Kitchener-Conestoga MP Harold Albrecht and his provincial counterpart, MPP Leeanna Pendergast, were at the Wellesley administration building Tuesday to announce funding for Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich townships and the City of Kitchener totaling $4,571,018.

Federal and provincial representatives announced more than $4 million for local recreation facilities on June 30. On hand for the announcement in Crosshill were Woolwich Mayor Bill Strauss; Wellesley Mayor Ross Kelterborn; John Haddock, CEO of KW YMCA; MPP Leeanna Pendergast; Arthur Woods of the Elmira Lions Club; MP Harold Albrecht; Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr; Wilmot Mayor Wayne Roth; and Wellesley Coun. Shelley Wagner.

“I’m really getting to enjoy these get-togethers,” quipped Wilmot Mayor Wayne Roth.

In Woolwich and Wellesley townships, the funding includes:
» $40,014 to the Lions Club of Elmira for the Kissing Bridge Trail
» $293,000 for the YMCA Outdoor Centre
» $208,646 to Woolwich township for Bloomingdale Park
» $105,990 to Woolwich Township for Breslau Park
» $57,304 to Woolwich township for the TransCanada Trail
» $589,132 for the St. Clements arena
» $579,800 for the Wellesley recreation complex

Arthur Woods welcomed the announcement on behalf of the Elmira Lions Club, explaining the money would allow the Lions to complete a section of trail. He was pleased to see the upper governments recognizing the importance of trails, noting they are used more hours than arenas, pools and other recreation facilities.

Woolwich Mayor Bill Strauss said the funds for Bloomingdale and Breslau parks would go toward replacing lights at the ball diamonds that are now 40 years old.

In Wellesley Township, the money will be used to redo the kitchens and bathrooms at the Wellesley and St. Clements community centres, repair the roof of the St. Clements community centre, finish the parking lot at the Wellesley rec. complex, and install lighting and fencing around the St Clements ball diamond.

The federal, provincial and municipal governments will each provide one-third of the cost of the projects. Projects had to be shovel-ready to be eligible for funding.

“During these challenging economic times, this investment will also provide economic stimulus at the local levels,” Albrecht said. “I look forward to seeing these projects break ground.”

Those are the words of Adrienne Schmidt, supervisor of this year’s summer playground. Along with having fun and keep them busy, the leaders will be trying to raise a little environmental awareness in the children.

“It just seems so common around our society these days, trying to better our environment, and what better way to do that than try and encourage the young children of our future?” Schmidt said. “I’m a farmer at heart – I understand how precious our land is.”

Stephanie Brignolio (left) and Adrienne Schmidt are running this year’s Woolwich summer playground program, which starts July 6.

She and the playground leaders plan to have the kids outside as much as possible every day, and they’ll be doing a lot of walking. They’ll also be watching what the kids eat – or more precisely, how their food comes packed.

The leaders will be collecting and weighing the children’s garbage every day, with an eye to reducing how much littler they produce.

“Those kids are going to go home and tell their parents, ‘we can’t take this much garbage to the playground this year,’” Schmidt said. “The ultimate goal is litterless lunches.”

Schmidt has been working closely with Ann Roberts, trails coordinator for the township, and they’re hoping to send the older day-campers “Down the yellow fish road.” The plan is to have them paint yellow fish on storm drains around the town, reminding people that what goes down the through the grates ends up back in streams, creeks and rivers.

The summer playground is for children ages four to 12, divided into three age groups: sunshine club for ages four to six; summer fun for ages seven to nine; and sports and leisure for ages 10 to 12.

The leaders are students ranging from Grade 12 to college and university students. Another 10 high school students will be volunteering as leaders-in-training.

Schmidt encountered the summer playground in her capacity as supervisor at the Elmira pool during the swim that wraps up each day of the playground. She saw how the leaders interacted with the campers and how much fun they were having and was interested in being involved.

“I really enjoy helping teenagers and young children learn how to be leaders. I like to empower the leaders to try new ideas,” she said.

To find activities the children would enjoy most, Schmidt reviewed programs from previous years, talked to previous supervisors and staff and researched day trips they could take.

The weekly themes for the summer playground are fairy tales; water safety; world of science; transportation around the world; animals gone wild; international Olympics and Earth Week.

To go along with those themes, the kids will be going on trips to destinations like Storybook Gardens, the African Lion Safari, Bingemans and Yee Haw Adventure Farm, among others. Schmidt heard from several people how much the children enjoyed competitions, so they’ll have a water day, their own version of Fear Factor and a mini Olympics with events like bowling, triathlon and mini putt.

The playground starts the week of July 6 and runs through to August 21. New this year is the possibility of a week-long program in Breslau. The township is looking at the feasibility of starting a summer playground in the growing community, and this year will be a trial run. If registration numbers warrant, the Breslau program will run Aug. 24 to 28.

Registration is open all summer. Cost is $155 per child per week.

The work involves upgrades to the stilling basin, which calms the water as it surges through the dam gates. The stilling basin can currently handle flows of 700 cubic metres per second (cms), while the dam gates are capable of releasing 1,400 cms. The upgrades will bring the stilling basin up to the same capacity as the gates.

The highest flow observed at Conestogo Dam was in 1975, when the dam passed about 590 cms.

Dave Schultz, spokesperson for the Grand River Conservation Authority, said the upgrades are needed to meet safety standards set by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

“Since the Conestogo Dam was built, there have been cases of dam failure around the world that have drawn a lot of concerns from people who build dams,” he said. “We’re giving more thought to what kind of possible scenarios could occur in the area. It’s just not just what kind of rainfall have we ever seen, but what kind of rainfall is possible.”

Schultz said the conservation authority and the MNR are also thinking ahead to the possible effects of climate change on water levels.

Work on the stilling basin is set to be completed in the fall of 2010. The cost of the work is divided between the GRCA and the MNR through its Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure program.

The stilling basin upgrade is one of two projects to bring the dam up to MNR standards. The second project is the construction of an emergency spillway that would allow water to flow around the dam in a special channel. Without the channel, extremely high flows could run over the top of the dam, eroding it and potentially causing a collapse.

Construction of a concrete-lined spillway would cost about $20 million and take three years to build. The GRCA is currently examining how the project could be financed.

For fully serviced lots in Woolwich’s urban areas, the new charges adopted by councillors Tuesday night see levies fall to $4,395 from the current $5,474. In Breslau, due to servicing arrangements with the City of Kitchener, the corresponding figures are $5,451 and $6,428.

Development charges are arrived at by calculating population and housing growth and then determining the cost of providing services to accommodate that growth.

Over the next 10 years, the township expects its population to grow by 4,240, requiring 1,820 new residential units. Over 20 years, those numbers are 9,061 and 3,570 respectively.

On the industrial side, those constructing new buildings would be assessed a fee of $1.65 per square foot, down from $1.94. For Breslau developments, the numbers are $1.49 and $1.72.

Much of the reason for the decrease lies with Woolwich’s successful bid for grants from the federal and provincial governments, explained Andrew Grunda of Watson & Associates, the consultants who prepared the township’s development charges study.

“That put downward pressure on rates,” he told councillors, noting the 20 per cent decrease for residential development charges in Elmira and St. Jacobs.

Under provincial rules, municipalities must deduct infrastructure grants from its overall capital expenditure forecasts, effectively lowering how much work is eligible to be recouped through development charges on new construction, Grunda explained.

In figuring out its costs, the township uses a 20-year model to predict the need for hard services such as roads, public works facilities and fire services. Provincial legislation limits the forecast for soft services – parks, trails, recreation facilities – to 10 years.

The township also has special provisions for the stockyards area of St. Jacobs, which is expected to see significant employment land development. That area, along with Elmira and St. Jacobs, is subject to a special-area consideration taking into account the 20-year forecast for water and wastewater services.

Woolwich figures it needs $47.4 million in capital spending over the timeframe, of which $15 million (32 per cent) is recoverable through development charges.

At the regional level, by contrast, development charges are set to rise dramatically, to $12,440 from the $8,965 for new homes in the township’s urban areas.

Mayor Bill Strauss called the township plan a good-news story.

However, in a move that could raise charges if adopted, councillors endorsed a recommendation from finance director Richard Petherick asking that the province reverse its stance on grants being deducted from the total amount of capital projects eligible for development charges.

The corresponding resolution was passed by council, and will be forwarded to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Conestogo will see the most work, including a new walkway on the south side of Sawmill Road between Northfield Drive and Evening Star Lane, for which the Region of Waterloo will pick up the $16,800 tab.

At $51,100, the long sidewalk on the south side of Golf Course Road, adjacent to Priddle Park, will be the largest of this year’s projects. The work will link up with Sawmill Road.

A walkway is also slated for a portion of Flax Mill Drive. That project has a budget of $12,000.

St. Jacobs will see two new sidewalks this year, on the west side of Water Street between Hachborn Street and Abener’s Lane ($8,000) and on Hachborn Street’s north side, running east of Queensway Drive ($18,000).

In Breslau, the township will spend $24,000 to build a sidewalk on the west side of Joseph Street, between Shields and Dolman streets.

For Elmira, the sole project is slated for Park Avenue West adjacent to the ball diamond and park west of Snyder Avenue. The budget for that work is set at $35,000.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the language of the bylaw was made more specific, indicating that clearing of snow does not necessarily require removal down to the concrete, but to a level of no more than 3.8 centimetres (1.5 inches). As for ice, there is an expectation that residents will spread something akin to pickled sand (sand laced with some salt) on the surface should ice accumulate.

As well, the revised bylaw now makes the township responsible for any sidewalk where snow has been pushed onto the walkway to a depth of more than a foot by road-clearing operations. Previously, that practice was limited to so-called curb-face sidewalks, such as those adjacent to major roads.

However, councillors didn’t fully endorse an engineering staff recommendation to avoid adding any additional exemptions to the bylaw, such as the “back lotted” homes on a stretch of Kressler Road where the sidewalk runs behind the fenced rear yards.

In a split vote, they agreed to add to the list the property owned by Denison Print at 61 Woolwich St. N. in Breslau.

Reiterating a position she brought to council last winter, Machelle Denison said the bylaw was placing a burden on the business, which was forced to clear some 1,300 feet of sidewalk surrounding the property.

Historically, she told councillors, there were no sidewalks in the area. Then, with the development of the Hopewell Heights subdivision, the sidewalks appeared but for unknown reasons, as most of it surrounds a vacant lot owned by the company. More inexplicably, there are no sidewalks on the more populated stretches of Fountain Street adjacent to the new subdivision.

To make matters worse, the vacant lot owned by the company can’t be developed because of a holding provision, pending the installation of municipal services, but Denison continues to pay hefty property taxes on the land. The addition of snow-clearing charges – the bill for removal and salt was some $2,000 in December alone – compounds the burden, she said.

“This is causing our company financial hardship.

“We’re looking to find an economical solution to removing snow from that sidewalk.”

Her plight met with sympathy from councillors, including Murray Martin and Mark Bauman, though both balked at exempting the Denison property from the snow-clearing bylaw, preferring instead to come up with some kind of cost-sharing arrangement.

“There’s some unfairness there – sidewalks they don’t want, and a property they can’t develop,” said Martin, who said the high standards Denison was trying to maintain at such a high cost were an undue burden. That case in fact led to this week’s changes in the bylaw.

“I want to make sure they’re not required to do any more than we do,” Martin said of residents meeting the township’s own standards.

Director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley said his department would look at ways to address that property as it seeks services to clear sidewalks adjacent to municipal properties across the township.

You’ll probably see kids placed into structured programs, such as day camps and bible schools. All-day recreational activities abound. Let’s hope, however, that there remain plenty of opportunities for kids to be kids, to enjoy what summer vacation is all about.

It seems to me many adults have forgotten the simple joy of pure, unvarnished fun that comes with being a kid in summertime. Plenty of time to do whatever you want … or nothing at all.

I know I’ve lost touch with the simple pleasures. Summer seems to slip by in an instant. As winter drags on, I can’t wait for the hot stuff to arrive. The next thing you know, it’s Labour Day, with all the downside that entails.

I love the heat of midsummer, but in some ways I dread its arrival. A warm May – not in the cards this year – elevates the spirits. June signals summer’s arrival, though it was certainly slow off the mark this year. For some reason, however, I experience a twinge of regret when the calendar flips to July, as it did this week. July is great, but it leads to August. And we know what comes next.

Undoubtedly, there’s some kind psychological issue associated with anticipating the end of something even as it’s just getting underway.

Such thoughts never occurred to me when I was a kid. Time was different then. Not so fast. And each day was to be enjoyed, not filled with obligations. The weeks didn’t streak by as they do now.

When you’re a kid out having fun, the day can fly by. But the summer lasts forever. As adults, the day can drag on, particularly those hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. But the weeks and months are here and then gone.

As a kid, your summers are environmentally friendly and good for you, body and spirit.

Think about it, summers – at least as I knew them – were spent being active outdoors. At that time, we were literarily in touch with the earth – and we had the grass stains on our knees to prove it.

We made sandcastles and mud pies, proving that you’ll eat more than a peck of dirt in your lifetime. Better for our digestive systems were the wild berries we picked, and ate on the spot. In a spot along the railway tracks – long vacant acres of land, now home to a subdivision, as I waxed nostalgic about last week – raspberries and blackberries were abundant. A massive plum tree grew nearby. We picked them and ate them without a second thought. The pits were perfect for throwing.

Ponds and creeks – home to the occasional plunge – were perfect places for catching tadpoles, frogs and turtles. Nearby trees provided the essentials for makeshift spears, bows and arrows. In retrospect, poplar wasn’t a good choice, but there were hours of fun had nonetheless.

Pick-up baseball games – there was always one to be joined – combined athletics with a chance to bake in the sun … and go home with your shoes and underwear full of sand.

Running through yards and hedges playing hide-and-seek or chase led to scratches, scrapes and burrs in your hair.

Hands that were always covered in something – bicycle grease or perhaps the mysterious stuff accumulated by the Frisbee – only saw a nailbrush when mom got a close look.

A rope stretched between backyard trees and covered with a blanket was perfect for camping out overnight.

Even as we grew older, into adolescence and high school, we were still outside more often than not: campfire barbeques that offered the chance to simply watch the sparks fly, and co-ed touch-football games where you could make them yourself, with no thought to the laundry as you rolled in the grass.

Even just sitting around, you had no qualms about using boulders, logs or the lawn itself as a perch. Blades of grass or leaves – maples stripped of the green stuff so that only the skeleton remained – were always close to hand, and responsible for the green stains on your fingers.

At some point, however, many of us move away from that. Walking, running and cycling are replaced by the car. Our time with nature is something of a battle: mowing lawns, plucking weeds, trimming hedges. It’s a chore. The interaction with nature is a means to an end, not an end in itself, the way it was when we were kids.

I’m as guilty as the next guy. At the next opportunity – and there have been plenty of late – I think I’ll go stomp in a puddle just for the fun of it.

The deal with 2144183 Ontario Ltd. creates three new industrial lots on land surrounding the former Glenoit building on Howard Avenue, one of which is slated to house a propane distribution facility. That two-acre site is on the corner of Union Street and Oriole Parkway.

A second parcel, approximately 1.4 acres, fronts on Oriole Parkway, while a third of approximately 2.6 acres fronts on Howard Avenue. All three join a previously-severed lot to the west.

For owner Dennis Martin, the formal arrangement allows for development to go ahead quickly on two of the parcels, though he remains concerned about the requirements – a drainage channel and municipal right-of-way – on the lot facing Howard Avenue.

“Time is becoming a bit of an issue. I’m prepared to sign this development agreement if I have to,” he told councillors, adding he would prefer some additional flexibility for the third parcel. Specifically, he wants to avoid coming up with a detailed engineering plan for the storm water easement only to have to redo the plans later if the current location is deemed inadequate.

“I’d rather not have to do that twice. I’m asking for some leniency from council.”

However, Dan Kennaley, director of engineering and planning, advised against changing the subdivision agreement on the fly, as it had already been vetted by the township’s lawyer, and would have to go back for another review. In light of Martin’s time constraints for developing the other two parcels, he suggested the developer sign the agreement, and then seek an amendment later pertaining to the requirements put on parcel three.

Martin’s request was greeted sympathetically by council, which instructed Kennaley to find a way to make the process work to minimize Martin’s expenditures.

“You know what our intent is,” Coun. Mark Bauman told him.

While unable to guarantee the ideal outcome for the developer, Kennaley said planning staff will come up with some kind of alternative.

“We’ll do what we can to avoid any unnecessary costs.”

The deal clears the way for what should be fairly quick action on the two parcels adjacent to Oriole Parkway.

The first has been earmarked for London, Ont.-based EDPRO, which will build a propane distribution facility on the site. Not a retail operation, the company will focus on supplying residential, agricultural and business customers in the Waterloo-Wellington area.

EDPRO Elmira will concentrate primarily on filling 33-pound cylinders for the forklift market, and filling bulk trucks destined for the residential agricultural markets.

The company had hoped to begin construction this month, but was delayed by the severance process resolved this week and some other regulatory issues, also largely resolved.

Martin said he also has a customer interested in the second parcel – a long strip along Oriole Parkway — though the details aren’t in place just yet.

Parcel three, fronting on Howard Avenue, was to be the site of a new building for Rigarus Construction, but the company opted for a spot on Donway Court in the new industrial subdivision at the south end of town.

The whole family – Michael, his parents Gary and Liz and older brothers Jeffrey and Jimmy – were in Montreal for last weekend’s draft selection.

Michael Latta sports a Nashville Predators jersey after being selected by the team in the third round of the draft held last weekend in Montreal.

“It was really nerve-wracking, sitting there not knowing where I was going,” Latta said. “[Once] I got called, the pressure was off and I could finally relax.”

The NHL draft has been on the horizon since Latta was drafted by the OHL’s Ottawa 67s two years ago.

The 5’11, 200-pound centre had 28 points in 50 games in his first season with the 67s. He improved on that performance last year, posting 22 goals and 57 points in 65 games. Latta split the season between the 67s and the Guelph Storm; 67s coach Brian Kilrea worked out a trade deal so Latta could be closer to his family.

Latta will be back with the Storm this year, and he’s confident this season will be even better than last.

“I’m a year older and I got messed up with a trade last year. This year’s going to be a nice starting point … just starting off in Guelph, starting off right from the get-go and not having to worry about meeting 22 new guys and a whole new organization and getting used to different systems.”

His coaches like Latta’s playmaking ability, but they also praise his grit and competitiveness. Latta isn’t one to shy away from a physical challenge; last season he racked up 92 minutes in penalties.

Latta has been putting in hours at the gym this summer, working out in Guelph Monday through Friday. He also hits the ice three times a week and travels to Oakville once a week to work on his skating with former champion figure skater Barb Underhill.

“It’s pretty hectic, but there’s a lot of guys drafted to the NHL right now, so if you want to make it, you’ve got to push,” he said.

Latta has one more semester to go at St. David Catholic Secondary School in Waterloo. He turned 18 on May 25 and spent his birthday week going through the NHL draft combine, a series of interviews and medical evaluations winding up with a grueling fitness test.

Latta met with 20 NHL teams ahead of the draft, some of them more than once. Nashville was among those teams, but they gave him no sign they were planning to draft him.

“I didn’t know whether they were going to take me, I didn’t have any indication.”

Latta flies out to Nashville on Monday for the Predator’s conditioning camp. Teammate Taylor Beck will be on the same 6 a.m. flight, and Latta said it’s good to know there will be a familiar face there.

“He’s a really good friend of mine, he’s a good guy. I think it’s going to help up push each other, help us get better, and just know someone while we’re down there.”

Michelle Baerg, owner of the Window Box Florist is adding a bakery in the space next to her flower shop. The Bake Shoppe will offer cookies, muffins and other baked treats, as well as coffee, tea and sandwiches.

When the hair salon that was located next to her moved out unexpectedly, Baerg was left scrambling to find a tenant. She thought the space would be perfect for a bakery, and several people were interested in the idea but reluctant to take the plunge. They suggested Baerg start the new business herself.

Michelle Baerg has expanded the repertoire at her Elmira floral business, taking advantage of newly available space to launch The Bake Shoppe.

The suggestion didn’t come completely out of left field; her aunt and grandmother both did baking out of their homes, and Baerg almost opened a bakery before she bought the Window Box.

“I’ve always wanted to have a bake shop,” she said. “I’ve been selling cookies by the pail since I was 12.”

Baerg thought about it for a month, then called up an electrician friend.

“Come and do the renovations really quickly, before I change my mind,” she told him.

The former salon space now has a kitchen in the back, a counter and a blackboard for writing down the day’s specials. Baerg is also adding a few tables for people who want to sit down to enjoy lunch or a good cup of coffee.
Baerg will be serving Nespresso coffee, which she learned about from a friend at Café Gardenia in St. Jacobs. The ground coffee comes in sealed, single-serving pouches and several different flavours.

“I love the idea that every cup is fresh,” Baerg said. “I don’t like going to a restaurant and getting the last cup in a pot.”

Baerg has been handing out sample cups to people who come into the flower shop and said there’s a lot of enthusiasm on the main street for a place to get a good cup of coffee. She can also make other espresso-based drinks like mochas, cappuccinos and lattes.

The bakery will serve up two kinds of sandwiches every day, as well as a range of baked goods including butter tarts, chocolate swirl cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, macaroon bars, muffins and cookies. What fills the shelves will vary depending on what Baerg feels like baking and what local produce is available; for next week’s opening, strawberries will be on the menu in some form. Baerg is also happy to take orders.

With a full-time job running the flower shop and three young kids, Baerg admits her new venture will be a lot of work. She’s hired Lynette Frey to help in the bake shop, saying the extra work will be worth it.
“This was a chance to do both my passions,” she said.

The Bake Shoppe opens Monday. Hours for the Window Box and the bakery will be the same: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday.