October 6, 2022

Former WRDSB students information breached

in the July cyber attack that breached the board’s computer network.

SCHOOL Board students who were enrolled in the years between 2006-2007 and 2012-2013 may have had their personal information compromised

The data of some 70,000 people were involved. Among the information that may have been taken were student names, dates of birth, gender, and historical educational information such as

students’ former schools, classrooms or teachers. The main student information system was not included in the attack.

Individuals who were affected by the data breach will not be contacted by the school board directly, said WRDSB spokesperson Eusis Dougan-McKenzie.

“We are using public notification through the website, social channels and media outlets. The time it would take to match names to contact information would delay notification. Remember, this was not the main database, so names were not tied to addresses or contact

details,” she said.

People can find out if their data were taken by calling TransUnion at 1-833-806-1882, state that you are calling about the Waterloo Regional District School Board credit monitoring program and provide your name.

If you are included in the

data set that was stolen, TransUnion will provide you with a credit monitoring code and more information on how to register for a year of credit monitoring. The cost is covered.

The data set includes both grade school and high school students.

Police kept busy with a series of youth disturbances

Leah Gerber Observer Staff

A SERIES OF YOUTH-RELATED DISTURBANCES had Waterloo Regional Police busy in Elmira last week.

A single male youth was walking near First and Arthur streets around 7 p.m. on September 28 when he was attacked by a group of young people. They stole some of his property, and he came out of it with some minor injuries.

The youth were early teenagers, said police spokesperson Cst. André Johnson.

first group of youth. In the process, two female youths were sprayed with a noxious substance the police believe to be bear spray. They were treated by paramedics and did not suffer major injuries.

That same night around 9 p.m., the first group of youth that assaulted that male were approaching a Flamingo Drive location looking for youth in the other group. They scattered when confronted by some adults.

On

That same night, around 8 p.m., a group associated with the male that was assaulted

“It is a little unusual, and anytime we have groups of youth who are going back and forth in this manner, it is cause for concern. We do want to identify and figure out exactly who is involved, so that way we

damage to the passenger-side rear bumper. Waterloo Regional Police say no one

injured.

Leah Gerber

Staff

FORMER WATERLOO REGION DISTRICT

of

The

Woolwich’s

year typically

handful of minor incidents.

up

the number of occurrences was 11, an aver-

director of infrastructure services

councillors meeting

Most of the minor non-compliance

were resolved simply by flushing the

freshly chlorinated water.

While reports originally indicated that the plume of BLE25 was contained to the properties directly surrounding Chemtura's Elmira facility, damage has been reported as far west and south as Flamingo Drive. Company officials now say the impact stretches about 1.5 km in a southwest line from the site.

Education workers vote in favour of strike

GEARING UP FOR A BATTLE with the province, educational support staff have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action if needed.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) reported Monday that 96.5 per cent of workers – the likes of educational assistants, early childhood educators and custodians – supported the stance.

CUPE represents some 55,000 such school workers.

The president of the union’s local chapter said striking is a last ditch effort, however.

“What [the vote] does show the government is that we’re serious. It would be something, but we love working with our students, we don’t want to go on strike. We take these jobs because we love being in schools and working with students. And we voted ‘yes’ for the same reason, so that we can show up with our very best every day,” said CUPE 2512 president Mechelle O’Hagan.

“The strike vote is about our colleagues’ voices being heard. We want to be heard loud and clear that the result is a strong strike mandate for a strong position to advocate for student success and good jobs.”

On Monday the provincial union revealed that more than 45,000 of the workers it represents participated in the vote, with almost 44,000 in favour of strike action.

CUPE and the provincial government have bargaining dates set for today (October 6) and tomorrow, as well as October 17 and 18.

CUPE 2512 represents some 1,200 workers at the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. This includes administrative assistants, childcare workers, educational assistants, computer technicians, library technicians and lunch hour supervisors.

WCDSB declined a request for an interview to discuss possible contingency plans if a strike does happen.

“The WCDSB encourages the government and

CUPE to continue bargaining in good faith for the benefit of all students,” said chief managing officer John Shewchuck in an email.

The province has proposed a wage increase of two per cent for all employees making less than $40,000 a year and 1.25 per cent for those making more than that.

CUPE has countered with an annual increase of 11.25 per cent or $3.25 per hour, in each of the next three years. They are also asking

for more workers to be hired.

“Education workers are standing up and saying in one unified voice: we demand better,” said Laura Walton, president of CUPE’s Ontario School Boards Council of Unions (OSBCU) in a statement.

According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, educational funding has fallen by $800 per student since Doug Ford became premier.

In a released statement, Minister of Education

Stephen Lecce said he was “extremely disappointed” with the results of the vote.

“As CUPE moves ahead towards a strike that hurts kids and disrupts families – leaving behind a reasonable offer that also protects the most generous benefits and pension plan in the country – we will continue to remain at the table to make sure kids stay in class without interruption right through to June,” Lecce said.

O’Hagan said the minister was “fear-mongering”

about the workers.

“They play the parents against us, and there’s no way our union ever said that. I don’t know of any unionists that are with CUPE that have ever felt that way. We’ve always had our students’ best interest in mind, because we have families, too. We have our children in education too. And so absolutely not I do not agree with his statement whatsoever. That is not our goal. And it never will be.”

O’Hagan denied that the wage increase is asking taxpayers to pay significantly more for education.

“We don’t look at it that way, because inflation has gone up and the cost of living has gone up... I feel it’s reasonable, and it’s affordable and it’s necessary. Education workers have seen our real dollar wages cut…while the Ford government has cut the funding itself,” she said.

“As a taxpayer, myself, I think in our country, education and health care are the most important. And I don’t feel as though there should be cuts in any of that.”

Woolwich to pursue policy that emphasizes equity and inclusion

A DECISION ON A RAINBOW crosswalk and new policies around equity issues will be in the hands of the next council, as the current body this week directed staff to investigate possible next steps.

Councillors meeting Monday night backed a motion circulated last week by Coun. Scott McMillan that, among other things,

called for “staff to connect with community groups that can provide guidance with regards to best next steps that can be taken by the council and the corporation as we continually and constantly strive to make Woolwich a more equitable, inclusive place. This can include, but not be limited to, continuing to explore a rainbow crosswalk, community events and celebrations, an equity, diversity and

inclusion (EDI) committee, mandatory training for council, or an EDI lens that can be applied to all staff reports.”

McMillan amended the motion Monday night to make it clearer that EDI training would be mandatory for councillors.

“I’m glad to see that council is moving in this direction,” said Coun. Patrick Merlihan, whose own notice of motion in a similar vein was put on

hold at the previous meeting in September.

Coun. Larry Shantz said the second motion had a broader scope.

“I like the idea that it’s not geared to just one organization or one item,” he said.

Both motions came in response to the controversy that erupted when the topic of a rainbow crosswalk was first discussed by council in August.

Coun. Murray Martin’s responded negatively to the proposal at the August 22 meeting, making comments deemed homophobic and prompting a public backlash.

The motion approved “recognizes the need to reject all discrimination and hate directed towards any person or group of people guaranteed protection under the Ontario Human Rights Code.”

That provision was

welcomed by Coun. Fred Redekop.

“I appreciate in the second ‘whereas’ where it says ‘directed towards any person or group of people guaranteed protection under the Ontario Human Rights Code.’ I think that’s important to be embedded in the motion.”

The adoption of the motion wasn’t unanimous, however, as Martin voted against it, though he didn’t join in the discussion.

If it matters to you. It matters to us.

Woolwich

Bill

It’s early days yet for negotiations, but support workers at schools such as the WCDSB’s St. Teresa in Elmira have set the stakes with a strike vote. Bill Atwood

Steve Kannon Observer Staff

A

Four candidates vying for two spots in Woolwich’s Ward 3

Bill Atwood

WITH TWO COUNCIL

POSITIONS UP for grabs in Woolwich’s Ward 3, there are four candidates vying for your vote in the October 24 municipal election.

Along with incumbent Murray Martin, the ballot will include Paul Bolger, Bonnie Bryant, and Kayla Grant.

A resident of Maryhill for 34 years, Grant is looking to bring a different perspective to council.

“We increasingly have more diverse communities. We have a wide range of age within our communi ties, and I think council is kind of missing a younger, more progressive voice. Something that can really benefit Woolwich is having someone that is from a different kind of diverse backgrounds, able to kind of provide new insights and challenge traditionally held views,” said Grant.

Having spent most of her life in Woolwich, Grant said “living, working and playing in Woolwich,” is what made her decide to run for council.

“I wanted to be able to represent the concerns that I’m hearing within my community to a greater extent, as well as just feel that a life without service is really kind of a life not worth living…I always kind of wanted to give back. And because I’ve been raised

by the community, this is my way of giving back,” she said.

As a councillor, Grant would aim to work with developers on housing options.

“Whether that is town houses, whether that is multi-unit in addition to kind of traditional state homes that people that move out to the country enjoy and love. So that would be one of the things I’d be looking at on council is asking those questions of the developers of what’s the plan.”

Recognizing the job involves more than just big, pressing topics, Grant says she’s more than willing to tackle all of the duties that come with the job.

“I think that if you’re not interested in the day-today aspects of digging down deep into an issue and finding solutions, you’re not going to be doing a good job for your constituents.”

Bryant represented the ward as a councillor from 2010-2014, running for the mayor’s job in the 2014 election and finish ing in second by 36 votes to Sandy Shantz. She is running for council again because the “ward needs fair representation.”

“I find the southern part of the township…it feels like we’re being left out of a lot of decisions. If you look at what’s in Ward 3,

we have no full-service grocery stores, we have one gas station. We have basically no retail and no amenities. We have no arena, no splash pads, and it’s the fastest growing area of the township,” Bryant said.

Given that status, Breslau in particular needs such services, she added.

“It would keep people here. Right now, a lot of them go into Kitchener or Guelph because we just don’t have the amenities for them.”

The level of communica tion that she will provide to residents is what would set her apart from the current council, Bryant said.

“If they have issues, they feel that when they send emails or make phone calls, they’re not going to get responses and they just don’t get listened to.”

As one of her main issues, Bryant has been outspoken against a gravel pit proposed for a site near Maryhill.

“We need to protect our prime agricultural farmland. All of Canada has only [a small] amount of prime agricultural farmland. The bulk of that prime agricultural farmland sits in southern Ontario – we can’t afford to lose it. We are not antigravel, but gravel pits need to be sited in appropriate locations,” she said.

A lifelong resident of the region, Bolger has lived in

several communities in the area. A certified public accountant who has run his own business since 1998, Bolger considers himself a numbers guy.

“Financial analysis and planning is what I do,” he said, noting he intends to rely on his work experience if elected to council.

“I know how to read a financial statement. I have asked questions my whole life on accountability, fiscal responsibility and transparency from many managers from [many] organizations,” he said.

Bolger is running for council because he “has a voice and is not afraid to talk.”

“I think probably COVID contributed to the lack of connection and feel ing that our concerns weren’t being addressed in a timely, appropriate manner. People are angry or disillusioned, disap pointed, and they just want answers. And I’m going to try and get those answers.”

Bolger will look to bring accountability to both council and township staff, he said.

“There are some that don’t understand that their customers are the citizens of the township. I think that’s what some of them [think] and it probably is very much the minority because most people I talk to at the township are very good people and they’re

Submit your sports team’s scores online today.

Community

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

Monday, October 31, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

Regarding Zone Change Application 8/2022

Memorial Ave Properties Inc – 9 Memorial Avenue and rear consolidated lands, Elmira and Official Plan Amendment Application 4/2022 and Zone Change Application 9/2022

Trinity United Church – 21 Arthur Street North and 4 Cross Street, Elmira

Please note this will be a virtual meeting only and public attendance at the Township offices will not be permitted. Below is information on how you can submit comments, view or participate in the meeting. You may also contact Development Services staff by sending an email to planning@woolwich.ca or by phone at 519-669-6040 if you have any questions.

Take Notice that in accordance with the Planning Act, R.S.O., 1990, as amended, the Township of Woolwich has received complete applications for a proposed Official Plan Amendment and Zone Change applications for lands described below. This notice summarizes the details of these applications and includes a location map. Please be advised that Notice of a Complete Application does not indicate whether the municipality is in support of, or in opposition to the proposals. That determination will be made at a later date.

The Township of Woolwich will hold a Public Meeting, under Sections 17 and 34 of the Planning Act, R.S.O., 1990 to consider the following Official Plan Amendment and Zone Change applications. No decisions will be made at this meeting; its purpose is to provide additional information to the public and agencies and to receive comments and information from them.

Memorial Ave Properties Inc – 9 Memorial Avenue and rear consolidated lands, Elmira Witzel Dyce Engineering Inc. on behalf of their client Memorial Ave Properties Inc. have submitted a rezoning application for lands located to the rear of 9 Memorial Avenue in Elmira (see Map 1). Memorial Ave Properties Inc. recently acquired these rear lands which have been added to their existing parcel at 9 Memorial Avenue. The lands at 9 Memorial Avenue are zoned Buffer Commercial – Urban (C-2). The applicant is proposing to rezone these rear lands from Residential Mixed High Density (R-5) to C-2 to be consistent with the zoning of 9 Memorial Avenue. The rezoning application will facilitate an addition to the existing law office building and an expanded parking area to the rear of the building.

Trinity United Church – 21 Arthur Street North and 4 Cross Street, Elmira

Trinity United Church owns the following two adjoining properties (see Map 2): • 21 Arthur Street North, containing a church and associated parking, zoned Core Commercial – Urban (C-1) with site specific provisions to permit a church; and

• 4 Cross Street, containing a single detached dwelling, zoned Residential High Density (R-5).

Both properties are designated Core Area in the Township Official Plan. GSP Group on behalf of the property owners, Trinity United Church, are proposing to amend the Township’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law to facilitate redevelopment of the property with a five storey, mixed-use building. The ground floor of the building is proposed to accommodate a worship area and related space together with one residential unit for the Trinity United Church. Three upper storeys are proposed for residential use with the final (roof top) storey proposed as indoor and outdoor amenity space. The residential component is proposing a total of 40 residential units (consisting of 25 one-bedroom units and 15 two-bedroom units). Parking for the development will be provided in a surface parking lot as well as within an at-grade parking area within the first floor of the proposed building. To facilitate this proposal the following amendments are being requested: Official Plan Amendment

A site-specific Official Plan amendment is required to permit an increased residential density from 120 to 127 units per hectare. The proposed total residential complement of 40 units equates to a net residential density of 127 units per hectare.

Zoning Amendment

To change the zoning of 4 Cross Street from R-5 to C-1 and to add/amend the site specific regulations for both properties as follows:

• to permit a place of worship as a permitted use within a mixed use building;

• to increase the maximum permitted building height from 10.5 metres to approximately 18.1 metres; and

• to reduce the required parking for a place of worship with a sanctuary and 40 dwelling units from the required total of 83 parking spaces to the proposed total of 57 parking spaces.

APPEAL RIGHTS

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

AND TAKE NOTICE that if a person or public body does not make oral submissions at the public meeting or make written submissions to the Township of Woolwich before the by-law is passed or the proposed Official Plan Amendment is adopted, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to do so.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

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

View the Public Meeting / Council meeting livestream on the Woolwich Township YouTube channel at the following link https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCOnLlF3Srk2gLEBjkq8pIMQ ;

Participate in the Public Meeting by registering with Council/Committee Facilitator on or before 1:00 pm on Tuesday October 25, 2022.

Ontario celebrating Cadet Week

Raina is “99 per cent” finished the requirements to get her pilot’s license.

WITH ONTARIO MARK

ING ITS FIRST-EVER

Cadet Week, Warrant Offi cer First Class Vaishnave Raina is encouraging other youth to get involved with the organization.

“Give it a go – you have nothing to lose. It’s not scary and you should always be trying new things, so give it a go. It’s not your thing, that’s fine, but you will definitely find lifelong friends and lifelong skills,” she said.

Raina has been a part of the 80 KW Spitfire Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squad ron for the last six years and is the highest ranking officer in her squad. Her experience has provide her with skills that are trans ferable to everyday life, she said.

“I was really shy. I didn’t really talk to many people. I kept to myself. And one thing… that program has taught me is how to be confident in myself and also how to be a leader in any aspect of my life. Confidence and leadership are two things I really value in life and I think everyone should be exposed to that and be able to work well with others,” Raina said.

Being a cadet offers many perks, she added.

“This summer I attended a power pilot course where I got to fly for seven weeks and I got to get a lot of hours of flying in to get my license,” she explained.

There are 238 cadet squadrons across Ontario with around 15,000 youth participating each year.

Offered by the Canadian Armed Forces, Cadets offer programming across Canada for the three mili tary branches. According to Tom McNeil, executive director of the Ontario Provincial Committee of Air Cadet League of Canada, the program provides a development opportunity to youth, with out any obligation to the armed forces.

Waterloo Region is also home to other Cadet groups, including 822 Tutor Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets based at the airport in Breslau and 530 “HAVOC” Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron.

“It really is about devel oping, helping them make a successful transition to adulthood and helping them be successful in what ever endeavour they might choose to take on in the future, ” McNeil said.

As a visible minority, Raina said the cadet program is one place she “can feel good in her skin.”

“My officers understand everything that I’ve gone through and they’ve helped me out. So I just wanted to let everyone know that because it’s something that a lot of youth struggle with, and cadets is a safe space. I’ve definitely been able to be more than just my skin

colour, be more than just my gender in the cadet program,” she said.

McNeil also highlighted the responsibilities that the older cadets are given in the program.

“Our 16-, 17- and 18-yearold cadets are really deliv ering the program under adult supervision to the younger cadets....So cadets learn to instruct others they certainly learn public speaking [and] they learn leadership skills,” he said.

To kick off Cadet Week, Raina attended a celebra tion at Queen’s Park last Saturday where she got to escort the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Eliza beth Dowdeswell.

“That is something that you get to experience only in the cadet program,” Raina said.

For Raina, Cadet week is “finally getting the word out there” about the program.

“I think that I’ve had the opportunity of being able to be in cadets, so I think every young person should know about it so that they can give it a try,” she said.

As there has been a dip in recruitment during the pandemic, this week is an opportunity to attract more young people to the program, McNeil said.

“We kept most of our cadets that were partici pating with us prior to the pandemic, but it was diffi cult to attract new cadets in the pandemic period, but that seems to be changing now.”

POLICE: Looking into possible shifts in youth violence

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can try to prevent it from happening again in the future,” said Johnson.

The ages of the youth involved was early teens and both groups were a mix of males and females. Besides the bear spray, no other weapons are known to have been used that night, he said.

In March, local news outlets reported a rise in youth gang violence in the region since the fall of 2020, which was attributed to former police chief Bryan Larkin, though overall incidents of youth violence have remained the same.

Whether Wednesday’s incidents were connected to overall gang violence increase is unclear, said Johnson.

“Completely fair question. I don’t want to speculate at this point in time, just because we don’t necessarily know what might have caused this. So that will require further

investigation. It’s too early to speculate.”

The most recent youth violence report was on Sunday morning at Fischer-Hallman Road and University Avenue West in Waterloo.

Johnson says the Water loo Regional Police Service has a strong presence in Elmira.

“We do have dedicated officers that service our townships, as well as offi cers throughout the city. With incidents like this, we will always dispatch as many resources as required just to ensure the safety of all the residents in the area.”

People commented about the incident on Facebook.

“What we need is some thing that the kids can do besides roaming the streets looking for trou ble,” said Bruce Fawcett on the Elmira general help and discussion group on Facebook.

“What’s to tell. A bunch

of punks [whose] parents refuse to parent, wreaked havoc on a small town. When you have parents who think their job is to be ‘friends’ with their kids, you will get kids who have no respect for others,” said Lori Lee on the same group.

Police are seeking more information from the community.

“We do believe that this happened in residential areas, in areas where there were businesses as well. So we are asking people to review if they have door bell cameras or surveil lance cameras at their residences or perhaps even dash camera footage from vehicles, to just review it and take a look and if they do see or observe anything that we’ve described, to let our investigators know,” said Johnson.

Anyone with informa tion is requested to contact Waterloo Regional Police at 519-570-9777 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Community Information Page

Continued from previous page

To register please:

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

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

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

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

After Hours Emergency: 519-575-4400 www.woolwich.ca

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

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

WHY REGISTER

By registering staff can ensure that you are permitted access to the virtual meeting, we know which application you are commenting on and, can call on you at the appropriate time to comment if you wish to do so. As it is virtual, registering will provide a level of security that is necessary to prevent meeting disruptions.

SUBMITTING COMMENTS AND REQUESTING NOTIFICATION

You can express your concerns/ comments about the proposed changes in writing to the Township of Woolwich. Any comments received on or before Thursday October 20, 2022 (Note that this date is before the public meeting) will be included in a report prepared by Development Services and presented at the Public Meeting. Any comments received after the Public Meeting, but prior to Council making a decision on the applications, will be considered.

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

Should you wish to be notified of future meetings and reports regarding the Zone Change application please:

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

• email your request noting that you wish to be kept informed to planning@woolwich.ca

If Council approves the change, a notice will be mailed to you explaining the By-law and Official Plan Amendment.

MORE INFORMATION

Additional information related to these applications can be viewed or obtained as follows:

View / print the information from the Township webpage at www.woolwich.ca

- Select Ongoing Planning Items on the home page / select the Zoning and / or Official Plan Amendments folder, select the folder titled:

• Memorial Ave Properties Inc., 9 Memoria Avenue, Elmira; or

• Trinity United Church, 21 Arthur Street North and 4 Cross Street, Elmira.

Schedule an appointment to view the documents at the Township Administration building located at 24 Church Street West, Elmira weekdays between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. To schedule an appointment please call 519-669-6040 or email planning@woolwich.ca

Dated at the Township of Woolwich this 6th day of October 2022.

Taste the Countryside event kicks off today in region

try something new and be involved in the commu nity,” he said.

LOCAL CELEBRITY

CHEF BRUCE DUFF of Riversong Café is among those participating in this year’s Taste the Coun tryside event, a 10-day celebration of food and drink in the region’s town ships that kicks off today (October 6).

Participating restau rants from across the townships put together a prix fixe menu reflecting the local produce and products in their area, Duff’s included.

“We’ve done it already for the last two years and it’s always been success ful. Initially did it just to

This year the food tour’s theme is on “supporting local through the celebra tion of the fall harvest and togetherness after being distanced for two years,” says the Explore Waterloo Region website.

Duff says he is looking forward to seeing people in person this year, as the Taste the Countryside has been more of a takeout event in the last two years.

Duff’s mouthwatering menu includes butternut squash soup infused with local maple syrup, roasted veggie and Woolwich goat cheese pizza, ground turkey burger sourced

from Hilltop Acres, and for dessert, maple sugar pie or Block Three chocolate porter ganache cake.

Other participating restaurants in Woolwich and Wellesley townships include the Kitchen Kuttings café, Eco Café, the Tasting House, Rural Roots Brewery, Those Pizza Guys, the Hungarian Canadian club, Jacob’s Grill, Crowsfoot Smoke haus and the Village Biergarten.

Duff said he hopes many people will take up the opportunity to explore the region and support local restaurants.

“Come out and enjoy our food, great personality and beautiful grounds.”

One year of credit

Of added concern was the breach providing access to students’ Ontario education number.

“The Ontario educa tion number is a number provided to individual students. It is only used to identify students during their time in school from kindergarten through Grade 12. This is not connected to any finan cial information or other government identification. This is not used for identity theft,” said Dougan-McK enzie.

The attack has prompted changes at the board.

“Going forward, we are taking a number of additional measures to strengthen our systems. Working in collaboration with our internal IT team

and external IT experts, we are continuing to invest in leading edge technologies to protect our systems and data from ever-growing cybersecurity threats,” said Dougan-McKenzie.

People reacted nega tively to the school board’s announcement of the further details of the attack.

“This is wrong that the onus is on students and their parents to contact TransUnion to find out if their information has been compromised. For shame! WRDSB should be contact ing the affected students directly!” said Melanie Eh on Facebook.

“There needs to be more than one year of credit monitoring. I can tell you that with the infor mation that was stolen

and the current age of those students and some patience and skill, a great deal of financial damage can happen in 4-7 years.

Should be a minimum of 10 years monitoring,” said @Sandiemcg on Twitter.

“I monitor my own credit as it is, but also what’s a hacker gonna do with my old OEN number? I guess if you’re one of those people who never changes passwords and stuff it might be bad,” said Gabrial Klatecki on Facebook.

Besides former students’ information, the cyber attackers also accessed the names, birthdates, bank ing information and social insurance numbers of current and past employ ees back to 1970. Payment history to 2012 was also accessed.

Notice of Public Meeting

Monday, October 31st, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Township Administration Offices and Remotely via Zoom 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 By-law 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 October 31st, 2022.

If you cannot attend the meeting, you can express your concerns/comments about the proposed changes in writing to the Chief Building Official on or before October 21st, 2022

Questions or written submissions may be directed to: Township of Woolwich Chief Building Official Building Division 24 Church Street West PO Box 158 Elmira, Ontario N3B 2Z6

Telephone: 519-669-1647 / 519-669-6036 or email: dheuchert@woolwich.ca Dated at the Township of Woolwich this 3rd day of October 2022.

Notice to Electors in The Region of Waterloo Municipal Elections –Monday, October 24,

Office for Which Vote to be Held Number to be Elected

Regional Chair

Regional Councillor – Cambridge Regional Councillor – Kitchener

Regional Councillor - Waterloo

For more election information, visit wrvotes.com or contact your area municipality.

Area Municipality

City of Cambridge

City of Kitchener

Township of North Dumfries

City of Waterloo

Township of Wellesley

Township of Wilmot

Township of Woolwich

Will Short, Regional Clerk

Region of Waterloo

Website Clerk’s Office

www.cambridge.ca/elections www.kitchener.ca/election northdumfries.ca/en/townshipservices/municipal-elections.aspx

www.waterloo.ca/elections www.wellesley.ca/election www.wilmot.ca/election

519-623-1340 ext. 4585

519-741-2200 ext. 2345 519-632-8800 ext. 122

519-747-8704

519-699-3946 519-634-8444 ext. 9230 519-669-6000

150 Frederick Street, Kitchener, ON N2G 4J8 519-575-4400

regionalclerk@regionofwaterloo.ca

Leah Gerber

Thanks to all those who supported the

Waterloo Regional Police warn of employment scams after incident reported

Waterloo Regional Police are investigating an employment fraud after a victim lost $3,000 to fraudsters.

On September 28, police were called regarding a complaint that two individuals had posed as hiring manag ers for a learning centre in Kitchener.

The victim was advised that they were hired for employment and asked to cash a cheque via mobile deposit for work equipment. The victim was then instructed to send an e-transfer of the outstanding funds back to the subjects.

If you have been a victim of a scam and suffered a financial loss or believe your personal information was used without your knowledge, police advise you to

SEPTEMBER 25

11 : 15 PM | Welling ton County OPP were conducting a Reduce Impaired Driving Anywhere (RIDE) check on Wellington Road 18, west of Fergus when the driver of a white SUV entered the queue. As a result of the investi gation, a 42-year-old Fergus man was charged with ‘impaired operation - 80 plus (mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood).’ The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice - Guelph, at a later date.

SEPTEMBER 29

1 : 30 AM | Wellington County OPP responded to a serious single-ve hicle collision on Elora Street North, in Alma. Initial reports indicated that a red van had struck a pole and the driver had fled the scene on foot. Emergency services responded but could not locate the driver. It is possible that the driver had suffered injuries. The roadway remained closed for the ongoing investiga tion and the whereabouts and identity of the driver is still unknown. Police are asking anyone that may have witnessed this collision or know anything about it to call OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

7 : 01 PM | Waterloo Regional Police received a report of a collision in the

report the incident online at wrps.on.ca. or by call ing 519-570-9777.

If you have responded to a similar ad but did not experience a finan cial loss, please get in touch with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit the Anti-Fraud Centre website.

Sarah Moyer – $400 Cash (Catholic Women’s League)

• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Research the company name with the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed.

Bill Strauss – $350 (Knights of Columbus)

To avoid employment scams, police advise:

Joyce Zinger – Alpine Wool Rug (Ken & Sheila Kurtz)

• Never send money for an employment opportunity or to an individual you have not met in person.

Helen Mank – Twin Sister Sue Hand-Quilted Quilt (Joanne Colombo)

• Follow your instincts. If some thing seems off about a job post ing, trust your instincts.

Rosemary McCormick – 3 in 1 Bagless/-

Cordless Stick Vacuum (Elmira Vacuum & Electrical)

• Never send funds from a cheque deposited into your account until it officially clears. Note this can take weeks and can be verified directly through your bank.

area of Arthur and First streets in Elmira. A vehi cle was travelling north on Arthur Street when it was struck from behind by another vehicle travelling in the same direction. As a result of the investigation, a 24-year-old male driver was charged with ‘care less driving.’

SEPTEMBER 30

10:15 PM | A 24-year-old Elmira man faces charges after being stopped in a stolen vehicle by Perth County OPP. The off-road vehicle was stopped on Line 87 in North Perth, with a vehicle check revealing it had been stolen and the operator was a suspended driver. The man was arrested and charged with ‘possession property obtained by crime over $5,000,’ ‘driv ing while under suspen sion,’ ‘ no ORV permit’ and ‘operate a motor vehicle without insurance.’ The accused was released and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford at a later date to answer to the charges. Anyone with information regard ing this or any incident is asked to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or online at www.opp.ca/reporting. Should you wish to remain anonymous you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-8477 (TIPS) or leave an anonymous online message at www.P3tips. com where you may be eligible to receive a cash

• Do not provide personal infor mation (e.g. SIN, passport number, credit card numbers, or bank ing information) to anyone via email or over the phone unless you can verify the recipient and confirm the ad’s legitimacy.

reward of up to $2,000.

OCTOBER 1

7 : 25 AM | Police received a report of a two-vehicle collision in Breslau. Two vehicles were heading north on Fountain Street North near Menno Street when a wild animal ran out in front of the first vehicle, which braked to avoid a colli sion with the animal. The second vehicle travelling behind the first collided with the rear of the first vehicle. There were no injuries as a result of this collision. The driver of the second vehicle was charged with ‘following too closely.’

OCTOBER 2

12 : 18 PM | Waterloo

Regional Police received a report of a two-vehi cle collision in Welles ley Township. A white Mazda was travelling west on Deborah Glaister Line while a grey Mazda was travelling south on Manser Road. The grey Mazda came to a stop at a stop sign where the roads intersected and then proceeded through the intersection, where it was struck by the white Mazda. The white Mazda sustained severe front-end damage. The driver of the grey Mazda, a 39-year-old woman from Caledon East, was charged with ‘failing to yield the right of way to traffic in an intersection.’

Sarah Moyer – Airstream Upright Bagged

Vacuum (Elmira Vacuum & Electrical)

Maureen Rodrigue - $350 Cash

(Knights of Columbus 8192)

Richard Woroch - $300 Cash

(St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Women’s League)

Janet Beisel – Queen Sized Tied Quilt

(The Ditner’s)

Carrie Kurtz – Solid Cherry Wood Bookshelf (Iris & Adrian Miltenburg)

Tony Al - $150 Cash (Dreisinger Funeral Home Ltd.)

Tracy Kroetsch - $150 Cash (Resurfice Corp.)

Angela & Barry Ivo - $100 Cash (Stirling Doors)

The winner of the 50/50 draw was John Bruder.

Brian’s Foto Source

Dreisinger Funeral Home Ltd.

Elmira Golf Club

Elmira Vacuum & Electrical

Frey’s Flowers

Good Auto Parts

Iris & Adrian Miltenburg

Kindred Credit Union

Knights of Columbus – Council 8192

O & V Tasting Room

Premier Equipment Ltd.

Resurfice Corp.

Schelters Stockroom Supply Co.

St. Teresa of Avila C.W.L. Stirling Doors

The Ditner’s W.C. Brown & Sons

Living on the family farm I grew up on, I consider myself lucky to be a lifelong resident of Ward 2, Woolwich Township. My business is located in the Township, my children attend school in the Township, it is very much home.

That means it’s important to me that we have a strong, local government that is engaged on local issues.

Speak up at the Region and to the province on our local needs

Question and prioritize our spending to ensure we make our budget stretch

A planning process that takes future needs into account and listens to our community

My time on the Board at Ontario Pork and 4 years as Chair provides me with the experience of working with a Council and with Staff to achieve the best outcomes. I’ve learnt that challenging ideas in a positive manner leads to better decisions.

There is an opportunity to talk about Woolwich with the Region, and with Provincial Ministers, to share our story and offer solutions on local issues. We need to be heard.

As a parent, as a Woolwich Wild hockey coach, and as a Board member/Chair of various organizations, I have learnt that building relationships takes time and effort. It’s about listening first, and asking questions to understand. The next step is a genuine conversation to share ideas and work collaboratively together.

My commitment is to be engaged. I want to work for you, for Woolwich, as Councillor in Ward 2.

COUNCILLOR,

Iran continues to prove itself an international pariah

Already subject to a long list of sanctions by Canada, Iran had another batch of measures applied this week as Ottawa reacted to the detention and killing on September 23 of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman who died while in custody of Iran’s morality police.

The federal government this week amended the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations to list an additional 25 individuals and nine entities in relation to Iran’s gross and systematic violations of human rights and/or Iran’s ongoing grave breach of international peace and security.

The government says Amini’s death was a direct result of the systemic harassment and repression that women face in Iran, condemning Iran’s violent crackdown against civilian protestors and its use of force against its own citizens.

The death of the 22-year-old woman at the hands of the morality police – she was detained for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly – sparked widespread internal protests and another round of international condemnation.

Iran is no stranger to being a pariah, a status that predates even its membership in George W. Bush’s axis of evil.

In addition to its egregious behaviour at home, Iran’s actions abroad, including weapons proliferation and malicious cyber activity, continue to threaten international peace and security and demonstrate the country’s complete disregard for the rulesbased international system. Iran continues to use state-sponsored disinformation to spread false narratives that attempt to justify its policies.

Its pursuit of nuclear technology alone has been the subject of international sanctions for the past 15 years.

From the recent crackdown and killing of protesters, to the seizure of British hostages and the murder of a Canadian journalist in 2003, Iran’s militant rulers have won themselves few friends in the world.

The sanctions have been less than fully effective over the years, mainly because they haven’t blocked oil exports, worth an estimated $25 billion in revenue in 2021. Therein lies the issue that arises in any discussion about the region: oil. We might not care for the people we get it from, but we want it nonetheless.

So far, concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions play second fiddle to the flow of oil, particularly to China and Russia, both of which have veto power at the UN Security Council.

The US, too, has much at stake in the region. More hawkish in their approach, though less so under Joe Biden than the chaotic approach taken by the former administration, the Americans are proceeding warily nonetheless.

In Canada, the killing of Amini is reminiscent of the fate of Montreal journalist Zahra Kazemi, beaten to death while held by police in Iran. Equally troubling is the fact Kazemi was acting as freelance photographer, chronicling for the media the story of political prisoners in a fundamentalist country. Her death, the result of an assault by government officials, was clearly an attack on freedom of the press and an effort to squelch a true record of internal problems – stifled by outmoded clerics, some residents in Iran, particularly students, have been protesting the current regime.

Most troubling – and at the heart of Western distrust of governments such as the one in Iran – is the fundamental union of church and state. To varying extents, Western democracies adhere to some method of separation of the two. Not just dictatorial, not just antidemocratic, and not just paternalistic – our governments routinely have few problems dealing with such undesirable traits – Iran is run based on religion – a religion that prompts extreme behaviour from some of its followers. That kind of ideological fervour – the sort that drives adherents to carry out suicide missions – quite frankly scares those in the West.

As long as incidents such as Amini’s arrest death occur, the divide in values – and the mistrust – between Islamic states and the West will continue.

The human speed limit is naturally slow

I’m writing this on a plane to Greenland – well, actually, on a plane to Denmark, because there’s no way to get to Greenland by a civilian airline without going through Copenhagen first – and it has occurred to me (not for the first time) to wonder where everybody else is.

My wife and I are on our way to shoot a documentary film about a handful of scientists who have an idea to slow the speed at which glaciers are sliding into the sea. If it works, it would drastically lower the predicted level of sea level rise.

As the warming proceeds and the world’s remaining ice melts, sea level rise is going to become a grave problem for every country with a coastline, so you’d think there would be legions of people working it. There are not.

Worldwide there may be a thousand scientists working on the ‘cryosphere,’ the frozen parts of the planet, but their energies are divided among many different aspects of climate change: thawing permafrost releasing megatonnes of methane; loss of sea ice cover on the Arctic Ocean, why the Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, etc.

How many people are working specifically on accelerating

GWYNNE DYER

glacial flows? Maybe a hundred full-time scientists, if you’re feeling optimistic.

What holds glaciers back is the friction between the ice and the bottom. Warmer ocean currents are eating away at the base of the glaciers and effectively detaching them from the bottom, i.e. taking the brakes off.

The official Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecasts no more than one metre of sea level rise by 2100. Many scientists think two metres is more likely, given predictable further warming even with rapid cuts to emissions. And if the entire, quite unstable West Antarctic Ice Sheet starts to slide into the sea, four metres by 2100.

A two-metre sea level rise would flood land that is home to a quarter-billion people: in Asia, goodbye to Shanghai, Bangkok and Calcutta; in the US, farewell to Miami and New Orleans. At four metres, at least a billion people would be looking for new homes – and they wouldn’t be in the mood to take no for an answer.

So this plane, and lots of others heading to the polar

regions, should be full of climate scientists looking for ways to slow down the glaciers and the consequent sea level rise. We’re already locked into far too much warming, and just cutting emissions is not enough.

However, there are just five scientists and engineers on this trip: an American, two Canadians, a Brit (who’s normally based at a Chinese university) and a Finn. They have a really promising idea for slowing down the glaciers and reducing the speed of sea level rise, but there should be 10 or 30 or 50 teams working on promising ideas.

I’ll get into what their specific idea is next week, after everybody has a better feel for how the proposal will be met, but my point right now is how pathetically few they are. Not only that, but they are all self-financing (although some of their universities are helping with the travel). This is hardly an adequate response to the threat.

Consider, for a moment, the ‘Manhattan Project,’ which employed 130,000 people in 1942-45 to build the first atomic bombs. It cost about $23 billion in today’s money, but nobody objected because they were afraid that the

When local news matters ... ... it matters where you get your local news. Connect: observerxtra.com/staff

“Food price inflation has led general inflation for decades, with the average grocery bill rising an astounding 70% in the past 20 years. At the root of this problem is corporate concentration. The few companies that control much of the Canadian market have taken advantage, leading to record profits.” CLC president Bea Bruske on current food inflation being part of a long-time trend.

Half of Canadians think a moderate amount of progress has been made* regarding reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous Peoples; 72% of Canadians say they are more aware of the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada than they were 4 or 5 years ago.

poll

ANALYSIS OF CURRENT WORLD EVENTS

Global Outlook on World Affairs

Debt loads remain a growing concern, especially for younger Canadians

The economic down turn that followed the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic and resultant efforts to curb the spread of the virus have had an unequal impact on Cana dians.

Those with precari ous service-sector jobs, already among the most vulnerable, have been unemployed or under employed for much of the past year. Those who’ve kept their jobs have in many ways been better off – studies show those working from home saved a collective $200 billion due to cutting expenses on travel, commuting, child care and the like.

And then there was the boom in the stock market and real estate, both some what tempered now due to international events and rising interest rates. By most standards, the shifts disproportionately benefitted those already better off.

In that regard, what’s going on today is emblem atic of longstanding ineq uities in the economy.

Those disparities are also reflected in the latest MNP Consumer Debt Index released last week.

The survey finds this year’s consecutive interest rate hikes and persistent inflation are hitting Canadians in their wallets.

Conducted quarterly by Ipsos on behalf of insol vency firm MNP Ltd., the latest report finds that, with the cost of living soaring, more Canadians say life’s necessities are becoming less affordable. Compared to December 2021, significantly more say it is becoming less affordable to feed them selves and their family (52 per cent, up five points), put money aside for savings (49 per cent, up give points), pay for trans portation (45 per cent, up nine points), pay for cloth

ing or other household necessities (45 per cent, up five points) and pay for housing (37 per cent, up two percentage points).

“Canadians are putting more of their paycheques towards paying for basic necessities as the cost of living rises, which in turn is leaving less of a finan cial buffer to manage the impacts of current and potential future interest rate hikes,” says Grant Bazian, president of MNP Ltd.

While fewer Canadians find themselves closer to insolvency than last quarter (down six percent age points to 46 per cent) – meaning they are $200 away or less from not being able to meet all of their financial obligations – the average Canadian

has less money overall to spend at month-end as they pay more for life’s necessities.

The amount the average Canadian has left over at month-end continues to drop, decreasing $37 from the previous quarter to $654. Younger Canadians are being hit particu larly hard; those aged 18-34 noticed the largest decrease in their average month-end finances, which dropped by $273 to $606.

“We are seeing a modest improvement in the number of Canadians who are at risk of insol vency since last quarter, however, it is important to note that nearly half of Canadians are still just $200 away from not being able to cover their bills and debt obligations. With less overall room in their budgets, any future increases to interest rates or the prices of everyday

items could push individ uals closer to insolvency,” says Bazian. “Younger Canadians are feeling the squeeze of inflation more than the rest, and will be more vulnerable to economic changes as a result.”

The mounting debt is nothing new, albeit more focused just now. In decline for decades, our standard of living has been propped up by massive amounts of borrowing –i.e. smoke and mirrors. Long gone are the days when rising productivity in the economy was shared among pretty much every one – that was when the “rising tide lifts all boats” arguments still held water – replaced by most of the benefits going to the few.

While it’s true we have much more stuff than was the case in the more-pros perous postwar years, that’s an illusion brought on by there simply being

more stuff to have. And readily available credit to buy it, and buy it now, patience no longer being a collective virtue.

That it’s an illusion is clear in the numbers.

Average incomes have been more or less stag nant for some 40 years. Debt levels, however, have exploded. Quarter after quarter, we hit new levels of indebtedness, both total household debt (which includes mortgages on increasingly out-of-reach homes) and consumer debt (i.e. credit cards, lines of credit

Pandemic times notwithstanding, borrow ing up, savings down – the trend isn’t new. Most alarmingly, we’re borrow ing for everyday expenses – unable to pay the bills –not just for big-ticket items or even trinkets. Likewise, we’re raiding what savings we do have to cover day-to-day expenses.

Fuelled by more than our consumer society’s lust for trinkets, the debt load is increasingly tied to everyday purchases as we try to deal with our sinking standard of living.

Studies have repeat edly indicated a trend, with more than half of indebted Canadians are borrowing just to afford daily expenses like food, housing and transpor tation. For these people, there is little hope for improved financial condition. Single-parent families, retired Canadi ans, and those with annual household income of less than $50,000 face a bleak financial situation.

This is no accident, however, as the middle class has been under assault for ages.

Studies in Canada and the US show parents today are increasingly convinced their children will be less well off than they were. The figures back up that sentiment, as the great prosperity that flowed out of the postwar years in particular succumbs to constant attack.

The majority of us have seen real incomes decline. The gap between rich and poor is growing, even during the best of economic conditions.

Canada’s richest one per cent are taking more of the gains from economic growth than ever before in recorded history.

The 1%ers have become the rallying point for a renewed look at inequali ties and inequities in our economic system. Little wonder, as from the begin ning of the Second World War to 1977, the income share of the richest one per cent dropped from 14 per cent to 7.7 per cent; by 2007 they’d made a come back, as the richest one per cent held 13.8 per cent of incomes; since the late

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Before

on the calendar as the other Monday of note.

The first Thanksgiving menu included oysters, lobster, eel and fish. Not turkey.

Butterball Turkey have trained turkey experts who answer more than 100,000 turkeyrelated questions each holiday season.

Richard Nixon was the first President who did not pardon his ceremonial turkey and ate it for Thanksgiving dinner.

ↆ LAST WEEK:

Truth: Now an adult, Phyllis Webstad still remembers the new orange shirt that her grandmother bought for her when she was six years old. She wore it proudly on her first day at a church-run residential school in Williams Lake, B.C. But then school authorities stripped her of her clothes, cut her hair and took her shirt away. She never got it back.

Truth: 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children who attended Indian residential schools in Canada between the late 1800s and 1996. It is estimated that between four and six thousand children died at residential schools.

Lie: There are no promotions that this American franchise supports Every Child Matters. You can find official Orange Shirt Day suppliers that donate back on orangeshirtday.org

You can play online by reading any online post at www.observerxtra. com. Vote for the lie and be notified if you are correct immediately.

Germans might get The Bomb first. (In fact, the Germans weren’t even trying.)

Global warming is at least as big a threat as a few first-generation nuclear weapons in Nazi hands – far bigger, I’d say – so why is the response so muted? Can’t people see that climate change is an existential threat that would justify dozens of

ELECTION: Voters head to the polls Oct. 24

→ FROM 5

the form of property taxes.”

Bolger pointed to the Canadian Charter of Rights as one of his main focuses.

“The Charter of Rights and Freedoms are for every citizen and landed immigrant in Canada, no matter where you live, no matter what your orien tation, no matter your faith, no matter whatever. Everyone is entitled to whatever that charter says.”

Murray Martin did not respond to requests for an interview.

Manhattan-scale crash projects to curb the warm ing?

No, they can’t, and I suspect our ancestors are to blame. All our ancestors were hunter-gatherers for at least 98 per cent of human history, and hunt er-gatherers lived in the short term.

They could react very fast to immediate and visible threats, but they could do nothing about

longer-term challenges like changes in the climate or in animal migration routes, so they didn’t waste time worrying about them. We are their descendants, and that’s our default mode too.

What I’m suggest ing, I’m afraid, is that there may be a sort of species-specific speed limit on how fast human societies can respond even to very big threats

if they are slow-moving, impersonal and invisible.

The Manhattan Project people were in the middle of a war against human enemies; we are not.

If there is such a speed limit, does that mean we are doomed? Who knows? How fast is fast enough? But the graduate schools are now full of people studying climate science, and despair is not a useful option.

KANNON: Growing debt loads are purely intentional

1970s, the richest one per cent has almost doubled its share of total income; the richest 0.1 per cent has almost tripled its share of total income; and the rich est 0.01 per cent has more than quintupled its share of income.

The average earnings of the richest 10 per cent of Canada’s families raising children are now 82 times that earned by the poorest 10 per cent of families. That is approaching triple the ratio of 1976, when the ratio was around 31 times. The after-tax income gap has never been this high in at least 30 years, and it has been growing faster than ever since the late 1990s.

That trend has contin ued in earnest, as little was done to curb the excesses and outright criminality of the dereg ulation that spawned the 2008 global economic meltdown. The financial sector resumed business as usual, as seen by the large increase in the derivatives market – aka speculation. Instead of regulating the industry, eliminating some of the most egregious practices, governments in effect handed a blank cheque to those who caused the meltdown.

As with drops in corporate taxes and the growth of consumer taxes, the goal is to shift the

burden to you. This will continue transferring wealth to those already making the biggest gains while contributing to the debt loads of middleclass Canadians trying to maintain their position as real incomes – both preand after-tax – continue to fall.

Short of countering that trend, talk of help ing the middle class is just so much lip service. Perhaps the pandem ic-fuelled debt crisis –which includes massive amounts of government borrowing – will spark a real change, but that’s not something worth betting on, especially with borrowed money.

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Does our slow-to-change nature mean we’re doomed?

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Cheaters never win, especially if they’re unimaginative

Normally, fishing tournaments don’t make national and international headlines. But recently, a high-stakes walleye tournament did for all the wrong reasons. You see, the two winners were caught cheating.

To make a long story short, they stuffed the fish they brought to the weigh-in station with lead balls that weighed in total about seven pounds, along with fillets from lesser fish they had caught. All told, a 20-pound catch was transformed into a very suspicious 34-pound catch.

After the discovery, the anglers were quickly disqualified from winning the nearly US$30,000 prize. Now their previous successes, which were many, are also in question. Before I go on, let me just say this is an extremely rare thing in tournament fishing, and is not indicative of the sport or its participants.

It also makes me, and many other anglers, kind of sad to see that these two cheaters gave the sport a black eye with their wrong behaviour, which frankly wasn’t even required. They were set to win without cheating. This was disappointing on a number of levels. I mean, you’d think they would have found a better way to cheat.

Look, competitive angling has always been on the cutting edge of fishing. The skilled participants have led the

STEVE GALEA Not-So-Great Outdoorsman

way in the development of boat control and fishing techniques, lure design and modification, and the use of electronics, trolling motors and outboards. They’ve influenced boat, rod, hook, and reel design, as well as downriggers, fishing glasses, line, jig heads and countless other little things that we casual anglers now take for granted.

The point is a good competitive angler is creative, imaginative and a tinkerer who is always paying attention to detail and is always wondering how to do things even better.

But all those two clowns could come up with was lead balls and fish fillets.

So, yes, I’m disappointed they cheated. But I’m more disappointed that their cheating was so primitive. I mean anglers like me look up to those pros to pick up new techniques so we can win biggest fish bets with our angling buddies. Stuffing a fish with lead or other fish? Heck, I could have thought of that.

By this point, I would have hoped the cheating would have been a lot more sophisticated. What would have been wrong with feeding the fish one of those muffins my sister used to make when she was learning to bake? Those things weighed

A full-court press to encourage kids to have fun with basketball

Bill Atwood Observer Staff

A BASKETBALL LEAGUE IS RETURNING next year under a new name with a new coach at the helm, providing an outlet for kids looking to enjoy the fun of the sport.

Cassey Brubacher is picking up the mantle left by Paul McGinley, who ran the house-league Woolwich Cougars for 15 years. Now, the league will be known as the Woolwich Bulldogs.

“This is just strictly for fun – it’s just the house league. It’s just Saturdays out to Park Manor (PS), just focusing on the skills and development of young kids. Just for fun, at a much cheaper rate than what you get in the city.

“It’s kind of a more recreational activity outside the school system,” Brubacher explained.

The league for kids aged 6-14 will run on Saturdays from January 14 to May 6 of next year, with the hope of eventually running from September to April each year. While there will be some competitiveness to it, the focus will be developing skills and learning about the sport.

“I just think it’s great for

kids to come out. ... They meet a lot of new kids. It’s just another Saturday with some of their friends, too, learning about basketball, learning about the game, developing their skills,” said Brubacher, who played for Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantfords campus team.

The cost of the program

is $230 for registration, a jersey and a basketball. The first two weeks will focus on skill evolution after the kids will be divided into teams based on age and skill level. The sessions will include a 45-minute practice and a 45-minute game. Kids joining the league will have an opportunity to help foster the game in Elmira, Brubacher said.

“It’s not really known or growing in Elmira, so I’m trying to develop that a little bit more, make it more available to local families. I think, ultimately, basketball is one of the cheaper sports that you can run in a community. Hopefully that option provides an opportunity for families in the area to be able to put their kids into it.

To find more information or to register, visit www.woolwichbulldogs.ca.

Kings split a pair of weekend games

Steve Kannon Observer Staff

THE ELMIRA SUGAR KINGS SPLIT a pair of 4-2 decisions last weekend as they returned to Midwestern Conference play following a victorious jaunt to Niagara Region the week previous.

On the winning end of the 4-2 score September 30 in Stratford, the team fell by the same two-goal margin when Cambridge visited the WMC on Sunday.

Last Friday’s victory in Stratford began slowly for the Kings. In a scoreless first period, shots were just 5-4 for the visitors, and it was the Warriors who got

on the board first with two goals in the middle frame, including a shorthanded effort.

It wasn’t until well into the third that Elmira found its mojo. A power-play goal at 13:57 courtesy of Luke Della Croce, assisted by Joey Martin and Brock Reinhart, opened the floodgates. Less than four minutes later, the Kings tied it at 2-2 when Logan Crans (Jayden Lammel, Adam Grein) scored. The winning goal came at 19:02 off the stick of Grein, assisted by Madden MacDougall and Lammel. MacDougall rounded

later to make the final score 4-2. Assists went to Reinhart and Grein.

“Friday was the kind of a game where it looked like two teams who were somewhat familiar with each other, seeing how it was the third game against each other already, were feeling each other out a little bit. And then just when you thought it was getting too late, the guys turned it around in a heartbeat, and all of a sudden the emotions went from feeling bad to the ultimate high,” said head coach Rob Collins of the third-period comeback.

“The last seven minutes, there was a lot of fun to be

a part of our side,” he said, noting that may not have been the case on the Stratford bench.

“I imagine the other team had not only a frustrated locker room, but a frustrated coach’s office as well. I’m just glad we came around at the end of it, where they (the players) got to learn from a win versus learning from a loss.”

Shots were 23-18 in favour of the visitors.

Netminder Hayden Sabourin picked up the win, stopping 19 of the shots he faced. Stratford was 0-3 with the man advantage, while Elmira was 1-8.

The

Elmira native Garrett Rank is the latest honourary member of the Westmount Golf & Country Club, which bestows the title to individuals based on their athletic accomplishments. The 34-year-old joins 21 other individuals in this exclusive club that includes Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members Gary Cowan, Marlene Streit and Sandy Somerville.

EDSS girls strong on court Westmount honours Rank

Cassey Brubacher is the organizer of the Woolwich Bulldogs basketball league, which is planned for January. Submitted

WOOLWICH WILD

■ Bantam U15A

Sep/10/2022 vs SaugeenMaitland Lightning

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 6

GOALS: Peyton Gaudet

■ Bantam U15A

Sep/11/2022 vs SaugeenMaitland Lightning

HOME: 2 VISITOR: 2

GOALS: Emma Maric, Emily Hibbard

ASSISTS: Maddy Phillips, Addison Fitzgerald

■ Bantam U15A

Sep/10/2022 vs SaugeenMaitland Lightning

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 6

GOALS: Peyton Gaudet

■ Bantam U15A

Sep/23/2022 vs Cleveland Lady Barons

HOME: 1 VISITOR: 0

GOALS: Emma Maric

ASSISTS: Addison Fitzgerald Shutouts: Riley Nelson

■ Bantam U15A

Sep/23/2022 vs Trenton Blades

HOME: 4 VISITOR: 0

GOALS: Addison Birmingham, Addison Fitzgerald, Emily Hibbard, Maddy Phillips

ASSISTS: Emma Maric (2), Addison Bettke (2), Addison Fitzgerald Shutouts: Grace Breen

■ Bantam U15A

Sep/24/2022 vs Metro

Junior Jets

HOME: 2 VISITOR: 0

GOALS: Emma Maric, Addison Fitzgerald ASSISTS: Emily Hibbard,

Addison Fitzgerald Shutouts: Riley Nelson

■ Bantam U15A Sep/24/2022 vs Cazenovia

Lady Chiefs

HOME: 2 VISITOR: 3 GOALS: Peyton Gaudet, Sophie Lavallee ASSISTS: Leah Thompson, Brooke Kroetsch

■ Bantam U15A Oct/02/2022 vs Kitchener

Lady Rangers

HOME: 5 VISITOR: 1

GOALS: Addison Fitzgerald (2), Addison Bettke, Emma Maric, Maddy Phillips ASSISTS: Emma Maric, Meghan Bender, Addison Fitzgerald, Emma Huber, Peyton Gaudet, Addison Bettke, Emily Hibbard

three pounds each and would not have showed on a metal detector. Or why not just feed the fish a steady diet of junk food while they were in the live well? Combined with their sedentary life in confinement, this might have caused them to pack on the pounds in a way that was unnoticeable. Heck, why not use an elec-

tro-magnet to mess with the scale? Or just claim the fish were big-boned before people started to investigate why a fish seemed heavier than it was.

You see where I’m going with this, right?

I’m an amateur angler and even I could think of better ways to cheat in a tournament, Heck, if you got the guys I play euchre

with to think about it, the results would have been astounding.

In any case, those two yokels did not think they needed to up their cheating game. Even though there was a lot of money on the line.

Apparently, they thought they didn’t need brains to cheat in a professional tournament. Just lots of balls.

home& garden

Leading the way.

The battle over labelling alcohol resurfaces

Nearly 20 years ago, health advocates in the US – including four deans of colleges of public health – petitioned the federal government to improve labelling information on alcohol (for ingredients, calories and alcohol content).

Nothing happened with their petition.

So on Monday, a few weeks ahead of the celebratory US Thanksgiving, they sued to try to get some action.

Named in the suit was the US Department of Treasury, which needs every alcohol tax dollar it can lay its hands on, and US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.

The timing is not bad.

The better-labelling movement means business, and with President Joe Biden at the helm, it likely has the best chance yet of getting attention. Biden has turned his attention towards Americans’ health.

Most lately, the president chose to make many products easier to be labelled with a health claim.

OWEN ROBERTS

Food For Thought

Like Canadians, Americans don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. Nor do they consume enough dairy to meet their dietary needs. And the obesity crisis there is plowing ahead. The US is one of the world’s least healthy countries, with the 12th highest obesity rate of any nation, and No. 1 among developed countries. An estimated 33 per cent of the population is obese.

And that just doesn’t seem sustainable.

So Biden wants Americans to eat better, by making it easier for them to identify healthy commodities and products sporting labels that extol the products’ health and nutrition virtues.

Of course, the flipside is that products not labelled healthy will be second class. And who wants to feed that to their families?

So it’s a silent punishment for nutritional offenders.

The thinking is that side-

Getting crafty at the market

Elmira Farmers' Market adds Craft Fall Fair option into the mix as weekly venture

THIS PAST WEEKEND THE PEOPLE behind the Elmira Farmers’ Market started something new: they ran the first Craft Fall Fair at the market.

Upwards of 30 vendors came out to the market to sell their wares, said Amy Elliott, who sits on a committee to organize the event.

Each vendor brought a table and a canopy of their own, and secured their spot for $20. The types of work they sold included wood working, graphic design, resin creations, dog and pet products, jewelry, quilts and sewing, greeting cards and the like.

Elliott says the goal is for the event to happen every year.

“The farmers’ market has been in place for

Breast Cancer Awareness: Don’t be missed - get screened!

The Woolwich Community Health Centre knows that survival rates for breast cancer are associated with income – by encouraging women to access earlier screening, we can help to reduce this inequity.

• Regular breast cancer screening can find cancer when it is small and there is a better chance of treating it successfully.

• Women ages 50 to 74 have a lower risk of dying from breast cancer when they are screened regularly with mammograms.

Responding to COVID-19 has meant many interruptions to typical screening schedules - don’t hesitate to review with your primary care provider when you should be tested.

many, many years and we just think that the community needs to be reminded of the great opportunities they have to purchase great products locally,” she explained.

Elliott has been a craft vendor at the market for the past year, selling handmade greeting cards. Making the cards is a hobby that she turned into a business over the course of the pandemic. She says

a few of the craft vendors wanted to put a craft fair together, and they knew others who might be interested. The point would be to help local crafters become more familiar with and experience the market, and for the community to see all the neat items available.

Courtney Allen is another vendor at the market. Through her

College

Amy Elliott, who helped organize the new Craft Fall Fair, with some of her own handiwork.

Leah Gerber Leah Gerber Observer Staff

SOMETHING for EVERYONE

craft business, Ollie and Friends, Allen makes dog bandanas and accessories.

“We use fabrics and items from local busi nesses and try to remain as eco-friendly as possible,” she said.

Allan Martin, the market administrator, and his wife used to have a table selling baked and canned goods until 2017. Now he continues just with the administration. It’s a proj ect of passion for him.

The market began 20 years ago. He says its first location was in the parking lot where the credit union is now. Then, because they didn’t have insurance, they were asked to move. After that, they met in the Home Hardware parking lot for many years until 2021. Now, the market meets at 6 Arthur St. N.,

near the corner of William Street.

Over all the years the market community has persisted, Martin says the pandemic has been espe cially hard on the vendors.

“I already said last year to the vendors that were leaving us, ‘I don’t think it’s the time to give up.’ COVID was hard, not only on us the vendors at the farmers’ market, [it] was a nasty influence to every body on the face of the Earth. It was something that we all had to deal with whether we liked it or not. We have to deal with it. But I think, more and more people are coming out of the woods and are willing to move forward with life.

And that’s my prayer as the manager, that we can create an atmosphere at the farmers’ market that makes people feel

welcome, feel secure and safe.”

He also pointed out that dogs are welcome at the market, which he says is not common for most farmers’ markets.

Vendors sell locally

grown produce, baked goods, preserves, crafts, cotton candy, and a local food truck has started coming this year.

Martin said the craft fair was so successful, some of the new craft vendors

decided to continue for the rest of the season. They’ll be at the market, along with all the vendors the market has to offer, this Saturday starting at 8 a.m.

“So we’re really excited at this point. From this

point forward, we’re going to focus on trying to get our vendor count up, because the more people you have, for people to go around and look at their stuff, it makes it more interesting for the shop per, the more choices that they have.

“For me, the market was more than just a farmers’ market. It has turned into a passion for me to see this thing succeed, and do what it takes to make it succeed. And that’s still kind of where my heart is,” he said.

“We never want to be the St. Jacobs market, never, ever, but gaining a little momentum, having a few more vendors to make it more worthwhile, would definitely be our dream. But we’re never going to lose sight of that ‘we make it, we bake it, we grow it’ slogan.”

by-side product compar isons with clearer and more helpful labels will lead consumers to make healthier choices.

Where alcohol fits into the labelling argument is not complicated. Alco hol consumption that

goes beyond modera tion – which is popularly believed to be two drinks a day or 14 drinks a week –is increasingly implicated in health woes related to liver and heart disease, and cancer. In some cases, ingredients that could be allergenic to some people

are part of alcoholic drinks.

On the other hand, moderate alcohol consumption, particu larly red wine, is said to have some health bene fits.

But nothing works in a vacuum. Two drinks a

day, a sedentary lifestyle and a lousy diet is a recipe for disaster. So are no drinks a day, a sedentary lifestyle and a lousy diet.

That’s a big factor that makes labelling so controversial. Labelling can make individual commodities look like

they’re the ticket to better health. And really, they’re not. They’re helpful when part of a healthy lifestyle. But individually, they’re no panacea.

Few of us drink alcohol for its health benefits.

Similarly, are we counting calories when we imbibe,

like we will this Thanks giving weekend? Probably not.

But when the chips are down like they are for the health of US citizens, authorities are inclined to push back on all levels. And who can blame them? Nothing else is working.

Some of the offerings available from the craft vendors at the Elmira Farmers’ Market. Submitted

Read a local best seller

Getting Wiggly Classics, and then some

Classics

Peter

A chance to know Woolwich’s artistic community

KISSING BRIDGE

TRAIL STUDIO Tour is celebrating 20 years. The event puts the spotlight on artists in the township and their work.

Artists can show off their work in their studios, or also in more host spaces.

This year’s showcasing artists offer up a variety of mediums, including fibre art, painting, fine art photography and woodwork. The event runs October 22 and 23, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it’s free.

“To raise the visibility of arts and culture in any community is to sort of develop an identity of a community. It’s not only that art fills people with joy to view and to consume,  but I think that it describes a community. So by keeping this going, I think it’s been a very special treasure in that way of putting a lens on what it means to be Woolwich community, Woolwich Township, and the heritage of our area,” said Carolyn Parks, a St. Jacobs-based fibre artist.

Parks reflects on how far the event has come and

where it is heading into the future. “The challenge is to keep it vibrant and populated.”

The tour is not only a way for artists to sell and promote their art, but important for motivation and building community, she added.

The pandemic was particularly challenging for the tour, says Parks.

“You can lose [peoples’ interest] over a pandemic, right? I mean, if there’s three years where the tour is not happening, or for two years, where it’s not happening in person, I think that you can affect people’s motivation. But what we did during the pandemic was we kept it rolling – it was all virtual tour,” she said. They also had a few displays where people could view the art through a window.

Parks is a wool painter.

She creates art with wet felt including wall art or other items like table runners.

Melissa Passmore is one of the artists on the tour this year. She creates floral still life pieces with acrylics.

“I have always loved art, but began my current regular practice in 2018,”

Passmore said. She paints out of a home studio in Elmira and her work has been featured in galleries in Ontario, and is featured in private collections, she said. She is a registered respiratory therapist part-time, and an artist part-time as well.

“Promoting and supporting artists and businesses in our community is so important so that we can continue to have a vibrant and thriving area,” she said.

Gord Maier is another artist on this year’s tour.

He creates home décor items from reclaimed wine barrels. He makes pieces like lazy susans, clocks, candle holders and the like.

“I did participate once before, it was great, meeting loads of interesting people from near and far, all looking to support local artists,” he said.

Maier says he had a shed that held some supplies that burnt down in the spring. He is working on rebuilding it.

“There is very little that artists love more than

talking about their artwork and passions. There is so much behind the scenes about being an artist that is interesting and exciting. Visitors are able to view a wide variety of art subjects and mediums in one tour in comfortable and inviting spaces. We would love to see our community come out and support us and allow us to share our creative journeys,” said Passmore.

“I think if people take the time, they’ll be surprised at the quality of artists that we have in our township,” said

Maier.

To mark the special 20 year anniversary, this year the tour map itself is a piece of art, created by participating artist Della vanDokkumburg.

The final details of how the anniversary will be marked are still being determined, but Parks anticipates local bands playing at Rural Roots, one of the host locations, and Block Three will re-release the label they had partnered with the tour over a few years ago, and Neruda Arts in St. Jacobs will be hosting an event on Friday, said Parks.

Parks says she’s very excited about the arts community.

“I would really like to spotlight the various artists, because that’s what kind of makes it exciting is the diversity of people we have involved and the partners,” she said.

Parks adds that this event couldn’t happen and keep peoples’ interest if “we didn’t have artists that are offering something really high quality and unique and different every year.”

More information can be found online at www.kbtstudiotour.ca.

The Kissing Bridge Trail Studio Tour is celebrating its 20th year. The tour is self-guided and free. Woolwich Township is home to many highly skilled artists, and the tour allows for visitors to come into the artists’ studios or a host space, and talk directly to the creators. Melissa Kristensen-Smith, Frances Gregory, Julie Wemp, Kristin Moore, Carolyn Parks, Vickie Lawrence, Tami Martin and Ann Plotkin are some of the artists participating this year. Leah Gerber

Celebrating

the Kissing Bridge Trail Studio Tour set to resume as in-person event

Classifieds

Seven

One

Help Wanted

EXPERIENCED HOUSE

CLEANER W/REFERences for home in Heidelberg. bi-weekly. 519-699-5638.

MINI -VAN DRIVER

NEEDED-PART-TIME

suitable for retired person. Driving for mennonite communities - country drives. Dave-519-574-1489.

NOW HIRING AT SCHNURR'S GROCERY

Store in Linwood. Two to Three full days per week with additional hours available to work over the summer months. Note, we are closed Sundays. Call 519-897-2600.

Work Wanted

HARD WORKING

MALE WITH TRANSportation looking for full time work. Call Rob 519-591-6274.

NEED A RIDE? CALL GARY 519-577-1750

For Sale

COUNTRY LANE FABRICS FALL SALE.

October 3 - 22. 10% less on all fabrics, quilt and comforter batts, tableflex, gloves, hosiery, box cards, rubber stamps and accessories. Selected fabrics and small ware items at half price. 519-664-0701.

TREES & SHRUBS FORSALE. SHADE trees; apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry, apricot, nectarines; blueberries, aroniaberry, grapes, rhubarb, raspberries, etc; blue spruce, white spruce, Norway spruce & lots of nice cedars to make green fence hedges & windbreaks. Range 1-6 feet tall. Now is a good time to plant! Excellent quality plants. Stop in Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. at Martin's Nursery, c/o Emanuel E.M. Martin, 42661 Orangehill Rd., Wroxeter Ont. N0G 2X0. (1 km north of Wroxeter on Belmore Line).

For Sale

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

MATTRESS AND BOX SPRING, NEW, NEVER used, still in sealed bag. Sacrifice $195. Delivery available $35. 519-635-8737.

WHITE 7' X 16' CARGO TRAILER WITH V NOSE and roll up back door, 5200lb axles. $10,000. Call 519-669-9393.

Farm Services

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

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

Farm Services

SEED WHEAT AND FERTILIZER COMPETitive pricing. Rye seed, winter barley. Hard red wheat Pro 81, Lexington. Soft red wheats Marker, Branson, Cruze, Blaze, B654 and more. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-5744141 or 519-669-2045.

Wanted

STILL HERE BUYING ALL GOLD AND SILVER jewellery & watches, including Rolex, Tudor, Omega, IWC, Patek, Breitling, all high grade watches , all pocket watches, military items, toys, clocks, fountain pens, all coins and paper money. Fair honest prices. 40+ years in business. Call Terry @ 519-242-6900 or gallamore@golden. net. Call anytime. Prompt service.

Wanted

WANTED - DIE CAST

REPLICAS OF FARM equipment, industrial equipment and transport trucks. Any scale, any complete condition. Small or large lots. Call Dwayne 519-669-5500.

Rentals

1 BEDROOM SENIORS

APARTMENT, recently renovated, available immediately. No pets, no smoking. Call 519-570-6887.

Trades & Services

CUSTOM APPLE PRESSING & JUICE sales by appointment only. Cedar Ridge Pressing, Wesley Martin, 3175 Northfield Dr. Elmira, On. N3B 2Z1. 519-669-3541.

Coming Events

Help Wanted

AL-ANON FAMILY GROUP FOR FAMILY and friends of alcoholics will be meeting at Elmira Mennonite Church, 58 Church St. W., Wed. Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. Call Deborah for information. 519-669-5665.

CABINETMAKER / INSTALLER

Martin’s

MILLBANK - Looking to escape the big city for small town living? This charming recently updated, 3-bedroom 2-bathroom bungalow is exactly that and more. Located in the quaint town of Millbank, only 30 minutes from all the big city

that Waterloo or Stratford have to offer. You are welcomed through the front door into a bright living room that flows into the dining and kitchen area. From the dining area, slip out through the large sliding doors to your back deck, (complete with propane hook-up), relax and enjoy your large .3 acre corner lot with mature trees, ideal for family gatherings and summer BBQ’s. Or head out to the covered front porch, perfect for enjoying morning coffee or an evening beverage. Upstairs you will find three updated bedrooms and a newly refinished bathroom.

basement with a double door walkout and large windows provides an abundance of natural light, giving a main floor feel. The basement offers just as much as the main floor, rec room, workshop, 2 piece bathroom, laundry room, large cold room, bonus (play) room, loads of space for your family and guests to enjoy. You could easily convert this space into an in-law suite. Updates include, new

interior

insulated

Obituary

Adams, Jean Marie

Jean passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at A.R. Goudie Home, Kitchener, at the age of 97. She is fondly remembered by her sister-in-law Gabrielle (Gay) Adams (McConville). Loving aunt to her nieces and nephews Jane Mullin (Bill), Nancy Nugent (Kevin), John Adams (Angela), Paul Adams (Cleo), Mary Hutchings (Wally), Joan Hogen (Mike), and Glenn Adams (Clara). Jean was the last surviving member of her family. She was the beloved daughter of the late Frank and Mary (Gatschene) Adams. Predeceased by her brothers Ken Adams and George Adams, as well as her sister-in-law June Adams (LaFlamme). She was a longtime resident of Elmira, a faithful parishioner of St. Teresa of Avila RC Church, and a proud member of the Catholic Women’s League. Cremation has taken place. Jean’s family will celebrate her life with a memorial mass on Friday, October 21, 2022 at 11 a.m. at St. Teresa’s RC Church, 19 Flamingo Dr., Elmira. Interment will follow in St. Theresa’s RC Cemetery, RR 1, Elmira. As expressions of sympathy, donations to Grand River Regional Cancer Centre or St. Teresa’s Church would be appreciated and can be made through the funeral home.

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

KINGS: Quick rematch with Cambridge this weekend

It was a different story Sunday at the WMC, as the Kings were unable to mount a comeback as the visiting Cambridge Redhawks took a 2-0 lead.

Cambridge scored the lone goal of the opening period, then potted another midway through the second before the Kings made it a 2-1 game when Grein (Crans, Lammel) scored at 18:17. With just two seconds remaining in the frame, however, Cambridge took advantage of a power play to make it 3-1.

The Kings got within one again when Lammel scored at 17:03 of the third, assisted by Grein and Tanner McDonald, but the Redhawks would seal the win with a short handed empty-net goal with 34 seconds left in the game.

Cambridge outshot the home team 33-26, with goaltender Daniel Botelho stopping 29 in the loss. The Redhawks were 1-4 on the power play, while the Kings were 0-6.

“We kind of put ourselves in a simi lar predicament there on Sunday night, made a late push, but I would say the more mature group came out on top in that game,” said Collins. “I think their experi ence shone through a little bit in the game, but there were also points in the game where I thought we’re going to be compet itive against everyone because we believe Cambridge will be a really strong team this year.”

The Kings (3-4) will have a shot at some revenge this weekend when they travel to Cambridge for a rematch with the Redhawks (4-2-0-1) on Saturday night. There’s a quick turnaround, as they

Obituary

PREVENTION

Reidel, M. Jean

Peacefully passed away on Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at Freeport Health Centre at the age of 94 years. Loving sister of Joyce Lichty of Elmira and fondly remembered by her nieces and nephews and their families. Predeceased by her husband Ervin Reidel, her parents Hugh and Margaret (Mewhiney) Cunningham and her siblings Donald Cunningham, Marie Holman and June McLaughlin.

At Jean’s request cremation has taken place. There will be no funeral home visitation or funeral service. Interment will take place at a later date in St. James Lutheran Cemetery, Elmira. Arrangements entrusted to the Dreisinger Funeral Home, Elmira. ❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Bauman, Sonia

Peacefully passed away on Monday, October 3, 2022 at Hospice of Waterloo Region at the age of 63. Devoted wife and best friend of Tim Bauman for 36 years. Loving and caring mother of Jon and Danielle, Nic and Michelle, and Kristina Bauman. Doting grandma of Elise. Cherished sister of Kent and Aimee Martin of Hampton Bays, New York; Keith and Barb Martin of North Newton, Kansas; Sylvia and Nate Bartel of North Newton, Kansas; and sister-in-law of Rhoda Bauman. Will be missed by her many nieces, nephews and their families. Sonia was a dedicated nurse for many years. She was a longtime faithful member of St. Jacobs Mennonite Church. Predeceased by her parents Paul (1991) and Alice (Eichelberger) Martin (2002) and her in-laws Almon (June, 1990) and Ada Bauman (September 10, 2022). Visitation will take place on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the Dreisinger Funeral Home, 62 Arthur St. S., Elmira. A funeral service will be held at St. Jacobs Mennonite Church on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. followed by cremation. Donations to Hospice of Waterloo Region or Mennonite Central Committee would be appreciated and may be made through the funeral home.

welcome the Caledon Bombers (2-8) to the WMC for a Sunday afternoon matinee.

Game time is 2 p.m.

Collins said he likes the progress being made by the team at this point in the young season.

“If we’re being realistic and reasonable and, and doing real fair evaluating, we’re excited about where our group is right now, considering who we are facing and already competitive with.”

Fire

Open

&

The Smoke Alarm Program

The smoke alarm program is a free service provided by the Woolwich Fire Department, which will inspect the condition and location of residential smoke and CO alarms. Some things they will be looking for are that the smoke/CO alarms are not expired and are functioning correctly. They will also ensure that each home has the required alarms and they have been installed in the correct location. If our team identifies any concerns, the problem will be corrected up to and including installing a new smoke or CO alarm. If you do not wish to have our team install the alarms, they will be able to provide you with guidance on how to correct the issue. The teams will not sell any items or services; however, donations for the provided alarms will be accepted.

It is important to note that the smoke alarms supplied are battery-powered and do not replace the hardwired alarms and detectors. The battery units are suitable for use in addition to existing alarms. Still, a hardwired alarm can not be replaced with a battery one. Firefighters may recommend replacing hardwired alarms, which will be the homeowner’s responsibility to purchase and install.

When the Fire department arrives at your house, they will be in fire department uniforms and may be driving a marked fire department vehicle. If you are uncomfortable letting our firefighters enter your home, please feel free to decline the service, as it is not mandatory. Again, at no point will any firefighters be soliciting paid services or selling any items. Still, donations for the supplied alarms will be accepted if the homeowner offers.

Obituary

Mayville, Leah (nee Shantz)

Peacefully passed away on Monday, October 3, 2022 at Derbecker’s Heritage House, St. Jacobs at the age of 100. Dear mother of Menno and Barb Brubacher of Bamberg, Henry Brubacher of Kitchener, Levi and Wendy Brubacher of Cumberland Beach, Dan and Laurie Brubacher of Elmira and motherin-law of Allan Brubacher of Elmira. Lovingly remembered by her many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Fondly remembered by siblings Henry and Edna Shantz, Elias and Lileth Shantz, Katie Lavy, Daniel Shantz, Annie, Josiah and Aleda Shantz and sister-in-law Lorraine Shantz. Predeceased by her husband Amos Brubacher, parents Abram and Lovina (Martin) Shantz, daughters Melinda Brubacher, Annie Brubacher, daughter-in-law Audrey Blanchard, sisters Lovina (Sidney) Martin, Rebecca (David) Horst, brothers Abe (Jean), Sam (Gladys), Mose Shantz and sister-in-law Carol Shantz. Visitation will take place on Thursday, October 13, 2022 from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the Dreisinger Funeral Home, 62 Arthur St. S., Elmira. A funeral service will be held on Friday, October 14, 2022 at 11 a.m. in the funeral home chapel, followed by a reception. Interment in Memory Gardens, Breslau. A special thank you to all the staff at Derbecker’s Heritage House for the compassionate and excellent care shown to Leah. In memory of Leah, donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated and can be made through the funeral home.

www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Obituary

Schill, Ralph Sylvester

Passed away peacefully at St. Mary’s Hospital, Kitchener on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at the age of 91. Loved father of Julie and Albert Darnbrough of Plattsville, Steve Schill and Lorela Anota, and Frances Schill (the late Ronald Green). Dear grandfather of Joelle and Brandon Doherty, Jalyssa Duchaine and Henrique Dias, Jordan and Nicole Darnbrough, Brianna Darnbrough; Dana and Cory McMaster, Kandice Schill, Andrew Schill, Sundae and Kraemer Anota; Natalie Green, and seven great-grandchildren. Brother of Mary Schiebel and brother-in-law of Geraldine Schill, and Marg Schill. Predeceased by his parents Sylvester and Pricilla (Forester) Schill, his beloved wife for over sixty years Betty Schill, siblings Esther and Casey Sagan, Oscar Schill, Harold and Dorothy Schill, Rose and Werner Weickert, Betty and Gord Biggar, Lily and Jim Lippert, Ruth and Willy Lorch, Cos Schiebel, Clifford Schill, and Francis (in infancy). Ralph was an active member of St. Teresa’s RC Church, a member of Knights of Columbus and worked for many years at the St. Jacobs Arena, Gencor, and was a partner of Triple S Farms. The family wishes to thank the staff at St. Mary’s third floor cardiac care unit for their exceptional care. Funeral mass will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at St. Teresa of Avila RC Church, 19 Flamingo Dr., Elmira with cremation to follow. Interment will take place at a later date. As expressions of sympathy, donations to St. Mary’s Hospital FoundationCardiac Care Unit or St. Teresa’s RC Church would be appreciated and can be made through the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, plant a tree in Ralph’s memory.

❖ www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Obituary

Grainger, George

Peacefully, after a valiant struggle with multiple health challenges, George passed away at St. Mary’s Hospital on Tuesday, September 27, 2022 in his 81st year. Beloved and cherished husband of Helen Ann (Bowman) for 57 years. Inspirational father to his four sons and their wives Scott and Sue of West Montrose, Kent and Karen of Milton, Todd and Pat of Belle River, Glenn and Jillian of London. Proud granddad of Zach, Sarah Rose, Nadia, Jonathon, Connor, Riley; Ben, Andrew, Abby; Matthew, Jacob, Aliyah; Everton, Tennyson; and great-grandpa of Ava. Brother of Joan Davis and Jack Kennedy, Ron and Linda Grainger, Don and Fellé Grainger, Pat and Rob Reynolds. Brother-in-law of June Matson. George will be fondly remembered by his many nieces, nephews and their families. Predeceased by his parents Elmer and Laura (Hadley) Grainger, sisters and brothers-in-law Evelyn and David Wilson, Gordon and Doris Bowman, and Hilliard Matson. George was a dedicated employee in Human Resources at Owens Corning, Guelph and in retirement an enthusiastic caretaker of his Teeswater farm. George was a longtime and faithful member of the Waterloo Church of Christ. He was a man of integrity and had a unique ability to envision something new and useful from something old and discarded. He was always ready to help a friend or family member and was a pillar of strength in times of crisis. He delighted in his children’s and grandchildren’s accomplishments and they will always remember his wisdom and humour. The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Schwindt and the many other specialists George met along the way, as well as the palliative care team, Marney, and the staff at St. Mary’s Hospital, 6th floor. Visitation will be held on Friday, October 7, 2022 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 Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 11 a.m. at The Waterloo Church of Christ, 470 Glenelm Crescent, Waterloo. Reception will follow the service at the church. Graveside committal will be at 2:30 p.m. in Elmira Union Cemetery. The wearing of face masks is encouraged. In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations to the Arthritis Society of Canada (for Rheumatoid Arthritis Research), St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation, or the Richard Manuel Music Award at Western University.

Clemens, Sandra (Sandy) 1944 - 2022

Sandra Elizabeth Clemens (Strome) peacefully completed her earthly journey on Tuesday, September 20th, 2022 in the presence of her family and under the loving care of the wonderful staff and volunteers at Hospice Wellington, Guelph. Left to grieve are her husband of 51 years, Bill, son Lee, daughter-in-law Connie and their family. Sandra was predeceased by her parents, Clare and Joyce (Sippel) Strome, sister Marion Hinschberger, and stepfather Hillis Leslie. Sandy’s outgoing personality made her many friends in the community and she will be fondly remembered by all of them, but especially by those in her coffee, solo and bridge groups. Although she could be feisty at times, her ready smile and good sense of humour shone through 99% of the time. Her 12 year professional working career was spent as a well respected public school teacher in Kitchener and Elmira. Her “kids” as she always called them (now in their 60’s) tell us that although she ruled with a firm hand, she was always fair. Following her retirement from teaching, Sandra became a “stay at home mom” to Lee which also gave her time to volunteer with a number of charities. Sandra’s love of music led her to accept a temporary assignment of leading her church choir when the previous director retired. However, the temporary role became a labour of love which lasted over 30 years. Despite receiving a diagnosis of MS in 1991, Sandra managed to live a full and productive life until September 2021, after which her health steadily declined. Sandy, Bill, Lee and Connie owe a great debt of gratitude to Brenda Mathieu and Irene Janzen, and their team of “angels” who so lovingly provided Sandra with nursing care as well as ministering to her spiritual needs during the last year when she was confined to her home. They went the extra mile to keep a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye right up to the final days of her life. There will be no funeral home visitation or public funeral service. A celebration of life will be held at the Lions Hall, 40 South St. W., Elmira on Saturday, October 22, 2022 from 1-5 p.m. All who wish to come are invited to attend. As expressions of sympathy memorial donations to the MS Society of Canada or Hospice Wellington would be appreciated by the family and may be made through the Dreisinger Funeral Home.

Death Notice

FEHRENBACH, CLIFFORD FREDERICKPassed away peacefully at the Grand River Hospital on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at the age of 85 years.

KAMO, MICHIKO "MICKIE" - Passed away peacefully at home in Elmira, with family at her side, on Thursday, September 29, 2022, at the age of 92.

Living Here

It's

diversity funding Homelessness program

The region announced this week

and Housing in the

new service

begin

Marking two centuries of Amish settlements

CAME TO WATERLOO

Region in August 1822 searching for a better life for himself and his family.

Nafziger was a peasant farmer from Bavaria when he decided to go to North America, so he walked from Bavaria to Amsterdam, where he presented his case to a wealthy Dutch Mennonite man, who gave him a free ticket to go to North America by ship. His ticket took him to New Orleans, and he made his way some 2,000 kilometres north to Pennsylvania.

The story goes that he walked the whole way, having no money for other transportation.

When he arrived in Pennsylvania, there was no more cheap farmland there. The Mennonites who had already settled in the area suggested he go further north to Canada, which had become the new frontier. Those

Mennonites gave him a horse for the last 800 kilometres of his journey. When Nafziger arrived in the Grand River area, he was able to apply to the Lieutenant Governor Peregrine Maitland to open up land for about 70 Amish families. Maitland agreed to open up the Crown Reserve, which is today known as Wilmot Township, to Nafziger and other settlers. The deal was that the government would survey the land and divide it into 200-acre plots. Fifty of those acres in each plot would be given to a family for free in exchange for clearing a road, building a house, clearing land for agriculture, and that they would stay for a number of years. The other 150 acres of the plot would be available to the family to buy for a reasonable price per acre.

Amish families started to arrive by August of the next year, even though the government had not yet had the agreed land

surveyed.  While the families waited for the land to be surveyed and for their homes to be built, the Pennsylvania Mennonite families already there helped them. Nafziger and his family immigrated to Canada in 1826 and settled on Lot 6, North Bleams Road.

This year, the Mennonite Historical Society

of Ontario held celebrations to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Nafziger’s journey.

That included bus tours of local historic sites, a cappella hymn sings, an Indigenous awareness workshop, an event last Friday for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, which was a speaking presentation focusing on

the question – what stories are we not telling about settlement? Other activities included a worship service held on Sunday evening. There was also an extensive exhibit of items from families of early Amish settlement including tools used on the farm and in the kitchen by early settlers as well as art work, needlework, handicrafts

What is pharmacogenomics?

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I've been hearing a lot about lab tests that can look at my genetics to see how I metabolize medications. How does this work and why is it important for me to know how my body metabolizes medicine?

ANSWER: Testing for how a person metabolizes medications is called pharmacogenomics testing, or PGx testing for short. This is a prime component of individualized medicine – selecting

▢ Mayo Clinic

specific medications for each person based on personalized information. Pharmacogenetic testing can help determine how a person metabolizes potentially hundreds of common medications, depending on how many genes are tested on a particular laboratory panel.

This specific testing

can give pharmacists and health care providers better insight into adverse drug reactions and drug interactions as they review the medications patients take. These reviews help identify potential and current medication-related problems, especially in patients who take multiple prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, along with herbal and dietary supplements, including cannabis products.

Also, testing can guide

therapy, optimizing medications to achieve the best outcomes. Your health care provider can use test results to guide medication selection and dosing. Pharmacogenetic labs also can help certain patients identify medications that they should never take to avoid serious, adverse drug reactions that could be fatal such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare but serious skin disorder.

Testing is relatively simple. A cheek swab is

Happy Thanksgiving!

we take time to practice gratitude for the many blessings in our lives, we are reminded of how thankful we are to you, our loyal customers! Leroy’s would not be the place it is today without your

and

sent to a certified medical lab to be processed to determine how a patient metabolizes various medications. The processing takes anywhere from two to five weeks.

Mayo Clinic routinely processes pharmacogenetic panels. Results from direct-to-consumer labs cannot be used for clinical decision-making, as the results may not have been reviewed by a licensed physician, so it is important to know the type of lab taking and processing the

and many other items.

This month, Dr. Mark Louden, who wrote “Pennsylvania Dutch: the Story of an American Language,” will be giving presentations at Conrad Grebel University College and Grace United Church in Tavistock.

Fred Lichti of Elmira is the chair of the Amish Bicentennial Committee.

“I don’t (serve on this committee) because I think the Amish story is the most important story or the best story or the most holy story, but I do it because it’s my story. And it’s our story. And everybody and every person has a story,” he said. “(My story) helps me to know who I am, it helps with my identity and it helps to explain my values, my principles in my faith.”

Lichti says there are three main areas in Canada that the Amish settled including the Niagara Peninsula, Markham and Waterloo County.

sample. At Mayo Clinic, a physician or another Mayo provider must order pharmacogenetic testing. Mayo Clinic requires a review appointment after the results are available to explain the meaning of the results.

Pharmacogenetic testing results become a permanent part of a patient's electronic health record for future use by providers to guide medication therapy long term.

Clinical Health Advice

Leah Gerber Observer Staff

CHRISTIAN NAFZIGER

Rosie Lichti shows the hand-stitched handkerchiefs of her Amish great-grandparents, David Brenneman and Elizabeth Zehr. Leah Gerber

Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario commemorates the 200th anniversary of Christian Nafziger's journey

THURSDAY, OCTOBER

Music

place

Junction.

the Junction,

p.m.

Vacuum

p.m.

event

Arthur St. S. Elmira.

your instrument/ voice and join others

Repairs Service

music.

Bruce Weber, 519-577-8521.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7

Friday Food at the Elmira Legion. Chicken thigh

mac & cheese and mixed veg $10/plate serving

Pharmacogenetic testing has an exciting future in helping health care providers prescribe the best medications for each patient.

5:45 p.m. All welcome.

more information call 519-669-2932.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12

Community Care Concepts invites you to join us at noon for lunch and fellowship at the Wellesley Community Centre. Cost: $12. Must pre-register by noon on Friday October 7 by calling 519-664-1900.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 13

▢ Woodside Evergreen for Seniors, 10:30 a.m. at Woodside Church, Elmira. "Emotional and Mental Wellness for Seniors" Amanda Wood-Atkinson and Janessa Bauman, Woolwich Counselling Centre. Devotional Message and Music- Pastor Gordon Wright. Registration required by noon October 7 at www.woodsidechurch.ca/evergreen or 519-6691296. Suggested $8 donation includes a hot lunch. We are mask friendly.

▢ Community Care Concepts invites you to join us at noon for lunch and fellowship at the Breslau Community Centre. Cost: $12. Must pre-register by noon on Friday October 7 by calling 519-664-1900.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14

▢ Friday Food at the Elmira Legion. Slider sandwiches, 1 ham & cheese and 1 chicken, pasta salad and fries $10/plate, or poutine $12/plate. Serving at 5:45 p.m. All welcome. For more information call 519-669-2932.

OCTOBER 15

▢ BOTTLE DRIVE Lions Club of Elmira is having a bottle drive at the Lions Hall on South Street West in Elmira on Saturday, October 15 from 10:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m. This is to help support a local cause

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16

▢ Canadian Flag Rally from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Woolwich Community Lions invite you to join in a flag rally that will test your family's knowledge of Canada. No fee but you must register on the Woolwich Community Lions Club Facebook page or email to woolwichlions.events@gmail.com. Registration ends Oct 12,2022. Flag rally package will be emailed on Oct 15 to all registered families which will instruct how to proceed. Reward at the end.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

▢ Woolwich Gardeners October Speaker. Join us from 7 p.m.to 8:30 p.m. at St. James Lutheran Church, (Wyatt St. entrance.) Speaker James Galbraith (Royal Botanical Gardens) "Botanical Gardens and the Conservation Imperative." Freewill donation for non-members. Open to the public! "Lug a Mug" for refreshments and treats. For further info: woolwichgardeners@gmail.com

FOR RENT

MAYO CLINIC: Finding a way to help practitioners prescribe better options

When a provider inputs a future prescription, notices of drug-gene interactions pop up on the computer screen in real time to indicate interactions that may result in an adverse drug reaction or ineffectiveness of therapy. Then a health care provider can choose an alternative medication therapy that is more suitable.

Pharmacogenetic panel testing costs a few hundred dollars, but few insurance plans cover it. The good thing is the cost for a panel has decreased from thousands of dollars just a few years ago, and testing is permanent.

Another benefit of pharmacogenetic testing is that it can influence future development and use of medications. One example of how pharmacogenetic testing has changed medication therapy is codeine use in young children. For codeine to relieve pain, it must be converted to morphine by an enzyme known as CYP2D6. This enzyme is commonly tested in pharmacogenetics panels.

People can metabolize CYP2D6 enzyme medications at different speeds. It was determined that if children are ultrarapid metabolizers, they convert codeine to morphine too fast, resulting in morphine overdose that can be fatal.

As a result, federal guidelines were changed for the use of codeine in children under 12 and in certain adolescents 12 to 18 who have breathing problems,

or following tonsillectomy or adenoidectomies.

Soon after Mayo Clinic started providing pharmacogenetic testing, one patient discovered multiple relatives either had reactions to certain medications or medications did not work well for them. Ultimately, with testing, the patient learned the CYP2D6 gene was prevalent in the family. After the results confirmed suspicions, the family members now can decide in advance which medications are optimal for their needs.

One misconception is that pharmacogenetic testing about medication metabolism is the same as allergy testing. Although there is some overlap, the body systems involved overall differ. Allergy testing looks at the immune system's reaction to a foreign substance. It is important to speak to your health care provider about concerns if you believe you are allergic to a medication, but there still may be value in additional testing.

Pharmacogenetic testing has an exciting future in helping health care providers prescribe the best medications for each patient. Speak with your health care provider or local pharmacist to learn more and determine if it can help based on your health care needs.

By 1829, enough families had immigrated to Waterloo County, that they began to cross the Nith River and settle in South Easthope and Zorra Townships. Then, in the 1840s they began to settle in Wellesley Township, which was considered the clergy reserve by the government.

Lichti notes Black settlers were already in Wellesley  Township, but were unable to buy the property they were on, subsequently heading elsewhere.

“They had schools, they had churches, and all we have left now are the cemeteries. So when I do my heritage tour, I make mention of that,” he said.

Marion Roes attended the weekend’s events. Roes has published books on local history, and saw the event as an important opportunity.

“My husband’s roots are Amish, and I’ve done his family history book quite a few years ago, and I’m interested in the history of Waterloo Region and slightly beyond and all the Mennonites, Amish and those groups’ histories – 200 years is quite a celebration. I knew I would

learn something,” she said.

“History is important, I think, for everybody to be aware of, whether it’s the Amish that came here or the history of the first peoples that were here and the relationship among them and how they helped each other, or how they intermingled.”

Today, Lichti says the term Amish refers now to Old Order Amish who are more “tradition-minded,” as he puts it. They continue to keep old traditions and ways of living.

The Amish Mennonite community split between “tradition-minded” and “change-minded” around 1886 when members disagreed about building meeting houses. The tradition-minded people wanted to continue meeting in each other’s homes and barns. The changeminded group continued to change and adapt as modern society developed.

In the mid 1900s, the more “change-minded” Amish Mennonites dropped the term Amish from their church names, says Lichti. Later this group helped form what is now known as the Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada.

Going forward into the future, two main areas the Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada is focusing on is reconciliation with Indigenous people, and helping refugees, says Lichti.

“I would like (my ancestors’ story) to evoke other people’s stories,” he said.

As more pressure is put on land use, Lichti says Old Order Amish Mennonites are spreading out. The Young Center for Amish Studies at Elizabethtown College reports there are 373,850 Amish adults and children. They live in Canada, the United States, Argentina and Bolivia.

“The Old Order Amish are using the play book that they have used for centuries and that is to pull up stakes and find a place where there’s cheaper land and you can live your faith in relative freedom,” he said.

Lichti said all the offerings and funds raised from the bicentennial celebration events were sent to the Mennonite Central Committee and divided amongst refugee programs, Indigenous friendship program and Ukrainian development work.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sending warm wishes from my family to yours.

Fluffy biscuits with juicy peaches give that summer feeling any time

Missing summer already? The good news is you can enjoy peach shortcakes any time!

Start with frozen peaches and you're on your way to making a delicious treat with a summery vibe.

Quick whipped tip: If you're making your own whipped cream, it is important not to over-whip the cream. But what happens if you take whipped cream too far? Cream, like butter and

1 pound sliced frozen peaches,

teaspoon

ginger

tablespoons

tablespoon

Use dry measuring cups to measure out 3/4 cup peaches and transfer to a cutting board. Set aside remain ing peaches. Roughly chop 3/4 cup peaches.

2. In a large micro wave-safe bowl, combine chopped peaches, ground ginger, and 3 tablespoons sugar. Use a rubber spatula to stir until well combined. Heat in the microwave until peaches are bubbling, about 1 1/2 minutes.

3. Remove bowl from microwave. Use potato masher to crush chopped peaches. Add remaining sliced peaches to bowl and use rubber spatula to stir until combined. Let sit until peaches are juicy, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

4. Meanwhile, adjust

▢America's Test Kitchen

Rigorously tested recipes that work.

vinaigrette, is an emulsion.

It's made of tiny droplets of fat suspended in water.

As you whip cream, tiny air bubbles become held in place by those droplets of fat, making it light and fluffy. But if you whip cream for too long, the emulsion of fat and water breaks! The droplets of fat

Peach Shortcakes

clump together and sepa rate from the liquid.

The good news is that you're on your way toward making butter. The bad news is that you'll need to start your whipped cream over again, so be sure to keep a careful eye on your cream as you beat it.

In the end, if you want to save time, simply buy some whipped cream from the grocery store when you pick up the frozen peach slices.

oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remain ing 1 tablespoon sugar.

6 6. In a liquid measur ing cup, use a fork to stir buttermilk and melted butter until butter forms small clumps.

7. 7. Add buttermilk mixture to bowl with flour mixture. Use a clean rubber spatula to stir until combined.

8. 8. Spray inside of 1/2-cup dry measuring cup with vegetable oil spray. Use a greased measur ing cup to scoop batter and use butter knife to scrape off extra batter. Drop 4 scoops onto the

parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between biscuits. Sprinkle each biscuit gener ously with extra sugar.

9. Place baking sheet in oven. Bake biscuits until the tops are golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes.

10. Remove baking sheet from oven and place on a cooling rack. Let biscuits cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. (This is a good time to make your whipped cream if using homemade.)

11. When biscuits are ready, split biscuits open with a clean fork. Trans fer biscuits to individual serving plates. Use a slotted spoon to divide peaches evenly among biscuit bottoms. Top each with a spoonful of whipped cream and 1 biscuit top. Serve.