‘Diatribe’
Dear Editor:
RE: A simple fix, Nov. 16.
It is understandable that the Advertiser staff are annoyed when the response of local politicians and media officers, to criticisms concerning communications with the paper, is to question the paper’s reach.
However, I did not find a “simple fix” proposed in the Nov. 16 editorial. Rather, it seems like the editor is in dire need of some cheese (with that whine). There are some valid grievances that could have benefited from a more considered presentation.
It seems that antagonizing the OPP media relations officers will not achieve the goals of the paper.
Perhaps these politicians hit a nerve? Perhaps spending some effort to build relationships with the OPP media relations staff is a better use of time and energy than composing such a diatribe.
John Heil,
Elora
‘Accountability’
Dear Editor:
RE: A simple fix, Nov. 16.
Kudos to Chris Daponte for his excellent editorial last week.
However, the real solution could be bringing back a local police force; accountability should start here.
Casey Widmeyer,
Fergus
Used to be trust
Dear Editor:
RE: A simple fix, Nov. 16.
I was saddened to learn that relations between the Wellington County OPP and the newspaper are currently not anywhere close to what they should be.
It wasn’t always that way, but apparently new people in charge of policing have some issues with news media.
Once upon a time, The county OPP and the Advertiser were strong allies in an effort to build a better community.
When Wellington OPP was created at amalgamation, the police and the newspaper put in place a verbal agreement. Police would report all the serious crimes, keep all news media informed, and we would cooperate in publishing warnings and announcements that the police issued, plus print all the news they gave us.
As a police reporter, I often ranged outside the county boundaries and was surprised that some OPP areas were not nearly as forthcoming as our county force. Apparently that attitude has now spread into Wellington OPP, too.
Cooperating with the police took several forms in the Advertiser. When a citizen survey determined people were concerned about drinking driving and speeding, those stories were, for many years, printed on the front page to drive home the message that such activity was unacceptable.
I cannot recall the number of times I was approached by people wanting their crimes and speeding tickets suppressed – including a colleague at the paper who had a heavy foot one weekend and became Speeder of the Week. All names were always printed, and the media relations officer provided all the news in a timely manner. I can remember only one exception in over a dozen years, and the apology came quickly the following week.
The trust worked both ways. I was once called to take pictures and do an article about the largest drug bust ever in Wellington County. A media relations officer at the Rockwood OPP station asked me to avoid taking a photo of an officer. I was also asked, if I ever saw the officer on the street, to not recognize him. I was told he worked undercover, and his life could be in danger if he was found out.
That’s trust.
I hope it can be restored between the police and news media the way it once was – for the betterment of everyone.
When the police were open and forthcoming with information in those days, Wellington OPP had a reputation as being one of the best police services in terms of community relations.
Current leadership might want to have a chat with former Inspector Steve Walsh or media officers like Keith Robb and Jennifer Smith to find out just how well that police-and-Advertiser agreement worked.
David Meyer,
Chatham
‘Good work’
Dear Editor:
RE: OPP and county aim to improve communications, public opinion of police, Nov. 16.
Good work by the Advertiser staff on the reporting of recent comments by Police Services Board (PSB) members.
Warden Andy Lennox might want to get his head out of the sand and get in the real world. Allan Alls is down on the Advertiser because they kept him accountable as mayor of Erin.
It might be a good time to axe the PSB and start anew.
Keep up the good work, Advertiser staff.
J. Alexander,
Fergus
‘Beautiful tribute’
Dear Editor:
I would like to commend you and your staff at the Wellington Advertiser for the beautiful tribute and vast coverage you did for Remembrance Day.
The paper was chock “full” of colourful photos and stories. You did good! Thank you.
I love your newspaper and read it from front to back.
You are our strongest link to all of Wellington County.
Liz Hughes,
Puslinch Township
‘Cutting supports’
Dear Editor:
We are supported by Community Living Guelph Wellington (CLGW). We are pleased to inform you we have been married since 2007.
We have been supported by CLGW since 2001. We have enjoyed being involved in activities organized by CLGW staff, such as barbecues, Christmas parties, out of town excursions, etc. These activities made us feel part of something, camaraderie and sense of belonging.
In the past few years CLGW has taken these events away from us and many others. We are encouraged to participate in these activities in the community. There are still many people that see a disability as not equal. We have not felt welcomed to participate in fear we will feel judged and uncomfortable. This was a change we did not have a say in.
Once again CLGW is making changes, shutting down day programs without asking the people supported what they want. People supported are not feeling heard or valued. We have known two other executive directors that have been able to run CLGW within budget and not be in such a financial crisis.
We are encouraging more transparency from CLGW. We would like to see how the budget for this year has been spent. How did the agency get so far in the hole? And who is being held responsible?
Community Living wants us to be part of the community. However, by cutting supports we feel we are on the path to being at home in our apartment more and more. Soon they may as well lock us up and throw away the key.
Dan and Kelly Jamieson,
Wellington County
‘Raining elephants’
Dear Editor:
RE: Day program closures, Nov. 16.
I would like to further comment on Linda Devries’ letter, along with the many other community members who have written to share their concerns about the closure of Community Living Guelph Wellington’s (CLGW) day programs.
We, at Compass Community Services, are already seeing the effects of the announced closures and have little to offer families due to lack of programming and services in our area. This closure is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to developmental services challenges in this province – there is a very long priority list.
I cannot speak for CLGW, however as executive director of Compass, the 36-year-young agency serving our incredible adults and children/youth with intellectual (dis)abilities, I can speak to the lack of funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS).
Compass is accountable for offering provincially funded programs and services with MCCSS, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Attorney General. Up to the end of our last fiscal year, April 2023, Compass received a total of a 6% increase in base funding over the past decade from all three ministries combined. This averages out to a 0.6% increase per year. There is no fat to lose, no bone left to cut and most agencies in the province are in the same position. There is nothing left to but to terminate programs and services; and, increase wait times.
We continue to advocate, as our clients and families do, with both MPPs Ted Arnott and Mike Schreiner who are in our communities’ corner. We have met with Minster Parsa’s senior staff and documented the challenges but to no avail.
Agencies across this province continue to advocate but to no avail. It’s no longer raining cats and dogs, it’s raining elephants.
Joanne Young Evans,
Executive director,
Compass Community Services
Light show is back
Dear Editor:
Once again the computerised musical Christmas light show is back and collecting donations for the local food bank and humane society.
We sincerely thank everyone who was able to donate last year. We hope to spread the joy of the season to all, and are hoping people who come can also help those who are less fortunate.
The show is on every evening until 11pm from now to New Year’s Day. The show is located at 6067 3rd Line in Centre Wellington at Sideroad 30.
The Toso and Henderson families,
Centre Wellington
‘Be a parent’
Dear Editor:
RE: Local man arrested in online child sexual exploitation, luring investigation, Nov. 9.
I haven’t given much thought to who or where there are predators. But when I read your article, I was shocked. All I can think is, how do pedophiles have the power to access child pornography and lure children? Simply put, it’s because of social media. All the “good” it’s done is bring predators and children together.
The real good was in the 1960s, when the Internet was born, because it was only intended for researchers to share things. Then, in 1996, Bolt and a few other hoodlum social networks moved to the block. At first, social media seemed like an opportunity for friends and family to stay in touch, but now they’ve turned into our children’s social lives. Because of these platforms, kids are hooked and harassed with unachievable standards, horrible ideas and disgusting predators.
I now realize that predators are just like children. They are hooked on social media. It makes it so easy for them to make friends and share their wickedness. They peruse Instagram, Twitter and hundreds of other sites to find helpless kids. For what purpose? To exploit them.
Why not go back to before 1996? By removing this tool for predators, we can protect so many children from their grimy hands.
For now, I beg parents to boot their kids (and probably themselves) from their screens. Show them the world. Be a parent.
John Wildeboer,
Fergus
System ‘failing’
Dear Editor:
RE: Local man arrested in online child sexual exploitation, luring investigation, Nov. 9.
Child predator laws are failing us. It is disgusting to me that the men arrested for online child sexual exploitation were able to access online in the first place.
Wilfred Thyssen is an accused child sexual abuser, yet he was let out on bail and was able to continue to lure and exploit children. How was this allowed?
We need stricter laws in place when it comes to protecting children from predators. As a young teenage girl myself, I know how exciting the internet can be. It would be so easy to fall into the kind of trap that Thyssen was setting.
Why was Thyssen not monitored more closely? The conditions of his bail included not having access to the internet unless supervised by his surety, and yet he was obviously able to access it, and with what consequences? Suppose the police had not conducted their undercover project and caught him? He would have simply continued to sexually exploit children!
Even more upsetting is how unaware parents are of the dangers online. In a four-day investigation, no less than eight men were arrested! We must be more diligent in protecting children from these men.
The justice system is failing in locking up child sex offenders, giving them the opportunity to harm more children. In fact, almost all of the men who were arrested in this investigation are now out on bail.
It is only a matter of time before they attempt this again. This needs to stop.
Lillian Lenting,
Fergus
Monitor children
Dear Editor:
RE: Local man arrested in online child sexual exploitation, luring investigation, Nov. 9.
Children are so immersed in the world of social media and gaming. They create a profile, add a picture, maybe create a funny name that isn’t actually their own, and away they go. They can chat with people as they game, or talk to people whose profiles on social media look interesting.
Some children even find a false reality in a fake social media account, where they can create a false identity through a name they have always wanted, a really cool or beautiful profile picture and maybe a few pictures just to really seal the lie they have created.
If a child can create a fake online account, so can a child predator. And after about 10 minutes of working on creating a profile these predators could be talking to your children under a false identity.
Unfortunately this is more common than people think. I mean this 67-year-old man was doing it, and I’m sure none of his neighbours knew what was happening behind closed doors.
Parents, I plead with you, please take the time, as it is your responsibility, to monitor who your children are communicating with online. I understand this isn’t an easy task, but when has parenting really been very easy?
Social media companies like Instagram and Snapchat, and gaming corps like Fortnight and Minecraft, need to make it their goal to assist parents in monitoring the activity of their children on sites or games that are very popular among youth today.
Let’s monitor our children, enhance and update privacy on sites, and protect the generations after us.
Remember, if a child can do it, so can a child predator.
Kayla Vanderwoerd,
Guelph
Fair/train memories
Dear Editor:
The year was 1967. The centennial year of our country. There were many projects done around town in celebration of this special year. One was our new Centennial Park on the south bank of the Grand river but the most spectacular event for me was my trip to the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto in November.
I was in Grade 7 at James McQueen Public School in Fergus and our Grade 7 and 8 classes took part in this very special trip. A train trip to the fair. It was a joint participation by public schools in Arthur, Fergus and Elora.
We had to be at the train station in Fergus by 6am. There we waited for the train that was coming from Arthur where it had picked up its first passengers. After the Fergus students and teachers were aboard we then proceeded to Elora where the last of our passengers boarded.
I remember passing through Guelph and we arrived at the fair around 9:30 or 10am. The train had us disembark on the north side of the Canadian National Exhibition grounds under the Gardiner Expressway.
After admission to the fair we were in small groups and visited the many exhibits and displays. I recall stopping to have lunch. I bought a POGO (hotdog on a stick). I will never forget the flavour. The ones they have now just are not the same.
The day visit was near an end and we all met outside at the tracks and waited for the train that would bring us home. The train was almost an hour late and we stood there in the cold.
The train finally came and it was a very long and quiet ride home. I’m not sure but I think a lot of children went to sleep.
It was quite late when the train pulled into Fergus after dropping the Elora students off first. Anxious parents were at the station to greet us and take us home. I can’t imagine how the parents of the Arthur students felt as they were the last ones to be dropped off.
I’m not sure but I think this was the very last passenger train to run through Fergus.
There were still cargo trains that came to pick up products from Canada Wire (Nexans), GSW, Moore’s Business Forms and Wilkie’s mill (now a condo on the river) and they also delivered coal to McFadden Fuels and feed and seed to the Co-op on St. Patrick Street.
The tracks are all gone now and most have been made into trails including the trail out past the Shand Dam. In these times, it is sad that the tracks are all gone as we see so many cars and trucks on the highways. It is an era gone forever.
Barb (Bristow) Brookes,
Fergus
Infrastructure needs attention
Dear Editor:
RE: Palmerston development draws concern over density, Nov. 16.
With so many small communities growing, the concern over parking, density, snow removal, grading and drainage is not new.
I am surprised however, that there was such an uproar with the proposed two four-unit townhomes. Where was all of this concern when many other fourplexes or cluster townhomes were being built in other mid-century or early 20th century neighbourhoods?
From past experience, I can assure you that having a property going from one home with a driveway for two cars, grass to absorb the rain, trees to shade the area on an old sewage and draining system to a lot with four homes, driveways for eight, very little grass and no trees will affect the drainage system.
Our communities have misplaced storm drains and old systems that probably need updating for today’s standards.
I have no doubt the Town of Minto will continue to build as will other small towns. They will increase their tax base and their town employees.
I can only hope they also start fixing the infrastructure for not only the new homes and new families moving to Palmerston but for the “oldies” that have been around in their older homes and neighbourhoods.
Joanne Klonikowski,
Fordwich