As published in The Erin Advocate
The Erin Refugee Action group was launched on March 3, with the goal of bringing a Syrian family of four to live in the community.
A fundraising target of $40,000 has been set, to provide for various needs during the family’s first year in Canada. That’s more than the minimum of $27,000, since the group wants to have a contingency fund for unexpected costs.
“We’ve raised $9,500 so far, and have an anonymous donor matching funds – we’re almost halfway there,” said Chair Barbara Harrison. “We have heard that many of the Syrian refugees are from rural areas. We hope to be matched with one of those families.”
The timing is still uncertain. The family could arrive within three months of a match being made, or it could take up to a year, said Harrison.
Support for the project has been provided by Transition Erin and local churches. The application for the sponsorship is being done through the Anglican Diocese of Niagara with local charitable donations processed by All Saints Church in Erin.
The money raised so far is in addition to about $10,000 raised in December with an event at Erin United Church, mainly to support the First Line for Syria sponsorship in Mono. That group has now welcomed a Syrian family of three. Khaleel Huseyin Alos, his wife Sabah Abdulkadir, and their seventeen-year-old daughter Helin had to move from their home city of Damascus to a refugee camp in Turkey. Now they have moved into an apartment in Shelburne.
Erin Refugee Action has set up a steering committee and has a broader group of volunteers. Drivers will be needed to help a family get to shopping, employment, appointments and English language classes.
“We'd love to get the service groups involved as well as other churches, local businesses and any community groups,” said Harrison. “One of our goals is to create community connections. We are hoping that other groups will take on some of the fundraising.”
The plan is to start off with temporary housing in Erin, then arrange longer-term accommodation either in the Town or within a practical distance, depending on the needs and preferences of the family.
Anyone who wants to volunteer, or find out what is happening, is welcome at the next meeting on April 6, from 7 to 9 pm (or come at 6 pm to be part of the fundraising team meeting). The location is All Saints Anglican Church Hall, on Main Street, Erin. Two immigrants from Syria will be leading a discussion on Syrian culture and resettlement.
Donation cheques should be made out to All Saints Anglican Church (with Erin Refugees in the memo line). Tax receipts will be issued for donations $10 and over. Donations can be mailed to Erin Refugee Action, PO Box 308, Erin, N0B 1T0. On-line giving options are being arranged, and donations of furniture, clothes and food will eventually be needed.
“We'll keep fundraising even after reaching our $40,000 goal,” said Harrison. “We may end up being matched with a family larger than 4 members (and therefore need more money) or might even consider sponsoring a second family, perhaps related to the first.”
More information is available on the Erin Refugee Action Facebook page. Email contact can be made at erinrefugeeaction@gmail.com.
In addition to the 25,000 Syrians the Canadian government had committed to resettling, it has announced a plan to increase the number of privately sponsored refugees this year. The number had previously been about 6,000 per year, but now they are setting aside up to 18,000 spaces for them.
Immigration officials have told private sponsorship groups that Syrian refugees who arrive after March 1 will have to pay back the costs of their airfares and medical exams — about $1,000 for each plane ticket and several hundred dollars per person for health screening. Sponsorship groups would not be obligated to cover that cost, but they could end up doing so.
However, Syrians being sponsored through the government-assisted “Blended Visa Office Referred” program – the joint sponsorship that the Erin group hopes to be part of – will continue to have those expenses paid by the government.
Overall, Canada plans to admit between 280,000 and 305,000 new permanent residents this year, the highest projected level in decades. There will be a priority on reuniting families. Those coming primarily to seek work in Canada will make up the largest block of the 2016 immigrants, estimated at 162,400 people.
Showing posts with label Federal politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Federal politics. Show all posts
March 16, 2016
October 29, 2015
The Great War Open House
On Thursday, October 29, 2015, I made a presentation at the Great War Open House hosted by the Town of Erin Heritage Committee, held in the Council Chambers. It attempts to show what life was like in Erin in 1914 and 1915, and the role that the Erin Advocate newspaper played at that time.
CLICK HERE to download the images from that presentation as a single PDF file (33 MB).
My thanks to
- Chair Jamie Cheyne and members of the Heritage Committee.
- Councillor Jeff Duncan, who provided enthusiasm and research help.
- Doug Kirkwood, Service Officer for the Erin Legion, who shared some of his extensive research on local people involved in the war.
Cenotaph
- Looking Back at the past is fascinating, not only because we see how different things were. When we get a glimpse of the lives of real people, we can imagine ourselves living at that time.
- The No. 7 Company of the 30th Battalion of the Wellington Rifles was based in Erin. They were formed in 1866 after the scare of the Fenian raids and eventually became part of 153rd Wellington County Battalion during World War One.
- Erin’s soldiers came from all walks of life, and enlisted in many different places. A cenotaph to help us remember our fallen was not dedicated until 1956.
Arthur Berry
- The first name on the list is Arthur Berry, a farmer from Orton, the son of George and Annie Berry of Orton, a member of the Disciples of Christ. The Canadian Great War Project is an on-line database. It says he enlisted at age 18, served with the 153rd Wellington Battalion and was killed in action at age 20. His body was not recovered.
Arthur Berry Vimy Memorial
- His name appears on the Vimy Memorial
Arthur Berry plaque
- And on a plaque at Orton United Church, formerly the Methodist Church
Population Chart
- In 1914, Erin Village had about 500 people. Erin Township including Hillsburgh and the other hamlets had a total of 3,000 – less than they had 50 years earlier. The combined Erin population would dip as low as 3,100 in World War Two. It would not pick up until 1961, after our water works were installed, and it soared to 11,000 by 2001.
- We’d had the railroad for 35 years – great for shipping out potatoes and bringing in tourists to Stanley Park. There were two trains a day to Toronto and two returning, plus regular bus service to Guelph.
Going West this Spring?
- At World War One, Erin Township had been settled for almost a hundred years, but there was no fire department, the roads were dirt or gravel, and there were no sewers.
- Life expectancy was mid-50s, many women still died giving birth and over 10 per cent of babies didn’t live until their first birthday.
- Erin was already past its peak as an industrial centre. Our water-powered mills were still operating, but steam turbines at big town factories were driving the economy.
- Rural areas like Erin were being depopulated as farming became more mechanized. People were moving to the cities and to the fertile farmland of the Canadian Prairies. Canada’s population was growing, but the immigration from Europe was being directed to the West.
- The Canadian Pacific Railway was urging people to go West, and many Erin residents did. Though many returned during the prairie drought of the 1930s.
Archduke’s assassin
- Community newspapers in those days were often the only source of news – international, national, provincial, local events and social gossip.
- The Advocate reported that Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip appeared before a magistrate in Sarajevo, expressing no guilt for assassinating Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on June 28, 1914. It was treated as far-away political upheaval.
- And even once the war was on, many people expected it would be over by Christmas of 1914. Canadians realized only gradually that they would have to change their way of life.
King George
- King George in his uniform, ready to fight.
- Canada’s identity, outside Quebec, was embedded in the British Empire. Once England was at war, Canada was at war – no questions asked.
Mother Britain poem
- Every week, there was a poem on Page 1 – like this one, warning the bally Huns, that those who strike at Britain, must reckon with her sons.
Uniforms at Salisbury
- The Canadians looked quite spiffy in their uniforms, while training in England.
Ford car
- A few people could afford the new automobiles, but horses and buggies were still the norm. And the cars weren’t much use in the winter, so cutters or sleighs were a necessity.
Magic Baking Powder
- Here are some other examples of ads in the Advocate. Magic Baking Powder, made by the Gillett Company.
Corn Flakes
- No comment needed
The Darkest Hour novel
- Every issue of the paper had the next chapter of a serialized novel – usually a mix of romance and melodrama.
Fashion news
- And even with a world war raging, the Advocate carried the latest fashion news from Paris. This hat, with rabbit ear bows of black velvet, was considered one of the smartest creations of the season.
W.A.R. Store
- Merchants were not above using the war for commercial promotion – like this ad from W.A. Ramesbottom.
Columbia Records at Bell’s store
- Robert Bell’s store carried the latest music from the relatively new recording industry. The 3rd last song on the list: Cows may come, Cows may go, but the Bull goes on forever.
Fruit-a-tives
- The newspaper was packed with ads for dubious medicines, and testimonial articles claiming miracle cures. Perhaps a pre-cursor of today’s info-mercial.
Castoria
- Castoria promises to contain no opium or morphine – which tells you something about other medicines on the market.
Advocate prints butter paper
- The war drove up the price of butter wrapper paper – but the Advocate was selling it at the old price. We would print almost anything.
Wellington Hull
- The publisher of the paper was Wellington Hull, a master of multiple revenue streams. Before buying the paper in 1894, he had been a farmer, a butcher, a village councillor and the reeve. He owned land in Erin village, just west of what is still known as Hull’s Dam.
- He was a Wellington County Constable, and later a Magistrate and Justice of the Peace.
- He was the official starter at local horse races
- He was a car salesman.
Advocate – Union Bank building
- Hull built a solid building and leased the ground floor to the Union Bank, later the Royal Bank.
- Wellington Hull passed the paper on to his son Roy, who passed it on to his son Charles. The family operated The Advocate for 78 years. The great thing about owning a newspaper, is that you can run free ads for yourself every week.
Farms for sale
- If you couldn’t get a loan downstairs, you could always try upstairs at the Advocate office.
Real estate agent
- He was a real estate agent and farm equipment dealer.
Auctioneer
- An auctioneer
Marriage licenses
- And the issuer of marriage licenses. Note the cost of an annual subscription – $1 per year, which is probably why he needed other sources of income.
Bombs on Dunkirk
- The paper normally had two full pages of war news, like this story of a dirigible air raid. It was a constant narrative of heroism, foul deeds by the enemy, glorious victories and human slaughter.
War news – Nerve pills
- For those who were depressed by the war news, there were Milburn’s Heart and Nerve Pills, designed to build up the unstrung nervous system.
Pleasant pellets
- It appears some women were having crying spells. They were starting to feel old and look old – due to some weakness or derangement. Fortunately, Dr. Pierce’s Pleasant Pellets could be ordered by mail to restore youthful vigour.
German guns seized in Toronto
- There were frequent stories of German spies. Canadian transport ships had been the target of mines and submarine attacks in the Atlantic, and it was widely believed that spies had fed critical information to the enemy.
- The United States was not in the war at this stage, and there were millions of Germans living there. Canada feared those Germans might invade Canada, so as a precaution, police confiscated all firearms belonging to Germans in Toronto.
Wellington raises half-regiment
- In 1914, Wellington County was planning to raise half a regiment of 500 men. It would cost $90 to outfit each soldier, for a large expenditure of $45,000.
Acton Tanning Co. busy
- In Acton, they were working day and night to supply leather for war horses.
Cavalry horses painted blue
- The French had a novel idea – they would paint their horses blue so they would blend in with the horizon and not be noticed by the enemy.
Four horses in a shell hole
- George Arnett of Erin was a member of the Royal Horse Artillery. He said the artillery shells would make a hole large enough to put four horses in. A later letter said six horses.
Canada makes shells
- The British War Office had placed orders for $154 million worth of shells – and every machine shop or factory capable of making shells was busy. Canada was shipping out 10,000 shells per day, and hoped to push the average to 40,000 shells per day.
Drawing of barn being shelled
- There was very little action photography, but survivors would describe battles, and artists would create drawings for the newspapers – like this barn being hit by a shell.
Drawing of air battle
- Air battles caught the public’s imagination, with the exploits of flying aces like Canada’s Billy Bishop and Germany’s Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron).
Sgt. Frank Belway
- Frank Belway didn’t move to Erin until later, but he was well known as the manager of Stanley Park, owner of a grocery store and the third President of the Legion.
Distinguished Flying Cross
- In World War One he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for flying low over enemy lines under heavy machine gun fire, to get exact information on the positioning of their troops.
German albatross forced down by Belway
- He also had the rare distinction of forcing an enemy pilot to land behind the Allied lines.
Carmichael ad – Shot to Pieces
- The Carmichaels were a prominent Hillsburgh family with a prosperous store. The website carmichaelfamilyonline is an excellent source of information on Hillsburgh history.
John and Grace Carmichael
- Portraits of John and Grace Carmichael.
Marjorie visits
- The Advocate social notices reported a visit by their daughter Marjorie, who was about to leave for France.
Nursing Sister Marjorie Carmichael
- At the age of 29, working in Toronto as a nurse, Marjorie had enlisted as a nursing sister.
Open Letter to Women
- The Advocate carried an open letter from the most powerful women in Canada – the National Committee for Patriotic Service:
- The President was Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Connaught. That was Louise Margaret, a German princess who was married to the third son of Queen Victoria, Prince Arthur – who was Canada’s Governor General. Her daughter was Princess Patricia, who had her own Light Infantry Regiment in the Canadian army. Then you had the wife of Prime Minister Robert Borden, the wife of Opposition Leader Wilfred Laurier, and a long list of upper class ladies.
- The message was simple: Canadian women must “ungrudgingly” give up their sons and husbands for this struggle.
- A side note about the Duchess – she died of influenza during the war, at a time when there was no vaccine for the flu, and doctors didn’t even know it was caused by a virus. The flu pandemic in 1918 would infect 500 million people and kill at least 50 million – 3 per cent of the world’s population. That was far more than the 11 million soldiers and 7 million civilians who died in the war.
Patriotic Concert by Brisbane students
- Student concerts and many social events were raising funds for aid to the Belgians, who were being allowed to starve to death after their country was invaded.
- Erin Township Council voted to start a Patriotic Fund to assist in the war effort. Councillors were assigned areas and would canvass every resident.
- There was also a Patriotic Association that helped out the families of soldiers. Many children did extra work in the farm fields while their fathers were away. Farmers who had not enlisted were under extreme pressure to increase food production.
W.C.T.U. knits socks
- The Women’s Christian Temperance Union in Erin was busy knitting socks for soldiers, and collecting material for bandages.
Teachers donate ambulance
- Wellington teachers decided to donate one per cent of their salaries to buy a motor ambulance for the front.
Red Cross fundraising
- The cost of treating the wounded was very high, so the Red Cross launched a major fundraising campaign.
Machine gun drawings
- It cost $1,000 for each machine gun, and the federal government appealed for public donations. In 1915, communities across Canada gave over $1 million for machine guns.
War Tax Stamp
- The federal government brought in new taxes to help pay for the war effort, including an extra one cent for every telegraph message, a one-cent war stamp on every letter (regular postage was two cents), two cents for every bank cheque, five to ten cents on train tickets, five cents on every pint of regular wine, and 25 cents on each bottle of champagne.
Surcharge on property taxes
- The provincial government brought down a special surcharge on property taxes that would raise $1.8 million.
Pensions for wounded
Severely wounded survivors were entitled to a monthly pension that ranged from $264 for privates, up to $2,100 for brigadier-generals.
Parliamentary propaganda
- News or propaganda: “Canada’s loyalty to the great struggle of the Motherland for the cause of right was again manifested in the vote of another $100,000 for the war fund by the absolutely unanimous voice of the members of the House of Commons.”
Soldiers’ fountain pens
- Soldiers were urged to buy good quality pens that would last for years after the war.
Hugh McMillan photo
- This is Hugh McMillan. When the war broke out, Prime Minister Borden promised Britain 20,000 troops. Within a month, 30,000 had enlisted at an army camp in Valcartier, Quebec.
- Travelling to Valcartier to enlist were Erin boys: Hugh McMillan, Albert McBride, Elmer Green, Horace McArthur, Alan and Ernie Royce, Howard Cox, Gordon McRae and Laurence Tarzwell.
- When Hugh McMillan signed up, he listed his occupation as “Chauffeur”, and that’s what he was assigned to do. He was a truck driver supplying the trenches, an ambulance driver, and a chauffer for senior officers.
Hugh McMillan pennant, and Marjorie
- McMillan was a prolific letter writer, and quite proud of his home. He raised the Hillsburg Pennant not far from the front lines in France.
- He also mentions Marjorie Carmichael from Hillsburg, working in a nearby hospital, keeping in touch with the local boys.
Hillsburg pennant
- Image from the Wellington Museum and Archives
CLICK HERE to download the images from that presentation as a single PDF file (33 MB).
My thanks to
- Chair Jamie Cheyne and members of the Heritage Committee.
- Councillor Jeff Duncan, who provided enthusiasm and research help.
- Doug Kirkwood, Service Officer for the Erin Legion, who shared some of his extensive research on local people involved in the war.
Cenotaph
- Looking Back at the past is fascinating, not only because we see how different things were. When we get a glimpse of the lives of real people, we can imagine ourselves living at that time.
- The No. 7 Company of the 30th Battalion of the Wellington Rifles was based in Erin. They were formed in 1866 after the scare of the Fenian raids and eventually became part of 153rd Wellington County Battalion during World War One.
- Erin’s soldiers came from all walks of life, and enlisted in many different places. A cenotaph to help us remember our fallen was not dedicated until 1956.
Arthur Berry
- The first name on the list is Arthur Berry, a farmer from Orton, the son of George and Annie Berry of Orton, a member of the Disciples of Christ. The Canadian Great War Project is an on-line database. It says he enlisted at age 18, served with the 153rd Wellington Battalion and was killed in action at age 20. His body was not recovered.
Arthur Berry Vimy Memorial
- His name appears on the Vimy Memorial
Arthur Berry plaque
- And on a plaque at Orton United Church, formerly the Methodist Church
Population Chart
- In 1914, Erin Village had about 500 people. Erin Township including Hillsburgh and the other hamlets had a total of 3,000 – less than they had 50 years earlier. The combined Erin population would dip as low as 3,100 in World War Two. It would not pick up until 1961, after our water works were installed, and it soared to 11,000 by 2001.
- We’d had the railroad for 35 years – great for shipping out potatoes and bringing in tourists to Stanley Park. There were two trains a day to Toronto and two returning, plus regular bus service to Guelph.
Going West this Spring?
- At World War One, Erin Township had been settled for almost a hundred years, but there was no fire department, the roads were dirt or gravel, and there were no sewers.
- Life expectancy was mid-50s, many women still died giving birth and over 10 per cent of babies didn’t live until their first birthday.
- Erin was already past its peak as an industrial centre. Our water-powered mills were still operating, but steam turbines at big town factories were driving the economy.
- Rural areas like Erin were being depopulated as farming became more mechanized. People were moving to the cities and to the fertile farmland of the Canadian Prairies. Canada’s population was growing, but the immigration from Europe was being directed to the West.
- The Canadian Pacific Railway was urging people to go West, and many Erin residents did. Though many returned during the prairie drought of the 1930s.
Archduke’s assassin
- Community newspapers in those days were often the only source of news – international, national, provincial, local events and social gossip.
- The Advocate reported that Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip appeared before a magistrate in Sarajevo, expressing no guilt for assassinating Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on June 28, 1914. It was treated as far-away political upheaval.
- And even once the war was on, many people expected it would be over by Christmas of 1914. Canadians realized only gradually that they would have to change their way of life.
King George
- King George in his uniform, ready to fight.
- Canada’s identity, outside Quebec, was embedded in the British Empire. Once England was at war, Canada was at war – no questions asked.
Mother Britain poem
- Every week, there was a poem on Page 1 – like this one, warning the bally Huns, that those who strike at Britain, must reckon with her sons.
Uniforms at Salisbury
- The Canadians looked quite spiffy in their uniforms, while training in England.
Ford car
- A few people could afford the new automobiles, but horses and buggies were still the norm. And the cars weren’t much use in the winter, so cutters or sleighs were a necessity.
Magic Baking Powder
- Here are some other examples of ads in the Advocate. Magic Baking Powder, made by the Gillett Company.
Corn Flakes
- No comment needed
The Darkest Hour novel
- Every issue of the paper had the next chapter of a serialized novel – usually a mix of romance and melodrama.
Fashion news
- And even with a world war raging, the Advocate carried the latest fashion news from Paris. This hat, with rabbit ear bows of black velvet, was considered one of the smartest creations of the season.
W.A.R. Store
- Merchants were not above using the war for commercial promotion – like this ad from W.A. Ramesbottom.
Columbia Records at Bell’s store
- Robert Bell’s store carried the latest music from the relatively new recording industry. The 3rd last song on the list: Cows may come, Cows may go, but the Bull goes on forever.
Fruit-a-tives
- The newspaper was packed with ads for dubious medicines, and testimonial articles claiming miracle cures. Perhaps a pre-cursor of today’s info-mercial.
Castoria
- Castoria promises to contain no opium or morphine – which tells you something about other medicines on the market.
Advocate prints butter paper
- The war drove up the price of butter wrapper paper – but the Advocate was selling it at the old price. We would print almost anything.
Wellington Hull
- The publisher of the paper was Wellington Hull, a master of multiple revenue streams. Before buying the paper in 1894, he had been a farmer, a butcher, a village councillor and the reeve. He owned land in Erin village, just west of what is still known as Hull’s Dam.
- He was a Wellington County Constable, and later a Magistrate and Justice of the Peace.
- He was the official starter at local horse races
- He was a car salesman.
Advocate – Union Bank building
- Hull built a solid building and leased the ground floor to the Union Bank, later the Royal Bank.
- Wellington Hull passed the paper on to his son Roy, who passed it on to his son Charles. The family operated The Advocate for 78 years. The great thing about owning a newspaper, is that you can run free ads for yourself every week.
Farms for sale
- If you couldn’t get a loan downstairs, you could always try upstairs at the Advocate office.
Real estate agent
- He was a real estate agent and farm equipment dealer.
Auctioneer
- An auctioneer
Marriage licenses
- And the issuer of marriage licenses. Note the cost of an annual subscription – $1 per year, which is probably why he needed other sources of income.
Bombs on Dunkirk
- The paper normally had two full pages of war news, like this story of a dirigible air raid. It was a constant narrative of heroism, foul deeds by the enemy, glorious victories and human slaughter.
War news – Nerve pills
- For those who were depressed by the war news, there were Milburn’s Heart and Nerve Pills, designed to build up the unstrung nervous system.
Pleasant pellets
- It appears some women were having crying spells. They were starting to feel old and look old – due to some weakness or derangement. Fortunately, Dr. Pierce’s Pleasant Pellets could be ordered by mail to restore youthful vigour.
German guns seized in Toronto
- There were frequent stories of German spies. Canadian transport ships had been the target of mines and submarine attacks in the Atlantic, and it was widely believed that spies had fed critical information to the enemy.
- The United States was not in the war at this stage, and there were millions of Germans living there. Canada feared those Germans might invade Canada, so as a precaution, police confiscated all firearms belonging to Germans in Toronto.
Wellington raises half-regiment
- In 1914, Wellington County was planning to raise half a regiment of 500 men. It would cost $90 to outfit each soldier, for a large expenditure of $45,000.
Acton Tanning Co. busy
- In Acton, they were working day and night to supply leather for war horses.
Cavalry horses painted blue
- The French had a novel idea – they would paint their horses blue so they would blend in with the horizon and not be noticed by the enemy.
Four horses in a shell hole
- George Arnett of Erin was a member of the Royal Horse Artillery. He said the artillery shells would make a hole large enough to put four horses in. A later letter said six horses.
Canada makes shells
- The British War Office had placed orders for $154 million worth of shells – and every machine shop or factory capable of making shells was busy. Canada was shipping out 10,000 shells per day, and hoped to push the average to 40,000 shells per day.
Drawing of barn being shelled
- There was very little action photography, but survivors would describe battles, and artists would create drawings for the newspapers – like this barn being hit by a shell.
Drawing of air battle
- Air battles caught the public’s imagination, with the exploits of flying aces like Canada’s Billy Bishop and Germany’s Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron).
Sgt. Frank Belway
- Frank Belway didn’t move to Erin until later, but he was well known as the manager of Stanley Park, owner of a grocery store and the third President of the Legion.
Distinguished Flying Cross
- In World War One he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for flying low over enemy lines under heavy machine gun fire, to get exact information on the positioning of their troops.
German albatross forced down by Belway
- He also had the rare distinction of forcing an enemy pilot to land behind the Allied lines.
Carmichael ad – Shot to Pieces
- The Carmichaels were a prominent Hillsburgh family with a prosperous store. The website carmichaelfamilyonline is an excellent source of information on Hillsburgh history.
John and Grace Carmichael
- Portraits of John and Grace Carmichael.
Marjorie visits
- The Advocate social notices reported a visit by their daughter Marjorie, who was about to leave for France.
Nursing Sister Marjorie Carmichael
- At the age of 29, working in Toronto as a nurse, Marjorie had enlisted as a nursing sister.
Open Letter to Women
- The Advocate carried an open letter from the most powerful women in Canada – the National Committee for Patriotic Service:
- The President was Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Connaught. That was Louise Margaret, a German princess who was married to the third son of Queen Victoria, Prince Arthur – who was Canada’s Governor General. Her daughter was Princess Patricia, who had her own Light Infantry Regiment in the Canadian army. Then you had the wife of Prime Minister Robert Borden, the wife of Opposition Leader Wilfred Laurier, and a long list of upper class ladies.
- The message was simple: Canadian women must “ungrudgingly” give up their sons and husbands for this struggle.
- A side note about the Duchess – she died of influenza during the war, at a time when there was no vaccine for the flu, and doctors didn’t even know it was caused by a virus. The flu pandemic in 1918 would infect 500 million people and kill at least 50 million – 3 per cent of the world’s population. That was far more than the 11 million soldiers and 7 million civilians who died in the war.
Patriotic Concert by Brisbane students
- Student concerts and many social events were raising funds for aid to the Belgians, who were being allowed to starve to death after their country was invaded.
- Erin Township Council voted to start a Patriotic Fund to assist in the war effort. Councillors were assigned areas and would canvass every resident.
- There was also a Patriotic Association that helped out the families of soldiers. Many children did extra work in the farm fields while their fathers were away. Farmers who had not enlisted were under extreme pressure to increase food production.
W.C.T.U. knits socks
- The Women’s Christian Temperance Union in Erin was busy knitting socks for soldiers, and collecting material for bandages.
Teachers donate ambulance
- Wellington teachers decided to donate one per cent of their salaries to buy a motor ambulance for the front.
Red Cross fundraising
- The cost of treating the wounded was very high, so the Red Cross launched a major fundraising campaign.
Machine gun drawings
- It cost $1,000 for each machine gun, and the federal government appealed for public donations. In 1915, communities across Canada gave over $1 million for machine guns.
War Tax Stamp
- The federal government brought in new taxes to help pay for the war effort, including an extra one cent for every telegraph message, a one-cent war stamp on every letter (regular postage was two cents), two cents for every bank cheque, five to ten cents on train tickets, five cents on every pint of regular wine, and 25 cents on each bottle of champagne.
Surcharge on property taxes
- The provincial government brought down a special surcharge on property taxes that would raise $1.8 million.
Pensions for wounded
Severely wounded survivors were entitled to a monthly pension that ranged from $264 for privates, up to $2,100 for brigadier-generals.
Parliamentary propaganda
- News or propaganda: “Canada’s loyalty to the great struggle of the Motherland for the cause of right was again manifested in the vote of another $100,000 for the war fund by the absolutely unanimous voice of the members of the House of Commons.”
Soldiers’ fountain pens
- Soldiers were urged to buy good quality pens that would last for years after the war.
Hugh McMillan photo
- This is Hugh McMillan. When the war broke out, Prime Minister Borden promised Britain 20,000 troops. Within a month, 30,000 had enlisted at an army camp in Valcartier, Quebec.
- Travelling to Valcartier to enlist were Erin boys: Hugh McMillan, Albert McBride, Elmer Green, Horace McArthur, Alan and Ernie Royce, Howard Cox, Gordon McRae and Laurence Tarzwell.
- When Hugh McMillan signed up, he listed his occupation as “Chauffeur”, and that’s what he was assigned to do. He was a truck driver supplying the trenches, an ambulance driver, and a chauffer for senior officers.
Hugh McMillan pennant, and Marjorie
- McMillan was a prolific letter writer, and quite proud of his home. He raised the Hillsburg Pennant not far from the front lines in France.
- He also mentions Marjorie Carmichael from Hillsburg, working in a nearby hospital, keeping in touch with the local boys.
Hillsburg pennant
- Image from the Wellington Museum and Archives
- The “H” at the end of Hillsburgh did not come into common use until the Second World War
McMillan – shell didn’t burst
- McMillan was very casual about the dangers, saying his house had been hit by a shell, but it didn’t burst.
McMillan – respirators issued
- Or that he’d been issued a respirator for poison gas
- “The Germans will pay for this.”
News from Ypres
- Ypres was Canada’s first major battle. Chlorine gas was used for the first time by the Germans.
- Listen to the news language used about Canadian soldiers: “Though reduced in the lines, and with dispositions made hurriedly under the stimulus of critical danger, they fought through the day and though the night, and then through another day and night; fought under their officers until, as happened to so many, these perished gloriously, and then fought from the impulsion of sheer valor, because they came from fighting stock.”
McMillan – under fire at Ypres
- Ypres was the battle during which Doctor John McCrae of Guelph wrote his famous poem In Flanders Fields.
- From the same battle Hugh McMillan wrote of rescuing a comrade whose truck had stalled, with shells falling all around. There was a German aviator overhead sending signals to the artillery. The road was filled with women and children running from the shells. “You have no idea what it was like, and I couldn’t explain it in writing”. In fact, he was having trouble writing because the guns were making the ground shake. “Bye, bye dear mother. Write soon, and oftener.”
McMillan – souvenirs
- McMillan lost a batch of letters during the Battle of Ypres, but another soldier found them and forwarded them to his parents. He sent some souvenirs, including a piece of the Yres cathedral, and a “Housewife” – a string shopping bag he picked up from a German soldier.
McMillan – if my turn comes
- “If my turn comes, it will be no worse than hundreds of other poor fellows who have fallen. The only way to do out here is to do your best and trust to God to bring you through safely.”
- “I’ve only been off duty half a day since coming to France, and that day I had a headache.
McArthur gets Advocate, congratulates hockey team
- Horace McArthur was very glad to receive copies of the Advocate at the front. He congratulated the Erin Hockey Team and wished them a successful season.
- His job was to dig trenches on the night shift, ducking out of sight when the German flares went up.
McArthur has close calls
- He too was very casual about danger, reporting that a shell had fallen four feet away from him, but that the explosion had only covered him with mud. After a bullet went through his hat, he said, “That was close enough for me”.
McArthur believed dead
- It was rumoured that Horace had been killed, and The Advocate wrote to his father, a minister, for information. Rev. McArthur reported that Horace’s letters had suddenly stopped after the Battle of Ypres. He was with the 48th Highlanders, 15th Battalion, three fourths of whom were lost.
McArthur in prison camp
- Finally a letter arrived from Horace. He had been captured, sent to a German hospital, treated for gas poisoning and appendicitis, and sent to a prison camp where he was allowed to receive mail, as long as it had no reference to the war.
- Horace later escaped from that prison camp.
F.W. Wood funeral director
- Typically, the local furniture maker would be the casket builder as well, in this case F.W. Wood.
High school debate
- His son Arthur was a senior high school student, and was involved in a Literary Society debate, arguing that the United States was morally obligated to join the war on the Allied side.
New recruiting drive
- At that time there was a new recruiting drive, and Arthur Wood was one of two high school students who signed up.
Jolly good fellows recruited
- Principal Tomlinson held a big party at his house, and the boys were each presented with a gold ring. They were also rewarded with a rendition of the song, “For They Are Jolly Good Fellows”.
Twenty volunteers
- The goal was 25 recruits and they got 20.
- Notice the wording from the editor at the end – “Keeper up the good work boys. You Country needs you now.”
35,000 more men needed – now up to 150,000
- Stories in the newsapaper could seem like a country talking to itself, reassuring itself that it was doing the right thing: “Canada is surely measuring up to her duty in her contribution of men to the war.”
- Today, it would be controversial front-page news. In 1915, it was one paragraph on an inside page – 35,000 more men needed for the firing line in France. That would bring the total so far to 150,000, but even then, we were just getting started.
- Canada had a population of 8 million in 1915. Eventually, she would have 650,000 men and women enlisted, 8.3% of the population. The casualties would total over 65,000 dead and 172,000 wounded.
- Erin Township and Village had a combined population of 3,500. From that we had 228 volunteers and 97 draftees, for a total of 325. That’s 9.3% of the local population. Of those, at least 28 died.
- As we promise every November, they have not been forgotten.
Erin is still proud that we did our bit for King and Country.
- And that’s the story so far.
McMillan – shell didn’t burst
- McMillan was very casual about the dangers, saying his house had been hit by a shell, but it didn’t burst.
McMillan – respirators issued
- Or that he’d been issued a respirator for poison gas
- “The Germans will pay for this.”
News from Ypres
- Ypres was Canada’s first major battle. Chlorine gas was used for the first time by the Germans.
- Listen to the news language used about Canadian soldiers: “Though reduced in the lines, and with dispositions made hurriedly under the stimulus of critical danger, they fought through the day and though the night, and then through another day and night; fought under their officers until, as happened to so many, these perished gloriously, and then fought from the impulsion of sheer valor, because they came from fighting stock.”
McMillan – under fire at Ypres
- Ypres was the battle during which Doctor John McCrae of Guelph wrote his famous poem In Flanders Fields.
- From the same battle Hugh McMillan wrote of rescuing a comrade whose truck had stalled, with shells falling all around. There was a German aviator overhead sending signals to the artillery. The road was filled with women and children running from the shells. “You have no idea what it was like, and I couldn’t explain it in writing”. In fact, he was having trouble writing because the guns were making the ground shake. “Bye, bye dear mother. Write soon, and oftener.”
McMillan – souvenirs
- McMillan lost a batch of letters during the Battle of Ypres, but another soldier found them and forwarded them to his parents. He sent some souvenirs, including a piece of the Yres cathedral, and a “Housewife” – a string shopping bag he picked up from a German soldier.
McMillan – if my turn comes
- “If my turn comes, it will be no worse than hundreds of other poor fellows who have fallen. The only way to do out here is to do your best and trust to God to bring you through safely.”
- “I’ve only been off duty half a day since coming to France, and that day I had a headache.
McArthur gets Advocate, congratulates hockey team
- Horace McArthur was very glad to receive copies of the Advocate at the front. He congratulated the Erin Hockey Team and wished them a successful season.
- His job was to dig trenches on the night shift, ducking out of sight when the German flares went up.
McArthur has close calls
- He too was very casual about danger, reporting that a shell had fallen four feet away from him, but that the explosion had only covered him with mud. After a bullet went through his hat, he said, “That was close enough for me”.
McArthur believed dead
- It was rumoured that Horace had been killed, and The Advocate wrote to his father, a minister, for information. Rev. McArthur reported that Horace’s letters had suddenly stopped after the Battle of Ypres. He was with the 48th Highlanders, 15th Battalion, three fourths of whom were lost.
McArthur in prison camp
- Finally a letter arrived from Horace. He had been captured, sent to a German hospital, treated for gas poisoning and appendicitis, and sent to a prison camp where he was allowed to receive mail, as long as it had no reference to the war.
- Horace later escaped from that prison camp.
F.W. Wood funeral director
- Typically, the local furniture maker would be the casket builder as well, in this case F.W. Wood.
High school debate
- His son Arthur was a senior high school student, and was involved in a Literary Society debate, arguing that the United States was morally obligated to join the war on the Allied side.
New recruiting drive
- At that time there was a new recruiting drive, and Arthur Wood was one of two high school students who signed up.
Jolly good fellows recruited
- Principal Tomlinson held a big party at his house, and the boys were each presented with a gold ring. They were also rewarded with a rendition of the song, “For They Are Jolly Good Fellows”.
Twenty volunteers
- The goal was 25 recruits and they got 20.
- Notice the wording from the editor at the end – “Keeper up the good work boys. You Country needs you now.”
35,000 more men needed – now up to 150,000
- Stories in the newsapaper could seem like a country talking to itself, reassuring itself that it was doing the right thing: “Canada is surely measuring up to her duty in her contribution of men to the war.”
- Today, it would be controversial front-page news. In 1915, it was one paragraph on an inside page – 35,000 more men needed for the firing line in France. That would bring the total so far to 150,000, but even then, we were just getting started.
- Canada had a population of 8 million in 1915. Eventually, she would have 650,000 men and women enlisted, 8.3% of the population. The casualties would total over 65,000 dead and 172,000 wounded.
- Erin Township and Village had a combined population of 3,500. From that we had 228 volunteers and 97 draftees, for a total of 325. That’s 9.3% of the local population. Of those, at least 28 died.
- As we promise every November, they have not been forgotten.
Erin is still proud that we did our bit for King and Country.
- And that’s the story so far.
October 14, 2015
Local initiatives explore aspects of climate change
As published in The Erin Advocate
There’s a lot of local action on the front lines of the climate change battle these days, with a faith-based vigil planned for McMillan Park and the launch of A Handbook on Climate Change for Baby Boomers.
The vigil is on Saturday, October 24 at 6:15 pm, hosted by Rev. Felicia Urbanski of Erin United, Rev. Susan Wilson of All Saints Anglican and Heidi Matthews of St. John Brebeuf Catholic Church.
The ecumenical service is part of a National Day of Action for the Climate initiated by the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, which is running a campaign called “Create a Climate of Justice”.
It is a justice issue because climate change will most severely affect world’s poorest people. Human responsibility for safeguarding creation is also being identified by leaders such as Pope Francis as a spiritual issue.
The campaign asks Canadians to make lifestyle changes to reduce carbon emissions. It calls on the federal government to transition away from a fossil-fuel dependent economy and adopt a fair and binding agreement at the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris in December.
“People have erroneously assumed that Christianity has nothing to do with climate change action, or stewardship of our Earth,” said Rev. Urbanski. “Christians have misconstrued the phrase in the Book of Genesis about humans "having dominion" over the Earth. We have thought that we could do whatever we wanted to our planet. Yet, having dominion really means having responsibility to care for our Earth and to protect its precious resources.
“This climate vigil gives people of all church affiliations - and those of no affiliation - an opportunity to come together. We can share our concerns and lift them up to God. We can network with each other and find ways to have more of an impact on decision-makers.”
The vigil will include prayers, a scripture reading, singing and an opportunity for participants to share ideas for positive action.
“We are not without hope – there are so many movements coming together to work for a better world,” said Heidi Matthews.
“There was a time when we remembered to be grateful to the Creator and to be responsible with the gifts of the earth. I think the role of faith communities is to lead us back to that understanding – not in small steps but in giant leaps.”
In a separate initiative, Liz Armstrong of Erin is promoting a climate change book for baby boomers. She says just opening the handbook is a big step, since “there are millions, maybe billions, thinking that climate change is just way too big a problem for non-scientists to help conquer”. The book is an “urgent plea to lend your voice (and possibly other talents) to help this extraordinary Earth through a big mess of our own making.”
The first part is an easy-to-read education in the science, economics and politics of climate change and renewable energy, with an attractive series of photos and illustrations. The second is a series of bite-sized ways to take action.
Download a free copy at climateactionforboomers.ca, or order a paper copy for $20. Armstrong has been part of the local environmental movement with the Climate Change Action Group of Erin, Transition Erin, the Fast Forward film nights and the Citizens Climate Lobby.
“It’s about our moral responsibility to our kids and grandkids, because what’s at stake is nothing less than leaving them a livable future,” she says. “So much of what we Boomers took for granted on this amazing planet – and had hoped to leave to our kids – is now at risk.”
There’s a lot of local action on the front lines of the climate change battle these days, with a faith-based vigil planned for McMillan Park and the launch of A Handbook on Climate Change for Baby Boomers.
The vigil is on Saturday, October 24 at 6:15 pm, hosted by Rev. Felicia Urbanski of Erin United, Rev. Susan Wilson of All Saints Anglican and Heidi Matthews of St. John Brebeuf Catholic Church.
The ecumenical service is part of a National Day of Action for the Climate initiated by the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, which is running a campaign called “Create a Climate of Justice”.
It is a justice issue because climate change will most severely affect world’s poorest people. Human responsibility for safeguarding creation is also being identified by leaders such as Pope Francis as a spiritual issue.
The campaign asks Canadians to make lifestyle changes to reduce carbon emissions. It calls on the federal government to transition away from a fossil-fuel dependent economy and adopt a fair and binding agreement at the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris in December.
“People have erroneously assumed that Christianity has nothing to do with climate change action, or stewardship of our Earth,” said Rev. Urbanski. “Christians have misconstrued the phrase in the Book of Genesis about humans "having dominion" over the Earth. We have thought that we could do whatever we wanted to our planet. Yet, having dominion really means having responsibility to care for our Earth and to protect its precious resources.
“This climate vigil gives people of all church affiliations - and those of no affiliation - an opportunity to come together. We can share our concerns and lift them up to God. We can network with each other and find ways to have more of an impact on decision-makers.”
The vigil will include prayers, a scripture reading, singing and an opportunity for participants to share ideas for positive action.
“We are not without hope – there are so many movements coming together to work for a better world,” said Heidi Matthews.
“There was a time when we remembered to be grateful to the Creator and to be responsible with the gifts of the earth. I think the role of faith communities is to lead us back to that understanding – not in small steps but in giant leaps.”
In a separate initiative, Liz Armstrong of Erin is promoting a climate change book for baby boomers. She says just opening the handbook is a big step, since “there are millions, maybe billions, thinking that climate change is just way too big a problem for non-scientists to help conquer”. The book is an “urgent plea to lend your voice (and possibly other talents) to help this extraordinary Earth through a big mess of our own making.”
The first part is an easy-to-read education in the science, economics and politics of climate change and renewable energy, with an attractive series of photos and illustrations. The second is a series of bite-sized ways to take action.
Download a free copy at climateactionforboomers.ca, or order a paper copy for $20. Armstrong has been part of the local environmental movement with the Climate Change Action Group of Erin, Transition Erin, the Fast Forward film nights and the Citizens Climate Lobby.
“It’s about our moral responsibility to our kids and grandkids, because what’s at stake is nothing less than leaving them a livable future,” she says. “So much of what we Boomers took for granted on this amazing planet – and had hoped to leave to our kids – is now at risk.”
September 23, 2015
Social justice requires choices for common good
As published in The Erin Advocate
Of course, we should pay heed to events like Hunger Awareness Week, now in progress. It is so easy to let it slide by, since the issue never seems to go away. We should not be lulled into thinking, however, that there are no solutions.
Poverty may well be part of the human condition, but that does not relieve us of an obligation to better the lives of people other than ourselves. We have the capacity to ensure that everyone gets enough food.
East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) is urging us to wear red this week, to show common cause with those in need and others who care. We can certainly educate ourselves at sites like foodbankscanada.ca.
But what does it profit a wealthy town, in a wealthy nation, to merely read up on the problem, to wring its hands and say to the hungry, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill”, yet not supply their bodily needs?
We can make the leap from words to action by actually bringing food to the EWCS office at 45 Main Street, or donating money to help their food banks in Erin and Rockwood.
In the last year, EWCS distributed 50,000 pounds of food, valued at $125,000. They handled 1,350 visits and provided for some 300 individuals – 42% of them children.
With food bank use rising 25% in the last seven years, Canadians need to ask themselves what kind of country they want to live in, and identify the areas where the social values we cherish have been eroded.
We live in a world dominated by competition, but we are not mere victims of market forces. We can make choices that promote the common good. We can ask questions that push the discussion of hunger beyond the need for charity.
What does it profit a wealthy nation to channel more and more of its wealth into the hands of a very few, who are already wealthy? Will that promote prosperity and stability?
The creation of a middle class, imperfect as it may be, has been about sharing the wealth. Its impending demise is quite properly an election issue.
If we are forced to become a less wealthy nation, perhaps due to the rise of previously impoverished nations, are we willing to share the reduction equitably? Can we abandon the myth of perpetual growth?
What does it profit a wealthy nation to channel more and more of its workers into low-wage jobs – part-time, casual, temporary and casual work, with no security or benefits – while allowing real estate values to skyrocket? It is the epitome of unsustainability.
How can we lie to our children, telling them that education and hard work will allow them to maintain a standard of living that is, in fact, slipping away from the majority? Does their education include ways to be happy with less?
One of the pieces in this economic puzzle is the minimum wage, which finally hit $11 last year and will soar to $11.25 next month. Considering the value of these jobs to our economy, it is not nearly enough.
There’s a movement for higher increases (read up at 15andfairness.org), which make good economic sense. People need hope of decent work, not charity. A higher minimum wage would stimulate growth in the economy, providing more spending at small, local businesses.
Tax cuts for profitable corporations do not produce the same benefits. They are under no obligation to create more jobs or pay better wages.
That’s why we elect governments, whose job it is to do what’s best for society as a whole. Let’s make sure they get on with it.
Of course, we should pay heed to events like Hunger Awareness Week, now in progress. It is so easy to let it slide by, since the issue never seems to go away. We should not be lulled into thinking, however, that there are no solutions.
Poverty may well be part of the human condition, but that does not relieve us of an obligation to better the lives of people other than ourselves. We have the capacity to ensure that everyone gets enough food.
East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) is urging us to wear red this week, to show common cause with those in need and others who care. We can certainly educate ourselves at sites like foodbankscanada.ca.
But what does it profit a wealthy town, in a wealthy nation, to merely read up on the problem, to wring its hands and say to the hungry, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill”, yet not supply their bodily needs?
We can make the leap from words to action by actually bringing food to the EWCS office at 45 Main Street, or donating money to help their food banks in Erin and Rockwood.
In the last year, EWCS distributed 50,000 pounds of food, valued at $125,000. They handled 1,350 visits and provided for some 300 individuals – 42% of them children.
With food bank use rising 25% in the last seven years, Canadians need to ask themselves what kind of country they want to live in, and identify the areas where the social values we cherish have been eroded.
We live in a world dominated by competition, but we are not mere victims of market forces. We can make choices that promote the common good. We can ask questions that push the discussion of hunger beyond the need for charity.
What does it profit a wealthy nation to channel more and more of its wealth into the hands of a very few, who are already wealthy? Will that promote prosperity and stability?
The creation of a middle class, imperfect as it may be, has been about sharing the wealth. Its impending demise is quite properly an election issue.
If we are forced to become a less wealthy nation, perhaps due to the rise of previously impoverished nations, are we willing to share the reduction equitably? Can we abandon the myth of perpetual growth?
What does it profit a wealthy nation to channel more and more of its workers into low-wage jobs – part-time, casual, temporary and casual work, with no security or benefits – while allowing real estate values to skyrocket? It is the epitome of unsustainability.
How can we lie to our children, telling them that education and hard work will allow them to maintain a standard of living that is, in fact, slipping away from the majority? Does their education include ways to be happy with less?
One of the pieces in this economic puzzle is the minimum wage, which finally hit $11 last year and will soar to $11.25 next month. Considering the value of these jobs to our economy, it is not nearly enough.
There’s a movement for higher increases (read up at 15andfairness.org), which make good economic sense. People need hope of decent work, not charity. A higher minimum wage would stimulate growth in the economy, providing more spending at small, local businesses.
Tax cuts for profitable corporations do not produce the same benefits. They are under no obligation to create more jobs or pay better wages.
That’s why we elect governments, whose job it is to do what’s best for society as a whole. Let’s make sure they get on with it.
May 20, 2015
Property tax rebates deplete Town revenue
As published in The Erin Advocate
When Erin politicians get tired of complaining about the property assessment system, which forces us to pay higher county taxes, they can turn their attention to a variety of other alleged injustices inflicted by the provincial government.
There’s the ever-popular “infrastructure deficit”, in which municipalities have built way more stuff than they could ever afford to maintain, especially with residents forever fantasizing about less taxation.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario estimates that actually fixing all the roads, bridges, sewers etc. would cost $60 billion. If property taxes alone were to maintain existing obligations, plus eliminate this deficit, the AMO estimates that municipal taxes would have to increase 19% per year for 10 years.
So do we let some of our infrastructure crumble, and ultimately make do with less? Do we pay up through higher taxes and debt charges? Do we invite private enterprise to wave its magic wand? Like good Canadians, we’ll probably compromise and do a little bit of all of that.
Faced with a problem that cannot be solved within the term of one government, the province just chips away at it. They dole out infrastructure funding erratically and upload some of the costs previously dumped on municipalities, but it is never even close to enough.
Erin is at a disadvantage in this game, being labeled a wealthy community. We have low debt, high taxes and very little income from industry. We have lots of farms and natural areas, but the tax revenue they could generate is severely curtailed by provincial policy.
The latest complaints at the Erin council table have been about the 75% property tax reduction the Town is required to provide for qualified farmland (846 properties) and managed forests (117 properties), as well as a 100% exemption for 721 pieces of conservation land.
Farmland qualifies for the rebate if it is actually farmed, generating at least $7,000 in gross income per year. Farm residents still pay the regular rate on their homes, plus one acre, but obviously their fields do not use municipal services. With farmland values increasing faster than residential values, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is lobbying for a larger percentage reduction.
The benefit used to be a rebate paid by the province and shared through income taxes. It started in the early 1970s when farmers were being hit hard by huge increases in the cost of education – another service not used by the land.
The Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris did download many costs to municipalities, but it also assumed a greater share of education costs and took over setting education property taxes. These remain a much lower share than they once were, now just 17.2% of the Erin tax bill, with a 0% increase this year.
When Harris shifted the farm rebate to municipalities in 1998, provincial grants were supposed to cover the cost, but they now only cover about one third. Throughout Wellington County, that is lost local tax revenue of $25.5 million per year, at a net cost of $487 per household.
Finance Director Sharon Marshall estimates that if the province took back responsibility for the rebates and Erin could charge regular taxes on all property, the Town tax rate could decline by 11.6%.
Mayor Al Alls says city dwellers are reaping the benefits of protecting the water, air and local food production, but that the burden of supporting the system falls unfairly on rural municipalities.
“It’s a big hit on our budget – we’re paying for it,” said Alls, noting that a large share of electoral support for the Liberal government comes from large urban centres.
“The current provincial government doesn’t get their power from us,” he said at a recent council meeting. “Nothing’s going to change until that changes.”
When Erin politicians get tired of complaining about the property assessment system, which forces us to pay higher county taxes, they can turn their attention to a variety of other alleged injustices inflicted by the provincial government.
There’s the ever-popular “infrastructure deficit”, in which municipalities have built way more stuff than they could ever afford to maintain, especially with residents forever fantasizing about less taxation.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario estimates that actually fixing all the roads, bridges, sewers etc. would cost $60 billion. If property taxes alone were to maintain existing obligations, plus eliminate this deficit, the AMO estimates that municipal taxes would have to increase 19% per year for 10 years.
So do we let some of our infrastructure crumble, and ultimately make do with less? Do we pay up through higher taxes and debt charges? Do we invite private enterprise to wave its magic wand? Like good Canadians, we’ll probably compromise and do a little bit of all of that.
Faced with a problem that cannot be solved within the term of one government, the province just chips away at it. They dole out infrastructure funding erratically and upload some of the costs previously dumped on municipalities, but it is never even close to enough.
Erin is at a disadvantage in this game, being labeled a wealthy community. We have low debt, high taxes and very little income from industry. We have lots of farms and natural areas, but the tax revenue they could generate is severely curtailed by provincial policy.
The latest complaints at the Erin council table have been about the 75% property tax reduction the Town is required to provide for qualified farmland (846 properties) and managed forests (117 properties), as well as a 100% exemption for 721 pieces of conservation land.
Farmland qualifies for the rebate if it is actually farmed, generating at least $7,000 in gross income per year. Farm residents still pay the regular rate on their homes, plus one acre, but obviously their fields do not use municipal services. With farmland values increasing faster than residential values, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is lobbying for a larger percentage reduction.
The benefit used to be a rebate paid by the province and shared through income taxes. It started in the early 1970s when farmers were being hit hard by huge increases in the cost of education – another service not used by the land.
The Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris did download many costs to municipalities, but it also assumed a greater share of education costs and took over setting education property taxes. These remain a much lower share than they once were, now just 17.2% of the Erin tax bill, with a 0% increase this year.
When Harris shifted the farm rebate to municipalities in 1998, provincial grants were supposed to cover the cost, but they now only cover about one third. Throughout Wellington County, that is lost local tax revenue of $25.5 million per year, at a net cost of $487 per household.
Finance Director Sharon Marshall estimates that if the province took back responsibility for the rebates and Erin could charge regular taxes on all property, the Town tax rate could decline by 11.6%.
Mayor Al Alls says city dwellers are reaping the benefits of protecting the water, air and local food production, but that the burden of supporting the system falls unfairly on rural municipalities.
“It’s a big hit on our budget – we’re paying for it,” said Alls, noting that a large share of electoral support for the Liberal government comes from large urban centres.
“The current provincial government doesn’t get their power from us,” he said at a recent council meeting. “Nothing’s going to change until that changes.”
April 29, 2015
Erin backs Blue Dot campaign for environmental rights
As published in The Erin Advocate
It was an easy decision for Town Councillors to declare Erin as a Blue Dot community, in support of David Suzuki’s bid to guarantee environmental rights in Canada’s constitution. It will not oblige them to spend money or doing anything different.
The real debate will be within the federal and provincial governments, which would have to endorse any change to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“I love this town – every part of it is bordered by rolling hills, woodlands, farms and waterways,” said resident Gerry Walsh, requesting council’s support at the April 21 meeting. “Together, everyone in our Town can declare this basic human right – to breathe fresh air, drink clean water and eat healthy food.”
Erin is the fourth municipality in Ontario to commit to these principles. So far, most of the support has been in British Columbia. Mayor Al Alls has promised to express his support for the Blue Dot Movement in a letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne.
 |
|
Supporters of the Blue Dot Movement celebrate
after Erin Town Council passed a declaration in favour of a constitutional right to a healthy environment. Left to right: Joanne Kay, Myrtle Reid, Gerry Walsh and Don Chambers. |
Details of the campaign are available at bluedot.ca. Suzuki supporters hope to build grassroots pressure from local communities to support a Charter amendment. That would require the official support Parliament plus seven provinces, representing more than 50% of Canada’s population.
It is a very ambitious and idealistic plan, since senior level politicians will no doubt consider the many court cases that it will take to define citizens’ rights on air, water and food. Imagine the impact if anyone in a big city could claim a legal right to breath air unpolluted by cars and factories. Who would pay the cost of bringing clean drinking water to all First Nations communities or making good food available to everyone now living in poverty?
I did not get the impression that Town Council was signing up for a revolution. But faced with climate change, dwindling oil, over-population, erosion of our natural heritage and unsustainable consumption, that’s what we’re talking about.
At its core, the environmental movement is promoting a new culture with different expectations. Green policies may save money in some areas, but will require radical changes to our economy in the areas of transportation, energy generation, food supply, housing, health care, taxation and environmental protection.
“It reminds me of the industrial revolution,” said Walsh. “This is the next phase we’re moving into. Some people are going to suffer and some people are going to benefit, but we have to move forward.”
Efforts to enshrine environmental rights in the constitution were unsuccessful when the Charter was negotiated 35 years ago, but they are definitely worth advocating again. More than a hundred countries have them in their constitutions, resulting in progress rather than chaos.
Enforcement of legal rights will always be problematic, but in general, if a country enshrines its goals, they are more likely to be at least partly achieved.
It is important to remember that Charter rights are not absolute, but are subject to “such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.” This puts issues in the hands of politicians, the law-makers, which is quite proper. Some would argue that environmental rights could be expanded by the courts under the Section 7 right to “life, liberty and security of the person”, or by direct reference of a question from a government to the Supreme Court.
Judges, however, should not be creating major changes to the Charter of Rights. The most legitimate process is the more difficult one. If a political consensus for environmental rights can be built throughout the country, with sustainability as a widely accepted priority, a formal constitutional amendment will become a logical final step. That consensus does not yet exist, but it is interesting to see the construction work going on in our own town.
In the meantime, environmentalists need to continue doing what they do best – convincing the public and elected representatives to support policies that will help us weather the coming storm.
It is a very ambitious and idealistic plan, since senior level politicians will no doubt consider the many court cases that it will take to define citizens’ rights on air, water and food. Imagine the impact if anyone in a big city could claim a legal right to breath air unpolluted by cars and factories. Who would pay the cost of bringing clean drinking water to all First Nations communities or making good food available to everyone now living in poverty?
I did not get the impression that Town Council was signing up for a revolution. But faced with climate change, dwindling oil, over-population, erosion of our natural heritage and unsustainable consumption, that’s what we’re talking about.
At its core, the environmental movement is promoting a new culture with different expectations. Green policies may save money in some areas, but will require radical changes to our economy in the areas of transportation, energy generation, food supply, housing, health care, taxation and environmental protection.
“It reminds me of the industrial revolution,” said Walsh. “This is the next phase we’re moving into. Some people are going to suffer and some people are going to benefit, but we have to move forward.”
Efforts to enshrine environmental rights in the constitution were unsuccessful when the Charter was negotiated 35 years ago, but they are definitely worth advocating again. More than a hundred countries have them in their constitutions, resulting in progress rather than chaos.
Enforcement of legal rights will always be problematic, but in general, if a country enshrines its goals, they are more likely to be at least partly achieved.
It is important to remember that Charter rights are not absolute, but are subject to “such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.” This puts issues in the hands of politicians, the law-makers, which is quite proper. Some would argue that environmental rights could be expanded by the courts under the Section 7 right to “life, liberty and security of the person”, or by direct reference of a question from a government to the Supreme Court.
Judges, however, should not be creating major changes to the Charter of Rights. The most legitimate process is the more difficult one. If a political consensus for environmental rights can be built throughout the country, with sustainability as a widely accepted priority, a formal constitutional amendment will become a logical final step. That consensus does not yet exist, but it is interesting to see the construction work going on in our own town.
In the meantime, environmentalists need to continue doing what they do best – convincing the public and elected representatives to support policies that will help us weather the coming storm.
April 08, 2015
Singer’s stories bring underworld memoir to life
As published in The Erin Advocate
I’m reading a book called Davy the Punk, a tribute to a famous Toronto bookie, published by Porcupine’s Quill in Erin.
It was written by his son Bob Bossin, one of the founders of Stringband, an independent group that had its heyday in the 1970s with songs about Canada and issues of politics and the environment.
“Bob is a great political singer-songwriter,” says Erin’s Jay Mowat, who knew Bossin from the folk festival circuit.
Bossin retells stories about his dad, and by his dad, some of which are probably true. Davy the Punk was a Jewish bookie who ran a horse racing wire in the 1930s and ‘40s, broadcasting information to other bookies using the telephone system.
He was a “bookie’s bookie” who connected Toronto’s underworld to the North American betting racket and later ran a talent agency that brought in big name performers.
Davy the Punk is about anti-Semitism in Canada, the mob and the colourful characters that played their parts on the flip side of Toronto the Good.
Tim Inkster of Porcupine’s Quill was acquainted with Bossin when they both freelanced for the Varsity newspaper at the University of Toronto in the late 1960s.
“I was a bit of a fan of Stringband, and especially their big hit, Dief Will Be the Chief Again,” said Inkster. The 1974 song was a jowl-in-cheek tribute to former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, based on a comment made by Bossin’s buddy Bob Rae after watching Muhammad Ali regain his boxing title.
Stringband never had a deal with a major record label or much play on commercial radio, but developed a loyal following through performances. They were also known for their independent methods, including an early form of crowdfunding – soliciting donations from friends and fans to finance an album in 1977.
Porcupine’s Quill has developed a national reputation for publishing memoirs and was in a good position to present Bossin’s stories (and historical photos) in an attractive format. The book came out last year and they have just completed the first reprint. For more information, go to davythepunk.com or porcupinesquill.ca.
I am about halfway through the book so far and it is quite engaging – a mix of family history, horse racing, the scramble to prosper in hard times and a culture in which criminals could earn public respect. It is about corruption in business, law enforcement and politics – and the crusaders who were determined to stamp out the evils of gambling.
Bossin has done his research and included many factual details about organized crime and Toronto’s sporting scene, but readily admits that he cannot be certain about how much his dad may have embellished the truth. It doesn’t really matter though, since it is a story about storytelling. The outrageous tales give the book some real sizzle.
More than 10 years ago, Mowat made a contribution to a fundraising effort for a Stringband album. In thanks, Bossin promised him a performance, but they were never able to arrange it, until now.
I’m looking forward to Bossin’s touring one-man show, coming to David’s Restaurant in Erin on Saturday, April 25, at 8 pm. The Winnipeg Free Press calls it “humorous and sentimental”, and Eric Stein of the Ashkenaz Festival in Toronto says, “Bob’s intelligence, erudition and folksy charm combine in an intimate musical theatre experience.”
Tickets are $20 and can be obtained by calling Mowat at 519-833-3383 or emailing info@willowcreekonline.ca. The price does not include dinner, but reservations can be made for dinner before the show by calling 519-833-5085.
I’m reading a book called Davy the Punk, a tribute to a famous Toronto bookie, published by Porcupine’s Quill in Erin.
It was written by his son Bob Bossin, one of the founders of Stringband, an independent group that had its heyday in the 1970s with songs about Canada and issues of politics and the environment.
“Bob is a great political singer-songwriter,” says Erin’s Jay Mowat, who knew Bossin from the folk festival circuit.
Bossin retells stories about his dad, and by his dad, some of which are probably true. Davy the Punk was a Jewish bookie who ran a horse racing wire in the 1930s and ‘40s, broadcasting information to other bookies using the telephone system.
He was a “bookie’s bookie” who connected Toronto’s underworld to the North American betting racket and later ran a talent agency that brought in big name performers.
Davy the Punk is about anti-Semitism in Canada, the mob and the colourful characters that played their parts on the flip side of Toronto the Good.
Tim Inkster of Porcupine’s Quill was acquainted with Bossin when they both freelanced for the Varsity newspaper at the University of Toronto in the late 1960s.
“I was a bit of a fan of Stringband, and especially their big hit, Dief Will Be the Chief Again,” said Inkster. The 1974 song was a jowl-in-cheek tribute to former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, based on a comment made by Bossin’s buddy Bob Rae after watching Muhammad Ali regain his boxing title.
Stringband never had a deal with a major record label or much play on commercial radio, but developed a loyal following through performances. They were also known for their independent methods, including an early form of crowdfunding – soliciting donations from friends and fans to finance an album in 1977.
Porcupine’s Quill has developed a national reputation for publishing memoirs and was in a good position to present Bossin’s stories (and historical photos) in an attractive format. The book came out last year and they have just completed the first reprint. For more information, go to davythepunk.com or porcupinesquill.ca.
I am about halfway through the book so far and it is quite engaging – a mix of family history, horse racing, the scramble to prosper in hard times and a culture in which criminals could earn public respect. It is about corruption in business, law enforcement and politics – and the crusaders who were determined to stamp out the evils of gambling.
Bossin has done his research and included many factual details about organized crime and Toronto’s sporting scene, but readily admits that he cannot be certain about how much his dad may have embellished the truth. It doesn’t really matter though, since it is a story about storytelling. The outrageous tales give the book some real sizzle.
More than 10 years ago, Mowat made a contribution to a fundraising effort for a Stringband album. In thanks, Bossin promised him a performance, but they were never able to arrange it, until now.
I’m looking forward to Bossin’s touring one-man show, coming to David’s Restaurant in Erin on Saturday, April 25, at 8 pm. The Winnipeg Free Press calls it “humorous and sentimental”, and Eric Stein of the Ashkenaz Festival in Toronto says, “Bob’s intelligence, erudition and folksy charm combine in an intimate musical theatre experience.”
Tickets are $20 and can be obtained by calling Mowat at 519-833-3383 or emailing info@willowcreekonline.ca. The price does not include dinner, but reservations can be made for dinner before the show by calling 519-833-5085.
December 31, 2014
Chong’s Reform Act could give MPs real power
As published in The Erin Advocate
2015 is shaping up as a momentous year for MP Michael Chong, with his Reform Act expected to come up for Third Reading and a final vote in the House of Commons this month.
It would be turning point in the history of Canadian democracy, tipping the balance of power away from party leaders, in favour of members of parliament.
“I am cautiously optimistic that the Reform Act will be passed into law,” he said. “We are up against the hard deadline of the 2015 federal election. It’s important that the bill be passed into law before the House rises next June.”
The act would reinforce the traditional concept of “responsible government”, making the executive (prime minister and cabinet) more accountable to the legislature and ensure that leaders maintain the confidence of their MPs – similar to systems in the United Kingdom and Australia.
2015 is shaping up as a momentous year for MP Michael Chong, with his Reform Act expected to come up for Third Reading and a final vote in the House of Commons this month.
It would be turning point in the history of Canadian democracy, tipping the balance of power away from party leaders, in favour of members of parliament.
“I am cautiously optimistic that the Reform Act will be passed into law,” he said. “We are up against the hard deadline of the 2015 federal election. It’s important that the bill be passed into law before the House rises next June.”
The act would reinforce the traditional concept of “responsible government”, making the executive (prime minister and cabinet) more accountable to the legislature and ensure that leaders maintain the confidence of their MPs – similar to systems in the United Kingdom and Australia.
June 18, 2014
China wants to build business bridges with Erin
As published in The Erin Advocate
Investment and trade in agricultural products is an area of growing interest for businesses in China, and they are looking at rural areas such as Erin for opportunities, according to the Chinese Consul General.
Fang Li and a team from the consulate in Toronto visited Erin last week at the invitation of Mayor Lou Maieron, who organized an Agriculture and Environmental Sustainability tour of Wellington County.
“You are famous for your agricultural industry,” said Li. He noted that while China is the world’s most populous country, it has relatively limited farmland and needs to import good quality grain and organic foods.
“I believe you are in a very sound position to develop economic and trade relations with my country. Also many Chinese enterprises are going abroad for opportunities, especially in high-tech sectors such as information and communication, and renewable and clean energy. I think you could find some suitable Chinese partners.”
Economic and trade relations between Canada and China have increased rapidly since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1970. Canadian statistics show trade valued at $73 billion (US) in 2013, making China its second largest trading partner.
China’s growth rate has slowed in recent years, but it is still at 7.7%. It is a huge market, with annual imports valued at almost $2 trillion (US). It also had 97 million tourists visiting other countries last year, each spending an average of $1,000.
Chinese investments in Canada total some $50 billion, primarily in energy, mining, telecommunications, appliances and financial services. New areas of investor interest include food products, renewable energy, real estate and high-end manufacturing, said Li.
The China Canada Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, signed in 2012, is intended to protect the rights of investors from each country. Li urged the federal government to ratify the agreement.
Also visiting Erin was Sophia Sun, founder of the Canada China Investment Association, which sponsored Maieron’s trip to China with other mayors last year.
“I was completely blown away by the advancements, the culture and the history of a civilization that is more than 5,000 years old,” said the mayor. “We learned how Canadian clean industries, agriculture and other industries could help China and how we could do some business. There’s a great need. The Chinese are wanting to improve their diet, with dairy, animal husbandry – beef and pork – and crops. That’s something that we can do very well.”
The day started with a breakfast meeting at David’s Restaurant, hosted by David Netherton and Mary Shields of the East Wellington Chamber of Commerce. Several business people interested in or currently selling products to China were in attendance.
After Li’s speech and a brief question and answer session with Erin residents, Maieron brought the Chinese delegation for a tour of his trout farm, Silver Creek Aquaculture, then to visit the Angelstone International show jumping venue on County Road 50.
From there they went to see the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre, and the Biodiversity Institute at the University of Guelph. They also went to see the family dairy farm and bio-digester of Mapleton Mayor Bruce Whale. To finish the day they toured the Grand River Raceway in Elora and watched horse racing over dinner.
Investment and trade in agricultural products is an area of growing interest for businesses in China, and they are looking at rural areas such as Erin for opportunities, according to the Chinese Consul General.
Fang Li and a team from the consulate in Toronto visited Erin last week at the invitation of Mayor Lou Maieron, who organized an Agriculture and Environmental Sustainability tour of Wellington County.
“You are famous for your agricultural industry,” said Li. He noted that while China is the world’s most populous country, it has relatively limited farmland and needs to import good quality grain and organic foods.
 |
| Mayor Maieron presented an Erin flag to Consul General Fang Li and his entourage. |
“I believe you are in a very sound position to develop economic and trade relations with my country. Also many Chinese enterprises are going abroad for opportunities, especially in high-tech sectors such as information and communication, and renewable and clean energy. I think you could find some suitable Chinese partners.”
Economic and trade relations between Canada and China have increased rapidly since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1970. Canadian statistics show trade valued at $73 billion (US) in 2013, making China its second largest trading partner.
China’s growth rate has slowed in recent years, but it is still at 7.7%. It is a huge market, with annual imports valued at almost $2 trillion (US). It also had 97 million tourists visiting other countries last year, each spending an average of $1,000.
Chinese investments in Canada total some $50 billion, primarily in energy, mining, telecommunications, appliances and financial services. New areas of investor interest include food products, renewable energy, real estate and high-end manufacturing, said Li.
The China Canada Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, signed in 2012, is intended to protect the rights of investors from each country. Li urged the federal government to ratify the agreement.
Also visiting Erin was Sophia Sun, founder of the Canada China Investment Association, which sponsored Maieron’s trip to China with other mayors last year.
“I was completely blown away by the advancements, the culture and the history of a civilization that is more than 5,000 years old,” said the mayor. “We learned how Canadian clean industries, agriculture and other industries could help China and how we could do some business. There’s a great need. The Chinese are wanting to improve their diet, with dairy, animal husbandry – beef and pork – and crops. That’s something that we can do very well.”
The day started with a breakfast meeting at David’s Restaurant, hosted by David Netherton and Mary Shields of the East Wellington Chamber of Commerce. Several business people interested in or currently selling products to China were in attendance.
After Li’s speech and a brief question and answer session with Erin residents, Maieron brought the Chinese delegation for a tour of his trout farm, Silver Creek Aquaculture, then to visit the Angelstone International show jumping venue on County Road 50.
From there they went to see the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre, and the Biodiversity Institute at the University of Guelph. They also went to see the family dairy farm and bio-digester of Mapleton Mayor Bruce Whale. To finish the day they toured the Grand River Raceway in Elora and watched horse racing over dinner.
May 14, 2014
Legion pays tribute to Afghanistan veterans
As published in The Erin Advocate
The young cadets saluted as O Canada was sung; heads were bowed in silent respect and divine blessing was humbly requested.
A wreath and a Canadian flag were placed by the grave of a fallen soldier at Erin Union Cemetery as Legion Branch 442 joined in the National Day of Honour for Afghanistan Veterans on May 9.
Lieutenant William Turner is buried with his father and
grandparents, just across from the former family farm on the Ninth Line.
He had worked as a research assistant at the University of Guelph, as forensic lab technician in Hamilton and as a teacher and letter carrier in Alberta. An avid cyclist and a Canadian Forces Reserve Officer in Guelph and Edmonton, he accepted a position with the Civilian Military Cooperation unit, providing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Afghanistan.
Turner died on April 22, 2006 at the age of 45 with three other members of the Canadian Forces after a roadside bomb destroyed their armoured vehicle: Corporal Matthew David James Dinning, 23, of Richmond Hill, Bombardier Myles Stanley John Mansell, 25, of Victoria and Corporal Randy Payne, 32 of Gananoque.
Joining the service last week were Turner’s uncles, Dennis Turner of Milton and Jim Smith of Ballinafad, and his cousin Gary Wallace of Port Credit.
Turner was one of the 158 Canadian soldiers who died in the Afghanistan mission, among the 40,000 who served over 12 years.
At the service, the wreath was placed by Ken and Carol Paisley, the Act of Remembrance said by Legion President Rose Ostrander, and the Legion Memorial Marker and Canadian Flag placed by Service Officer Doug Kirkwood.
“We take time to remember our continuing obligation to support those who returned home and continue to suffer the effects of war,” said Legion Chaplain, Rev. Deacon Irene Walback.
She urged people to support programs including Leave the Streets Behind for homeless or near-homeless veterans, and to “encourage those who govern our great country to relieve the pain of our service men and women who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.”
We seem to be a distracted society. Many people were so engrossed in their personal business that they didn’t truly appreciate that the nation was at war. How many are even aware of the veterans who have taken their own lives as a result of the trauma?
We say we are proud to be Canadians, but how many are willing to even cast a ballot? We say we are glad to live in a democracy, but how many are prepared to die for it? How many would sacrifice themselves for the benefit of people on the other side of the planet?
It is a unique moment of history, in which we enjoy the right to scrutinize the decisions of our government, as it plays its small part upon the world stage.
Sacrifices on the battlefield, however, quite properly transcend political debate. Laying down one’s life for others, and for cherished ideals, is always worthy of respect. Here is a portion of the final prayer by Rev. Walback:
“O God, we remember before you those Canadian men and women who laid down their lives for the people of Afghanistan during the fight for truth and freedom.
“We commend their souls into your gracious keeping and pray that we may be worthy of their sacrifice. Help us to be faithful and true to those ideals for which they fought and died, and for which the living continue to suffer.
“May we continue to perpetuate the memory of our departed comrades by service to our country Canada, to world peace and the care of all your Creation.”
The young cadets saluted as O Canada was sung; heads were bowed in silent respect and divine blessing was humbly requested.
A wreath and a Canadian flag were placed by the grave of a fallen soldier at Erin Union Cemetery as Legion Branch 442 joined in the National Day of Honour for Afghanistan Veterans on May 9.
He had worked as a research assistant at the University of Guelph, as forensic lab technician in Hamilton and as a teacher and letter carrier in Alberta. An avid cyclist and a Canadian Forces Reserve Officer in Guelph and Edmonton, he accepted a position with the Civilian Military Cooperation unit, providing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Afghanistan.
Turner died on April 22, 2006 at the age of 45 with three other members of the Canadian Forces after a roadside bomb destroyed their armoured vehicle: Corporal Matthew David James Dinning, 23, of Richmond Hill, Bombardier Myles Stanley John Mansell, 25, of Victoria and Corporal Randy Payne, 32 of Gananoque.
Joining the service last week were Turner’s uncles, Dennis Turner of Milton and Jim Smith of Ballinafad, and his cousin Gary Wallace of Port Credit.
Turner was one of the 158 Canadian soldiers who died in the Afghanistan mission, among the 40,000 who served over 12 years.
At the service, the wreath was placed by Ken and Carol Paisley, the Act of Remembrance said by Legion President Rose Ostrander, and the Legion Memorial Marker and Canadian Flag placed by Service Officer Doug Kirkwood.
“We take time to remember our continuing obligation to support those who returned home and continue to suffer the effects of war,” said Legion Chaplain, Rev. Deacon Irene Walback.
She urged people to support programs including Leave the Streets Behind for homeless or near-homeless veterans, and to “encourage those who govern our great country to relieve the pain of our service men and women who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.”
We seem to be a distracted society. Many people were so engrossed in their personal business that they didn’t truly appreciate that the nation was at war. How many are even aware of the veterans who have taken their own lives as a result of the trauma?
We say we are proud to be Canadians, but how many are willing to even cast a ballot? We say we are glad to live in a democracy, but how many are prepared to die for it? How many would sacrifice themselves for the benefit of people on the other side of the planet?
It is a unique moment of history, in which we enjoy the right to scrutinize the decisions of our government, as it plays its small part upon the world stage.
Sacrifices on the battlefield, however, quite properly transcend political debate. Laying down one’s life for others, and for cherished ideals, is always worthy of respect. Here is a portion of the final prayer by Rev. Walback:
“O God, we remember before you those Canadian men and women who laid down their lives for the people of Afghanistan during the fight for truth and freedom.
“We commend their souls into your gracious keeping and pray that we may be worthy of their sacrifice. Help us to be faithful and true to those ideals for which they fought and died, and for which the living continue to suffer.
“May we continue to perpetuate the memory of our departed comrades by service to our country Canada, to world peace and the care of all your Creation.”
April 23, 2014
It's not too late for climate change solutions
As published in Country Routes
Measures to counter the damaging effects of climate change can be achieved without catastrophic costs and devastation of the world economy, according to new studies in the debate over global warming.
That’s music to the ears of environmental activists like Erin’s Liz Armstrong, who have pushed for practical climate action at the local level.
She has started a chapter of the Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL), designed to influence political decision makers at various levels of government.
Two recent reports from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) say that while the risk of increasing droughts, floods,
crop failures and severe storms due to the carbon from fossil fuels is reaching
an alarming level, the ability to do something about it remains well within the
reach of national governments.
“It will get worse before it gets better, but it’s not too late, and it is not going to cost the earth,” said Armstrong. “We have to buckle down and steel ourselves to do this. It is the developed countries that are causing the problem. There is no excuse not to act.”
The IPCC report says climate change is “unequivocally” caused by people burning fossil fuels and that it poses a serious threat to peace and stability. Scientists warn that we need to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent or more by mid-century to avoid calamity.
“The good news is that it will not cost much compared to the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and compared to the cost if we do nothing,” said Armstrong.
Her group is meeting on the first Saturday of each month at Erin United Church, training on how to engage politicians and the public, planning local action and getting updates from CCL leaders. She can be contacted by email: liz@lizarmstrong.ca, and more information is available at www.citizensclimatelobby.ca.
The federal Conservative government has put a lot of energy into oil sands expansion, pipeline plans and energy exports. They have promised tougher environmental legislation, and say Canada is on track to trim greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent by 2020 from their 2005 level. But The Toronto Star reports that Environment Canada is less optimistic, saying last fall that at the current rate, we will achieve a mere 0.4-per-cent cut.
The Citizen’s Climate Lobby favours a “Carbon Fee and
Dividend”, essentially a carbon tax placed on fossil fuels at their source.
This would result in higher fuel prices, but all of the extra money would be
rebated equally to Canadians. It would be a market-driven system, benefiting
those who use less fuel.
The Lobby also objects to the current distortions in the marketplace, in which taxpayers’ money is used to mask the true cost of energy. A report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) calculated that Canada provided $26 billion to subsidize the energy industry in 2011, which is $787 per person.
IMF First Deputy Managing Director David Lipton said removing these subsidies worldwide could lead to a 13 percent decline in carbon dioxide emissions. This would reduce global energy demand and strengthen incentives for research and development in energy-saving and alternative technologies.
Canada already has a thriving “green” sector, innovating and making money in areas such as energy, infrastructure, transportation, biorefinery, industrial processes and wastewater treatment.
“Canada’s clean tech sector is now a $11.3 billion industry, it employs more Canadians than aerospace, and has the potential to grow to $50 billion by 2022, representing 2% of the global market share,” said Armstrong, suggesting that subsidies for clean technologies instead of oil would be a better investment for Canada.
A study by Analytica Advisors estimates employment in the clean tech sector could grow from the current 41,100, to more than 75,000 in the next eight years.
“Canadian innovation is helping to clean up contaminated land and water, store energy for use during peak demand, improve efficiencies in solar systems and transform greenhouse gases into stronger concrete to build greener buildings,” says the Citizen’s Climate Lobby, commenting on the study.
“Other countries have taken notice, buying environmentally-friendly Canadian technologies that help reduce and recycle solid waste, improve efficiencies and reduce our reliance on fossil fuel and petro-products. Approximately 74 percent of Canadian clean technology companies are exporters, with 42 percent of export sales going to non-US countries.
“While Canadian clean technology enjoys strong market diversification overseas, it struggles to compete domestically. One challenge is the price of carbon-based energy, which is relatively cheap in Canada compared to many countries.
“At a time when the world is thinking twice about investing in a high carbon future, Canada can ill-afford to put its economic eggs in the oil sands basket. According to the IPCC, the world must keep two thirds of all fossil fuel reserves in the ground to avoid dangerous global warming.
“Canada is at a crossroads. Does it invest in dirty oil and pipelines, and lock the country into a high-carbon economy, or does it focus on transforming its economy, using clean technology to drive innovation and economic growth?”
“Building a green economy will create more long-term jobs,” said Armstrong, who remains hopeful that some of those companies could be attracted to Erin. “Smart municipalities are making plans and looking to the future. Election candidates need to say what type of development they would like to see here in the next 50 years.”
Climate change could mean a low flow of water in the West Credit River at certain times. As a precaution against excessive contamination from treated sewage effluent, a 10% cutback has been made in the maximum number of new residents to be allowed in Erin village and Hillsburgh.
Food is another key aspect, with crop yields and fish harvests declining as the world population increases, making it difficult to sustain a quality, affordable supply.
“This is no longer a picture about poor farmers in some regions being hit by climate change,” said Tim Gore, head of policy for food and climate change at Oxfam. “This is a picture about global agriculture being hit – US, Russia, and Australia – with global implications for food prices.”
A TD Bank report says natural catastrophes will cost Canadians an estimated $21-$43 billion per year by 2050.
“The frequency of weather events has increased,” said lead author and TD economist Craig Alexander. “Storms that used to occur every forty years are now occurring every six years. And because of the composition of Canadian economy and society, we’re ending up with more damaging events.”
He said city dwellers are at the highest risk, and with Canadians becoming wealthier, they have more valuable assets to lose in the event of a catastrophic storm. Repairs after a catastrophe tend to inflate the GDP, masking the costs that are shared broadly via the insurance industry and government relief funding.
The TD report highlights estimates that for every dollar invested in adaptation to climate change prevention, such as severe weather resistant buildings, from $9-$38 worth of costs will be avoided in the future.
“Here in the Town of Erin, we should be cognizant of these predicted increases of weather and climate extremes when planning and building new (or replacing old) infrastructure, housing, roads and bridges, etc., significantly boosting their capacity to withstand more punishing climate stresses than in the past,” said Armstrong.
“All of these suggestions were brought forward in 2011 by Amaranth Mayor Don MacIver, an Environment Canada climatologist who was a member of the IPCC. Our Council (present and future) needs to be aware, and prepared to act on his suggestions and forewarnings.”
Measures to counter the damaging effects of climate change can be achieved without catastrophic costs and devastation of the world economy, according to new studies in the debate over global warming.
That’s music to the ears of environmental activists like Erin’s Liz Armstrong, who have pushed for practical climate action at the local level.
She has started a chapter of the Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL), designed to influence political decision makers at various levels of government.
 |
| Liz Armstrong |
“It will get worse before it gets better, but it’s not too late, and it is not going to cost the earth,” said Armstrong. “We have to buckle down and steel ourselves to do this. It is the developed countries that are causing the problem. There is no excuse not to act.”
The IPCC report says climate change is “unequivocally” caused by people burning fossil fuels and that it poses a serious threat to peace and stability. Scientists warn that we need to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent or more by mid-century to avoid calamity.
“The good news is that it will not cost much compared to the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and compared to the cost if we do nothing,” said Armstrong.
Her group is meeting on the first Saturday of each month at Erin United Church, training on how to engage politicians and the public, planning local action and getting updates from CCL leaders. She can be contacted by email: liz@lizarmstrong.ca, and more information is available at www.citizensclimatelobby.ca.
The federal Conservative government has put a lot of energy into oil sands expansion, pipeline plans and energy exports. They have promised tougher environmental legislation, and say Canada is on track to trim greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent by 2020 from their 2005 level. But The Toronto Star reports that Environment Canada is less optimistic, saying last fall that at the current rate, we will achieve a mere 0.4-per-cent cut.
The Lobby also objects to the current distortions in the marketplace, in which taxpayers’ money is used to mask the true cost of energy. A report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) calculated that Canada provided $26 billion to subsidize the energy industry in 2011, which is $787 per person.
IMF First Deputy Managing Director David Lipton said removing these subsidies worldwide could lead to a 13 percent decline in carbon dioxide emissions. This would reduce global energy demand and strengthen incentives for research and development in energy-saving and alternative technologies.
Canada already has a thriving “green” sector, innovating and making money in areas such as energy, infrastructure, transportation, biorefinery, industrial processes and wastewater treatment.
“Canada’s clean tech sector is now a $11.3 billion industry, it employs more Canadians than aerospace, and has the potential to grow to $50 billion by 2022, representing 2% of the global market share,” said Armstrong, suggesting that subsidies for clean technologies instead of oil would be a better investment for Canada.
A study by Analytica Advisors estimates employment in the clean tech sector could grow from the current 41,100, to more than 75,000 in the next eight years.
“Canadian innovation is helping to clean up contaminated land and water, store energy for use during peak demand, improve efficiencies in solar systems and transform greenhouse gases into stronger concrete to build greener buildings,” says the Citizen’s Climate Lobby, commenting on the study.
“Other countries have taken notice, buying environmentally-friendly Canadian technologies that help reduce and recycle solid waste, improve efficiencies and reduce our reliance on fossil fuel and petro-products. Approximately 74 percent of Canadian clean technology companies are exporters, with 42 percent of export sales going to non-US countries.
“While Canadian clean technology enjoys strong market diversification overseas, it struggles to compete domestically. One challenge is the price of carbon-based energy, which is relatively cheap in Canada compared to many countries.
“At a time when the world is thinking twice about investing in a high carbon future, Canada can ill-afford to put its economic eggs in the oil sands basket. According to the IPCC, the world must keep two thirds of all fossil fuel reserves in the ground to avoid dangerous global warming.
“Canada is at a crossroads. Does it invest in dirty oil and pipelines, and lock the country into a high-carbon economy, or does it focus on transforming its economy, using clean technology to drive innovation and economic growth?”
“Building a green economy will create more long-term jobs,” said Armstrong, who remains hopeful that some of those companies could be attracted to Erin. “Smart municipalities are making plans and looking to the future. Election candidates need to say what type of development they would like to see here in the next 50 years.”
Climate change could mean a low flow of water in the West Credit River at certain times. As a precaution against excessive contamination from treated sewage effluent, a 10% cutback has been made in the maximum number of new residents to be allowed in Erin village and Hillsburgh.
Food is another key aspect, with crop yields and fish harvests declining as the world population increases, making it difficult to sustain a quality, affordable supply.
“This is no longer a picture about poor farmers in some regions being hit by climate change,” said Tim Gore, head of policy for food and climate change at Oxfam. “This is a picture about global agriculture being hit – US, Russia, and Australia – with global implications for food prices.”
A TD Bank report says natural catastrophes will cost Canadians an estimated $21-$43 billion per year by 2050.
“The frequency of weather events has increased,” said lead author and TD economist Craig Alexander. “Storms that used to occur every forty years are now occurring every six years. And because of the composition of Canadian economy and society, we’re ending up with more damaging events.”
He said city dwellers are at the highest risk, and with Canadians becoming wealthier, they have more valuable assets to lose in the event of a catastrophic storm. Repairs after a catastrophe tend to inflate the GDP, masking the costs that are shared broadly via the insurance industry and government relief funding.
The TD report highlights estimates that for every dollar invested in adaptation to climate change prevention, such as severe weather resistant buildings, from $9-$38 worth of costs will be avoided in the future.
“Here in the Town of Erin, we should be cognizant of these predicted increases of weather and climate extremes when planning and building new (or replacing old) infrastructure, housing, roads and bridges, etc., significantly boosting their capacity to withstand more punishing climate stresses than in the past,” said Armstrong.
“All of these suggestions were brought forward in 2011 by Amaranth Mayor Don MacIver, an Environment Canada climatologist who was a member of the IPCC. Our Council (present and future) needs to be aware, and prepared to act on his suggestions and forewarnings.”
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