With an early-April date for Easter, residents still have a few weeks to take to heart the message that April is Health Communities Month.
Wellesley PS second in national contest
Grade 8 students at Wellesley Public School have finished as runners-up in a national competition aimed at raising awareness about Canada’s first prime minister. The first annual Sir John A Day – named after Sir John A. Macdonald – was held on Jan. 12 at the school and the 53 students dressed in traditional gowns and suits worn during the mid-19th century, transformed the classroom into a ballroom, and students played live music and danced the minuet for the last two periods of the day.
They had another teacher, John Settle, come in and portray Sir John A to the class, served apple cider in plastic wine cups, and the class also enjoyed Sir John A’s favourite treat – homemade shortbread. The 197th birthday celebration was organized by the Historica Dominion Institute, a non-profit group aimed at increasing public knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Canadian history. “Initially, it’s Grade 8 and they think they should be first in everything,” said history teacher Joanne Aitken of the students’ response to finishing second. “They were a little disappointed, but when they saw the prize they received and understood the extent of this and how many schools entered, they knew they did very well.”
More than 200 schools across Canada were entered in the contest, and the winner – a Catholic elementary school in Richmond Hill – received an iPad for the classroom. The runners-up, however, received a two-volume history of Canada’s first prime minister written by Richard Gwyn, as well as a commemorative button and a certificate.
For their efforts, the class received a two-volume history of Sir John, written by Canadian author and award-winning biographer Richard Gwyn, a commemorative button, and a certificate. [submitted
Prizes aside, Aitken also said that the contest did a fantastic job of achieving what it set out to do, and that was to teach the public more about the life and times of Sir John A, and Wellesley students were immersed in the 19th century throughout the day, which provided a big boost to their understanding of the time period in which he lived.
“We created that atmosphere and that era,” she said. “Instead of just memorizing it for a test, they were there. And they’ll never forget that Jan. 11 was his birthday.”
The project also drew on students’ talents and passions that Aitken may not have otherwise gotten a chance to see; one student drew a sketch of Sir John A that was posted in the classroom, another built a wooden bar to serve the apple cider from, while a third played background music on the piano.
“It really engaged them,” Aitken said.
John Alexander Macdonald was born in Scotland on Jan. 11, 1815 and immigrated with his family to Kingston, Ontario at the age of five. He mastered Latin and French by the age of 12 and by 1836 he was a licensed lawyer.
On July 1, 1867 the British North America Act came into effect, giving birth to the country of Canada.
That same day he was knighted by Queen Victoria in recognition of his efforts and on Aug. 7 he became the nation’s first prime minister.
For more information on the Historica Dominion Institute or Sir John A Day, visit www.sirjohnaday.ca or www.historica-dominion.ca.
St. Jacobs Optimists prep for annual Easter Egg Hunt
If there’s one thing that’s associated with Easter it’s the egg, particularly the chocolate kind. And nothing conjures up the childhood experience like an Easter egg hunt. For seven years now, the Optimist Club of St. Jacobs has been making the holiday more memorable with its annual Easter Egg Hunt. This year, the seventh outing, the event is set for Apr. 7 at Riverside Meadows Park on Water Street in St. Jacobs. “This is a fun event for young children that the organization holds every year,” said Bob Wilbur, a member of the club’s board of directors.
Children run to find Easter eggs hidden through out Riverside Meadows Park in St. Jacobs last year. The event has been sponsored by the Optimist Club for the last seven years. [observer file photo
Most of the eggs hidden in the park will be plastic with a small toy or candy hidden inside but there will be a few classic chocolate eggs among the plastic ones, assured Wilbur.
Families with children from one to 11 years of age can enjoy balloons, prizes, the egg hunt and a visit from the Easter Bunny.
The egg hunt starts at 10 a.m. sharp and usually lasts an hour. The children are kept back from the eggs until they are motioned to start the hunt – the ensuing scramble lasts only minutes.
“It doesn’t take long for kids to find all the eggs when they know candy is involved. We have had a great turnout over the last few years and I expect this year will be no different.”
There is no charge for the children to participate in the hunt.
“It is just a fun day and gathering for kids to enjoy,” he explained.
Councils report 2011 remuneration levels
Woolwich councillors collected a total of $76,866 in pay and filed expense claims of $6,635 in 2011, according to a report tabled this week. That compares to $71,073 and $2,248 the previous year. In a housekeeping measure mandated by the province, finance director Richard Petherick filed a statement of payments and expenses that was accepted by council at Tuesday night’s meeting. The Ontario Municipal Act gives municipalities until Mar. 31 to make the details public.
Mayor Todd Cowan received $24,782, with expenses of $2,527. Each of the four ward councillors got $13,021, filing various expenses for such thing as conference fees: Mark Bauman, $533; Bonnie Bryant, $1,911; Julie-Anne Herteis, $433; Allan Poffenroth, $1,231.
Petherick’s report also noted the township paid five members of its Committee of Adjustment remuneration totaling $1,960 and expenses that amounted to $1,058.
In Wellesley, a similar report tabled this week shows councillors received a total of $59,795.89 and filed expenses of $14,255.59 in 2011. For the previous year, the corresponding numbers were $52,180.28 and $14,922.51.
Mayor Ross Kelterborn was paid $16,857.17, drawing a mileage allowance of $2,199.96 and expenses of $455.57. As is his custom, he donated $6,000 back to the township to keep his pay close to $10,000.
Each of the councillors received $10,734.648, and mileage allowances of $800.04. Herb Neher filed expenses of $2,699.42; Paul Hergott, $4,177.75; Jim Olender, $3,724.76; and Shelley Wagner, $3,208.09.
Four committee of adjustment members received $1,190, and received mileage costs of $380.97. Five members of the recreation committee received a total of $340.
Province to review Aggregate Resources Act
On Mar. 22 the Ontario Legislature unanimously passed a motion to review the Aggregate Resources Act, a move that Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Michael Harris believes is a step in the right direction. “Although specific questions on the review’s timeline and expected impacted on existing quarry applications are still pending, the unanimous approval in the Legislature is an important first step.” The motion came just days before the minister of natural resources was required to respond to a formal request made by Harris on Dec. 6 in which he asked for specific details on the promised review. In that request, Harris asked for a detailed timeline for completion of the review, an indication of the areas of the Act to be examined, and details of the review’s impact on existing quarry applications currently in front of local councils or the Ontario Municipal Board.
The motion passed last week provides few details, other than explaining that the standing committee on general government would review the Aggregate Resources Act and report to the House its observations and recommendations with respect to strengthening the act.
In developing those recommendations, the committee’s focus shall include, but not be limited to, “the Act’s consultation process; how siting, operations, and rehabilitation are addressed in the Act, best practices and new developments in the industry, fees/royalties, and aggregate resource development and protection, including conservation/ recycling.”
While the minister of the environment will still be required to respond to Harris’ request before Apr. 3, the MPP suspects that response will make reference to this unanimous passing of the review as proof that the government is moving forward.
He said he hopes their response will have a more defined timeline for the review than was supplied in the motion, and wants to see all stakeholders involved – including opponents such as the BridgeKeepers and the Conestoga-Winterbourne Residents Association as well as proponents such as gravel companies – will be consulted by the government throughout the review.
“(Those groups) could possibly think about getting a submission or a presentation together to present to the committee,” said Harris. “We’re still reviewing whether this would be a travelling committee so that it could come out to our community. I think that’s something that our community would welcome.”
Two weeks before last fall’s election, former Liberal MPP Leeanna Pendergast announced that her government intended to review the Aggregate Resources Act and to “put pits in their place” by finding a more sustainable balance between the needs of rural citizens with the demands of the aggregate industry.
The announcement followed through on a promise made two months earlier that the government would review the act, though up until now there have been few moves towards actually completing that review, prompting Harris’ request for more details on Dec. 6.
Currently, Woolwich has five gravel applications on the books, three of them larger projects within the vicinity of Conestogo, Winterbourne and West Montrose.
Two of those projects – the proposed Jigs Hollow gravel pit, and an application by Hunder Developments at 128 Katherine St. S. and 1081 Hunsberger Rd. – are subject to OMB talks next month, while a third bid to extract aggregate from 115 acres near West Montrose and its historic covered bridge by Guelph-based Capital Paving is on hold pending the township’s decision to designate the bridge and its surroundings as a cultural heritage landscape.
Harris has no direct involvement in the sub-committee that is conducting the review, though he said he has been in talks with colleagues to swap into it. The Liberals also hold a majority position within that committee, meaning the timing of the review is ultimately in their hands.
He also reminds those involved that this is merely a review of the act, with no revisions guaranteed.
“It’s a very large scope,” he said. “A very significant scope, but lets see how much detail actually comes out of it.”
Woolwich ponders appeal of biogas plant approval
In approving a biogas plant for Elmira, the province is “spitting in the face” of residents, says the head of the citizens’ group fighting the project. This week’s decision came as a shock to Dr. Dan Holt of Elmira Bio Fuel Citizens’ Committee, who felt the government had heard the public’s message and was prepared to see the plant moved to a site elsewhere in the township. Instead, Bio-En Power Inc. has been cleared to build the facility on Martin’s Lane, just north of downtown Elmira.
“It flies in the face of everything that’s been done – we made a case against the location and found a better place, where they actually want it (the plant),” he said of the provincial decision. “It’s kind of like spitting in the face of everybody who lives here.”
Notified that the project had been cleared to go ahead – receiving what’s known as a Renewable Energy Approval – Woolwich officials are now looking at the township’s legal options to appeal the decision. Addressing the issue in council session Tuesday night, Mayor Todd Cowan said he was “extremely disappointed” with the outcome, calling for quick action on the appeal front. “We’re not giving up. We’re going to continue the fight,” he said in an interview Wednesday, expressing frustration that the province didn’t follow through on its assurances that a solution could be found.
Cowan said he has spoken to officials, including the minister of the environment and minister of energy, on several occasions about finding another spot for the plant. He was left with the idea alternatives would be in the works. Monday’s announcement came out of the blue, without so much as a heads-up warning in advance.
Council is looking for some legal advice before launching an appeal. Anyone opposed to the decision has 15 days from Mar. 26 to submit a formal appeal to the Environmental Review Tribunal. For Woolwich Bio-En, the approval comes with a long list of conditions to be reviewed before the next move can be considered, even in the absence of an appeal process. Away on vacation this week, company president Chuck Martin was reached by email: “Significant changes to the original application have been discussed with the MOE. I am anxious to review the approval as issued. I need to review both the approval and the recent amendments to the FIT program to better understand the project status and possible timelines,” he said.
“ If there are no major hurdles in the approval or the FIT program changes, then construction in 2013 and operating in early 2014 may still be possible.”
The technology proposed for the Bio-En facility uses an anaerobic digester to convert organic material into biogas and fertilizer. It will be fed by waste material, including livestock manure, food waste, used cooking oils and other fats and the like. A diesel generator converted to work with methane will generate electricity to be sold back into the grid, while steam heat produced could be sold to neighbours such as the pet food mill. The $12-million facility would generate 2.8 megawatts of renewable electricity – enough to power 2,200 homes – and 3.4 mW of heat.
Harris says he can’t support Ontario budget
On Tuesday, Ontario got its first glimpse of the province’s economic future from Finance Minister Dwight Duncan’s 2012 budget, but it’s a vision that the Conservative Party and Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Michael Harris cannot support.
“My first reaction was that I was obviously disappointed with this budget,” said Harris on Wednesday afternoon over the phone from his office at the Legislature, indicating that the province continues to struggle to get its economic house in order and help get 600,000 unemployed Ontarians back to work.
“(There is) no real plan to address the massive deficit that we’re faced with to reduce the overall size and cost to government, and the jobs crisis.”
Ontario’s total spending is pegged at $127 billion this year (with an extra $1 billion in reserves), an increase of 2.5 per cent over last year, with the promise of eliminating the deficit in the next five years without sacrificing education or healthcare.
In the budget delivered on Tuesday afternoon, the Liberal government forecast a deficit of $15.3 billion for the coming year, which is about $1 billion less than was forecast a year ago, but still too high for Harris and the Tories to stomach.
“Families have to live within their means and consider family budgets when making big decisions, and so should this government as well,” he said, pointing out the fact that 14 of 24 ministries will see a budget increase year-over-year, representing 82 per cent of the overall budget.
“That’s not austerity. That’s not reducing the size and cost of government. That’s making it bigger.”
The Liberals have also “cherry picked” from the Drummond Report released last month, Harris said, picking and choosing which suggestions to adopt and which ones to ignore.
In total, the province has outright rejected nine of the 362 suggestions, including recommendations to scrap all-day kindergarten and to cut Ontario’s 10 per cent price break on electricity bills for those using less than 3,000 kwh per month.
Duncan said that he didn’t agree that all of former TD bank chief economist Don Drummond’s recommendations needed to be followed in order to balance the provincial books by 2017-2018 – an assessment that Harris disagrees with.
“We paid an astronomical amount of money to have him put this big report together and the government ignores it,” Harris said.
“If you’re going to pull off and backtrack on these recommendations, you need to put something back on the table that would make up for that cost.”
Trying to work within a minority government, there are hints of the Liberals trying to appease both parties in this budget – for example a public-sector wage freeze for the Tories, and a refusal to drop the corporate tax rate to 10 per cent from its current rate of 11.5 per cent until the budget is balanced for the NDP – but the Conservatives say that they simply cannot accept the current budget as it stands today.
The government plan calls for per capita spending in 2011-2012 to be $8,560, the lowest among the provinces, and the government says that $17.7 billion in savings and cost containment will be realized over the next three years. Yet with money-wasting boondoggles like eHealth and ORNGE still fresh in Ontarians’ minds, Harris said that most people will find it hard to make sacrifices in their own lives when the government is unwilling to do the same. With the Conservatives refusal to pass the budget, should the NDP also refuse to pass it – a decision they’ll likely come to in the next week or so – Ontarians could be headed back to the polls, something that is undesirable but may be necessary, Harris said.
“We don’t want an election – that’s the last thing Ontarians want and the last thing the people in my riding want, and I don’t want an election – but they also don’t want a $30-billion deficit,” said Harris.
“Enough is enough. The only way we can stop this bleeding and stop this government from spending is by getting rid of them.”
And the band played on
When the music returns to Elmira’s Gore Park for the popular summer concert series, the bandstand there will be continuing a role that has made it a fixture in the downtown core for 120 years. The original bandstand is thought to have been located behind a hotel on the northwest corner of Church and Arthur Street and erected by the hotel owner, Henry Zilliax, in 1892. The hotel, the Anglo-American House, was destroyed in a fire in 1898, along with the Union Hotel, but the bandstand survived and was transported to Gore Park when the block was rebuilt.
“We think it is the same bandstand sitting in Gore Park. We have no paper trail but old photos show it looking exactly like the one at the hotel,” said Bertha Thompson, a local historian. “It was originally built as a way to gather people and (Zilliax) sold beer and liquor to increase business, but when the hotel was rebuilt they needed more space and it is believed that the bandstand then moved to Gore Park.”
By 1912, the bandstand was starting to look tired and Elmira’s council decided to erect a new one from a design prepared by members of the Elmira Musical Society, calling for tenders from local carpenters. Abraham Martin Bowman submitted a bid of $33, half of what his competitors were asking, and council accepted it.
A few hundred spectators came out to see Lynn Russwurm perform during a summer concert in the bandstand at Gore Park last year. The bandstand has been at the heart of the musical series for decades.
Bowman, a son of a carpenter, had established a contracting business in Elmira in 1911 and was well prepared to “show the community he was up to the challenge of building the structure that would display the quality of work he could do.”
“It stood for 76 years: he did a good job building that bandstand, he took care of his craft,” said Elmira resident Ruth Josephs, Bowman’s great-grandniece. There are indications that Bowman used parts of the existing bandstand built by Zilliax, said Josephs.
The original bandstand did not have a roof which was added by Bowman as he transformed the rectangular cross bracing of the structure into squares. By doing this he increased the number of cross-braces around the perimeter providing more rigidity for the posts that supported the new roof.
“Bowman redesigned the cross members to be tighter to allow the weight of the roof of the bandstand to be equally distributed,” said Thompson. The roof was originally shingled with asbestos slate tiles that served to protect the eight seams of the octagonal roof. The bandstand did not just provide a stage for music, it also created a sense of community, as weekly concerts were held that drew large crowds. For decades the downtown core would be busy on either a Thursday or Saturday night as people from all over would make their way down to the bandstand to listen to the weekly concert performed by the Elmira Band.
“When we moved here in 1956 I remember hearing music through out the town as the band would practice at the bandstand for the weekly shows,” said Thompson. “It was a very important part of the social life in Elmira.”
The bandstand was used for regular band concerts and social events. When men went off to the wars, they were bid goodbye from the bandstand with concerts and speeches. It was also used as a platform for politicians to speak to members of the community, said Thompson.
“This was a time before television, a time when people got together not to just listen to music but to be social and meet neighbours,” added Josephs. “Numerous politicians have used or visited the site of the bandstand, including prime ministers John Diefenbaker and William Lyon Mackenzie King.”
A social gathering place, the bandstand held many community events and churches would use it for their meetings. “For a long time it was the heart of Elmira,” said Thompson. “Every week people would come down to the bandstand to listen to music and talk with their neighbours and find out all the local gossip,” said Josephs.
In the 1920s, Mary Hambly of Elmira saw these weekly gatherings with an entrepreneur’s eye. With the bandstand located across the street from her home she began to sell food and ice cream to those in attendance. “She would set up a stand by her porch and sold ice cream, which was a specialty because there were no freezers or refrigerators in the houses,” said Josephs. “She capitalized on all these people coming to the weekly concert and started making a living because of it.”
Eventually she would outgrow the porch and move her business down the street, opening up Hambly Grocery, which became a fixture in Elmira for many years.
By the 1980s, the bandstand looked more like the leaning tower of Pisa. Bowman had given the old bandstand new life by reusing the old base and building a roof on to it but over the years the wood had begun to rot and the bandstand was in need of a restoration. When Woolwich Township decided to have the bandstand designated as a heritage structure and renovate it for Elmira’s centennial celebrations in 1986 they found that Bowman had erected columns on top of the original bandstand’s supporting posts and not on footings in the ground, which had caused the structure to tilt over the years.
“The first restoration they found there were a lot of things to repair and fix that they did not expect,” said Thompson.
The restoration of the bandstand was originally planned to have coincided with the centennial celebrations of the town in 1986, but it would not be completed until June 1988. Dan Waters of New Day Contracting in Wallenstein won the bid for the restoration work. When making repairs the company faced many problems, including the rotten roof rafters and cornice, but managed to complete the work in the summer of 1988 when it was designated a heritage structure.
The bandstand is once again in need of a major restoration and the township has launched a community fundraising drive, with residents encouraged to contribute to the effort. Much of the wood is again rotting and needs to be replaced. The same goes for the existing asbestos shingles on the roof. Council has earmarked $80,000 to deal with the basic structural deficiencies. The bandstand has a historic value for the entertainment it provided throughout the years but is also historically significant as it is one of the last of its type in the country.
“As far as I know, the bandstand in Elmira and one located in Halifax are the only two bandstands of their type to still be standing,” said Thompson. “They are open all the way around allowing visitors to sit anywhere to listen to the music; most band shells today are closed off in the back as that allows the music to travel out to the audience.”
The communal gardener
Gardening provides benefits that go well beyond the fresh food that can be produced. Growing and tending a garden has been known to lower blood pressure and reduce stress while improving both the physical and mental health of gardeners. It is also a creative outlet, as it involves planning and designing. It’s become a popular pastime, as recent statistics from the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute show that 48 per cent of adults enjoy being physically active through gardening. For those who’d like to enjoy the benefits but without access to a plot of land, Keith Milne of Wellesley is looking to build a community garden in the village. He hopes it will help with neighbourhood improvement and build a sense of community and connection to the environment.
“A natural location for such a garden would be the downtown core, where as many people as possible would have access to it. A community garden in Wellesley would offer a number of benefits including fresh vegetables and a connection with neighbours,” said Milne.
The key to any neighbourhood garden succeeding is support from the community. Community gardens can come in many different shapes and sizes. They don’t even have to be communal – where everyone shares the work and the harvest – as gardeners can have their own individual plot within the garden and can also join with others to grow some crops communally.
Keith Milne of Wellesley is looking to build a community garden in the village. He is currently looking for a piece of land and any donations the community may have to help him complete the project. [COLIN DEWAR / THE OBSERVER
He tried to build the garden last year but was unable to find a piece of land that everyone could use.
“I just want people to know that I am trying to set up a community garden for Wellesley and we are still looking for a place to have it,” said Milne. “As of right now I have not been able to find a sizable area and the trouble I am having is that the people who are interested in operating the garden do not have good transportation, so I need it to be centrally located. I am looking for a garden to be built in the village that people can walk to and access.” Milne hopes the garden will be used by senior citizens, people who rent and do not have their own backyard space, or low-income families that may not have transportation that would like to have a little garden.
Milne is seeking donations, including the land, plowing of the land and seeds for the gardeners to grow their vegetables. The goal is to keep costs low for those who’ll use the garden. “I am open to anything that is good clean land that we could subdivide into plots and share with the community,” he said. “I have tools that I am willing to let people use for the garden to keep as much of the costs down as I can.”
He plans to have a booth at the Wellesley Home Show this May, encouraging people to help with his plan for the community garden.
“I will have information there for people who want to join and that way I will be able to find out how many plots we might need and the see the interest from the community at large,” he said.
He plans to approach the township looking for a piece of land if one isn’t made available.
“The warm weather is coming fast and I just thought this would be a great way to get people out and at the same time we could have our own home grown fresh vegetables at a very low cost.”
Milne plans to bring families together with the communal garden saying it would be fun for families to participate in and watch the garden grow over the summer.
“There is an obvious health aspect to this as well. If you can grow your own vegetables not using any pesticides you know how healthy that food is. Anything that you can pick from the ground and just eat is obviously healthier for you than something coming by truck from miles away.”
Anyone interested in helping with the garden or donating to the cause is asked to contact Keith Milne at (519) 662-2731.
Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding is just the treat for Easter
For a special treat on Easter this year, splurge on some good-quality chocolate and make the following dessert. Bread Pudding is one of those true, great ‘comfort food’ desserts. Like all comfort food, it combines a little of what you already have on hand (stale bread that needs to be used up) with some fresh new ingredients to turn it into something special. In this case it’s the chocolate, and the warm chocolate sauce too. For bread choices, it’s a good idea to stick to something with a bit of structure to it – so avoid super soft French loaves. A sourdough works well, a sturdy baguette, or even stale hot-cross buns. The bread has a lot of flavour to soak up. For chocolate we tend to use Lindt brand. You can find this in the form of large bars at the grocery store, at the Lindt outlet store in Cambridge and at Vincenzo’s. You could even sacrifice a Lindt chocolate bunny pre-Easter to make this dessert
Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- Butter, as needed
- 4 L cubed bread (see options, above)
- 6 whole eggs
- 750 ml 10% cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Pinch nutmeg
- 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup white chocolate, chopped
Preheat oven to 350°F.; Generously butter an oven-proof 9x 13 sized baking dish and fill with cubed bread. Set aside; Whisk together eggs, cream, sugar cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg; Sprinkle chocolates over bread cubes, and then pour custard mixture over the entire dish, patting the custard into the bread; Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes, until golden brown. Let stand 10- 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve with chocolate sauce.
For chocolate sauce:
1 cup of milk chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup 35% cream, 2 tbsp butter Place chocolate, cream and butter in a stainless steel or glass bowl and place over a double boiler. Water should be barely simmering; Heat until chocolate is fully melted, stirring occasionally.
Note: This sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for any chocolate sauce emergencies; just re-heat in the microwave.
