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VOLUME X ISSUE 6
WWW.THEMEDIAPLEX.COM
NOVEMBER 6, 2014
Slain soldier laid to rest
House fire investigated Kristine Klein & Chris Mailloux Citizen Staff Reporters
Photo by Allanah Wills Mourners gather as Cpl. Nathan Cirillo’s casket being led down Bay Street in Hamilton on Oct. 28. Allanah Wills Citizen Staff Reporter Thousands of people gathered in the streets of Hamilton on Tuesday to pay their respects to fallen soldier Cpl. Nathan Cirillo. The regimental funeral brought mourners from across the country to Cirillo’s hometown to say goodbye and thank him
for his service. The 24-year-old was fatally shot on Oct. 22 while standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. A member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, his funeral procession filed down Bay Street as those in the crowd watched in silence
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Drew Dilkens elected new mayor of Windsor Justin Prince Citizen Staff Reporter The City of Windsor has a new mayor. Drew Dilkens, who previously represented Ward 1 on city council, was elected the 34th mayor in the city’s history Oct. 27. Dilkens received more than 55 per cent of the
ballot while runner-up John Millson, the mayor of Windsor from 1988-1991, received 27 per cent of the vote. DWBIA chair Larry Horwitz finished third with about 12 per cent of the vote. As the new mayorelect entered the Giovanni Caboto Club, hundreds of people, from fellow politicians to children wearing Fred Francis t-shirts, cheered as he took to
the stage. “Well this is a great night and obviously Jane (Deneau), Madison, Jack and I am extremely excited to be here. We’re very excited with the result,” said Dilkens alongside his family on-stage. “The voters in this city were given a clear choice. To go back to the way things used to be, or to move forward and build on
our success. And tonight, we know which direction the residents chose for our city. They want to continue building on our success.” Horwitz, who had more than 7,000 votes, also spoke to the audience at the Caboto Club after the results came in. Horwitz said he believed in
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Investigators say they believe that arson was the cause of a fire in a vacant home in Windsor. The fire started around 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at 446 Indian Rd. on the top foor of the building. Firefighters used chainsaws to cut through the roof of the building to get a better vantage point of the fire. The smoke and smell from the fire managed to make its way to the University of Windsor’s campus. According to Sgt. Matt D’Asti, the fire appears to be intentionally set. The house was not occupied. “Our investigation has shown that entry was forced through the residence through a pedestrian door,” said D’Asti. “The fire appears to have been set on an upper level within the residence.” The homes around the vacant house are also empty. According to D’Asti no one was injured during the fire. Rob Wilkinson, who has lived in the neighbourhood for four years, was at the scene watching the fire. “If we could tear all these abandoned houses down we wouldn’t have this problem,” said Wilkinson. Police are asking anyone with information to call Windsor Police or Crime Stoppers. Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com. “We’re just asking people to remain very aware of their neighbourhoods and if they see or witness any suspicious persons or behaviour to definitely call police and we will come out to investigate it,” said D’Asti.
CONVERGED CITIZEN2 RCAF 90th anniversary Windsor election comes to a close
NEWS
NOVEMBER 6, 2014
Kenneth Bullock Citizen Staff Reporter
Photo by Dan Gray Royal Canadian Air Force veteran Grant McAuley looks at one of the static displays during the RCAF’s 90th Anniversary celebration in Windsor. Dan Gray Citizen Staff Reporter Veterans from across southern Ontario gathered at the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association hanger on Oct. 25 to reminisce about their time in the service. Windsor’s Passing the Torch Committee, in association with CHAA and other community organizations, held a three-day celebration of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 90th anniversary from Oct. 23 – 25. According to event organizers, it was designed to bring children and veterans together to help kids understand the importance of Remembrance Day. As part of the event, the hangar was open to the public and planes and displays were set out for viewing. Air force veterans Anne Edmunds and Gordon Cook took time to come by the hangar and remember the days in which they served. Cook said he had the honour of flying Harvards in the Air Force. After getting out of the Thunderbird that was on display, he said that it was very different than the planes he had the opportunity to fly. “Anne and I both have talked about our tenure in the air force,” said Cook. “(We came) just to see the aircraft and mix and mingle with the veterans. That’s a privlege.” Other veterans could be seen getting in and out of the Lancaster, talking to some of the children who were also in attendance. Grant McAuley joined the RCAF in 1953 right out of high school and spent over 35 years working in jobs ranging from rigger to administrator. He said he believes events like this help keep interest in the Air Force alive and allow veterans to get
together. “My interest is still in the air force,” said McAuley. “We, at one time in Chatham, had an Air Force Association of which I was president two or three times, so I’ve always maintained my interest in the air force.” Many of the volunteers at the event were former members of the RCAF. They spent time getting visitors in and out of the Thunderbird, manning information tables and sharing their knowledge with interested individuals. Others flew planes that the CHAA uses to execute parts of their mandate. The CHAA is working diligently to piece together a Lancaster Bomber. The work in progress was on display out on the tarmac. Brad Saunders is the project co-ordinator for the Lancaster and was a guest speaker during the three-day event at the hangar. Veterans were able to watch some of the aircraft from World War 2 fly because of CHAA’s commitment to keeping that part of the legacy alive. “Our mandate is to fly, operate and restore period World War 2 aircraft,” said Saunders. “We have two Chipmunks and a Steerman we operate and we are currently restoring the Lancaster Bomber that used to be in Jackson Park as everyone knows, and we are restoring a fighter-bomber called the Mosquito.” Many of the veterans in attendance are getting on in years. They said they hope that the general public will use events like this and Remembrance Day to keep their memories alive.
The end of Windsor’s mayoral and ward elections was in sight, Monday night. Some of the Windsor races were down to the wire, while others were landslide victories. Cheers of excitement and anticipation came from the audience when seeing their candidate in first place. The voting results could be seen on two large projection screens on opposite sides of the room. Aside from just voters, candidates themselves were eager to see how this night would play out. “It’s a great atmosphere. A lot of the candidates and media have come to see who’s
winning or losing,” said Joey Wright, candidate for Ward 5 council. “The election season is done. We’re going to have a new council by the end of the night, and it’s something we’re all looking forward to.” Wright, like other candidates, came to meet his supporters and see the results of his campaign. Numerous media outlets surrounded the room, emphasizing the importance of this evening. Outgoing Mayor Eddie Francis spent most of his time shaking hands and speaking into microphones. Francis said it’s a relief to not be the one in the election race. “This is a very different atmosphere for me, I’ve always been on the other side of the fence,” said Francis. “It’s been a thrilling experience to be on this side honestly,
less pressure.” Closer to the end of the night the mayoral tallies showed Drew Dilkens, former Ward 1 councillor, in first place, beating John Millson by a large margin. Before Dilkens arrived, mayor runnerups, Ernie “The” Baconman and Larry Horwitz recognized and congratulated Drew Dilkens as the new mayor of Windsor. Dilkens arrived shortly after, trailed by his friends, family and many media outlets. Hands were shaken, cheers were heard and many congratulations were given. The room was in an uproar when Dilkens arrived. He said his first act as mayor will be to listen more to the people’s ideas and introduce Windsor’s auto sector to their new mayor.
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CONVERGED CITIZEN3 NOVEMBER 6, 2014
Bill Baker and the Essex election
Photo by Ryan Brough Bill Baker is seen hugging his wife just minutes after receiving the news that he lost the Town of Essex mayoral election. Ryan Brough Photo Editor First time mayoral hopeful Bill Baker finished the Essex election 399 votes behind Ron McDermott, who won. Bill Baker entered the Portuguese Club in Harrow at 11 p.m. with the election results. Baker came in the room smiling and announced the results to a crowd of about 50 of his supporters.
“Everyone I have some news, the town voted and we didn’t win,” said Baker. Baker finished with 2,220 votes. McDermott is now serving his fourth term as Mayor of Essex. Baker, who was running for the first time, had been working on his campaign for over four months. Despite losing he said he wasn’t angry or upset, but disappointed for the community.
“Sixty six per cent of voters said we wanted change and we didn’t get change based on our system,” said Baker. There was a 53.82 per cent turnout in the Essex election. 7,928 of 14,731 residents eligible to vote cast a ballot according to CTV News. Essex resident Eric Parent said he didn’t vote because he didn’t support any of the candidates. “They all make promises they can’t keep, just to get voted in and the town never gets out of debt,” said Parent. Baker and his team are looking forward, with no word on if he will run again. Baker said he is excited to have more time with his family. “When you run for public life you give your time to the public, so I plan on giving a lot more to my family now,” said Baker. Out of the 14,731 voters the majority of those people were not looking to re-elect the current mayor. McDermott ended his victory speech by suggesting he will retire in four years.
Close finish for Essex mayoral race Shelbey Hernandez Associate Managing Editor Ron McDermott has been announced as Mayor of Essex for a fourth term with two of his competitors not far behind. It was a flashback to the 2010 municipal election when McDermott beat Ron Rogers by 227 votes. This time, it was a three-way race between McDermott, Rogers and previous Ward 3 Councillor Bill Baker who was 172 votes away from Rogers and 399 away from McDermott. A little more than 50 per cent of those eligible voted this election. Last time, there were three candidates for mayor including Rogers, McDermott and Paul Miner. This year, there were four, including Andy Comber, a former Essex Free Press journalist and a former Harrow News reporter. Many people were present at the Harrow arena to hear the results including acclaimed Ward 4 Councillor Sherry Bondy, Rogers, newly-elected Ward 3 Councillor Bill Caixero and previous Ward 3 Councillor John Scott. According to Bondy, McDermott’s win was mainly due to where the candidates
lived. Since Rogers and Baker both lived in Colchester, the votes were split almost evenly between the two. “All three of them ran really hard campaigns. It was so close,” said Bondy. “It could have been anybody’s race all along so I just think in the end, geography was what slingshotted McDermott in again.” Although Bondy said the race was determined because of geography, Rogers said if it wasn’t for Baker, he would have won. However, Rogers admitted that he hasn’t seen a breakdown of which wards Baker had more supporters in. The incumbent McDermott, who has been mayor since 2003, said Rogers ran a great race and was closer this time, but the addition of Baker assured his victory in the end. “He closed the gap even before that. I was very confident that I would win, but Ron made it really close, closer than last time,” said McDermott. “With an extra body in there running against the incumbent, that favours the incumbent.” Responding to Rogers’ comments, Baker said he could easily argue that if it weren’t
for Rogers, maybe he would have won. He said instead of focusing on his competition, maybe Rogers should be focusing on the people. He also said just because he was late getting in the running, doesn’t mean he isn’t qualified to do the job. “It’s about ability to do the job and I… felt I had the ability,” said Baker. “…But I’m not focusing on that.” Rogers and Baker said they are unsure if they will run for mayor again in the future. Both candidates said if they could have changed anything about their campaigns, it would have been having more time to meet people. Rogers also said he is mostly disappointed because he feels he has a lot to offer. He said he had a lot of great ideas which he doesn’t think will happen with the new council. Moving forward, McDermott said the new council members must come together and work as a team. To everyone who ran, he said all candidates should be congratulated for wanting to represent their municipalities. The new council will begin to work sometime in December.
Bianchi is back
Photo by Tecumseh MacGuigan City Cyclery employee Oliver Swainson test rides a Bianchi road bike in Walkerville on Oct. 18, Tecumseh MacGuigan City Cyclery were chosen for Photo Editor the expansion project. “City Cyclery were looking The owners of a local bicyfor a brand to bring that would cle shop are now offering cusmake them a little more tomers unique, world class unique,” said Iafrate. “There bikes. are a lot of Italians in Windsor. The Italian bicycle manufacThat brings a connection to the turer, F.I.V. Edoardo Bianchi brand and so when looking for S.p.A, is celebrating 130 years places to expand into Windsor in business. Bianchi bikes are seemed like a great fit.” world class racing bikes, havThe store has four models for ing been ridden by Tour De sale, the Pista, a fixed-gear and France and Giro D’italia winsingle speed track bike coming ners throughout history For in at $900, and three carbon their 130 year anniversary, fibre road bikes, the Intenso, Bianchi is beginning to ship the Infinito Cv, and the Oltre out to several new bike stores XR.2. These road models across North America, one of range in price from approxithe first being Windsor’s own, mately $2000 to $13,000 City Cyclery. depending on components. Enzo Iafrate, a representative Any of these four models are from Bianchi who attended the unveiling on October 18, explained why Windsor and
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CONVERGED CITIZEN4 NOVEMBER 6, 2014
Waiting for results in Kingsville
Photo by Eugene Mendoza
Construction workers lay down asphalt on Wyandotte near Walkerville on Oct. 27 Photo by Sean Frame Mayor Nelson Santos informs citizens of Kingsville of the delayed results at Migration Hall on Oct. 27. Sean Frame Managing Editor
The Kingsville election results were postponed for several hours after the polls closed leaving some candidates annoyed with the process. On Oct. 27 Windsor and all of Essex County held municipal elections with some of the municipalities using only online and phone polling systems. Kingsville was one of the municipalities using this method to count votes. Officials assumed because of the digital vote that results would come in quickly after polls closed at 8 p.m., but that was not the case. Information company Scytl was responsible for the management of the voting in the municipalities such as Kingsville, Tecumseh and Essex, which were all delayed for results. On Scytl’s website they claim to be a worldwide leader in electronic voting, but the large crowd at Migration Hall would disagree. Several residents left after waiting more than two hours for results and the remaining residents and candidates remained until results were announced at 10:40 p.m. Larry Patterson was elected as one of Kingsville’s five councilors and was disappointed with the event itself. “I just wish the results
were two hours ago. A lot of people showed up for this and a lot of people left disappointed,” said Patterson. “I am totally shocked at the way this whole thing was handled. They should have been out informing the people and the people that left were very upset.” Although Patterson said he was upset with the wait and the lack of information he said he was still very pleased with the results. He congratulated all candidates for the great work they did on their campaigns. Nearly half of the residents had gone by 9:30 p.m. as candidates grew impatient. Some of the residents speculated the results would be delayed a day or if there would have to be an entirely new poll to tally. Early in October, Kingsville resident Betty Ross began a petition to switch the online and telephone voting and even earlier in the year councillor Sandy Mcintyre had made a motion to consider mailin ballots. The motion was defeated due to a lame duck council not being able to spend money on venues at this point in the election. Kingsville Cathy Basskin candidate when asked what was going on replied “not very much.” Basskin said she grew impatient with waiting. She said online polling was not the blame, but the company Scytl was
at fault. “I think online polling per say has lots to be commended about,” said Basskin. “This particular server doesn’t have a particularly stellar track record. A future election process will have to look into various options and look into a company which will actually be able to deliver.” Basskin said she believes online polling is supposed to deliver to a younger demographic, but after she took a brief look around Migration Hall she conceded the demographic wasn’t present at the event. Despite the long wait and even longer night, the results finally came in. To serve a fourth term as Kingsville mayor, Nelson Santos was elected one again. Throughout the night the would-be mayor took it upon himself to inform the residents about the issues and took some time to inform the media. “Certainly we are concerned. There is always anxious candidates waiting to hear the final results,” said Santos an hour before the results were issued. “In terms of the commitment that we made before going through this process it certainly is not up to our expectations.” While everyone was waiting Nelson said he was not getting nervous. He said that he had once waited until 11 p.m. in years past.
Local businesses await construction completion Eugene Mendoza Citizen Staff Reporter Despite blocked off streets, business owners and employees say repairs on Wyandotte to damaged roads and water mains will help Walkerville continue to improve. Chris Andrechek, 31, works at Biblioasis and says although the construction has slowed down traffic and despite the delays in completion, he doesn’t mind if it means the street is getting fixed. “It’s been a nuisance but in the end it needed to be done. Not only is Wyandotte a mess but the water main replacement is important,” said Andrechek. “It was slower than a typical summer but it wasn’t terrible.” While he approves of the road work, Andrechek said the city should have handled the timing of the construction differently. “Infrastructure does have to be continually updated and redone, I think doing it across an entire street in one summer was a mistake and that it should be spread out to set parts of the city especially when it’s a main street,” said Andercheck However a server at the local restaurant O’maggio’s Kildare House, Kayla Rennie, 19, said they have not been affected by the street closures. She says they have been consistently busy and the new street will help the already thriving neighbourhood grow even
more. “It’ll turn out well after so I’m excited and so is everybody else,” said Rennie. It is a good uplift for Walkerville. Walkerville’s beaming right now.” A business owner for 41 years, Ray Ryan of Pleasance Trophies & Gifts, says once the construction is done Walkerville will be “the best spot in the city.” However he said more shifts per day would have allowed the streets to open much earlier. Ryan said the city should assist small businesses who have suffered financially as a result of road closures. “We’ve lost quite a few thousand dollars and the city won’t help us out. That’s the only thing I have against it I think it’s wonderful they’re doing it I think it was well needed but I think the city should be helping businesses like us, small businesses who have not been doing any business for at least 40 days,” said Ryan. Despite Windsor’s economic struggle, the Walkerville area has seen strong growth with the help of programs like the Friday Night Lights ride and Night Market attracting residents from across the city. Walkerville held a street opening celebration for Wyandotte on Oct. 10, however delays have caused construction to continue past the projected finish date. Construction crews are currently applying new asphalt and washing sidewalks, with the street expected to be fully open within the coming weeks.
CONVERGED CITIZEN5
NEWS
NOVEMBER 6, 2014
Elliott takes seat in Ward 2 Absence of voter Aaron Sanders Citizen Staff Reporter
Ward 2 has a new councillor following the Oct. 27 municipal election. John Elliott, executive director of Sandwich Teen Action Group, was elected as Ward 2 councillor after receiving 41 per cent of the votes. Frank Favot came in second place with 30 per cent. Elliott said he believes that getting a head start on the campaign led to his victory. “We got out there and we got an early start in the campaign,” Elliot said. “We’ve spent a long grueling eight to nine months at the doors, literature and everything.” Elliott’s Oct. 27 evening began with an election party at STAG. His campaign group, along with friends and family watched the poll results on TV. Around 9 p.m., he travelled to the Caboto Club with his party. During the car ride he found out he was elected on one of the radio stations. Inside the Caboto Club he was greeted by his supporters and friends and family. They welcomed him and congratulated him for his successful cam-
FROM PAGE 1 mixed with moments of applause. Fellow members of Cirillo’s regiment marched alongside his casket, draped in a Canadian flag. Following behind his casket were members of his family including his mother Kathy, his sister Nicole and his fiveyear-old son Marcus, wearing his father’s military cap. Nearly one thousand emergency responders from across the country walked in the procession, including members of Windsor Police Services and U.S. Customers and Border Protection while a military air craft flew above. As his body was brought into Christ’s Church Cathedral for the private funeral, family, friends and dignitaries gathered inside, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Members of the public and emergency responders gathered inside the First Ontario Centre arena to view the live stream of the funeral and follow along with the service.
cards an issue Justin Thompson Production Manager
Photo by ??? Ward 2 councillor elect John Elliott is interviewed following his election victory at the Caboto Club Oct. 27. paign. Teejai Travis,owner of The Bloomfield House, said Elliott’s reputation influenced the voting process. Travis believes Elliott should have won four years ago. “His natural progress in his career shows that he’s been community organizing for a long time and we’re really excited for him to be sitting on ward council,” said Travis. “I think he’s going to create a safe space for the community to take a real participatory stance in the political process.” This was Elliott’s second time running for Ward 2 councillor. In the 2010 election he lost to Ron Jones by three
votes. Taking the experience from the previous election, Elliott said he learned that going around the ward would increase his reputation. “We went across the ward as far as knocking on the door,” Elliott said. “People want to know who you are and who you’re all about so being able to get right across the ward was the key.” According to citywindsor.ca, Ward 2 candidates Joan Mavrinac finished in third place with 16 per cent of votes, along with Kevin Flood with seven per cent. James Ging had three per cent and Dmitrius Djankovic had less than one per cent of the votes.
Cirillo’s cousin, Jenny Holland, spoke on behalf of the family, calling him Canada’s hero before sharing childhood memories and recalling a man filled with energy and a contagious laugh. “Nathan may have looked like a big tough man, but he was such a kid at heart,” Holland said. “Marcus adored him so much. Not only was Nathan his dad, he was also his friend.” Prime Minister Harper’s eulogy thanked Cirillo for guarding the war memorial, and praised his dedication to the military. “These monuments remind us that freedom is never free. It has been earned by the solider and then donated to all of us,” Harper said. “Corporal Cirillo knew what all those men and women who died before him knew, the only values really worth living for are those worth dying for. So may God bless Corporal Cirillo. We are
better for his life and are lessened by his loss.” He also addressed Cirillo’s young son, offering hope that one day he may take comfort in the fact that the whole country looks up to his father. Cirillo’s mother wept as Argyll and Sutherland Highlander’s commanding officer Lt.-Col Lawrence Hatfield delivered the final words about her son. “He never took the hardknocks or tough challenges personally, he just smiled and soldiered on. Both in the regiment and in life,” said Hatfield. “Loyal, tough, loving and true. His family knew it, his regiment knew it and now Canadians know it.” After the service, hundreds of people gathered outside the Lt-Col. John Weir Foote armoury to add to the already staggering collection of flowers, cards, gifts and Canadian flags placed there in Cirillo’s honour.
Not all residents in Windsor who are eligible to vote have been receiving their Voter Information Cards. Only 37 per cent of Windsor residents eligible to vote cast their ballot for a new mayor, city council members, and school board trustees to represent their community for a four year term. The City of Windsor made voting accessible for residents by setting up advanced polling stations for six days during October. Residents that had transportation troubles presented their Voter Information Cards to bus drivers on Oct. 27 and received free transit to get to the polls. On election day 103 polls were set up around the city divided between 10 wards. Every ballot holds weight with such a low voter turnout. One of the most divided wards was Ward 4. Chris Holt was elected as City Councillor in the ward with only 28 per cent of the ballots cast. Jordan Renaud, 24, the president of local public relations firm Prometheus Communications worked on Ward 4 candidate Remy Boulbol’s campaign. Renaud was formerly the Chief Returning Officer from the University of Windsor Students Alliance that under his management oversaw the highest voter turnout at the University of Windsor of about 43 per cent. “People not getting their voter cards is a major problem that needs to be sorted,” said Renaud. “But it’s a perception issue that can be corrected, People can know that they should be able to vote at their local poll, provided it’s publicized, if they are a resident there.” Renaud said networked computer technology would help deputy returning officers access resident data regardless
of who they are or which ward they are in. “I urge people to vote simply because they can. We make all sorts of decisions based on a lot less information,” said Renaud. “It’s not difficult to do some simple research especially when there is certainly a correlation between people who complain and criticize our governments and leaders and those who do not vote. Every vote does count and every candidate would love to have your vote.” Residents that receive Voter Information Cards in the mail are registered to vote. Many people do not receive these cards because of address changes. Joshua Kaiser, 23, has lived in Ward 4 for over a year now and was still registered to vote at his parents’ residence in Ward 6. “They could make registering to vote a lot easier by giving Windsorites an online resource where one could put in their information and be registered in whatever ward they live instead of the current system where they have to go down to city hall with this information,” said Kaiser. Even with advanced polling stations set up, residents cannot prepare for the unexpected. Katlina Cowan, 25, had to return to her hometown of London, Ontario for a funeral on election day. Cowan would have made arrangements to vote but didn’t know about the advanced polling stations because she didn’t receive a votercard either. “There’s enough signs telling us who to vote for, yet most people don’t know how to, or care to do it at all,” said Cowan. “It’s unappealing to those who don’t understand how it affects them.” Those who are not registered to vote and would like to be should contact the office of the city clerk at (519) 255-6285.
CONVERGED CITIZEN6
NEWS
NOVEMBER, 2014
Halloween party calls attention to cancer fight
Photo by Mark Brown Anita Imperioli, president and founder of In Honour of the Ones We Love, Inc, pauses in costume during the group’s third annual Spooktacular Family Halloween Party, Oct 26. at the Ciociaro Club of Windsor. Mark Brown Citizen Staff Reporter Hundreds of people dressed up, played games and listened to songs as the local chapter of a cancer support group held its third annual Halloweenthemed fundraiser Oct 26. Children of all ages, most of them in costume, participated
with their parents in a variety of activities as part of the Spooktacular Family Halloween Party, held on a mild, sunny day at the Ciociaro Club Pavilion. The event was sponsored by In Honour of the Ones We Love, Inc. The group’s founder and president, Anita Imperioli,
said a personal tragedy brought the group to light. “The group started 18 years ago. It originally got started after I lost a child with cancer,” said Imperioli. “I wanted to give back to the community to try to make it easier on patients and families in our community.” In Honour of the Ones We Love is a volunteer organization that raises money for cancer support, according to its official website. Imperioli said the group’s mission is very simple. “Our mission is to keep our patients local in our community so that they have all their needs, so they don’t have to go out of town,” said Imperioli. Among the equipment the group has purchased for locally-based cancer patients are a CT-scan machine, a blood lab and a brachytherapy radiation table. The radiation table is used for a type of treatment that involves placing an implant inside or near the area to be treated. Imperioli said local kids affected by cancer also
have programs in place. “We run two programs right now for Kids Beating Cancer, one at Windsor Regional and one at the John McGivney Centre for kids with cancer and life-threatening illnesses,” said Imperioli. The group holds a series of fundraising events throughout the year, including the Colours of Courage Dinner Fashion Show, scheduled for Sunday, Nov 2 at Ciociaro Club. The group’s website also says that Caesars Windsor is donating one dollar from each show ticket sold during October and November to the organization. Imperioli estimated the group has raised between $400,000 and $500,000. The pavilion at the Ciociaro Club was abuzz with activity as children participated in pumpkin-carving, met Clarol the Clown and had their faces painted. Visitors were also treated to music performed by actors portraying characters from
the hit Disney film Frozen. The event got a tremendous thumbs up from many parents. “I think it’s a great family event, great Halloween fun,” said Karen Nagy of Tecumseh, attending with her husband and two-year-old daughter Fallon. “My girls are so excited to be here and participate in the Halloween activities,” said Melissa Ibrahim of Windsor, whose two daughters Guilia and Vanessa also participated in the event. “We are looking forward to decorating a pumpkin and meeting Elsa and Anna (from Frozen).” Watching the throngs of costumed youngsters come and go with their parents, Imperioli was pleased with the way things played out. “It’s wonderful that the community comes out and enjoys it with In Honour of the Ones We Love and to support our program,” said Imperioli. For information about the group or about upcoming events, call (519) 966-2960 or visit their website www.inhonour.ca.
Pajama day read-a-thon
Photos by: Erik Zarins
Coronation Elementary Public School held a pajama day read-a-thon. Students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 went straight from their bedrooms to the classrooms and read books all day. Kindergarten students were treated to a special appearance by Mrs. Wishy-Washy who read to the kids from her story about cleaning and a story about Mr. Dishy-Washy. It was certainly a way to end the week
GALLERY
CONVERGED CITIZEN7 NOVEMBER 6, 2014
Public relations marketplace Students in professor Lori Newton’s Entrepreneurship and Business Public Relations class at St. Clair College take part in a special market place project held at main campus Oct. 22. The students were given a budget of $10 to start a business. Some of their business ideas included all natural lip butter, hand-made infinity scarves, key chains, Zaatar pies, cheese pies, short bread cookies, college starter kits, a media company, computer consulting business, yoga, home-made dog treats, aroma therapy oils, candy apples, cookies, beaded jewelry and cabbage rolls. The students were wildly successful in their endeavours.
Tamara Piche and her ArmKnit Scarves 'Dainty DIY'
Rose Chapman 9, daughter of Bill Chapman a Public Relations student at St. Clair College, and Avery Elyse participate in the Entrepreneurship Ten Dollar Business assignment. Rose is selling rainbow loom bracelets and ghosts, while Avery promotes her college starter kits. Photo by Bill Chapman
Miranda Underwood with her- Creaseless Hair Ties
Devin Hurst with all natural lip balm 'Bee Balm'.
Christie Kluytmans selling shortbread cookies and sweets
Helen Medel selling Greek cheese pies
Marcus Lucio showing off his perler items
Rafat Abu Al Haija selling delicious zaatar pies
Omar Nizam offering social media consulting
Marissa Goze and her key fobs 'Modish'
Denise Pelaccia, Taylor Lucas and their cookies and candy apples.
William Martin offers private yoga sessions.
Savanna Todd displays her essential oils
CONVERGED CITIZEN8
NEWS
NOVEMBER 6, 2014
Male breast cancer support and awareness raised through manicures
made the donation because his daughter-in-law is a cancer survivor. The spa will forward all proceeds to the Cancer Society from the event at the end of October. Breast cancer is well known among people as being a disease in women. Men account for five per cent of all breast cancer cases and most people are unaware they can also
develop the disease, according to Cathy Mombourquette, communications coordinator at Windsor Regional Hospital. “The BRCA gene can predispose men to getting breast cancer,” said Mombourquette. “This is a gene a man would inherit from his parents.” According to Mombourquette, the treatment and outcomes for men with breast cancer are
the same as women with breast cancer. Increased awareness and decreasing the social stigma for men with breast cancer would help men who suffer from the disease. Male breast cancer survivor John Toth credits his dogs in helping detect his breast cancer after noticing pain when they pounced on him. “They did a biopsy and
my only option was removal of the lumps,” Toth said. “It was behind the nipple on my right side.” According to Toth, his treatment was a hormone blocker that blocks female hormones that trigger the receptors in the cell. He said his family history had something to do with the development of his cancer. Since his mother had a history of breast cancer and died from it at 65, Toth was 56 and thought it would be in his best interest to go and get it checked out. “My advice to men: don’t be afraid of a doctor. If you want to live a long life you better go do it,” said Toth. “If you see something unusual about your body, you better get in there because we don’t do it enough. Women are notorious for doing it, we’re not. We’re abstainers.”
part of. I feel this city can move to the next level, and it will.” But many Windsorites were also upset about the voter turnout. According to the official election results released by the city, the number of ballots cast went down from more than 70,000 votes in 2010 to under 59,000 in 2014, a 17 per cent decrease. The amount of votes cast for the winning candidate in the mayoral election also decreased. Outgoing mayor Eddie Francis won the 2010 election over Rick Limoges with more than 39,000 ballots cast for his name. Dilkens needed 7,000 less ballots to become elected this year despite there being more candidates than in 2010. In a Ward 4 discussion
forum, many residents and politicians called for more engagement and for schools to teach civic responsibility. “This poor turnout is a wake-up call. The community needs to be engaged,” said Dave Cooke on Twitter, a former MPP in Windsor-Essex County who worked on Millson’s campaign. But the night wasn’t short of confusion. Abe Taqtaq, the campaign manager for Dilkens, said in a tweet about 30 minutes after the polling stations closed that Millson had conceded his nomination from the election. Millson had spent the election night at the Teutonia Club. Since then, Millson’s campaign Twitter account has gone dormant and his website has been shut
down. Millson had received 49 per cent less votes compared to when he was elected mayor in 1988. “I had checked with the Dilkens campaign and I heard directly from the Dilkens campaign that their exit polls had come in and showed them winning the election,” said Eddie Francis after the announcement. “Shortly thereafter, they received a concision letter from Millson.” According to Dilkens, he focused on running a positive campaign based on the city’s performance. Francis said that will help Dilkens along with any councillors who were reelected. “I was not hearing overwhelming amount of the
community saying they wanted to change course,” said Francis. “The results of that you see mayor-elect Dilkens be very successful by maintaining the course and building on our success. The same applies to the incumbents. All the incumbents have done very well based on their track record … For those candidates running a positive campaign, maintaining the course and staying the course, they’ll do very well.” All newly-elected councillors, school board trustees and Mayor Dilkens will begin their terms on Dec. 1. The next municipal election will be held in October 2018.
B i anchi . “1994 was the last time Bianchi was in Windsor,” said Stephen Hargreaves, coowner of City Cyclery. “We have a lot of European brands already in terms of city bikes and Bianchi being the premiere Italian racing bike it makes sense for us to bring them in. The technology they have is incredible, there is a long heritage in the company but they are also extremely cutting edge. We are excited to be stocking Bianchi.” To promote the launch of the bicycles, the event
allowed anyone to come in to see and test ride the new bicycles. Eugene Pugliese, a Windsorite who raced both in Canada and internationally for two decades, came to the event to see the bikes. “Cycling is my passion and once you get into cycling, you’re in it for life,” said Pugliese. “They have come a long way since my time. We used to ride steel bikes, now they have carbon, but the style has never changed, they are incredibly beautiful. Just to have these bikes here and to see them is an honour.”
Road bikes are traditionally made with high top tubes, associated with mens bikes, but with the variety of sizes available as well as the seafoam green “celeste” liv-
ery, these bikes work for any gender. With the addition of Bianchi bikes, Windsor continues to thrive with Italian heritage.
Josh Teixeira Citizen Staff Reporter Local hair and nail salons have been hosting male breast cancer awareness events during the month of October. Throughout the month, various salons across Ontario participated in an event known as ManiCURES where participants, male or female, would get manicures and have their fingernails painted pink with the breast cancer ribbon on top. “Anytime someone did either a basic manicure or shellac manicure using pink nail lacquer, we donated $2.50 per manicure to the Canadian Cancer Society,” said Courtney Rivait, assistant manager of Harmony Day Spa. “Quite a few people were eager to participate.” According to Rivait, one man came in and donated $100 towards the event. He
FROM PAGE 1 Dilkens’s ability of being mayor and would support him to bring Windsor “to the next level.” “About six months ago, I started a journey. My father, who lived in Windsor most of his life, passed away, and I decided to dedicate the next little while to serve the people of Windsor and trying to make this community greater than it is.” said Horwitz. “And in those last six months, I’ve probably visited around 15,000 or 20,000 homes across this city and I met the most amazing people. I probably visited more than 100 businesses in this city. I found out that they need things and they need a great city to be
FROM PAGE 3 available in-store and other model can be ordered from the Bianchi catalogue. When ordered the bike will be assembled in Italy and shipped to Canada arriving in two to four weeks. Tra ditiona lly, the onl y way to get a Bianchi bike would be to dr i ve to Toronto or c r oss t he borde r a nd buy one i n Mic higa n a nd fa c e heavy duty fe e s , but now anyone in the a re a h as t he option of purchasing a
Photo by Josh Teixeira Cathy Mombourquette at the Windsor Regional Hospital on Oct. 31.
HEALTH
CONVERGED CITIZEN9 NOVEMBER 6, 2014
Doctors recommend more sleep for students
Photo by Melissa Amiouni A student sleeping on a bench at Leddy Library at the University of Windsor on Oct. 24 Melissa Amiouni Citizen Staff Reporter Students at the U n i v e r s i t y o f Wi n d s o r s a y be ing s le e p d epr i ved is a c hoic e a nd not an is s ue the y c a nnot overc ome . Many students say the amount of sleep they get each day is six hours. Engineering student Odie
Merheb, 19, say it is a normal thing and every student goes through it. Merheb said some blame for not getting enough sleep goes to all the studying he has to do. “I just keep studying, but when I look at the time and realize it’s 3 a.m. I don’t even think about sleep because I have a test the next day,” Merheb said.
Although some blame does go to school work, Merheb said most of the time it is a choice and he chooses to procrastinate until a day before a test. “I’m the one who is doing this to myself, I can always control it, but some people don’t because they’re used to that routine,” Merheb said. University law student, Wesley Anderson, 25, also says it is a choice because he also procrastinates, which keeps him up late at night. “I could use an extra hour of sleep but during the day I’m doing work. At the end of the day, I usually like to decompress and by the time I feel like I’m ready to go to bed, it’s usually kind of late and I’m usually up early for class or doing school work, so I try to get at least enough sleep to function,” Anderson said. However, Anderson says less sleep does not affect his daily routines. “It’s not affecting my life that bad. For sure I can use extra hours of sleep but I live
somewhat a busy lifestyle so I kind of accept it,” Anderson said. Being sleep deprived can lead to serious health issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and strokes. It’s also been estimated that 90 per cent of people with insomnia have other health conditions. John Coates, a family physician practicing at the Windsor Family Health Team said that he recommends students get at least eight to nine hours of sleep. “They will be able to work more efficiently when they allow their brain and body to recharge over a good night’s sleep,” Coates said. Coates says he recommends students avoid caffeine after 4 p.m. and get regular exercise for a good night’s sleep. He also recommends that electronics like phones and laptops should be avoided before bed, since the blue light emitted by these devices has been shown to prevent the pineal gland from secreting mela-
tonin, a chemical that helps signal to our body that it is time to sleep. Coates said he usually prescribes medicine for insomnia and not sleep deprivation. “Sometimes I recommend melatonin 3-5 mg orally about one to two hours before bedtime for insomnia. I don’t prescribe medications for sleep deprivation,” Coates said. Although Coates does not prescribe medicine for sleep deprivation, he says caffeine is helpful. “The only stimulant I recommend is caffeine which has been shown to improve alertness and performance in sleepdeprived people and is safe at doses of 100-200 mg (8 oz. cup of coffee),” Coates said. For students struggling with sleep deprivation, they can always visit their school’s student health centre for medical care, counselling and referrals.
Voter apathy hard to fathom OPINION
Mark Brown Columnist The voters have spoken – at least those who bothered to show up. Residents in Windsor had an opportunity Monday to have a say in the turnover taking place at city hall. A new mayor was being chosen. Four seats on Windsor City Council were wide open and the rest were up for grabs. Communities across Essex County were choosing mayors, deputy mayors, councillors and school board
trustees. Residents had the power to decide who was going to run things where they lived for the next four years. Some of the communities won’t see much of a change, others will see a dramatic transformation. Let’s begin with Windsor… Mayor Eddie Francis, in office since 2003, announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection. Since then, 10 candidates filed to take his place. On Monday night, voters overwhelmingly chose Ward 1 Councillor Drew Dilkens to replace him. Dilkens received more than twice the votes gained by his closest competitor John Millson, who was mayor from 1988 to 1991. This victory is a stamp of approval from Windsorites who would like to see the pro-business policies that had begun under Francis continue. While I expected Dilkens to emerge victorious, I thought the race between him, Millson and downtown business cheerleader Larry
Horwitz would be much closer. Nevertheless, the mandate seems to be clear for Dilkens. Moving on to city council, there will be five new faces once the next term of office begins in December, four of them through open seats, the fifth ousting an incumbent believed by many to be immature and irresponsible. The most dramatic victory of them all belongs to Ward 3’s Rino Bortolin. Polls leading up to the vote didn’t give Bortolin much of a chance and his victory took many by surprise. Another interesting development was in Ward 10 with Paul Borrelli ousting disgraced incumbent Al Maghnieh, still smarting from the library credit card scandal. Maghnieh finished a paltry fifth in the unofficial Ward 10 vote count. Elsewhere, the new councillors are Fred Francis, the previous mayor’s brother in Ward 1, John Elliott in Ward 2 and Chris Holt in Ward 4. Incumbents Ed Sleiman, Jo-
Anne Gignac, Bill Marra, Hilary Payne and Irek Kusmierczyk were reelected. I think that the results show that Windsorites would like to see some new ideas from new people, while once again continuing the policies under Eddie Francis. In the county, results were delayed due to computer glitches in several communities. Once the mess was cleaned up, Tecumseh retained Gary McNamara as mayor. Councillor Joe Bachetti is the new deputy mayor, and there will be three new people on town council: Andrew Dowie, Mike Rohrer and Brian Houston. Incumbents Marcel Blais and Guy Dorion are out, indicating that in Tecumseh, residents want to see some new ideas. Other communities that reported tabulation problems were Lakeshore and Kingsville, but there were no real surprises in either municipality. Same thing for Essex
and Leamington. But in Amherstburg, it was a sure case of “throw ‘em all out.” The town’s debt problems dampened the trust of many residents and they cleaned house at town hall. Councillor Diane Pouget is the only incumbent returning to council in Amherstburg, the others, with the exception of new deputy mayor Bart DiPasquale were unsuccessful in their efforts to be elected to other open offices. That just goes to show that when things aren’t so rosy where you live, voters will certainly react and it is not always pleasant for the incumbents. As for the voters themselves, officials were surprised that the turnout wasn’t as high as they anticipated – Windsor especially. Only 37.5 per cent of the registered electorate bothered to cast a ballot. To the rest…shame on you. To those who did vote, be happy you had a say in the future of your community.
FEATURE
CONVERGED CITIZEN10 NOVEMBER 6, 2014
What you need to know about winter cycling Tecumseh MacGuigan Photo Editor For many people, cycling is a healthy and safe form of transportation, but riding in winter can be a completely different story. Winter weather brings many challenges, such as the cold, snow and ice. However the challenges extend beyond that. Windsor uses salt on its roads, which can cause much more wear and tear on a bicycle than water. Someone preparing to ride for the winter will have to keep an eye on their bike and maintain it often. There are multitudes of different kinds of bicycles, but most can fall in the categories of road bikes, mountain bikes or combinations of the two, called hybrids. Oliver Swainson, an employee and mechanic at City Cyclery, believes knowing your bike is the most important part of winter riding. “It’s because of riding my bike in the winter that I can now ride better in the summer,” said Swainson. “When you ride over ice and snow, it forces you to really learn how to control your bike. You learn to control each and every movement. I was riding in the Via Italia race this summer and my tail went out in a corner, and its only because of the
control I learned from riding in the winter that I corrected myself and kept on racing.” For those with road bikes and hybrids, riders should find the widest tires that their forks, the metal bars that hold the tires in place, will allow. Tires with grooves in them, called knobby, are prefered over smooth, slick tires. Mountain bikes are more equipped to ride in the winter, but if the bike has a suspension system in the fork, it is recommended that the fork be switched out for a rigid one. In particularly icy areas, tires with metal studs will increase traction, but for Windsor’s over-salted streets, this is rarely an issue. Riding with a fixed gear on the bike is another popular option. Fixed gear in simple terms means the pedals are directly connected to the wheels, so if the wheels move, the pedals move. Every subtle movement on the pedals affects motion, and there is no coasting. Because of this, there is more traction, ultimately allowing more control in any situation. Along with fixed gear bicycles, there are several kinds of bicycles that are more specialized for riding in the winter. Here is where the amount of money in your bank account matters. Cyclo-cross is a sport
Photo by Tecumseh MacGuigan Journalism student Kenneth Bullock rides his bike to school on Oct. 31. which specializes in rough riding in all terrains and conditions. While not made exclusively for the winter, those looking to buy a new bike for the winter should seriously consider a cyclo-cross bicycle. you will be looking at a “small” price tag of $1300 for a low end bike like a Fuji Cross 1.3, though the cost can be higher. A Cannondale superx hi-mod starts at $6000 without modifications. Another style suitable for winter is the recently popular fatbike. Fatbikes typically have tires close to 10cm wide and can conquer snow with ease. Due to the rising popularity of fatbikes, prices have been driven down because of
mass production. A Mongoose Beast bicycle can be purchased for less than $200. But a $200 bike is a $200 bike, and someone serious about fatbikes will likely want to splurge on a Surly Moonlander, costing a measly $2400. Riding in the winter doesn’t have to cost that much though. A Supercycle SC1800 from Canadian Tire costs $100 and with proper maintenance and careful riding, anyone can make it through winter. Beyond the bike, what you wear is just as important. A rookie mistake is to overdress. Unlike walking where several layers are required, cycling is more active and will keep the
body warm. A nice wool or synthetic bottom layer with wicking is ideal as it will keep the sweat away. Avoid cotton as it will soak up sweat and keep the sweat on your skin. Your body is going to be warmer than you would expect, so ditch the downfilled jacket and opt for a windbreaker, which will allow some of the cool air to get in and will keep your body temperature from rising too high. Covering your extremities is a high priority. A wool cap under the helmet, thick wool socks, and comfortable gloves with grip will ensure that internal body temperatures never go lower than they need to, and will keep your going strong.
Energy drinks are more popular than ever Christian Bouchard Citizen Staff Reporter With the increase in popularity and availability of energy drinks, the industry is seeing huge growth as more and more young people choose to consume its products. Consumption of these energy drinks can lead to anxiety, headaches, irregular heartbeats and heart attacks. Research shows that many young people are continuing to consume them. Ali Sahmhat, 16, said he believes the consumption of energy drinks has a lot of negative side effects and more people should do their research before drinking them. “I think most people consume energy drinks because they don’t have the time to sleep or relax and they aren’t aware of what energy
drinks actually are and the potential side effects associated with them,” said Samhat. A recent government survey, led by Dr. Steve Suns shows that from 2007 to 2011 the number of emergency department visits in the U.S. caused by energy drinks doubled from 10,068 to 20,783. The data shows that people from ages 18-25 accounted for the largest group of patients by age. Twenty-year-old University of Windsor student, Lauryn Bodde, said she thinks many young people are taking energy drinks to treat depression but forget it is only a temporary solution. “Energy drinks are a temporary solution to boosting energy and that’s why people buy them. However, living a healthy lifestyle is a more long term solution,” said Bodde. According to Health Canada, the level of caffeine in energy can
range anywhere from 50 mg per can to 200 mg per can. The recommended maximum daily intake for most children and teens. Jacqueline Martin is a first year early childhood education student at Fanshawe College. She said most people consume energy drinks because of how easily they can be purchased and consumed. “People still buy energy drinks because just picking up an energy drink and being on their way is less time-consuming than taking the time to exercise,” said Martin. There are many healthy alternatives to energy drinks and caffeine. Alternatives such as sleep, eating apples and drinking water are just a few. Samhat, however, said young people don’t think healthy alternatives are as effective as energy drinks. “When you think of apples your mind associates it to nutrition, not energy. When you think of sleep,
you associate it to exhaustion. When you think water, you associate it to thirst. But energy drinks are associated to energy. Whether that be true or not, that’s how our minds work,” said Samhat. In 2011, researchers at the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity conducted a comprehensive analysis of beverage marketing. The results showed that advertising costs energy drink brands totaled $281.8 million in 2012, an increase of 71 per cent versus 2010. Bodde said it is the consumer’s choice as to whether or not they purchase the product, regardless of the marketing tactics used. “It’s the users decision on whether or not they want to purchase these products and whether they have done the research for themselves on how bad they are,” said Bodde. Television plays the biggest role
in the media’s tactics to attract more people into buying and consuming these drinks according to Samhat. “There tends to be more energy drink advertisements in the evening and late at night, which is usually the time where people get back from work and are exhausted,” said Samhat. “Seeing professional teams advertising energy drinks helps you make the false assumption that energy drinks help you perform better when you’re tired, but truly they don’t.” The problems linked with young people and energy drinks continue to grow. Martin said she would like to get the message about energy drinks danger out to the public. “An increase in public awareness and education about potential harms of these drinks is all I could ask for. The more people who know about the risks, the better,” said Martin.
FEATURE
C
Campaign exceeds expectations Sean Frame Managing Editor
The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County has announced that amount of money raised by their Face to Face campaign this year was more than ever. Hospice Face to Face was launched 12 years ago by the vice-president of St. Clair College John Fairley. The campaign aims to raise around $50,000 in the span of six weeks. Last year they asked 500 people to ask 10 friends for a donation of $10. The campaign was successful and raised more than $55,000. This year, according to Fairley, they decided to be more specific. Transportation for hospice patients cost roughly $10 per patient and they transport around 6,500
rides. Their goal was to raise $65,000, but according to Fairly they far surpassed their goal. “When I heard the number it was just shocking,” said Fairley who also hosts Cogeco’s Face to Face program. “I felt a feeling of gratefulness and reminds me of what charity is all about. Even at their (Hospice) gala, they mentioned that the Hospice Face to Face is one of the major campaigns of the year. It went from something to really something.” Laura Lemmon is the community engagement and event specialist for Hospice. According to Lemmon they had larger companies sponsor their campaign this year, namely Caesar’s Windsor, Windsor Chrysler and
Overseas Motors. The transportation program is almost completely run by volunteers and according to Lemmon most of the drivers use their own vehicles. The money raised will go towards the transportation and other services offered in the wellness centre. “We had a lot of help with the campaign this year, from Fairley who created the campaign and also the volunteers and canvassers who went door to door to raise money on our behalf,” said Lemmon. “We are so excited to announce the total to everyone tomorrow at our wrap up party and start working on a plan for next year.” Face to Face announced on Oct 22 that they raised more than ever with over $70,000.
ONVERGED CITIZEN11 NOVEMBER 6, 2014
Halloween party goers
Photo by Ryan Brough A sold out crowd packed the hangar at St. Clair College on Thursday Oct. 30. for St. Clair’s annual Halloween pub night. It was their largest pub night this year. The event is said to draw the largest crowd of party- goers during the year.
Hornets and ISIS another chapter in history Dan Gray Managing Editor
Sic Itur Ad Astra: such is the pathway to the stars. Canadians have been reaching for those stars with jet powered fighter planes for almost 70 years, from Valiants, Voodoos and Sabres to the aptly named Canuck. The Starfighters, even the doomed Avro Arrow, all paved the way for our winged protectors of today, the Hornet. The powder blue skies of more than a dozen worldwide locations have been split by the presence of silver-winged jets flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force. The current stallion of choice that is jockeyed around the skies and deployed around the world is the CF-188 Hornet. The nation’s Hornets have dotted the skies of Iraq once before. In 1991 their namesakes of a different generation tore through those skies in the Persian Gulf War. Highlights from that campaign include partially damaging a patrol boat with an air-to-air missile. Offensive operations for our Hornets have not always been United Nations-sanctioned. The North American Treaty Organization, of which Canada is a founding member,
chose in March of 1999 to intervene in Kosovo. Four Hornets were among a large armada of strike aircraft determined to push the Serbians out of Kosovo. The eventual deployment of 18 Hornets dropped nearly half a million pounds of munitions in 78 days of aerial bombardment. They were a highly valued asset in the aerial war because of their all-weather bomb dropping capability. The grandiose idea of sticking a pilot into a fighter plane with a jet engine, instead of props, first occurred in Canada inside the Britishdesigned Valiant that was purchased for service in 1948. Canada was unable to provide any jets to the Korean War but 22 RCAF pilots took to the air with the United States Air Force. They flew in support of many operations in for the first time since the end of the Second World War. The pilots danced with primitive Russian fighters and dropped bombs, sometimes in support of Canadian Army divisions on the ground. Larry Milberry is an author and a historian who has written many books on the RCAF and its history. He relates many factual accounts of our nation’s aerial activities in his writings. “Canadians flew against the MIGs in Korea. After that our
big roles were with NORAD with the CF-100s and then the CF-101 Voodoo’s,” said Milberry. “In NATO, we flew Sabres and CF-100’s then the F-104 then finally the CF-18.” The white dove of peace managed to skirt the threats of tactical nuclear weapons and the Cold War. Although many planes and personnel were based in Europe, our nation’s major role was to provide strategic intercept capabilities at home with NORAD. When you ask about RCAF history you are directed to retired lieutenant-colonel Dean Black. His resume includes a masters in war history from the Royal Military College, 30 years of tactical helicopter flying and he is the current executive director of the Air Force Association of Canada. “The problem with Canada is we have a smaller footprint people-wise, and a larger footprint country wise and we happen to be between two arch enemies, the USSR and the United States,” said Black. Protecting our airspace at home has been the job of (NORAD) since 1957. Jet fighter aircraft have zoomed across the skies of our nation with thundering sonic booms chasing suspected and real enemies since NORAD’s inception. Upon the wings of
Photo by Dan Gray Royal Canadian Air Force Spitfire sits atop a pedestal in Jackson Park on Nov. 2. Canucks, Canucks have taken flight. In needing to go faster, higher, and stay there, for longer the Air Force thrust itself into its golden age. The Sabres and Canucks, so revered for being on the cutting edge of technology, soon gave way to the Voodoos and Starfighters. The highlight and darkest moment of the era belonged to the Avro Arrow. Dancing with MIGS and long distance bombers would have been easy for an Arrow. It had the ability to reach higher clouds and slice them at almost twice the speed of sound. For the 1960s it would have been the ultimate air intercept weapon. It wasn’t meant to be and political pressure put an end to the program in 1959. Hornets have also aggres-
sively operated in the skies of Libya and been the armed escort for dozens of civilian aircraft since 9/11.They are currently deployed to Europe once again because of Russian provocations in Ukraine. NORAD has also required the more frequent launch of interceptors to the far north to meet an ever provocative Russian bomber or two. Our fighter planes are now writing another chapter in the storied history of the RCAF. They are slicing through the skies of Iraq supporting Iraqi troops on the ground. Fighting Islamic State in Syria is yet another opportunity for our fighter planes to prove their worth on the front lines of battle. It’s just another step on the pathway to the stars - Sic Itur Ad Astra.
SPORTS
The Saints are back on top
Photo courtesy Shelly. J. Quickll St. Clair College Saints celebrate their championship win Mike Hugall Citizen Staff Reporter
The St. Clair Saints men’s baseball team completed their season with the Ontario University Athletics championship Sunday at Lacasse Park. The men capped off an astounding season going 33-2 overall, leading to their second consecutive dual conference championship. Lead by head coach Dave Cooper and assistant coaches Bernie Labute and Rob Murphy, the Saints won back-to-back games over the Brock Badgers in the final day of the playoffs. “It’s outstanding not only for this team but for our athletics program,” said athletics coordinator Ted Beale. “We are fortunate enough to play against some of the best teams in the province that represent the OUA… I have nothing but positives to say about this team.” Second basemen Ryan Kerstens and catcher Eric Cunningham paved the way for the team’s success by producing a total of 47 hits in 20 games played, both batting above .500 on the season. Kerstens who batted leadoff most of the season for the Saints, was tied for the team lead in runs batted in with 16. Cunningham, who took over for injured catcher Jeff Watkin, led the Saints with a .593 batting average and 34 total bases on the season. “Kerstens has been our leader all year long,” said Labute. “He’s a guy that plays strong up the middle, hits to all sides of the field and is a player for our younger talent to emulate.” The tournament ran from
Oct. 24 – 26 where St. Clair would face off against teams from all across the province. The Saints began the run to the championship with an 11-3 win over the Waterloo Warriors of the OUA. From there the Saints would be forced to regroup the Durham Lords in the semi-finals have to face the team they would eventually meet in the finals The Brock Badgers. “We were excited,” said first year player Casey Boutette. “The guys who have been there before were calm and it kind of brought the team to the same level. We knew we wanted gold.” The saints would be forced to re-group and play Durham College in the semi-finals. The game would be called in the sixth inning due to an 11 mercy rule as St. Clair topped the Lourdes 11-0. The Saints went into the finals needing to win two games in order to re-claim their crown. They would go on to win the first game 3-2 after controlling the Badger’s bats in the late innings. Later on in the day, the Saints would complete the unlikely beating the Badgers 7-5 in the last game of the season. With many players returning next year the Saints and their coaching staff already have the goal of obtaining a third straight championship. “The OUA is an incredible talent, however the talent in the OCAA is being groomed and it’s affecting the overall quality of baseball in Ontario,” said Labute. “We are a very good team, and with that said the surrounding schools are going to have to raise the level of competition to compete with us.”
CONVERGED CITIZEN12 NOVEMBER 6, 2014
The game of hockey Chelsea Lefler Sports Editor A lot of Canadians, from boys and girls, to men and women play hockey, but why hockey? Why does a singular sport, played on ice with sticks and a puck run so deeply in our blood? Where did it come from? Why do we love it so? The first indoor hockey game was played in 1875, when James Creighton a rugby player, created the game. The teams played the game using rugby rules. The players weren’t allowed to pass forward and the goalies weren’t allowed to go on their knees. Hockey is also a mix of shinty, hurley, bandy, lacrosse and a few other sports. The Aboriginals played a similar game called battaway or lacrosse. They would play these games to test each other’s physicality, using sticks and balls. In some of the Aboriginal cultures, games were believed to have supernatural powers and healing properties. Freddie Sasakamoose was the first Aboriginal hockey player in the National Hockey League. He was called up to play 13 games
Photo by Chelsea Lefler LaSalle Vipers’ Nikko Sablone at the Vollmer Recreation Complex in LaSalle with the Chicago Blackhawks. He was born on the Sandy Lake reserve in Saskatchewan in 1933. Sasakamoose made his very first stick out of a red willow and used frozen apples as pucks. Nikko Sablone, Graham Pickard and Nicolas Crescenzi all play for the LaSalle Vipers Junior B hockey team. Sablone is a call up for the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires. “I play hockey because it keeps you in shape and you’re always playing with a good group of guys,” said Pickard. Crescenzi has been play-
ing since he was five and said he fell in love with the game at a young age. “The best part about playing hockey is working hard, playing hard as a team,” said Pickard. “The team atmosphere. And being able to play and win as a team makes winning that much better.” Sablone said he plays hockey because of the love of the game. He got involved with hockey at a young age and said because of that, you fall in love with the sport. Sablone explained that you build bonds and create friendships over the years and that’s one of the best parts.
LaSalle Vipers comeback Chelsea Lefler Sports Editor On Wednesday Oct. 29, the LaSalle Vipers came back winning 3-2 against the Strathroy Rockets at the Vollmer Recreation Complex in LaSalle. The Vipers were losing 2-1, with only one goal from Brett Primeau, but the Vipers made a comeback with two goals from Brett Primeau, giving him his first Junior B hat-trick. “It feels good I felt like I got a lot of chances today and I found the puck just came to me a lot so it was good to get three goals and to get the win.” said Primeau The Vipers won the game but possibly lost two more players to injuries. It is still unknown if forward Tyler Russell and defenceman Nick Gauvin were left with injuries or not. They both received
Photo by Chelsea Lefler LaSalle Vipers Brett Primeau scoring the teams first goal of the game Oct, 29 at the Vollmer Recreation Complex. head checks in the game, Russell continued to play, but Gauvin had to leave the ice. “It was a really group effort to find a way to come back two points. I don’t think we deserved that win. I thought Strathroy played an excellent game but throughout the course of the year you going to win games you might not deserve and vice versa,” said Bill Bowler head coach of the
Vipers. “So let’s just take the win and hopefully build on. Brett Primeau had a real strong game. He was obviously the difference for our hockey club. Brett has been doing it all year and we kind of expect that now of him so hopefully tomorrow night some of our other guys will with the puck in.” The Vipers next home game is Wednesday Nov. 5, for their Remembrance Day game.