VOLUME 1 ISSUE 4
WWW.THEMEDIAPLEX.COM
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018
News
News
Election Results
News
Find out what happens to K-9s now that weed is legalized, Page 2.
Windsor hosts a walk aiming to combat modern day slavery, Page 4.
Take a look at who won this year’s municipal election, Page 8.
Windsor crime rates rise again and Crimestoppers aims to help, Page 6.
FABRICIO RIVERA/MediaPlex Examiner
Windsor’s annual firework display that attracts thousands being showed on the river front.
Walk through Windsor
Often over looked by passing travelers, Windsor is a hidden gem. Filled with rich historic landmarks, museums, great entertainment, world class fishing and is also known for its local pizzerias. If you dig deeper, you will see Windsor was a hub for African Americans escaping slavery during the civil war era and a the mass producer of whiskey during prohibition days. Throughout the year Windsor is host to several major events attracting thousands of people events include. The Windsor International Film Festival and Detroit Ford firework display, Ribfest and Caesars Windsor for world class enter-
tainment. In addition, Windsor is now host to the annual ComiCon. Amidst all the major events and attractions the city hosts, there are local hot spots and walking tours. Kevin Blondin is a hometown tourist and a travel and tourism graduate who works in communication. He knows the scoop on things to do in the city from events and local activities. “For free things to see and do and cheap things I would recommend a walking tour through Ford city because I feel like Ford City is growing a lot of character. There’s a lot of murals you can see, they also have the Grand Cantina that just opened, very awesome for margaritas and burgers you can check out DiFazios shop and also Merchrunners I feel like there’s a lot of good
breweries that just opened up in the city,” Blondin said. Eugenio Mendoza is a local artist and night club promoter who guides locals and out of towners to the hotspots in the downtown area and has been doing it for two years. Mendoza has a few top picks. “The river 100 per cent number one, Walkerville absolutely number two, Willistead Park if you were just to walk in that entire area. It’s so historical and the architecture is incredible you would love it,” said Mendoza. “And downtown of course. But then you need to look at the more hidden gems like Sandwich Town and even if it’s a three block radius that you’re taking a walk, it’s a good 20 minutes segment and you don’t need too much for
something to be impressive.” Mendoza said he believes it is important to experience Windsor from multiple forms of transportation to get a better feel of the city. “It’s important to walk a city not just drive it because you’ll get two different completely perspectives. The big win for Windsor you can drive one end of town to the other in 20 minutes no traffic so you can do four, five different events in Windsor in a day.” Said Mendoza Even though Windsor is not a major city filled with glitz and glamour, it is still filled with little areas that are enriched with history, art and culture.
Entertainment
Halloween
Sports
Behind the Lens
Are Walt Disney live action remakes worth the watch?, Page 16.
Stay safe while wearing your costume on this Halloween, Page 11.
Canadian basketball is on the rise. See why this sport is growing, Page 15.
Take a look at what is happening in Windsor this past week, Page 13.
By Fabricio Rivera MediaPlex Examiner Staff
See ECONOMY Page 2
LOCAL NEWS PAGE 2
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Sgt. Rob Wilson poses with his K-9 partner,Vegas.
Dogs without jobs By Cassidy McNea
MediaPlex Examiner Staff
According to economists, the legalization of cannabis may be creating jobs for people but it is also putting some drug sniffing dogs out of work. The RCMP website shows there are 170 dog teams from the K-9 unit across Canada. Many have been trained to detect the scent of cannabis which is now a legalized drug as of Oct.17. In fact, these canines are usually trained to smell a variety of illicit drugs and substances, some of which include cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines and ecstasy.
As reported by CTV, 14 RCMP dogs trained to sniff cannabis were retired from the force to make way for new puppies to be trained with weed excluded from their palate. In Windsor, there are five dogs in the K-9 unit and three are trained to smell cannabis. By the end of this year, two of those dogs will be retiring. Sgt. Rob Wilson, who has worked in the canine unit for the past 14 years at the Windsor Police Service, said the new dogs coming in will not be trained to smell marijuana. “It’s like cigarettes. We don’t train our dogs to look for tobacco so it will be the same thing for marijuana,” said Wilson. “Our dogs will not be trained on marijuana because now it is legal.” K-9 dogs are most often pure bred German shepherds, trained from the age of one
PATTI PASTORIUS/Submitted
year. It can take 17 weeks to train them and on average costs $60,000 for training and $1,000 yearly to maintain them. They retire at age eight. In Windsor, obtaining a puppy can cost $10,000 and training takes place in house which, Wilson says, helps to cut down on cost. According to the RCMP website, it takes a dog around three minutes to search a car and they can work up to four hours with rest intervals. If they find something, they signal to a police officer by sitting and staring at the location where they detected an odour. This is called passive training and the signal is the same for all drugs. “Their noses are absolutely amazing. I always say ‘I wish I had a nose like a dog’ but other times I think I wouldn’t want to smell what the dog is smell-
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018
ing all the time,” said Wilson. “There are so many receptors in their nose and their nose is 100 times more powerful than a human’s nose and the things it can smell, just minute quantities of whatever they are detecting is unbelievable.” But some dogs are unaffected by this new law, including the ones monitoring the border. Since weed is still illegal to take across the border, a representative from the Canadian Border Services Agency said they will keep their dogs. Some RCMP dogs will be given to the U.S. where cannabis is still illegal under federal law and general service canines, currently trained to smell cannabis, will still be deployed by the RCMP. In 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled drug sniffing dogs can be used without a warrant as long as reasonable grounds exist. Dogs trained before legalization still working in the field could potentially stop people carrying legal cannabis. Ken Marley, a criminal defense lawyer, said if a dog does not discern between drugs and indicates one and it turns out to be legal it could cause issues. “Just because a dog indicates on somebody, does that give them grounds now to search them? I don’t think it does,” said Marley. “Unless a dog is going to indicate only for cocaine or some uncontrolled substance besides marijuana, I think that is a real problem.” In an interview with Daily Hive, RCMP representative Caroline Nadeau said retired dogs will not be released for public adoption. “Handlers usually keep their retiring dogs as pets,” said Nadeau. “If that is not possible, handlers will make sure they send their dogs to a home they know personally and know to be caring towards animals.” Wilson plans on keeping his canine partner, Vegas, when he retires. At home he also has his former crime fighting dog, Quincy. He said most officers keep their dogs and he has only ever heard of one giving theirs up for adoption. “We’ve been partners for over eight years,” said Wilson. “He’ll be definitely staying with me.”
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018
RYAN PERCY/MediaPlex Examiner Vicky Morrison, 42, has over 200 cows at her farm. She says the tag system for monitoring the cattle’s life has helped increase transparency in Canadian dairy trade.
Is rbST just a really big scary term? By Ryan Percy
MediaPlex Examiner Staff
Canadians are being told to relax and have a glass of milk, whether it comes from Canada or the United States. The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement is expected to give the United States access to up to 3.6 per cent of Canada’s dairy market. This has led to concerns for some Canadians due to the presence of rbST in American dairy. Recombinant bovine somatotropin is an artificial version of bST. It may also be called rbGH or recombinant bovine growth hormone. Concerns have been raised particularly over the fact rbST is not available to Canadian dairy farmers. This means rbST dairy may be imported to Canada. However, many do not understand why it is not allowed in Canada. A 1999 study, conducted by an expert panel of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada about the safety of rbST consumption in humans, shows there was no biologically plausible reason found for concern about human safety if rbST were to be approved for sale in Canada. The only exception they found was a small chance of an immune response to high dosages of rbST. However, the panel said these kinds of reactions would oc-
cur with naturally produced bST, as well as the artificially rbST. Dairy farmer Vicky Morrison has been around cows for 42 years and is currently chair of the Essex-Kent Dairy Producers’ Committee. She started her dairy career in Ireland before coming to Woodstock in 2007 and moved to her current farm in Essex in 2013. She said compared to the United States, the Canadian government has taken more proactive steps to look after livestock. “We have stricter regulations for somatic cell count, we cannot use rBST and we have stricter regulations for welfare. All of those things, as far as the consumer is concerned, means the animals in Canada are better cared for,” said Morrison In 1998 the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association studied the impact of rbST on cows. In cows which have only given birth once, an injection of rbST lead to them producing roughly 11 per cent more milk, cows that have given birth more than once saw an almost 16 per cent increase in their milk. Cows given rbST produced milk which contained a very small increase in both protein and butterfat content. However, the cows were found to be approximately 25 per cent more likely to develop mastitis, a disease which can lead to the
udders going gangrenous. Further, cows had an approximately 50 per cent increase in risk of clinical lameness and their risk of non-pregnancy increased. Finally, the cows would see a deterioration of health since increased milk production was not met by an equal increase in food intake. The rbST’s lack of approval for use in Canadian dairies is for the well being of the cows. Allison Miller is the communications manager for the Michigan Milk Producers Association and said some American dairies are taking the same path as Canada. “The drug is not used on any herds in the Michigan Milk Producers Association,” Miller said. “In our dairy cooperative, which is a farmer-owned by members in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin, all farms are required to produce milk free from rBST since 2007.” The Canadian Food Inspection Agency does not test for rbST because previous studies show it is safe to consume. They do check for all other kinds of nasty things possibly hidden inside dairy coming to Canada. Daniel Burgoyne, 51, grew up on a farm, worked for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and is now the national manager of food imports for the Canadian Food Inspec-
tion Agency. He said if defects are found in the produce CFIA agents look through, the importer has two options: return it or destroy it. There are no fines as the importer having to destroy produce is punishment enough. “If you were to put yourself in the shoes of the importer nobody would want to spend money bringing the product to Canada and the product is not good,” Burboyne said. “If you want to sell cheese directly to consumers and you are importing a product that continues to be not in compliance, you have nothing to sell to anybody. The industry does not keep importing products that give them a bad reputation.” If Canadian consumers still do not want to use products with rbST they have two options. If they do decide to buy the imported U.S. milk they can look for labels saying the product is either rbST or rbGH free. They also have the option of buying Canadian milk, looking for the white and blue “100% Canadian Milk” logo or the new “Dairy Farmers of Canada Quality Milk” logo which is eventually replacing the other one entirely. Canadians will know the milk they are drinking, cheese they are melting or ice cream they are eating is coming from a cow free of rbST.
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018
TAMAS MIKO/MediaPlex Examiner Constable Cealia Gagnon from Windsor Police Services at the A21 Walk for Freedom with Pascale Colucci.
Walk for Freedom combats modern-day slavery By Tamas Miko
MediaPlex Examiner Staff
Residents of Windsor-Essex County joined the freedom walk to raise awareness on a global issue that is also happening in the community. Over 100 people from the community participated in the A21 Walk for Freedom event for fundraising and to raise awareness. The walk started at Dieppe Gardens on the Riverside Drive at 10 a.m. The non-profit organization called A21 is determined to stop human trafficking by raising awareness, through interventions and aftercare. A21 is currently operating in 14 countries and aims to combat modern-day slavery through a variety of strategies such as reach, rescue and restore. Modern-day slavery is a $150 billion industry and only one per cent of the victims are rescued. According to Statistics Canada, in 2016 Canadi-
an police services reported 340 incidents of human trafficking. Between 2009 and 2016 there were 1,220 reported incidents by police services across Canada. Victims often cannot reach out for help for reasons such as the victims are in a physically, socially vulnerable position. Physical or psychological techniques used to intimidate victims are to increase the sense of isolation and dependence by removal of forms of identification or threatening family members. Walk for Freedom was hosted by a group of local business women-Pascale Colucci, Abigail Page VanHoren and Julia Welch. Other agencies and community partners were present such as Windsor Life centre, WEFiGHT, Youth Diversion, Windsor, LaSalle Police Services and Ontario Provincial Police. “I had vivid dreams where in my dreams I’ll be rescuing victims out of trafficking,” said Co-
lucci. “This is how this whole passion and desire to being involved in human trafficking got birth.” Colucci was hosting the event and said she was planning it over the last two years. She said this is the first time they have organized the A21 Freedom Walk in Windsor. The A21 was launched 10 years ago and it is a new global event each year. Colucci said she was contented with the first results of the walk. “We are so proud to be hosting the fist walk ever in our city,” said Colucci. Colucci said she wants to continue educating the community about this global issue. She said people are more than welcome to join A21 and also teach others. According to Colucci, she plans another walk next year hoping more people will join the event. “Next year will be the second walk and hoping it will be bigger than this year,” said Colucci. Constable Cealia Gagnon
from Windsor Police Services was also present and supported the event. She said services are available for people whether it is sex or labour trafficking. Gagnon said human trafficking is happening in the community and people should be aware of this problem. Victims often stay silent and they do not want to come forward to talk about it. “We should raise awareness like this because it is happening and it is here,” said Gagnon. Gagnon said it can happen to youth and adults in the sex trade or in the labour force. According to Gagnon, it is good to know about modern-day slavery in the community. “It is good to support it locally,” she said Gagnon also said people who are able to reach for help should call 311 because services are available for them. “Make sure you report and reach out because we are here to help,” said Gagnon.
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MADELINE MAZAK/MediaPlex Examiner Pascale Colucci (left) and Jennifer Devoe (right) lead Windsor’s first Walk for Freedom Saturday morning to raise awareness of human trafficking.
was the first time Windsor took part in a global demonstration started in 2014 by A21, a non-governmental, non-profit organization. People wore shirts that said “Abolish Slavery with Each Step” and carried signs that said phrases including “Slavery Still Exists.” “It means the world to me to be here today. For so many years I didn’t have a voice. I get to walk in freedom now. I never thought I would be able to do this,” said Jennifer By Madeline Mazak Devoe, a survivor of sex-trafMediaPlex Examiner Staff ficking. A Cape Breton, N.S. native, Silence blanketed Dieppe Devoe arrived in Windsor two Gardens Saturday morning as a survivor of human traf- years ago after escaping 21 ficking shared her harrowing years of human trafficking. The crowd was silent as testimony at Windsor’s first Devoe bared the painful deWalk for Freedom. A crowd of 116 walked in tails of her experience. They a single-file line along Wind- applauded her in encoursor’s riverside to raise aware- agement when she faltered. ness of human trafficking. It She did not hold back in her account, detailing what hap-
Survivor of human trafficking walks in freedom
pened from the day she met her pimp to the day she escaped. She said it took her two years to realize she was being trafficked. “My pimp gave me everything that I didn’t have,” said Devoe. “That didn’t last long. All of that was taken away from me within two years. At that point I was stuck and I couldn’t get out. He had my visa, my phone. I needed him for absolutely everything. I was prostituted all over Canada. I was branded with their name on my neck.” Devoe said the abuse progressed to her being locked in a basement where she slept on a gravel floor with only a blanket in the winter. She said this was her lowest point and prayed to escape. Soon after, her addiction counsellor put her in contact with Dr. Laura Whyte, co-founder of The Hope Project, a live-
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 in recovery home for women in Cape Breton. Within three days she was on a plane to Windsor where she spent one year in recovery at Windsor Life Center. “There has to be more awareness,” said Devoe. “People don’t want to believe that human trafficking is going on in their own town. It’s an epidemic and it’s across Canada.” Pascale Colucci, Walk for Freedom event organizer and team spokesperson, said she hopes victims of human trafficking will hear about the walk and seek help. “We are here,” said Colucci. “Our eyes and ears are open. We will do what we can as a community to help.” Devoe said she believes that there will be victims who reach out. She said it is important to do more events as a community such as the Walk for Freedom so victims know help is there for them. She said it is hard to walk away from that life without people who will walk with you and support you. “Back in Cape Breton, people knew what was going on and they turned away from it. They didn’t want to face it,” said Devoe. “I would’ve wanted them to ask me. If someone would have asked maybe things would have been different.” Colucci said she wants to encourage people to be a friend to somebody who doesn’t have support. Friendship could be the difference in preventing someone from being trafficked. Colucci said she is ready to begin organizing Windsor’s next Walk for Freedom in 2019. “We’re going to keep walking until every person is free,” said Colucci. Today, Devoe works to mentor women with addiction and spread awareness of human trafficking by sharing her story. She said Windsor could benefit from an after-care program for victims of human trafficking and is making it her goal to start one. She said she never imagined that she would be free after 21 years of human trafficking. She said she hopes by sharing her testimony she can give hope to women who are in similar situations. I’m living a normal life without my head buried in shame,” said Devoe. “I walk here and I’m just Jen, who I’ve always wanted to be—just Jen.”
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018
EMMA BUTLER/MediaPlex Examiner
Volunteers participate in TD Tree Day
TD volunteers spruce up Little River By Emma Butler
MediaPlex Examiner Staff
The Little River Corridor has 300 more native trees thanks to TD members and volunteers. On Oct. 20 about 100 people participated in TD’s fall tree planting. TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (FEF) is a national charity that helps fund environmental projects in local areas. Windsor’s branch has been doing tree days for more than 20 years. Other organizations who showed their support for this event were the Essex Region Conservation Authority, the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup, Caesars Windsor and the Little River Enhancement Group.
TD Tree Day is a contributor to The Ready Commitment with a goal of planting one million trees by 2030. Since 2010, TD has planted over 300,000 trees and shrubs all across Canada. Tracy Sansom has been a branch manager for 26 years with TD Canada Trust and is a member of TD FEF. She was the one of the members who organized the event. Sansom said all the money donated to the branches are used for local projects, TD Canada Trust also covers any cost incurred. “This is a really good turnout. In different years we get different numbers of people and they give us different numbers of trees. Within a couple of hours
they’ll be planted,” said Sansom. “It’s all about planting the trees. There was about 100 people who registered today.” The Essex Region Conservation Authority provided the trees. Some of the trees being planted are red maple, American sycamore, borrow, oak, red oak, swamp white oak and hackberry, which are ideal for wetland areas. Event coordinator was Gina Panuzio who was eager to see more trees being planted. “Essex County could use more trees. We have a goal across the region to have 12 per cent forest coverage. Anytime we do this with the community it’s a really great way to get people out into
nature, learning about trees and having leadership in the community for helping all these organizations working together to reach that goal,” said Panuzio. Lucy Seidl, a TD member was there with her 13-year-old son, Ryan. “I think it’s great. It’s helping the environment and also for Ryan to get his hours,” said Lucy. “I’m here to get my volunteer hours for school. I need 40 hours before the end of my high school career,” said Ryan. If you would like to be apart of this project, TD does these events all across Canada. The next tree planting is in Leamington.
Windsor crime rates are on the rise By Precious Alasa
MediaPlex Examiner Staff
The Crime rate in Windsor is on the rise. More than 200 more crimes occurred in 2017 compared to 2016. Windsor’s increased crime rate is becoming a concern for the city. According to the Windsor Police Service Yearly Crime Clock, over the past year, total violations against people increased by 52 incidences and total violations against property increased by 89.5 per cent. In order to ensure that criminals are brought to justice, the police are partnering with the civilian operated Crime Stoppers Program. Crime Stoppers is a charitable program that allows members of
the community an opportunity to provide anonymous information to help police solve crimes. The program has been in Windsor since 1985 and is a national and international program that offer cash rewards to whoever provides tips that are helpful to the police. “Crime Stoppers is very unique for three different reasons. The members of the community can call our program or submit a tip online and remain completely anonymous. In addition, they will never have to attend court for the information they provide if it leads to an arrest and if their tip is helpful in solving a case or crime we also offer cash rewards,” said Const. Kristina Gilboe. Gilboe, who has been a pice coordinator for over a year in the
program, said they get roughly 200 tips a month, especially when a major crime hits the radio or media. According to Gilboe, the rise in crime is mostly caused by the drug culture. Creating awareness, educating the people and community involvement would help reduce crime. “We always encourage people to go to the police and provide a statement if they do have information. If they are not comfortable doing that then they have the opportunity to report it with us and remain anonymous,” said Gilboe. Luis Mendez opened True Fitness in August 2017 on Ouellette Avenue and has since noticed the increase in break-ins in the city. “I think there are crimes that oc-
cur, especially in the downtown core and that have been happening in the Windsor area and are drug related,” said Mendez. Mendez says he believes, people commit petty theft to pay for their drug habit. “I think there should be more funding, especially from our provincial government. The City of Windsor needs to fund more money into our policing. We should be having more foot traffic in the downtown core,” said Mendez. Mandez thinks the police should be given the right to search and ask people questions if they look suspicious. “We shouldn’t be waiting until crimes occur for police officers to be able to stop them,” said Mendez.
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018
MATT FLOOD/MediaPlex Examiner Mayor Drew Dilkens speaks at the live result viewing shortly after winning the election.
Windsor elects municipal government By Matt Flood
MediaPlex Examiner Staff
Windsorites made their voices known as they elected their new municipal government Oct. 22. Voters hit the streets across Ontario to vote for mayors, councillors and school board trustees. The 103 polling stations throughout Windsor received voters and after the polls closed at 8 p.m. were revealed live online. A live result viewing event was hosted at the St. Clair College Centre for The Arts in the Skyline Room where many voters and candidates were present. Incumbent Drew Dilkens won the mayor’s race with 59.4 per cent of the vote and runner-up Matt Marchand finished with 35.5 per cent, a winning margin of 23.9 per cent. Ernie Lamont
received 2.1 per cent while both Tom Hensel and Frank Dyck received 1.5 per cent. Dilkens spoke to the crowd at the SCCA shortly after the results became clear. “We had a campaign where we got to share ideas, we got to share experience and we got to share visions for the city that we each love and that we call home and tonight, you have spoken,” said Dilkens. “I want to thank you for allowing me to continue moving Windsor forward.” Like Dilken’s seat, many on city council were reclaimed by their incumbent candidates, with the exception of four wards. The new councillors are Fabio Costante in Ward 2, Gary Kaschak in Ward 8, Kieran McKenzie in Ward 9 and Jim Morrison in Ward 10. All new councillors defeated their incumbent
opponents with the exception of Gary Kaschak, as former councillor Bill Marra elected not to run. For school board trustees, many new faces haven won seats alongside incumbents. On the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School board there are three new faces while all other incumbents were re-elected. Tony Polifroni won the trustee seat for Wards 2 and 9, Kim Bouchard won the seat for Wards 6 and 7. Half of the candidates elected on the Greater Essex County District School Board includes Linda Qin for Wards 1, 2 and 9, Sarah Cipkar for Wards 3, 4 and 10 and Cathy Cooke for Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8. Despite many incumbents being re-elected across the board, some voters were disappointed their wards did not elect new of-
ficials. “I’m disappointed the person I voted for did not win because I really don’t see the current councillor doing anything in my ward and the person I voted for came door to door every day,” said university student Colin Zorzit. “I had a great conversation with her, so I’m disappointed but that’s the way it goes.” Zorzit said he hopes Windsor’s municipal government can work together moving forward and argue less, a similar view of retired engineer Dale Brown. “I’m hoping the council will be more evenly balanced so that we’ll have some good discussion and more balanced decision making,” said Brown. The elected representatives will begin their terms Dec. 1.
ELECTION RESULTS PAGE 8
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County Results: Mayors Tecumseh Joe Bachetti Lakeshore Tom Bain Essex Larry Snively Leamington Hilda MacDonald Goderich John Grace Amherstburg Aldo Dicarlo Sarnia Mike Bradley Chatham-Kent Darrin Canniff Kingsville Nelson Santos
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018
Windsor Results Mayor
Drew Dilkens*: 59.4 per cent (31,201 votes). Matt Marchand: 35.5 per cent (18,626 votes).
Ward 1 Fred Francis*: 52.9 per cent (3,507 votes). Darcie Renaud: 32.7 per cent (2,167 votes).
Ward 2 Fabio Costante: 56.9 per cent (2,139 votes). John Elliott*: 43.1 per cent (1,623 votes).
Ward 3 Rino Bortolin*: 72.2 per cent (2,710 votes). Helmi Charif: 18.4 per cent (690 votes).
Ward 4 Chris Holt*: 79.5 per cent (4,407 votes). Janice Campbell: 20.5 per cent (1,138 votes).
Ward 5 Ed Sleiman*: 52.7 per cent (2,294 votes). Joey Wright: 30.8 per cent (1,341 votes).
Ward 6 Jo-Anne Gignac*: 50.3 per cent (3,709 votes). Jeff Denomme: 36.3 per cent (2,682 votes).
Ward 7 Irek Kusmierczyk*: 69.9 per cent (4,745 votes). Angelo Marignani: 14.5 per cent (982 votes).
Ward 8 Gary Kaschak: 24 per cent (932 votes). David Sundin: 21.4 per cent (832 votes).
Ward 9 Kieran McKenzie: 64 per cent (3,178 votes). Hilary Payne*: 19.8 per cent (985 votes).
Ward 10 Jim Morrison: 29 per cent (1,499 votes). Paul Borrelli*: 24.2 per cent (1,249 votes).
LIFESTYLE / HEALTH PAGE 10
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018
A future with fresher foodbanks Lauren O’Brien Mediaplex Examiner Farmers in Windsor and Essex County say food banks need to promote healthier eating. Lesley Labbe is the primary farmer at Our Farm Organics, located just outside of Cottam, Ont. As one of Windsor and Essex County’s first certified organic market farms, OFC has donated to multiple food banks in Windsor and Essex County. Labbe said people are less likely to take fresh produce from the foodbank. “A lot of people don’t know how to cook fresh food anymore. They won’t take our lettuce or anything like that. They’ll only take non-perishables like potatoes and sweet potatoes, things that can sit on a shelf for a week without going bad,” Labbe said. “Do they need it? Yes. But (the banks) are telling us people don’t always generally take it. They’ll take the canned things before a butternut squash.” The Downtown Mission’s food bank is working on changing this, according to its director of food services, Laurie Musson. Since Musson began working at the food bank six years ago, she has worked on developing
a fresh program and educating people about fresh food. “We get a lot of fresh produce, but people tend to want the cans because it’s what they’re used to,” said Musson. “So we’ve been trying to have little cooking classes to show them how to cook. We had many people who didn’t know what a spaghetti squash is, let alone how to cook it.” Last September, the food bank took over the Fireman’s Bar & Grill on Dufferin Place and turned it into a storage warehouse. This building has given them access to a large cooler and two walk-in freezers. In attempt to be more conscious about how to not lose food, Musson said they are hoping to add a kitchen into the space. “If we get so many tomatoes and we can’t possibly give them away, we’re going to start making sauce out of them,” said Musson. “Tomato sauce is something we give out a lot of and we run out of often. We can make it, bag it and freeze it. We’ll keep supplying ourselves.” Katrina Wagner is a manager at Wagner Orchards & Estate Winery. Since opening in the 1980s, the owners have donated
MIRANDA MONAHAN/MediaPlex Examiner A screenshot of the online brochure for the Walkerville Heritage Walking Tour, showing the first loop of the tour.
Touring by foot
tours, including the Walkerville Heritage Walking Tour, the Sandwich Heritage WalkWindsorites and visitors can ing Tour and tours of the tour the city on foot, through sculpture garden at the Art the walking tours Windsor Gallery of Windsor. The tours has to offer. are put on by Museum WindWindsor has three walking sor, and the tour season beMiranda Monahan
Mediaplex Examiner
LAUREN O’BRIEN/MediaPlex Examiner Lesley Labbe of Our Farm Organics selling her produce at the Downtown Windsor Farmers Market.
to food banks on several occasions. Most recently, they took some of their fresh meat to the Downtown Mission. “When you’re in elementary school and think about donating to a food bank, it’s always a can drive. It’s never a fundraiser where you go out and buy meat. So I don’t think it’s something people think of,” Wagner said. “When you think of what you eat, people need protein.” The Windsor Essex Food Bank Association consists of 15 local food banks. According to the WEFBA website, area food banks are currently in need of peanut butter, cereal, beans with pork, childrens snacks, dried foods, baking products
and more. In the future, Wagner said she thinks it would be interesting to see some educational statistics about what is donated. “I know there’s always food calls around the holidays, like Christmas, saying they need to feed people. But it would be cool to see, out of all the stuff they get, this is the percentage of fresh meat and vegetables,” said Wagner. Anyone who is interested in donating can drop off donations at the Unemployed Help Centre of Windsor Inc. They also accept cheques and cash to purchase food in need. For additional information and assistance call 211.
gins in late April. The Walkerville Heritage Walking Tour takes visitors to over 40 different locations including Hiram Walker’s semi-detached houses, the Walkerville Brewery, Walkerville Collegiate Institute and the Low-Martin House. The tour takes approximately two hours to complete. The Sandwich Heritage Walking Tour takes visitors to well-known locations in one of Windsor’s original neighborhoods, including Assumption Church, Assumption College, Dillon Hall and Assumption Cemetery. “Sandwich we launched this year and Walkerville we launched last year,” said Kristina Tang, acting heritage planner for the City of Windsor. Locations on the tours are chosen through public input and museum staff determine which places have stories they can tell the public. Some
locations are also listed on the municipal heritage registry. Matthew Pritchard is the education and programming coordinator for Museum Windsor. “The Sandwich Tour was started with the Heritage Planning Office working with Museum Windsor to create an walking tour app. Museum Windsor also offers in-person tours. The first neighbourhood walking tour Museum Windsor conducted, in recent history, was the South Walkerville Great War Street Sign Tour in April 2017,” said Pritchard. “Museum Windsor has offered an art cart and walking tours of the sculpture garden for about a decade.” Amherstburg used to have the popular Spirits of Amherstburg Ghost Walk, which the organizer no longer runs.
If anyone is interested in going on the walking tours offered in Windsor, more
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international boundary right now in Windsor,” said Pandya. According to Hindu scriptures, Diwali signifies the spiritual victory of light over darkness and good over evil. India, which has 29 states, seven union territories, 23 languages and a population of 1.2 billion people, represents a wide diversity. Diwali is celebrated in almost all of these states by chanting prayers, burning crackers and exchanging gifts and sweets among households. In Windsor, the festival is attended by hundreds of people and the same traditions are followed including cultural programs, idol worshiping, chanting prayers, burning crackers and sharing a holistic environment. “On the actual Diwali day we do some kind of a spiritual activity, for example Laxmi Puja. Also people are coming over here to chant a devotional song. We run a multi-fed group in Windsor so we invite all the multi-fed group people,” said Paresh Pandya. The cultural festival, attended by 1,500 devotees last year, is aiming to include international students this year who feel homesick for being so far away from their country, said Pandya. “This year we are preparing for international students in Windsor. We are expecting
2,000 devotees and more and more international students are coming over here because of the homesickness…so they feel a homely atmosphere in the Windsor Temple,” said Pandya. The local population has grown by 3,400 people this year, largely as a result of St. Clair College’s growing enrollment from other countries. This festival will be one more opportunity for new Windsorites to celebrate with the community. The temple is also expecting volunteers from St. Clair College, University of Windsor and different high schools in the city to help with the community service during the festival. “In Windsor I’ve planned to go to a temple. Because my family is not here, I will get someone else’s company to celebrate Diwali,” said Jaspreet Singh Gill, an international student at St. Clair College. Preparation for the festival continues for almost a month and includes various fundraiser events to raise money for the costs incurred by the festival. This includes dinner service during the festival and various other cultural functions. People who donate more than $1,000 become a member of the temple and get a capsule carved with their name placed on the dome of the temple.
31, families and friends will spend the night wearing costumes and trick-or-treating or taking part in other activities. However, careful thought should be given when coming up with a costume in order to prevent getting in trouble. Andria Dyer, 38, is a constable with Chatham-Kent Police Service. Dyer said police expect more calls for service on Halloween and some of those reasons are based on costumes. Chatham-Kent Police Service received calls last year about people in clown costumes scaring people. OthEMMA SCOTT/submitted er calls related to costumes A screenshot of the online brochure for the Walkerville Heritage Walking Tour, came from concerns about showing the first loop of the tour. prop weapons which were mistaken to be real. “If you think twice about your costume, it’s probably a bad idea,” said Dyer. “I always say, if you don’t think your actions would be okay for your grandmother then Kristian Beaudoin ers are offering tips on how don’t do or say it in public.” Emma Scott, 19, is a student Mediaplex Examiner to dress safely and be safe for in the St.Clair College fashion Halloween. Police and costume designWith Halloween coming Oct. design technician program. Scott has an interest in design-
ing clothing and uses those skills to make unique Halloween costumes every year. Due to experience with Halloween and other costume-related events, Scott is mindful of how she makes her costumes. “When you make your props, don’t use hard materials that could be considered dangerous in any circumstance, like sharp objects and metals,” said Scott. “Use wood, foam and plastics to make them and they will turn out just as good.” Another thing to consider is making sure costumes are visible in the dark to avoid accidents with people and vehicles. Dyer said to avoid wearing masks in stores or restaurants and do not trespass on property in order to take shortcuts. “Be smart about your choices and if police do become involved, be sure to cooperate and identify yourself,” said Dyer. “As long as you aren’t doing anything wrong then you should be able to enjoy the season.”
SUBMITTED Paresh Pandya, priest at the Hindu Temple of Windsor, talks about Diwali arrangements this year.
The festival of light brings diversity Trisha Kundu Mediaplex Examiner
Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, will be welcoming the diverse community of Windsor this year including Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians on Nov. 24. The festival commemorates the victory of Lord Rama over evil King Ravana more than
6000 years ago. Diwali has been celebrated in Windsor for more than 30 years and is not inhibited by religion or community, according to Paresh Pandya, priest at Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Windsor. “Some of the other devotees participate from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. So our boundaries are not limited boundaries, it’s kind of an
How to dress safely for Halloween
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Windsor held its first Walk for Freedom this past Saturday. MADELINE MAZAK/MediaPlex Examiner
Walk for Freedom is a global demonstration to raise awareness of human trafficking.
On her dairy farm, Vicky Morrison has over 200 cows
RYAN PERCY/MediaPlex Examiner
MADELINE MAZAK/MediaPlex Examiner
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MATT FLOOD/MediaPlex Examiner
St. Clair College held their annual Halloween Pub at the Student Life Center
St. Marys Lincolns vs Leamington Flyers on September 13th
FABRICIO RIVERA/MediaPlex Examiner
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KENNETH PASTUSHYN/Mediaplex Examiner Danielle McLaughlin and Lizz Dalla Bona, aka Princess Bust-Her-Up and Queen ElizaDeath are members of the Border City Brawlers, Windsor’s female roller derby team and they were at the Rock Bottom Bar and Grill for one of their Derby 101 nights
Border City Brawlers at the Rock Bottom Bar and Grill By Kenneth Pastushyn Mediaplex Examiner Staff Windsor’s roller derby team is looking for new recruits. The Border City Brawlers women’s roller derby team were at the Rock Bottom Bar and Grill on Oct. 19, hoping to recruit more players. Women who were new to the sport learned about the Brawlers participating in upcoming scrimmages in Michigan, like the Black and Blue event over the Black Friday weekend, the Jingle Brawl in December and the monthly Bruisy Tuesdays. They learned about friendly rivalries in league play with other Michigan teams, like the Lansing Derby Vixens, the Ypsilanti Vigilantes and
the Motor City Disassembly Line. “It’s the most exciting hour of your life,” said Danielle McLaughlin, one of the Brawlers, nicknamed Princess Bust-Her-Up. Each league game has two 30-minute periods consisting of multiple two-minute laps around the flat track known as jams. On the track there are five members from each team. Four are blockers and one is the jammer. The objective for the jammer is to pass the blockers. Every time a jammer passes the opposing blockers hips their team gets a point. “There is no better feeling than being a jammer and breaking through the pack,” said Lizz Dalla Bona, another
Brawler, nicknamed Queen ElizaDeath. The pack is where the largest group blockers are in formation. Their sole purpose is to block for the jammer. “We look for friends all of the time and being in the pack is where you find friends all of the time,” said Brawler Krystal Galbraith, nicknamed Puppet Masher. The blockers simultaneously are on offense and defense, blocking for the jammer while trying to stop the opposing team’s jammer. Galbraith and McLaughlin gave a demonstration at the Rock Bottom bar for the new recruits. “You can hit with and in the hips, thighs and shoulders,” said McLaughlin. “You al-
ways want to keep low.” You cannot block from the back, hit with your elbows or trip another player, otherwise you will be sent to the penalty box for 30 seconds. “The adrenaline of the game overpowers you and you don’t even notice,” said Dalla Bona. “The more competitive you get, the harder you hit and the harder you fall.” If you want to feel the same adrenaline rush, the Brawlers welcome new recruits during their practices on Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Atkinson Memorial Centre and on Sundays from 6 p.m. to 7p.m. at the Atlas Tube Centre in Lakeshore. “It’s a great way to relieve stress after work,” said Galbraith.
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DiPietro hoping to impress in Canada-Russia series By Cody Wall Mediaplex Examiner Staff A Windsor Spitfire is preparing and hoping to stand out against Russia in a six-game event. Spitfires’ goaltender Michael Dipietro has been selected to represent Canada in the annual Canada-Russia series across Canada. This is the second consecutive year Dipietro has been chosen to play in the series, making him the seventh goalie to compete multiple times in the Ontario Hockey League portion of the event in the tournament’s history. “I’m really excited about it,” said Dipietro. “It’s going to be a great test. Last year I kind of got my feet wet in Sudbury.” The series begins on Nov. 5 in Kamloops, B.C. and currently Dipietro is set to play in Game 3 of the series on Nov. 8 in Sarnia. This will be an excellent opportunity for Dipietro to stand out among his peers before the upcoming 2018 World Junior
Ice Hockey Championship in Vancouver. Last season Dipietro was one of the final cuts for the 2017 World Juniors and is hoping to make the team this year. “Being a Vancouver prospect and the World Juniors being in Vancouver, it is something that means a little bit more to me,” said Dipietro. “I want to win gold and bring gold to Canada and do it in front of Vancouver fans.” Since the Canada-Russia series began in 2003, more than 1000 players have competed in the tournament, several of whom have gone on to have successful NHL careers including John Tavares, Ryan Getzlaf and Nikita Kucherov, as well as goalies like Corey Crawford and Carey Price. Dipietro would like to be the next goalie to come out the of the OHL— as among the 31 goaltenders who have represented the OHL in the series, 41.9 per cent of them have gone on to play at least one game in the NHL. Dipietro is in his fourth and
likely final season with the Spitfires. However, it is only his second year playing under Spitfires’ Head Coach Trevor Letowski, who was a member of the 2017 World Juniors coaching staff. Despite the fact that he has never represented Canada at the World Juniors Letowski believes Dipietro has been a top goalie in the Canadian Hockey League for several seasons. Something he has shown through his accomplishments, including winning the Memorial Cup in the 2016-17 season and OHL Goalie of the year in the 2017-18 season. “We feel like he has been at that level for a while now. He was part of it last year and he was pretty much the last cut for the national junior team,” said Letowski. It is not only the Spitfires organization who think Dipietro has earned an opportunity to play for Canada at the World Juniors. Many fans feel Dipietro has been a huge factor for the team both on and off the ice since joining four years ago, in-
cluding long-time Spitfires fan Greg Montgomery. “He was a local kid that worked so hard to get to where he is and was so good,” said Montgomery. “He is always involved with the community and he is so humble.” While Dipietro is preparing for the upcoming series he will still need to focus on the Spitfires’ season, as the Spits are scheduled for five games before he is set to play against Russia. However, Letowski believes if Dipietro can impress in the Canada-Russia series and represent Canada at the World Juniors in Vancouver it will be a special moment in his career. “It’s going to be quite the experience if it can happen and I’m really hopeful that it does,” said Letowski. “What else could you ask for as a player, just being a Canadian and having the tournament in Canada it’s a huge thing and to have it in the place you were drafted.”
NBL helps basketball grow nationally By Tate Harris Mediaplex Examiner Staff Officials with NBL of Canada continues to do their part in what has been a group effort to help grow the game of basketball nationally. According to worldatlast. com, basketball is ranked as the seventh most popular sport in the world with 825 million fans. Interest in the sport has risen in Canada since the Toronto Raptors joined the NBA in 1995. In 1998 the Raptors were bought for US$ 128 million and were worth US$ 399 million by 2010. Due to the fan increase, along with an increase of the number of Canadian basketball players, the National Basketball League of Canada was founded in 2011. When the NBL first started they had a requirement of two Canadian players per
team. Deputy Commissioner of the NBL, Audley Stephenson, said now heading into their eighth year the requirement is five Canadian players per team. “One thing that I think is noticeable is the level of play,” said Stephenson. “It hasn’t dropped in anyway, it’s a little more exciting, which is a clear indication that our Canadian players can play.” Currently the NBA has 14 active Canadians players and have had only 36 total since 1946. Obviously not all Canadian basketball players can make it to the NBA. Stephenson said the NBL enables players to continue playing professionally. “It (the NBL) allows a platform for Canadian players to play at home and still pursue their dreams of playing professional basketball,” said Stephenson.
Of the 14 Canadians currently playing in the NBA, 11 are from Toronto — a statistic that shows the importance a team can have in their community. President and CEO of the Windsor Express, Dartis Willis, said he acknowledges that importance. “We understand we have a duty, as a pro sports team, to grow basketball in Canada and if you’re going to grow basketball in Canada you have to start from the roots,” said Willis. The Express held a free skills camp for children at the new Forest Glade Sports Courts on Sept. 24 and are hosting another camp Nov. 3 at the Windsor YMCA. Willis said it is camps like these that may allow them to sign local players in the future. Recently, Canadians have been a top subject matter when talking about basketball. On Sept. 7, Steve Nash,
was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Nash was a two-time MVP and eight-time all-star in the NBA. Canadian NBA prospect, R.J. Barret, has also been a part of many conversations because he is projected to be drafted first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. If drafted first, it would make Barret the third Canadian to go first overall since 2013. Stephenson said all this talk can only help the game. “It’s great for the game,” said Stephenson. “The Canadian national team, both men and women, and success they have over the last several months is all good for the game. All these things contribute to the growth of the game. It provides a platform that young players want to aspire to. Will our league benefit from the elevated platform of the sport? Absolutely, no question about it.”
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Disney live-action remakes: are they worth the watch?
By Travis Conant Mediaplex Examiner Staff Disney has made several live-action versions of their classic animated movies in the past decade, there are mixed reviews. Walt Disney Studios was created Oct. 16, 1923. The first fulllength movie the studio made was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was played at Carthay Circle Theatre on December 21, 1937. It was released nationwide in the United States on Feb. 8, 1938. It has been almost 80 years since the release of the first fulllength animated movie. In that time, Disney has released more than 140 movies. For the most part Disney is known for its animated movies, but live-action
remakes of the classics and are a recent trend. Some of these remakes include Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Maleficent, The Jungle Book and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. There are also more than 20 live action remakes rumoured to be released in the next five years, including Aladdin, Mulan, Dumbo and The Lion King. Morgan Murphy, Is a student at St. Clair College and has been watching Disney movies since she was a little kid, including her favourite, Lilo & Stitch. “I think they should continue remaking movies,” said Murphy. “I don’t have a good reason, I just really love Disney and want all the Disney I can get.” The new Aladdin movie is set
to release on May 24, 2019 and a teaser trailer has been released. The success of the current remakes, such as Beauty and The Beast and The Jungle Book, shows fans love the newer live-action movies. 25-year-old Melissa Bonnett said she has watched The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast as they have been released. “I grew up watching these movies and loving them, so to see them be made into live-action and not be exactly like the cartoon versions, or to take out songs that are beloved by so many fans is just sad and changing something that did not need to be changed,” said Bonnett. Bonnett said she is not look-
ing forward to the release of Aladdin and Dumbo because she doesn’t like the look of the animals. For Dumbo, Bonnett said the animals look creepy. “The fact that it’s being made by Tim Burton will just change it completely,” said Bonnett. “I love Burton but I don’t feel like Dumbo needs a dark spin on it.” For Aladdin, Bonnett said she doesn’t think it is a good idea for Will Smith trying to replace Robin Williams as genie. She said she thought Jack Black would have been a better choice for genie. The next Disney live-action movie set to be released is Aladdin and will be released May 24, 2018. Will you be seeing it in theaters?
Entertainment Roundup By Travis Conant Mediaplex Examiner Staff Sneak a peek at all things entertainment, see what is new and happening in the entertainment world. In local entertainment,Windsor band Disaster Strike has announced via their Facebook page, they have two new shows in November at Rockstar Music Hall. The first is on Nov. 9, with doors opening at 8 p.m. The band is set playing alongside another Windsor band, Talking Violet. Tickets are $10 and is an all ages show with a chaperone.
The other show is Nov. 16, 2018. The Is There A Band In The House returns to headline bands to support 13-year-old boy who is fighting stage 4 cancer for the third time in four years. Tickets for this event will be available for purchase soon. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For the full list of details on these two events visit Disaster Strike’s Facebook page. In world entertainment news, Former Nickelodeon actress/singer-songwriter Ariana Grande has announced
she will be going on tour to support her album Sweetener. This album debuted in August of this year. The tour will kick off in Albany, N.Y on Mar. 18 and conclude at Madison Square Garden three months later on June 18. Tickets will go on presale for American Express Card members on Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. So far the new Halloween movie currently has a 79 per cent rating with 264 reviews. The movie has made over $106 million since its release on Oct. 19, 2018. With the huge amount of success the
new Halloween movie has gained over its short time period, sequels of the 2018 release have been rumoured. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis who reprised her role as Laurie Strode from the original Halloween movies said she would be happy to reprise her role in the 2018 sequel if director David Gordon Green returns. During an interview with Empire Magazine Australia, Curtis said “If David Gordon Green called me up and said let’s do another Halloween movie, I would do another Halloween.”