Storm clouds gathering on the horizon
With climate change comes more extreme weather, say the experts. The windstorm that tore through a good chunk of Ontario last weekend certainly fits the bill.
That’s not to say the wind and intense rain we saw is definitive proof – it’s just one more example. We’re not to confuse today’s weather with the big picture of climate Read more
Each of us has a role in saving the planet
April, Healthy Communities Month in Woolwich, provided a plethora of examples of how to live lighter on the land, enriching ourselves and our environment in the process Read more
Auto woes require big-picture thinking
Pity the poor autoworker, being lumped in with investment bankers, corporate CEOs and public sector employees as symbols of what ails our economy.
With the Detroit-based carmakers on shaky ground, the wages and benefits paid to their workers have come under scrutiny like never before. Read more
ETC ready to set the stage on fire
For the next couple of weeks, there’ll be no place safer than the Elmira Theatre. That’s because you can expect to find a sizable contingent of township firefighters taking in The Fire Inside, which runs Apr. 23 to May 9.
The play, written by Baden’s Teresa Brown, is a two-act drama about volunteer firefighting in a small town.
The plot follows the rookie John McConnell (Joe Brenner) over the course of one year as a volunteer firefighter. He joins not knowing what he’s getting into, and indeed soon discovers that the job is not entirely what he expected. Increasingly, John is torn between excitement and boredom, triumphs and frustrations, camaraderie and horror, and he begins debating whether he’s “got it in him” to do the job.
Jeff Dakin and Kimberly Young rehearse a scene.
For the Elmira Theatre Company’s Deb Deckert, whose son is a third generation firefighter in Linwood, the script had an immediate resonance. When reading it, she laughed at times in recognition of how true-to-life the scenarios are, situations that will be recognized by firefighters and their families.
The reality reflects the fact the playwright’s husband is a longtime volunteer with the fire department in Baden.
Taken with the story, Deckert was a little hesitant about the technical requirements of staging the play, but eventually overcame those concerns. Audiences will experience the drama of the rescue calls through radio dialogue as images flash on the back wall.
It’s the first time ETC will be using this kind of projection, she said, adding the productions she directs are known for taxing the technical and acting range of the company.
“I always want all the bells and whistles,” she chuckled. Read more
Water: you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone
I’m standing on the deck of a modular home, looking out over the seventh hole of a golf course. The course is a lush green, palm trees lining the edges, as they do the boulevards and along the streets Read more
A healthy community starts with its food
On the whole, we’re increasingly conscious about the quality of food we buy for ourselves and our families. We’re also more aware of what it costs the environment to have food transported thousands of kilometres to Read more
Still need for gun controls
Stephen Harper has had the gun registry in his sights since his days in opposition. Upon becoming prime minister in 2006, he quickly set about angling for its demise. That change, however, has not been quick in coming, Read more
Biogas plan gets another public airing
Alternative energy plans are a hot topic of discussion, but a local company would be happier if the talk about its project was a little more positive.
To date, however, Woolwich Bio-En Inc.’s bid to build a cogeneration unit on Martin’s Lane in the north end of Elmira has met with resistance from nearby residents with concerns about noise and odour problems.
The project was the subject of yet another discussion Tuesday night at Woolwich council, where planning staff shifted gears and formally decided a zone change would be required to allow the facility to go ahead. It had previously deemed the project in conformity with the existing industrial zoning on the site.
Bio-En Power Inc. president Chuck Martin surveys the Elmira site where his firm proposes to build a facility to convert organic waste to electricity.
Director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley told councillors – and a gallery filled with residents – that new information indicates this is not a dry industry, adding that the waste materials used in the process and the potential for noxious odours mean a zone change is in order.
That said, the province’s new Green Energy Act may render any council input moot, as it would in essence remove local jurisdiction over such projects, attempting to streamline the process and have more alternative energy projects in place sooner.
In a presentation to council, Bio-En Power Inc. president Chuck Martin said what his company is proposing is precisely the kind of project the province is pushing for with the act.
Bio-En’s plan is to build a cogeneration unit that would produce 2.8 megawatts of renewable electricity – enough to power 2,200 homes – and 3.4 mW of heat. The $12-million facility would be fueled by biogas Read more
Potholes tax our patience with neglected infrastructure
Winter officially behind us, we’re firmly ensconced in the season that follows. No, not spring – well, yes, spring – but more pressingly for drivers, pothole season.
Somewhere between snow-covered streets and the serious thaw, we’re in a no-man’s land of dodging craters and the occasionally spray of cold patch, awaiting the arrival Read more
HST would shift tax burden
At a time when governments should be lending a hand to its citizens, we’re getting just the opposite. This week’s Ontario budget is no exception.
The most controversial issue is a plan to harmonize the provincial sales tax with the federal GST, a massive tax grab pitched as a boon for the beleaguered business sector. To be sure, the proposed HST would Read more
