‘Outrageous’ decision
Dear Editor:
In response to the recent vote of our councillors to not send a letter of support to the province for a hospice for Centre Wellington.
Hospice provided one of the most powerful and beautiful experiences of life before death for our family.
Hospice provides dignity, compassion and such sweet special care for those in their final stages of life, and provides loving, comfortable and peaceful surroundings for families to spend those last precious days with those leaving this life.
Why anyone would not support such a truly beautiful place is beyond me! Have any of these councillors even set foot in Hospice Wellington?
It is an amazing sanctuary with so much expertise available to help people on the final leg of their journey. To not support this initiative for a hospice in Centre Wellington is outrageous!
Medical assistance in dying (MAID) should not be the reason to turn down support for this incredible opportunity to have hospice in our community! It may only be a choice for some people and by not supporting hospice you leave so many people with no place to go to die in peace and comfort and to receive exceptional individual care.
Hospice is really about living – living your last days in peace, and dying with dignity and love!
I sincerely ask that our councillors to please revisit this decision. Please take the time to educate yourselves. Visit Hospice Wellington and speak with their palliative team of health care professionals and volunteers.
The service they provide our loved ones and families in this stunning sanctuary is unprecedented. Thank you for your consideration.
Debbie Ostic,
Fergus
‘A true minority’
Dear Editor:
I have been reading the Advertiser’s letters to the editor for many years. In recent months I have read many letters and responses to groups, essentially, proclaiming their rights and privileges and quite rightly so. We all should have fundamental human rights.
I would like to bring one more to the attention of your readers: the plight of people in our community with truly “special needs” and hopefully some of these groups of activists and the general public will join the battle to improve services to these people. I refer to a true minority who today we refer to as developmentally disabled people 18 years of age plus.
Centre Wellington is severely under-serviced with programs and resources for these people, especially new ones entering the system. Many parents have to take their young adults out of the community to find care during the day.
Having day programs properly funded is essential to parents who have to work and in their spare time are caregivers themselves.
My observations tell me that a myriad of government officials and spin-off groups are not providing a duty of care.
Can the average reader imagine the strain on family life of these families with adult children that essentially require the needs such as, toiletry and or diaper changing, showering and feeding? Some of these individuals also need medical assistance or care.
Many PSWs do their best to help at fairly low income levels paid by private health care providers. There is also a shortage of these PSWs.
So let’s get behind this true minority. Many of these people cannot speak for themselves. I also challenge the Advertiser to challenge our MPP, who for more than 30 years has also seen this decay in service and “cannot,” it seems, do anything to make positive change.
Alan Darby,
Elora
‘Aggressive enforcement’
Dear Editor:
Aggressive enforcement of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act has been introduced to Centre Wellington. Parking infractions that have gone unenforced for decades are now being enforced, so be aware!
One of Centre Wellington’s many local bylaws (CW Bylaw 5000-05-9.17) is catching motorists off guard. It states no person shall park a vehicle upon a highway within nine metres of an intersection.
The fine for violating this parking bylaw varies between $20 and $60 depending on how long it takes the offender to pay it.
Smith Street in Elora is a case in point. Drivers have been parking along it for decades not noticing that there are five intersections on its 200 meter length. This fact reduces legal parking considerably but there is no signage.
Elora Festival enthusiasts and parishioners have been parking roadside for years to attend events and services at St. John’s Church which has no parking lot. Tourists also park roadside since Smith Street offers easy access to Victoria Park, which only offers limited parking. So, on busy weekends, Smith Street is filled with roadside vehicles, many parked illegally since the drivers are unaware of the bylaw.
This results in dozens of tickets being issued in the course of a busy summer day. The festive atmosphere is ruined when motorists find their vehicles ticketed.
On the festival’s opening day last weekend, as theatregoers, performing artists, tourists and locals were trying to jockey for a place to park, shouting was heard when people began challenging the enforcement officers. Vehicles began manoeuvring to find legal places to park with the street full of pedestrians and cars weaving between them. The scene bordered on chaos.
If this bylaw is to be enforced, we need “no parking” signs or markings on Smith Sreet so that people can park safely and legally.
Glen Kachur,
Elora
Stolen sheep
Dear Editor:
We have operated a purebred sheep flock near Rockwood for 40 years and have sold breeding stock from Manitoba to PEI to other sheep farms.
We have a quality flock widely tested and the Ontario Veterinary College has done teaching and research at our farm as well as providing veterinary services.
Just over a week ago we had a theft of 17 ewe lambs averaging around 75 to 80 pounds that were sold for $325 each, a total of over $5,000 and were due for delivery in a month or so. The police were notified.
We believe they quietly drove past the house and around to the barnyard in the middle of the night. These lambs would require at least three or four strong men to load them into a truck and it appears they have cased our property and were very efficient as this was not an easy task. Unfortunately our cameras failed to record any activity.
We also assume that instead of going to a flock owned by a young couple that were looking forward to their purchase, the lambs were likely slaughtered for meat the next morning. It was a difficult phone call to explain to our customers that we no longer had lambs we promised them for their breeding program.
Our family feels violated and deeply concerned. It is not simply the money, it is stealing years of much effort, time and expense as we try and improve the sheep industry in Ontario.
As we believe this is a well-organized group I would like this to be a warning to all farmers with livestock and other valuables on their property, especially sheep and goats. We have no doubt similar robberies are likely to happen again.
Glen Duff,
Rockwood
Concerning comments
Dear Editor:
RE: Erin awards two wastewater plant contracts totalling over $52 million, July 14.
Wastewater treatment plant contracts awarded and councillor Mike Robins “twisted knickers”….
As usual another article on Erin’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and the voluminous words that explains very little.
“To declare that there is no financial implication kind of makes me get my knickers in a twist, but I can live with it,” said councillor Mike Robins.
Well I for one could not go through a day with “twisted knickers” and for Robins to make such a benign statement without following up as to the “why” is typical of the entire process that we have endured throughout the past few years of the planning and now the awarding of contracts for the Erin WWTP.
What I’d like to see is Robins coming back and explaining exactly why he’s got concerns and will there be future financial commitments necessary, in addition to what we’ve already heard about from the local Erin taxpayers … Robins being a CA (now CPA) is the only one on council who understands a financial statement, and for him to have concerns should be a concern for all of us.
Brett Davis,
Erin
‘Breathtaking’ display
Dear Editor:
The Mount Forest Fireworks Spectacular last weekend certainly lived up to its billing.
As a former fireworks company employee for a number of years I was most impressed by the professional presentation.
The show featured a wide variety of special effects and new shells I had not seen before and was choreographed to perfection. The concluding barrage was truly breathtaking!
This was one of the best firework displays I have had the pleasure of viewing. Hats off to the pyro technicians involved for a most memorable presentation.
John Peaker,
Mount Forest
Successful breakfast
Dear Editor:
The Elora Firefighter’s Association would like to extend a huge “thank you” to everyone who came to the pancake breakfast on July 1.
After a long pause, it was great to be able to catch up with people that we haven’t seen in far too long! As always, all of the support will be put directly towards helping local initiatives, in the hopes of reaching as many people as possible in Centre Wellington.
This year, the proceeds from the breakfast will be going to The Grove Hub in Fergus to support their youth mental health initiatives and sponsoring public skates in Fergus and Elora.
A special thank you needs to given to Heritage River Retirement Residence for not only donating the pancake batter and syrup this year, but for the time involved in ordering everything needed to make this year a huge success. Thank you to Paul, Sam and the staff for your patience through the ordering process and helping with loading everything up when it arrived! We really appreciate your continued support.
Centre Wellington truly is a special place to live. We hope you all have a safe and happy summer, and we look forward to seeing everyone again next year.
Elora Firefighter’s Association
‘Fantastic show’
Dear Editor:
I have just seen the production of Mamma Mia at the St. Jacob’s Country Theatre and highly recommend it. What a fantastic show in a great theatre.
The singers and dancers are exceptional and as good if not better that previous renditions I have seen. I recommend that you plan to attend the show if at all possible.
You will not be sorry.
Joan Ryan,
Belwood