March 9, 2023

Federal ag. minister tours local sugarbush

Marie-Claude Bibeau visits West Montrose producer’s farm ahead

Bill

Atwood

Observer Staff

FEDERAL MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND Agri-Food Marie-Claude

Bibeau last week got a glimpse of local maple syrup production with her visit to Fred Martin’s farm in West Montrose.

“It’s very impressive, they are extremely well equipped, very modern, and very passionate as always. And it’s always good to have the oppor-

tunity to speak directly with the farmers to better understand their reality, to share with them all the support that can be provided by the government,” Bibeau said.

Providing some feedback, Martin noted one of the biggest needs is for better communication between the ministry and the industry.

“There are always issues in agriculture that need to be addressed. And by meeting with these

We Are Buying!

people, that’s how we communicate – hopefully they can address them and enhance agriculture,” he told The Observer.

Bibeau acknowledged that it has not been completely smooth sailing between the Liberal government and farmers recently.

“I’m visiting farmers all across the country, I can see their dedication. This is their farm, their land, their soil. Their animals are the most precious

thing they have. So, yes, it’s true that we’re encouraging them to go further and faster in terms of reducing our emissions, but we are also putting our money where our mouth is,” she said, pointing to the $1.5 billion allocated to the industry under Canada’s emissions reduction plan. That includes $495.7 million for the Agricultural Clean Technology program.

Kitchener-Conestoga MP Tim Louis, who

sits on the agriculture committee, said there is always going to be friction between the two groups.

“I welcome the discussion. The industry has come so far, so fast, starting with buckets out in the woods, and now we’re looking at high-tech ways of doing things efficiently and productively lowering emissions. It’s quite impressive to see,” he said of maple syrup production.

While Martin said his

concerns were addressed, he is also taking a waitand-see approach to the relationship.

“It’s always until the rubber hits the road –seeing an actual [benefit] come down to the farm level is important.”

The minister also hosted a roundtable discussion with several local producers who brought up a number of concerns. Mark Reusser, vice president of the Ontario Federation

→ AG. MINISTER 4

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau (second from left) toured a local sugarbush and held a roundtable discussion

Mar. 2 in Elmira. She was joined by Matt Jessop, chair of EMSF; maple syrup producer Terry Hoover; Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz; Kitchener-Conestoga MP Tim Louis; and producer Fred Martin. Bill Atwood

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Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com

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Many issues at play in Wellesley opposition to tax hikes, experts say

Bill Atwood

Staff

Observer

AS THE STALEMATE

BETWEEN WELLESLEY council and residents drags on, there are plenty of issues at play, say two local political scientists weighing in on the 14 per cent tax hike in this year’s budget.

“On a one-year basis that’s a big hit. My sense is that people had no idea this was coming. The numbers we’re talking about, we’re not even talking about the region increase and the school board increase, which are going to be significant, too. So the total for people is going to be hard,” said Peter Woolstencroft, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Waterloo.

As more than half the increase is tied to the debenture on the new recreation centre, Woolstencroft called into question the process by which it was approved. He added that it is not wrong to say there is a lack of transparency from Wellesley council.

“What kind of planning has there been for this new recreation facility?

And how much awareness has there been of finance? How does [it] compare with other such facilities in other smaller townships in Ontario? Do people know that they were at the higher end of the cost?”

To help pay for the new facility’s $27 million price tag, the township received a $16.1-million grant from the provincial government,

which is a considerable amount for a grant, Woolstencroft said.

“That would be a higher sum than would have been guessed. If you just phoned me up and said, ‘Hey, Peter, how much do you think we got’ I wouldn’t have said $16 million.”

John Milloy is a former Kitchener Centre MPP and the current director at the Centre for Public Ethics at Martin Luther University College at Wilfrid Laurier University. The grant, along with inflationary pressures, has put the council in a tough situation, he said.

“Who wants to leave $16.1 million on the table and will that ever come around [again]? I have some sympathy for them because the cost of major construction projects like this are going through the roof. They don’t want to leave $16 million on the table but at the same time this is a pretty extraordinary tax increase,” Milloy said.

According to Woolstencroft, one of the first things a municipal council is tasked with doing is providing recreation; however, this should not have been allowed to become a problem.

“I understand the brutal reality for people. The truth of the matter is – and this is where I am sympathetic to people in Wellesley – a lot of them don’t have alternatives for income. And suddenly, they’re going to be hit with a change that they wouldn’t have imag-

Incorrect information appeared in last week’s article “Wellesley residents continue battle against 14% tax increase.” The story should have reported that CAO Rik Louwagie presented a report to council in 2021 requesting four new hires. The Observer regrets the error.

Hockeyville …. is Terrace, B.C. Woolwich would end up finishing third in a national competition contested by more than 7,100 communities across the country. As a finalist in the Hockeyville contest, Woolwich will receive $25,000 for upgrades to its arena. From the Mar. 7, 2009 edition of The Observer

Woolwich defers decision on rezoning of site adjacent to Elmira’s Bolender Park

Steve Kannon

Observer Staff

NOT CONVINCED ABOUT PLANS FOR expanded industrial uses at an Elmira site, Woolwich councillors want more information before making a decision.

The owners of 39 Arthur St. N. are seeking zoning and official plan amendments to permit what is now some 7.7 acres of open space covered with trees and scrub-brush to be converted to a gravel parking lot.

parking space for transport trailers, councillors meeting Tuesday night voted 3-2 against the idea. Following further discussion, council asked staff to come back with more information, perhaps with another chance for residents to speak to the issue.

ing firm, and Brubacher Roofing Systems.

Part of the property also sits atop a former municipal landfill site decommissioned decades ago, but with lingering methane issues.

link between the Kissing Bridge Trail and Bolender Park. There is currently a makeshift pathway along the rear of the property.

While township planning staff recommended approving the plan to provide additional

Residents of the northeast-Elmira neighbourhood that also abuts Bolender Park have been outspoken in opposition to the plan. The at-times controversial site, formerly home to Paleshi Motors and 86 Auto and Metal Recyclers, is currently rented to Grandridge Carriers, a truck-

Of the 11.6-acre property, about four acres at the front is zoned for industrial use, with 39A Holdings Ltd. looking to clear out much of the rear portion to provide for parking trucks and trailers. The company also proposes to provide the township with ownership of a small strip where a municipal watermain runs under the site, as well as establishing a formal

Residents of the High Street area have raised concerns about increasing industrial uses in an area already close to many industrial properties. They worry about the loss of tree cover, noise and dust issues.

Neighbours’ worries also include the loss of a buffer space if the trees are cut down and the area turned into a parking lot. Council was presented with a petition bearing more than 1,500 signatures.

→ WELLESLEY 4 → PARKING LOT 10

Dan Holt stands near the property line between Bolender Park and the land owned by 39A Holding Ltd. The latter is proposing to cut down the mature trees and extend the parking lot to create a bigger lot with space for approximately 115 transport trucks and trailers. Leah Gerber/ File photo

AG. MINISTER: Local OFA rep. says producers want to have more input

of Agriculture, addressed the mental health challenges that farmers across Ontario face, praising the federal government for its work in that area.

“The issue of mental health amongst the farming community is huge, and hasn’t ever been addressed adequately. This is a good start, and it is much appreciated,” he told Bibeau.

However, Reusser also expressed concerns regarding the government’s goal of reducing fertilizer emissions.

“We as farmers and farming organizations would love if the government would consult us and speak with us before decisions are made. I am confident that we could have helped you and you could have helped us discuss this. This is not a critique of you. It’s a critique of all governments who don’t speak beforehand,” he said.

“It would be wonderful if we could turn that around, and actually have meaningful

discussion and come to a better conclusion at the beginning. Because unfortunately, it poisons the atmosphere in rural Ontario when decisions are made.”

In an interview following the round table, Reusser said he is not opposed to making agriculture more environmentally friendly, but the ministry needs to do consultations first.

“I think the outcome can be better for both. I think it would have been better for the government, it would have been better for farms and farm organizations. Had we talked beforehand, we could have made better decisions at the time.”

Reusser said he hopes Bibeau got a good flavour for the prevalent issues facing the industry.

“I hope that she heard some of the praise for good programs that the government is involved with. And I hope that she also heard some of our concerns and will take those back to caucus and will attempt to address them.”

ined two years ago. So they have to deal with all the inflationary pressures every municipality is feeling. Now this is an extra hit,” he said.

Beyond the recreation centre, as reported in The Observer last week, administration costs at the township have gone up at least 45 per cent from 2021 to 2023. This figure rises to 55 per cent if the township’s asset management plan and increases to reserve fund contributions are included in the total.

However, there are market factors at play, Woolstencroft said.

“The Township of Wellesley is competing with other townships, with the city of Waterloo, Kitchener and all the other comparable governments and in southern Ontario, [never mind] Northern Ontario,” he explained.

“Small councils are stereotypically very frugal, for all kinds of reasons, a leading one being that taxpayers very quickly point to people who are well-paid given the local market and it’s not clear to them that staff are working all the time or very hard. Eventually the demand for staff is inescapable.”

In looking at the issue, Woolstencroft also points to declining participation in local elections, both in the number of candidates and voter turnout.

“There were five seats available in the last municipal election not so long ago, and there were three acclamations. Only two of

the wards were contested. But it was a sort of a low engagement election. Turnout dropped from the past election to this one [in] fairly significant numbers. And so that happened in Wellesley, too,” he said.

Last October’s election saw a voter turnout of 24.15 per cent, down from 32.8 per cent in 2018. Mayor Joe Nowak ran unopposed, as did incumbent Coun. Shelley Wagner and newcomer Lori Sebben. Wagner was also acclaimed in 2018 along with former Ward 4 councillor Carl Smit. The election in 2014 was the last time there wasn’t an acclamation in any ward or the mayoral race. That year saw 29.8 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot.

“When I look at the Wellesley results, an increase of acclamations over time, and the dropping turnout and so on, you have low engagement. People

aren’t paying any attention. And now you’ve got people understandably upset about what was a significant increase. I haven’t got my head around it, but it looks like people didn’t expect a big increase, because of the way that the financing for the rink was arranged,” said Woolstencroft.

Milloy calls the low engagement ironic, given that municipal government is closest to home.

“[People] choose not to get engaged in all levels of government, but certainly I think the federal and provincial you see a little bit more interest there. ... Discussions of Canada’s foreign policy may be interesting, but…municipal issues like garbage or snow removal or whatever, they’re actually more relevant, but people don’t get involved.”

However, Woolstencroft acknowledged that the relationship between the public and political institutions has been strained recently.

“I will say that, from a very abstract point of view, all our political institutions are being challenged by the trust issue. Do we trust you to do the right thing? And I’m sure there are people in Wellesley Township who are not feeling that they can trust their politicians.”

The onus is on both residents and politicians to drive engagement, Milloy added.

“Council needs to try to engage the population but the population has to want to be engaged and has to have sort of a larger view,” he said.

While the tax increases have led to more political engagement, particularly from the Township of Wellesley Concerned Citizens group, Woolstencroft is calling for that to continue long term.

“What I will be looking for is the equivalent of a tax watch committee organization in Wellesley Township who say we need to have people who are regularly discussing the Wellesley Township budget, and asking questions about why money has been spent,” he explained.

Although there has been some discussion of an oversight committee for Wellesley, this would be expensive, Woolstencroft said.

“I do wonder if previous councils did not establish adequate reserve funds for difficult times. And councils are notorious for deferring maintenance, with the idea being that future councils can deal with it. Eventually, the bills come in and they will be expensive,” he said.

Milloy said that asking the province to step in is not a good option either.

“As someone who spent 11 years at Queen’s Park, we don’t want Queen’s Park running Wellesley or Woolwich or Wilmot or Kitchener-Waterloo. The view somehow that the folks at Queen’s Park know better, which I understand that reaction…we’re seeing what’s happening with the strong mayor powers in Toronto and Ottawa and that’s not going over very well.”

Woolwich reaches deal to back proposed Maryhill gravel pit

Steve Kannon

Observer Staff

WOOLWICH HAS DROPPED THE FIGHT against a gravel pit proposed for a site near Maryhill, clearing the way for Capital Paving to begin mining there.

The Guelph-based company had taken the process to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). A hearing scheduled for later this year was essentially pre-empted by the settlement deal, though it could still go ahead, with residents opposed to the project.

The so-called Shantz Station Pit will extract gravel from a 230-acre site centered on 1195 Foer-

ster Rd., south of Maryhill. The firm estimates the site contains three million tonnes of aggregate materials. While the pit application looks to extract 500,000 tonnes per year, Capital has predicted it would remove about half that much annually, meaning the pit would be in operation for 12 to 15 years.

Council approved the settlement in a closed session February 14.

Meeting Tuesday night, councillors again backed the move, citing the low probability of winning a legal battle.

Opposition to the project has been led by the Hopewell Creek Ratepayers Association. Two of the

residents made appeals to council Tuesday night.

Silvana Gobbi, whose property backs onto the gravel pit land, decried the township’s decision, “made behind closed doors.”

She argued the township’s planning department has failed to protect farmland and the community by backing the company’s application, adding that council’s support had “compromised” its integrity.

“The council has supported a business, Capital Paving, over its own people,” she said.

Dr. John Schaman, a physician who’s run the nearby Ontario Aerobics Centre since 1978, said

he agreed with Gobbi’s assessment. He noted the township’s settlement is likely to force him to drop from the appeal process – he currently has party status in the OLT process.

“I’m going to have to give up the fight,” he said.

In response, Mayor Sandy Shantz said the township couldn’t be transparent about the settlement given that legal matters are carried out in closed sessions.

She said the township had no technical reason to oppose Capital Paving’s application, so an appeal at the OLT would likely have been futile.

“Our hands are tied,” she said, noting the fact

WELLESLEY: Efforts to boost public participation are worthwhile, say experts

Peter Woolstencroft

John Milloy

Ag.Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and MP Tim Louis at a roundtable discussion with farmers Mar. 2 at the WMC. Bill Atwood

Police investigating armed robberies at convenience stores

Members of the Waterloo Regional Police Service’s Robbery Team are continuing to investigate a series of armed robberies that have occurred across the area over the past two months.

Since January 8, nine robberies have occurred at convenience stores within Kitchener, Wilmot Township, North Dumfries Township,

MARCH 1

7 : 00 AM | An officer with the Wellington County OPP was patrolling along Wellington Road 7 in Mapleton Township when a sedan was observed traveling approximately 105 km/h in a posted 50 km/h zone. As a result of the investigation, a 30-yearold Toronto resident was charged with ‘stunt driving’ and ‘drive with no currently validated permit.’ The defendant is scheduled to appear before the provincial offences court in Guelph on May 17.

MARCH 3

9 : 40 PM | Waterloo Regional Police responded to a single-vehicle collision in the area of Woolwich Street South and Menno Street in

Woolwich Township and Guelph. Investigators believe these incidents are all connected to the same individual, police said in a release.

In each of these robberies, a lone male suspect brandished weapons, including guns and knives. The suspect then demanded cash and fled the business with money and/or stolen merchandise. In several

Breslau. Through investigation, police determined that the driver swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle and struck a tree. There were no reported physical injuries. No charges were laid.

MARCH 4

9 : 00 AM | A 44-yearold Monkton man was charged with ‘operation while impaired - blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)’ after a traffic stop by Perth County OPP. Upon speaking with the driver, the officer suspected the driver had consumed alcohol and was displaying signs of impairment. A roadside screening device was administered, the driver was subsequently arrested and transported to a local operations center for further testing. The accused was

of these incidents, the suspect arrived in and left the area in a vehicle being driven by another individual. There have been no physical injuries reported as a result of these incidents.

Police are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the individual in the provided images in connection to these armed robberies. Investigators are also looking

released from custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford at a later date to answer to the charges.

11 : 50 AM | The Perth County OPP charged a Stratford driver after they were speeding more than 55 km/h over the limit in the Township of Perth East. The car was stopped on Perth Line 33 after it was found to be travelling 135 km/h in an 80 km/h limit zone. The 17-year-old driver was charged with ‘drive motor vehicle - perform stunt - excessive speed.’ A 30-day-driving suspension and 14-day vehicle impoundment were initiated. The accused is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford at a later date to answer to the charges.

for any information on the vehicles that they believed have been used to commit the robberies. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 519-570-9777, extension 8255. To provide anonymous information, please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit online at www. waterloocrimestoppers. com.

MARCH 5

10 : 55 AM | Wellington County OPP responded to a report of a freight theft on Highway 7 in Guelph/Eramosa Township. A white Volvo semi-truck and a white 53’ trailer (Ontario #V2698F) labeled with decal #53101R on it had been stolen from a storage lot. The trailer was reported to contain approximately $250 000 worth of toothpaste. Any person with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip online at www.csgw.tips. You may be eligible for a reward from Crime Stoppers of up to $2,000.

Capital Paving is looking to mine gravel from a site on Foerster Road south of Maryhill. File Photo

GRAVEL PIT: Saying fight would be costly and futile, township opts for deal

that people are “inconvenienced” isn’t an appropriate reason to oppose the application.

There’s a “98 per cent chance we’d lose,” Shantz said of the OLT process, in which the township could end up spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in vain.

In that light, negotiating better terms via a settle -

ment was seen as the best approach. Having hired a hydrogeologist to look at residents’ concerns about the gravel pit’s potential impact on the area’s water supply, the township got Capital Paving to agree to some improvements to address shallow dug wells and tile drainage outlets, and the related need for monitoring.

The hydrogeology study was paid for by the township, but the cost of monitoring and any remediation that may be required falls on Capital Paving, chief administrative officer David Brenneman said in an earlier interview.

Though the company has cleared a hurdle with the settlement, it is still preparing for the

OLT hearing rather than making other plans, said George Lourenco, Capital’s resources manager.

“While we have settled the issues with the township and the region, there are other parties involved in the proceeding and we will work to resolve or scope down the remaining issues prior to the hearing commencing,” he said in an email.

Police issued images of a suspect in a string of convenience-store robberies. Submitted

SUFFERING THE COLD IN PURSUIT OF

SNOWIES

Paul Gains can be found looking to capture images of snowy owls

by LEAH GERBER

INtemperatures minus-19 degrees Celsius, Paul Gains drives the back roads west of Elmira with the windows down and the heat off. He’s looking for snowy owls. He says the kids around here call him the Owl Guy.

He’s been making the journey to these fields from his Cambridge home for the last ten years. He drives the same back roads over and over again, up and down, up and down, for hours at a time.

So why keep doing this?

“Because nobody has certified me as insane yet,” he says with a laugh. “I love being outdoors, this is an excuse to enjoy winter for one thing, but you know I always say that I’ve photographed grizzlies in Alaska, I’ve photographed pumas in Patagonia, jaguars in Brazil, but I’ve had more experience with snowy owls than any other species. This is 10 years now of coming up to the same fields and looking for owls, and you know I’ve sort of learned a lot about them.”

“They’re one of the most beautiful species I’ve ever seen.”

He tries to make the journey four or five times each week in the winter months when the owls are visiting from the Arctic. They’ll be here for a few more weeks before they fly back to the Arctic tundra to mate and raise their young.

His snowy owl photos are featured in Canadian Geographic Magazine and the Toronto Star. He gives presentations that reach people across North America about his photography through libraries and naturalist

clubs and writes about them on his website. After ten years studying the birds for hours every day, he’s gotten to know them and enjoys passing on his knowledge.

Gains says the first time he saw a snowy owl was in 2013 when he was first interested in wildlife photography. “Somebody had told me ‘oh, there’s [snowy owls nearby]’ and I had started getting into wildlife photography,” he said.

When Gains goes looking for owls, he leaves his Cambridge home around 1:30 or 2 p.m., fills his car at the Esso gas station in Elmira where the staff wish him luck, and then makes his way to the fields where he drives around scouting to see what the owls are up to, and where they are located.

As he drives, he holds the steering wheel in one hand, and the other is ready to use his binoculars. His trusty Nikon with a huge 500mm lens takes up his entire lap. He keeps the heat off to avoid the damaging condensation that can form inside camera equipment when moved from very cold to warm conditions quickly.

“So I went up there and I found this owl sitting in a tree on my first afternoon. And I was sort of awestruck because it’s so beautiful.” Later that day, he says he ran into another female, who screamed at him.

“She was on the ground. I was standing at the side of the road. I didn’t go into the field or anything, I didn’t know the farmers, I didn’t think I’d be taking any more pictures. And I stood there at the side of the road and she flew from the ground to a fencepost and then she screamed again and she flew right at me and then only changed direction at the last minute. So she scared the heck out of me. I thought she was going to attack me.”

Waiting around for owls in the winter is cold. On this day, with the wind-chill factor, it feels like minus-22 degrees Celsius. Gains says he likes going when it’s so cold, because it means fewer other photographers to compete with, but he has to dress for the occasion. Along with his down jacket, he’s wearing a hat, buff, weatherproof pants and boots. On his hands, he wears specialized gloves that allow him to use his camera’s touchscreen in the freezing temperatures. But even with the expensive gloves, on days like today, his fingers still get cold.

He can recognize individual owls, and knows their schedules and their favourite spots. The owls will usually be seen on the top of grain silos, at the tops of trees, on hydro lines, or roosting lumps of white in the middle of the white fields.

From his car, he can pick out the snowies sitting hunched far away in the middle of a field, without binoculars.

“

YOU DON’T NEED TO HARASS THEM FOR A GOOD PHOTO”

“You get used to looking for irregular bumps,” he said. “I hear people say, ‘oh, snowy owls are hard to photograph because it’s white on white,’ but they are a different colour to the snow. And you look for this irregular sharp shape. And you also learn where you should be looking. Like, what time of day it is, where’s the wind coming from? And you know, this is Jim’s farm. And he used to every year have one that would sit in a tree here every year and would hunt in his field. Often they were in that tree over there. And there was one that would roost on the ground there. And I’d drive by and go, ‘oop, there she is.’”

As he drives, Gains is always looking. Looking for the owls, but also the tractors, delivery vans, industrial vehicles, cars and trucks that suddenly appear in the rearview racing toward his Ford Focus. He often has to interrupt his scouting to pull over further, or move over somewhere safer, and tells about times he’s had encounters with drivers angry with him for taking up space, for the sake of a photo.

That said, more people are out looking to take photos of the owls these days, he notes. As far as photographing etiquette goes, he says there are a few rules to follow. He considers baiting owls – that is, using food to lure the owl toward you for a photo – to be cheating and dangerous to the birds. The practice teaches owls to expect food from humans. “It’s artificial, it’s cheating and it teaches the owl to see a human as a food source.” He says ethical wildlife photography comes down to, “understanding that the welfare of the bird is more important than a picture and that comes with spending a lot of time with them.”

Farmers and landowners also don’t appreciate strangers walking all over their properties. Gains says he has painstakingly cultivated relationships with landowners in the area over the last decade, and he dutifully stays within the boundaries where he has permission. As he cruises past the fields and barns, he talks about the families who live there. He regularly challenges other photographers he finds to ask if they have permission to be where they are.

“My objective is not to see how many owls I can catch. It’s to get to know individual owls, because then when you find that they’ll come and hunt right in front of you, and do things like that where they’ve sort of accepted you, it’s a huge thrill, and you get some nice images.”

For this, he needs to put in the hours consistently so the owls recognize him and feel comfortable. He waits to start taking his photos, because even if he sees the owls earlier, he knows they don’t start getting active and hunting until later in the afternoon. He doesn’t like to disturb them before they begin moving on their own.

He gets to see them living their lives, doing activities like hunting, eating, coughing up their pellets and preening.

“I know a lot of photographers don’t take the time. I see a lot of photographers come out and they’ll see an

owl on a hydro pole and they’ll walk up underneath it like I did the first day and take pictures and think ‘oh I got a picture now and you know if I never get another picture, I’ve got a picture I like.’

“But then you start wanting more things. You want eye-level shots, you want to show them flying, how low they fly to the ground.”

He says when you spend enough time with the owls, you don’t need to harass them for a good photo.

“I can say this now, because I’ve built up a catalog of pictures, that I don’t care. Some days I don’t go home with any pictures at all, but I always learn something. When you have the luxury of not being in a desperate situation to get a picture, you don’t have to harass an owl. I’ve seen photographers go into a field with an owl that’s roosting in the middle of the afternoon and they’re taking pictures. And the thing flies to another

time, and the ones he is seeing are older, not yearlings. He says he has heard from other experts that this year it was difficult to find nesting owls. “Where are the yearlings? Are there any yearlings?” he writes on his website.

Around 4 p.m., Gains begins taking photos. He sees that one of the females he’s been keeping his eye on has finally moved from her spot where she was roosting, meaning she’s transitioning into hunting mode. He finds her in a tree and slowly walks into the field, keeping about 35 metres away from her. He crouches down and takes his shots, while waiting for her to move. Finally, she launches and Gains takes photos of her wide wingspan in the air. She missed her prey. He sees her again as a tiny white speck at the top of a grain silo on the other side of the landscape.

When Gains can’t stand the cold any longer, he makes his way back to the car.

spot and then they follow it. And then they follow it again and again.”

Gains says this year he’s not seeing as many snowy owls. Usually he’ll see six to 10 each trip, but this winter, it’s more like two or three. He and his colleagues believe this is the worst year to see snowies in a long

He looks back at the tree, another female is now taking up the recently vacated spot. Gains goes back to take her photo. This owl doesn’t seem to notice Gains. With her extraordinary vision and hearing she certainly knows he’s there, but she pays him no attention. She doesn’t move. He waits.

At dusk he is still out there, pointing his camera at the large female at the top of a barren tree at the edge of a field, off a little gravel side-road somewhere west of Elmira. After what seems like ages with neither moving, he regretfully lowers his camera and heads back to the car. She doesn’t care in the least.

He stops to chat with the Mennonite farmer who recognized Gains’ vehicle and came out to see him. They talk about the owls and the farmer’s family and kids.

Behind them, the owl Gains tried to photograph continues to scan the fields in the gathering gloom. She still hasn’t moved from the tree.

Gains is done for the night. The light is gone, and the bitter cold is getting worse with the dark. He and the farmer part ways, and Gains fires up his car. He’ll be back at it again the next day, and again and again, until the owls depart for the Arctic.

THE KIDS AROUND HERE CALL HIM THE OWL GUY.

“

MY OBJECTIVE IS NOT TO SEE HOW MANY OWLS I CAN CATCH. IT’S TO GET TO KNOW INDIVIDUAL OWLS”

Snowy owl photos courtesy of Paul Gains

Opinion

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Maryhill pit latest example of a broken planning process

Whether you view Woolwich’s decision to reach a deal on a gravel pit near Maryhill as a sellout or a pragmatic move, the decision underscores longstanding problems with aggregate extraction in the province.

Add in the undemocratic elements of development, exacerbated by the Ford government, and you’ve got a recipe for public dissatisfaction. (This despite earlier comments from the Premier that municipalities, not the province, should have the right to choose about gravel pit applications.)

Certainly, gravel pit debates are nothing new in Woolwich. There have been a few exceptions – most notably in West Montrose and Conestogo – but mining operations are generally approved, if not by the township then by unaccountable provincial tribunals.

The threat of such costly legal action has been a factor in past choices, as it is with the latest Capital Paving application.

Left to make the decision, Woolwich councillors would reject Capital Paving’s bid to mine gravel from a 230-acre site centered on 1195 Foerster Rd., south of Maryhill. As local representatives, they would be doing the will of most residents by voting ‘no.’ Moreover, gravel operations provide little in the way of economic benefit to the township, while at the same time damaging roads as heavy trucks travel back and forth to the mining location, all the while increasing traffic and the resultant safety risks.

In this instance, it was the company that took the issue out of local hands by making an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), arguing the township had taken too long to make a decision.

By reaching a settlement, Woolwich has taken itself out of the game. Residents could continue with the OLT hearing scheduled for later this year, but would essentially be left on their own – the township, region and province will not come to their aid.

With this pit application, council didn’t get to make a firsthand decision. Now, it’s chosen to opt out. Of course, it never really had a say, beyond voting ‘no’ to set off the company’s legal appeal to the tribunal. Under the current circumstances, practicality trumped backing the residents: appeals to the public good have historically fallen on deaf ears at the provincial level. The quasi-judicial tribunals have a track record of ignoring local decisions in favour of developers.

The poor provincial record of respecting local wishes is magnified in the case of gravel pits, where the Aggregate Resources Act is practically a cudgel, and the Ministry of Natural Resources seen as a defender of operators, not Ontarians.

Of course, we do need gravel, and it does have to come from somewhere. Because of its geography, this stretch of the province is rife with aggregate, as witnessed by the numerous pits already in operation. If every application for an extraction licence was turned down, we’d have to find alternative sources for an essential material. Or at least that’s how the argument goes, though there is research to show we have decades and decades worth of gravel in already licenced pits.

Currently, provincial policies favour developers, putting far too much power in the hands of the OLT. Opponents such as Gravel Watch Ontario say the same is true of the aggregate policies. They also lament the actions of the MNR in enforcing what feeble rules do exist. Fixing those inadequacies would go a long way in reducing the disputes over gravel pit applications.

High on the priority list is the enacting of sunset clauses on gravel licences: hard and intractable timelines for the decommissioning of pits. As it stands today, operators can continue to work an “active” site for years, a favourite tactic for avoiding the remediation now required of pit owners. Such a move would assure nearby residents that the health and safety risks would exist for a fixed time only, an important step.

As it stands right now, even where municipalities have tried to impose sunset clauses, the MNR has simply stepped in and voided them. Local residents are limited to grumbling ... and living with the consequences.

“There is a large discrepancy between what the average family actually pays in total taxes versus what Canadians believe the average family should be paying. It’s clear that many Canadian families don’t believe they’re getting value from their taxes.”

The average Canadian family paid 45.2% of its income to the federal, provincial, and local governments in 2022; 74% of Canadians believe they’re over-taxed. Some 44% believe they’re getting poor or very poor value from the services they receive from governments, while just 16% believe they are getting good or great value.

poll

A dastardly plot to save Johnson’s bacon?

At first, it just looked like dumb luck.

Less than a year after he was driven from office by his own party, former British prime minister Boris Johnson was getting his final comeuppance. The cross-party Privileges Committee that was created to determine whether he had lied to Parliament issued its report last week, and it was dire.

In essence, it said that Johnson must have known about the more-frequent-thanweekly drinks parties held by his personal staff to celebrate birthdays, people leaving, or simply the fact that it was Friday, because:

a) it was all happening in his own rather large 17th-century residence in Downing Street (British prime ministers live above the shop);

b) there were many personal reports that Johnson himself took part in these events; and

c) he was actually fined by the police for breaking the rules against large social gatherings that were in force during those early Covid times.

The crime was not drinking alcohol, which was never banned. It was getting together in groups at a time when ordinary people were obliged

to avoid such groups, not even visiting hospitals to say farewell to dying parents.

Such contempt for ordinary people was damaging the Tory (Conservative Party) brand, as was Johnson’s general incompetence and fecklessness, so eventually the Tories themselves ditched him. But the party is already on his second replacement as prime minister (Rishi Sunak), and Johnson is still hanging around hoping to make a comeback.

The best way to scotch that possibility is the Privileges Committee, because if it finds him guilty of lying to Parliament it can recommend that he be suspended or even expelled from Parliament. That would end his comeback hopes – but there was a last-minute hitch.

Everybody in Parliament knows that Boris Johnson lies all the time. Most other people in the country now know it, too, and only a dwindling minority are still amused or excited by his boyish behaviour and brazen lies. But the committee had to find actual evidence

that he had knowingly lied to Parliament.

They seem to have found it, and it looked like he was done for. And then, without any personal effort, Our Hero was free.

Sue Gray is a senior career civil servant who was working in the prime minister’s office as ‘ethics adviser,’ so she was the obvious choice to conduct an inquiry into the allegations of drunken parties in Downing Street. She did so, and indirectly criticized the prime minister for “failures of leadership and judgement.”

There was also the police inquiry, and the formation of the Parliamentary Committee, and above all the revolt by Johnson’s own colleagues. Sue Gray’s report could take perhaps 25 per cent of the credit for bringing Boris down, but no more.

But last week she announced that she was quitting the civil service and taking a job as chief of staff to Labour Party leader Keir Starmer. Shock and horror throughout Whitehall, and the dominant response was a conviction that this would somehow absolve Johnson of his sins.

GWYNNE DYER Global Outlook on World Affairs

Conditions are ripe for the growing impact of conspiracy theories

That you’ve heard of a train derailment in Ohio is a testament to the power of a conspiracy theory. Otherwise, last month’s incident was just one of the four that occur on an average day in the US.

Some Republicans, however, contend that a train going off the tracks in East Palestine was proof of a left-wing conspiracy against poor, conservative White people. (No word yet on the “motivations” for another Ohio derailment last weekend, however.)

Such claims disregard the amount of work – all kept secret – that would be needed for nefarious Biden supporters to compel a private company to derail their own train, for instance. They also ignore the fact such derailments are not uncommon, occurring in Blue states and Red states alike. Likewise, they fail to provide a motive for such an action against certain Americans.

The arguments make no sense, but do serve as wishful thinking in the culture wars: another reason to hate woke liberals.

Americans are particularly prone to conspiracy theories – about half the population believe in them to some extent. Many are the harmless kind some of us share in, the likes of believing Elvis is still alive, in Kalamazoo or otherwise, or that Jim Morrison remains out there, living as Mr. Mojo Risin’.

Other conspiracies have more sinister implications, however. Belief an election was stolen prompts some to attempt an insurrection. Or to storm into a Washington pizzeria looking for non-existent abducted children in the non-existent basement.

And we shouldn’t forget the large number of

STEVE KANNON Editor's Point of View

conspiracies attached to the COVID-19 crisis, from the injection of tiny transmitters to the precursor of a New World Order.

Belief in such conspiracies is nothing new. They can be traced back at least a couple of thousand years. Psychologists today labour to figure out the enduring appeal.

“Conspiracy theories enable an alternative reality in which perceivers (a) can defend a fragile ego by perceiving themselves and their groups as important, (b) can rationalize any of their beliefs and actions as legitimate, and (c) are entertained through the opportunity to uncover a mystery in an exciting tale. These are shortterm benefits, however, suggesting that conspiracy

theories provide people with a form of instant gratification,” writes Jan-Willem van Prooijen of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in a recent edition of Current Opinion in Psychology.

That conspiracies have that kind of appeal to one’s sense of self make them enduring. It’s difficult to get true believers to change their minds, even in the face of overwhelming evidence.

People wedded to conspiracy theories double down when confronted with the truth, claiming the preponderance of evidence is just further proof of a conspiracy to cover up what’s “really” going on.

Such stances in turn fuel the anti-science and anti-elite sentiments we see today.

“What that means is that any evidence against a conspiracy theory is reinterpreted as evidence

in favour of it,” University of Bristol professor of psychology Stephan Lewandowsky told the BBC of the phenomenon. He notes that it can be comforting to believe some cabal is behind the seemingly random goings-on in the world.

“Believing in conspiracy theories and being suspicious about the actions of others is in some ways quite an adaptive thing to do. We don't necessarily want to trust everybody and trust everything that's happening around us. And so they have always been with us and to some extent, people are all, I guess you could call everybody a conspiracy theorist if you want to use that term at one point or another,” Karen Douglas, a professor of social psychology at the University of Kent in the UK, told the American Psychological Association in an

interview.

“People have always believed in conspiracy theories. As far back as we can remember, people have been having these conspiracy beliefs and having these suspicions about the actions of hostile collectives of individuals. This is just the way that we are wired up to some degree.”

Those who buy in to conspiracy theories can see themselves as in the know, part of a small group of insiders privy to what’s really going on. That’s a powerful psychological force in and of itself, experts say, but gains extra power when the “knowledge” can be used in the partisan battle of politics. Again, that’s especially true among our neighbours to the south.

Conspiracy theories and polarization are major issues south of the border. Canada is in better shape

on that front, but there’s growing distrust of those in authority, particularly governments. That was true prior to the pandemic, and the host of issues that arose subsequently quickly eroded what was already a falling level. A 2019 OECD study, for instance, found just 45 per cent of citizens trusted their governments. Today, trust in government is deteriorating in many OECD countries, with the organization noting that a lack of trust compromises the willingness of citizens and business to respond to public policies and contribute to a sustainable economic recovery.

The economic recovery angle is important. On a macro level, much of the distrust in government and business here can be traced to decades of economic decline –Canadians are less well off, facing stagnant and falling wages in the face of large increases in housing prices and, now, widespread inflation driving up the cost of living.

We’ve been embroiled in decades of declining real incomes and the loss of good jobs. Workers find themselves in precarious part-time or self-employed positions. For many of those lucky enough to find full-time jobs, compensation levels are falling. The prospects for a better future are fading.

The dimming outlook is not lost on people, some of whom have turned to alternative facts and theories to “make sense” of it all.

People who are happy with the conditions under which they live – economically and socially – have far fewer issues that require “rationalizing” via conspiracy theories. Right now, trains aren’t the only thing going off the rails.

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Municipal administrators take on public consultation may differ from the public's take on public input.

DYER: Johnson’s gambit likely to leave his Conservative party in disarray

As his rather dim-witted wingman Jacob ReesMogg put it: “So much for an impartial civil service. The Gray Report now looks like a left-wing stitch up against a Tory prime minister.”

I’m a simple, trusting soul, so I went along with the idea that Gray and Starmer had made a big political mistake by letting Johnson wriggle off the hook like that. Gray’s move didn’t really discredit the evidence

at all, but you know how people think.

However, my wife Tina Machiavelli – ‘Tina Viljoen’ to the rest of the world – took a quite different tack. She immediately asked: Why would Starmer and Gray deliberately schedule the latter’s resignation for the precise week when the Parliamentary Privilege Committee would be releasing its report?

It’s almost as if they wanted Johnson to hang around as the alternative

leader of the Conservative Party. After all, if he’s still in Parliament and not facing expulsion, all he needs is one serious stumble by Sunak and he launches his come-back bid. But he’s even likelier to lose the election next year than Sunak is.

Alternatively, the Tories lose the election without Johnson, and the broken and decimated party turns to him afterwards to save it. But half the surviving Tory members of parliament would still blame

Johnson for the destruction of the brand, so he would probably just split the party instead.

Johnson would soon get bored with being opposition leader and go back to making big money on the speaker’s circuit. His breakaway faction would crumble, and what’s left of the party would spend the next decade in the wilderness.

That may not all happen. From Starmer’s and Gray’s point of view, however, what’s not to like?

PARKING LOT: Councillors seeking more information, public input

the park.

ↆ LAST WEEK:

Truth: Day was proposed in 1910 at the conference of the Socialist International in Copenhagen, Denmark. Day was marked by mass demonstrations and rallies in Europe and North America.

Truth: Day is recognized by the United Nations and is observed to raise awareness about the challenes that women still face.

Lie: International Women’s Day was not founded by a single person but established by the efforts of women’s rights activists, trade unions and political organizations. Susan B. Anthony was an American suffragist and likely supported the day. Reserve

Hugh Handy, a planner with the GSP Group representing the applicant, said the residents’ concerns have been addressed, adding that some two acres of land will be conveyed to the township, including land allowing a connection between the park and Kissing Bridge Trail. New plantings will enhance the existing covering foliage between the site and

St. Paddys Brunch

519-500-1715 | info@chefduff.ca | www.chefduff.ca

„ C ouncil should side with public on parking issue

To the Editor

As Joni Mitchell’s 1970 hit song so aptly put it: “Don’t it always seem to go/That you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone/They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” That seems a very apt description of what is happening in Elmira.

The proposed expansion of the semi-truck parking lot at the north end of Elmira will do exactly that. The proposed expansion of the previous salvage yard to allow for 115 semitrucks will destroy the wild area just north of Bolender Park, south of the Kissing Bridge Trail, and just west of the residential area on High Street. Hundreds of mature trees, bushes, flowers, and the natural habitat for many small animals/birds will be bulldozed and covered with gravel to enable more trucks to park there. Not to mention that it will be on top of a landfill that actively produces methane gas.

It doesn’t seem to matter that more than 1,500 people signed a petition expressing their opposition to the parking lot. One man from Toronto and one man on the staff of Woolwich Township have

The property owner has agreed to replace the trees that will be removed on a one-to-one basis, noted manager of planning Jeremy Vink. Some 300 trees are to be replaced.

Many of the existing trees are in poor condition. Moreover, many are not native species but have simply grown there unattended, he added. The new trees will be hardier native variet-

decided that a parking lot needs to go in that location no matter what the residents want.

Elmira already has several truck parking lots. Just count them as you drive down Union Street. There is also one on Oriole Street between Arthur Street and Union as well as a large one on Southfield Drive between Arthur and Union. With more than 450 heavy trucks going through the intersection of Arthur and Church streets every day, what does it matter if they add another hundred or so? Will more heavy trucks add to the destruction of our roads/ streets and increase taxes for repairs?

The study that your tax dollars paid for that has been presented to council pretty much discounts all objections, which include: health issues due to increased exposure to diesel gas fumes i.e., cancer, heart, lung issues, more dust, destruction of hundreds of mature trees, more noise, more lights and all less than a block from a residential area, next to a popular trail and bordering Bolender Park. Will the leaking oil and gas produce toxic drainage into the creek which runs along the parking area?

The report says: that there won’t be that many diesel fumes; even though it will be trucks driving on

ies, with the landowner responsible for maintenance and upkeep.

One of the bigger stumbling blocks for councillors Tuesday night was the impact of truck traffic.

Coun. Evan Burgess noted a traffic study should look at the worstcase scenario, suggesting some limit on the number of trucks moving to and from the site might be in order.

gravel there won’t be much dust; and the noise won’t be a problem because the trucks will only be going in and out. It continues that the mature trees that will be destroyed are old and some are not native anyway, plus saplings will be planted on a one-toone basis to replace the mature trees cut down. It doesn’t mention where they will be planted, who will purchase and plant and take care of them and how many will not survive the transplanting or the decades it will take for them to grow to the same size as the ones being torn down.

The lights on tall poles for the parking lot won’t lower the quality of life for the residents because there will be a 10-foot metal fence erected, where there used to be trees, to block the residents’ view.

The lot won’t bother the Bolender Park visitors since the company will leave a few trees between the parking lot and the park and the same for the Kissing Bridge Trail. And, of course, who can determine how any of this will affect the property value of the homes adjacent to the proposed parking lot? Residents should not worry about that.

Oh, and the small animals/birds that currently live in the area will just have to die or find

Mayor Sandy Shantz said while Arthur Street as a regional road is designed for truck traffic, those large vehicles aren’t compatible with efforts to make the downtown Elmira core more pedestrian friendly.

The traffic issue is expected to be addressed as staff looks to provide more information after council voted to defer a decision for a few more weeks.

another location, such as the homes nearby, in which to nest. Additionally, the methane gas produced by the landfill that will be covered by gravel won’t be a problem. Of course, now the trees and shrubs are helping to filter the gas as it rises vertically, but with gravel and trucks covering the area, a lot of that gas will have to go horizontally into the park, the trail, and the residential area to find the way out of the landfill. We all know that once a zone has been changed, it is not just for the new owner but stays with the land, so in the future if someone else buys the land they can pretty much do what they want with it.

As David Brenneman, chief administrative officer of Woolwich Township stated in a meeting on January 10, “Residents have a right to enjoy their property”. I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Brenneman. More than 1,500 people signed a petition that was delivered to the council stating that they opposed the addition of a heavy truck parking lot next to Bolender Park. Let’s hope that with the odds of 1,500-2, we might stand a chance of preventing another heavy truck parking lot from coming to Elmira.

Dan Holt

The average person spends one-third of their life sleeping.

The Festival of Sleep Day encourages people to stay in your PJs, relax in bed and even take a nap every January 3rd.

You can train your body to function on less sleep and catch up on weekends.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Swimmers at provincials Titans in action Sunday

Sports

News that hits home. Local people in action.

Sports tips are always welcome.

Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com

Team Scores: observerxtra.com/scores

De-bunking myths about sleeping at camp

Alot has been written about life in a hunting or fishing camp, but the one thing everyone avoids mentioning is the sleeping arrangements. I’m not talking about who sleeps with who, either. It’s a hunting and fishing camp – most of us go there to sleep alone.

No, what I am talking about is whether it is better to claim the top or bottom bunk.

This is one of those questions most people believe was answered long ago. The conventional wisdom was that you should always claim the top bunk as soon as you walk in the door. The old school of thought suggests that the person on the bottom is susceptible to blunt force trauma should the bunk bed collapse due to a combination of shoddy workmanship and the weight of the occupant above. Even worse, there was also the concern that things could get very uncomfortable quickly should the occupant above you turn out to be a bed-wetter.

STEVE GALEA

Not-So-Great Outdoorsman

these days is overbuilt to prevent collapse, possibly because they remember that fateful day in 1968 when Big Louie took the top bunk. (Shout out to Flat Jeffrey.)

As for the bedwetting, that is a throwback to childhood, when it was a phase some kids (the ones that always took the top bunk) went through. It is exceedingly rare for an adult in the top bunk to wet the bed. Coincidentally, it is also exceedingly rare for a bear to break into the cabin in the middle of the night.

On the other hand, there are real disadvantages to being in the top bunk. For instance, gravity likes nothing better than a restless sleeper on a fenceless plateau five feet above the ground. Also, the guy or gal on the top bunk is always the first person to find out about the leaky roof or the bat infestation. That person is also the one who discovers how solid the rafters are, usually with their forehead after abruptly sitting up as

In reality, neither of those things are a concern these days. First off, any bunk bed that exists in a hunting or fishing camp →

EDSS girls’ hockey posts first loss of the year at finals

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

THE EDSS SENIOR GIRLS’ HOCKEY team dropped a shootout loss to Bluevale Collegiate Institute in the regional final on Tuesday.

The loss was the first one of the season for Lancers who were 18-0 on the season and had outscored their opponents by 56 goals over that span.

That streak featured two wins over BCI, including a 3-2 overtime win in the regular season and 2-1 win in the WCSSAA final.

“It’s a sad way to lose in the shootout. But at the end of the day, they were a very good team, and it’s hard to beat a team three times. So it was our third attempt – we beat them the first two and lost out in a shootout, so is it a competitive game for sure

when we play each other,” said coach Steven Karn of the loss in the Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association (CWOSSA) final game.

The Lancers were up 2-0 after two periods on goals from Avery Grundy and Chloe Hislop they had the championship in sights when Claire Jacklin put them up by three early in the third. However BCI got goals from Avery

Morton, Aubrie Martin and Reagan Hunsberger to tie it up.

Turnovers at inopportune times allowed the Knights to tie the game, Karn said.

“[Goaltender] Gwyneth [Martin] kept us in there lots and we missed some opportunities along the way, but these things happen in hockey. Momentum shifts and → EDSS 13

Kings in tight against Ayr in first round of GOJHL playoffs

Observer Staff

A CONVINCING WIN

IN GAME four of their first-round series against the Centennials saw the Elmira Sugar Kings even things up at 2-2. Who’ll have the edge in tonight’s game six match

in Ayr will depend on the results of Wednesday night’s game, the details of which were unknown at press time.

“It feels good to get back on level terms that way,” said head coach Scott McMillan following the game-four win.

“We’ve got to learn from

our mistake from game one, when we thought after we beat them they would just go away and let us have the series, then they came back with two wins,” he added of the coaching staff’s need to keep the young players focused.

That the two teams

have kept it close is no surprise given that each finished the GOJHL regular season with 59 points, Elmira taking fourth place in the Midwestern Conference – and homeice advantage – on the strength of an additional regulation win.

The series got under-

way March 1 at the WMC, where the Kings posted a 4-1 win.

A pair of first-period goals proved enough for the victory. Taylor Bothwell scored at 9:35, assisted by Logan Crans and Brennan Kennedy. At 17:46, it was Chris Black who put the Kings up 2-0

with a power-play goal. Adam Grein and Crans drew assists.

Ayr would get one back with a power-play marker of their own less than a minute to go in the opening frame, but that would be it for them.

Grein scored the

→ KINGS 13

The EDSS girls’ senior 200m medley team of Izzy Sperian, Vanessa Gadsby, Jessica Schmidt and Mackenzie Nyusa finished sixth last week at OFSAA in Windsor. Jonah Schmidt took home fourth in the 100m freestyle. He and the rest of the boys’ 200m freestyle relay, Alex Veitch, Troy Dittenhoffer and Jamie Meissner, finished eighth. The senior girls ranked fourth of 113 schools in combined scores.

The KW Titans picked up their first win of the season Mar. 3, defeating the Windsor Express 103-72 to improve their record to 1-4. The National Basketball League of Canada team is next in action at home on Sunday (Mar. 12) at 2 p.m. when they welcome the London Lightning to The Aud. www.kwtitans.com

EDSS’ Sara Forwell in action against Bluevale Collegiate Institute in Tuesday afternoon’s CWOSSA final in Kitchener, where the Lancers lost 4-3 in a shootout. Bill Atwood

Steve Kannon

MINOR SPORTS SCOREBOARD

WOOLWICH WILDCATS

■ U10 A

Feb/25/2023 vs Milton

Winterhawks

Playoff

HOME: 5 VISITOR: 4

GOALS: Brayden Clemmer

(2), Connor Shantz, Keegan

Bakker, Daxton Habermehl

ASSISTS: Spencer Martin, Matteo Abate, Devin Vogel, Mason Roadknight, Daxton

Habermehl, Matvii Kamyshnyi

■ U10 A

Mar/02/2023 vs New

Hamburg Huskies

HOME: 2 VISITOR: 6

GOALS: Brayden Clemmer (2)

ASSISTS: Devin Vogel

■ U10 A

Mar/04/2023 vs Orangeville

Flyers

HOME: 7 VISITOR: 3

GOALS: Brayden Clemmer

(3), Keegan Bakker (2), Devin Vogel, Daxton Habermehl

ASSISTS: Devin Vogel

■ U10 A

Mar/04/2023 vs Milton

Winterhawks White

HOME: 2 VISITOR: 2

GOALS: Harrison Hartwick, Cater Weir

ASSISTS: Carter Weir, Adam Bloch (2)

■ U10 A

Mar/05/2023 vs Orangeville

Flyers

HOME: 5 VISITOR: 0

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

ASSISTS: Alex Mielke, Connor Shantz, Matteo

Abate

Shutouts: Chase Futher

■ U15BB

Mar/05/2023 vs Halton Hills

Red

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 3

GOALS: Charlie Basler

ASSISTS: Thomas McCarthy, Josh Wraight

WOOLWICH WILD

■ U11 LL-1

Mar/04/2023 vs Ayr Rockets

HOME: 2 VISITOR: 6

GOALS: Kenzie Bauman, Danika McCallum

■ U11 LL-1

Mar/04/2023 vs Ayr Rockets

HOME: 2 VISITOR: 6

GOALS: Kenzie Bauman, Danika McCallum

■ U15A

Feb/17/2023 vs Cambridge

Roadrunners

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 0

GOALS: Brooke Kroetsch

KINGS: Coach looking for intensity and focus

ASSISTS: Emily Hibbard, Addison Birmingham

Shutouts: Grace Breen

■ U15A

Feb/25/2023 vs Waterloo

Ravens

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 1

GOALS: Leah Thompson

■ U15B

Feb/14/2023 vs Brantford

Ice Cats

Playoff

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 1

GOALS: Alexa Grundy

ASSISTS: Eve Snyder

■ U15B

Feb/15/2023 vs Wilmot

Wolverines

Playoff

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 2

GOALS: Claire Levesque

ASSISTS: Katelyn Snider

■ U15B

Feb/19/2023 vs Owen Sound

Ice Hawks

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 1

GOALS: Macey Robbins

ASSISTS: Callie Gruhl

■ U15B

Feb/28/2023 vs Wilmot

Wolverines

Playoff

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 4

GOALS: Addison Searth

ASSISTS: Eve Snyder

lone goal of the second period, with help from Jayden Lammel and Dustin Good. In the third, Lammel’s power-play goal at 1:09 capped Elmira’s scoring. Assists went to Brock Reinhart and Grein.

Shots were 29-28 in favour of the visitors, with netminder Daniel Botelho stopping 28 for the win. Elmira was 2-2 with the man advantage, while Ayr went 1-8.

It was a different story the following night (March 2) in Ayr, as the Centennials took the lead and never looked back.

The home side scored the lone goals of the first and second periods to go up 2-0. That lead was extended to 3-0 early in the third with a shorthanded goal before Elmira got on the board at 14:36 courtesy of Luke Della Croce (Good, Tanner McDonald).

A pair of empty-net goals sandwiched a goal from Elmira’s Madden MacDougall (Della Croce, Liam Eveleigh) before the game ended 5-2 in Ayr’s favour.

The home side outshot the visitors 31-28. Hayden Sabourin stopped 26 in the losing cause. Elmira

went 0-3 on the power play, while Ayr was 1-3.

Game 3 on Saturday night in Elmira was a decidedly closer affair that featured just one goal. Unfortunately for the home crowd, that third-period marker was potted by the visitors.

Shots were evenly matched at 34-34. Botelho stopped 33 of the shots he faced. The Kings had plenty of chances on the power play, but went 0-7. The Centennials were 0-2.

Back in Ayr Monday night, things took another shift. While the Centennials edged the Kings in the number of shots – 40-39 – it was the number that found the back of the net that mattered: 6-0 in Elmira’s favour.

The Kings got first-period goals from MacDougall (Lammel, Austin Mumby) and Kennedy (Joey Martin) to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.

Lammel scored the only goal of the middle frame just 49 seconds in, assisted by MacDougall and Grein. It was 3-0 until a couple of minutes into the third, when Della Croce put the Kings up by four on a feed from Jackson Heron. Elmira

Spring Sale

rounded out the evening with a pair of powerplay goals from Eveleigh (Reinhart, Lammel) and Crans (Brady Schwindt, Mumby).

The Kings finished the night 2-5 on the power play, while Ayr went 0-7. Botelho stopped 40 in the winning effort.

Despite the one-sided loss, Ayr didn’t lack for chances in game four, said McMillan.

“They sure had some chances. I think they probably had more chances than they had in game three,” he said, noting his players’ strong defensive play.

Game five was played Wednesday night in Elmira, with game six set for tonight (Thursday) in Ayr. If necessary, game seven will be played Sunday evening (4 p.m.) at the WMC.

Ahead of what could be the deciding games of the series, the coaching staff was stressing the need for consistent play.

“It just comes down to effort and intensity,” said McMillan “It’s just about the intensity and the focus of the players, and hopefully we can find a little consistency with that.”

March 13 – March 18 (Closed Sundays)

•15% off regular-priced fabric

• Buy remnant or precut fabric at reg. discount and get the second one for 50% off

Month of March Sale

•Buy any amount of fabric from our Sale Room and get 10% off an equal amount of regular-priced fabric

•$5.00 Cotton Thread Sale: 3 - 100 metre, 2 - 250 metre, 1 - 400 metre

Sew Basic Patterns are available Sale

GALEA: Sound strategy for sleep

soon as the morning alarm sounds off.

Let’s also not forget that hot air rises. This is something you will never forget after chilli night.

The point is that the top bunk is not all it is cracked up to be.

The bottom bunk is actually preferred by those of us who know better. There are many reasons for this. First, if you roll out of the bottom bunk you won’t bounce or crack floorboards. Also, you are the last one to complain about a leaky roof.

It’s also worth noting that you can create a tent around your bottom bunk by hanging sheets or towels from the frame above you. This is a not so much for privacy as for personal protection. You don’t want to be the one who discovers, as he hang drops down, that the new guy in the top bunk sleeps in his birthday suit. Or has what appears to be leprosy on his feet as he sits on the top bunk and swings them.

All this is to say, you should not believe myths about sleeping in hunt camps that have been around forever. Most of them are a load of bunk.

→ FROM 12

then I thought we did alright in the overtime: we had some chances to bury, just didn’t finish. But overall the girls kept pushing.

“It’s a sad way for one team to win and one team to lose in the shootout, but at the end of the day it happens somebody’s got to win somebody’s got to lose,” Karn added.

The Lancers may still have a chance at competing at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association championship (OFSAA), depending on circumstances.

The players have nothing to hold their heads down about, Karn said.

“The team in there is a great bunch of kids that worked hard all year and they gave lots of teams lots of trouble,” he added.

“We just told them it was a great season to be the only game we lost and have to go to a shootout to lose it. So they can hold their heads high and you know what, be positive and that we had a very successful year. They’re a resilient bunch, they’re all good with it.”

EDSS: Plenty to be proud about, says coach

There were plenty of ups and downs for the EDSS girls in a regional championship game decided in a shootout.

Bill Atwood

Average home prices dropped 25% last month compared to a year earlier, the Waterloo Region Association of Realtors reports. Single-family homes sold for $877,884, down 26% from February 2022 and 0.9% from a month earlier. Just 439 homes were sold through the MLS system, down 45% from the same time last year.

Off to market with local products

of local vendors

THE ELMIRA LEGION WILL BE home to crafts and goodies of all kinds on March 26.

Maxine Joyette Metzger says she loves spreading joy in Elmira, her hometown. When the pandemic hit, the website designer started a business assembling and selling gift baskets called Joyful Gift Baskets. She focused on local products and received such positive feedback from the producers that she decided to expand and start Joyful Vendors Market – a series of annual bazaars featuring local producers. She says she’s received really good feedback thus far.

“We had such a great overwhelming response after we set the first event date – it sold out in under five days – that we said, ‘OK, this is definitely something our small community needs here.’”

She says she started the market because she likes the concept of spreading joy. “I love to be able to support other small businesses as well within the community that I live in, I shop from, I’m raising my kids in. And I think it’s just really important that we can all support each other.”

The first annual springtime bazaar will take place March 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Elmira Legion. The event is free to attend for the public.

Consumers say they’ll stay loyal to local

Inflation is likely to keep consumers home this spring.

A new poll of 50,000 panelists conducted for the Ontario Produce Marketing Association says over the next three months, rising costs will force people to cut back on spending money at restaurants and bars. About half of the respondents said they’ll make fewer trips out.

And they won’t be ordering in as much either – an

equal number said they’ll cut down on food deliveries to save money.

Instead, they say, they’ll support local, focus on freshness and think about their health.

Who knows if they’ll actually do it. The arrival of spring is normally associated with emerging from our seasonal, winter-tight caves and reintegrating back into society, not pulling back our horns.

And globally stabilizing prices for many food

OWEN ROBERTS

commodities held some promise for this spring’s arrival.

But with inflation continuing to march ahead on many fronts, it looks like consumers see their shadows and are ducking back into their dens.

About a fifth of the panelists said they’ll cut back on fresh meat and

produce. But at the same time, about half said inflation won’t influence their intentions to buy local produce. The survey results that appeared earlier this week don’t mention anything about meat, which is ironic.

If you want to support local, you can buy meat year-round from livestock raised by local producers. Fruit and vegetables are much more seasonal.

Whatever the case, the results underline what the

produce association calls “a very difficult macroeconomic environment” as the sector tries to navigate through it. The whole value chain, from suppliers to retailers to food service – need to know consumers’ intentions.

Bars and restaurants won’t throw in the towel. But it looks like they’ll need to plan a full-court push to maintain patronage. Expect to see an emphasis on promotions and patios, as sun-seek-

ers yearn to get out of the house, soak up some sun and breathe the spring air on a patio. Suppliers should also expect consumers to focus on value. One of the best values going is frozen food. If people are cooking at home and cutting back on fresh meat and produce, they can still get a wide selection in the frozen aisles. It’s not a marketing approach that you’d traditionally associate with

→ ROBERTS 15

Leah Gerber Observer Staff

Wonita Emslie will be one of the vendors at the first Joyful Vendors Market organized by Maxine Joyette Metzger. Leah Gerber

Elmira’s Maxine Joyette Metzger launching new series of events in support

ROBERTS:

Buying local still remains a priority

spring. But inflation-wise, nothing is normal.

I suspect that like bars and restaurants, grocers will push back against consumers’ inclination to cut back, especially for outdoor grilling. If you aren’t spending money getting someone at a restaurant to grill you a steak, grocers might be able to convince you to grill one yourself, at home. All this could bode well for prices, and for competition between grocers.

The survey said almost 60 per cent of consumers are concerned about inflationary price increases specifically for fresh fruits and vegetables. That means many people are buying more produce when it’s on sale – and 42 per cent shop at more stores to get the best price.

Given how some grocery chains’ have been profiting mightily over the past couple of years thanks to food inflation, it’s reasonable to think they might now step up discounts to attract and accommodate shoppers, without going broke.

TO MARKET: Inaugural event set for Mar. 26, with three more markets to follow during the year

Wonita Emslie is one of the vendors who will be at the first market. She says it’s a good way to get into attending such events, rather than tackling the likes of the big crowds at, say, the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival or Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival.

“I thought, well, this is first annual, so it might be manageable for me just to work out the bumps and stuff like that and the wrinkles and then maybe attempt at bigger markets.”

Emslie’s side company, Wonita Milani, makes all-natural beauty and remedy products such as deodorants, creams, headache and migraine remedies, remedies for pulled muscles, arthritis, sleep and anxiety aids. She started making them for herself, and then giving them away to friends and family. Eventually people started giving her money, and her circle encouraged her to start selling them.

The Joyful Vendors Market spring event will be her first vendor event. She says she saw information online about the market and decided to register.

“It resonated with me. It was just, like, ‘you know what? Maybe this is what I need.’ I’m somebody that works really good under a deadline. And I thought this would be the spur maybe that I need – it just felt right.”

She says she’s getting a lot of help from friends and family who are helping her prepare products and do marketing.

Emslie says the challenging part of being a producer is that she has to wear all the hats of her business, including marketing, production, purchasing and inventory. But the best part, “is finding out that people really like what I’m doing. That I’ve made something that’s really helped somebody and they really appreciate it.

That just makes my day when somebody gives me great feedback. It just feels like, yeah, that’s what I’m supposed to be doing. It feels really good when I know I’ve helped somebody.”

Metzger says she has more events planned for the summer, fall and winter as well at the Gale Presbyterian fellowship hall.

Though the March event is sold out, there is still space for vendors at the three other  events. Metzger encourages everyone to come out.

“No matter how big or small your business is, or whether you’re just new to Elmira, or you’ve lived here your whole life, let’s just band together and spread more joy and positivity in Elmira.”

Vendor Wonita Emslie’s company, Wonita Milani, makes all-natural beauty and remedy products. Leah Gerber

Arts

Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com

Tips: observerxtra.com/tips

The woods and witches ZFF set for Apr. 27-29

The premiere of Witches in the Woods, an original, locally created Theatre for Young Audience play, is set for Mar. 10 at 7 p.m. at Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre. Witches in the Woods is a contemporary take on the classic Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel, with a strong resonance for our times. www.femmefolksfest.ca/witches-in-the-woods

Banding together at camp

Bandology setting up shop in Waterloo Region to provide a musical outlet to kids during March Break

The Zonta Club of Kitchener-Waterloo this week announced the lineup for its 11th annual Zonta Film Festival, set for Apr. 27-29 at the Princess Twin Cinemas in Waterloo. The event will present six award-winning films directed by women. The festival is the club’s signature fundraising event. www.zontakw.org

A NEW MUSICAL OPPORTUNITY IS setting up camp in Waterloo Region over March Break.

Bandology, based in Oakville, is a band camp experience and music advocacy group started by a group of parents who  noticed kids involved in music typically performed really well in other areas of life including their academics.

Now, the organization is expanding and starting a March Break camp in Waterloo Region in partnership with the Beckett School at Wilfrid Laurier University.

“I’m  a Laurier alumni, and I also went to Beckett when I was a kid, when it was in a different location. And it’s really exciting for me personally,” said Sandy Wright, the education manager and head of programs for Bandology.

“It’s really cool that I get to sort of go back and do the thing that I wish that I had had an opportunity to have as a kid and provide it for the same kind of community that I came from.”

“I know that from growing up here, and being in the music industry here (Waterloo Region), the stuff that we provide in Oakville isn’t something that we have a ton of in this area in this particular stream. So I’ve been wanting to bring the stuff that we’re able to provide to the community that I care most about and grew up with,” he said.

Last summer, Lydia and Nathan Sweet, both age 10, went to Bandology’s  Junior Band summer camp for the

The kids at last year’s Bandology camp ham it up for the camera. This year’s outing is set for March Break at WLU. Submitted

first time.

Brian Sweet, their dad, heard about Bandology from Lydia’s piano teacher. “I grew up with a lot of music enrichment and it was great to see a program like this for kids. They love music and the camp setting was perfect for them

to experiment with new things,” he said.

What was the best part of the Bandology camp? “Playing the bucket drums and making up my own song,” said Lydia. Nathan liked the body percussion and singing, and listening to older kids at the camp play.

Nathan’s favourite moment? “I learned how to snap [my fingers] there!”

Both kids have future music-related goals. Lydia says she wants to be able to play the piano really well like her dad.

“I want to play all the instruments,” said

Nathan. Specifically, the trumpet and the accordion.

The camp is for kids ages 7 to 10, and costs $295 per child for the week. The camp takes place at the Beckett School in Waterloo. Campers will need to bring a packed lunch and indoor shoes.

It’s designed to be accessible to any kid, with any level of experience, even no experience. At the camp, kids will focus on percussion and vocals. They will take a trip to Laurier to experience a class and take in a concert. They’ll be trying new instruments and doing crafts.

“We work really hard to make it really fun and really engaging and interesting to the kids so they feel like they really accomplished something. And they come out of that week feeling proud of themselves and also feeling excited about the things they got to do,” said Wright.

By the end of the week, the kids will gain enough experience to put on a mini concert for the parents.

“Music makes a huge difference in kids’ lives. It makes them better leaders, it improves their academics,  it improves their development skills, and helps their mental health. And it’s a wonderful thing to have in your life, regardless of all those things, and a very enriching experience. And so it’s really valuable to get started doing that stuff when we’re young,” said Wright.

Both Nathan and Lydia recommend Bandology camps.

“It’s fun, everyone is nice so don’t be scared,” said Lydia.

“If you like music, fun and games, you’ll like it,” said Nathan.

For more information visit bandology.com.

Leah Gerber Observer Staff

Band camp participants get to try their hands at a variety of musicial instruments. Submitted

Phone: 519-669-5790 ext 104

Email: ads@woolwichobserver.com

Job Listings: jobs.observerxtra.com

Work Wanted NEED A RIDE? AROUND TOWN; Upcountry; Airport; Medical appointments; Light deliveries; Just visiting. Call or text Gary 519-577-1750.

For Sale

WALLENSTEIN GENERAL STORE INC.

519 669 2231. Delivery Available $4.00 for minimum $30.00. Free if over $200.00 or wedding or Funeral Orders. Regular delivery Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday. Order

FULL TIME CONTRACTOR/ CUSTOMER SALES & SERVICE REP

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

Tasks include, but not limited to, advising and assisting customers with product purchases, taking orders and quoting small projects as well as serving and growing our contractor base in the Elmira and surrounding area.

Candidates must be neat, able to multi-task and have computer and organizational skills.

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

EMAIL YOUR RESUME TO

arnold@marspan.com

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

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

before 11:00 for same day delivery. Monthly Specials to end of March. Raspberry Jam

1L $4.99. Kraft Cheese whiz 900gm $9.99, Kraft Ranch dressing $9.00. Nith River Quik Oats and Large flake 25 Kg $34.99. Bag White Sugar 20 kg $38.00. March Special Chicken fingers $3.99lb. Permaflo for canning and baking $3.79lb. Order your Ontario Seeds before end of March for 10% off.

For Sale

SPRING SALE AT HILLCREST HOME BAKING. 519-669-1381. March 14 - 25. 10% off all fabrics; 15% off polycottons; 30% off remnants. 10% off tablecloth, hosiery, quilt batts & covering material. Selected polyesters 50% off; selected cottons $5.99 - $7.99m. Crispers assorted $2.50 regular $3.40. Betty Crocker cake mixes $1.85 regular $2.80. Realemon 500ml $2.20; Country Natural Weiners $5.95. New for 2023 - Now carrying Mountain Meadow Herbs.

Farm Services

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

FERTILIZER AND SEED GRAIN - AT COMPETItive pricing. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141.

ICE SALT & ICE MELT IN 20KG BAGS. CALL George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

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

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

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

Farm Services

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

Real Estate

Advertising Placing a classified ad Help

HOUSE FOR SALE ON 0.5 ACRE LOT IN Floradale. 2217 Floradale Road. Two storey, 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom. 2274 square footage. Call Gladys Martin 519-638-0589.

Real Estate

LOOKING FOR A HOUSE TO RENT IN LINWOOD, ST. CLEMENTS, ELMIRA, LISTOWEL AREA. Married couple, small quarters will do. Please call 226-622- 2225.

Garage Sales

DOWNSIZING GARAGE & PORCH Sale. 8 Blue Heron Crt., Elmira. Sat. March 18th, 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. BBQ, deck furniture, puzzles, kitchen wares, vases, mower & tools. Also lots of free stuff.

TOWNSHIP OF WELLESLEY

Help Wanted

Permanent Part Time

Help Wanted

Public Gallery Now Open for Council Meetings!

The Township of Woolwich Public Gallery is opening up to the public beginning in March. Registration is required to attend a meeting in-person and space is limited. To register to sit in the public gallery, call the Council and Committee Facilitator or complete the Public Gallery Registration Form by visiting woolwich.ca/council. If you would like more information, contact the Council and Committee Facilitator at 519-669-6004 or councilmeetings@woolwich.ca

Notice to Residents

TAKE NOTICE that the Council of the Township of Woolwich intends to discuss bylaws to amend fees or charges for building, development engineering and recreation services on April 18, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers situated at 24 Church Street West in Elmira, remotely via Zoom, and livestreamed to the Township of Woolwich YouTube Channel.

Notice of Public Meeting

Tuesday April 18, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Township Administration Offices and Remotely via Zoom/You Tube

24 Church Street West, Elmira Regarding Building Permit Fees and Charges By-Law

Take Notice that in accordance with the Ontario Building Code, (Ontario Regulation 332/12) as amended; the Township of Woolwich has initiated a Building Permit Fees and Charges Review.

The Township of Woolwich will hold a Public Meeting, under Section 1.9.1.2 of the Ontario Building Code, to consider the Building Permit Fees and Charges By-Law. The purpose of this meeting is to provide information and to receive comments from the public.

Any person may attend the public meeting and make written or verbal representation to the proposed changes. The proposed new Building Permit Fees and Charges Bylaw will be available free of charge to any member of the public for their review.

In accordance with Section 7 of the Ontario Building Code Act S.O. 1992, C: 23 it is the intention of the Township of Woolwich to pass a new Building Permit Fees and Charges By-law at the scheduled Council meeting to be held on April 25, 2023. If you cannot attend the meeting, you can express your concerns/comments about the proposed changes in writing to the Director of Development Services on or before April 20, 2023.

Questions or written submissions may be directed to:

Township of Woolwich Director of Development Services

24 Church Street West PO Box 158

Elmira, Ontario

N3B 2Z6

Telephone: 519-669-6028 or email: dfriess@woolwich.ca

Dated at the Township of Woolwich this 1st day of March 2023.

ONLINE PUBLIC CONSULTATION CENTRE WATER STREET AND YOUNG STREET INFLOW AND INFILTRATION (I&I) REMEDIATION PROJECT

The Township of Woolwich has retained GM BluePlan Engineering Limited to design the sanitary sewer rehabilitation of Water Street and Young Street in St. Jacobs. This work includes the rehabilitation of existing sanitary mainline and lateral sewers using trenchless methods and sealing of cracks in maintenance holes using grout. The repairs will improve the overall state of good repair of the system, as well as eliminate active and rain-derived sources of infiltration.

Subject to Council approval, construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2023 with completion expected at the end of 2023.

Due to COVID-19, a formal in person Public Consultation Centre (PCC) will not be held. In absence of the formal in person PCC, the Township has prepared an information package detailing general project information and frequently asked questions.

In addition to the material contained in the information package, you are invited to an Online Public Consultation Centre (PCC).

To view the proposed rehabilitation works and to provide your feedback please visit the Online PCC, available from March 13 to March 31, 2023 at: www.engagewr.ca/WaterYoungProject

Information posted on the Online PCC includes:

1. A narrated video describing the proposed works, technologies and general information.

2. Maps of the Project area showing the proposed mainline and lateral sewer rehabilitation, as well as the maintenance hole sealing locations.

3. Question and Comment section, open March 13th to March 31st, 2023.

4. Important Links to additional information on Cured-In-Place-Pipe.

5. PCC Schedule and Project Schedule

If you need assistance with the Online PCC or require an alternative format of the materials presented, please contact a member of the Project Team below:

Ian Vaughan Engineering Project Supervisor

Township of Woolwich

Phone: 519-669-6031

E-mail: ivaughan@woolwich.ca

Ben Peters Project Manager GM BluePlan Engineering Limited

Phone: 905-643-6688

E-mail: ben.peters@gmblueplan.ca

Obituary

Obituary

Marjorie Gilles

In loving memory of our Mother, who passed away one year ago on March 9, 2022

Know I held God’s righteous hand and darkness became the light. Forever in your hearts I am, like a star upon the night.

In Memoriam

Rick Gaudet

March 23, 1956 - March 12, 2019

Life is so short

And the years go by fast Special moments and memories

From the past.

We see your picture

And miss your smiling face

How we long to have one last embrace.

The Lord saw you suffering

And said Rick, come on home

From up above

Rest assured, We can feel your love. You will live in our hearts forever.

“Love and miss you so much!”

Chris, Allison, Geoff, Steph, Angie, Jeff, Peyton, Lexi, Connor, Leah and Scarlett

Obituary

Scheerer, Bruce Bruce passed away unexpectedly on Friday, March 3, 2023 at Grand River Hospital at the age of 67 years. Bruce was dearly loved by his best friend and soulmate Darlene Vogt, and will be remembered and missed by Darlene’s family Jordan, Lindsay Garvin and her husband Ryan. Dear brother of Robert, Jeanette Almas, Donna and Dutch Noot, Don, Ray and Judy. He will be missed by his many nieces, nephews, and their families. Bruce was a longtime, faithful employee of the Region of Waterloo as a heavy equipment operator, and was currently employed at the Linwood Veterinary Clinic. Predeceased by his parents Harry and Gertrude (Schedler) Scheerer, sister-in-law Bernice, and brother-in-law John Almas. Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 9, 2023 from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the Dreisinger Funeral Home, 62 Arthur St. S., Elmira. A funeral service will take place on Friday, March 10, 2023 at 11 a.m. in the funeral home chapel, followed by cremation. In Bruce’s memory, donations to St. Mary’s Hospital Cardiac Care would be appreciated and may be made through the Dreisinger Funeral Home.

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Weber, Oscar W. Passed away peacefully at his home in Wallenstein on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the age of 94 years. Father of Noah and Martha of RR 4, Listowel, John and Barbara of RR 4, Listowel, Mary and Edgar Sauder of Maynooth, Elam and Marilyn of Paisley, Paul and Ellen of RR 1, Wallenstein, David and Vietta of RR 3, Listowel. Survived by 27 grandchildren and 52 great-grandchildren. Brother-inlaw of Esther and Amos Metzger. Predeceased by his parents Urias and Lydia, wife Hannah (Shantz) (2014), two grandsons in infancy, brother Herman (Leona) Weber, one brother in infancy, and six brothers and sisters-in-law. Visitation was held from 2-5 and 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 5, 2023 and from 2-5 p.m. on Monday, March 6, 2023 at the family home. Family service was held on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 9 a.m. then to Weaverland Mennonite Meeting House for burial and public service.

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Obituary

Frey, Esther

Passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at St. Mary’s Hospital at the age of 74 years. Esther was the beloved wife of Willard Frey for 52 years. Dear mother of Daniel and Joyce Frey of Elmira, Steven and Charmaine Frey of Thornloe, Jonathan and Linda Frey of Elmira, and SaraJane Frey of Thornloe. Loving grandmother to 16 grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. Remembered by her brother Allan and Dorothy Frey, and sister Betty Frey. Also remembered by her in-laws Viola (the late Eugene) Martin, Edwin and Lovina Frey, Alice (the late Abner) Frey, Ada and Mervin Lichty, Melvin and Irene Frey, Edgar and Sadie Frey, Erma (the late Earl) Wideman, Florence and Menno Wideman, Laverne and Gloria Frey. Predeceased by her parents Christian and Rebecca (Martin) Frey. The family received relatives and friends on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 from 1-4 and 6-8 p.m. and on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 from 1-4 p.m. at the home of Jonathan and Linda Frey. A family service will be held on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 9 a.m. at the family home, then to Montrose Mennonite Meeting House for burial and public service. Phone line 2 will be available.

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Myers, Wilma

Passed away peacefully on Friday, March 3, 2023 at her home in Elmira at the age of 97 years. Survived by her sister Alice and Bob Trotter, and nieces and nephews Carol Ann, Marlene, Judy (Marshall), Jane; Tracey (Mike), Sue (Dave); Richard and the late Greg (Chris). Predeceased by parents William and Gertrude (Paget) Myers, brothers Owen and Arnold, sisters Grace and Marilla. Wilma loved her time at Elmira District Community Living. Special thank you to the wonderful staff at EDCL for their amazing care of Wilma. Visitation was held from 2-3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at the Dreisinger Funeral Home, 62 Arthur St. S., Elmira, with a funeral service to follow at 3 p.m. Interment in Dunsford Cemetery at a later date. As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation would be appreciated and may be made through the Dreisinger Funeral Home, Elmira.

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Obituary

Brubacher, Edna

Passed away peacefully at Freeport Palliative Care on Sunday, March 5, 2023 at the age of 93 years. Born on July 26, 1929 to the late Ivan G. and Mary (Martin) Brubacher. Survived by her sister-in-law, Viola Brubacher and her 12 nephews, nieces and their families. Predeceased by her siblings, twin brother and sister in infancy, Eldon (2004) (Irla 1997), Leonard (2000), and Luida (1994) (Ian Gingrich 2021). Visitation will take place on Thursday, March 9, 2023 from 2 - 4 and 6 - 8 p.m. at Crystal View Mennonite Church, 2167 Floradale Rd., Floradale. A funeral service will be held on Friday, March 10, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. at Crystal View Mennonite Church followed by interment in the adjoining cemetery. Sincere thanks to the staff at Freeport Palliative Care for their compassion and attention shown to Edna. If desired, memorial donations to Christian Aid Ministries or Gospel Echoes Ministries may be made through the Dreisinger Funeral Home, Elmira.

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Doug Kuhn

Doug Kuhn, 86, of St. Clements, passed away peacefully surrounded by love and his family at St. Mary’s Hospital on March 5, 2023. Married for 60 years to his beloved wife, Annette (Schell). He was blessed to be the proud Father of Jim (Simone), Jackie (Ed), and Jeffrey (John). He was the cherished Grandfather of Jake Bugarsky (Isabella), Jarod Kuhn, Evan Kuhn, and Josh Bugarsky (Hanna). Predeceased by his parents, Grace and Stuart Kuhn and his only sibling, Nancy Brenner. The grandchildren called him Grandpa Tick Tick as he had approximately 30 clocks in his Man Refuge. Doug enjoyed repairing and fixing practically anything including the clocks.

Doug was a Tool & Die Maker/ Designer. He had many other interests: genealogy, hunting, Waterloo Historical Society, Elmira Amateur (Ham) Radio Club, magic club, bonsai, gardening, and in recent years the R.O.M.E.O. breakfast club.

Special thanks to Drs. Gino and Daniel Pannozzo and their team, and to Dr. Day, along with all the caring staff of the 7th floor, St. Mary’s Hospital.

At Doug’s request there will be no visitation; cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be on Saturday, March 11, at 11:00 AM at Gale Presbyterian Church, 10 Barnswallow Drive, Elmira, with Rev. Reuben St. Louis officiating. A luncheon will follow. A private family interment will follow at a later date. Live Streaming of the service available at: www. youtube.com/c/galepresbyterian /live.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Gale Presbyterian Church or the Cardiac Care Unit at St. Mary’s Hospital would be appreciated.

Messages and condolences may be left for the family at:

www.tricitycremations.com

Doug has the final word: “This is VE3 CXU saying 73 SK.”

❖ www.tricitycremations.com

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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

Whooping cough warning Construction ahead

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health this week issued an alert to the public to the presence of pertussis (whooping cough) in the area. Twelve cases have been reported over the fall and winter – higher than normal for the region. Pertussis is a bacterial infection that spreads easily through droplets that are sprayed into the air when someone sick with pertussis sneezes, coughs or talks.

Wellesley council this week awarded the contract to replace bridge #0008 on Hutchison Road to Theo Vandenberk Construction Inc. for a total cost of $517,636. Also planned is the first phase of the reconstruction of Queen’s Bush Road, which is expected to start June 5. The township has given the contractor an end date of the week before the Apple Butter and Cheese Festival.

For Del Gingrich, there’s always another story to tell

Leah Gerber

Observer Staff

DEL GINGRICH HAS A PASSION for local stories. That’s reflected in his eight books, the latest of which is entitled “Elmira Mennonite Church: A People’s History.”

The book details the lives of families past and present at the church. In it, he talks about some of the earlier features of Elmira, including things he remembers from growing up in the town, like the bowling alley, the Reo Theatre, pool halls at Johnston and Cameron barber shops, and tin-roof ice-cream sundaes at Kares Café.

The church’s first service was held Aug. 31, 1921. He writes that at this time, “A new car cost $256, a new home $7,720. Gas was 24 cents a gallon; sirloin steak, 28 cents a pound. The average annual salary was $2,196.”

“They say to write about things you like, well, what I like are people at the

church,” he said of the impetus for the new book.

Today, many things are different, but some things are still the same, like the still-standing clock tower, the old church buildings, the butcher shop, the library or the town’s enduring love for hockey, to name a few.

He decided to write the book because he felt people might have the misconception that all Mennonites are still old fashioned.

“This is more than history, it’s an evolving of a community. And the thinking processes of the people today is different from many, many years ago. Many years ago, a lot of our people went to Grade 8 only. Now we’ve got PhDs – quite a number of them who attend our church, as a matter of fact the wife of the pastor has her PhD. That’s new and different. We have professors, which didn’t exist before in our church.”

He spoke about how his church is now full of

Exercise safety in cold weather

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I work out at least three days per week at the gym, but I also like to exercise and run outside. Although I know better than to be outdoors in a winter storm, do you have any tips for exercising safely outdoors in cold weather?

ANSWER: It is great that you are dedicated to staying healthy through exercise. Being active at all ages is recommended to improve overall health.

▢ Mayo Clinic

Professional Clinical Health Advice

It’s easy to lose motivation to exercise when it’s cold outside. However, you can remain active and exercise safely, especially outdoors, during the winter. A general rule to follow when exercising in the cold is to work your way slowly into the exercises. Also, start with lower loads or inten-

sity. Here are five additional helpful tips for staying active outdoors during the winter.

1. Make sure you check the weather forecast and dress appropriately before exercising outdoors. Weather conditions with air temperatures below zero or extreme windchills may prohibit safe activities outside, even when wearing appropriate clothing. The risk of frostbite significantly increases when the

air temperature is below minus-15 degrees. You also should avoid exercising in the rain, as getting wet increases your vulnerability to cold. On days with extreme weather conditions, limit your workout. Or take a break or exercise inside.

2. A proper warmup is essential, and warmup time should be doubled, as it takes longer for your muscles to acclimate in the cold. Also, perform the aerobic part of your

warmup before static stretching to help with muscle flexibility. When working out, ramp up slowly to your preferred intensity and be sure to work in a cooldown period to promote recovery and reduce blood pooling.

3. Know if any other medical conditions put you at elevated risk for cold weather injuries, and be aware of cold weather issues. If you have medical conditions such as Raynaud’s disease, lung

people with all sorts of professions, including artists, actors, musicians and government workers.

“When I was a lot younger, things were a lot different,” he said.

“I was thinking if some people who live in the community don’t know this, they have a different view of Mennonites, and that bothered me. I don’t want to knock the horse and buggy, but we’re not horse and buggy. Listen, we’ve done many other things, we’ve become part of this society.

“I don’t know if anybody who is not Mennonite is going to read it, but I wanted them to know that, ‘hey, we are like you now.’”

The book outlines the stories of various families past and present at Elmira Mennonite, beginning when the church was built. He feels that it’s a book some people might be interested in if they care about Mennonites or local history.

Gingrich focused on

or heart disease, or lupus, consider consulting with your primary care team to determine appropriate precautions. Be mindful if you have exercise-induced asthma, as cold weather may aggravate these types of medical conditions. Also, be aware of the signs of hypothermia and frostbite, as well as appropriate treatments. If you start to develop signs of hypothermia or frostbite, get out of the cold immedi-

Del Gingrich’s latest book is Elmira Mennonite Church: A People’s History. Leah Gerber

Local writer’s latest book, his eighth, chronicles the history of the Elmira Mennonite Church

Cozy up with this Irish-American classic

This old-school take on Irish stew layers pork sausage, bacon, onions, potatoes and stock to “coddle,” or slowly simmer.

For a more flavorful version of this dish that kept its elements intact, we crisped the bacon and browned the sausages to create flavorful bits (fond) in the pan. Sweating the onions and adding broth to the pan released the fond into the coddling liquid.

▢ America's Test Kitchen

Rigorously tested recipes that work.

When poured over thinly sliced Yukon Gold potatoes arranged neatly on the bottom of a baking dish, it gently cooked them to a soft, creamy texture. A splash of cider vinegar helped cut the richness of the dish, while crisp bacon provided textural contrast.

Dublin Coddle

▢ 1 3⁄4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1⁄4-inch thick

▢ Salt and pepper

▢ 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

▢ 1 1⁄4 pounds bratwurst

▢ 2 onions, sliced into

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Shingle potato slices in bottom of 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.

2. Cook bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crispy, 12 to 14 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.

3. Carefully add sausages to the now-empty skillet and cook until lightly browned on tops and bottoms, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

4. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the skillet and return to medium heat. Add

1⁄2-inch-thick rings

▢ 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

▢ 1 3⁄4 cups chicken broth

▢ 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

▢ 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

onions, thyme, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook until onions are softened, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits.

5. Add broth and vinegar, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a simmer. Carefully pour onion mixture over potatoes, spreading onions into an even layer.

6. Place sausages, browned side up, on top of onions. Transfer to oven and bake until a paring knife inserted into potatoes meets little resistance, about 1 1⁄4 hours.

7. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and reserved bacon. Serve.

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

THURSDAY, MARCH 9

▢ Woodside Evergreen for Seniors at Woodside Church, Elmira, 10:30 a.m. “Songs and Stories of Bringing Healing and the Gospel of Jesus to the Indigenous People of Canada” by Rick and Linda Martin of Niverville, Manitoba. Suggested donation $10 includes hot lunch. Preregister by March 9 at www. woodsidechurch.ca/evergreen or 519-669-1296.

▢ Gardening 101 with local gardeners Fred Lichti and Chrissy Arjune at the Woolwich Memorial Centre, Elmira, 7 p.m to 8:30 p.m. This is a brief introduction to the basics of planting and growing a vegetable garden with a hands-on demonstration. Tomato seeds and soil provided to participants. No charge and no registration required. Questions? Contact: Ann at 519-514-7027 or aroberts@woolwich.ca.

FRIDAY, MARCH 10

▢ Friday Food at the Elmira Legion. Doors open at 4 p.m., serving at 5:45 p.m. Menu: fish & chips, coleslaw and dessert, $12/plate. Join us in the lounge. All welcome.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11

▢ Alma Optimist Famous County Dance, 8 p.m. until 12 midnight. Dance to the music of the Fletcher’s Band. $15 per person. Join us at the Alma Community Centre, 51 Simpson St. E., Alma.

FRIDAY, MARCH 17

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

TUESDAY, MARCH 21

▢ Tuesday Take-Out Lunch at Gale Presbyterian, Elmira. Drive-thru pick-up 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Menu: ham & scalloped potatoes, vegetable, salad, bread, cake. $12/meal. RSVP by March 17 (noon) to 519-669-2852 or office@galepresbyterian.com.

FRIDAY, MARCH 24

▢ Friday Food at the Elmira Legion. Doors open at 4 p.m., serving at 5:45 p.m. Menu: bangers (sausages) & mash, veg, roll and dessert, $12/plate. Join us in the lounge. All welcome.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

▢ Are solar panels right for you home? Talk to an Engineer, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the St. Jacobs Fire Station. Talk to engineer Scott Cooper of Merlyn Power. Learn about: technology update/systems options, economics and incentive, ownership experience, maintenance. Contact Ann Roberts, 519 514-7027 aroberts@woolwich.ca.

FRIDAY, MARCH 31

▢ Friday Food at the Elmira Legion. Doors open at 4 p.m., serving at 5:45 p.m. Menu: back bacon on a bun with mac & cheese and dessert, $10/plate. Join us in the lounge. All welcome.

THURSDAY, APRIL 13

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

⚠ Note: An equal weight of traditional Irish bangers can be substituted for the bratwurst. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

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

Refers

CONTRETEMPS

Crossword

to an inconvenient or embarrassing occurrence or situation. It can also refer to a dispute or argument.

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

Spring is nearly here and with it comes an opportunity for a fresh start. After a long, cold winter, now is the chance to throw open those windows, and let in the warmth.

Spring cleaning is an essential part of this season. In addition to refreshing our spaces, decluttering has many mental health benefits. Have you noticed that less clutter makes you feel freer, lighter, and less stressed? There is a reason for this. If we look around and see clutter – a messy desk, kitchen sinks full of dishes, toys scattered everywhere – it can make us feel overwhelmed. There are physical health risks to clutter too: dust, allergies, and mobility hazards for example.

Taking care of our environment can improve our overall well-being. In general, any way you can

Decluttering for mental health

▢ Your Mental Wellbeing

Woolwich Counselling Centre

visually streamline your environment – a place for everything and everything in its place – can give you a sense of control and result in a more positive mood. You will feel a sense of achievement, and it is easier to relax and unwind in a clean environment.

For many of us, decluttering can be a dreaded chore. Here are some tips to help you get started. Start where you’re at. Decluttering is a process, and it can take days or even months. Break tasks down and complete a bit at a time. When you succeed at your goal, however small, it can not only benefit our emotional well-being through the sense of accomplishment but can also be a powerful motivator. Being realistic

and starting small is a great first step. If you are not feeling very energetic or motivated, or you are already struggling with mood, you may set yourself up for failure with a large cleaning task. Instead of tackling the whole house, consider tidying one drawer, or going through one box, or giving yourself 15 minutes to work on decluttering your desk.

Ask for help. You can ask family and close friends for help or even seek paid help. Have someone watch your child so you can

tackle the laundry. Have a friend come over for coffee and help you purge your closet. We tend to be more motivated when we have someone by our side.

Tackle clutter in the digital environment. Do you have hundreds of unread personal emails, many of them ads? Be aware that digital clutter can also contribute to stress. Sort emails into folders and unsubscribe from promotional emails that you no longer need. Organize information on your work laptop so that you can always quickly

find what you need. Clear digital spaces contribute to a sense of calm and increased focus. Adjust expectations. There are going to be times when your environment is just not going to meet your expectations, given what may be going on –several children, sickness, work issues, mental health struggles. Treat yourself with the kindness you would show a friend in this scenario. Not everything has to be done right now. Make a plan for decluttering and return to it when you are able to.

Spring is a great motivator for change. Regaining a sense of control over our environment through the act of decluttering and seeing how it serves our physical and mental health is incredibly worthwhile.

ↆ This article is brought to you by Woolwich Counselling Centre. This nonprofit counselling agency creates awareness and provides education to promote emotional and mental wellness for individuals, families, businesses, and others in Woolwich and Wellesley. Check out their upcoming small group therapy sessions and workshops at www.woolwichcounselling. org.

MAYO

ately and slowly warm the affected area.

4. Dress warmly and in layers when exercising outdoors in the cold. Multiple layers with warm materials, such as wool or fleece, can add warmth. Avoid cotton next to the skin, as it can stay wet and cold. Also make sure to protect your hands and feet. As the temperature drops, blood pools in your body's core, which leaves your hands, feet and head at risk of frostbite. Hats, ski masks, gloves, large shoes with thermal socks, and earmuffs are great accessories to keep your extremities warm during the winter.

5. Hydration while exercising in colder temperatures is just as important, or more important, than in warm temperatures. That's because cold air is dryer than warm air. You should hydrate before, during and after your workout. While water or a sports drink is fine if your workout is an hour or less, for longer workouts you also should have a drink with

electrolytes, such as a sports beverage. It is easy to become dehydrated in the cold, but it is harder to notice the symptoms. Although it may be hard to stay motivated to exercise outside during the winter, everyone knows how good it feels after a great workout. You’re encouraged to continue to exercise and stay fit using your favorite workout routines throughout the year. If you have specific questions or find you need additional support, consider speaking to a certified sports medicine specialist.

As you decide how best to exercise during the winter, be sure to be aware of your surroundings to avoid any unnecessary risks. If you have any health issues, it is advisable to talk with your primary health care professional before starting any new outdoor activities.

Your woolwich u9 LL team has made it to the top 30 of the Ford Drills and Skills competition. Top 16 go on to have a practice at the Scotiabank Arena with some of the Toronto Maple Leaf players! The boys cleaned up their community by picking up garbage around St. Jacobs ball diamond, as well donated over 40 new and gently used jackets to Woolwich Community Services to help with their submission. These kids have shown great passion for the sport as well an understanding of community service this season by giving back and working hard. We find out if we’ve made top 16 by mid-March!

WRDSB CYBER INCIDENT

In July of 2022, the Waterloo Region District School Board became aware of unauthorized access to our IT system. An investigation confirmed that personal information of some past employees was accessed.

WRDSB is offering credit monitoring to past employees whose information was accessed. To register for one year of complimentary credit monitoring from TransUnion, retirees and former staff need to call TransUnion at 1-833-806-1882.

When calling TransUnion, please state that you are calling in relation to the Waterloo Regional District School Board credit monitoring program. To obtain a code, retirees and former staff will need to provide one of the following:

• Employee Identification Number (EIN); or

• Past address

Questions?

If you have questions about the registration process please contact incident@wrdsb.ca.

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Elmira Mennonite Church because it is the church he grew up in, and the church he eventually came back to later in life.

The retired school principal loves writing.“Ever since I was in school, I enjoyed writing. And as a matter of fact, when I was in Grade 12, the teacher let me write that Grade 13 composition exam, which sort of was a pat on the back.

“It’s something that has become a part of my regular routine, if you wish. When I don’t do some, I [think] ‘well, what the heck am I going to do?’

Because I’m not good at repairing things or building things. I don’t have any other hobbies, really. Other than that, I read a lot. That becomes a hobby and fills a space that gives

me satisfaction,” he said of his writing.

He says he prefers to write outside of his home, and much of his book was written at libraries and local cafés. When he’s deep into preparing a book, he tends to become fully absorbed, writing, “morning, afternoon and evening.”

All told, he estimates he spent 100 or 200 hours on interviews alone for the book. “If people only knew how much work I did,” he said.

How does he feel to be this keeper of local history? Gingrich say passing on history is an important task, and often people don’t realize this until it’s too late.

“I wish my father would have been able to write his story. He passed away and I barely knew him. Same

with my brothers and so on. I wish they’d have written their personal stories.”

Even though he loves writing so much, Gingrich says self-doubt can creep in. “It is discouraging. (You think), ‘Geez, is this worth it? I mean, is anybody going to be interested in this type of thing?

I don’t know, I’m not a perfectionist, but I think if you do something, you’ve got to do it well.”

He keeps the covers of his books  in a joined frame on his wall. One of the frames is empty. He points to it. “That’s my next book,” he jokes.

He’s still deciding what he wants to focus on for his next project, but is considering writing his own story for the sake of his children and grandchildren, “so they know the real Del.”