WELLINGTON COUNTY – COVID-19 once again dominated the news in 2021, but the global pandemic wasn’t the only thing that impacted the lives of local residents.
The following is just a small sample of what made headlines in Wellington County in 2021.
January
The first shipment of 975 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines arrived at the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) office in Guelph on Jan. 5. “This is tremendous news for our region,” stated Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer.
On Jan. 6, the first ever COVID-19 vaccine was administered in the WDGPH region. The first dose of the Pfizer vaccine was given to Sarah Ricci, a program manager at Shelburne Long-Term Care Home. “I’m excited to get it,” Ricci said at a media event at public health headquarters in Guelph. “I’m ready to go and lead the way for everyone else.” Rita Isley, WDGPH’s director of community health, said, “This is an exciting day for us. We’re making history.”
JANUARY: The first! – Sarah Ricci, a program manager at Shelburne Long-Term Care Home, received the first COVID-19 vaccine in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health region on Jan. 6, 2021. Nurse Andrea Bothwell administered the shot. Advertiser file photo
Due to a rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases across Ontario and the corresponding strain on the health care system, the province declared a second state of emergency and introduced more strict lockdown measures. Ontario’s health care system “is on the brink of collapse,” Premier Doug Ford warned at a press conference on Jan. 12. The government issued a stay-at-home order, effective Jan. 14, requiring everyone to remain at home except for essential purposes such as purchasing groceries or medication, accessing health care services, exercise and essential work.
Justin Beal, who set a string of fires in Erin and Guelph/Eramosa in 2016 and 2017, was sentenced on Jan. 14 by Justice Bruce Durno in Guelph’s Superior Court. He will serve 21 months in prison, 36 months of probation and must pay $39,000 in restitution. The Rockwood man was found guilty of five counts of arson in December 2019 and had a pre-sentencing hearing in March 2020, but his sentencing was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Jan. 20 Dr. Nicola Mercer announced virtual learning would be extended by one week, until Feb. 1. “I know everyone wants schools open for in-person learning as soon as it is safe,” said Mercer.
A 2021 budget with a 1.2 per cent increase in the county portion of property taxes was approved by county council on Jan. 28. The increase pegged the 2021 levy at $108,828,100, an increase of $3,215,300 from the 2020 budgeted levy of 105,612,800. The increase was reduced from a proposed 2.5% hike after a special budget meeting on Jan. 11.
Over 19,000 people from across the province joined a Jan. 29 online protest to demand action from the provincial government to help long-term care residents. The Ontario Health Coalition hosted the Zoom protest, which featured over 20 speakers, including the leaders of the provincial NDP and Green parties, to talk about COVID-19 and other pandemic related issues facing long-term care centres.
A Palmerston man faces 10 charges related to a series of sex-related offences involving multiple victims over a 12-year period. On Jan. 29 Wellington County OPP announced they had made an arrest in the investigation, started in November, into sexual assaults and other sex-related offences in Wellington North between 2003 and 2015. “The victims and the accused were known to each other,” police stated. Michael Bradley Hurst, 43, of Palmerston, was charged with six counts of sexual assault and four counts of committing an indecent act. In May the OPP would announce 10 additional sexual assault charges against Hurst, noting the incidents had occurred in multiple jurisdictions between 2003 and 2020.
February
Local students returned to in-class learning the week of Feb. 8. Education minister Stephen Lecce announced on Feb. 3 that all public health units still confined to online-only learning, except those in Toronto, Peel and York, would reopen schools to all students on Feb. 8. Locally, the return came after five-weeks of virtual learning. “Ontario is ready to open our schools because it is safe,” said Lecce, who later noted “there is nothing more profoundly important” than protecting students.
Centre Wellington councillor Steven VanLeeuwen joined the “End the Lockdowns Caucus,” a group of politicians opposed to COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the province. The caucus sees the lockdown and stay-at-home order as violations of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is urging the government to lift restrictions and allow businesses to reopen. “I’ve been listening to people’s stories and the effect of the lockdown is not good for the community,” VanLeeuwen said in an interview on Feb. 5. “I had to speak up.” Some members of the group were criticized by public health officials and fellow politicians for spreading misinformation about the pandemic and COVID-19 vaccines.
The arrival of a shipment of the Moderna vaccine allowed WDGPH to resume its COVID-19 vaccination program. Public health had paused all first-dose COVID-19 vaccinations due to delivery delays, and for over a week the WDGPH vaccine rollout was stalled at 6,553 first doses. But after the arrival of a Feb. 5 shipment of Moderna vaccines, public health had administered 1,026 second doses, in addition to 6,638 first doses, for a total of 7,664 doses – as of Feb. 9.
On Feb. 12 the province announced the WDGPH region would be one of 11 regions returning to the red (“control”) level of the province’s COVID-19 alert system for at least two weeks.
FEBRUARY: Puck drop – Andrew Pelkie of Fergus set up a face-off for his children, Nathan, 7, and Leah, 10, as they worked on hockey drills at the outdoor rink at the Elora Community Centre on Feb. 2. The Pelkie children, including older brother Cameron, 14, who had joined a game of shinny, were missing their Centre Wellington Minor Hockey Association season, but were happy to try out different rinks throughout the township to keep their skills sharp. Advertiser file photo
In a school year plagued by near-constant upheaval, students and education workers were served with yet another major change: a one-month postponement of their annual winter break. On Feb. 11 education minister Stephen Lecce announced March break, scheduled for March 15 to 19, would be put off until the week of April 12 to 16.
“Delaying March break, not cancelling it, is an important way that schools can help to limit community transmission,” Lecce stated during the press conference.
The vaccination centre at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex opened at 10am on Feb. 19. The site, which initially vaccinated “high-risk” groups such as heath care workers, was one of three “hub clinics” operated by WDGPH. The other hub clinics are located in Guelph and Orangeville and public health was also to offer mobile clinics to reach all areas of the county. The Fergus clinic was to begin with a capacity of 500 doses per day with the ability to scale up to 5,000 doses per day when vaccine supply increases. The sites were announced on Feb. 16 as part of public health’s mass vaccination plan, which aimed to administer up to 10,000 COVID-19 vaccines per day and have three quarters of the region’s population (16 and above) vaccinated by early August.
March
A provincial long-term care home inspection report indicated Caressant Care Arthur failed to separate COVID-positive residents from others and also failed to cohort workers, which “put residents and staff at risk of further transmission” of the virus. An outbreak at the facility that infected 57 residents, including 19 deaths, and 63 staff members, was declared on Dec. 26 and deemed over on March 2.
Dr. Nicola Mercer was the first to receive the Women of Influence in Local Government award this year from Municipal World, a magazine that caters to stories and achievements of municipal government. “Dr. Mercer was the first authority in Canada to mandate wearing masks – a brave decision that paved the way for many to follow. This is what courage and leadership looks like,” said Municipal World CEO Susan Gardner.
MARCH: Four-legged fan – Fergus resident Zoe Clarke enjoys a post-marathon laugh with her dog McDuff. Inspired by Terry Fox, the PhD student organized 205 separate marathons across Canada from May 17 to Aug. 27, 2021. Advertiser file photo
As the pandemic approached its one-year mark, Wellington County Warden Kelly Linton spoke to the Advertiser, reflecting on a turbulent year. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. “We had no idea that COVID would turn our world upside down and last longer than a year,” Linton said. In the early days, he noted, governments worldwide were taking varied actions to address a completely new virus and healthcare specialists were not always on the same page. “In many ways, it felt like we were building a plane while we were flying it,” he recalled. There was no time at WDGPH to reflect on the year that was. “We knew this virus was coming,” said Dr. Nicola Mercer, thinking back to January and February of 2020. “But it was the bigger, broader implications we could never know: how long would it last, what would be the death rate, the need for a vaccine, the impact on the economy and on people’s lives? And we didn’t know how governments would respond.”
Michael Chong said sanctions imposed on him and his international colleagues by China will do nothing to deter them from continuing to speak out against human rights violations. “The sanctions have only doubled down our resolve to continue to speak up,” the Wellington-Halton Hills MP said in an interview on March 29. Two days earlier, he was one of a number of individuals and groups in Canada and the United States to be sanctioned by China. Chong, who serves as the Conservative Party’s foreign affairs critic, was named in the sanctions, as is Canada’s House of Commons subcommittee on international human rights, which concluded in October 2020 China’s treatment of its Uyghur population amounts to genocide.
April
The month of April began with the province enacting an “emergency brake” shutdown. The premier announced the shutdown on April 1 in response to rising COVID-19 cases and the spread of several variants, as well as the corresponding strain placed on Ontario’s health care system. The shutdown came into effect on April 3.
APRIL: Rainbow catchers – Siblings Isabela and Alex Krzysztofek chased a double rainbow on April 11 and found the perfect spot to catch it, near the Fergus Golf Club. Their father, Bart Krzysztofek, captured the moment. Submitted photo
All publicly-funded schools in the WDGPH region closed to in-person learning on April 7 due to “the troubling rise in cases of COVID-19 among children.”
The Upper Grand District School Board announced it would begin de-streaming Grade 9 courses in the fall, starting with math. The board of trustees heard a presentation from staff at its March 30 meeting, explaining that separating students into applied and academic streams is an example of systemic racism and exclusion. Applied and academic streams will begin for students in Grade 10.
By mid-April about a quarter of eligible residents in the region had received at least one COVID-19 vaccination – and public health began inviting everyone aged 16 and up to pre-register for their first shot, just as cases of the virus once again reached record highs.
With health officials warning the province’s health care system was reaching a breaking point, Premier Doug Ford announced more restrictive public health measures to try to slow the spread of COVID-19 during the third wave. “We’re losing the battle between variants and the vaccines … we have to do more,” stated Premier Doug Ford during an April 16 press conference. Also on April 16, WDGPH officials reported the first local case of the Brazilian COVID-19 variant.
ICU staff at Guelph General Hospital received some encouragement from students at John Black Public School in Fergus. Students in Patrick Shannon’s Grade 7/8 class wrote letters to ICU (intensive care unit) staff, thanking them for their hard work during April’s wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After nearly a year of review, it became official: police officers will no longer patrol the halls in Upper Grand schools. In a unanimous vote, Upper Grand District School Board trustees passed a motion on April 27 to remove the School Resource Officer program from all elementary and secondary schools.
May
In support of the LGBTQ2+ community, Wellington Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) made the decision to raise the Pride flag for the first time during the month of June. During a May 3 meeting, the Board of Trustees unanimously supported the motion to fly the Pride flag during the month of June. The decision came as a continuation from the board to support models of inclusion and diversity across the district.
MAY – Thank-you tour – Essential workers at the “Essential Workers Thank You Tour” stopped at the Mount Forest Fire Station on May 14. Included, from left: Bill Ernikoglou from the Wellington County OPP, Jeff Lambier from Ivan Armstrong Trucking, Marco Guidotti and Nick Weerheim from Wellington North Fire Services, George He and Stephanie Robbins from Guelph-Wellington Paramedics Service, and Wellington North Fire Services director Chris Harrow. The tour was organized by Lambier from Ivan Armstrong Trucking, with help from Kirk MacDonald of the OPP and Alison Armstrong, spokesperson for the Wellington Health Care Alliance. Billed as a “rolling tribute” to essential workers across Wellington County, the tour featured a 53-foot trailer designed with graphics celebrating essential workers. Advertiser file photo
Belinda Cox, a teacher at Centre Wellington District High School (CWDHS) set the Guinness World Record for most chest-to-ground burpees in one hour by a female, with 775. Cox set the record on March 14 and Guinness verified the record in May.
Wellington County OPP identified the human remains located on May 4 just south of Mount Forest as missing person, Levi Edward Larter. He was last seen on Nov. 8, 2020. Police believe this was an isolated incident with no threat to public safety.
As expected, the Ontario government announced on May 13 that the current stay-at-home order would be extended until at least June 2, with schools continuing with remote learning.
The official unveiling of a plaque and historical storyboard at the new Badley Bridge on May 20 might have seemed anti-climactic to some. But to Wellington County Warden Kelly Linton, roads committee chair Andy Lennox and county engineer Don Kudo, the event marked the end of an $8-million project that has been in the works since 2015 and under construction for about 18 months.
The local community took measures to memorialize the 215 children whose remains were uncovered at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. The discovery of the remains, through a survey of the school grounds by a private firm using ground-penetrating radar, was reported on May 27. Local commemoration projects included: hanging orange ribbons on a tree at a county facility, placing children’s shoes outside of the Wellington County Museum and Archives, and having flags at half-mast across the rest of the county.
June
Four people from the Greater Toronto Area were charged in connection with an illegal marijuana grow-op discovered in Arthur. Police seized over 7,500 marijuana plants valued at over $6 million, along with a “large amount” of cash.
The Ontario government announced the province would enter step one of its “Roadmap to Reopen” on June 11, allowing 10 people to gather outdoors and participate in fitness activities, concerts and performances. Restaurants would also be able to accommodate up to four people around a table outdoors.
The Wellington Water Watchers (WWW) and Guelph resident Shane Philips joined forces to reaffirm their opposition to BlueTriton Brands’ applications to renew water bottling permits in Wellington County. On June 7 they participated in the first stage of Philip’s “Ear to the Groundwater” tour: a walk from Guelph to BlueTriton’s Aberfoyle facility. Throughout Philips’ tour he visited a number of communities in southwestern Ontario to learn about threats posed to groundwater by water bottling, aggregate extraction and development.
On June 10 the province declared the WDGPH region an area of concern when it comes to the Delta (B.1.617.2) COVID-19 variant. As a result of the June 10 “hotspot” declaration, 8,000 extra doses of the Moderna vaccine were to be delivered to the region to help with first and second doses.
A solidarity march against hate was held in Harriston on June 14 as a community response to a racist TikTok video posted from a local residence. The event was organized by members of the Minto Cultural Roundtable and concerned citizens of the community. “On June 10 an act was committed by a resident of Minto that goes against all of our values and the vision that we share for our community,” Minto Mayor George Bridge told the crowd. “We gather here tonight to denounce racism in all its forms and to show that this community stands united against hate. All families should feel welcome and safe here.”
JUNE – A solidarity march against hate was held in Harriston on June 14 as a community response to a racist TikTok video posted from a local residence. The event was organized by members of the Minto Cultural Roundtable and concerned citizens of the community.
Advertiser file photo
Elora resident Curt Hammond and Fergus resident Diane Ballantyne, also a county councillor, started a campaign they hope will send a message to people experiencing hate and racism: there’s room in Centre Wellington for people of all faiths and ethnicities. They invited local businesses and residents to purchase a sign to hang in a window or post on their lawn with the message, “Hate has no home here.” The signs feature hands of different skin colours holding icons from different inclusivity movements. They include the Pride rainbow, Every Child Matters, icons representing diverse faiths, accessibility icons and Black Lives Matter imagery.
June
After years of service with numerous organizations, Don Vallery received the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year award. Vallery received the award during a virtual presentation on June 18 – the final award in a week-long Awards of Excellence campaign that saw the chamber give out a handful of awards each day.
Premier Doug Ford announced on June 24 the province would enter stage two of its reopening plan on June 30 – two days earlier than planned – which included personal services.
The Elora and District Skating Club won the 2020-21 Club Award from Skate Ontario. The the Elora club was recognized for its hard work and dedication to members during the pandemic. “The Elora and District Skating Club … went above and beyond to engage their members regardless of if they were permitted on the ice or not,” stated a news release from Skate Ontario. “It was amazing how this club pivoted a number of times to try their best to keep their athletes connected and active.”
July
Town of Erin resident Janice McClellan was this year’s recipient of Credit Valley Conservation’s (CVC) Outstanding Volunteer Award for more than 30 years of dedicated service to environmental protection. McClellan was recognized for her numerous roles and environmental initiatives with the Bruce Trail Conservancy, a non-profit organization that works to acquire and preserve land for nature reserves.
Centre Wellington council voted unanimously in favour of installing separated bike lanes on St. David Street North in Fergus once infrastructure work there is complete, but Fergus resident Ed O’Shaughnessy collected over 800 signatures on a petition from residents opposed to council’s decision and who hoped they could convince councillors to reconsider that decision. Public consultation on the matter showed just 15.6% of respondents preferred the installation separated bike lanes. Given those results, O’Shaughnessy said it appeared council did not even consider the survey or the wishes of those who responded.
JULY – Community theatre – Elora Community Theatre ran two summer outdoor shows this season. The theatre group has regularly staged outdoor Shakespeare in the Park productions, like this version of Twelfth Night, which featured Laura Hunter and Peter Scott. Advertiser file photo
After putting endless weeks and hours into event planning, Upper Grand District School Board students of the Beyond Borders class of 2021 raised $30,000 for local organizations in the 2021 virtual event, Elevate. “It was an amazing experience and we’re all so grateful that it came together the way that it did,” Beyond Borders chief of operations and student Morgan Eastwood said.
The day finally came for gyms across the county that had been anxiously waiting to reopen their doors to the public. On July 16, Ontario moved into step three of its reopening plan, allowing personal fitness and training to reopen at a maximum of 50 per cent capacity indoors.
Helen Fishburn said she was still experiencing a “joy hangover” the day after the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHAWW) broke ground on a new facility in Guelph that will be dedicated to providing mental health services to children and youth. The land and construction of the building – estimated at $50 million – was donated to the organization by Robert Eilers, president of the Vesterra Group of Companies.
The gift was touted as the largest single private donation to the CMHA in all of Canada.
August
Provincial education minister Stephen Lecce was joined by the province’s top doctor Kieran Moore and others on Aug. 4 to announce funding for ventilation improvements in schools and to provide further insight on back-to-school guidance. Moore said on Aug. 3 the goal is to have a safe and lasting reopening of schools and he touted the effectiveness of masking, screening, hand hygiene, enhanced cleaning and distancing as being effective to ward off the virus. “I think we have to normalize COVID-19 for schools and have an approach that’s prudent, that’s cautious, but that realizes, ‘yep we’re gonna have a rise in cases,’ but we’re going to adhere to the best practices to minimize the spread and to keep our communities safe.”
AUGUST – Summer’s going swimmingly – Brenna and Callum Sweeting, front, along with Nyima and Dawa Wasson, cooled off in the pool at Highland Pines Campground on Aug. 11. Advertiser file photo
Despite having to endure major pandemic-related disruptions, the county’s Green Legacy program continued to deliver in 2021. The program provides trees free of charge to residents and community groups and is the largest municipal tree planting program in North America. To date, over two million trees have been planted across the county.
A man is dead and an OPP officer was injured following a domestic disturbance call on Aug. 15. According to a press release from the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Wellington County OPP responded to a Belsyde Avenue residence at around 11am. Police negotiated with a 31-year-old man until 1:38pm, when officers had an “interaction” with him, states the SIU release. The man, whose family has identified in media reports as Mathias Bunyan, was shot by police and pronounced dead at the scene.
The Town of Erin welcomed the grand opening of the Main Place Youth Centre, a space for youth to find access to recreational activities and mental health resources. In partnership with The Grove and East Wellington Community Services (EWCS), Main Place Youth Centre has created a place for youth in the Community Living Centre in Erin.
Festival-goers were able to enjoy three nights of live music at the Elora Centre for the Arts Aug. 20 to 22, as Riverfest Elora returned for the first time since 2019. “People were crying. They were just so happy to be here,” said artistic director Spencer Shewen. The three-day event included performances by Kardinal Offishall, The Trews, The Barr Brothers, and many more. Billed as the “Wish You Were Here” mini festival, safety measures were in place to protect attendees.
At its grand opening on Aug. 25, politicians marvelled at the cooperation it took to make the Skyline Community Hub on Tower Street in Fergus a reality and officials talked about the benefit to youth now that the hub – and all its wrap-around services for youth – was finally opened. The hub is home to Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Centre Wellington and The Grove, which cater to children and youth aged 12 to 26, as well as Compass Community Services, which serves clients aged four to 94. There are mental health supports, tutors, study pods, recreation activities including a dance and fitness room, a basketball hoop, kitchens, a media room and eventually there will be a nurse practitioner on site.
September
The province announced on Sept. 1 it would be ushering in its own vaccine passport system, reversing a previously held “hard no” stance by Premier Doug Ford, who has been vocally opposed to implementing a passport, saying it said it would result in a “split society.” Beginning Sept. 22, select businesses and venues were required to screen patrons and customers for their vaccination status before allowing them access.
Body-worn cameras are being rolled out in Wellington County for OPP officers over the next two years. “Right now, it’s in the pilot phase; we have one detachment in West Region piloting and then our [emergency response team] members locally are also wearing body-worn cameras,” OPP inspector Paul Richardson told the Police Services Board on Sept. 8.
The local chapter of the Parkinson’s Society raised $16,000 through its Walk for Parkinson’s event.
Michael Chong was pleased to win the Wellington-Halton Hills riding in the Sept. 20 federal election, once again cruising to victory. The Conservative candidate, who has held the Wellington-Halton Hills seat since 2004, received 33,918 votes or 52.3 per cent. In 2019 he was returned to office with 47.7% support. His closest contender this time was Liberal Melanie Lang, who received 17,343 votes (26.8%). The NDP’s Noor Jahingir received 6,812 votes (10.5%), the PPC’s Syl Carle got 4,247 votes (6.6%) and the Green Party’s Ran Zhu saw 2,504 people vote for him (3.6%).
A crowd of supporters, family and volunteers gathered at the Mitchell Golf Club to celebrate Perth-Wellington MP John Nater’s re-election. Following a 36-day campaign that left Parliament looking very close to the same as it did before the election, Nater reclaimed his seat in the House of Commons. Nationally, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party of Canada retained minority government status.
There will be separated bike lanes installed on St. David Street North and staff will go ahead and complete the township’s application for a Connecting Links grant. Centre Wellington council toyed with the notion of changing its mind on the bike lane decision at the Sept. 20 committee of the whole meeting, but while four of the seven around the horseshoe voted in favour of a motion to reconsider, it requires a two-thirds majority to change a decision.
On Sept. 30, Canadians were encouraged to wear orange to raise awareness of the tragic legacy of residential schools and to honour the thousands of survivors. Sept. 30 also marked the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day honouring the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. Warden Kelly Linton reflected on the significance of Canada’s first National Truth and Reconciliation Day as he opened the Sept. 30 Wellington County council meeting. “On this day, we reflect on the devastating damage residential schools have caused to many Indigenous children and their families. It also reaffirms the universal truth that every child matters,” said Linton.
October
Residents across Wellington County lost one of their community’s greatest ambassadors on Oct. 5. William Hugh Adsett, known to most simply as Bill, died at Caressant Care in Arthur after a brief illness and following a battle with dementia. He was 86 years old. “Wellington County has lost a great man,” said longtime friend Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong. Described as a funny, sensible and caring man, Adsett was well known across the county as a former politician and the founder of the Wellington Advertiser. “This is a great loss to the community,” said friend Senator Rob Black. He added Adsett was a strong leader with vision and a man who cared immensely about Wellington County.
A Centre Wellington District High School student was sent to the hospital after being assaulted by a fellow student on Oct. 7, the latest incident in what some students and parents say is an escalating pattern of abuse and violence targeting the school’s 2SLGBTQ+, BIPOC and special needs students. A transgender student was sent to hospital after being punched at least twice by a fellow student. “This school is an unsafe environment, especially for transgender students,” said one student, who is gay. “Students are threatened with knives, with broken glass and with hateful words. And some teachers refuse to honour their gender pronouns.”
OCTOBER – Fire training – After training for their new roles since August, Wellington County firefighter trainees from stations across the county, including Mapleton, Guelph/Eramosa, Puslinch and Minto, met at the Town of Erin Public Works facility in Hillsburgh for their first live fire training exercises. Recruits learned skills and techniques used to extinguish a variety of fires such as dumpster, brush and car blazes. Advertiser file photos
Former Guelph/Eramosa resident David Card was named the recipient of the 2021 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. Card received the Nobel Prize alongside Joshua D. Angrist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Guido W. Imbens, a Dutch-born professor from Stanford University. The award, announced in Stockholm, Sweden on Oct. 11, credited Card for his impact on policy debates over immigration, welfare reform and inequality. Born in Guelph and raised on a family farm in Guelph/Eramosa, Card is currently a labour economist and economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
Fourteen staff at Wellington County hospitals were put on unpaid leave on Oct. 13 for not being vaccinated against COVID-19. The Wellington Health Care Alliance (WHCA), which includes Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Aboyne, Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest, and Palmerston and District Hospital, joined other hospitals in the region to implement a mandatory vaccination policy for all staff.
November
Members from local branches of the Royal Canadian Legion gathered in front of the Wellington County Museum and Archives on Nov. 5 to carry out a mission of remembrance in the name of the county’s war dead. “It’s important to remember that these brave individuals gave their lives for a noble purpose, to protect the values that Canada holds sacred,” county Warden Kelly Linton said in his opening remarks. “Over the decades, brave Canadian soldiers have stood shoulder to shoulder with their allies against aggressors, who have threatened our shared sacred values … These values need to be as important today as they were when these brave Canadians fought and died for them in years gone by.”
Dr. Sarah Gower received the Regional Family Physician of the Year award from the Ontario College of Family Physicians. Gower was nominated by her peers at the Upper Grand Family Health Team in Elora. Awards were presented at a virtual ceremony on Nov. 10. “I wish we all could have got this recognition,” Gower said. “I depend on my colleagues so much. And as the pandemic has shown, we really need each other.”
The proposed rezoning of a controversial fridge and freezer manufacturing plant along Jones Baseline will proceed as long as several conditions are upheld. Guelph/Eramosa council approved the zoning bylaw amendment application on Nov. 15 to rezone the land from agricultural to industrial use with a holding provision to facilitate the development of a dry industrial use. The decision allows Georgetown-based fridge and freezer manufacturer Minus Forty to relocate its operations to a larger plant in Guelph/Eramosa. County planners recommended the township rezone the 27.8 acres from agricultural to rural industrial land at 5063 Jones Baseline, southeast of Highway 7 between Rockwood and Guelph from setting up shop in the area. A few weeks after the decision, the Jones Baseline Community Inc. group, made up of area residents opposed to the development and represented by Donnelly Law, submitted an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal.
NOVEMBER – Live theatre – Royal City Musical Productions Inc. performed its rendition of All Together Now at the Fergus Grand Theatre from Nov. 12 to 15. Music Theatre International created this musical revue as a fundraiser for theatre groups trying to recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and the show was presented live and live-streamed. The troupe of 20 players performed many songs beloved in musical theatre from shows like Les Miserable, Beauty and the Beast, and Come from Away.
Advertiser file photo
Health Canada approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with a modified dosing formulation, for children aged five to 11 on Nov. 19. The province released a timeline for booking vaccinations on Nov. 22 stating children would be eligible to have appointments booked beginning Nov. 23 through the province’s COVID-19 vaccination portal, public health units, participating pharmacies, and select primary care providers.
Students at Centre Wellington District High School walked out of class en masse the morning of Nov. 19 to show their support for trans, gay, bi, Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized students after several transphobic and homophobic incidents at the school, most alarmingly when a trans student was assaulted with a weapon by another student in October. Carrying signs that read “Equity at CW,” “Embrace Unity,” and “it’s cool to be kind,” and waving Pride flags, students marched around the school chanting “Unity starts with You,” and “No justice, no peace.” A few dozen community members, some carrying Pride flags, lined up on the sidewalk in front of the school to show their support as well.
December
Police officials said no one will be charged in connection with a threat to “shoot up” Centre Wellington District High School. “The investigation has concluded and no charges will be laid,” Wellington OPP spokesperson Josh Cunningham stated in a Dec. 8 email to the Advertiser. On the evening of Dec. 1, someone posted on Snapchat that they were going to “shoot up” the Fergus school “with a Glock 23” the following day. The school remained open on Dec. 2 and there was an “increased police presence” at the school that day. CWDHS staff kept students in classrooms and limited the number of students in hallways and washrooms.
A 26-page, $50,000 report presented to Erin council on Dec. 7 suggested the town could save taxpayers money if the municipality seceded from Wellington County and joined Halton or Peel or operating as a single-tier municipality. The report, from Watson and Associates Economists Ltd., did not include any consultation with officials from Wellington, Peel or Halton. Initially the report was to address issues such as whether town roads could be more efficiently managed by Wellington County and whether the county could take over town water and wastewater services. The possibility of the town leaving the county or a comparison with nearby regions was never mentioned. It remains unclear why/how the report changed from its original intent.
Special Investigations Unit director Joseph Martino has determined a Wellington OPP officer will not be facing criminal charges in the police shooting death of Mathias Bunyan, according to a Dec. 14 SIU press release. The 31-year-old Fergus man was shot and killed by an OPP officer on Aug. 15 at his Belsyde Avenue apartment building after police were called there by a person concerned about Bunyan’s behaviour. Martino said in his view, the force used was justified and there could be “little doubt” that the officer was protecting himself when he shot Bunyan, who was armed with two knives. Bunyan’s family members and their lawyers took issue with the SIU report, questioning why mental health experts were not at the scene. “Mathias spent his final moments scared and trapped by police in his home,” reads a statement from the family. “Mathias did not deserve to die in this way. There must be a better way.”
The provincial government announced measures to expand eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots and tighten proof of vaccination requirements in response to rising case numbers and the spread of the Omicron variant. The government introduced new measures to safeguard long-term care facilities and urged Ontarians to limit social activity over the holiday season. “As we continue to learn more about the Omicron variant, we are taking additional measures to protect our progress as we head into the winter months,” said health minister Christine Elliott at a Dec. 10 press conference at which the booster and proof of vaccination initiatives were announced.
DECEMBER – Letters of kindness – For the month of December, students at Alma Public School wrote messages of kindness to one another as part of the school’s letter writing initiative.
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The county’s local state of emergency will not be ending as planned in the new year. The county announced on Dec. 14 that officials have decided, in consultation with Dr. Nicola Mercer, to keep the state of emergency in Wellington County in place. The press release from the county noted the Omicron variant was spreading quickly within the WDGPH region and was expected to replace Delta as the dominant variant by the end of the month.
Businesses in Wellington, Dufferin and Guelph are being instructed to have employees and others, such as contract workers, work from home beginning Dec. 20. Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer issued a Dec. 16 letter instructing businesses and organizations to “ensure” employees conduct their work remotely “unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site at the workplace.” Mercer issued the instruction under Ontario’s Reopening Ontario Act and the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, which require employers to follow public health directions. She made the move “in response to persistently high and growing COVID-19 case counts in our region.”
Longtime Mount Forest resident and community advocate Stuart Husk bid a final farewell to Mount Forest with a Christmas giveaway on Dec. 18. The event, which Husk labelled the Mount Forest Christmas Giveaway, saw close to $19,000 in gift cards to local businesses distributed to nearly 150 people in attendance. It was an emotional day for Husk, who recalled the times he and his wife, Heather Aitken, would put on community events prior to her passing earlier this year. “I’m really, really proud to do it,” Husk said of the event. “[Heather] did it for years and I wanted to carry it on.” Husk and Aitken previously organized a number of local events, including a “Chalk it up” event in 2020 to salute front line workers with positive messages drawn in sidewalk chalk.
The vaccination mandate for Centre Wellington Township staff will remain in place. Council voted 4-3 on Dec. 20 to oppose a motion by councillor Steven VanLeeuwen to remove a policy that states new or rehired staff must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to work for the township. VanLeeuwen said getting the vaccine should be a matter of choice for Canadians and the policy not only removes choice, but actually coerces people to get the shot. Local Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer called the motion “dangerous,” noting it “does not meet the threshold of scientific accuracy” and approving it “increases the risk for both staff and residents of Centre Wellington not just of contracting COVID-19, but of severe outcomes and death.” Two township lawyers also spoke out, stating the motion is “inappropriate, improper and may be illegal.” Three councillors voted in favour of the motion, but they were outvoted 4-3 and the motion was defeated.
Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command first vice president Derek Moore said the Legion wants to build on its “Leave the Streets Behind” program by forming regional committees across the province, including one in Wellington County and one in Guelph. Initiated in 2009, the program aims to end homelessness among veterans. More than 980 homeless veterans have been identified in 184 municipalities across the province since the program’s launch.
A two-year impasse between the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs and the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) has come to an end. An agreement established between the GRCA and the Lake Conestoga Snowmobilers now allows snowmobile use on 13 kilometres of trails running northwest and southeast along Conestogo Lake on GRCA-owned property in Mapleton Township.
