The Community News would like to wish everyone a safe and happy 2017, as we take a look back on an eventful year in 2016.
The following is just a small sample of the News that made headlines in Mapleton Township in the past 12 months.
January
Firefighters from four stations responded to a fire that destroyed an unoccupied dairy barn on Dec. 23.
Drayton, Moorefield, Palmerston and Arthur fire stations were called to the blaze at Hessel Farms on Wellington Road 7 between Sideroads 16 and 17, starting at around 7:45am. Mapleton Fire Chief Rick Richardson said the barn contained only 100 large round straw bales and some old wagons.
The municipality reached a settlement with its former CAO, but details of the agreement will remain confidential, township officials stated.
Mapleton Mayor Neil Driscoll confirmed on Jan. 8, when contacted by the Community News, that a settlement had been reached with former CAO/clerk Patty Sinnamon, who was let go by the township on July 2.
“I can say that that’s all finished,” Driscoll said in a telephone interview.
Drayton Heights Public School welcomed its first Syrian refugee students. On Jan. 18, six children from the Al Jasem family began classes at the school in kindergarten and Grades 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8. Congregations in the Mapleton area that are part of the Markham Waterloo Mennonite Conference sponsored the Al Jasem family of 11 to come to Canada through a United Nations program.
“Over the course of 2015, we all watched as the Syrian crisis escalated and people began to flee their homeland in droves,” said Janelle Zwart of the Refugee Committee of the Drayton Christian Reformed Church.
The township announced the hiring of a new director of public works on Jan. 28. CAO Brad McRoberts says new director Jamie Morgan “comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience related to municipal public works operations.”
Morgan, who was manager of operations for North Perth, also worked previously with the Town of Minto and Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro.
February
The township opted not to join four area municipalities in the Butter Tarts and Buggies: Explore the Simpler Life tourism promotion.
A promotion agreement between the municipalities of Wellington North, Mapleton, Minto, Southgate and West Grey was presented for consideration at the Jan. 26 meeting.
CAO Brad McRoberts pointed out the municipality, which was in the process of replacing its business development and marketing coordinator, already has more than 20 economic development initiatives on the go.
“Adding an additional program at this time may not be possible,” McRoberts stated in a staff report.
A staff analysis of a consultant’s annual review of Ontario municipalities indicates the township is on the right track in dealing with its infrastructure deficit and long-term financial challenges.
Since 2000, BMA Management Consultants Inc., an independent consulting firm, has undertaken an annual comparative study on behalf of participating Ontario municipalities.
In 2015, Wellington County was among the participants, with all lower tier municipalities providing data in various categories. The report looks at socioeconomic factors “which provide insight into a municipality’s collective ability to generate revenue relative to the municipality’s demand for public services,” the staff report stated.
The BMA review shows Mapleton with the fifth largest population (10,359) among Wellington County’s seven lower tier municipalities and also the fifth highest average household income ($93,190).
March
Students in the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) learned about accessibility, inclusion and acceptance in a new and cutting-edge way: through sledge hockey. The board initiated a new sledge hockey program for elementary schools that will be rolled out throughout the entire board over the next few years.
Program facilitator and Drayton Heights Public School teacher Andy Speers said one of the major program goals is to teach students not to “judge a book by its cover.”
“Just because someone might have a disability, whether it be a special need or a physical disability, doesn’t mean they can’t be a phenomenal athlete,” Speers said.
A local kennel owner was awarded the contract to handle dog control services for the township.
Council, at the March 8 meeting, approved a staff recommendation to award the contract to Moorefield kennel owner/manager Jennifer Walter, who took over services from previous contractor Jo-Alan Animal Care Services, which is getting out of the business.
Council directed township staff to conduct a service review in response to public concerns expressed through the recent Township of Mapleton Council Report Card.
In October 2015, council members passed a resolution to conduct a survey aimed at obtaining feedback on their first year in office.
Asked to rate council’s overall performance, about 13% of respondents indicated they were very satisfied, 26% were satisfied, 34% were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, 19% were dissatisfied and 8% were very dissatisfied.
The Drayton Defenders Pee Wee Rep team captured the OMHA ‘D’ Championship on March 20 by defeating the Dundalk Storm by a score of 5-1. Drayton swept the Storm three straight with scores of 6-2, 11-3 and 5-1 respectively.
The Drayton Kinsmen Farm Show was an overwhelming success once again. The 35th annual show, held on March 30 and 31 at the PMD arena, attracted over 2,000 paid admissions, plus many children who were admitted free.
April
Moorefield firefighters donated $8,900 to Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC) from the proceeds of a pancake breakfast and boot toll. Funds will be used for equipment, program services and research.
Over 50,000 Canadians suffer from the effects of 170 forms of muscular dystrophy. Forty per cent of the association’s revenues come from the 270 supporting fire stations in Ontario. Annual donations exceed $1,185,000.
Drayton Heights Public School student Willy Smart played Space Oddity with Canadian astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield at Empowerment Day on April 15 at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex in Fergus.
Hadfield was the day’s keynote speaker. Originally a concept of Drayton Heights Public School graduates Alexis Kuper and Tate Driscoll, Empowerment Day is run by the Drayton Heights student council – 64 students in Grades 7 and 8 – and is meant to show students they’re making a difference in the world and in their community.
The Wellington County Farm and Home Safety Association (FHSA) held a Children’s Safety Day on April 23 at Farfield Farms south of Alma.
Continuing a 30-year tradition, the organization offered opportunities for young people to learn about safety as it applies to hearing, shops, power take offs (PTOs), tractors, fire, large animals and, new this year, guns.
May
Mapleton council heard arguments both for and against allowing Sunday gun hunting in the township at a special meeting on May 3.
About 25 people attended the gathering, leaving plenty of empty seats at the PMD arena hall.
A call for written submissions on the topic generated 34 responses prior to the meeting, with 28 in favour of expanding hunting to Sundays and six opposed. Three submissions that arrived after the deadline added one voice to the pro-Sunday hunting side and two more in opposition. Of the correspondents that clearly indicated they lived in Mapleton, eight were in favour and six opposed.
Five years in the planning and just over a year from ground-breaking the Minto Rural Health Centre (MRHC) became a reality on May 4.
Dignitaries and community members gathered to celebrate the opening of the new 11,750-square foot medical arts building which houses a variety of community partners in the delivery of health services to area residents.
Tenants include the Palmerston and District Hospital Foundation, Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team, Canadian Mental Health Association, St. Elizabeth’s Wound Clinic and Community Care Access Centre. Dr. Christopher Cressey is the first physiciqan to open an office in the facility.
Council added its support to two resolutions opposing the province’s approval of wind farms in communities without municipal support.
At the May 10 meeting, council supported a resolution from the Municipality of Dutton Dunwich where Invenergy was awarded a contract for the Strong Breeze Wind project without the municipality’s support.
The resolution calls on the province to make a municipal support resolution a mandatory requirement in the Independent Electricity System Operator’s process for awarding contracts.
Township council threw its support behind efforts by two local service clubs to build a splash pad in Drayton. On May 10, Mapleton council approved the minutes of the April 11 parks and recreation committee meeting, which include a resolution acknowledging a splash pad as part of the parks, recreation and culture strategic master plan.
The resolution also calls on the committee to “reconnect to council to support the splash pad project with fundraising through the local Kinettes and Rotary Club.”
June
A former Drayton resident achieved a goal she set for herself early in her softball career. Victoria Rumph began playing ball on the “B” diamond in Drayton and progressed over the years to a position as a catcher for Softball Canada’s Women’s National Team from 2013 to 2016. Rumph’s goal to obtain employment as a softball head coach was realized when the College of Wooster in Ohio hired her on as head softball coach beginning June 13.
“I am honoured to be given this head coaching opportunity at the College of Wooster as a young coach early in my career,” stated Rumph.
Mapleton was among five rural Ontario communities chosen to take part in a pilot project on the creation of youth advisory councils. Having a youth council up and running was among the reasons the township was selected for Parks and Recreation Ontario’s Play Works Youth Engagement projects.
“The hope is that Mapleton will become a leader in this front because you have almost a year under your belt,” Jason Cranny, a youth engagement worker representing Parks and Recreation Ontario, told council on May 24.
Township council has approved implementation of a process to identify post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among local firefighters and provide both peer-driven and professional assistance with treatment.
On May 24 council approved a recommendation from Fire Chief Rick Richardson that a traumatic event post-incident procedure be adopted and adapted to identify and treat potential first responder victims of traumatic events attended by Mapleton Fire/Rescue.
A report from Richardson explained that mental illness, PTSD and occupational stress injuries are on the rise in the fire service province-wide.
The Mapleton community lost a special citizen and a key figure in local history with the passing of Jean Campbell on June 14.
Campbell, who died at her home at the age of 80, was a longtime Drayton village clerk, ardent local historian and active community volunteer.
“She was very diligent in what she did. She was very sincere and she was very soft spoken and kind, but she had a unique way of talking you into things and getting her way if she thought it was the right thing to do,” recalled former Drayton and Mapleton mayor John Green.
July
Longtime local council member Jim Curry passed away on July 3, less than 18 months after being diagnosed with ALS. Curry, 63, described as community-minded and a man of few words by his family, was active locally as a municipal councillor for 21 years. He was also a Rotary Club member and served on various committees at the Drayton Reformed Church, including mission work in Haiti. His favourite pastimes included hunting, fishing and golfing.
An appreciation evening celebrating Grant and Edith Schieck’s 60 years of volunteerism in the community was held on July 7. The Schiecks received the Drayton Mapleton Agricultural Society’s Long Time Service Award. Presented for the first time, the award recognizes society members who have dedicated many years of volunteering for the organization.
The annual fishing derby at the Conestogo Lake Conservation Area was held on July 10 with 91 adults and 38 kids registered. Kids biggest fish was a pike caught by Shawn Culp. It measured 58cm or 22.75 inches. Adult biggest fish was a 69cm (27.25 inch) pike caught by Jason Clowes.
Wellington County and Guelph hospitals received more than $3 million in provincial funding to expand emergency mental health services. North Wellington Health Care (NWHC), which operates the hospitals in Palmerston and Mount Forest, and Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Fergus each received $326,100, while Guelph General Hospital got $2,416,300.
“Guelph got the lion’s share of it because we depend on Guelph for these resources,” NWHC chair Tom Sullivan said.
“North Wellington and Groves, we don’t have psychiatrists on staff, Guelph does, so they make these resources available to us if we run into a situation where we have a mental health or addictions patient.”
Six trucks from the Mapleton Fire Department responded to a baler fire on Wellington Road 109 in Wellington North, west of Arthur, on July 28.
Crews worked quickly, spraying water around the perimeter of the area. A baler, two acres of the wheat field and six large round straw bales were destroyed in the fire.
August
Mapleton lifted its open air fire burn on Aug. 3. On July 5, Wellington County Fire Chiefs made the decision to prohibit all open air burning within the county. On July 15, the Township of Mapleton announced small campfires, less than a metre in size, would be permitted under certain conditions. On Aug. 3, the township removed the remaining provisions of the ban.
“Based on the amount of rainfall that we have received over the last few days and weeks Mapleton Fire Chief Rick Richardson has declared a lift of the ban,” stated a press release from the township.
Predicted thunderstorms did not materialize allowing organizers of the Drayton Fair to experience near perfect weather for the annual event. The fine weather from Aug. 5 to 7 brought steady streams of fair-goers to the Drayton fairgrounds.
“It was a great weekend all around. We couldn’t have asked for better weather. The crowds exceeded our expectations. Entries were up in almost every event,” fair president Jim Zantinge said.
During the week of Aug. 7 Wellington County Junior Farmers hosted five international delegates. They came from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. While in Wellington County they had a chance to experience goat farms, dairy farms, trout farms and also learned how to make a horse buggy.
Mapleton council elected not to hire a crossing guard for the intersection of Wellington Road 17 and King Street North in Alma. Instead, the township made plans to address safety concerns raised by local residents by re-assigning an existing crossing guard to the village’s main intersection and extending sidewalks on Wellington Road 17.
The local conservation authority and health unit warned people not to swim in Conestogo Lake due to the presence of blue-green algae. On Aug. 30 warning signs were posted at the lake advising people about the algae, which contains the toxin microcystin and can cause illness when ingested by people or animals.
Cottagers were also notified of the algae bloom. There were no reports of human illness. Officials with the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health warned people not to swim in the reservoir, come in contact with the algae, allow children and pets to go near the algae, eat fish from the lake or use the water for drinking or any other purpose. Boating was allowed, but boaters were advised to avoid touching the algae.
Next week: 2016 the Year in Review, September to December.
