.

Denise enjoyed many visits with her family and excursions with her extended family at Nine Pines group home. A special thanks to the staff and support team at Nine Pines Group Home for the kindness and dedication shown to Denise and her family.

Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will take place at later date. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Sunbeam Home, Hospital Care Program as expressions of sympathy.

Messages and condolences may be left for the family at www. trictycRemations.com or 519.772.1237.

Passed away peacefully surrounded by family at St. Mary’s Hospital, Kitchener at the age of 84 years. Survived by his wife of 23 years, Mary Austin of Elmira; his four children Leslie Eckel (Sandy Van Solm), Lisa Eckel, Kim Eckel (Russ Clarke), Ron Eckel (Laura Brady); two step-children Jeff Austin (Byron Machon), Derek Austin (Melanie); and his sister Christine Janusz (Michael). Predeceased by his parents George and Agnes Eckel, brothers Joe, Frank, Ronald, and Albert; his sister Rita Weisbrod, and his first wife Grace Eckel. He is also survived by six grandchildren Sidney Ann Saint, William Saint, Sierra EckelFoster, Jessica Eckel-Foster, Griffin Brady-Eckel, Joey Brady-Eckel and two step-grandchildren Kyler and Sydney Austin. Len got his PhD at the University of Michigan in 1965, and spent his career as a much loved professor in the Faculty of Business at McMaster University, and at the University of Waterloo, where he was one of the founding professors in their School of Accounting and Finance. He retired from University of Waterloo in 2001 but spent the next decade consulting in the area of environmental accounting. Raising his family in Dundas and Waterloo, Len’s humour and quick wit were always present. Always one for tackling a new hobby, he spent much of his leisure time in the 80s restoring a 1968 Jaguar 3.8 S-type sedan which he loved. Once living in Elmira, he enjoyed an active retirement with his wife Mary as an amateur photographer, philatelist, and woodworker, and was a beloved member of the community. Len enjoyed spending time with his grand and step-grandchildren and sharing key pieces of advice in the hopes of helping them make their way. Passionate about his roots, he spent several years writing a detailed Eckel family history. Memorial mass will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 28, 2023 at St. Teresa of Avila RC Church, 19 Flamingo Dr., Elmira. Visitation will be held from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, January 28, 2023 at the Dreisinger Funeral Home, 62 Arthur St. S., Elmira. Interment at St. Augustine Cemetery in Dundas at a later date. As expressions of sympathy, donations to Alzheimer Society of Waterloo Wellington would be appreciated and may be made through the funeral home. The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff at St. Mary’s Hospital for their kind and compassionate care. ❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Wife of the late P. Bruce Hutchison (2021). Mother of Pat Davis (Don) of Beamsville, Rob (Tracey) of Elmira, and Chris Hutchison-Hounsell (Lyndon) of Wales, and mother-in-law of Lynn Tyndall of Port Colborne.

Grandmother of Melanie De Witt, Tom Hutchison-Hounsell, Emma Hutchison-Hounsell (Sam), Andrew Hutchison, William Hutchison, and Matthew Hutchison, and greatgrandmother of Guinevere De Witt.

Predeceased by her son Steve Hutchison (2022), and sisters Marg Charlton (2013) and Marion Kiddie (2020).

Georgie was born in Springfield, Ontario the youngest daughter of Arthur and Ethel (Thring) Beach. She enjoyed school, softball, and gardening with her father. She married Bruce in 1951 and they lived in Longueuil, Quebec and London, Ontario before settling in Oakville to raise their four children. Georgie enjoyed playing bridge, gardening, sketching, writing and various community volunteer commitments including being a Guider for many years. After a long career in various secretarial positions, she retired with Bruce to Clifford in 1994. She ran the Country Lane B&B and volunteered in many community groups and events including Guiding, Horticulture, Knox United Church, Jamborees, the Historical Fair, School Reunion, Homecoming, Communities in Bloom and initiated the Newcomers’ Welcome program. She was named the Clifford Lions Citizen of the Year in 2017. She was a generous, communityoriented person who looked for the joy in each moment and the solution to any challenge. She was known on the local radio as “Georgie from Clifford” as she so often had something to contribute to the call-in show. She and Bruce moved to Elmira and then to St Jacobs only within the last few years but her smile and joie-de-vivre certainly made an impression on those who had the pleasure of knowing her.

A Celebration of Georgie’s life will be held at Knox United Church, Clifford with entombment at Clifford Columbarium, on Saturday, February 4 beginning at 1:00 p.m. A reception will follow in the church hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Clifford Horticultural Society or to a charity of your choice would be appreciated, and may be made through the Hardy-Lee Funeral Home, Harriston.

Online condolences may be left at www.hardyleefuneralhome.com

❖ www.hardyleefuneralhome.com

Living Here

It's about all of us.

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

Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com Report it: observerxtra.com/tips

Salvation Army results Focus on Women Talking

The Salvation Army

$17.1 million in Ontario over the holiday season, exceeding its $13.5-million goal, the organization reported this week. Givers donated $9.7 million in the iconic Christmas kettles, $4 million through online donations and $3.4 million

Hard work pays off in gold-medal win

Atwood Observer Staff

AT JUST 16-YEARS-OLD, CAITLIN KRAEMER is already making a name for herself in the hockey world. She not only led Canada’s gold medal winning team at this month’s women’s world U18 championship in Sweden with 11 points, she also broke the Canadian record for goals at the tournament with 10. This bettered the previous record of eight held by women’s hockey legend Marie-Philip Poulin.

“It’s so crazy, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and coaches. They’re the sole reason that happened. They’re so skilled, anyone could have done it. It just happened to be me this time,” Kraemer said

“It’s a pretty incredible accomplishment, she should be so proud. Her hard work and determination has really paid off

and will continue to pay off. She was very humble about her accomplishment, that’s for sure,” said Canada’s head coach at the tournament, Courtney Birchard-Kessel.

Coming from Elmira roots, Kraemer is currently a member of the KW Rangers U22 team, where she is coached by Chad Campbell, who says her success was not surprising.

“We see it all the time. We see what she does in games; we see the hard work she puts in. I think playing in the U22 elite level, she just took her game to the next level. Her desire and her willingness to improve and take her game to that level. It was amazing to watch,” Campbell said.

“A lot of coaches say ‘play like you practice,’ while she plays like she practices. She practices hard every practice. She’s 100 per cent all the time. She never stands still in practice...she’s always

trying to better herself as a player. She works just as hard off the ice. She’s always building her stamina. She’s working on her conditioning off the ice.”

Birchard-Kessel saw Kreamer’s confidence and determination throughout the tournament.

“Caitlin is a 200-foot

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My mom always scolded me for not drying my hair after washing it, telling me I'd catch cold. She also talked about dressing right for the weather, starving a fever and lots of other things. I'm wondering if there is any truth in any of these sayings. With COVID-19 still lingering, I'm trying to convince my children, ages 8 and 12, to be more mindful about germs.

ANSWER: While your mom may have warned you that going outside

case and three game series against the United States last August, followed by the phone call in December letting her know she had made the team.

“It was a big weight lifted off your shoulders because it was pretty stressful leading up to that, but to get the call was very relieving,” she explained.

As a whole, Team Canada set the record for best goal differential, with a total of 28 goals for and 3 against. The team’s closest game was the semi-final where they defeated Finland 3-2 in overtime.

player; she is very strong and is a threat every time she is on the ice. At such a young age, she is very powerful and strong. She is always willing to battle and is very creative around the net” she said.

Kraemer also set the record for fastest hat trick in tournament history with her four-goal perfor-

mance in the gold medal game which saw Canada defeat Sweden 10-0. She was also named to the media selected all-star team and was chosen as one of Canada’s best three players by her coaches.

Kraemer explained the lengthy process it took to make the team, starting with the summer show-

Myths about catching a cold

with wet hair will make you sick, the question remains: Does wet hair cause the common cold? The short answer is no.

Colds are caused by viruses, so you can't catch a cold from going outside with wet hair. And wet hair won't make you more attractive to germs.

The same is true with respect to dressing for cold

temperatures. While it might be optimal to dress in warmer clothes when it's cold outside, research indicates that cold weather – just like going outside with wet hair –doesn’t make you sick.

People often associate going outside with wet hair or being underdressed with getting sick because exposure to germs is often more likely when you go outside. The common cold is transmitted through bodily fluids, such as when people who are sick sneeze, cough or

blow their nose. So, you have just as much of an opportunity to be exposed to germs indoors, especially when you are in close contact with others.

Other myths I’m often asked about include:

Myth: Vitamin C will help stave off illness.

Fact: Though it has been subject to much research, no definitive body of work says high doses of vitamin C prevent or treat colds.

Myth: Starve a fever; feed a cold.

Fact:While it might be hard to remember the

adage, the bottom line is that when you don't feel well, eating may not be on the top of your list. And that is OK. Hydration is more important when you are ill. The best advice is to drink plenty of water or other fluid to stay hydrated, and rest and relax.

Myth: Avoid dairy products if you have a cold because they can produce more mucus.

Fact: Ingesting dairy products will not cause more mucus. Most likely, the texture of certain foods

The team’s gold medal win was due to the closeness they had with each other, Kraemer said.

“We’re each other’s best friends, they’re all like my sisters and we’re all family. The coaches did a terrific job at keeping us together and emphasizing what it means to be a good teammate and what makes

or drinks may coat your throat, which would give the feeling that you have more phlegm. Certain dairy products can be good when you are under the weather, though. Cold ice cream can soothe a sore throat, and probiotics in yogurt can help alleviate stomach upset if you are taking antibiotics for an infection. Check with your primary health care provider or pharmacist to get a list of foods you should avoid with medications.

raised

through the Christmas direct mail campaign.

Just nominated for two Oscars, including Best Picture, Women Talking tells the story of a Mennonite colony in Bolivia. The film, based on Miriam Toews's 2018 novel of the same name, is now playing at the Princess Cinema in Waterloo: www.princesscinemas. com

▢ Mayo Clinic

Professional Clinical Health Advice

Bill

Caitlin Kraemer celebrates with her Canadian teammates during the team’s gold medal win over Sweden. Submitted

Caitlin Kraemer set a few record in leading Canadian hockey team to U18 championship in Sweden

Super simple dish can be served many ways

Dried beans start out as the seeds of a bean plant that grow inside long pods. Those seed pods are dried in the sun until the water inside the beans evaporates, making the beans dry and hard.

Drying beans this way allows them to last a long time on your pantry shelf. To turn them tender again, dried beans need to be cooked in liquid, or rehydrated, which can take hours and hours. One way to speed things up? Brine the beans.

Soaking dried beans in a saltwater solution does two things: It softens the beans’ skins (the seed coats) and it shortens

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27

Friday Food at the Elmira Legion. Doors open at 4 p.m., serving at 5:45 p.m. Menu: BBQ burgers & jumbo dogs, coleslaw, dessert $10/plate. Join us in the lounge. All welcome.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28

▢ Elmira Legion's Take Out Spaghetti Dinner. Pick up from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Menu: spaghetti with meat sauce, Caesar salad, roll, dessert. $13 per person. Order in advance call Donna Vervoort 519-669-5894.

MONDAY, JANUARY 30

▢ Tops-Take off Pounds Sensible. Every Monday 6:15 p.m. weigh in, 7 p.m. meeting at the Woolwich Memorial Center, The Hub. Take off pounds with healthy eating. All ages welcome. Contact Mary Jordan at 519-500-2820 for further information.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31

Simple White Beans with Garlic

▢ 4 cups plus 5 cups water, measured separately ▢ 2 1⁄4 teaspoons plus 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, measured separately ▢ 8 ounces dried cannellini beans ▢ 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin

1. Day 1: Add 4 cups water and 2 1⁄4 teaspoons salt to a large bowl. Stir to dissolve salt.

2. Transfer dried beans to colander. Search through beans and pick out any small stones or broken beans and discard. Rinse beans with cold water.

3. Add drained beans to salt water in bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let beans soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

4. Day 2: Transfer brined beans to colander and rinse with cold water.

5. In a large saucepan, combine drained beans, remaining 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, and remaining 5 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

6. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook

at gentle simmer (small bubbles should break occasionally across the surface of the water), stirring occasionally, until beans are tender but still chewy in the middle, 25 to 30 minutes.

7. Turn off heat and cover saucepan. Let beans steep until tender, 5 to 10 minutes.

8. Drain beans in colander set in sink.

9. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, combine oil and garlic. Cook over medium heat until garlic begins to brown lightly at edges, 3 to 4 minutes.

10. Add red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.

Add drained cooked beans and stir gently to coat with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle with parsley (if using) and serve.

the time it takes to cook them. The skins of beans contain pectin, a molecule that “glues” plant cells together. As the beans soak in the brine, sodium ions in the dissolved salt weaken the pectin in the beans’ skins, making them softer and able to expand (instead of explode) as the beans absorb water. This gives the beans a hydrating “jump start” and means you won’t have to cook them for quite as long. ↆ

▢ STOP 47 at the Junction, Elmira. Weekly drop-in, 10 a.m to 1 p.m. Stop by with your coffee or lunch. Sit and relax, chat...books, puzzles, pool, games, crokinole and more available. For more info: Call Marilyn at 519-589-5356

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2

▢ Jam at The Junction, Elmira, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Musicians are welcome to come and join the "base" band and play some fun music with us. If you can play or sing, bring a song or two that you can take the lead on, or just play/sing along. Popcorn, coffee and pop are served for anyone who wants to just come and listen, or meet friends.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3

▢ Friday Food at the Elmira Legion. Doors open at 4 p.m., serving at 5:45 p.m. Menu: Quiche, salad, roll, dessert $10/plate. Join us in the lounge. All welcome.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8

▢ Senior's Community Dining at Wellesley Community Centre. Community Care Concepts invites you to join us for lunch and fellowship. Cost $12. Must register by noon on February 3 by calling 519-664-1900.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9

▢ Woodside Evergreen for Seniors at Woodside Church, Elmira, 10:30 a.m. "Eating Well for Less" by Amy Sonnenberg, Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Music by Joyce Ruppert and Encouraging Words by Pastor Daniel Moes, Woodside. Suggested donation $10 includes hot lunch. Preregister by February 5 at www.woodsidechurch.ca/evergreen or 519-6691296.

▢ Senior's Community Dining at Breslau Community Centre. Community Care Concepts invites you to join us for lunch and fellowship. Cost $12. Must register by noon on February 3 by calling 519-664-1900.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10

▢ Friday Food at the Elmira Legion. Doors open at 4 p.m., serving at 5:45 p.m. Menu: Turkey a la King, salad, dessert $10/plate. Join us in the lounge. All welcome.

▢ Seniors Valentine's Day Dinner and Dance at Hygate Active Senior Living, Waterloo from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. $22/person. Menu: 1 pc fish and chip dinner. Live music, dance and door prizes. Call Stacey to buy your tickets 519-501-1131

Don’t believe everything you hear about colds.

MAYO CLINIC: Getting the “facts” stone-cold wrong

The best advice I have is to rely on the most common safe behaviors to avoid falling ill:

„ Wash your hands. Clean your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water. If soap and water aren't available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

„ Disinfect your space. Clean kitchen and bathroom countertops with disinfectant, especially when someone in your family has a cold. Be diligent about wiping down doorknobs and frequently touched surfaces.

„ Use tissues – and masks. Sneeze and cough into tissues. Discard used tissues right away. Then

thoroughly wash your hands. If you are wearing a mask, discard the mask and replace it with a clean one.

„ Don't share. Don't share drinking glasses or utensils with other family members. Use your own glass or disposable cups when you or someone else is sick. Label the cup or glass with the name of the person with the cold.

„ Practice social distancing and safe behaviors, especially if others are ill. Avoid close contact with anyone who is ill. Consider wearing a mask if you are going to be out in public or around a lot of people in an inti-

mate setting. Since COVID-19 is still a threat, it's important to practice safe behaviors regardless of whether you have been vaccinated for COVID-19. And cold and flu germs are still prevalent.

„ Take care of yourself. Eating well, getting exercise and enough sleep, and managing stress might help you avoid getting sick. You can rest assured that if you go outside with wet hair, or without a jacket, you won’t increase your chances of getting sick, but it may cause temporary discomfort.

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

JOIN US

Downtown Elmira Business Improvement Area (BIA) Annual General

Meeting

Thursday, February 2, 2023 7:00pm (6:45 casual meet & greet) Zoom Video Call

•Call Annual General Meeting to Order

•Introduction of the Board of Management (including changes of Board positions), Sta & Guests

•2022 Year in Review: Mill Street Community Seating, Downtown Greenery Project, Facade improvement Grants, Seasonal Decor, Bench Revitalization Project

P.O.

money goes back into your community so these family farms can continue to hopefully grow and operate. We hire all local people to work here, as do all of our suppliers. So it’s helping the local economy as far as giving jobs to them,” Gerber said.

Locally sourced products also means fresher ingredients, she added.

“You’re not going across borders; you’re not going into different countries. There’s no fumigation process to get things from point A to point B because they’re just coming from an hour away. You don’t need to do any of that stuff. There’s not the amount of preservatives used in our products. I think our farthest supplier away is not even an hour and a half. Our philosophy here is as natural as possible, as local as possible and small family farms,” she said.

While Benninger’s career has allowed him to build personal relationships with food producers, the documentary series furthered that connection and gave him a better understanding of who these food producers are.

“It’s the people and the details of which goes into their work….That’s where you never know any details about anyone if you’re buying everything you need at the grocery store or at Walmart. But when you go off the beaten path, and you come to know these people, you start to learn these things. So it’s the nuances and then

the level of work that goes into all of these things and understanding that,” he explained.

“I think that’s the storyline we’re trying to share too is the message like the people behind these things and why they do them, which also makes the food taste that much better too when you know someone and how much pride they put into it.”.

That personal connection is also an important part of what Oak Ridge Acres does, said Gerber.

“I can name 90 per cent of my customers that walk through the door – we greet each other with names and stuff like that. It’s a very different shopping experience than when you go into your big conglomerate stores,” she said.

Benninger also visited Wisahkotewinowak, an Indigenous garden collective that works with Indigenous youth. Working with White Owl Native Ancestry Association, Wisahkotewinowak has several gardens throughout the region, including at Steckle Heritage Farm where Benninger made his visit.

Sydney Keedwell is a former employee of Benninger’s and is now White Owl’s food and nutrition coordinator. For Keedwell, who is Indigenous, the idea of locally sourced food goes hand in hand with Indigenous food and agriculture.

“I think part of what makes it so important for us is not only just the

importance of the Indigenous culture and how we share and this community over that, we’re also teaching [to youth] skills that I feel like are becoming more lost. And I feel like we’re becoming more and more distanced from the source of food and where it comes from and how to grow food,” Keedwell said.

As the head chef at Fat Sparrow’s recently closed Taco Farm restaurant, Keedwell was able to incorporate Haudenosaunee white corn grown at Steckle Heritage Farm into her menu.

Farm to table has long been a part of the region’s food scene, even before it was a marketing ploy of the restaurant industry, Benninger said.

“I’ve always said we were cool before we knew it. We were accidentally cool because we just did farm to table, we went to the farmers’ market, we shopped at farm gates, we did all those things as chefs, and as home cooks. And I think today one of the things that’s changed in the last 20 years is people can see food culture in an apple fritter at the shop or beautiful tacos,” he explained.

“The consumer is willing to see beyond the linen on the table and they look for food culture to come from all different kinds of places. And that’s where Waterloo Region really shines.”

Benninger recently completed the voiceover work for the series, which is expected to debut in the spring on Bell’s Fibe TV1.

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comments and a drafted site plan agreement and are waiting for them to respond and then sign the agreement. Only once the agreement is signed will the township planning staff be in a position to allow any corresponding building permits to proceed.”

Vink said that the township does not anticipate any traffic issues because of the new additions.

“The site was anticipated to be built out with such uses, and the potential traffic to and from the site was reviewed through the various zoning processes that led the current zoning in place. As such, there are no anticipated traffic concerns with the final build out of the lands.”

FOOD DOC: Telling the stories of the local people behind the food as it moves from farm to table

PLAZA: New retailers coming to Elmira