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> Niagara West vaccine clinics start roll out this week /Pg 3 > Beamsville K of C plan bottle drive Pg 4 > Pothole problems? Lincoln staff want to know Pg 7 > Letters: Readers have their say Pg 9&11 Thursday, March 25, 2021 Vol. 9 Issue 47

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After three swings

IC tosses out complaints on

conflict of interest By Mike Williscraft NewsNow Grimsby’s Integrity Commissioner (IC) tossed out two complaints and a third was withdrawn at Monday’s council meeting regarding a suggested conflict of interest with Coun. Reg Freake. In his presentation to council, investigator for ADR Chambers, the IC office for the Town, Michael Maynard noted the three complaints were to be included in one report due to the similarity of the claims made and rapid succession with which they were filed. One of the complainants was Coun. John Dunstall, following a pattern

of council-to-council IC complaints, which has made up the vast majority of cases to date. The contention in the complaints was that Freake was in a conflict of interest by voting on a proposed Main Street East heritage study when it came to a committee of the whole meeting. The findings of the IC were definitive. “It is concluded (that) Councillor Freake did not violate either the Code of the Conduct or the MCIA (Municipal Conflict of Interest Act) as alleged by the Complainants,” reads the report. “As there have been no See FINDINGS, Page 2

Council withdraws lawn sign threats By Mike Williscraft NewsNow It may be a temporary move, but Grimsby council referred the Town’s ongoing lawn sign matter to staff for a report on Monday and rescinded pending letters threatening further action if signs weren’t removed. Coun. Kevin Ritchie initially just wanted the matter referred, but Coun. Lianne Vardy had the motion amended to include relief

for residents facing further action. Noting a letter received from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Vardy called the Town’s bylaw “unconstitutional”. “We need to immediately cease any action on anyone that has a sign. I think it is inappropriate at this time,” said Vardy. Ritchie said residents should have permits for See SIGNS, Page 2

Super donors at the Superstore

Last Friday Niagara Regional Police (NRP) constables wrapped up the NRP Spring Food drive. Each day of the week, officers gathered food and money donations from customers of local grocery stores to benefit their local community organizations. On hand Friday to collect donations for GBF at the Real Canadian Superstore were (L-R) Cst. Tracey Rinaldo and Cst. Jay McCarthy. Over the five days that donations were accepted, more than 20,000 lbs. in food and $13,000 in cash and gift cards was received from across the region. Marks - Photo

West Lincoln council hopes to ditch flyer/litter mess By Tristan Marks NewsNow Litter along West Lincoln road sides has become an increasing issue, say members of township council. At Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting council reviewed several issues, including a spate of recent complaints about flyer/newspaper deliveries not getting into mailboxes and the wider issue of litter across the township. A motion was introduced by Coun. Jason Trombetta as a response to complaints that he had received from residents in Ward 1 that a large number of

flyer bags delivered ended up in the road or ditches. His motion proposed the following: • That, staff be and are hereby directed to contact those businesses that deliver weekly flyers and newspapers to homes in the rural area of West Lincoln; and, • That, these businesses and/ or their delivery people be requested to immediately stop using plastic bags to deliver flyers and/or newspapers at the end of driveways; and, • That, henceforth all flyers and/or newspapers delivered in the rural area of West Lin-

coln be placed in mailboxes only to reduce litter along rural roads. Jamie Wichartz, CEO of Deliveries Unlimited, the Smithville-based flyer delivery company contracted with delivering flyer bundles including for NewsNow, voiced his concern with the blanket nature of motion. “Whenever we can, we deliver directly to the mailbox,” Wichartz said. “However, there are instances in rural areas such as Wellandport, St. Ann’s and Grassie where a small portion DELIVERY, Page 5

Page 2 • NewsNow • Thursday, March 25, 2021

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FINDINGS From Page 1 findings of a contravention of any kind on the part of the Respondent Councillor, the Integrity Commissioner makes no recommendations.” This marked the first time Charles Harnick did not present IC findings to council. After the last presentation he made, council went into closed session and rose to approve a motion to have the town clerk speak with him about ongoing concerns. Despite a different presenter, Coun. Randy Vaine - just as with Harnick’s decision regarding Mayor Jeff Jordan’s infraction of a phone call after

SIGNS

From Page 1

signs and residents who received letters had not applied for permits. A portable lawn sign

Residents are continuing to seek alternative ways to voice their displeasure with some members of Grimsby council. One resident submitted this created graphic as an idea. Others have gone in with car magnets, window posters and bumper stickers are now in the works. private emails were illegally obtained - was not happy with the findings. Vaine, who repeatedly notes that he defers to experts when it comes to how he decides his support, questioned Maynard at

length about not only his credentials, but how he investigated the matter and how he drew his conclusions. “I’m not sure how you got there. I just don’t get it,” said Vaine, after noting he asked other people who told him

it was a conflict situation. Maynard started his defence to Vaine by stating he was “acting on behalf of the Integrity Commissioner” and he is an IC himself, just “not for the Town of Grimsby”.

permit in Grimsby costs $85 for a 30-day period. Vardy contended the Town cannot pick and choose who gets a letter and who is allowed

to leave a sign up. Voting in favour of referring and rescinding pending action were: Mayor Jeff Jordan, Councillors Vardy,

Dorothy Bothwell, John Dunstall, Reg Freake, Dave Kadwell. Opposed were Councillors Ritchie, Randy Vaine and Dave Sharpe.

Grimsby Power has removed late payment charges for invoices issued March 11 - March 31st

You may notice your electricity bills are slightly delayed. Grimsby Power was made aware of a ransomware attack perpetrated against one of its third-party contractors, which the contractor is responsible for printing bills to our customers. Based upon information received to date, and given the nature of ransomware attacks (which generally operate by locking data; not downloading or removing it from a server), we have no reason to suspect that personal information of our customers was accessed or stolen. In the unlikely event that a third party improperly accessed our customers’ personal information, the nature of the personal information accessed would be limited to the specific information appearing on your hydro bill. In some instances, the information may have also included an email address, if a customer was a subscriber for e-billing services. This cyber event was not directed at Grimsby Power’s information technology systems and we can confirm that no

data other than that described above would be vulnerable to access. For avoidance of any doubt, we can confirm with certainty that no banking or other sensitive information was accessed, as the contractor housed no such information, nor did they have access to it on our systems. While we are confident that there is no risk of harm to any of our customers, out of an abundance of caution, we do ask customers to please be aware of any unusual notifications or online activity related to the personal data described above. As we work through this situation, electricity bills are slightly delayed. To accommodate customers receiving bills late Grimsby Power has removed late payment charges for invoices issued March 11 to March 31st. If you don’t receive a copy of your bill, please contact Grimsby Power at 905-945-5437 option 2 and we can provide a copy of your March bill. We thank our customers for their patience as we work through this situation.

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Province makes vaccines available to ages 75 and up, increases seating for restaurants Late last week, the Province of Ontario announced a few updates on the COVID pandemic. These included expanding Ontario’s Booking System to individuals aged 75 and older as of March 22, and adjusting indoor dining capacity limits within the COVID response framework to allow for more patrons at a time. As of Monday, residents turning 75 or older this year (born in 1946 or earlier) can book an appointment through the provincial COVID vaccine registration portal. Eligible residents can book an appointment either online at ontario.ca/bookvaccine or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Informa-

tion Line number at 1-888-999-6488. Residents ages 60 and older can also book the Astra-Zeneca vaccine at a pharmacy or through their family physician. Effective March 20 for regions in the Red-Control level, capacity limits for indoor dining will be adjusted and based on a standard, scalable calculation that will allow for up to approximately 50 per cent of the indoor dining area to be accessible to the public, subject to physical distancing rules. The total occupancy cannot exceed 50 patrons in RedControl which is the current level for the Niagara public health unit.

Residents and businesses are reminded that the Section 22 orders still apply for Niagara region. Town of Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton cautioned residents that despite the good news, they cannot let their guards down yet. “The waters are shifting as far as the pandemic is concerned, and while things are looking hopeful on many fronts, we need to remember that we aren’t through this yet,” said Mayor Easton. “We are seeing progress with the vaccine rollout, and this is very good. Spring is here and we are getting out and interacting more with others, which is

crucial for our mental and physical health. At the same time, with a third wave predicted to strike within the next few weeks and the rising cases of COVID variants of concern, we must remain vigilant.” For up-to-date information relating to the COVID pandemic, including updates on vaccination clinics, local impacts to facilities and services, and supports for local business, visit lincoln. ca for Lincoln, westlincoln.ca for West Lincoln and grimsby.ca for Grimsby. For regional updates on the COVID pandemic, including news on the Region’s vaccination program, visit niagararegion. ca/health.

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Page 4 • NewsNow • Thursday, March 25, 2021

blic Open House

KofC bottle drive April 10

torey

Location Map

dential ast

ecific Area Location

y-law amendment is to maintain the Applications have been received by introduce site ofspecific exceptions the Town Grimsby for an Official for arking. Plan Amendment, and Zoning By-law Amendment for the lands known as 141 – 149 Main Street East

pen House to explain the proposed held shortly after the Town receives a (File Numbers: 26OP-16-2002, 26Z-16-2004) review process. Town Staff have not The proposed development will g comments analysis from other include aand seven storey residential building with 1,836 sq. have ft. of om the apartment public. Therefore, there commercial velopment yet. space on the ground floor and 215 residential units. The building is oriented toward Main Street East with a courtyard at the front ofto: theinform buildingyou and and the applicant underground and surface parking.

Staff ut planning process to follow; answer The purpose and effect of the proposed official plan amendment is to maintain the Neighbourhood Commercial Area designation and introduce site specific policies to allow residential uses.

The purpose and effect of the proposed zoning by-law amendment is to maintain the Neighbourhood Commercial (NC) Area zone and introduce site specific exceptions for residential uses, building height, lot coverage and parking. The Town of Grimsby will be hosting a Public Open House to explain the proposed development. An open house meeting is typically held shortly after the Town receives a development application, at the beginning of the review process. Town Staff have not reviewed the application yet, and are still awaiting comments and analysis from other departments and agencies, as well as comments from the public. Therefore, there have been no decisions made about the proposed development yet. The purpose of the open house meeting is for Town Staff and the applicant to: inform you about the proposed development; inform you about planning process to follow; answer your questions; and hear your comments.

Time to get rid of those empties. The Beamsville Knights of Columbus will be holding a drive thru bottle drive April 10 at St. Mark’s Catholic School from 10 a.m.

An incorrect location for Beamsville’s vaccine clinic was published in the March 18 edition of NewsNow. The correct location of the clinic is the Lincoln Seniors Community Centre at 4361 Central Ave. NewsNow apologizes for any confusion.

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er delivery companies, and that some might even be based outside of Niagara. Mayor Dave Bylsma added that calling companies like Torstar and Metroland often contacts “an offshore office.” Coun. Shelley Bradaric suggested that the Township look into adopting a “sticker system” like some other municipalities, where residents who do not want flyer/newspaper deliveries can request a special sticker for their property from the township. Wichartz said after the meeting his company already supplies such stickers to anyone who wants one. Coun. Mike Rehner said that the true problem had nothing to do with flyers. “I walk my dog every morning for six miles,” Rehner said. “I have yet to find a flyer or something covered in plastic, but I find beer cans and other garbage out of the wazoo.” In the end, council voted unanimously to refer the motion with Hendry noting it could go to the recently formed ‘Green Team’ for research and a later recommendation.

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From Page 1 of their residents get their Canada Post mail from a locked box. In those cases, we have no choice but to throw our bagged sets into driveways.” Wichartz added that his company is always careful to respect the wishes of residents with “no flyer” requests. His concern was twofold. First, he took exception with his company being painted in the same brush as his competition whom he said were typically the culprits behind complaints once investigated. Secondly, he noted that the motion as written would “effectively cut off” around 300 residents from receiving local news due the blanket ban. Later in the meeting Trombetta said he understood Wichartz concerns and that the motion he presented was less about the specific actions and more about prompting a discussion of the topic at the meeting. “This isn’t necessarily what I want to happen, but I need to put together something for a motion so that it could be discussed,” Trombetta said.

News Now • Thursday, March 25, 2021 • Page 5 “The ditches are messed up with all sort of garbage, not just these flyers.” Coun. Harold Jonker said Wichartz had a good point about not cutting off rural residents without mailboxes, and suggested that the Township ought to look into “reaching out” to residents about litter clean-up. Coun. Cheryl Ganann concurred. “I think that encouraging people to clean up more is our best bet,” Ganann said. Coun. William Reilly confirmed what Wichartz said about mailbox delivery. “NewsNow and all the flyers that come with it seem to make it to my mailbox each week,” Reilly said. Reilly said the issue with flyer litter largely stems from the plastic bags they come in. He suggested the township look into requesting that delivery companies adopt alternative containers, and even reaching out to the Region for a Niagara-wide initiative in this direction. CAO Bev Hendry pointed out that the township “doesn’t necessarily know” all the fly-

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Pandemics are nothing new March 25,2021 The past year has been a horrific one for all of us. Living through a pandemic is not something we have been prepared for. Still, pandemics have been around for a long time. The first one recorded was in 1200 BC. The Black Death (bubonic plague) recurred again and again in Europe, killing from 75 to 200 million people. This was the disease that hit people suddenly, sometimes causing them to drop dead in the streets. No one knew of any form of protection except isolation, so families and even towns and cities isolated themselves. Sometimes entire families were found dead barricaded in their homes. Bubonic plague is still around, but now it can be treated effectively with antibiotics.

A Small Drop of Ink By Dorothy Turcotte In 1918 – 1921, Spanish ‘flu killed between 17 and 100 million people. Covid-19 has so far killed less than 3 million people, worldwide. That is tragic, but we do have better health care facilities and much wiser scientific advice to help us get through it. When Europeans first came to the Americas, they came to virgin land as far as viruses were concerned. Never having been exposed to smallpox and measles, these two diseases took a deadly toll on First Nations people. One sad story that has impressed me is that of the King and Queen of Hawaii who in 1824 visited Great Britain on a diplomatic mission.

Kamehameha II and his wife Kamamalu arrived with a retinue at the beginning of July. They were lodged at the upscale Caledonian Hotel in London. Within a few days, the entire party came down with measles. The Queen died a few days later, and the King followed her on July 14th. He was a healthy 27-year-old, expected to rule for many more years. How fragile is life! Many families around the world have discovered that truism in the past year. Sometimes our plans are preempted by a larger plan. Yet one of the good things to come out of our pandemic is the opportunity to get to know family, friends and even ourselves more intimately. That in itself is a worthwhile life lesson.

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Lincoln launches online pothole reporting By Tristan Marks NewsNow It is pothole season again, where the cycle of moisture freezing and thawing breaks down the roadways making even a simple drive potentially damaging. However, this year the Town of Lincoln has a new tool to help its road repair staff stay ahead of potholes. Residents can help keep their roads repaired and healthy by reporting any encountered potholes on an online reporting tool. All a resident need do is fill out and submit an online form, found at lincoln.ca/ roads, with all the relevant information. In the words of Lincoln director of public works, Dave

Graham, “it’s pothole season.” He explained that this time of year, the moisture on roads undergoes a “freezethaw” cycle every day and night, which weakens the road structures as ice expands, then melts, then repeats again. “That continual movement ends up creating potholes,” he said. The Town has crews that operate 24 hours a day searching for and filling potholes. However, Graham said reports from residents help keep the Town quickly stay on top of the situation. “We encourage and appreciate residents to let us know if they see any potholes,” he said. “It’s about helping us become aware

of the problem quicker.” Residents can also call the Town office directly at 905-5638205 or 905-6410971 between the hours of 4:30 and 8:30 p.m. All reports go directly to the Public Works department who add it to a work order to be fulfilled as soon as possible. Residents can also make use of the online reporting tool to inform Town staff about streetlight issues or damaged street signs. However, if the damaged street sign is a stop sign, this is an immediate safety issue. Please call Town Hall immediately during office hours or the emergency number for roads after hours.

News Now • Thursday, March 25, 2021 • Page 7

From the Town of Lincoln COVID-19 Vaccinations in Lincoln and Niagara Niagara Region Public Health is currently implementing the Province’s three-stage vaccination program. The planned locations and start dates for COVID-19 vaccination sites in Niagara have been announced.

Town of Lincoln Vaccination Site The Lincoln site will be the Lincoln Community Centre (Seniors Centre) located at 4361 Central Ave., Beamsville. • The first scheduled clinic at the Lincoln Community Centre is April 2 • Please note there is no vaccination clinic at the Fleming Centre

Register for a Vaccination* The provincial vaccine registration portal opened on March 15. Appointments can be booked online at Ontario.ca/bookvaccine or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Information Line number at 1-888-999-6488. * As of March 22, individuals who will be turning 75 or older in 2021 can book an appointment.

Lincoln residents can book an appointment at any of the vaccination sites across Niagara Region.

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Drive Thru & Pick Up Saturday, April 3rd from 10 am to 12 noon BEAMSVILLE LIONS CLUB PARK - FLY ROAD Due to the Covid Virus the Beamsville Lions will not be holding our Annual Easter Egg Hunt. However, to not disappoint our many young fans ... We will be giving away a basket of Chocolate Easter Eggs to each child at a DRIVE THRU give away at the Lions Park on the above date starting at 10:00 am on Saturday, April 3rd. Chocolate, Hot Chocolate & TimBits courtesy of

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In support of this event, a cash or non-perishable food donation for Community Care is appreciated.

Need a Ride? There are many free options available for residents who need transportation to and from their appointment. Please visit our website for a list of these services, including links and phone numbers. Visit lincoln.ca/coronavirus for local updates on COVID-19, including updates on the Region’s vaccination rollout and impacts to Town of Lincoln facilities and services.

2021 Hydrant Flushing Program Begins Monday, April 12

Hydrant flushing is performed annually in the spring for the general maintenance of the water distribution system and covers the Beamsville, Vineland and Jordan serviced areas. This is essential work that maintains our hydrants and ensures good working condition for fire services. Residents may experience temporary low-water pressure during flushing and/ or cloudy or discoloured water conditions after flushing is completed. Running your taps for approximately 10 minutes will typically clear any cloudiness or discolouration. If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact the Town at 905-563-2799 ext. 234 or info@lincoln.ca.

Page 8 • News Now • Thursday, March 25 2021

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The Council of the Town of Grimsby is seeking individuals interested in serving on the following Boards and Committees to December 31, 2022. Board/Committee Grimsby Public Library Board

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Qualifications 1) Applicants must be 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, a resident of Grimsby and not employed by the library or the Town of Grimsby. Meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month. Application forms for the above position can be obtained from the Grimsby Public Library or completed online at https://www.grimsby.ca/apply/. Deadline for a submission is 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 7, 2021. Sarah Kim Town Clerk (905) 945-9634 160 Livingston Avenue Grimsby, Ontario, L3M 4G3 skim@grimsby.ca

Business Directory Call 289-235-9500 SEAN D. HEELEY Stan Macievich Barrister & Solicitor Blue Ribbon Painting

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The Town of Grimsby welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. The Grimsby Public Library Board is dedicated to building a board that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.

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News Now • Thursday, March 25, 2021 • Page 9

Residents should be ready for Monday Zoom Dear Editor, Thank you NewsNow for your recent frontpage coverage and editorial comment regarding the pending development proposal for 141-149 Main Street East (Cole’s Florist & Garden Centre). There has been much negative public comment expressed in various media as well as the usual word of mouth between neighbours and friends. All agree that this proposal is completely inappropriate for an area exampling much of the heritage that so many admire of the Town of Grimsby. We, the concerned public, will have our first chance to vocalize our distain for this proposal by participating in the first of two required public meetings this coming Monday March 29, 6 p.m. As is now the norm,

Letters this meeting will be held virtually. The public may view this live meeting by going to the site vimeo.com/ grimsbycouncilchambers and logging on. You may also actively participate by emailing a request to: nsimon@grimsby.ca to be included as a vocal/video presenter. Previous public participation in such meetings has successfully lobbied developments into reducing the scale and scope of inappropriate projects. Never has there been a more urgent need for the public to engage vocally and forcefully, than now. For a more detailed take on the situation, I invite and urge all to visit SaveMainStreet. ca paying particular attention to the illustration of the comparative scale of this pro-

posal versus existing recent project buildings in close proximity. As always comments can be made to your and all members of Council by email or phone prior to this meeting. Remind them of their election promises of responsible development and heritage protection. Also the fact that in the recent past Council has twice defeated a planning study which would have allowed such over development and resulting intensification. Should this and its neighbouring five storey competitive project (Grout Nelles-131 Main Street East) be allowed to proceed, the future will be set for the balance of this area if not for the whole town. Any challenges of future such overdevelopment will be defeated at LPAT, siting these incidences as precedent.

Town of Grimsby – Community Member Appointments The Council of the Town of Grimsby is seeking individuals interested in serving on the following Boards and Committees to December 31, 2022.

Grimsby Green Advisory Committee (2 Appointments)

  

Applicants must be qualified to be elected as a member of Council, must be 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen and a resident in the Municipality or the owner or tenant of land, or spouse of such person. Meetings are held at 6:30 pm on the last Wednesday of each month. ONLINE application forms and further information at www.grimsby.ca/apply/ Alternate formats and accommodations available by calling 905-945-9634

It’s our town. It’s our Main Street. Get involved and be vocal! Ron Schroder, Co-Founder SaveMainStreet

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Grimsby’s Digital Main Street initiative has been EXTENDED to the end of May 2021 and to eligible businesses from across the entire town!

Digital Transformation Support Contact Grimsby’s Digital Service Squad member, Ms. Madison Judson to learn more about the supports available through May - mjudson@grimsby.ca

digitalmainstreet.ca This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario

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Page 10 • News Now • Thursday, March 25, 2021

100% Niagara owned & operated Our Team: Publisher - Mike Williscraft mike@wn3.ca 289-442-4244 General Manager - Catherine Bratton Reporter - Tristan Marks Sales Consultant - Erica Huisman, Rose Bayer Graphics - Donna Wisnoski NewsNow is owned & operated by 1602207 Ontario Ltd. Office Locations Grimsby Office Beamsville Office 1 Mountain Street, P.O Box 614 Grimsby, ON, L3M 3J6 Beamsville, ON, L0R 1B0 Ph: 289-235-9500 Ph: 289-235-7848 NewsNow is published EVERY Thursday delivered to homes in West Niagara & Winona, 26,529.

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NRP constables could also be found at Food Basics last Friday, gathering donations for Community Care of West Niagara as part of the NRP Spring Food Drive. Lincoln resident Kim Sinnott (Left) drops off some food into a cart held by Cnst. Jeff Dam. Marks - Photo

You want to support local, that’s NewsNow The timing of distribution issues in West Lincoln was interesting given key announcements from the Torstar world in the last couple of weeks. It seems the day will come very soon after staff in the daily loop were notified last week The Standard’s office in St. Catharines will be shuttered. Prior to that, staff at Niagara This Week’s office in Thorold were informed their office will also be permanently shuttered. These moves leaves Torstar’s entire Niagara operation with no office presence in any of Niagara’s 12 municipalities. Whoever thought NewsNow’s piddly little office would outlast that of one of Canada’s largest publishers? This is about commitment to the community. Who wants to be here and who wants to do right by the communities they serve. Sure, we could have folded our office last year. We could have folded print entirely and gone just online, but this is clearly not something this market wants. We’re here every day, when you need us, good reader. You can stop in, you can call and talk to me or any team member, not someone at a call desk in a foreign land. M.W.

A tale of two expert presentations While Monday’s Grimsby council festivities were a blink-and-you-miss-it affair at just under four hours - for the open session - they managed to pack a lot in. Some of it good, like the new open burn bylaw, some of it painfully typical. There were many points which would make one smile due to sheer stupidity but that is nothing out of the norm. It was pretty funny to watch Coun. Randy Vaine squirm nearly right out of his chair when questioning the Integrity Commissioner - or at least his stand-in - about Coun. John Dunstall’s and other residents’ complaints vs Coun. Reg Freake about an alleged conflict of interest which never happened. The complaints were tossed, as they should have been, but that did not sit well with Vaine, despite his now ritualistic claim that he defers to “the experts” when it comes to who and what he puts his support behind. The tale of two experts was painfully noticeable all in one meeting. First, Vaine seemed displeased to see Charles Harnick’s name on the report and that Harnick had anything to do with the process, actually. After Harnick delivered his report on Mayor Jeff Jordan’s calling a contact regarding private emails finding their way to Coun. Kevin Ritchie’s house - and no penalties were assessed - five members of council were not pleased with his findings to the point where the town clerk was dispatched to deal with Harnick. Given Vaine’s surprise Monday, the intention was for Harnick to never darken the door of the Town of Grimsby again. Michael Maynard noted he is not the Grimsby IC, rather, he was assigned to investigate this matter and present the report. So that had Vaine buggy before he even got to any real

MIKE WILLISCRAFT questions. From there the line of questioning progressed into why, how, who, why again, how again..all interspersed with “I just don’t get it” lines. Vaine even noted he went to his own personal panel of “experts” explaining to the real expert that none of his friends agreed with the findings. All Vaine’s contact told him it was a conflict of interest for Freake to have voted on the Main Street East heritage study issue. Vaine even touched on how he would conduct an investigation in his personal work life, noting, “The way the Integrity Commissioner does things is different”. Maybe a note to self there, Randy? Yes, an IC is thorough, follows rules and stays in the appropriate lane when coming to a finding. They don’t keep looking further afield until they find an outcome which matches what they want and then apply that outcome to a wholly separate set of facts in evidence. The whole disdain for a professional opinion - which has been displayed like clockwork when members of the G5 do not agree with those opinions - somehow was not on display when Grimsby interim human resources manager Dan Rummo presented two options for a town whistleblower policy - something overdue for more than a year when an

incomplete code of conduct was stuffed through council with no public input or prior review by council. But, hey, it’s only a component to protect staff, so who cares, right? Well, seemingly, not five members of council even though Vaine again contends he cares more about staff than anyone. I guess he forgets the meeting early last year when there was an audible gasp from staff at the back of gallery and others in tears in the lobby after the G5 voted against measures which would have provided them some level of protection. This past Monday was no different. A year overdue, Rummo noted only a few weeks of research went into the recommendations with no input from staff going into the research process. In a climate where several staff have had issues with the CAO, how does it make sense to put through an option where staff complaints all come under the same CAO. Vaine and Ritchie both stated the litany of options open to staff, noting they can call police, the labour board, their next-door neighbour’s grandmother who makes the best muffins...ok, I made that one up, but to say calling police for employment complaint is a reasonable option is asinine. Yes, it is an option, but to have that scale of zero or go right to 100 with nothing in between is not in the interest of any staff members’ best interests and does not serve the town well. The interesting thing when council voted to refer the policy and seek staff input was Coun. Dave Sharpe’s pause after Coun. Dave Kadwell supported it. Sharpe opted to swing his vote to yes in a 6-3 vote leaving Dunstall, Ritchie and Vaine blowing in the wind. That would make for an interesting apres meeting chat.

Ward 2 resident ready for ‘recall’ legislation (Editor’s Note: The following was a letter sent to MPP Sam Oosterhoff and cc’d to this office) Dear Editor, This group of 5 council men, Vaine, Kadwell, Sharpe, Ritchie and Dunstall, has made a constant farce of our democratic process, of NOT doing what is in the best interest of Grimsby residents, for the past two years, and seems set to continue onward - in their vacuum world of indifference - along with the CAO Schlange, who also continues, to be unchecked or held re-

Letters sponsible to council and to the public. For example, just look at the wasted time and cost about charging the responsible Mayor Jeff Jordan $1,302.62 for an e-mail, and the stupidity of trying to intimidate a Grimsby resident for his sign “WHO SPEAKS FOR THE PEOPLE OF WARD 3?,” shown on Page 1 of the March 18, 2021 NewsNow edition. You just cannot ignore this problem any longer. It is NOT REASON-

ABLE for Grimsby residents to have to wait another two years for the next town council election, to rectify this situation. The British Columbia provincial government addressed this specific problem in the 1990’s. It is time you take a very active role in tabling a new “RECALL“ law, which would permit our residents the option to Immediately vote all five out of council now, and install - even if appointed - responsible persons to do the job until the next election. I know that there are

many Grimsby people who feel as strongly about this group, and you are the only one left who can get the authority to act now. Accordingly, I would appreciate hearing back from you on what you will do to correct the situation. I am sure that the other four people on council are so fed up that they most likely will not run next election after having endured their disrespectful and childish antics these past two years. Bill Mercuri P.Eng. Ward 2 resident

Ward 2 resident ready for ‘recall’ legislation Dear Editor, Councillors Ritchie (self-named “Speaker for Ward 1”) and Vaine (self-named “Speaker for Ward 3”) offered another example as to why many in Grimsby are turning against them, and their behaviours. The Agenda for the Council Meeting of March 22nd included the issue of the “Whistle Blower” by law for which we have been waiting since early last year. I find it interesting that our Human Resources department admits they spent a whole few

weeks researching the proposal (after nearly a full year.) The research only encompassed municipalities in Niagara Region (some of which are old haunts of CAO Harry Schlange) and was touted as the best practices yet, there is nothing in the proposed “new Policy” which allows complaints to go beyond the Town Offices. As Councillors Vardy and Bothwell stressed, if all complaints pass over the desk of the CAO, and the complaint is about that person, what protections

are there for staff? But, many of the G5, whom I must conclude are beholden to that same CAO, decided Staff doesn’t need true protection of a Third party…HR heard said it would cost too much, the Cabal agreed. Who speaks for our Town Staff? The “newly crowned Speakers for the Wards?” Remember, Napoleon crowned himself emperor, too, and look what happened there. Bud Hightower, (in Voiceless Ward 3)

News Now • Thursday, March 25, 2021 • Page 11

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