Toy drive carries on
Dear Editor:
The current virus situation has had a great impact on the world and Fergus/Elora is no exception. The annual CW Food Bank drive has had to cancel the usual means of collecting food, cash, and toys, etc. for their Christmas Drive.
They have implemented other methods, but because of storage and staging problems they have cancelled the usual method the Lions Club and their partners, Reliable Ford, have used over the past 20-plus years.
In order to continue to assist the food bank again this year, we have decided to offer the showroom of Reliable Ford as a collection area to gather gift cards or certificates which will be distributed to needy families in time for Christmas. We will accept all gift cards, and cash donations at this location until Dec. 2, at which time the proceeds will be given to the food bank for distribution.
There will be no formal kickoff for this other than the drive will commence Nov. 16 and donations will be accepted until Dec. 2. This does not allow a lot of time but the food bank requires time to distribute the cards and still allow the families time to use them to purchase the gifts. The cards can be purchased at most stores dealing with food, clothing, toys, supplies, etc. They can be dropped at Reliable Ford but each card must have the original cash receipt attached to the gift card so the food bank can distribute them accordingly. This stipulation is a must, so please do not forget.
The Fergus Lions Club and Reliable Ford support this drive and the club will kick the drive off with a $2,000 donation. We hope that next year we can resume our normal procedures but until then, we are counting on the generous support from the community, no different than you have done for over 20 years. Elora residents who may have trouble getting to Reliable Ford can drop the donation at 124 John St. in Elora and they will be delivered to Reliable Ford.
The Fergus Lions Club and Reliable Ford, thank everyone for their consideration and wish you all an early Merry Christmas.
Gary Waterhouse,
Fergus Lions Club Toy Drive Chairman
Elder care a priority?
Dear Editor:
Recent advertisements from the County of Wellington show the comparative value ascribed to:
– contract P/T Wellington Terrace assistant nursing, $15.98 to $18.44 wage; and
– casual site assistants (waste disposal), $19.86 to $23.25.
Dramatic display of the relative value by our county.
Ian Rice,
Elora
‘Life changing decision’
Dear Editor:
I have been involved with special needs individuals for over 25 years as a volunteer for The Special Friends Club.
This program takes place at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Hillsburgh. They meet on Saturdays from September to June and for seven weeks of summer day camp in July and August. This enables the families to have full days of respite. For the past 25 years the participants have created their very own “friendship circle” and they love the chance to gather as a group in a communal space.
It distresses me greatly to read about the closure of the ARC programs. How can 30 hours of program support be boiled down to a one or two hour visit once a week in the home by an ARC staff? This is devastating for the participants and their families. Individuals living in the rural areas will not even have enough time to be driven to a larger centre to take part in any kind of special activity.
People like the ARC participants need to be able to gather and to grow real friendships that can only truly occur face to face. To think that they will thrive on one or two hours of individually supported interaction is a falsehood.
Having volunteered at the ARC program in Erin for many years I have witnessed the pure joy when the full group is involved in such activities as birthday parties, Christmas sing-a-longs and wheelchair bicycle outings to name a few. These events will not be able to be duplicated in private homes.
This is a life-changing decision for all of the participants’ families. I would hope that they were consulted as to what was most important to their lives, their needs and their wellbeing.
Chricket Yule,
Hillsburgh
Get answers first
Dear Editor:
RE: Erin wastewater, Nov. 5.
It is not surprising that Mayor Alls repeatedly proclaims the benefits of the wastewater project for Erin village and Hillsburgh. People are worried about its costs.
It is a necessary project. Think about all the septic systems on too-small lots. The ground must be totally contaminated.
Still, people must be scared stiff at all the unknowns which could cause unknown cost overruns during construction. Will all the Town of Erin taxpayers have to chip in to pay for these unknowns? Will development really fund development? Will the feds and province give the town enough grants to pay for it?
Will the town get the project to the “shovel-ready” stage to qualify for post-COVID vaccine infrastructure grants which we can be sure the feds and province will start throwing around to get the economy rolling again?
Mayor Alls, please don’t bother us with letters to the editor until you have answers to these questions.
Jane Vandervliet,
Erin
‘Total carnage’
Dear Editor:
RE: Erin wastewater, Nov. 5.
I totally disagree with this pro-development agenda in a town where we do not have the road infrastructure to move even more residents down the road south on their daily commute to work, which a major percentage of this town will be doing despite any new businesses coming to town.
Mississauga Road is already virtually impassable and the speed limit is the slowest car you are behind. I realize there is Trafalgar Road and Highway 10, which are out of the way for most commuters in my opinion.
Also, the location of this abomination is hardly a welcome mat to our town. People will drive through Caledon, Forks of the Credit, Belfountain (stunningly beautiful) and be greeted by a sewage plant upon entry to our town.
Also, I dispute all measurements done in regards to West Credit River flow as a simple family of beavers can drastically change this overnight, – which they have done! Approximately 35 meters west of the 10th line bridge, just north of Bush Street, there has been a beaver dam these past five to six years. Mysteriously, this dam has been breached and flow has obviously picked up. I contacted the Town of Erin, CVCA and nobody knows who breached it.
Also an acquaintance has contacted MNR which knew nothing about it and nobody knows who is responsible for what I feel are false readings.
A better site, in my opinion, if this is a go, is to put the plant between Hillsburgh and Erin; 22nd sideroad and 9th line comes to mind. Out of site to the majority of Erin-Hillsburgh residents. I will hold my breath waiting on a study of that proposal.
Also, the similarities to Nobleton, which is on Highway 27 and just 8km from a 400 series highway is a good comparison. Their costs skyrocketed, you can read the reports online.
I am entitled to an opinion and believe that this ruination of our town will cost homeowners $70,000 to $80,000 per household. With federal and provincial governments running record deficits, I am not to confident on getting government grant funding anytime soon.
If I wanted the joys of traffic jams, road rage and longer commutes to work I would merely move south an hour. I sincerely hope that an opposition can stop what I believe is a total carnage to a beautiful town.
Ken Cowling,
Erin
Excessive speed, noise
Dear Editor:
I live on Anderson Street North in Fergus and am continuously complaining to the police and council about speeding traffic and vehicles with defective mufflers or street racing modifications that usually means lots of noise.
This seems to have no effect whatsoever. The police said they put a speed monitor out and our councillor confirmed that something would be done about speeding and noise. The police then told me that according to the data they collected, there was no speeding problem. Given that the data collector seemed very close to a stop sign and may not have been the ideal position to collect reliable data and with no details of the speed threshold of the data collector, it would seem that their data is quite unreliable.
Despite this possibility, I am being told that the speeding and noise is all in my imagination, when in fact, you can hear some of these vehicles clear across town sometimes.
My conclusion is that I will need to get my fellow neighbors to get involved in this problem, if anything is to ever get done. I am asking as many people as possible to write in or complain to the police and council that it really is time something was done about noisy vehicles and speeding vehicles.
Maybe together we can get something done.
Malcolm McCulloch,
Fergus
Planting trees
Dear Editor:
The Trees for Mapleton committee and volunteers were able to plant 37 native trees at Riverside Park in Drayton as part of our Paul Day Memorial Forest Tree Planting and as part of our goal of planting a tree for every resident in the township.
We will be putting labels up to show people the different types of trees that were in the township in 1843 when it was surveyed. There will be 15 more trees planted with help from the Township of Mapleton.
Due to COVID concerns, we did not have a community plant this fall but hope to do so again in the spring. We wish to thank those that did help out the committee.
We also want to acknowledge Pine Tree Farm Inc and Greenview Nursery, both Mapleton Township businesses, for their help in sourcing these trees, and as well thank the Green Legacy Nursery for the trees they provided. GRCA helped us with the planting plan.
We would encourage people to come and walk the trail and see all the trees that have been planted over the past few years for everyone’s enjoyment. It takes many to grow a forest.
Bruce Whale,
Trees for Mapleton committee
Caring is the key
Dear Editor:
Does one ever stop and think about family, friends, acquaintances or other people around us in terms of who the individual is what is he doing for the good of humankind? Who stands out, whom should I learn from? Who is friendly. Who never says much, but offers valuable advise. Who helps if and when he can. Who never judges anyone. Who is humble. Who answers with the smile.
The time for me to do just that came when we lost one of our neighbours. I had known Jay and Marg Strom for about 15 years. Driving, or riding around our part of the country, I noticed how neatly and orderly their farm worked. Their two-storey residence, a picture of tranquil country life, was especially festive and inviting during winter. Small lighted candles in each window shone as witnesses to the nice, caring family occupying the home.
As the years passed, some 12 years ago we received an invitation to the Neighbourhood Corn Fest hosted by the Stroms. We agreed that it was a good opportunity for meeting various neighbours in our rural area of the township. So we have attended. It was a different location from their former nearby farm. I learned that Jay and Marg retired from farming. When their property adjoining neighbours died, Stroms seniors purchased the neighbour’s property.
The Corn Fest helped most of our street residents to come out, meet and socialize with others. It and the Christmas Drop-In has happened annually at Jay and Marg Strom’s lovely home. As we got to know each other better, we started doing things together. The result of neighbours working together for the safety and betterment of all was a successful petition to the township to not allow heavy trucks drive through on the road. Jay helped by offering valuable input.
Gradually I had been invited to join Jay and Marg at different events, such as Rockwood Farmers’ Parade of Lights, Audience of One Christian Theatre productions, Toronto’s Elgin Theatre show, movies, etc. We celebrated Jay and Marg 50th wedding anniversary and birthdays together.
Thinking about all that passed I realized how important the family is, how important caring friends are.
Sometimes we overlook the opportunities simple life offers us. Material things we may want, but human contact, interaction, communication, caring for and helping each other are what we should strive for, always.
Agnes Belosic,
Guelph
Too much to bear
Dear Editor:
I am a resident of Belwood, Sideroad 25 to be exact. I bought the property from Mr. Carstenson in May 1988.
I built my home and in around 1992 I joined a conservation project to plant 2,600 evergreen trees in my back yard. I was given a meagre supposed conservation incentive.
This was terminated by some gentleman who resided in Scarborough, citing that I was not qualified in the first case. He was not aware that it was the conservation authority who planted the first set of trees.
Late in 1999 or early 2000 I planted 3,000 more along the roadway of my property, making the total 5,600 trees. This was all done because I believe in conservation and green produces oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide, making our planet more healthy.
Further to that I installed solar panels and joined the net metering program.
I believe since there are incentives for conservation-conscious individuals, why not me?
I have made the financial outlay and manual labour to do my part. Every little bit helps and I would appreciate some government department would appreciate my contribution and say “Thank you” in a tangible way.
It was a surprise this year when Hydro One increased my hydro cost by 50%. They said that was the norm. At this rate, how much does a consumer have to bear?
Hopefully, the appropriate authority will consider my effort worth some remuneration.
Lloyd Bartholomew,
Centre Wellington
Lit blue for diabetes
Dear Editor:
November is upon us once again, a month best known for Remembrance Day (11th), and “Movember” (growing of mustaches for prostate cancer awareness).
In these hectic days of working at home, some home schooling, online shopping to avoid crowded stores and what not due to a global pandemic, it is hard to miss the fact other diseases and aliments are still affecting many Canadians and others worldwide.
One of these is diabetes, which affects 11 million-plus Canadians and is growing steadily. That it receives little attention news wise only helps to keep its profile low, but once diagnosed, it is with you for life.
Since 2016, when Diabetes Canada first approached the Fergus Lions Club to “Light up the Night in Blue” to promote diabetes awareness, we have, every November, illuminated the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Grand River from the Marketplace parking lot to the River Walk park in the north side just behind the Library.
A bit of background: the colour blue and the symbol of the circle were officially bestowed on the disease diabetes by the United Nations in 2007. The month of November was also declared Diabetes Awareness Month.
Lions Clubs International took up the cause of promoting diabetes awareness worldwide. The lighting of the bridge is our (Fergus Lions) way of promoting diabetes awareness in our community. It is hoped that we are making people stop and think about diabetes.
We light up the bridge on Nov. 14 – International Diabetes Day. It is also the birthday of Dr. Frederick Banting.
So, as you cross the bridge in the evenings, look at the light display and maybe think about Diabetes.
Take a few moments away from games and Facebook, YouTube or whatever, and go to Diabetes.ca –, and take the 10-question test. It is designed to give you an instant assessment of your personal risk factors for contracting diabetes (no personal data is collected/stored).
J. Brian Martin,
Diabetes awareness chair,
District A15 Lions Clubs