Class 3 - 2nd place - Elmira Woolwich Observer, July edition

School board passes budget with cuts, increased staff spending

Julian Gavaghan Observer Staff

WATERLOO

REGION’S PUBLIC SCHOOL

BOARD’S budget for next year will fall by 2.5 per cent after trustees voted for some spending cuts while allowing salary costs to continue soaring.

The total budget of $966.25 million – $24.75 million less than last year – was passed shortly before the province took over four more education authorities accused of mismanaging taxpayers’ money.

The new budget includes $864 million in operational and $89.5 million in capital spending.

It is the first balanced budget that the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) has passed in four years, having previously run deficits since 2022/23. This was partially achieved by extracting $6.5 million from its reserve fund, which currently stands at $55 million. Funding earmarked specifically for facilities will also be reduced

→ BOARD BUDGET 4

Nashville Predators GM noted Martin’s demeanour was as impressive as his on-ice performance

his journey to the airport.

ELMIRA’S BRADY MARTIN REVEALED HE was “pumped” to be selected by the Nashville Predators as the No. 5 pick in the 2025 NHL entry draft.

The 18-year-old centre, who learned of his fate at an outdoor viewing party with around 100 other people at his family farm, said he was “shocked but excited” when his name was called out so early on in the proceedings.

“I was hoping to be picked somewhere in that top-10 area, but I was shocked to get taken at five. I’m really glad they did,” he told The Observer.

Martin, whose physicality led to him being described as an “on-ice wrecking ball” by one expert, is considered an ideal fit for a Predators team built around a relentless forechecking approach.

The teenager, whose ability to lay siege to defences is as well regarded as his ability to shape games with big-moment goals, said Nashville would also be a great place for one other reason.

“It’s definitely a perfect fit for me,” said Martin last Saturday, while loading his bags ahead of

“It’s the home of country music, they love country music, and so do I, so it’ll be perfect,” continued the six-foot, 187lb, right-handed forward who just finished his second OHL season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

His parents, Terry and Sheryl Martin, both said they were “very proud” of what their second child had achieved. His mother also said she was grateful for all the support the young draftee had received locally, adding: “It’s important to give back to the community, to share this moment and let them see a bit of what it’s like for him.”

Evan Passmore, a fellow Elmiran and Martin’s former teammate at the Waterloo Wolves, was also drafted.

The Barrie Colts defenceman was selected 171st overall as the New York Rangers’ sixth-round pick.

Woolwich Minor Hockey, where both began playing before moving to Waterloo’s AAA program, praised their accomplishments. Draft weekend was a very farm-centric affair for Martin, who scored 33 goals

Region finally moving ahead with covered bridge restoration

THE RESTORATION OF THE BADLY weathered

Council approved expanded budget, which has grown to almost $12 million of the Grand River crossing, which is affectionately known as the Kissing Bridge, looks like “Swiss cheese,” meaning rainwater is getting in and rotting the rest of it.

West Montrose Covered Bridge is set to start this month after the Region of Waterloo agreed to spend $4.6 million more than originally planned.

The ballooning budget, now almost $12 million, is due to the “unique, specialized and complex” nature of the 144-year-old structure, the only one of its kind left in Ontario, a report revealed.

Regional council greenlit the project, which had been due to start in the spring, after voting last week to award a $9.7-million contract to Looby Builders (Dublin) Limited to rehabilitate it.

Hans Pottkamper, a member of West Montrose’s Bridge Keepers community group, said he welcomed the work finally beginning but expressed dismay at the delay and steep cost.

“The frustrating part is that we went to regional council more than a decade ago with pictures of the bridge and petitioned the region to please start doing some maintenance.

“Yet it’s taken this long to get round to it.

“The bureaucratic inertia is just so frustrating as a taxpayer.”

Pottkamper said the roof

Jacob Drung, an architect who lives in West Montrose and serves on the Woolwich Township Heritage Committee, also stated that the structure was in a poor state.

“Even to a non-architect, it would be pretty apparent that there’s quite a bit of a sag in the floor,” he told The Observer.

“Even just the weather protection of the structure is very noticeable, as there are a lot of gaps between boards and pieces missing.”

Work will include replacing reused sections of a Second World War-era steel Bailey bridge, which were installed as reinforcement after being used by the Canadian and other Allied armies as makeshift river crossing in battles.

The metal trusses, which were added to the West Montrose landmark in 1959 and can now be seen from the inside after the cladding previously covering them was recently removed, were now “dead weight” because they were no longer providing enough support, said Drung.

The region aims to replace the steel with new

→ BRIDGE WORK 7

Canada Day ended badly for those involved in a two-vehicle collision on Wellington Road 86 just outside of Ariss about 11 p.m. Five people were transported to hospital, including a 16-year-old passenger who sustained life-altering injuries. All involved suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Wellington County OPP are asking for witnesses to call them at 1-888-310-1122.

Ducklings in distress prompt woman into action

Seven of the little creatures fell through a grate, requiring rescue

A WEST MONTROSE ANIMAL LOVER saved the lives of seven ducklings who had fallen down a storm drain after being led over the grate by their mother.

Lydia Aivaliotis had been watching the waddling procession of one mature and ten miniature mallards down her road after her husband, Terry, first noticed them as he left for work.

“He said, ‘Honey, come outside. There is a mama with her ducklings on the street,’” she said.

“So, I ran outside because, as he knows, when it comes to nature, I’m just nuts.

“I went to see where they were going and as I did, the mama walked over a drain and her babies started falling through the gaps.”

Seven of the ten ducklings, who were estimated to be less than a month old, fell into the water, while the mother mallard quacked in distress as she and her three remaining youngsters stood beside the grate.

“I saw that and I started screaming after them, and I’m freaking out,” said the 53-year-old mother of four and grandmother to two, who admitted she is somewhat of a Doctor Dolittle-type character with a natural affinity for animals.

She immediately tried calling the Humane Society to find out what to do, but at first no one responded.

In the interim, Aivaliotis had another idea.

“I came back in and grabbed my pool net to see if I could scoop them out of the water, which looked really dirty,” she explained, noting she was also assisted by Jeff Carroll, a contractor who was doing some work in her home.

However, they were only able to retrieve two of the birds because the others kept swimming underneath the roadway, in a pipe network that

She then called Woolwich Township and said she was directed to the public works department.

A member of staff came and suggested an alternative plan, she said.

“He said that if we poured water down one of the drains, it would flush them out, so that’s what we did,” said Aivaliotis, noting that the liquid addition created a moving stream in the pipes.

In doing so, the remaining five ducklings eventually appeared under the original storm drain, and the animal lover was eventually able to rescue

all of them.

However, at first, the young aquatic birds resisted the current and wouldn’t swim into the path of the net. The township employee had another idea, and so he found a YouTube video that played the sound of a mother duck’s call, Aivaliotis noted.

“In the beginning, that didn’t work either, so I found another video with a different mama calling her babies and that made the difference,” she said, adding that she suspected the first recording may have been the wrong species.

and 72 total points over 57 games with the Greyhounds last season, while adding another 11 points over seven matches while serving as Canada’s assistant captain during last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

On the night before he was picked, while others in the same position were taking in the bright lights of Los Angeles, where the draft was held, he was out in the pitch dark searching for some bolted cows.

“It’s what we do. It’s who we are. It’s who I am,” noted Martin, who has previously revealed how proud he is of his agricultural upbringing and Mennonite faith.

And on the morning of June 27, first-round selection day, he still needed to do more of the hard work that he has credited for his much-praised “farmstrong” strength.

“It was just a regular day. I got up, did the chores, and then came home and got all set up, and then that night I got drafted,

and it was barbecue chicken from there,” he joked in his trademark dry manner.

When his big moment came, Martin was joined by friends, family, and others “who were there with me on this journey.”

They gathered outside on lawn chairs to watch the picks being made on a big TV screen that was held aloft by the front-end loader of a John Deere 8345R tractor beside his childhood home.

Cold bottles of water were kept in the shovel of another tractor while coffee was served on a table at the back of a pickup truck.

Martin, who declined the invite to attend the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft in person, wouldn’t have it any other way.

While he admitted a degree of trepidation, he also said he was ready to enjoy the once-ina-lifetime spectacle, a dream scenario for many young players of Canada’s national winter sport.

“We didn’t really have

any expectations, so we were just kind of letting it happen, and we were just ready for whatever did happen,” he said afterwards.

And fortunately for Martin, who has seen his stock continue to rise since being listed by the NHL as its 17th hottest North American prospect in April, the decision came just in the nick of time.

Shortly after a huge cheer from onlookers, with Martin turning his hands into pistols to fire shots of joy into the air in celebration, the heavens opened and rain began falling.

The former EDSS student was able to dash indoors to make a Zoom call to thank Nashville general manager Barry Trotz “for taking a chance on me.”

Trotz replied: “No chance taken. We know we’re getting a great

person and a great player.”

Martin, whose older brother Joey, 19, recently joined the Fergus Whalers after an 85-point season with the Elmira Sugar Kings, said he really wasn’t sure who would pick him. He had some inkling about which side was likeliest, however.

Following interviews with 27 teams at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo earlier this month, the representatives of four teams took him out for dinner.

“It was steak every night,” he said of the extended sit-downs with the Utah Mammoths (No. 4 pick), Nashville (No. 5), Philadelphia Flyers (No. 6) and Boston Bruins (No. 7).

The Buffalo Sabres (No. 9) were also said to be very interested.

Looking back on those discussions, however, Martin said it now looked more obvious that the

Predators would pounce as soon as they had him in their sights.

And they did, once Utah had instead chosen Caleb Desnoyers with the fourth pick, which followed the New York Islanders using their first-overall pick to select Matthew Schaefer, the San Jose Sharks (No. 2) choosing Michael Misa and the Chicago Blackhawks (No. 3) putting their faith in Anton Frondell.

Martin’s selection, with centre James Hagens and winger Porter Martone still on the board, was the first big surprise of the night.

The following day, Trotz revealed it had been a “passion” pick, having been impressed by Elmiran’s attitude and demeanour as much as his impressive offensive output.

“I watched these guys in the room with scouts and it came down to a little bit of an ‘it factor’ with him,”

the GM said.

“A guy shows up with all those intangibles, the work ethic, and all those things, there’s not too many things that are going to get in his way.”

Despite his generally easy-going nature, the process had been weighing on Martin a little, he admitted.

However, afterwards, he said he “slept like a baby” because of the relief of knowing.

“It’s just so nice that it’s finally over, and I got picked. I’m pumped,” he explained.

“I’m just so glad I don’t have to talk to any other teams anymore.”

It is unknown where Martin will be playing hockey next season. It is considered likeliest that he will continue his development with the Greyhounds, but he could make the Predators roster out of training camp.

BOARD BUDGET: Balancing act comes as province clamps down elsewhere

by $68.4 million, or 56 per cent, falling to $53.7 million from $122.1 million last year.

However, Bill Lemon, the board’s associate director of business services, insisted that this was largely due to a change in accounting methods, with $53.7 million for pupil accommodation moved out of this bracket this year.

Additionally, what is classified as “other” spending, a category that last year included a large retroactive pay settlement for teachers, has been almost halved, from $62.3 million to $33.4 million.

However, there are also some significant spending increases in next year’s budget, which board chair Maedith Radlein said “focuses on student learning and well-being.”

The largest line increase was in classroom instruction, with an additional $66.7 million, raising the total spend in this area by 10.9 per cent, from $613.8 million to $680.5 million.

Across all 11,000 staff, a figure unchanged from last year, the cost of salaries and benefits is set to soar by $51.9 million, rising seven per cent from $740.2 million to $790.1 million.

The big increases also included a nine per cent rise in the supply teacher budget (now $30 million), with seemingly little having been done to tackle the board’s complaint last year about “high levels of absenteeism” among

Capital budget$91.5m$89.5 -$2m -2.2% Total salaries and benefits

Classroom instruction

School administration

Central administration

$740.2m$792.1 +$51.9m +7%

$613.8m$680.5m+$66.7+10.9%

$56.3m $63.7m +$7.4m+13.1%

$19.1m $20.6m +$1.5m +7.9%

Supply costs$27.3m$30m+$2.7m+9.9%

School facilities

Student transportation

Continuing education

$122.1m$53.7m-$68.4m-56%

$23.3

$28.1m+$4.8m +20.6%

$2.6m $2.7m+$100k +3.8%

permanent staff on shortterm sick leave.

Additionally, the cost of paying employees at the central headquarters has risen by 7.9 per cent, from $19.1 million to $20.6 million.

Individual school administrators were budgeted an extra $7.4 million, rising 13.1 per cent from $56.3 million to $63.7 million.

A table comparing the previous budget with the latest one, which was passed on June 23, is shown above.

The rises were largely offset by a 10.4 per cent increase in core education funding from the province, which next academic year will total $859.9 million.

While unions claim education is being underfunded, noting, for instance, that class sizes have increased, this rise is still significantly more than general inflation,

with the Consumer Price Index currently standing at 1.7 per cent.

WRDSB predicted that next year’s student enrolment will be 64,555, meaning that the total budget represents $14,968 per pupil.

However, it should be noted that last year’s budget projected a headcount of 65,102, before the actual figure was eventually revised down to 64,412 in January.

In 2023/24, there were 64,836 students, and the reduction in numbers stands in stark contrast with enrolment at the region’s Catholic schools, as well as the general population, both of which have risen considerably.

WRDSB’s overall budget reduction comes amid pressure from the Ontario government to rein in spending and promote transparency in the wake

of several scandals following revelations in October last year that Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk’s Catholic trustees spent $190,000 on a trip to Italy to buy art.

On May 30, Education Minister Paul Calandra announced legislation that would make it easier for the province to take over errant boards. He said then that it would force them to focus more on raising learning standards, rather than wanting to “mediate global conflicts” and other deviations from their “main mission.”

On June 27, he appointed supervisors to the Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board.

Brant-Haldimand’s Catholic board and debt-ridden Thames Valley District School Board, which spent $40,000 on a three-day staff retreat to Toronto that included staying at the Rogers Centre baseball stadium’s hotel, were already under supervision. The province has not suggested any intention of taking over WRDSB, which still hasn’t revealed why jeewan chanicka, its former director of education, mysteriously departed on December 5 last year.

One trustee told The Observer that he was barred from revealing the reason because they are not allowed to “discuss human resources matters” publicly.

Phragmites battle among projects supported by CEF

Ethan Braund LJI reporter

PROJECTS IN WOOLWICH AND WILMOT

were among the 16 that received funding from the Region Community Environmental Fund this year.

The Waterloo Region’s Community Environment Fund (CEF)provided $60,000 to community-led projects that look to support healthy natural spaces, environmental education, and sustainability initiatives.

Meaghan Eastwood, the region’s manager of climate and sustainability services, told The Observer that the fund supports a variety of environmental projects.

“The intent is to provide funding to support community-based environmental initiatives that benefit current and future generations.”

The CEF was created in 2011 and has since provided nearly $2 million in grants to more than 250 projects. Funding is based on certain criteria, she said.

DUCK RESCUE:

“One by one, we were able to get them out of the drain, but it took a long time,” said Aivaliotis of the rescue that took place on June 23, the hottest day of the year so far.

“First, we want to ensure they provide a positive and lasting environmental return. We want to see efforts to engage citizens and encourage collaboration,” Eastwood explained.

“We are also looking for projects that seek innovative solutions and/or contribute to new knowledge or increase our knowledge base about a given challenge. We want to see them produce measurable and achievable outcomes.”

One of the projects that received funding was from the Township of Woolwich Environmental Enhancement Committee (TWEEC), which received $4,000 for its Fighting Phrag Project.

That project aims to eradicate the invasive species phragmites in and around the Elmira Nature Reserve.

TWEEC chair Connor Ehrlich said the funding will help the group hire a

contractor to do herbicide treatments on the area.

He added that the treatment will be the last in the nature reserve area and should eradicate the invasive species on the public lands.

Phragmites is one of the costliest invasive species in Ontario to control, according to the Invasive Species Centre.

“That’s outlined by the amount of grant funding that we have to seek out to try to treat this, because if we can’t do it just off of donations, and especially not off just township funding. We do have to seek out larger grants because removing fragments is such a costly process,” said Ehrlich of the effort needed to eliminate phragmites

TWEEC will also use the funding to help map out phragmites in the township to make it easier to secure grants in the future.

The Township of Wilmot received $9,000 towards its Arboretum

She’s got an affinity for all creatures

Rehabilitation Project.

The funds will support a plan for the six-acre property tree inventory, which also includes a substantial educational component. Funds are requested to assist with soil testing,

great and small

“In all, I was there from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.”

At first, the mother duck waited too, with her distressed quacking filmed by Aivaliotis on her phone.

“She was freaking out, worrying about her babies,” she said.

“Another neighbour heard the noise and she came running out of her house too.”

Sadly, though, the rescue took so long the mother duck and five of her offspring waddled off and could not be found.

Aivaliotis put the five remaining ducklings in her bath while she searched in vain for the other members of their family.

“I tried so hard to find the mama, so she could be reunited with her babies,” she added.

In the end, the woman took the rescued creatures to a wildlife shelter.

It’s not the first time that Aivaliotis, who has a

dog called Nelly and a cat named Lulu, has rescued wild birds.

She has also saved the lives of some robins, as she noted that she has a nest above her door where two other members of red-and-black species live.

“Look, they want to come back home now,” she said, pointing to two of the birds flapping in the air a few yards from the porch, where she spoke to The Observer.

As she walked down to the drain to show where she rescued the ducks, another winged creature

tree inventory assessment, tree purchases and planting efforts.

Chris Catania, director of community services for Wilmot, said the project will look to “restore and bring the original vision back to the arboretum and the intent of celebrating the diversity of trees.”

Catania added that it is also important to be mindful, especially when talking about environmental projects. Concerns included the likes of invasive species such as the emerald ash borer, along with the likes of soil conditions that might cause problems for trees on the property.

“We want to fulfil the vision of this asset, this wonderful piece of land, and ensure that we’re restoring it toour original intent, and be able to celebrate this through an educational component,” said Catania.

They hope to use some of the funding to update and add new signage that will help educate

came close by.

“You see, nature just follows me,” she said.

Aivaliotis admitted that she has always been fascinated by wildlife.

Asked if she has a special bond with animals, she replied: “Maybe, I just know I love them, whatever they are.

“Even if I find spiders inside my house, I grab them and I take them outside, because they deserve to live too.

“They have a purpose too. Everybody has a purpose. That’s it. Maybe it’s because I talk to them, I take care of them.”

the community about the various species on the land. Along with the education component, the funding will help with the stewardship to the six-acre area.

“But not much stewardship has been taken into consideration over the years, and we’re at a point now where we want to make that a forefront and that the stewardship is there for the arboretum, to make sure it’s sustainable and a healthy piece of land for the community of Wilmot.”

The CEF helped fund these two projects, which are examples of promoting the community-led aspect that empowers people to participate actively in environmental protection and sustainability, said Eastwood.

“We’re really grateful to this year’s recipients, because they’re coming up with such great ideas, and they’re so engaged in environmental stewardship and climate action,” she said.

Ten years on, community garden at Elmira church proves popular

Andrea Eymann Observer Staff

NOW MARKING 10

YEARS, THE community garden at Elmira’s Gale Presbyterian Church continues to grow in popularity.

Spearheaded by local gardening enthusiast Gil Langerak, the project is a mix of church and neighbouring homeowners who have set up uniform growing spaces on the south end of the church’s property on Barnswallow Drive.

It started with just a dozen four-by-eight-foot plots; it now has 50, with boxes built from whatever wood was available.

“I’ve been a community gardener coordinator even before we came to Elmira 28 years ago,” Langerak said, noting he picked up the hobby four decades ago.

This growing project had bounced around in Elmira for a few years, as it was initially located in Bristow Park before being moved to a spot on Snyder Ave.

Then they were moved out of that spot because it was going to be developed. After a couple of years off, he approached Gale with the idea for a spot there.

It’s proven a popular idea, with a waiting list of people looking for space in the garden.

“I don’t think we’re going to expand it anymore because it’s plenty enough work as it is,” the 67-yearold revealed.

“But the concept was, I wanted our fellows to see

where their food came from,” Langerak said, adding now he does it for the pleasure and to encourage others to grow vegetables.

He noted that he likes to grow things seasonally to start early in the year, such as spinach, lettuce, and certain Chinese leafy greens.

The space uses what is called the squarefoot gardening method, Langerak explained.

The method sees gardeners divide their planting area into small square spaces – often by just one foot – to assist them in planning and maximizing the density while ensuring each plant has the room it needs to grow.

Langerak first got into gardening when he was still living in St. Catharines after was first married, operating on “an incredible shoestring budget.”

His father loved growing flowers, though Langerak start thinking more practically. “And I thought we could really use some food,” he added, noting his landlord approved of his initial backyard plot.

“So I went full tilt,” he said.

The Elmira garden isn’t without its challenges, with Langerak pointing to the appearance a few years ago of a groundhog that devoured everything until they managed to finally shoo him off.

Their trick was putting plywood over his holes, causing the little creature to put in extra digging work, making it want to move on.

Still, it’s been well worth it, he says of the garden

project.

“It’s just been a pleasure,” Langerak said. “People that want to do this are generally very friendly, very pleasant people and it’s a good way to get to meet someone and just chat and give ideas and give helpful hints,” he said pointing to one of the successful gardeners, Bruce Beines.

He “can just bag up a whole bunch of lettuce and make it look like he put a dent into it,” Langerak said.

Beines has been gardening at the space for about three years now, and he takes some of his produce to the Barnswallow Place Care Community nursing home. “It’s just nice, fresh stuff,” he said, explaining why he wanted to get involved.

Keeping the garden reju-

venated, they get a triple mix soil from Elmview Farms in Wallenstein. They use it to start and end the growing season, so

when the soil depletes, it adds nutrients back into it.

“It gives us something to give a kick-start in the soil,” he added.

But everyone has their own magic they like to use, like Langerak’s, who revealed his is a fish emulsion that he sprinkles into the soil.

“My wife calls it the ‘elixir of life,’” he added, noting it really helps plants grow.

The best part about starting this has been that it followed the course that he wanted. When first put in a test row, it got a very “enthusiastic response.”

And their plots have always been full; if one person leaves, they have been able to bring in another person who has been waiting. If you want to put your name in for a gardening plot, you can reach Langerak at galechurchgarden@gmail.com.

Research project looks to produce local strawberries year-round

Ethan Braund LJI reporter

CANADA’S WINTER IS USUALLY THE kiss of death for the strawberry growing season in the country, but new research looks to make that season year-round.

University of Guelph Prof. Youbin Zheng and his team have entered into the final stage of Weston Family Foundation’s $33-million Homegrown Innovation Challenge. The challenge is to reliably, sustainably, and competitively produce berries out of season and at scale in Canada.

The team worked to develop a hybrid greenhouse-vertical farming system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and smart sensor technology that can grow strawberries year-round.

“Our technologies are designed to optimize growing conditions in greenhouses,” said Zheng in the release.

“They will allow us to produce strawberries out of season, use less energy, save resources and increase production and efficiency with a lower environmental impact.”

The team was one of four projects that made it to the scaling stage of the challenge and received $5 million to make the project applicable on a larger scale.

Getting to this point started with acceptance into stage one, known as

the spark, which provided the team with $50,000 to develop their idea.

Phase 2 was the shepherd phase, where the top 11 from the previous phase received $1 million over an 18-month period to develop a small-scale proof of concept for their project.

At the end of the challenge, two $1-million prizes will be handed out to the technology breakthrough winner for the team that showed the most technological innovation. Then the overall challenge winner.

With innovation towards developing strawberries year-round at net zero (no fossil fuels) as the goal, Zheng told The Observer that the team set out to make this goal a reality.

“The first innovation is that we are going to use electricity to provide strawberries through electricity price-based lighting,” added Zheng, noting that the idea was to take advantage of time-ofuse pricing.

“We only gave plants lighting during the night period, that period because hardly anybody uses electricity, but then we are generating tonnes of electricity, but they are either using nuclear to generate this electricity or hydro.”

The second innovation is that they are growing these strawberries in greenhouses using a combined vertical farm-

ing technique.

“If you grow strawberries, only one layer means one acre of land. You can only produce one acre of strawberries, but if we have four to five layers, and then one acre of greenhouses, you can produce four to five acres, and then the yield will be higher.”

As opposed to in the field, where water applied to the plants evaporates into the air, in an indoor setting, they can recoup and reuse 90 per cent of the water.

Growing indoors also cuts down on transportation costs and fossil fuel use, given the option of selecting locations, he added.

“Another beauty of growing plants in a controlled environment is you can produce vegetables and fresh fruits where people are located, for example, big cities, and then you just build a greenhouse or vertical farm close to or within Toronto. What you produce over there, one hour or two hours later, it’s on people’s dinner table.”

This would eliminate the transportation spoilage and cut the costs to produce them way down, added Zheng.

“We can produce wherever you need it to be, like in Canada’s far north.”

Zheng added he believes this project is also special because once it is done, it can be used

right away.

“The reason for mentioning this is that when we collaborate with these leading industry companies, our research, when it’s finished, these companies are already there working with the greenhouse industry, so they will use our technologies to help our growers in Canada,” noted Zheng.

“So our technology will most likely be used by Canadian greenhouses immediately. This is not like any other research project that takes years to utilize.”

To this point, Zheng and his team have been testing the system on a small scale.

“ The next step is collaborating with leading industry partners, including automated technology suppliers like Hoogendorn America, and integrating our technologies into their existing commercial systems. Once our technologies have been demonstrated in commercial greenhouses, they can be translated across Canada and internationally,” said Zheng.

He said he hopes the project can be used for other vegetables and medical plants in the future.

“The technology we are working on can produce baby greens, micro greens, salad and cannabis, you name it, and these high-value plants down the road.”

wooden members, like the ones used when the bridge was first built by Woolwich Township in 1881, at a cost of $3,197, which is about $100,000 in today’s money.

Drung said he would prefer a restoration that was “true” to the original structure.

As a layer of history, however, Pottkamper, who recalled driving over Bailey bridges when he was a Royal Canadian Armoured Corps tank commander, said he would prefer they were kept.

“I think it should be saved, because it’s kind of special,” the former army major added, while also suggesting that the steel trusses, or at least sections of them, could be given to local museums or the Elmira branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Work will also include replacing the deck, clad-

ding, windows, several beams and rafters, and the entire roof with new cedar shingles.

The south approach will be narrowed with guide rails, which will prevent larger vehicles from crossing.

A tar-and-chip surface will also be laid, with the previous deck covering having become badly worn and patchy.

The failure to resurface the span’s roadway over recent years is just one of many frustrations that Pottkamper has had with the region, which in 1999 was given ownership of the bridge by the province, after Ontario took responsibility from the township in 1937.

He said the root cause of the minimal maintenance was a longstanding failure to understand the value of heritage, with both the region and Woolwich’s approach at odds with that

ↆ POLICE R EPORT

of Wellington County and its communities further up the Grand, such as Elora and Fergus.

“The lack of respect for a significant heritage site that brings a fair amount

of economic prosperity to this area, even in its dilapidated state, is amazing, and the township and the region have never made any effort to take advantage of that,” he said.

Police stepping up enforcement of safety equipment

With summer now in full effect, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will be ramping up enforcement around safety equipment on roads, trails and waterways.

On the Road

Over the last three full years (2022-2024), the loss of 188 lives on OPP-patrolled roads was either attributed to or a direct result of not wearing a seatbelt. Buckling up

only takes a few seconds and could be the one thing that saves your life and reduces the extent of your injuries if you are involved in a collision.

Police remind motorists to buckle up and ensure children and toddlers are properly restrained. Off-road

Over the same threeyear period, 43 of the 88 riders killed in off-road vehicle incidents in OPP

jurisdiction chose to not wear a helmet. Off-roading carries unique risks for riders and their passengers, including riding on uneven terrain, which can easily cause drivers to lose control of their vehicle and crash, police advise. Motorcyclists and cyclists are also reminded to always wear a properly fitted helmet.

On the water

The most under-utilized piece of equipment among road, waterway and trail users year after year is the lifejacket, police report.

Of the 72 people who died in OPP-investigated marine incidents in the last three years, 59 of the boaters/paddlers chose not to wear a lifejacket.

services were called

and Sawmill

in

June 18 after two pickup trucks collided, with a tractor towing them to the side of the road. Andrea Eymann

JUNE 25

3: 00 PM | Waterloo Regional Police received a report of a theft at an address on University Avenue in Elmira. The investigation is ongoing.

JUNE 26

5: 00 AM | Police received a report involving a weapon at a location on Fountain Street in Breslau.

It was determined not to be a criminal investigation, with no safety concerns.

9:00 AM | A single-vehicle collision involving an animal in the roadway occurred on St. Charles Street East in Woolwich Township. No injuries were reported.

12 : 00 PM | Police responded to a single-vehicle collision on Notre

Dame Drive in Wilmot Township. No one was injured, but the driver was charged under the Highway Traffic Act.

JUNE 27

8:00 AM | Sometime overnight, a vehicle parked on St. Boniface Drive in Maryhill was entered and the owner’s property was taken. Anyone with information

is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

3: 00 PM | Sometime between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., unknown suspect(s) attended a business on Arthur Street South in Elmira and stole property. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

ment and design process has been drawn out.

Work was originally scheduled for 2022, before two additional rounds of public consultation were held and another expert was hired to consider the “preferred all-wood alternative” that these processes suggested. To enable the reconstruction to begin, regional council then needed to amend the 2025-2034 Transportation Capital Plan in order to increase its overall project budget by $4,601,800.

“The frustration I have is that we’ve got something very unique in this part of Canada, and we’ve been letting it rot.”

Drung said the “one-ofa-kind,” heritage-designated bridge, which is used in Woolwich’s logo, is worth the millions being spent, even if one only considers the tourism dollars it generates.

“When you see people and buses coming in the summer, who might also stop at Lost Acre Variety in West Montrose and then go on to Elmira or St. Jacobs, it’s definitely a draw and so I think it’ll pay for itself,” he explained.

The cost of restoring the structure, nicknamed the Kissing Bridge because passing lovers reputedly used its cover to secretly embrace, has increased in part because the assess-

While glad to see work starting, Pottkamper said he was concerned about the fate of horse-and-buggy-driving Mennonites, who use the covered bridge as an alternative to the more heavily trafficked Line 86 crossing. He suggested temporarily lowering the speed limit on the highway for their benefit.

Tony Dowling, the co-chair of the West Montrose Residents’ Association, told regional council on June 25 that conservative Mennonite use of the historic structure was also part of its appeal, as he noted that its restoration was essential.

“If the bridge were closed to through traffic, we would not have any horse and buggy traffic through the village and that would really detract from the charm of the village as a tourist attraction and certainly the enjoyment of all of us who live in the village,” he said.

When local news matters ...

... it matters where you get your local news.

Connect: observerxtra.com/staff

A sense of déjà vu over the latest U.S.-Iran fiasco

The latest U.S. saber-rattling over Iran evokes a very strong sense of déjà vu: a weak, but tough-talking president in need of a distraction, a military buildup in the Persian Gulf and officials travelling abroad to find allies in a bid to censure a Middle Eastern country.

There are more than a few shades of the 2003 invasion of Iraq in current hyperbole about Iran.

That a similar scenario is playing out despite the fiasco that was Iraq speaks volumes about the Trump administration. The occupation of Iraq cost hundreds of thousands of lives and fleeced U.S. taxpayers out of more than $2 trillion despite a failing effort that was eventually shown to be unjustified and built on a foundation of lies.

One would like to think Americans won’t be taken in – fool me once ... – but things don’t always go that way.

Iran isn’t Iraq. It’s much bigger and controls a strategic waterway through which as much as a third of the world’s oil flows. It’s in many ways worse than Iraq in terms of its policies and affronts to human standards, but that alone isn’t enough to justify the bombing campaign approved by Trump after he was played for a sucker again, this time by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu

From crackdowns and killing of protesters, to the seizure of hostages and the murder of foreign nationals, Iran’s militant rulers have won themselves few friends in the world. That’s made it easy to international support for sanctions, especially those related to controlling Iran’s bid for nuclear weapons, but there’s no appetite for the death and destruction that would come with the war. Even for hawks, the interests of the oil industry may trump the desire to impose U.S. will on yet another reluctant state.

Therein lies the issue that arises in any discussion about the region: oil. We might not care for the people we get it from, but we want it nonetheless.

So far, concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and very real support for Islamic militants play second fiddle to the flow of oil, particularly to China and Russia, both of which have veto power at the UN Security Council.

The U.S., too, has much at stake in the region, though the previous administration opted for diplomatic approaches, proceeding warily. While chastising Tehran, their hold on the moral high ground even then was precarious.

Having invaded Iraq under dubious pretexts, the U.S. position was steadily undermined by revelations that the reasons for war were unfounded.

Iran may indeed be a major threat to the region – there are plenty of experts who make a case for that stance. But the Americans, having been exposed as liars in Iraq, cannot now count on support for action against Iran, if only increased sanctions led by the United Nations.

Ironically, the case against Iran is much stronger than it was in Iraq. Iran’s previous nuclear posturing and fundamentalist bent are far larger threats. Still, that country is only of interest because of its natural gas and oil reserves, and for its strategic location. If Iraq is any model, those factors will play the largest role in whether the war expands to Iran.

There are many real reasons for the actions we see today, but none of them have to do with protecting human rights and ridding the world of an evil dictator. All of the countries making noises about Iran are guilty to some degree for supporting dozens of vile regimes led by dictators who terrorized their own people. The United States, which supported Saddam Hussein for years, has a long record of backing, arming and aiding those who practiced atrocities. The list of repressive, often genocidal regimes is long (see Vietnam, Cambodia, East Timor, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Chile, Kosovo, Rwanda …); examples of righteous indignation leading to action and justice are much harder to find. Right or wrong, the current war posturing must be judged against this larger picture. No one can rightly claim moral superiority.

“We just threw $7 billion onto Trump’s poker table – the expected five-year haul from the DST – simply to keep playing a rigged game with no clear end. What was gained here?”

Stuart Trew of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives calls out Ottawa for scrapping the Digital Services Tax to appease Trump.

Canadians more united in pride. But while seven-in-10 (72%) say that Canada offers a good quality of life, 23% disagree. This rises to 42% among those who supported the Conservative Party in the April federal election, signalling that divisions likely run deeper than cross-party assistance may indicate.

The perils of stupid old men as leaders

Leading an entire country for a few years is a steep learning curve, but it’s useful experience. Being in power for a dozen years makes most leaders arrogant and careless, but some remain more or less functional. Being in power for more than 30 years just makes you stupid. Consider Cambodia’s Hun Sen and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Hun Sen began as a Khmer Rouge commander and went on to rule Cambodia effectively as an absolute dictator for 36 years. (He is by far the country’s richest man and his personal guard rivals the national army in size.) He passed the prime ministership on to his son Hun Manet two years ago, but he really still rules.

There is an old history of military confrontations between Thailand and Cambodia, but relations have been stable since Hun Sen came to power. In fact, there were close links between him and the Shinawatra family that has dominated democratic politics in Thailand for half of this century.

So when there was a shootout on the Cambodian-Thai border a couple of weeks ago the Thai prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, got on the phone to calm things down

with Hun Sen. (She called him ‘uncle’ because her father and the Cambodian leader had been so close.)

Only one Cambodian soldier was killed in the incident, but who wants a war? She criticized the Thai regional commander, who she said “just wanted to look tough,” and added that if Hun Sen wanted anything, she would “take care of it.”

This is how grownups in power manage random incidents that can cause serious trouble: apologize (whether your side was in the wrong or not), lay on the flattery, give everybody an off-ramp. And keep it as private as possible.

Instead, Hun Sen put the entire 17-minute conversation on his website. Its effect, and most likely his purpose, was to humiliate Prime Minister Shinawatra and stir up outrage among Thai ultra-nationalists. We can probably therefore assume that he was acting in league with the aforesaid ultra-nationalists, but he’s crazy to believe that they are reliable allies.

Hun Sen may be calculating that a small military confrontation with Thailand will help

his son to consolidate his hold on power. However, it’s just as likely that the Thai hard-liners would exploit a brief victorious war (Thais outnumber Cambodians four-to-one) to legitimize their intended coup.

Hun Sen used to be ruthless but clever; now he’s just stupid. He’s taking an unnecessary risk for a doubtful outcome. But the uncomfortable truth is that at least half the wars on this planet start for reasons no more profound than this. Which brings us to the truly counterproductive behaviour of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Like Hun Sen, Iran’s Supreme Leader has been in power for 36 years. At least half the Iranian population would be glad to see him gone, but during his early years he was an effective ruler. Now he is an isolated old man of 86 who simply does not grasp the plight of his nation.

Donald Trump gave Iran’s leaders an unintended opening with his over-the-top boasting about the damage that one day of U.S. air strikes did to the country. The American and world media were already questioning his claims that the three nuclear enrichment sites at Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan were “totally obliterated,” and Trump had doubled down on them.

Ford steps in to stop school boards from cancelling Macdonald

Canada’s first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, is under attack by school boards determined to erase his legacy by stripping his name from schools. This misguided effort to judge historical figures by modern standards must be stopped, and the Ontario government is right to step in.

Naming a government building or school after someone is one of the best ways to ensure they are remembered. It’s an honour that often lasts generations.

Like other countries, Canada has many schools named after former political leaders. But unlike most countries, some Canadian school boards are actively working to erase the legacy of our first prime minister. Earlier this year, the Toronto District School

▢ Michael Zwaagstra Guest Column

Board (TDSB) announced plans to rename three schools, one of which currently bears Macdonald’s name.

They’re doing this because Macdonald, an imperfect 19th-century man, said and did things that don’t align with 21st-century standards. Critics cite his role in establishing the residential school system and policies toward Indigenous peoples as reasons to remove his name from public institutions. However, he also played a pivotal role in the constitutional negotiations that led to the creation of the Dominion of Canada. Without his efforts to unite diverse linguistic and religious groups,

Canada as we know it might not exist today. For that reason alone, Macdonald deserves to have his name on government buildings and schools. If Canadian patriotism is to mean anything, we must honour the man who not only helped found our country but also led it through its formative years. Under his leadership, Canada resisted U.S. expansionism and developed a unique national identity that endures today.

Despite this, Toronto trustees have pressed ahead with their renaming plans. Even public opposition from the Canadian Institute for Historical Education failed to change their minds. They remain determined to strip Macdonald’s name from public recognition. That’s why all Canadians should welcome

the Ford government’s decision to act. On May 29, Education Minister Paul Calandra introduced the Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025 in the Ontario legislature. This legislation gives the province the power to override school board decisions that are not in the best interests of students and taxpayers. Until now, school boards had the autonomy to rename schools without provincial approval, even when the proposed changes involved historically significant figures like Macdonald.

Significantly, the bill also requires school boards to obtain ministerial approval before renaming any school. This effectively halts the TDSB’s plans, particularly given Calandra’s stated opposition to removing Macdonald’s name.

Keeping Macdonald’s name is not only historically appropriate, it’s fiscally responsible. The Thames Valley District School Board, which recently renamed a school, estimated the cost at $30,000 to $40,000. That’s money better spent on textbooks and classroom supplies.

Renaming also comes with a large opportunity cost. Staff spend hours researching new names, and administrators must develop communication plans to inform the public. All of this diverts attention and resources from the board’s core mission: education.

It’s past time the Ontario government reined in rogue school boards. When trustees lose sight of their primary responsibility, supporting teaching and learning, the education minister

must act in the interest of students. Trustees are not historians, nor should they undermine Canada’s foundational legacy. This country didn’t come into being by accident. It was formed because leaders like Macdonald put aside differences and worked for a common good. They didn’t get everything right, and our country remains imperfect. But the nation that emerged is one Canadians can be proud of.

If you value being Canadian, you owe a debt of gratitude to John A. Macdonald. The least we can do is ensure his name remains on our schools. Let’s hope the Ford government stands firm.

DYER: Going through the motions

→ FROM 8

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who knows his way around the diplomatic world, humbly admitted the American strikes had done “excessive and serious damage.”

The country is virtually defenceless against American and Israeli airstrikes: why would Iran give them any reason to believe that they had to go back and finish the job?

But Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was living in Cloud Cuckoo Land. In a video statement on June 26, he insisted that the American air strikes “did not achieve anything” and further threatened to give the United States “another slap” (referring to the Iranian missile attack on an American base in Qatar in retaliation for the U.S. air strikes).

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Khamenei seemed unaware that no damage had been done to American lives or military assets. He didn’t even seem to know that Iran’s surviving military leaders, hoping to avoid a game of tit-fortat in which they would be utterly outmatched, had informed U.S. authorities in advance of when the missiles would be launched and on what trajectories.

Trump went berserk at Khamenei’s speech. “You got beat to hell,” he raged, and declared that he had been about to end sanctions against Iran, but the Ayatollah’s speech changed his mind. That’s probably untrue, but Khamenei is too old to be left in office. As Trump himself will probably be before his presidential term is finished.

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On Farm Safety

Weathering the storm: preparing for natural disasters on the farm

Farmers know all too well how quickly unexpected challenges can pop up.

And one of the biggest culprits for unexpected challenges on the farm is Mother Nature.

With such a large geographical area across different types of terrain, it’s no surprise that Canada often experiences natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires, droughts, and tornadoes. Though extreme weather is often considered part of the Canadian identity, the severity and frequency of these events are being exacerbated by climate change.

Just look at British Columbia’s 2023 wildfire season. While the western province typically experiences an average of 1,600 wildfires per year, between April and October 2023, British Columbia experienced 2,245 wildfires that burned approximately 2.8 million hectares of land. With an estimated 386 evacuation alerts, it was the province’s most destructive wildfire season to date.

So, what can producers do to prepare for natural disasters? Though we

can’t always predict what Mother Nature has in store, we can make plans to weather the storm effectively.

Emergency Preparedness on the Farm

Every producer needs to understand the potential disaster risks in his or her community. Whether or not your area has experienced a recent extreme weather, it’s crucial to plan and prepare for these events, as they can occur with little warning.

Once you know the potential risks, the best way to get your farm ready for worst-case scenarios brought on by extreme weather is by having an emergency response plan in place. Having an emergency plan for your farm will enable you to take action quickly when disaster strikes to ensure the safety of people and livestock alike.

Since every farm is different, no two emergency plans will be exactly the same, but some key components include:

 Individual roles and responsibilities, including who will be in charge during an emergency.

→ NATURAL DISASTERS 11

Health

When you hear of hazards around a farm, what comes to mind? Tractors? Livestock?

But what about health risks like excessive noise and sun exposure?

Health hazards are often overlooked risks in farming. And while quite different from the dangers posed by farm machinery, health risks require the same proactive attention and prevention strategies

as other farm hazards.

“The success of a farm is dependent on a farmer’s well-being. There are a lot of health hazards that can affect a farmer’s health, whether that’s hearing, sun, respiratory, or ergonomic, and they are equally as important as other safety matters on the farm,” explains Kendra Ulmer, manager and clinical director of the Agricultural Health and Safety

Network at the University of Saskatchewan’s Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health.

“If your health is compromised, that can create more safety risks. You can’t separate health and safety in agriculture; they go hand in hand.”

A notable health hazard around the farm is noise-induced hearing loss, which can occur at any age from prolonged

exposure to loud noises or as a result of a sudden loud incident, such as being near a tractor tire that blows. And there is no shortage of loud noises on the farm from machinery, livestock, power tools, ventilation fans, and more. In fact, farmers and farm workers experience one of the highest rates of noise-induced hearing loss among all occu→ HEALTH HAZARDS

Sometimes the best investments aren't in crops or cattle

 Communication and warning procedures.

 Contact information for workers and family members and emergency contacts such as neighbours, veterinarians, industry associations, suppliers, and insurance providers.

 Evacuation process and routes, meeting spot, and accountability procedures.

 Information on employee certification and training for emergency response work.

 Inventory of all animals on your farm, including their vaccination records and any identifiers (e.g., tags, tattoos).

 Identify safe locations for sheltering livestock if the property is compromised or you must evacuate.

 Farm property map indicating access and evacuation routes, meeting area, barriers (body of water, fence), central gas and electricity shutoff locations, explosive materials, locations

of livestock, etc.

 Inventory of potential contaminants or hazardous materials stored on the farm.

 List of all assets on the property.

 Parameters for safe re-entry to the property.

Every farm should also have an emergency kit where supplies can be easily located.

Items to consider including are:

 Supplies for quick and temporary identification of livestock.

 First aid kit.

 Emergency equipment in case of a power outage, like flashlights, headlamps, batteries, and a portable radio.

 Equipment to handle animals (e.g., halters, blankets, bolt-cutters).

While your emergency plan needs to be an easily accessible location and all employees know where to find it, you should also

have a copy saved off-site or with an online storage service.

Keep in mind that an emergency plan is only effective if people know about the plan and their responsibilities in advance. That’s why drills are crucial for an effective emergency response and should be held to a couple times during the year to test procedures and evacuation routes.

Extreme weather can be unpredictable, which is why having an emergency response plan isn’t just a good idea, but essential for every farm to cope with emergency situations. Whether it’s a winter storm, hurricane, wildfire, or flood, having a solid plan in place will help ensure the safety of everyone on the farm. For more farm health and safety information, please visit agsafetyweek.ca.

ↆ The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of farmers, their families and agricultural workers. CASA is funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal, provincial and territorial initiative. For more information, visit www.casaacsa.ca, find us on Facebook or LinkedIn, or

pations. What’s more, research has found that almost 50 per cent of farm youth show some signs of noise-induced hearing loss compared to non-farming youth. Signs of hearing loss can include favouring one ear over the other, difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds, ringing or buzzing in the ears, frequently asking people to repeat what they said, and cranking the volume up high on the TV or radio.

“The important thing to recognize about hearing is that once it’s gone, it’s gone. Hearing aids can help but they don’t replace your hearing,” explains Ulmer.

“Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent and it is irreversible, but it is also 100 per cent preventable. That’s why it’s so important to protect the hearing of children and youth on the farm because the damage done when someone is young stays with them forever.”

In addition to potentially increasing incidents on the farm due to being unable to hear warning sounds, Ulmer notes that hearing loss can also affect a person’s overall health, including increased heart

rate and blood pressure, digestive issues, stress, and trouble sleeping.

“For farmers with identified hearing loss, we strongly encourage them to seek support because it does contribute to their quality of life,” says Ulmer.

“When we can decrease the noise, we decrease our risk of hearing loss, safety mishaps, and other physical and psychological effects, which means we’re increasing our overall well-being.”

So how can farmers, farm workers, and farm families protect their hearing? Some key preventative measures include:

 Look at ways to eliminate or reduce exposure to loud noises.

 Find hearing protection that works for you. Ears are all shaped differently, so what works for one person may not work for someone else. Try on different types of hearing protection to find one that is comfortable and provides a proper fit.

 When selecting hearing protection, consider other equipment and clothing you will be wearing, like hard

hats or glasses.

 Keep hearing protection in different areas of the farm where it is needed.

 Follow this rule of thumb: If you need to raise your voice to be heard by someone three feet away, then you need to wear hearing protection.

Sun exposure a common (but preventable) risk for farmers

Another health hazard for farmers and farm workers is sun exposure. But, just as with hearing loss, it is preventable.

“The sun is a major occupational hazard

for anyone who works outdoors,” explains Ulmer. “With the amount of time that Canadian farmers and other agricultural workers spend outside, they are in the highest risk category for sun exposure, which increases the risk of skin cancer.”

Research has found that outdoor workers have a 2.5 to 3.5 times greater risk of skin cancer compared to indoor workers. With more than 80,000 new cases of skin cancer – 5,000 of which are melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer – diagnosed in Canada every year, according to the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation,

prevention and early detection are crucial.

“Farmers and farm families need to make sun safety a part of their daily routine and include it as part of their safety practices because there are serious long-term health consequences to sun exposure,” stresses Ulmer, noting people should check their skin periodically for any new or changed moles.

While many are conscious of harmful UV rays on hot and sunny summer days, Ulmer says those aren’t the only times when people should take precautions, noting that the UV index needs to be monitored year-round.

“People need to think about the impact of the sun’s rays even when it’s cloudy or in the middle of the winter when the sun reflects off the snow.

Just as farmers check the forecast to see about rain, they need to check the UV index daily,” Ulmer says.

Ways to protect against sun exposure and heat-related illness on the farm

include:

 Wear a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt, sunglasses, and pants if possible.

 A wide-brimmed hat offers more protection than a baseball cap, which doesn’t cover the ears or back of the neck.

 Use sunscreen and reapply it every two hours.

 Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

 Take regular breaks in a cool or shaded area.

 Try to limit outside work during the peak of the day (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.).

While health hazards are ever-present on farms, they shouldn’t be ignored.

Being proactive can make all the difference in protecting the well-being of everyone on the farm.

“Farmers and farm workers are always looking after the land, animals, and equipment, but it’s crucial for people to proactively look after their own health as well,” says Ulmer.

“There is a lot of talk about productivity, sustainability, and incorporating new technologies, but we still need a healthy farmer. Because there is no farming without the farmer.”

ↆ

Nine GOJHL alumni were selected in last weekend's NHL draft: Alexei Medvedev (Vancouver Canucks), Noah Read (Anaheim Ducks), Trenten Bennett (New Jersey Devils), Jordan

Sports tips are always welcome.

Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com

Team Scores: observerxtra.com/boxscore

Wellesley vs Wellesley in final U9 baseball tourney

Andrea Eymann Observer Staff

TWO TWIN CENTRE

MINOR BASEBALL U9 squads – A and B – ended up meeting in the final of the Nith River Midseason Classic late last month, with the latter taking the gold.

“I’m super proud of them,” said U9B coach Bill Cook, noting they beat their Wellesley counterparts in the first game, and then beat them again in the final.

He said the other team ended up scoring five runs to start off the first encounter.

Wiener dogs set to hit the track at Elora raceway

THE LONG GAIT OF STANDARDBRED horses will have some shortlegged rivals on the track tomorrow (Friday) at the Grand River Raceway in Elora.

Thirty dachshunds are competing in the annual wiener dog races, which the raceway calls its most popular competition night of the year.

The gates open at 6:20 p.m., starting with the horse racing, before the first of the three qualifying heats for the short-legged best friends, beginning at 7:35 p.m. after the fourth horse race.

In each heat, 10 canines will compete on the 20-metre section, a small portion of their fiveeighths-of-a-mile track.

The final will start at 8:20 p.m., with the top dachshunds entering the winner’s circle at 8:35 p.m.  However, Frost noted that people should arrive at 5:30 p.m. to sign in their race dogs.

Last year, they saw the three-year-old mini-dachshund Chorizo take home the gold, while they were also crowned the Top Dog Champion.

He will not fight to reclaim his title this season, but there are 16 returning short-legged canines, including Hershey, Pixel, Mija, Rhizome and Buddy.

Frost told The Observer the races have proved a favourite since they began about a decade ago.

“They started out of an idea or something seen elsewhere and became super popular with a strong following...so then they kept evolving over the years to be what it is today,” she explained.

These kind of competitions have a longer history, however, having started in Australia in the 1970s, according to the American Kennel Club.

So popular have the wiener-dog races become in Elora that VIP tickets were introduced, and they now sell out quickly, which was the case again

→ WIENER RACE 14

But they didn’t give up, and they were able to start putting up runs of their own.

“They kept battling and so did the other team,” Cook said.

The other unit kept scoring, but by the end, the B team came back to post a narrow 8-7 win to put them

in the winner’s bracket for their first tournament of the season.

Cook said the first encounter was the most exciting match, as it was very “back and forth.”

He added: “There was no point in that game that either team gave up, and that the game was over in

anyone’s mind.”

The U9B squad then won another victory, this time 13-10 against Wilmot, which pushed them into the final. Coupled with the U9A team’s wins, that set the stage for the rematch against the Twin Centre counterparts.

coach Mike Therrien, who revealed he didn’t think the boys were going to play as well, since they struggled against the others in the past.

He noted that the boys rallied and “they played very well,” despite the team being made up of

“It was good,” said U9A → BASEBALL 14

Sugar Kings land new head coach

Coach McRae is eager to get back into the fray with former coaching in the league and at the university level

Steve Kannon Observer Staff

THERE’LL BE A NEW VOICE calling the shots behind the bench when the Elmira Sugar Kings return to the ice. The organization named Cory McRae as the team’s new head coach ahead of the

2025-26 GOJHL season, bringing in a seasoned hockey mind with deep ties to the league and a shared passion for the culture of junior hockey.

McRae, whose coaching résumé includes stints with the Kitchener Dutchmen and Cambridge Winter Hawks, is no

stranger to the GOJHL. Nor is he unfamiliar with the Elmira organization.

“I’ve coached nine or ten years in this league so far,” McRae said. “I’m familiar with the teams, familiar with some of the players in the league… I’m happy to get back to the league – it brought me a lot of memories.”

His playing days included two seasons with the Winter Hawks

before he suited up for five years at Wilfrid Laurier University. It’s a full-circle moment now, stepping back behind the bench in a league that helped shape his own hockey journey.

The coaching change comes after former head coach Dane Horvat stepped down after one season.

“We would have loved to have Dane back,” said Kyle

→ KINGS 15

this year.

It is their busiest night of the year, which can be a “nice introduction into the horse racing space,” said Frost, noting that many people come out for the first time.

She estimated Friday will see about 2,000 people in attendance.

“It’s because of the adorable competitors,” Frost said of why this event has become so popular over the years.

“Most people really enjoy a cute face, and when you come, it’s a whole charade,” she added, noting there are teams backing the wiener dogs.

“The friends and family of the owners are there, and it comes a team sport in a sense just like horse racing is, where it’s a horse will be out on the track with its driver, but then there’s a whole team cheering it on,” Frost said.

These races have become a “family-friendly” event, she added, noting how the kids love the short-legged critters, since they are little and usually easy to

interact with.

“And it’s just a really cute night. It’s fun and funny at times because the dogs don’t run straight – it’s a wildcard race,” Frost said.

She recalled that last year, there were some that ran across the lanes and ran to a different handler.

“They looked at the owner, took the treat, looked at the owner, and went ‘oh wait, you’re not my human,’ and went the other way,” Frost laughed.

She guessed the canines would be running at four miles per hour.

Some of the dogs are dressed to the nines. Last year, Darby was dressed as a cowboy and Lynda was wearing a tutu.

The fun is contagious, said Frost.

“I like to see what happens in the races because I find it the funniest.

“I get so distracted when the dogs are circling around, not coming to their owner, and I just think it’s really funny –it’s just the spontaneity,” Frost said.

“You don’t really know what’s going to happen.”

BASEBALL: Both Wellesley teams faced each other in the opening game before putting up wins that saw them meet for a rematch in the final

→ FROM 13

players all about a year younger than others in the league.

It was the “tournament atmosphere,” Therrien noted, that brought all the kids together to play amazingly, beating the three Wilmot Black squads.

“The boys were in a good mood, and they were happy the whole time,” the coach said of the youngsters who motivated themselves after their first game.

“They were cheering each other on, they were very excited when they got hits, and they were excited when those pitchers got strikes,” Therrien said, noting one of their pitchers, Nash Soehner, had seven strikeouts.

“At this age, it is a very good thing,” he said.

Soehner was not the only pitcher, as Charlie Therrien, Johnny Livingston and Owen Feeney all took to the mound.

While some of the young players had played baseball previously, four members of the team were new to the sport, said the coach, praising them for learning quickly.

“They listen well and they are getting hits,” he added, highlighting Hudson Menary’s play.

The competition wasn’t the only challenge during the tournament on June 20-22: there was the blazing heat.

“It was an extremely hot day with the sun out and no shade,” said Cook.

But they held strong as they headed into the final, where the B squad started with a strong defence to keep the opponents off the board.

By the time they were heading into the third inning, the B team was up 4-0, but the A squad

didn’t back down and scored two runs.

When the dust settled, Cook’s group claimed the title with a 6-2 win.

“It was another hardfought game. They were a good team – good pitching and good hitting – but our boys were on fire that game,” the coach said.

“For our team, we had solid pitching that was able to throw a lot of strikes and put a lot of pressure on the other team,” Cook said, noting the batters hitting the ball well and the pitchers –Cameron Bast and Bennett Hammer – getting a couple of strikeouts.

Cook, who was the group’s assistant coach last year, noted some skill improve -

ments in the hitters, like Hammer’s brother, Jacob, who had some excellent hits during the tourney, who also likes to play behind the plate and at first base.

Winning the tournament was an “all-around full team effort,” he said, noting everyone helped out.  Cook told The Observer that he loved how his athletes were very classy, that nobody bragged or was a bad winner.

“Whether we were winning or losing games, everybody was positive and went out there to play, and nobody got down on each other, and if someone made a mistake, they didn’t get upset with them.”

Not long ago, I was perusing online publications when I noticed a headline that read, “Archaeologists Found 23,000-Year-Old Human Footprints Where They Shouldn’t Exist.”

KINGS: McRae comes with experience in the GOJHL as player and coach

Rank, the team’s director of hockey operations. “It was just too busy for his young family, so we parted on good terms. I really respected the job that Dane did last year, but it was too much of a commitment.”

With McRae available –and eager – the timing felt right.

“We’re just super excited to get someone like Cory,” Rank added. “He’s played in the league, coached in the league, and he’s just a

passionate hockey guy.”

That passion is already translating into preparation.

“I think I’ve put almost 30 hours in the last month alone,” said McRae. “Just on getting ready for the season and talking to players coming in, talking to potential players.”

He’s also been pouring over game footage from last year, acquainting himself with both roster and rhythms.

McRae says he’s particularly struck by the strength

of Elmira’s community-driven spirit.

“They’ve always been a really good organization,” he said. “When I was coaching in this league, everybody always wanted to come play in Elmira… for my short time here, I can see why – they’re just good quality people, good quality volunteers. I’m really looking forward to the season.”

On the ice, fans can expect a quicker tempo and sharpened defensive play.

“We want a really good skating team, guys that just work hard,” he said. “We want to force the pace of play… and we have to be responsive on the D side of the puck. That’ll start with some different defensive structure in our own zone, which we plan to implement on day one.”

Now in the heart of summer, McRae will continue to ease into the post, eventually ramping up as training camp approaches later in August.

I was in a rush, so I didn’t read it. But I am fascinated by the story. I mean, who would have thought they had dining room tables 23,000 years ago?

It must have been one heck of a party.

In any case, headlines like this are why I think archaeologists have the best job in the world. They get to uncover all sorts of cool things. Their discoveries help redefine our history and who we are as a species, which is probably rewarding. But I think we can all agree that the best part of their job is digging holes.

When I was a kid, digging holes was one of the greatest things you could do.

To dig a proper hole, you needed two kids. One kid would use his dad’s shovel. The other kid was the lookout for the dad in question.

For some reason, the fathers of my youth had a particular aversion to their kids digging holes – particularly in the front yard or rose garden.

That’s because the fathers of my youth did not seem to know about the many practical uses for a well-dug hole. If they did, they wouldn’t have hidden their shovels so well.

Luckily, hiding them rarely worked as a deterrent – not so long as there was an army surplus store within five miles. The army surplus stores of my day sold the best kind of shovels – the kind that World War II heroes used to carry.

These, according to the guy who ran the store, were the exact same shovels that were used on D-Day to dig foxholes for our troops. Not to brag, but my guy liked me, so he sold me several shovels

STEVE GALEA

that had formerly been used by Victoria Cross recipients, which is why I paid a premium for each of them.

When you owned a shovel like that, it was practically unpatriotic not to use it.

Most kids would start by digging rudimentary foxholes, just to break in the shovel. The average lawn of a kid with a new shovel could have served as a defensive position for an entire infantry platoon.

Once you honed your shoveling skills, you would advance to digging a lion trap. For those who missed out on this experience, a lion trap was simply a deeper foxhole that was covered by a picnic blanket. When the lion fell in, you would rush over, grab the corners of the blanket and quickly tie it up like a trash bag. Easy peasy.

Many younger people are probably shaking their heads and thinking: Hold it! There are no lions in Canada.

You’re welcome.

I never personally caught a lion, but I did catch my father in one, so I know what the experience would have been like.

I also know for a fact that on the summer of my ninth birthday, there were at least 20 lion traps in our neighbourhood alone, which I’m pretty sure put a huge dent in our local lion population. A good hole could also serve as an inground pool, a well, or a serviceable basement for your pup tent. Or simply a place to hide your dad’s shovel. To be honest, I thought those days were long gone. But the other day I saw a couple of kids walking towards a rose garden with shovel in hand.

It made my heart glad. Who says shovelry is dead?

Partnerships help define Canadian food and farming

This Canada Week is unlike others before it, insomuch as we’re looking at a future through a nationalistic lens that is bound to change the country.

In food and agriculture, our sudden fluid and volatile relationship with the U.S. means we need to look elsewhere for imports and export markets, as well as finding a new approach altogether to the agriculture sector’s future that will benefit consumers and farmers alike.

I believe that approach will hinge on partnerships within Canada, catalyzed by incentives from the federal government. This is not a radical idea. And in fact, it’s becoming more possible as Ottawa works to break down inter-provincial trade barriers, a goal established by Prime Minister Mark Carney that was supposed to be in motion by July 1. Partnerships can come in so many forms. They need determination, imagination and support. In fact, they might even cross the Canada-U.S. border.

As an example, I’m thinking specifically about the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign and Pollinator Partnership. Canada’s beef sector has been solidly behind this initiative. Through the campaign’s Pollinator Partnership, several awards are offered to producers, including the Canadian Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award, co-presented with the

Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA). Other awards recognize achievements in pollinator advocacy, roadside management, and electric power companies.

That represents a tonne of people and interests in the agri-food sector from right across the country working together.

It makes sense to offer this kind of a sustainability program in conjunction with a neighbour like the U.S., considering pollinators are not bound by borders. But if it’s too woke for the current American government, it’s a fine solo approach for Canada.

And how about the National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food? We often talk about the need to better understand traditional approaches to food production. CFA past president Keith Currie, an Ontario farmer, wrote about “the growth of this great organization” lately on LinkedIn. The circle concept is based on cooperation and partnerships. It’s not distinctly Canadian, but more and more, working together instead of against each other seems like a niche we can lay claim to, compared to our southern neighbours. The federal government needs to take notice of such efforts and be supportive and encour-

→ ROBERTS 28

A big boost for mass-timber

One of the early proponents of the technology, Linwood architect welcomes the move in the wake of U.S. tariff wars

Julian Gavaghan Observer Staff

THE PROVINCE IS BACKING PREFABRICATED wood-based and modular construction in a bid to build homes quicker and ensure Ontario becomes less reliant on American imports.

Having created Waterloo Region’s first mass-timber building, Linwood architect Ben Gregory was delighted by last week’s announcement of a $13.5 million investment in manufacturing and design capabilities in these areas.

Noting that the majority of steel is imported,

he said he believes that, with U.S. President Donald Trump damaging cross-border trade, economic security arguments have led Doug Ford’s government to grasp the potential Ontario has with advanced woodbased building methods.

“With cross-laminated timber and mass timber, and also just modular construction in general, the whole development side of things was happening before the tariffs happened,” Gregory told The Observer.

“But I think tariffs are accelerating the conversation about that, and I’m

super excited about it.

“I think with mass timber, there’s a huge opportunity in Canada.

“We have lots of natural resources.

“So, if we can find a way to source, manufacture, and produce it in Canada, it makes a lot of sense to do that.”

In the case of mass timber, which involves using several layers of wood nailed or glued together to form thick columns and beams that are capable of bearing heavy loads, the bulk of manufacturing is done in Europe, where the material is also more commonly used in buildings.

Street, an elegant and innovative five-storey structure that Gregory designed and is the region’s first to use the material.

However, given Canada has the third largest forest area, after Russia and Brazil, it has the potential to not only satisfy growing domestic demand but also become a world leader in production.

This prospect has not been lost on the province, ministers revealed in a funding announcement in Kitchener on June 26.

“We’re harnessing the vast potential of our home-grown resources to enhance how we build our homes, businesses and communities,” said Mike

This was the case with the mass timber used in Kitchener’s One Young → TIMBER 28

stories that inspire. Email: newsroom@woolwichobserver.com Tips: observerxtra.com/tips

New single, Paralysis, takes a personal look at mental health issues

Kyle Wilton and Excuses Excuses have a history of tackling not-alwayscomfortable issues in their music

journaling that transitioned into songwriting.

ELMIRA

WILTON AND his alt-punk band Excuses Excuses address the reality of mental illness with their new song, Paralysis.

It’s about those feelings of being “stuck and unable to live your daily life because of it,” Wilton explained.

“It’s definitely more of a personal song, coming from more of a self-perspective,” he said, noting the tune is also meant to encourage listeners to address mental health issues.

Such themes are often incorporated into their music, he added.

“We talk about a lot of hard topics, but in the end, we create an uplifting moment,” he said, as it reminds the audience that it’s normal to go through things.

“It’s OK not to be OK,” Wilton said.

“These feelings and emotions don’t dictate your life. It’s all just part of the process of being human,” he added.

For Wilton, one of the things he enjoys doing every day to continue working on his inner struggles is writing music, as seen in this track, which was first released in May, coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Month.

“It helps me get a lot of my thoughts out,” he said, adding that he started with

He encourages everyone else to find something that helps make their daily life a little more positive and to eliminate negative thoughts.

“Find something that allows you to be able to release those emotions,” he added, noting that could be sports, creative activities or spending time with family or friends.

“It’s just important to realize that everybody’s an individual and there’s really not a one-size-fits-all solution for people to deal with those things, because every case of mental illness is really quite unique,” Wilton said.

Writing in From the Strait, Kris Goetz said, “Paralysis” is a high-energy track with an underlying dark feel, punctuating the theme of the song perfectly.”

She added: “A catchy chorus drives the song, channelling early Billy Talent with its infectious riffs and singalong style.”

Goetz noted in the review that the layered vocals and dynamics add the “erratic feel” to the “explosive” track.

When it came to actually putting the notes and lyrics together, Wilton told The Observer that each song can come about differently.

With Paralysis, he co-wrote it with a couple of Toronto friends, David Mohacsi and Havelin, also

known as Alex Zaichkowski, back in the fall of 2023. He came to them with the idea of having the feeling of paralysis, as mental health issues have been something that stays close to him due to past struggles.

“I do like to talk about it and try to help people understand that they’re not alone when they feel that way.”

What inspired him to write the song was when his partner at the time was really struggling with some diagnosis, and his attempts to help her.

Once the lyrics and melodies were written, Wilton shared them with the rest of the band members.

“Then we all just sat down, played it out and did what we could do to bring the song to life,” he said.

Even though with most tunes there are tweaks or complete rewrites done, this one came together “pretty seamless.”

The final version wasn’t much different from the first draft.

“It was more just reorganizing different parts of the song,” Wilton explained of the tune that he wrote in a day, followed by a couple of days to flesh it out with the band.

He loves the writing part, but he really did enjoy the recording, done in Toronto at Noble Street Studios.

“We got to be there for a couple of days and just

mess around with instruments and make music,” he said.

Wilton, who plays guitar and is the vocalist for Excuses Excuses, also shares the stage with his longtime childhood friend, Trevor Bowman, who plays bass guitar.

They have been best friends since they were three years old in Elmira.

The band also includes drummer Jason Nicoll, whom they met at college in Kingston.

With the release of the single, Wilton said he hopes it can help somebody at some point in time, as with other tracks they have released.

“We’ve had people come up to us before and explain

how our songs have helped them. Honestly, that is one of the coolest things that you could experience,” Wilton said.

Among his favourite lines in Paralysis is ‘They say it gets better, but they never tell you when.’

Which speaks to the idea of, when someone is struggling and people say it’s going to be OK, but there is this “looming feeling underneath” of wondering when it does get better.

Wilton noted that Paralysis will be released as a seven-inch single later this year. Right now, you can find Paralysis by Excuses Excuses on a variety of streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music.

For Sale

1 BEDROOM SENIORS APARTMENT FOR sale at the Duke Centre. New windows, patio door, flooring and kitchen cabinets. Please call 519-6693835, leave a message.

CUSTOM BUILT STORAGE SHEDS. 8' X 8', $2499.99. Ask for the size you need. Millbank. Voice mail 519-698-9988.

LAWN FERTILIZER AND LAWN SEEDCall George Haffner Trucking, 519-5744141 or 519-669-2045.

RICKEEN FARMS ANGUS BEEF AVAILable by order, 1/41/2 - whole. Vacuum sealed, Ontario certified butcher. Home grown and raised on our farm, Wallenstein. Call 519-573-6056, or email rickeen.farms@ gmail.com

Ag. Services

BAGGED PINE SHAVINGS AGRICULTURAL

Spray Lime, 22.5kg. bag; feed grade lime, 25kg. Delivered. Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

KILN DRIED CORN DELIVERED BY

Einwechter. Minimum 15 ton lots. Call George Haffner Trucking 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

OAT & PEAS FOR FORAGE COVER CROPS - Call George Haffner Trucking, 519-574-4141 or 519-669-2045.

Wanted

WE ARE BUYING GOLD JEWELLERY, silver cutlery, paper money, wrist - Rolex & Omega & pocket watches. 43 years experience. Call Terry in Elmira at 519-2426900 or gallamore@ golden.net. Will pick up, fair honest prices!!

WILLING TO BUY - DIE CAST REPLICAS OF farm tractors and equipment; Industrial equipment and Tonka sandbox toys. In any useable condition.No collection too large or too small. Ask Dwayne for details. 519-6695500.

♥ Compost material

Add moderate amounts of wet, shredded newspaper to your compost heap and give earthworms a tasty treat.

bestseller every week. Phone: 519-669-5790 ext 104

Email: ads@woolwichobserver.com Job Posts: jobs.observerxtra.com

Rentals

LARGE, SPACIOUS

2-BEDROOM APARTment for rent, downtown Elmira, 2nd floor, on-site laundry, self-contained gas heat & A/C system. One and a half bath, $1,750.00 plus utilities & one parking space. Secured entrance. Available August 1. Reply to elmirakingstproperties@gmail.com

Trades &

Services

KITCHEN/BATHROOM FREE DESIGNS / consultation/Estimate. Save your $$$, If your a handy person. I am Retired interior designer. Great prices on Quartz,Porcelain, Granite Countertops direct from importers. Cabinets free designs as per your budget. www.capricountertops. com www.capricabinets.ca Text/Call Errol Ferreira 519 589 4857

Help Wanted

Part-Time

Thrift Shop Staff

16 hours per week, 8:30 to 5:30 pm, Fridays and 3 Saturdays per month with flexibility to cover vacations. Candidates must have experience working in retail sales providing exemplary customer service with knowledge of fashion trends/items of value/brands etc. Experience supporting volunteers an asset. Must be able to stand for long hours and lift heavy items. Applications are due by noon on Wednesday, July 16th, to Kelly Christie, Executive Director, 5 Memorial Ave, Elmira, ON N3B 2P8; fax 519-669-4210; or by email to woolwichcommunityservices@yahoo.com

Customer Service Representative

Permanent, Part Time

At Wallenstein Feed & Supply Ltd. we believe in helping our customers succeed, and we pride ourselves on being the leader in customer service for the livestock feed industry.

This position is responsible for answering customer calls, entering orders into the system, supporting all customer care programs, troubleshooting customer inquiries, assisting customers with account information, communication of feed situations, and other duties as assigned.

This is a part time, hourly position based out of our Wallenstein location, working approximately 20-25 hours per week; a mix of weekends, weekdays, and holidays. Hourly rate starts at $24.75 per hour.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion and thank all applicants in advance. Accommodations are available during all stages of the recruitment process.

If you are interested in a rewarding work life, please submit your resume to careers@wfs.ca by July 11, 2025.

STATUTARY NOTICE ONTARIO HERITAGE ACT

NOTICE OF INTENT TO DESIGNATE A HERITAGE PROPERTY

ST. BONIFACE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, WALLED CEMETERY AND RECTORY 1355-1357 MARYHILL ROAD & 1367 MARY HILL ROAD TOWNSHIP OF WOOLWICH

o Limestone cornice trim;

o Decorative fieldstone chimney on the north elevation;

- The entire east elevation with:

o The five-sided chancel faced in dressed limestone ashlar with wide mortar courses;

o The smaller lancet windows on the north and south segments of the chancel, their decorative limestone voussoirs, quoins and stone sills, and stained glass window infill;

- The square, metal-faced flèche above the chancel, its wood lancet openings and abat-sons and its broach-spire covered in decorative slate and an iron cross finial.

Interior

- The c.1830 carved and painted wood statue of the Blessed Virgin inside the Narthex;

- All stained glass windows;

TAKE NOTICE that the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Woolwich intends to Designate St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church, Walled Cemetery and Rectory at 1355-1357 Maryhill Road for reasons of cultural heritage value or interest pursuant to the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter O.18, Part IV THE AFFECTED PROPERTIES

1355-1357 Maryhill Road, Township of Woolwich, Ontario PLAN 596 LOT Y

1367 Maryhill Road, Township of Woolwich, Ontario PLAN 596 LOT J

STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE VALUE AND INTEREST

St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church, together with its rectory, old walled cemetery, and school building (1354 Maryhill Rd – Designation By-law 53-2014) form a significant religious campus which is intimately tied to the history and development of the village of Maryhill and the surrounding area. The property at 1355-1357 Maryhill Rd contains the main stone gothic revival church, constructed circa 1877-1878 and the dichromatic brick Queen Anne style rectory circa 1872. The old walled cemetery located at 1367 Maryhill Rd, was established in 1851. The two parcels containing the church, rectory and old walled cemetery cover a collective area of approximately 1.4 ha (3.5 acres).

DESCRIPTION OF HERITAGE ATTRIBUTES

St. Boniface Church

- The central altar, including:

o Carved wood altar table;

o Carved and gilded wood reredos;

o Carved and painted wood statues of St. Boniface (left), the Sacred Heart of Christ (centre) and St. John (left);

- The right and left side altars, including:

o Carved wood altar tables;

o Carved and gilded wood reredos;

o Carved and painted wood statues of Our Lady of Victory (left side altar) and St. Joseph (right side altar).

St Boniface Rectory

- Two-and-a-half-storey dichromatic brick building;

- Hipped roof with Queen Anne-style gables and hipped dormers on the north, west and south elevations, two-tiered fascia board and wooden cornice brackets;

- The scale, massing and materiality of the Gothic Revival stone church building;

- The gable roof with the square tower on the west end, topped by a splay-footed spire;

- The entire west elevation with:

o Dressed ashlar limestone with wide mortar courses;

o Limestone buttresses set at 45 degrees at each corner of the tower and each extreme extent of the elevation;

o Three gothic pointed arch door openings with three sets of double wood doors and pointed arch windows containing decorative wood tracery;

o Two lancet windows with stained glass sashes on the second storey, to the left and right of the tower;

- Fieldstone foundation with south-facing cellar entrance;

- West verandah with posts, carved brackets, and extending gable-fronted entry portico;

- Decorative ironwork balustrade above the entry portico;

- Three bay west elevation featuring a central entrance with a rectangular transom and sidelights flanked on each side by double-hung, 6-over-6 windows;

- Second storey west elevation featuring a central glazed balcony door and arched starburst transom above, flanked on each side by double-hung, 6-over-6 windows;

- Majorly red brick west elevation and all wood sills, buff brick quoins, buff brick voussoirs and buff brick corner strips around window openings in a 1/2:1 pattern;

- Majorly buff brick, four-bay wide north and south elevations, including four sets of stacked double-hung, 6-over-6 windows and contrasting red brick voussoirs.

St Boniface Old Walled Cemetery

- Continuous fieldstone cemetery wall with stone coping;

o The circular window on the main tower with its wood cross pattéetracery;

o All decorative stone detailing including all instances of quoining, hood moulds and label stops;

o The lancet openings of the belfry and wood abat-son infill;

o Bracketed wood cornice where the tower meets the spire;

o The gothic arch dormers on the face of the spire and the wood abat-son infill;

o Multicoloured slate spire shingles laid in a decorative pattern;

- The entire six-bay north and south elevations containing:

o Random fieldstone coursing;

o Six lancet windows separated by five buttresses composed of dressed limestone facing and random fieldstone infill;

 All lancet windows containing decorative limestone voussoirs, quoins and stone sills, infilled with stained glass windows;

- Decorative dressed stone piers flanking the entrance to the cemetery from Maryhill Rd and at the extreme ends of the wall along Maryhill Rd;

- Wrought-iron cemetery gate, including the decorative spears, cyma curves, and cross containing a fleur-de-lis motif.

Additional Information, including a full description of the reasons for the By-law is available upon request from Alex Kirchin, Deputy Clerk for the Township of Woolwich at 519-669-6005 or at akirchin@woolwich.ca.

AND TAKE NOTICE that no later than Saturday, August 2, 2025, a notice of objection to the intent to designate the property may be filed with the Deputy Clerk of the Township of Woolwich. The notice of objection must include a statement of reasons for the objection and all relevant facts.

DATED at Elmira, Ontario this 3rd day of July, 2025.

Alex Kirchin, Deputy Clerk Township of Woolwich

Please join us in celebrating Ruby Martin

Open House Sun July 13, 2:00-4:30 At St Jacobs Mennonite Church, Community Room

1310 King St N, St. Jacobs Best Wishes Only.

90th Birthday

Open

House for Gladys Knechtel

Sunday July 6, 2-4 p.m.

Elmira Pentecostal Assembly

Cards and donations to the Food Bank gratefully accepted

Happy Birthday!

Bruder, Paul Albert

Passed away June 8, 2025. Deeply missed by his wife of nearly 50 years, Margaret (Sharples), their daughter Trina Bruder-Kooy (Dave) and his coconspirator in sneaking snacks, and general mischief, his only granddaughter Annetta (Nettie) Kooy. Left to mourn his passing are his sisters in law Therese Bruder (James), Mary Turner (Joseph), and Edith Johnson (Ken) and many nieces, nephews and extended family.

Paul was born June 3, 1940, in West Montrose, Ontario.

Predeceased by his parents Albert (Ab) and Annetta (Nettie) Bruder (Raiter), his sisters Grace Kurtz, and her husband Vincent (Vince) Kurtz, Agnes Anne Bolger and her husband Walter (Wat) Bolger, brother James Bruder, and brother in law Joseph Turner.

Paul worked for many years with the Township of Guelph as Chief Building Official. He was an avid classic car enthusiast, and could often be found at cruise nights and car shows, with one of his many vehicles on display for others to enjoy. Paul was also very proud of his Granddaughters soccer accomplishments.

At Paul’s request, cremation has taken place, and a private internment will occur.

The family wishes to thank the many Doctors, Nurses, and the team at Bayshore medical for their outstanding care of Paul.

As an expression of sympathy, donations could be made to Grand River Hospital Cancer Center or the Vasculitis Foundation of Canada.

Israel, Reta

Peacefully passed away on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at WRHN at Queen’s Blvd., at the age of 85 years. Dear sister of Carl and Carolyn, Bernice and Ron McTavish, Arleen and Vaughn Norris, Archie, Frank and Carol, Paul and Linda, Marilyn Israel and Mark Hoffman, Dianne and David McTavish. Reta is remembered by her nieces, nephews and their families, as well as Ron Stroh (Ann), Ryan McCall Stroh (Angela), Reed McCall Stroh (Elle), and their families. Predeceased by her parents Roy and Edna (Geisel) Israel, and sister-in-law Patricia Israel. Visitation was held on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Dreisinger Funeral Home, 62 Arthur St. S., Elmira with a reception following. Interment took place in Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Floradale at 2:30 p.m. As expressions of sympathy, donations to WCS Food Bank or St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Elmira would be appreciated and may be made through the funeral home. www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Obituary

Martin, Vera

Peacefully passed away on Friday, June 27, 2025 at her residence in Floradale at the age of 94 years. Beloved wife of the late Wilfred Martin (2017). Dear mother of Glen (Aleda) of RR 2, Alma, Dennis (Verna) of RR 2, Tara, and Colleen (Durrell) Frey of Floradale. Lovingly remembered by ten grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Survived by sister-in-law Elsie Clemmer. Predeceased by her parents Leander and Lovina (Martin) Clemmer, two great-grandchildren, and siblings Vernon and Mary Clemmer, Cleason and Susannah Clemmer, Viola and Norman Bauman, Ermina and Earl Frey, Lloyd and Minerva Clemmer, Abner Clemmer, and Lorene and Glenn Schreiber. Also predeceased by her brother-in-law Laverne (Elvina) Martin, five step sisters and four stepbrothers-in-law. The family received relatives and friends on Monday, June 30, 2025 from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the Dreisinger Funeral Home, 62 Arthur St. S., Elmira. A family service took place in the funeral home chapel at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, then to Goshen Mennonite Meeting House for burial and public service. A special thank you to the Care at Home team for the excellent care given to Vera. www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

Recycling batteries a boost to the environment, circular economy

Ethan Braund

LJI reporter

AT A TIME OF INCREASING reliance on battery-powered devices and electric vehicles, which has significantly amplified battery waste, recycling batteries has become even more important.

Filling that role is Call2Recyle Canada, a not-for-profit founded in 1997.

Some 6.8 million kilograms of used batteries were recycled in Canada last year, a 17 per cent increase over 2023, the organization reports.

More than 100,000 kgs. of batteries were collected in Waterloo Region, said Call2Recycle’s Camille Vandeerstraeten.

Those batteries fall into three categories, explained C2R’s Jon McQuaid.

“The first is your household battery – so think of your double As or triple As, your Cs, Ds.

“The second format is e-bike batteries, e-skateboards, hoverboards, called the e-mobility sector battery, so the larger lithium-ion format,” said McQuaid.

“And then the third is around the EV battery. We work with most auto manufacturers to safely transport EV batteries.”

Recycling lithium-ion batteries to recover their critical metals has significantly lower environmental impacts than mining virgin metals, along with issues over sourcing new metals.

C2R collects these batteries with the help of 15,000 partners across the country with collection bins in Rexall’s and Home Hardware around Woolwich Township. In 2024, C2R added more than 2,800 collection sites across the country.

McQuaid noted that 90 per cent of Canadians now have easy access to a collection site, adding one of the organization’s major goals this year is to boost the number of batteries being recycled.

“Our goals are justincreasing awareness to the public around batteries never belong in the garbage, and they don’t belong in the regular recycling. It’s important for three major reasons why batteries should be recycled,” he said.

The first of these reasons is environmental protection, as certain materials used in batteries can corrode and decay, and eventually let these harmful chemicals into the environment.

The second reason is a safety component, where sometimes these used batteries can carry a residual charge, which poses a fire risk.

The third reason is that many valuable materials are used in batteries, and the batteries’ lifecycle, they can be reused for other items.

“The third is the circular economy notion, and reusing the materials and precious components inside batteries to make new products, like golf clubs, stainless steel appliances, and even new batteries,” added McQuaid.

C2R aims to demonstrate that recycling batteries is a crucial pillar of Canada’s sustainability efforts. To find your nearest drop-off location, visit www.recycleyourbatteries.ca.

As of Wednesday, the Region of Waterloo Library has extended hours at six of its branches, including those in Breslau, Elmira, New Hamburg, St. Clements and Wellesley. www.rwlibrary.ca

Farmers in the Grand River watershed have access to new grant funding, available through the Grand River Conservation Authority, aimed at reducing phosphorus runoff into local waterways. To apply or to learn more about the services and grants that are available, contact the GRCA. www.grandriver.ca

All revved up for a very personal reason

St. Jacobs man and his son finish father-in-law’s long-planned restoration of a 1952 MG kit car

THE ’52 MG STUCK OUT

from the many Volkswagens at a recent gathering in St. Jacobs. But a little digging revealed the car was right at home.

Appearances were deceiving – and only skin deep – as the kit car was built on the chassis of a ’69 VW.

“I’ve restored multiple motorcycles over the years, so this thing is basically like a big motorcycle,” says Michael Boileau, who restored his kit car with his son, Mitchell, from St. Jacobs.

The car once belonged to his father-in-law, Detlef Tank, who had purchased it for his second wife, Margaret, who subsequently died unexpectedly.

“She always wanted a ‘52 MG. He saw it, so he bought it for her. But it was in no state to drive, and he wasn’t able to get it

running,” said Boileau of the project car, which had previously been owned by Hamilton-area crime-fiction writer Phyllis Smallman.

At some point, the car had caught on fire, rendering it effectively out of commission.

Discovered by Tank at an auto shop, the car spent a couple of decades in the shed at his home in Hamilton, never making it back onto the road.

As Tank, 83, was aging with Alzheimer’s, “He finally said, ‘Mike, come take this thing away,’” said Boileau, adding that Tank was born in Poland but was raised in Wolfsburg, Germany, which happens to be where Volkswagens started being made in 1937.

Tank passed the MG replica to Boileau because he wanted someone to finish the restoration work.

“I didn’t want to do it

→ REVVED UP 25

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m pregnant with my second child. During the 20-week anatomy scan, my obstetrician detected my baby has a cleft lip. Does this mean my baby also has a cleft palate? How and when is a cleft lip or cleft palate corrected?

ANSWER: Cleft lip and cleft palate are openings or splits in the upper lip, the roof of the mouth — called the palate — or both. Cleft

lip and cleft palate occur when the facial structures that are developing in an unborn baby don’t close completely. While a cleft lip can form independently, it’s more commonly found in combination with a cleft palate. These are among the

Cleft lip and palate repair

most common birth defects. Typically, cleft lip and palate happen in isolation, but occasionally, it is part of a genetic syndrome that includes cleft lip or cleft palate as one of its signs. Cleft lip and palate also can be associated with heart conditions, which often can be screened for and identified prenatally. It is important to be assessed by a genetic counselor to rule out any inherited diseases.

Generally, a cleft lip is repaired around the time when a child is 10 to 12 weeks old to ensure your child has established their feeding pattern and shows good weight gain. To close the separation in your child's lip, the surgeon makes incisions on both sides of the cleft and creates flaps of tissue. The flaps and lip muscles are then stitched together. This approach improves the lip’s appearance, struc-

ture and function.

For a cleft palate, the repair is usually planned when the child is between 10 and 12 months old. The wait from birth to surgery for a cleft palate is longer because it allows more time for the mouth to grow. To close and rebuild the roof of the mouth requires access to a small space in the littlest of patients.

Children diagnosed with cleft palate are monitored

closely for ear infections. A cleft palate can affect the function of the eustachian tube, a small tube connecting your middle ear down to your throat. The muscles of your palate help open and close your eustachian tubes. Babies are assessed for the development of chronic fluid in the middle ear and a hearing test is performed to assess your child’s ability to hear. Ear tubes may

Do you tow a trailer with your vehicle?

If your trailer has its own brakes, it is beneficial to get them checked out periodically to make sure they are operating as intended. Not only does this make your drive safer, it will also extend the brake life on your tow vehicle. Give us a call today! 519-669-1082. Or schedule an appointment online. www.leroysauotcare.net

SATURDAY, JULY 5

▢ Woolwich Gardeners Garden Tour. Join us for selfguided tours of gardens in Elmira and St. Jacobs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Email barbs@rogers.com to request your e-tickets (preferred). For paper tickets, call Barb (519)580-7584. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 on tour day.

SUNDAY, JULY 6

▢ Sunday Night Concerts in the Park with T’was Now, Mike and Diana Erb. Join us from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Gibson Park in Elmira. Enjoy traditional country and bluegrass music. Bring your lawn chairs and a free-will offering to support the artists.

SATURDAY, JULY 12

▢ Sounds of Summer Free Concert. Come join us for a night of live music, good vibes, and summer fun at 150 Hamilton Rd., New Hamburg. Get ready to groove to the beats of talented local artists with other community members. Featuring performances by Onion Honey, Folklore Junction, Josh Dwyer, Eric Jackson and Sidney Heimstra. Whether you’re a fan of rock, pop, or jazz, there’s something for everyone. Contact Wilmot Wellesley Resource Centre at 519-662-2731 for more information. Accepting Non-perishable food donations on behalf of the WWRC food bank. Food trucks and vendors on site.

SUNDAY, JULY 13

▢ Sunday Night Concerts in the Park with Gerald Davidson and Country Versatiles. Join us from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Gibson Park in Elmira. Enjoy traditional country and bluegrass music. Bring your lawn chairs and a free-will offering to support the artists.

▢ Savon Summer Music 2025, Concert #3. Join the Savon Duo (Sam Domzella, piano, and Yvon Arseneault, cello) for a summer concert series of the greatest works for cello and piano, with the upcoming concert featuring works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, and more—all concerts are held in Floradale Mennonite Church at 7 p.m., no tickets required. Visit samdomzella.com.

SUNDAY, JULY 20

▢ Sunday Night Concerts in the Park with Wendy Lynn Snider. Join us from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Gibson Park in Elmira. Enjoy traditional country and bluegrass music. Bring your lawn chairs and a free-will offering to support the artists.

SUNDAY, JULY 27

▢ Sunday Night Concerts in the Park with Lance Russwurm. Join us from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Gibson Park in Elmira. Enjoy traditional country and bluegrass music. Bring your lawn chairs and a free-will offering to support the artists.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3

▢ Sunday Night Concerts in the Park with Honky Tonk Heart. Join us from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Gibson Park in Elmira. Enjoy traditional country and bluegrass music. Bring your lawn chairs and a free-will offering to support the artists.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 10

▢ Sunday Night Concerts in the Park with Fred Lewis and Ridin’ High. Join us from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Gibson Park in Elmira. Enjoy traditional country and bluegrass music. Bring your lawn chairs and a freewill offering to support the artists.

he unanimous reaction of every person to taste this frosty drink (my whole family included!) is that this whipped lemonade is their new go-to summer drink. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made it in the past month alone — it’s that good. It strikes the perfect balance between a creamy milkshake, tangy- sweet lemonade, and a frozen slushie. You might notice similarities to Brazilian lemonade, and while equally delicious, they’re two distinctly different drinks (Brazilian lemonade actually uses limes rather than lemons and doesn’t include cream).

The best part is that you only need five minutes and three basic ingredients. Pop in a straw and drink it as is, or go all in by topping it with whipped cream and a slice of lemon. Want something a little boozy? Just add a pour of your favourite spirit to the blender.

Why you’ll love it

It’s so refreshing and perfect for summer. It

doesn’t get any better than a frozen drink that’s the perfect mash-up of cold lemonade and a milkshake.

Couldn’t be easier to make. Exactly how good summer drinks should be, this one is just as easy to make as it is refreshing and delicious. Toss everything in a blender and you’re good to go.

Key ingredients

Lemons: Freshly squeezed lemon juice (two medium lemons will give you just enough) gives this frosty drink the best flavour.

Heavy cream: The richness gives this drink milkshake vibes.

Sweetened condensed milk: It adds just enough sweetness to balance the tartness of the lemon juice. You won’t use the entire can, but there are a lot of ways to use up the leftover sweetened condensed milk — turn it into a caramel sauce, drizzle over fresh fruit, or stir into your morning coffee or tea.

Whipped Lemonade

for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.

Make your garden more pollinator friendly with a few TWEECs

Ethan Braund LJI reporter

WHETHER YOU HAVE A MASSIVE garden or a small plant on your apartment balcony, a new program can help you make a big difference with just a few TWEECs.

The Township of Woolwich Environmental Enhancement Committee (TWEEC) has started a new local project to bring pollinator habitats into our backyards called ‘TWEEC your Garden.’

The main person behind this project is DJ Hanna, who used her other position as a volunteer butterfly ranger for the David Suzuki Foundation to put protecting habitat into action.

“I did a lot of work on my own backyard, influencing my neighbours and others in St. Jacobs and Elmira. And then I joined TWEEC so I could hang out with some like-minded people,” said Hanna.

She wanted to be able to promote the idea of supporting local diversity and building a more sustainable garden. As part of the program, TWEEC provided five ways that Woolwich residents can try to make that happen.

The first of these easy

ways is something that is echoed among environmental workers: native plants.

“One thing that everyone can do is kind of grow a couple native species, meaning that our host plant for caterpillars and feed butterflies. Caterpillars are a direct path to having more birds,” said Hanna.

“We have a list of native species that people can plant, similar to what Trees for Woolwich has been doing with the trees, and now we’re thinking about what the shrubs and the flowers can be put into

our gardens and our green spaces.”

The second way is removing invasive species that crowd out native ones and disrupt the local ecosystem. TWEEC has had several events over the years, removing invasive species like having garlic mustard pulls and removing phragmites.

“It’s really understanding the difference between plants that are aggressive and invasive, and invasive species are those that actually disrupt the local ecosystem.”

Tip number three is that we should eliminate or

reduce pesticides.

“We’re really promoting through TWEECing your Garden, just reducing that pesticide use, which harms our bees and butterflies.”

The fourth tip looks at something that Hanna says many people do not know about: reducing light pollution around your garden. That can be helpful to nocturnal pollinators, said Hanna.

“There are simple ways that people can adapt to it. Use motion sensors, place your lights downward, not upward, into the sky, or turn them off when

unnecessary. Even changing the timer on some of your lights is beneficial to allow the birds to get more sleep, and the moths can fly without being drawn to the lights that eventually kill them.”

The fifth and final way is to ‘leave the leaves’ because leaves are nature’s mulch, protecting soil, nourishing plants, and providing habitat for overwintering insects. Leave them where they fall or use them in garden beds.

Hanna told The Observer that there are many ways that residents can get involved with

TWEEC your Garden.

“We’ve also created on the website a place to register your garden, and if your garden meets that criteria, then we would love to bring a sign out to the more we can show these pollinator pathways,” she said.

“The signs are not for the pollinators, but when we can, I start to identify the pathways and the activities that people are doing in their backyard, at businesses, in our parks, the more we can start to see ourselves and the connection across our community.”

What seemed like a lost cause quickly turned into a fun project for the father-and-son duo

because I’m a motorcycle guy, but then my son talked me into it, and honestly, I’m glad he did,” said Boileau, adding that the project turned out to be a lot of fun once they brought it home in 2021. At the start, however, it was a daunting task. They had to drive from St. Jacobs to Hamilton over two weekends just to clear out enough junk to access the stored car, which proved to be a mess, and not just because it was so dirty.

“But driving home that day, people were giving

you the thumbs up,” Boileau said, that they were saying it was a cool car even though it looked horrible.

Over the course of two years, the father-and-son team had a “fantastic experience” restoring the car.

Given the vehicle’s state, there was a long list of work that had to be done.

“I tore out all the old wiring and started from scratch,” he said.

“We had to completely rebuild the chassis, rebuild the engine, rebuild the gearbox, and all the running gear so it drives

like a new vehicle,” he said, noting the car now starts easily.

Additionally, he made a windshield, since it didn’t come with one, in a process that involved plenty of trial and error to get right.

The first version he crafted was too low, and after the first year, he remade it a little taller, adding a bit of an arc to it.

He also made the seats out of aluminum.

“I bent it on my workbench, made a cardboard pattern of it first, and got the angles right in the pattern. And then went

ahead and bent it out of aluminum,” he said.

During the restoration, the father-son team “bickered and fought” over the automobile, “but the joy that we get out of driving this thing is just worth it,” Boileau said of the project that cost around $11,000.

Boileau did recruit some help from Ivan Martin, a cobbler in Yatton, who made leather saddle bags, along with the red tonneau cover. The work was finished just in time to show off the car at the fourth annual air-cooled VW show at the Waterloo Rod & Gun Club in St.

Jacobs.

The cream-shaded machine has some crimson-coloured accents as a homage to Margaret, who was a “fiery redhead,” Boileau said.

The final touches –including the headlights taped in an X pattern to protect against broken headlights – were modelled on Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) race cars from the early ‘50s.

And since every race car needs a number, Boulieau opted for 48, representing the year Margaret was born, 1948.

On Father’s Day weekend 2023, they took it out on the racetrack for the first time. Definitely not a speedster, the car did reach 100 km/h, but that wasn’t ideal.

“It’s more for cruising, and it’s really happy sitting there doing 80 km/h.

The first time Boileau took Tank for a drive was a “priceless” experience. When they drove out on Three Bridges Road in the summer of 2023, it was the first ride Tank had in the car.

When they stopped and parked, “he was beaming

Playtime

ACROSS

Soaked 2. Biscotti flavouring 3. Becomes too much 4. In ___ (harmonious) 5. Overrun 9. Hello

ACROSS

1. Horse-stopping command

5. White glue

10. Jewish calendar month

14. Sixty minutes

15. Lazy person

16. Three Wise Men

17. Of good character

19. American ___ (talent show)

20. Pastry shell (2wrds)

21. Golden years (2wrds)

23. Circuit around a track

24. Soul singer Redding

25. Unauthorized info release

27. In a pennypinching manner

32. Wedded ___

33. Lift up mechanically

34. Not a ocean, lake or pond

35. X-ray units

36. Traditional twig broom

37. Wing-related

38. First digit

39. Artist's stand

40. Big band leader Miller

41. Global

43. After-tax amount (UK)

44. HIV-related condition

45. Distant

46. French Polynesian island

49. Material for collared garments

54. Voting alliance

55. Papal letter

57. Asian legume for tofu

58. Common infection, abbrev.

59. Forbidden zone

Thunder roll

Basketball shot beyond the arc

Chew persistently

Beat soundly

Arizona Native American

British river

4. Painting lesson (2wrds)

5. Calendar model

6. Contributes more

7. Long thin cut

8. Number of fingers

9. Rye fungus poisoning

10. Surrounded by

11. Early 20th century art movement

12. Highly excited

13. Make angry

18. Anise-flavored liquors

22. Elevator, in UK

24. Baltimore baseball player

25. Spanish for "plain"

26. Northern sea duck

27. Dissertation

28. Sprayed with water

29. Tiny land mass surrounded by water

30. Inclined (UK sp)

31. Tall tale

32. Furrowed feature

36. Most lewd

37. Making aware

39. Revise

40. Tree trunk bump

42. Relating to lay people

45. Library storage format

46. Recipe measure, for short

47. Succulent with healing gel

48. Georgetown team nickname

49. Tissue after injury

50. Excessive promotion

51. Computer screen symbol

52. Northeast Indian tribe

53. Radiant shine

56. To the extreme degree

MAYO CLINIC: Cleft lip or palate can be corrected

be placed at the time of the cleft lip surgery or, if present, at the time of the cleft palate surgery. Sometimes ear tubes can be placed in an office setting under no anesthesia.

In preparation for their cleft lip or palate repair surgery, your child may be a candidate for nasoalveolar molding, a nonsurgical option that helps reduce the gap in the upper lip and cleft on the roof of the mouth. It also can reshape your child’s nostrils. Surgery is performed after the molding is complete at around 3 to 4 months. Nasoalveolar molding

can significantly improve your child’s outcomes and reduce their need for additional corrective operations as they grow. Having a baby born with a cleft lip or palate can be concerning, but these conditions can be corrected. Advancements in operations result in better outcomes for your child by improving function and reducing scarring. However, it is important to seek treatment from centers such as Mayo Clinic, which specializes in treating cleft lip and palate.

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in Minnesota employs a multispecialty approach to address each patient's individualized needs.

ↆ Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit www. mayoclinic.org. → FROM 23

Mayo’s team at the Cleft and Craniofacial Clinic

Directed by plastic surgeons, the team may include specialists in ear, nose and throat (ENT), oral surgery, orthodontics, lactation, speech, hearing, psychology, genetics, social services and others. Together, this team treats hundreds of children each year who have cleft lip and palate.

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TIMBER: It’s more environmentally friendly, says advocate

→ FROM 16

Harris, Minister of Natural Resources, who also serves as Kitchener-Conestoga’s MPP.

“Our government recognizes the potential of advanced wood construction – and our action plan is bringing its benefits to Ontario.”

To do this, it has invested in a series of companies and schemes, including $8 million to establish and scale up production at Element5, Ontario’s first stateof-the-art, fully-automated manufacturer of cross-laminated timber, and a firm Gregory has worked with.

It has also spent more than $4 million on woodbased construction education, research, training and testing.

Additionally, the province has contributed $1.5 million towards the construction of educational buildings using mass timber at George Brown College and the University of Toronto.

The government believes that using mass timber and wood construction for modular and prefabricated buildings will be essential to achieving the government’s goal of building 1.5 million new homes by 2031.

Modular construction, the concept of prefabricated, ready-to-go units that are then slotted together to form apartment or office buildings, and even houses, is much quicker than traditional methods, Gregory noted.

This process is particularly useful for affordable and social housing, said the partner of Kitchener-based WalterFedy, a firm the 41-year-old has worked at for a decade and which he described as an architectural and engineering “one-stop shop,” adding: “It’s our secret sauce.”

For example, his colleague, Melissa Fishman from St. Jacobs, managed the project for two YWCA apartment buildings on Block Line Road in Kitchener that

used modular mass timber.

While the technique is not always cheaper, it is almost always quicker and certainly more environmentally friendly than concrete and steel, Gregory added.

In a country as vast as Canada, volumetric modular designs, which can incorporate other materials and not just mass-timber, can also be used in places that are a long distance from supply and skill centres.

“We’re seeing a lot of benefits with modular in remote sites,” Gregory explained.

“So, up in Iqaluit, for example, they’ve got a 3,000-home project right now, but there’s very little in skilled trades and natural resources up there.

“So, they’re looking at modular as a solution.

“So, you build it here, put it on a truck and ship it there, stack it in place, and you’re done.”

Building this way also means less waste, as assembly is largely done in a single facility, which is also better for the environment, he noted.

As well as supporting modular construction, Gregory also believes Ontario’s recently-passed Bill 17, the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025, will also do as its title describes.

By forcing municipal-

ities to standardize their regulations, eliminate some guidelines and defer development charges, the red-tape reductions are a welcome step towards getting projects off the ground sooner, he said.

However, one obstacle that is harder to deal with is the effect Trump is having on business uncertainty and therefore firms’ willingness to build, Gregory added.

“It’s been a weird year. Everything’s sort of on hold,” he explained.

“With the whole industry, it seems there’s so much uncertainty with the tariffs.”

However, he doesn’t think this nervousness will continue indefinitely, “because there’s so much demand,” and so he expects construction to resume as before by the end of the year.

With this, though, he believes the American president will also play a role in determining trends, with Canadian mass-timber likely to benefit from a widespread desire to make the economy more resilient.

“We’ve got three and a half more years of Mr. Trump down there,” he said.

“So, I can see that happening for sure.

“I think having reliable sources of product that we can use is something that’s beneficial for everyone.”

ROBERTS: Fostering a more nationalistic outlook

aging. That doesn’t necessarily mean writing a cheque. But it also means offering more than lip service.

For example, how about trumpeting these partnerships and letting Canadians know about such accomplishments, so they can gain wider support?

That’s a matter of communications. It doesn’t cost much money but it does require skill and commitment.

It’s gratifying to see Canadians working together, in the midst of such a divisive world. It’s a point of pride that we can rally around this Canada Week, and beyond. The

Prime Minister and his government need support for their nationalistic vision of Canada, and helping unite the country with information and true success stories rather than political propaganda is part of the deal. I’ll write about them and sure many other journalists would too.