As published in The Erin Advocate
The recent Doors Open event in Erin was not only a great way for people to learn about the community, but an opportunity to start conversations about how we got here and where we are going.
In that vein, may I recommend a little booklet, just 16 pages, written and published by Tim Inkster of The Porcupine's Quill, called A Brief History of McMillan's Mills. It celebrates the work of Daniel McMillan, a "compulsive entrepreneur" who shaped the industrial design of Erin village between 1829 and 1849.
It is published to mark the third annual Hills of Headwaters Doors Open, a concept started in Europe, encouraging people to enter and learn about places they may not normally visit. The Ontario Heritage Trust – the agency that has replaced our aging historical sign on Main Street – now coordinates the Trails Open and Doors Open programs.
"Erin is one of the places it has been most successful," said Inkster. "It is a way to help the local populace appreciate what we have here. The historical walking tours have been hugely popular." A Brief History of Erin Village, by local historian Steve Revell, was published for the first local Doors Open. The booklets cost $2.
This year, people visited Century Church Theatre in Hillsburgh, the Pioneer Cemetery, All Saints Anglican, Burns Presbyterian, Erin United, Devonshire Guest House, Woollen Mills Conservation Area, the Mundell Mill and The Porcupine's Quill, where the booklet was actually on the press.
It should be required reading for local students and anyone who cares about the village. It brings together the story of McMillan's seven mills and places it in the context of Ontario's population growth and the evolution of industrial technology.
It includes historic photos, maps of the raceways cutting through the downtown, and photos by George Beshiri of the mill-driven nineteenth-century woodworking machinery used to make windows and doors in the Mundell Planing Factory.
The 1838 mill is not being used now, but is still operable, the last intact mill in the Credit Valley watershed. It uses water diverted from the Charles Street dam, built with a sawmill in 1826 by Henry Trout, eight years before the first house went up. The water drops seven metres and generates 30 horsepower through a horizontal waterwheel.
Conducting the tours at Mundell's was Brian Oates, who once operated the mill. When I introduced myself, he asked me if I was the one who had suggested that Erin's dams should eventually come down. We had a good conversation.
He said the mill ponds create an environment that people enjoy, with plants and animals we would not otherwise see here. He values the heritage aspect of the dams, and their usefulness for flood control. He sees the dam and mill not only as an educational resource, but as a potential source of energy.
He agreed that sometimes the pond water is not very attractive, but would like to see it improved, not drained away. The lower pond has 183 years of sediment, which traps nutrients from waste, and who knows what else we have dumped in there. I am sure the folks downstream do not want it.
Tim Inkster, who enjoys the view of water lilies and turtles where his back yard meets the pond, said that even a slight lowering of the dam could create huge mud flats in the shallow areas outside the centre channel. That could lead to an expanse of bullrushes, like those in the upper pond near the Dundas Street bridge. He said water quality has improved since farmers were encouraged to stop grazing cattle near the river.
What else is being done, or could be done to improve our ponds? Is there a long-term strategy for the dams? Trout's 1826 sawmill was already in ruins by 1880, a reminder of the temporary nature of human endeavour. The Credit River flowed a long time before we started building dams, and will flow a long time after we are gone – or at least until the glaciers return, re-organizing the hills and scouring the land clean once again.
August 26, 2009
August 19, 2009
Forks of the Credit Park combines hiking & history
As published in The Erin Advocate
Just a few minutes east of Erin is one of the most interesting places to learn about the Credit River, and how its power was harnessed to build up the local economy more than 100 years ago.
Forks of the Credit Provincial Park is a protected oasis in a section of Caledon along Charleston Sideroad that has been virtually stripped bare by aggregate mining.
Quarries are part of the local history, since they were key to the settlements at Credit Forks and Brimstone, east of Belfountain. The maroon sandstone used to build the Ontario parliament buildings and Old City Hall in Toronto was extracted in this area.
A drive along Forks of the Credit Road will take you past the south end of the provincial park, where the West Credit, flowing from Erin, meets the main Credit River, flowing south from Alton, then on to Inglewood, Cheltenham and Terra Cotta. The main entrance to the park is at the north-west corner – along Charleston, just past Cataract Road (Coulterville), turn south on McLaren Road.
Forks of the Credit is a "natural environment" provincial park, open all year, covering 282 hectares. There are no staff at the gate, but parking will cost you $3 for two hours, $5 for four hours, or $11 for the whole day. There is no camping or intensive recreation – just picnicking, fishing, cycling, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
The network of trails takes you through rolling hills, past Kettle Lake (created by glaciation), and into wooded areas near the river. It can take an hour to hike to Cataract village, including some steep grades.
The most direct route to the park from Erin is the Elora-Cataract Trailway, part of the Trans-Canada Trail, the remains of a branch rail line of the Credit Valley Railway from 1879. It was later bought by Canadian Pacific, and the main track still runs up the valley to Orangeville.
You can also enter the park from the south along the Bruce Trail. It winds from Belfountain, past the Forks, up Dominion Road through Brimstone, then along the river to Church's Falls – one of the region's scenic highlights, where the Credit tumbles 45 feet down from a rocky shelf.
Originally developed in 1820 as a salt mine and saw mill, the nearby village was originally called Gleniffer. It lay abandoned for 20 years before Richard Church re-established it as Church's Falls in 1858. The name was changed to Cataract when the railway arrived. The village is just outside the park, to the west of the river.
In the late 1800s, Cataract had a saw mill, grist mill, a woollen factory, barrel-head manufacturing, a large general store and two hotels. In 1885, John Deagle bought the mill at the top of the falls, and converted it into an electrical generating station that powered Cataract.
Eventually, he approached Erin (eight kilometres away) with a business plan, and in November 1899, the village enjoyed the glow of streetlights for the first time.
A Boston Mills Press book called Cataract and the Forks of the Credit, by Ralph Beaumont, tells of Deagle's pioneering electrical design work. He was also building a huge tunnel from Cataract Lake (his mill pond), to a point downstream, in hopes of doubling his energy output.
That project was abandoned after heavy rain and melting ice burst the Alton dam on April 6-7, 1912, sending a surge of water and debris down the Credit that destroyed the dam for Bell's Flour Mill (near Charleston Sideroad), and not only wiped out Deagle's Dam, but a section of Dominion Road that has never been replaced. The Erin Advocate reported that another dam and a bridge were destroyed near Credit Forks.
Deagle rebuilt his dam, and sold the operation in the 1920s for $50,000. Ontario Hydro eventually bought the plant, power lines and rights-of-way in 1944, then closed the plant as uneconomical in 1947. There were plans to make Cataract Lake a tourist area, but the CPR feared the water might undermine its rail bed, so the dam was dynamited in 1953 and the lake disappeared.
The ruins of the mill were heavily fenced off after a number of hikers lost their lives in the falls. It is just as well, for while the ruins may be interesting, they are not attractive. The grafitti-decorated plant walls and the reinforced riverbank below the rail line are concrete scars on an otherwise spectacular landscape.
Just a few minutes east of Erin is one of the most interesting places to learn about the Credit River, and how its power was harnessed to build up the local economy more than 100 years ago.
Forks of the Credit Provincial Park is a protected oasis in a section of Caledon along Charleston Sideroad that has been virtually stripped bare by aggregate mining.
Quarries are part of the local history, since they were key to the settlements at Credit Forks and Brimstone, east of Belfountain. The maroon sandstone used to build the Ontario parliament buildings and Old City Hall in Toronto was extracted in this area.
A drive along Forks of the Credit Road will take you past the south end of the provincial park, where the West Credit, flowing from Erin, meets the main Credit River, flowing south from Alton, then on to Inglewood, Cheltenham and Terra Cotta. The main entrance to the park is at the north-west corner – along Charleston, just past Cataract Road (Coulterville), turn south on McLaren Road.
Forks of the Credit is a "natural environment" provincial park, open all year, covering 282 hectares. There are no staff at the gate, but parking will cost you $3 for two hours, $5 for four hours, or $11 for the whole day. There is no camping or intensive recreation – just picnicking, fishing, cycling, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
The network of trails takes you through rolling hills, past Kettle Lake (created by glaciation), and into wooded areas near the river. It can take an hour to hike to Cataract village, including some steep grades.
The most direct route to the park from Erin is the Elora-Cataract Trailway, part of the Trans-Canada Trail, the remains of a branch rail line of the Credit Valley Railway from 1879. It was later bought by Canadian Pacific, and the main track still runs up the valley to Orangeville.
You can also enter the park from the south along the Bruce Trail. It winds from Belfountain, past the Forks, up Dominion Road through Brimstone, then along the river to Church's Falls – one of the region's scenic highlights, where the Credit tumbles 45 feet down from a rocky shelf.
Originally developed in 1820 as a salt mine and saw mill, the nearby village was originally called Gleniffer. It lay abandoned for 20 years before Richard Church re-established it as Church's Falls in 1858. The name was changed to Cataract when the railway arrived. The village is just outside the park, to the west of the river.
In the late 1800s, Cataract had a saw mill, grist mill, a woollen factory, barrel-head manufacturing, a large general store and two hotels. In 1885, John Deagle bought the mill at the top of the falls, and converted it into an electrical generating station that powered Cataract.
Eventually, he approached Erin (eight kilometres away) with a business plan, and in November 1899, the village enjoyed the glow of streetlights for the first time.
A Boston Mills Press book called Cataract and the Forks of the Credit, by Ralph Beaumont, tells of Deagle's pioneering electrical design work. He was also building a huge tunnel from Cataract Lake (his mill pond), to a point downstream, in hopes of doubling his energy output.
That project was abandoned after heavy rain and melting ice burst the Alton dam on April 6-7, 1912, sending a surge of water and debris down the Credit that destroyed the dam for Bell's Flour Mill (near Charleston Sideroad), and not only wiped out Deagle's Dam, but a section of Dominion Road that has never been replaced. The Erin Advocate reported that another dam and a bridge were destroyed near Credit Forks.
Deagle rebuilt his dam, and sold the operation in the 1920s for $50,000. Ontario Hydro eventually bought the plant, power lines and rights-of-way in 1944, then closed the plant as uneconomical in 1947. There were plans to make Cataract Lake a tourist area, but the CPR feared the water might undermine its rail bed, so the dam was dynamited in 1953 and the lake disappeared.
The ruins of the mill were heavily fenced off after a number of hikers lost their lives in the falls. It is just as well, for while the ruins may be interesting, they are not attractive. The grafitti-decorated plant walls and the reinforced riverbank below the rail line are concrete scars on an otherwise spectacular landscape.
August 12, 2009
Yoga helps focus energy for busy Erin artist
As published in The Erin Advocate
Emma Bramma Smith has cast a wide net in her quest for inspiration and enlightenment. She brings together many influences in her paintings, blending images of nature with symbols from Celtic, Christian and Buddhist traditions.
Using India ink, watercolour, oils, acrylics and pencil, she creates a surreal quality, infused with a mysterious energy.
Merging with this work is her passion for yoga, which helps people discover and take advantage of energy within themselves. For Smith, that has helped both her spiritual growth and the channeling of ideas onto paper.
"Everything I am is in these pieces – I love what I do," she said. "Yoga has helped me become a better artist."
She exhibits at various shows, but the best way to get an idea of the range of her work is to visit her on-line gallery and store, at www.universallotus.com. She is also in the process of moving to a new home at 176 Main Street in Erin village where she will be leading a new series of yoga classes on September 22.
Y'OM – Yoga on Main includes Kundalini Yoga, which focuses on channels of energy through the spine and employs mantra and meditation throughout the postures. She also does Tibetan Yoga, which promotes relaxation and letting go of burdens, and Flow Yoga, which develops graceful movement between postures. There are also meditation and youth classes. Email her at art@universallotus.com for more details.
Her art swirls with feminine imagery, and has echoes of medieval illumination. She is influenced by Romantic and Pre-Raphaelite painting from the 1800s, which embraced the exotic and rebelled against realism, scientific rationalism and the restrictions of classical art forms.
While positive energy dominates, there are dark hints woven into many pieces. "I feel sorry for evil," she said. "Love is a much stronger power."
In the fall of 2007, she completed a painting called Universal Heart, which combines many strands from her life. It is based on a vision she had in 2000, and on the spiritual connection she has experienced with Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.
It has a Celtic border and elements of plant and animal life, including lotus flowers, fish, doves and a heron, which represents the Dalai Lama. At the centre is a Buddha figure in a seated meditation posture, merged into a Christ figure with outstretched arms. The two opposite triangle shapes of these figures combine to make a six-pointed Star of David.
When the Dalai Lama visited Toronto's Tibetan-Canadian Cultural Centre in 2007, Smith was there, hoping to present the painting as a gift. She happened to meet the Indian Ambassador to Canada as he was going in to see the Tibetan leader, and persuaded him to take the painting in and present it to His Holiness. She was not able to meet him in person, but she hopes to be able to travel to India to make that dream come true.
In the meantime, as if meditation, painting and teaching yoga were not enough, she is designing costumes and sets for the InMotion Dance Company in Oakville and for the pilot of a CBC TV show. She has just finished teaching art and self-awareness at Olympia Sports Camp in Muskoka and will be teaching Tibetan chanting as part of a weekend workshop in Alton on August 29. She does illustrations for Mandala Magazine, an international Tibetan Buddhist Journal, is working on two yoga books for children and developing a sketchblog for her website.
She feels fortunate to have had friends of many different faiths when she was a child. With support and encouragement from her parents, she was able to develop a broad range of interests. Her father, Ron Smith, who Emma calls "my first hero, artistically", has a show of his own coming up. His striking landscape photography will be on display at The Teak Barn near Ospringe, as part of the Hills of Erin Studio Tour, September 26-27.
For more on the 21st annual tour, with 30 artists at 15 locations in the Erin-Hillsburgh area, go to www.hillsoferinstudiotour.com.
Emma Bramma Smith has cast a wide net in her quest for inspiration and enlightenment. She brings together many influences in her paintings, blending images of nature with symbols from Celtic, Christian and Buddhist traditions.
Using India ink, watercolour, oils, acrylics and pencil, she creates a surreal quality, infused with a mysterious energy.
Merging with this work is her passion for yoga, which helps people discover and take advantage of energy within themselves. For Smith, that has helped both her spiritual growth and the channeling of ideas onto paper.
"Everything I am is in these pieces – I love what I do," she said. "Yoga has helped me become a better artist."
She exhibits at various shows, but the best way to get an idea of the range of her work is to visit her on-line gallery and store, at www.universallotus.com. She is also in the process of moving to a new home at 176 Main Street in Erin village where she will be leading a new series of yoga classes on September 22.
Y'OM – Yoga on Main includes Kundalini Yoga, which focuses on channels of energy through the spine and employs mantra and meditation throughout the postures. She also does Tibetan Yoga, which promotes relaxation and letting go of burdens, and Flow Yoga, which develops graceful movement between postures. There are also meditation and youth classes. Email her at art@universallotus.com for more details.
Her art swirls with feminine imagery, and has echoes of medieval illumination. She is influenced by Romantic and Pre-Raphaelite painting from the 1800s, which embraced the exotic and rebelled against realism, scientific rationalism and the restrictions of classical art forms.
While positive energy dominates, there are dark hints woven into many pieces. "I feel sorry for evil," she said. "Love is a much stronger power."
In the fall of 2007, she completed a painting called Universal Heart, which combines many strands from her life. It is based on a vision she had in 2000, and on the spiritual connection she has experienced with Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.
It has a Celtic border and elements of plant and animal life, including lotus flowers, fish, doves and a heron, which represents the Dalai Lama. At the centre is a Buddha figure in a seated meditation posture, merged into a Christ figure with outstretched arms. The two opposite triangle shapes of these figures combine to make a six-pointed Star of David.
When the Dalai Lama visited Toronto's Tibetan-Canadian Cultural Centre in 2007, Smith was there, hoping to present the painting as a gift. She happened to meet the Indian Ambassador to Canada as he was going in to see the Tibetan leader, and persuaded him to take the painting in and present it to His Holiness. She was not able to meet him in person, but she hopes to be able to travel to India to make that dream come true.
In the meantime, as if meditation, painting and teaching yoga were not enough, she is designing costumes and sets for the InMotion Dance Company in Oakville and for the pilot of a CBC TV show. She has just finished teaching art and self-awareness at Olympia Sports Camp in Muskoka and will be teaching Tibetan chanting as part of a weekend workshop in Alton on August 29. She does illustrations for Mandala Magazine, an international Tibetan Buddhist Journal, is working on two yoga books for children and developing a sketchblog for her website.
She feels fortunate to have had friends of many different faiths when she was a child. With support and encouragement from her parents, she was able to develop a broad range of interests. Her father, Ron Smith, who Emma calls "my first hero, artistically", has a show of his own coming up. His striking landscape photography will be on display at The Teak Barn near Ospringe, as part of the Hills of Erin Studio Tour, September 26-27.
For more on the 21st annual tour, with 30 artists at 15 locations in the Erin-Hillsburgh area, go to www.hillsoferinstudiotour.com.
August 05, 2009
New trail signs reveal history of Woollen Mill
As published in The Erin Advocate
It may be hard to imagine downtown Erin as an elaborate industrial complex, but in the mill-driven economy of the 1800s, that's exactly what it became. A new series of signs being erected on the Woollen Mills Trail is designed to bring that part of Erin's history to light.
The trail starts at the end of what was originally called Factory Lane. Now it is Woolen Mill Lane, off Millwood Road, just across the West Credit River behind Mundell Lumber. The trail runs between the river and the St. John Brebeuf schoolyard, which in the 1850s was the Erin Fairground.
As the trail enters a thicket of eastern white cedar, it crosses a large ditch. This is one of three major flumes, also called millraces, built between 1838 and 1849. They enabled millers to divert water from ponds, created with dams on the river, to the drive wheels of their mills.
The first was a flume from the Charles Street Dam to the Oat Mill, which later became the Mundell Planing Mill. The longest flume in the county runs from the Church Street Dam (behind the current Busholme Inn) to the Grist Mill (behind the current Budson Farm & Feed).
The West Credit flows south, then turns sharply north, where it would receive water back from the two upstream flumes. Then it flows into Woollen Mills Conservation Area, and turns east. The modern trail loops through this bend, where a dam, flume and grist mill were built in 1840. Ten years later it was converted to a carding or woollen operation, where wool was combed and prepared for spinning.
Daniel McMillan, with his brothers Charles and Hugh, was the driving force in this series of ventures, with seven mills serving the rapidly growing farm community in Erin Township. Before 1852, the village was known as McMillan's Mills.
"It was a wild and woolly time," said Erin history buff Steve Revell, who helped write the text for the trail signs. "I am amazed at the strength and ingenuity of our pioneers."
Also working on the signs was Amy Doole of the Credit Valley Conservation Authority (CVCA). She coordinates WeCARE (West Credit Appreciation, Rehabilitation & Enhancement), a project to clean up and restore the river, and educate the public about it.
On Saturday August 15, as part of the Erin Doors Open event, Revell and Doole will be conducting guided walking tours of the Woollen Mills Trail, at 11 am and 2 pm. Meet in front of The Porcupine's Quill, 68 Main Street.
The Town has spent $5,000 on the five signs, while the CVCA is providing labour, including trail pruning and cleanup by students with the Credit Youth Corps. The signs, created by As the Crow Flies Cartography, are also sponsored by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The project has been promoted by Bill Dinwoody of the Town's Recreation and Culture Advisory Committee, and the Trails Subcommittee. If you would like to be involved in trail planning and improvement, call the Town office at 519-855-4407.
Revell is hoping that the success of the Woollen Mill project will spark interest in improving other village trails, such as the Height of Land (Water Tower)Trail.
The Mundell mill was still in occasional use up to the 1980s, but as technology and the economy evolved, most water-driven mills were left behind much earlier. The Woollen Mill was abandoned before World War I and the dam removed. Many Erin residents had hoped that the ruins of the mill could be preserved, but in October of 1995, with the walls disintegrating, the Village decided to bulldoze the site. It had become a safety hazard, and restoration was considered too costly.
The land around the mill, which had been stripped bare in the 1800s, is now forested, but the natural river ecology has not fully recovered from the damage caused by milling. Through WeCARE, sediment traps have been placed in the water, to narrow the channel where the Woollen Mill pond once was.
Sooner or later (probably later) the other dams in the village should come down too. How much benefit do we get from our mill ponds? Should we preserve them forever, as historical artifacts from the Victorian era, or should we return the river, as much as possible, to its natural state?
Send me your comments:
erininsight@gmail.com.
It may be hard to imagine downtown Erin as an elaborate industrial complex, but in the mill-driven economy of the 1800s, that's exactly what it became. A new series of signs being erected on the Woollen Mills Trail is designed to bring that part of Erin's history to light.
The trail starts at the end of what was originally called Factory Lane. Now it is Woolen Mill Lane, off Millwood Road, just across the West Credit River behind Mundell Lumber. The trail runs between the river and the St. John Brebeuf schoolyard, which in the 1850s was the Erin Fairground.
As the trail enters a thicket of eastern white cedar, it crosses a large ditch. This is one of three major flumes, also called millraces, built between 1838 and 1849. They enabled millers to divert water from ponds, created with dams on the river, to the drive wheels of their mills.
The first was a flume from the Charles Street Dam to the Oat Mill, which later became the Mundell Planing Mill. The longest flume in the county runs from the Church Street Dam (behind the current Busholme Inn) to the Grist Mill (behind the current Budson Farm & Feed).
The West Credit flows south, then turns sharply north, where it would receive water back from the two upstream flumes. Then it flows into Woollen Mills Conservation Area, and turns east. The modern trail loops through this bend, where a dam, flume and grist mill were built in 1840. Ten years later it was converted to a carding or woollen operation, where wool was combed and prepared for spinning.
Daniel McMillan, with his brothers Charles and Hugh, was the driving force in this series of ventures, with seven mills serving the rapidly growing farm community in Erin Township. Before 1852, the village was known as McMillan's Mills.
"It was a wild and woolly time," said Erin history buff Steve Revell, who helped write the text for the trail signs. "I am amazed at the strength and ingenuity of our pioneers."
Also working on the signs was Amy Doole of the Credit Valley Conservation Authority (CVCA). She coordinates WeCARE (West Credit Appreciation, Rehabilitation & Enhancement), a project to clean up and restore the river, and educate the public about it.
On Saturday August 15, as part of the Erin Doors Open event, Revell and Doole will be conducting guided walking tours of the Woollen Mills Trail, at 11 am and 2 pm. Meet in front of The Porcupine's Quill, 68 Main Street.
The Town has spent $5,000 on the five signs, while the CVCA is providing labour, including trail pruning and cleanup by students with the Credit Youth Corps. The signs, created by As the Crow Flies Cartography, are also sponsored by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The project has been promoted by Bill Dinwoody of the Town's Recreation and Culture Advisory Committee, and the Trails Subcommittee. If you would like to be involved in trail planning and improvement, call the Town office at 519-855-4407.
Revell is hoping that the success of the Woollen Mill project will spark interest in improving other village trails, such as the Height of Land (Water Tower)Trail.
The Mundell mill was still in occasional use up to the 1980s, but as technology and the economy evolved, most water-driven mills were left behind much earlier. The Woollen Mill was abandoned before World War I and the dam removed. Many Erin residents had hoped that the ruins of the mill could be preserved, but in October of 1995, with the walls disintegrating, the Village decided to bulldoze the site. It had become a safety hazard, and restoration was considered too costly.
The land around the mill, which had been stripped bare in the 1800s, is now forested, but the natural river ecology has not fully recovered from the damage caused by milling. Through WeCARE, sediment traps have been placed in the water, to narrow the channel where the Woollen Mill pond once was.
Sooner or later (probably later) the other dams in the village should come down too. How much benefit do we get from our mill ponds? Should we preserve them forever, as historical artifacts from the Victorian era, or should we return the river, as much as possible, to its natural state?
Send me your comments:
erininsight@gmail.com.
July 29, 2009
Artist explores dreams and myths at Main Street studio
As published in The Erin Advocate
Before Paul Morin paints, he charges himself up with the sights and sounds and smells of the environment he wants to capture – whether it is an Erin forest or an African tribal ceremony.
With an established reputation for dramatic paintings, award-winning book illustration and eclectic music, he continues to pursue new inspiration for his work.
"I rely on dreams, as gifts," he said. "I am a sponge...I like to be inside the forest, or the dance. That's where I am inspired to paint, to grasp the essence of it."
Morin moved to Erin Township 21 years ago, but he has now opened a storefront art gallery in the village, at 110 Main Street. He had a gallery for several years in Rockwood, near his home and studio, but he was impressed with Erin's busy downtown and decided to move his retail location here.
"The market was right, due to the recession, but when there's a crisis, that's the time to take a risk," he said. "If people see the paintings, they're going to fall in love with them."
Despite an international career, he says it makes good business sense to have his own local gallery. The time and expense of mounting a major show can make it hard for an artist to break even. Morin found he sold most of his paintings at shows when he was there in person to promote them, so he finds it more practical to do that in his own space, close to home.
The gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm, or call 519-833-9906 to arrange a viewing anytime. Most of the paintings on display are landscapes (the most popular with the public), but his overall work also includes abstracts, animals and explorations of symbols from primitive cultures. His books and CDs are also available. To see a broader sampling, go to www.paulmorinstudios.com.
The paintings combine high contrast with subtle details and unique perspective angles, and he is able to create powerful lighting and shadows within the art.
Morin was born in Calgary and grew up near Montreal. He got interested in art during a high school placement at an advertising agency, where he saw that the sketch artist had the most interesting job; but he was not able to get into any art schools in Quebec. He ended up studying a wide range of arts at Grant MacEwen College in Edmonton, illustration and photography at Sheridan College in Oakville, then painting at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto.
As a young man he visited Guinea, the former French colony in West Africa where his father worked for a few years, and was moved by the rhythms and exotic imagery of the native culture. He has since travelled to study cultures in China, Australia, Africa and the Americas, and now does multimedia lectures on mythology, anthropology and biodiversity at conferences and schools. He plans to lease his Erin gallery out to other artists for three months each year so he can continue his travels.
For his first book illustration, he took the risk of going to Africa at his own expense to find material. Then he had to persuade the publisher to accept richly painted images that were totally unlike the watercolours often used in children's books. The result was The Orphan Boy (1990), a commercial success that also won him a Governor-General's Award for Illustration.
Early in his career he worked for ad agencies, which he concedes could have influenced his ability to "clobber people over the head" with bold paintings. Eventually, he grew tired of other people getting credit for his work, so he switched to freelance pursuits.
Along with his artistic skills, he seems to have mastered his business skills. A painting he might sell to the public for $1,000 could go for $20,000 if he sold it to a company for a product label or ad campaign. "I know the value to them. I have learned to defend the value of my art," he said.
He has exhibited in museums across Canada, including solo shows at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa. His local shows include several at the Burdette Gallery in Orton and the Wellington County Museum.
His work has appeared in Newsweek, Maclean’s and in the Society of Illustrators annuals, and his 14 book projects have earned more than 25 national and international awards.
Before Paul Morin paints, he charges himself up with the sights and sounds and smells of the environment he wants to capture – whether it is an Erin forest or an African tribal ceremony.
With an established reputation for dramatic paintings, award-winning book illustration and eclectic music, he continues to pursue new inspiration for his work.
"I rely on dreams, as gifts," he said. "I am a sponge...I like to be inside the forest, or the dance. That's where I am inspired to paint, to grasp the essence of it."
Morin moved to Erin Township 21 years ago, but he has now opened a storefront art gallery in the village, at 110 Main Street. He had a gallery for several years in Rockwood, near his home and studio, but he was impressed with Erin's busy downtown and decided to move his retail location here.
"The market was right, due to the recession, but when there's a crisis, that's the time to take a risk," he said. "If people see the paintings, they're going to fall in love with them."
Despite an international career, he says it makes good business sense to have his own local gallery. The time and expense of mounting a major show can make it hard for an artist to break even. Morin found he sold most of his paintings at shows when he was there in person to promote them, so he finds it more practical to do that in his own space, close to home.
The gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm, or call 519-833-9906 to arrange a viewing anytime. Most of the paintings on display are landscapes (the most popular with the public), but his overall work also includes abstracts, animals and explorations of symbols from primitive cultures. His books and CDs are also available. To see a broader sampling, go to www.paulmorinstudios.com.
The paintings combine high contrast with subtle details and unique perspective angles, and he is able to create powerful lighting and shadows within the art.
Morin was born in Calgary and grew up near Montreal. He got interested in art during a high school placement at an advertising agency, where he saw that the sketch artist had the most interesting job; but he was not able to get into any art schools in Quebec. He ended up studying a wide range of arts at Grant MacEwen College in Edmonton, illustration and photography at Sheridan College in Oakville, then painting at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto.
As a young man he visited Guinea, the former French colony in West Africa where his father worked for a few years, and was moved by the rhythms and exotic imagery of the native culture. He has since travelled to study cultures in China, Australia, Africa and the Americas, and now does multimedia lectures on mythology, anthropology and biodiversity at conferences and schools. He plans to lease his Erin gallery out to other artists for three months each year so he can continue his travels.
For his first book illustration, he took the risk of going to Africa at his own expense to find material. Then he had to persuade the publisher to accept richly painted images that were totally unlike the watercolours often used in children's books. The result was The Orphan Boy (1990), a commercial success that also won him a Governor-General's Award for Illustration.
Early in his career he worked for ad agencies, which he concedes could have influenced his ability to "clobber people over the head" with bold paintings. Eventually, he grew tired of other people getting credit for his work, so he switched to freelance pursuits.
Along with his artistic skills, he seems to have mastered his business skills. A painting he might sell to the public for $1,000 could go for $20,000 if he sold it to a company for a product label or ad campaign. "I know the value to them. I have learned to defend the value of my art," he said.
He has exhibited in museums across Canada, including solo shows at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa. His local shows include several at the Burdette Gallery in Orton and the Wellington County Museum.
His work has appeared in Newsweek, Maclean’s and in the Society of Illustrators annuals, and his 14 book projects have earned more than 25 national and international awards.
July 22, 2009
Erin residents selling solar power to Ontario Hydro
As published in The Erin Advocate
Now that Joe and Frieda Leenders have retired from farming, they are getting into the power business. An array of 24 solar panels, installed last month on the south-facing roof of Joe's workshop, is now feeding "green" energy into the electrical grid.
They are among the first to take advantage of Ontario's new Green Energy Act, which was approved in the spring. A key part of the plan is to offer small producers such as homeowners, industries, farms and communities a guaranteed rate of payment for solar or wind power that they generate.
On a traditional electricity bill, by the time you include GST, debt retirement, regulatory charges and "delivery", you pay about 11 cents per kilowatt hour. If you generate power yourself, the Ontario Power Authority will contract to buy it from you at up to 80.2 cents per kilowatt hour for the next 20 years.
"It's the coming thing," said Frieda, referring to the need to conserve electricity and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. "This may entice other people to do it."
In the past ten years, the cost of solar equipment has dropped about 90 per cent, but even with government rebates and a guaranteed price, it is still a costly venture.
"Some people have told me I'm crazy, but I've been crazy all my life," said Joe, who has always been interested in the idea of power generation. "This is an investment in the future."
They are spending $52,000, and it will take about ten years to make back that amount in savings and revenue. Unlike "back-up" systems that are ready in the event of a power failure, their direct link to the grid does not require an expensive bank of batteries to store electricity.
"Some people use it for retirement planning," said Steve Eng, an energy engineer at Enviro-Energy Technologies Inc. of Markham, which is installing the equipment. "If you are getting a return on your investment of 10-11 percent per year, that's better than what the bank will pay you."
He said Ontario is willing to pay a good price for the power, because the small producer bears the capital cost. "The government gets more green electricity on the grid and won't have to build as much generation capacity, such as natural gas, and even nuclear plants. We are all subsidizing it," he said.
The new Ontario incentives are now the most generous in the world, according to an article on the website: renewableenergyworld.com. This could attract serious investment from energy companies looking to expand into North America. The approval process for wind farms and solar parks will be streamlined, making it difficult for municipalities to block development.
The Green Energy Act is part of a $5 billion commitment by the Ontario government to encourage the growth of renewable energy, stimulate the economy, and create an estimated 50,000 jobs over the next three years. An energy audit will also be mandatory when selling a house, unless it is waived by the buyer.
Premier Dalton McGuinty said the plan will boost electricity bills by one percent. "It's a new green tax," said Kevin Gaudet, Ontario director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, quoted in The Ottawa Citizen.
Despite this "green" initiative, the government continues to come under fire from groups like the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, Greenpeace and the David Suzuki Foundation, because it intends to build more nuclear reactors. That plan has recently been delayed, due to uncertainty about costs.
A major push to bring small producers to the grid is long overdue. Germany, for example, gets less sunlight but has ten times more solar generation than all of Canada. Some US states have been doing this for years. If we had started earlier, we wouldn't be so reliant now on coal-fired and nuclear power plants.
Now that Joe and Frieda Leenders have retired from farming, they are getting into the power business. An array of 24 solar panels, installed last month on the south-facing roof of Joe's workshop, is now feeding "green" energy into the electrical grid.
They are among the first to take advantage of Ontario's new Green Energy Act, which was approved in the spring. A key part of the plan is to offer small producers such as homeowners, industries, farms and communities a guaranteed rate of payment for solar or wind power that they generate.
On a traditional electricity bill, by the time you include GST, debt retirement, regulatory charges and "delivery", you pay about 11 cents per kilowatt hour. If you generate power yourself, the Ontario Power Authority will contract to buy it from you at up to 80.2 cents per kilowatt hour for the next 20 years.
"It's the coming thing," said Frieda, referring to the need to conserve electricity and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. "This may entice other people to do it."
In the past ten years, the cost of solar equipment has dropped about 90 per cent, but even with government rebates and a guaranteed price, it is still a costly venture.
"Some people have told me I'm crazy, but I've been crazy all my life," said Joe, who has always been interested in the idea of power generation. "This is an investment in the future."
They are spending $52,000, and it will take about ten years to make back that amount in savings and revenue. Unlike "back-up" systems that are ready in the event of a power failure, their direct link to the grid does not require an expensive bank of batteries to store electricity.
"Some people use it for retirement planning," said Steve Eng, an energy engineer at Enviro-Energy Technologies Inc. of Markham, which is installing the equipment. "If you are getting a return on your investment of 10-11 percent per year, that's better than what the bank will pay you."
He said Ontario is willing to pay a good price for the power, because the small producer bears the capital cost. "The government gets more green electricity on the grid and won't have to build as much generation capacity, such as natural gas, and even nuclear plants. We are all subsidizing it," he said.
The new Ontario incentives are now the most generous in the world, according to an article on the website: renewableenergyworld.com. This could attract serious investment from energy companies looking to expand into North America. The approval process for wind farms and solar parks will be streamlined, making it difficult for municipalities to block development.
The Green Energy Act is part of a $5 billion commitment by the Ontario government to encourage the growth of renewable energy, stimulate the economy, and create an estimated 50,000 jobs over the next three years. An energy audit will also be mandatory when selling a house, unless it is waived by the buyer.
Premier Dalton McGuinty said the plan will boost electricity bills by one percent. "It's a new green tax," said Kevin Gaudet, Ontario director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, quoted in The Ottawa Citizen.
Despite this "green" initiative, the government continues to come under fire from groups like the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, Greenpeace and the David Suzuki Foundation, because it intends to build more nuclear reactors. That plan has recently been delayed, due to uncertainty about costs.
A major push to bring small producers to the grid is long overdue. Germany, for example, gets less sunlight but has ten times more solar generation than all of Canada. Some US states have been doing this for years. If we had started earlier, we wouldn't be so reliant now on coal-fired and nuclear power plants.
July 15, 2009
Smoke alarm inspections planned for every Erin home
As published in The Erin Advocate
The Erin fire department will be checking every home in town to make sure that smoke alarms are installed and working properly. If firefighters discover a problem, they plan to fix it on the spot.
The new inspection program was launched this month, a stepped-up effort to ensure that homeowners and landlords meet the minimum legal requirements: a working smoke alarm on every level of the home, and outside every sleeping area.
"If there are no smoke alarms, we will put them in for free," said Kevin Gallant, Chief Fire Prevention Officer for Erin Fire and Emergency Services.
It is going to take six years to cover the whole town, including rural properties that may never have been inspected before. A team of three firefighters will come to your home and ask if they can do an inspection. Two will come in, and one will stay with the fire truck.
The program is voluntary – you are not obliged to participate. If you let them in, they will check the placement and operation of the smoke alarms, and look for other fire safety hazards. They do not intend to charge people, but they do intend to deal with any issues right away.
"We're not going to leave a home unprotected," said Fire Chief Steve Goode. He is particularly concerned about safety in older farm houses.
Previously, the department was inspecting about 200 homes per year, in the urban areas. (The 2006 census reported 3,960 private dwellings in Erin.) This year, Town Council allocated $9,500 in the budget for increased inspections. The Fire Protection Act mandates the Town to have a smoke alarm program, but Erin is going beyond the minimum requirements with the current plan.
If you refuse to allow the firefighters to install smoke alarms, and you later have a fire without working detectors, you are likely to be prosecuted. The ticket carries a fine of $235 for each missing or non-working unit. Landlords can face penalties up to $25,000. The same protection is required in mobile homes, boats and cottages.
Smoke alarms became mandatory outside sleeping areas in 1998. The death rate from residential fires in Ontario declined about 24% from 1999 to 2008, according to the Fire Marshall's Office. About half the fatal fires were in homes without proper smoke alarm protection. About 17% of those had no smoke alarms and 28% had smoke alarms that did not work, usually because the battery was dead or missing.
Newer homes have the alarms wired to the power supply, and linked so they will all sound in an emergency. Ideally, they should have a battery back-up, in case of a power failure.
The law was changed in 2006 to require alarms on every level, not just outside sleeping areas. Despite intensive public education efforts, many people are not getting the message, so fire departments are resorting to charging those who do not make the effort to comply.
It is important to test your alarms once a month and change the batteries every year. Replace units that are more than ten years old. Never remove batteries if you are getting nuisance alarms – move the device farther away from cooking or wood stoves, or get ones that have a "hush" feature.
If anyone in the household sleeps with the bedroom door closed, there should be an alarm installed in the bedroom. Make sure everyone knows what to do if an alarm sounds – develop a home fire escape plan and practise it with everyone in the household.
Over 90 per cent of residential fires are preventable, but if they do occur, your opportunity to safely evacuate your family is often a matter of minutes, or even just seconds. Smoke alarms tip the odds in your favour, so don't wait for the firefighters, make sure you have the protection right now.
The Erin fire department will be checking every home in town to make sure that smoke alarms are installed and working properly. If firefighters discover a problem, they plan to fix it on the spot.
The new inspection program was launched this month, a stepped-up effort to ensure that homeowners and landlords meet the minimum legal requirements: a working smoke alarm on every level of the home, and outside every sleeping area.
"If there are no smoke alarms, we will put them in for free," said Kevin Gallant, Chief Fire Prevention Officer for Erin Fire and Emergency Services.
It is going to take six years to cover the whole town, including rural properties that may never have been inspected before. A team of three firefighters will come to your home and ask if they can do an inspection. Two will come in, and one will stay with the fire truck.
The program is voluntary – you are not obliged to participate. If you let them in, they will check the placement and operation of the smoke alarms, and look for other fire safety hazards. They do not intend to charge people, but they do intend to deal with any issues right away.
"We're not going to leave a home unprotected," said Fire Chief Steve Goode. He is particularly concerned about safety in older farm houses.
Previously, the department was inspecting about 200 homes per year, in the urban areas. (The 2006 census reported 3,960 private dwellings in Erin.) This year, Town Council allocated $9,500 in the budget for increased inspections. The Fire Protection Act mandates the Town to have a smoke alarm program, but Erin is going beyond the minimum requirements with the current plan.
If you refuse to allow the firefighters to install smoke alarms, and you later have a fire without working detectors, you are likely to be prosecuted. The ticket carries a fine of $235 for each missing or non-working unit. Landlords can face penalties up to $25,000. The same protection is required in mobile homes, boats and cottages.
Smoke alarms became mandatory outside sleeping areas in 1998. The death rate from residential fires in Ontario declined about 24% from 1999 to 2008, according to the Fire Marshall's Office. About half the fatal fires were in homes without proper smoke alarm protection. About 17% of those had no smoke alarms and 28% had smoke alarms that did not work, usually because the battery was dead or missing.
Newer homes have the alarms wired to the power supply, and linked so they will all sound in an emergency. Ideally, they should have a battery back-up, in case of a power failure.
The law was changed in 2006 to require alarms on every level, not just outside sleeping areas. Despite intensive public education efforts, many people are not getting the message, so fire departments are resorting to charging those who do not make the effort to comply.
It is important to test your alarms once a month and change the batteries every year. Replace units that are more than ten years old. Never remove batteries if you are getting nuisance alarms – move the device farther away from cooking or wood stoves, or get ones that have a "hush" feature.
If anyone in the household sleeps with the bedroom door closed, there should be an alarm installed in the bedroom. Make sure everyone knows what to do if an alarm sounds – develop a home fire escape plan and practise it with everyone in the household.
Over 90 per cent of residential fires are preventable, but if they do occur, your opportunity to safely evacuate your family is often a matter of minutes, or even just seconds. Smoke alarms tip the odds in your favour, so don't wait for the firefighters, make sure you have the protection right now.
July 08, 2009
Winston Churchill won't be paved until at least 2013
As published in The Erin Edvocate
Winston Churchill Boulevard, between Olde Baseline Road and Terra Cotta, may eventually be rebuilt to modern safety standards, but it won't happen for at least four more years.
A public information session at the Terra Cotta Inn last week revealed a tangled web of political, environmental and safety issues that have continually delayed improvement of this notoriously bumpy stretch of gravel road.
Many of the commuters are from Erin, needing a route to Mississauga Road. From Erin village, they can go through Belfountain, or south on the paved section of Winston Churchill, then east on Old Baseline. But for those of us in the south, a paved trip requires many kilometers of extra travel. That will improve once 5 Sideroad is rebuilt this year, providing paved access to Olde Baseline, taking some of the pressure off the Terra Cotta route.
Albert Almiron lives on the Ninth Line, and drives the gravel section of Winston Churchill daily. He has been trying to build support for paving ever since March, 2008, when his daughter was forced off the road by a driver who had moved over to find a smoother surface. This was on the hill south of Ballinafad Road, where sightlines are poor, one of the spots that would be more level in the proposed plan.
"The road turns into a mess as soon as there is a little rain," said Ninth Line resident Gerry Karker. "I don't see the harm if it was paved. It is not a minor road."
In 2007, after a previous meeting, Winston Churchill resident Art Rice submitted this comment: "Pave this road, and do not listen to the tree huggers. My family has had two accidents because of this road."
Winston Churchill is the boundary between Peel Region (Caledon) on the east, and Wellington County (Erin) on the west. South of Ballinafad Road, the west side is Halton Region (Halton Hills). Since it is a regional road, the $4 million cost of reconstruction would be shared by the regions and county.
I asked Peel Regional Councillor Richard Paterak if one of the main reasons the road north of the Terra Cotta has been left unpaved is to maintain a barrier to commuter traffic, and he said that is a "fair statement" of the situation.
Residents of Terra Cotta do have valid concerns. Drivers will often ignore the posted 50 kph speed limit, cruising by the conservation area at 80-100 kph, or cutting onto narrow side routes like Isabella Street, to save a few seconds on their trip to work.
These problems, however, and the prospect of increased traffic flow, do not justify a terrible road. As of 2006, it handled 245 vehicles per hour each morning, and 300 each afternoon.
"The gravel driving surface is in extremely poor condition and is not in compliance with current engineering standards," said Project Manager Solmaz Zia. She has assured Terra Cotta residents that the rebuilt road would not be a haul route for the Rockfort Quarry, if it is built.
If you would like to make a comment, email her at: solmaz.zia@peelregion.ca by the end of next week. More information is available at www.peelregion.ca – go to Public Works - Roads - Environmental Assessments. An Environmental Study Report is set for this fall.
Paterak is also a member of the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC), which must be satisfied before any development can proceed. "We're well on our way to crossing the t's and dotting the i's," he said.
There would be a four-way stop at Ballinafad Road and a three-way stop at Olde Baseline, with painted markings directing southbound traffic to turn east. Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison even suggested the possibility of a "Local Traffic Only" sign for the road to the south of Olde Baseline.
Terra Cotta resident Dave Rutherford wants the southbound stop sign removed and the road designed to flow even more traffic to the east. "We're not opposed to paving," he said. "We just want to make it safer for everybody."
A rebuilt road would be wider (with bike lanes) and concerns have been raised about preserving stone fences and an old butternut tree. There are also breeding ponds nearby for the Jefferson Salamander, an endangered species.
To reduce its impact, the road is designed to wind slightly to avoid sensitive spots. Urban-style curbs are planned for some areas, taking rainwater along the road to outlet points, reducing the need for wide ditches. "They have tried to address the concerns, but I'm not sure they have succeeded," said NEC Senior Strategic Advisor Kathryn Pounder.
Peel's 1996 reconstruction plan was shelved, and the current plan is on its third version since 2006. If approved, design work would happen in 2010, property acquisition and utility relocation in 2011 and 2012, then construction in 2013. The paved S-bend would not be rebuilt.
Winston Churchill Boulevard, between Olde Baseline Road and Terra Cotta, may eventually be rebuilt to modern safety standards, but it won't happen for at least four more years.
A public information session at the Terra Cotta Inn last week revealed a tangled web of political, environmental and safety issues that have continually delayed improvement of this notoriously bumpy stretch of gravel road.
Many of the commuters are from Erin, needing a route to Mississauga Road. From Erin village, they can go through Belfountain, or south on the paved section of Winston Churchill, then east on Old Baseline. But for those of us in the south, a paved trip requires many kilometers of extra travel. That will improve once 5 Sideroad is rebuilt this year, providing paved access to Olde Baseline, taking some of the pressure off the Terra Cotta route.
Albert Almiron lives on the Ninth Line, and drives the gravel section of Winston Churchill daily. He has been trying to build support for paving ever since March, 2008, when his daughter was forced off the road by a driver who had moved over to find a smoother surface. This was on the hill south of Ballinafad Road, where sightlines are poor, one of the spots that would be more level in the proposed plan.
"The road turns into a mess as soon as there is a little rain," said Ninth Line resident Gerry Karker. "I don't see the harm if it was paved. It is not a minor road."
In 2007, after a previous meeting, Winston Churchill resident Art Rice submitted this comment: "Pave this road, and do not listen to the tree huggers. My family has had two accidents because of this road."
Winston Churchill is the boundary between Peel Region (Caledon) on the east, and Wellington County (Erin) on the west. South of Ballinafad Road, the west side is Halton Region (Halton Hills). Since it is a regional road, the $4 million cost of reconstruction would be shared by the regions and county.
I asked Peel Regional Councillor Richard Paterak if one of the main reasons the road north of the Terra Cotta has been left unpaved is to maintain a barrier to commuter traffic, and he said that is a "fair statement" of the situation.
Residents of Terra Cotta do have valid concerns. Drivers will often ignore the posted 50 kph speed limit, cruising by the conservation area at 80-100 kph, or cutting onto narrow side routes like Isabella Street, to save a few seconds on their trip to work.
These problems, however, and the prospect of increased traffic flow, do not justify a terrible road. As of 2006, it handled 245 vehicles per hour each morning, and 300 each afternoon.
"The gravel driving surface is in extremely poor condition and is not in compliance with current engineering standards," said Project Manager Solmaz Zia. She has assured Terra Cotta residents that the rebuilt road would not be a haul route for the Rockfort Quarry, if it is built.
If you would like to make a comment, email her at: solmaz.zia@peelregion.ca by the end of next week. More information is available at www.peelregion.ca – go to Public Works - Roads - Environmental Assessments. An Environmental Study Report is set for this fall.
Paterak is also a member of the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC), which must be satisfied before any development can proceed. "We're well on our way to crossing the t's and dotting the i's," he said.
There would be a four-way stop at Ballinafad Road and a three-way stop at Olde Baseline, with painted markings directing southbound traffic to turn east. Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison even suggested the possibility of a "Local Traffic Only" sign for the road to the south of Olde Baseline.
Terra Cotta resident Dave Rutherford wants the southbound stop sign removed and the road designed to flow even more traffic to the east. "We're not opposed to paving," he said. "We just want to make it safer for everybody."
A rebuilt road would be wider (with bike lanes) and concerns have been raised about preserving stone fences and an old butternut tree. There are also breeding ponds nearby for the Jefferson Salamander, an endangered species.
To reduce its impact, the road is designed to wind slightly to avoid sensitive spots. Urban-style curbs are planned for some areas, taking rainwater along the road to outlet points, reducing the need for wide ditches. "They have tried to address the concerns, but I'm not sure they have succeeded," said NEC Senior Strategic Advisor Kathryn Pounder.
Peel's 1996 reconstruction plan was shelved, and the current plan is on its third version since 2006. If approved, design work would happen in 2010, property acquisition and utility relocation in 2011 and 2012, then construction in 2013. The paved S-bend would not be rebuilt.
July 01, 2009
Literary treasures at fantastic prices
As published in The Erin Advocate
The Bookends store in Erin is one of those treasures that keeps on being discovered – by people who didn't know it was there.
In an era when it seems almost everything can be found on one website or another, it turns out that people still want to hold a real book in their hands, open it when they please, be guided by the skill of an author and be entertained at their own pace.
This process does not require brand new books, and so we share our used ones. As a fundraising venture operated by East Wellington Community Services (EWCS), Bookends accepts donations of books and CDs, and sells them for a small profit.
"The money stays in the community to fund programs," said Robyn Pyrczak, Retail Coordinator and Event Planner at EWCS. Bookends contributes about $20,000 per year to the organization's revenue.
This Saturday, June 27, EWCS (known as EWAG until recently) is celebrating its 25th anniversary by offering a free breakfast to anyone who drops in to the Seniors Centre at Centre 2000, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Powered by volunteers and supported by fundraising efforts throughout the community, by local businesses and service clubs, and by all levels of government, EWCS operates programs for children and seniors, an information centre, a food bank and three thrift clothing stores. They serve Erin, Hillsburgh, Rockwood, Orton and Guelph-Eramosa Township.
For more information or to find out about volunteering, call 519-833-9696, or go to www.eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com
The Bookends store is located in the EWCS building at 45 Main Street, at the corner of Millwood Road, between the LCBO and Mundell's. The main entrance is on the side, towards the back, but recently a passageway was opened up inside, allowing people to walk between the book store and the New to You thrift clothing store and EWSC offices at the front of the building.
"This has made a huge difference," said Pyrczak. "Some people thought it was a separate entity. We have had good feedback and increased sales."
The store is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, operated by a team of 24 volunteers on three-hour shifts, coordinated by Enid Acton and Charles Lewis.
Although the store has been around for many years, some local residents are still surprised to discover it – a useful service they had overlooked. There are signs, but the store does not have a high profile as you drive down Main Street.
It was opened in December 1985, with Gillian Cantrell as its first coordinator. She was assisted by her husband David, Fran Hoag and Joanne Page. It was originally in the small, green shed behind the building, donated for use by Bob McEnery.
Bookends is very well organized, like a mini-library, and it is not too crowded. The fiction sections have useful names like "War/Spy/Adventure", "Horror" and "Christian Novels". Non-fiction areas like Health have subsections such as "Stress", "Cancer" and "Pregnancy".
The books are in good condition, with many paperbacks selling for 50 cents or less, ranging up to fancy coffee-table books for $6. There are also vintage books. Most donations are welcome, but they do not accept magazines (including Reader's Digest) or VHS tapes.
Their CD collection is very small and could use a boost. With many people transferring music collections to their computers, the number of redundant CDs in the community must be huge. Used CDs are a great way to build up your collection at very low cost, and once you've got the songs you want, you can donate the CD back to the store for someone else's benefit.
The Bookends store in Erin is one of those treasures that keeps on being discovered – by people who didn't know it was there.
In an era when it seems almost everything can be found on one website or another, it turns out that people still want to hold a real book in their hands, open it when they please, be guided by the skill of an author and be entertained at their own pace.
This process does not require brand new books, and so we share our used ones. As a fundraising venture operated by East Wellington Community Services (EWCS), Bookends accepts donations of books and CDs, and sells them for a small profit.
"The money stays in the community to fund programs," said Robyn Pyrczak, Retail Coordinator and Event Planner at EWCS. Bookends contributes about $20,000 per year to the organization's revenue.
This Saturday, June 27, EWCS (known as EWAG until recently) is celebrating its 25th anniversary by offering a free breakfast to anyone who drops in to the Seniors Centre at Centre 2000, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Powered by volunteers and supported by fundraising efforts throughout the community, by local businesses and service clubs, and by all levels of government, EWCS operates programs for children and seniors, an information centre, a food bank and three thrift clothing stores. They serve Erin, Hillsburgh, Rockwood, Orton and Guelph-Eramosa Township.
For more information or to find out about volunteering, call 519-833-9696, or go to www.eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com
The Bookends store is located in the EWCS building at 45 Main Street, at the corner of Millwood Road, between the LCBO and Mundell's. The main entrance is on the side, towards the back, but recently a passageway was opened up inside, allowing people to walk between the book store and the New to You thrift clothing store and EWSC offices at the front of the building.
"This has made a huge difference," said Pyrczak. "Some people thought it was a separate entity. We have had good feedback and increased sales."
The store is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, operated by a team of 24 volunteers on three-hour shifts, coordinated by Enid Acton and Charles Lewis.
Although the store has been around for many years, some local residents are still surprised to discover it – a useful service they had overlooked. There are signs, but the store does not have a high profile as you drive down Main Street.
It was opened in December 1985, with Gillian Cantrell as its first coordinator. She was assisted by her husband David, Fran Hoag and Joanne Page. It was originally in the small, green shed behind the building, donated for use by Bob McEnery.
Bookends is very well organized, like a mini-library, and it is not too crowded. The fiction sections have useful names like "War/Spy/Adventure", "Horror" and "Christian Novels". Non-fiction areas like Health have subsections such as "Stress", "Cancer" and "Pregnancy".
The books are in good condition, with many paperbacks selling for 50 cents or less, ranging up to fancy coffee-table books for $6. There are also vintage books. Most donations are welcome, but they do not accept magazines (including Reader's Digest) or VHS tapes.
Their CD collection is very small and could use a boost. With many people transferring music collections to their computers, the number of redundant CDs in the community must be huge. Used CDs are a great way to build up your collection at very low cost, and once you've got the songs you want, you can donate the CD back to the store for someone else's benefit.
June 17, 2009
Young at Heart Singers just wanna have fun
As published in The Erin Advocate
I love coffee. I love tea. I love the Java Jive and it loves me. Coffee and tea and the jivin' and me. A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup – boy!
Do you know what I mean? If you do, and probably even if you don't, you would probably have some fun if you dropped in for a session with Erin's Young at Heart Singers. They meet for an hour on Mondays at 10 am, in the hall at Burns Presbyterian.
Oh, slip me a slug from that wonderful mug, and I'll cut a rug till I'm snug in the jug. A slice of onion and a raw one, draw one. Waiter waiter percolator.
Written by Milton Drake and Ben Oakland, and recorded in 1940 by The Ink Spots, Java Jive is one of those songs that's all about rhythm and fun with words, making it perfect for the Young at Heart participants. Inspired by the movie Young@Heart, in which a group of seniors becomes famous for their rock and pop concerts, Enid Acton started the group last March, and recruited singer Kim Pearson and pianist Pam White to help lead the sing-along sessions.
"Music can be a good reason to get up in the morning," said Enid. "In a rural community you can do a lot that you can't do in the city. It's really inspiring – there's some great talent."
Kim has quite a talent for harmony. She can sing "upon the roof" with the sopranos and "down in the dungeon" with the guys in the bass section, and knows when to get singers to "put that little 'whoop' in there". I sang with her in an a cappella group back the 1990s, along with my wife Jean, Peter Olsen and Rick McLarnon – we sang at the Fall Fair one year.
I didn't know what to expect when I showed up last Monday, so I brought my guitar and copies of lyrics from some folky 1960s tunes ("Today" by the New Christy Minstrels and "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" by Gale Garnett). Fortunately, I meet the criteria for participation:
"You don't have to be a good singer, just have a passion for singing," said Kim. You can join any time, and you don't have to come every week. There are usually about 20 people. Call Enid at 519-833-2869 if you are interested. Although she had seniors in mind when she started the group, there are a number of younger participants as well.
Kim led us through some golden oldies, like Sentimental Journey (Doris Day's first #1 hit, in 1945, also covered by Ringo Starr in 1970) and The Happy Wanderer (written by Friedrich-Wilhelm Möller, and a hit for the German war orphans of the Obernkirchen Children's Choir in 1953).
Of course, singing is good for your health, both physical and mental. It gets your heart pumping and seems to circulate endorphins, like a natural opiate – no wonder people get hooked on the activity. Music can have unique benefits for the brain, from early growth in infants to the rousing of memories in the elderly.
Singing boosts the immune system, reduces stress and depression, improves posture and lung capacity and gives you more energy. Unlike many medications, there are no nasty side effects.
Singing is also a communal activity. There's a tingling sensation and a feeling of bonding that happens when voices join together to make a sound that could never be made by one person alone. Check out Young@Heart on YouTube. If you're free on a Monday morning, give the Erin version a try.
I love java sweet and hot. Whoops! Mr. Moto, I'm a coffee pot. Shoot me the pot, and I'll pour me a shot. A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup!
I love coffee. I love tea. I love the Java Jive and it loves me. Coffee and tea and the jivin' and me. A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup – boy!
Do you know what I mean? If you do, and probably even if you don't, you would probably have some fun if you dropped in for a session with Erin's Young at Heart Singers. They meet for an hour on Mondays at 10 am, in the hall at Burns Presbyterian.
Oh, slip me a slug from that wonderful mug, and I'll cut a rug till I'm snug in the jug. A slice of onion and a raw one, draw one. Waiter waiter percolator.
Written by Milton Drake and Ben Oakland, and recorded in 1940 by The Ink Spots, Java Jive is one of those songs that's all about rhythm and fun with words, making it perfect for the Young at Heart participants. Inspired by the movie Young@Heart, in which a group of seniors becomes famous for their rock and pop concerts, Enid Acton started the group last March, and recruited singer Kim Pearson and pianist Pam White to help lead the sing-along sessions.
"Music can be a good reason to get up in the morning," said Enid. "In a rural community you can do a lot that you can't do in the city. It's really inspiring – there's some great talent."
Kim has quite a talent for harmony. She can sing "upon the roof" with the sopranos and "down in the dungeon" with the guys in the bass section, and knows when to get singers to "put that little 'whoop' in there". I sang with her in an a cappella group back the 1990s, along with my wife Jean, Peter Olsen and Rick McLarnon – we sang at the Fall Fair one year.
I didn't know what to expect when I showed up last Monday, so I brought my guitar and copies of lyrics from some folky 1960s tunes ("Today" by the New Christy Minstrels and "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" by Gale Garnett). Fortunately, I meet the criteria for participation:
"You don't have to be a good singer, just have a passion for singing," said Kim. You can join any time, and you don't have to come every week. There are usually about 20 people. Call Enid at 519-833-2869 if you are interested. Although she had seniors in mind when she started the group, there are a number of younger participants as well.
Kim led us through some golden oldies, like Sentimental Journey (Doris Day's first #1 hit, in 1945, also covered by Ringo Starr in 1970) and The Happy Wanderer (written by Friedrich-Wilhelm Möller, and a hit for the German war orphans of the Obernkirchen Children's Choir in 1953).
Of course, singing is good for your health, both physical and mental. It gets your heart pumping and seems to circulate endorphins, like a natural opiate – no wonder people get hooked on the activity. Music can have unique benefits for the brain, from early growth in infants to the rousing of memories in the elderly.
Singing boosts the immune system, reduces stress and depression, improves posture and lung capacity and gives you more energy. Unlike many medications, there are no nasty side effects.
Singing is also a communal activity. There's a tingling sensation and a feeling of bonding that happens when voices join together to make a sound that could never be made by one person alone. Check out Young@Heart on YouTube. If you're free on a Monday morning, give the Erin version a try.
I love java sweet and hot. Whoops! Mr. Moto, I'm a coffee pot. Shoot me the pot, and I'll pour me a shot. A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup!
June 10, 2009
A good time to revive shuttle to GO Station
As published in The Erin Advocate
A reliable shuttle bus to the Georgetown GO Station would be a valuable service for people in Erin. It would improve access to employment for those without a vehicle, and provide a commuting alternative that is easier on the environment.
GO Transit is planning major improvements in the next few years, with more frequent service, and trains to Acton, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo and Pearson International Airport.
A shuttle was operated for many years by Denny Bus Lines, but it was discontinued about ten years ago when regular ridership dwindled to just two or three people, said Operations Manager Joyce Marshall. There was one run in the morning and one in the evening, serving both Hillsburgh and Erin village, timed to match the GO train schedule.
"We would revive it – we would need at least ten people who would use it every day," she said. If you have a possible interest in such a service, give her a call at 519-833-9117, so she can get an idea of how many are interested, and which train departure is most popular.
Denny's currently runs a Thursday-only service, linking Orangeville, Erin village, Hillsburgh and the Stone Road Mall in Guelph. The company recently lost a few of its traditional school bus routes in a bidding process, so the timing might be right for a new venture.
Mayor Rod Finnie floated the idea of a GO link last September when Town Council was considering how to spend its infrastructure funding. Nothing has come of it, but he likes the idea of partnering with a private company.
"If we take advantage of existing resources, it may be possible," he said.
It is too early to say what the fare might be, but it would be a lot less than the $30-$35 it now costs for a taxi ride from Erin village to the GO Station.
If the Ontario government wanted to boost GO ridership, reduce the pressure on GO parking lots and get more cars off the roads, it could actually subsidize shuttle services for communities close to the train routes.
No one expects a town the size of Erin to set up a municipal transit system, or to provide major subsidies to a private enterprise. But there may be an opportunity for the Town to help in the start-up, coordination and promotion of a shuttle service, which would clearly be in the public interest. The Town could add some prestige to the project, without incurring major costs.
Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott has been lobbying hard for extension of GO train service from Georgetown to Acton, Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo. Guelph-Eramosa is also pushing for a Rockwood station. (There were trains to Acton and Guelph starting in 1990, but they were discontinued in 1993 as a cost-cutting measure.)
In February, the federal and provincial governments announced shared funding of $500 million for GO Transit improvements. In March, $30 million was allocated to widening the rail bridge over the Credit River east of Georgetown, to enable addition of a new second track on that route and provide capacity for a third line in the future.
This will eliminate a major bottleneck in the system. Environmental assessments and design work have been done, and construction should be completed late in 2010, but extended train service will still not be in place until at least a year after that.
In other developments, GO Transit has spent $160 million to buy the CN rail line in north-west Toronto that carries the Georgetown GO trains, VIA passenger trains and CN freight service. The Ontario government also has a long-range plan to build a new, 5-kilometre spur line to Pearson Airport, to enable a link with Union Station.
On a typical weekday, GO runs 183 train trips (180,000 passengers) and more than 2,000 bus trips (35,000 passengers) – taking more than 90,000 cars off the roads.
By 2020, GO ridership outside the Toronto core is expected to triple, according to GO's strategic plan. Their goal is to provide two-way, all-day service in their core service area by 2020, with a train or bus departure every 15 minutes during peak periods, and every 30 minutes in off-peak times (on primary corridors).
A reliable shuttle bus to the Georgetown GO Station would be a valuable service for people in Erin. It would improve access to employment for those without a vehicle, and provide a commuting alternative that is easier on the environment.
GO Transit is planning major improvements in the next few years, with more frequent service, and trains to Acton, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo and Pearson International Airport.
A shuttle was operated for many years by Denny Bus Lines, but it was discontinued about ten years ago when regular ridership dwindled to just two or three people, said Operations Manager Joyce Marshall. There was one run in the morning and one in the evening, serving both Hillsburgh and Erin village, timed to match the GO train schedule.
"We would revive it – we would need at least ten people who would use it every day," she said. If you have a possible interest in such a service, give her a call at 519-833-9117, so she can get an idea of how many are interested, and which train departure is most popular.
Denny's currently runs a Thursday-only service, linking Orangeville, Erin village, Hillsburgh and the Stone Road Mall in Guelph. The company recently lost a few of its traditional school bus routes in a bidding process, so the timing might be right for a new venture.
Mayor Rod Finnie floated the idea of a GO link last September when Town Council was considering how to spend its infrastructure funding. Nothing has come of it, but he likes the idea of partnering with a private company.
"If we take advantage of existing resources, it may be possible," he said.
It is too early to say what the fare might be, but it would be a lot less than the $30-$35 it now costs for a taxi ride from Erin village to the GO Station.
If the Ontario government wanted to boost GO ridership, reduce the pressure on GO parking lots and get more cars off the roads, it could actually subsidize shuttle services for communities close to the train routes.
No one expects a town the size of Erin to set up a municipal transit system, or to provide major subsidies to a private enterprise. But there may be an opportunity for the Town to help in the start-up, coordination and promotion of a shuttle service, which would clearly be in the public interest. The Town could add some prestige to the project, without incurring major costs.
Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott has been lobbying hard for extension of GO train service from Georgetown to Acton, Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo. Guelph-Eramosa is also pushing for a Rockwood station. (There were trains to Acton and Guelph starting in 1990, but they were discontinued in 1993 as a cost-cutting measure.)
In February, the federal and provincial governments announced shared funding of $500 million for GO Transit improvements. In March, $30 million was allocated to widening the rail bridge over the Credit River east of Georgetown, to enable addition of a new second track on that route and provide capacity for a third line in the future.
This will eliminate a major bottleneck in the system. Environmental assessments and design work have been done, and construction should be completed late in 2010, but extended train service will still not be in place until at least a year after that.
In other developments, GO Transit has spent $160 million to buy the CN rail line in north-west Toronto that carries the Georgetown GO trains, VIA passenger trains and CN freight service. The Ontario government also has a long-range plan to build a new, 5-kilometre spur line to Pearson Airport, to enable a link with Union Station.
On a typical weekday, GO runs 183 train trips (180,000 passengers) and more than 2,000 bus trips (35,000 passengers) – taking more than 90,000 cars off the roads.
By 2020, GO ridership outside the Toronto core is expected to triple, according to GO's strategic plan. Their goal is to provide two-way, all-day service in their core service area by 2020, with a train or bus departure every 15 minutes during peak periods, and every 30 minutes in off-peak times (on primary corridors).
June 03, 2009
Busy downtown is good news for Erin
As published in The Erin Advocate
I saw a nice pair of crutches at a yard sale on the weekend, right beside some mountain biking body armour. I enjoy browsing around these sales, which sprout up every springtime, though it is rare to find something I want. I was tempted to buy the crutches, just in case I need them someday, but I figured that would be bad luck.
Light fixtures from the '70s, antique video games, dusty golf clubs, a trampoline set in a wheelbarrow – it all seemed so familiar. I think garage sales bind us together. There is comfort in knowing that the stuff other people want to get rid of is the same stuff that we want to get rid of.
Speaking of which, I have a trampoline to give away, free to a good home. It is in reasonable condition, except the protective pads disintegrated a few years ago and the springs are rusty. I will deliver it to your house. Send me an email.
Browsing around Erin village took me to Credit River Motors, where the Rotary Club washed my car. They were also selling hot dogs and raffle tickets to support construction of the new park at 109 Main Street. Political correctness being what it is these days, the cars were washed with biodegradable soap.
Took a walk down to the park site, where a crew was nailing in the rafters for the pavilion. It has a raised stage, an octagonal roof and is positioned as an attractive focal point.
A grand opening on Canada Day at first seemed too optimistic, but the way things are going it is quite possible. The project has strong support from the Business Improvement Area (BIA) and was approved by Town Council, with $73,000 earmarked, though the total value will be about $120,000.
Importantly, it is benefiting from volunteer labour and donations of money, services and materials. The Optimists have put a lot of effort into the pavilion. Also, the Garden Club is contributing $5,000, the Lions Club $5,000, the Rotary Club $2,000, and the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation $1,000. Budson's is donating grass seed, and Keeler Electric is providing a 10% discount on the electrical work. (These are examples from the park committee minutes, not a complete list.)
With the gardens, benches, clock, winding walkway, special lighting, community board, tourism kiosk and big Christmas tree, it is designed to provide what the Town website calls "a lovely tranquil ambiance in the middle of our bustling village".
Speaking of which, take a look around on a sunny weekend – the village has quite a buzz. The picnic tables in front of Bailey's Ice Cream are full and the sidewalks are filled with shoppers. We seem to have become a major stopover point for cruising motorcyclists, and tour bus operators are making downtown Erin a destination for their customers.
As I drove home, I saw a sign just south of the village, "Original art for sale", and so I stopped. Roy Grandy had filled his driveway with a display of his own oil, acrylic and watercolour paintings. Now this is not an easy thing to do. The painting must have taken many hundreds of hours, plus the cost of framing and the risk of putting something personal on display for the public.
Roy said he gets lots of compliments on his art from family and friends, but is still unsure about how others will react. Well, I am not a professional art critic, but as someone who loves to browse through art galleries, I can say that this is good quality work. His website is not ready for the public yet, but you can email him at rggrandy@sympatico.ca.
His southern Ontario farm scenes are very attractive, but most appealing to me are the depictions of the rugged terrain in the Killarney region (west of Sudbury). He is able to portray the starkness and wildness of those mountains, lakes and trees, experimenting with light and shadows to capture different moods.
I saw a nice pair of crutches at a yard sale on the weekend, right beside some mountain biking body armour. I enjoy browsing around these sales, which sprout up every springtime, though it is rare to find something I want. I was tempted to buy the crutches, just in case I need them someday, but I figured that would be bad luck.
Light fixtures from the '70s, antique video games, dusty golf clubs, a trampoline set in a wheelbarrow – it all seemed so familiar. I think garage sales bind us together. There is comfort in knowing that the stuff other people want to get rid of is the same stuff that we want to get rid of.
Speaking of which, I have a trampoline to give away, free to a good home. It is in reasonable condition, except the protective pads disintegrated a few years ago and the springs are rusty. I will deliver it to your house. Send me an email.
Browsing around Erin village took me to Credit River Motors, where the Rotary Club washed my car. They were also selling hot dogs and raffle tickets to support construction of the new park at 109 Main Street. Political correctness being what it is these days, the cars were washed with biodegradable soap.
Took a walk down to the park site, where a crew was nailing in the rafters for the pavilion. It has a raised stage, an octagonal roof and is positioned as an attractive focal point.
A grand opening on Canada Day at first seemed too optimistic, but the way things are going it is quite possible. The project has strong support from the Business Improvement Area (BIA) and was approved by Town Council, with $73,000 earmarked, though the total value will be about $120,000.
Importantly, it is benefiting from volunteer labour and donations of money, services and materials. The Optimists have put a lot of effort into the pavilion. Also, the Garden Club is contributing $5,000, the Lions Club $5,000, the Rotary Club $2,000, and the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation $1,000. Budson's is donating grass seed, and Keeler Electric is providing a 10% discount on the electrical work. (These are examples from the park committee minutes, not a complete list.)
With the gardens, benches, clock, winding walkway, special lighting, community board, tourism kiosk and big Christmas tree, it is designed to provide what the Town website calls "a lovely tranquil ambiance in the middle of our bustling village".
Speaking of which, take a look around on a sunny weekend – the village has quite a buzz. The picnic tables in front of Bailey's Ice Cream are full and the sidewalks are filled with shoppers. We seem to have become a major stopover point for cruising motorcyclists, and tour bus operators are making downtown Erin a destination for their customers.
As I drove home, I saw a sign just south of the village, "Original art for sale", and so I stopped. Roy Grandy had filled his driveway with a display of his own oil, acrylic and watercolour paintings. Now this is not an easy thing to do. The painting must have taken many hundreds of hours, plus the cost of framing and the risk of putting something personal on display for the public.
Roy said he gets lots of compliments on his art from family and friends, but is still unsure about how others will react. Well, I am not a professional art critic, but as someone who loves to browse through art galleries, I can say that this is good quality work. His website is not ready for the public yet, but you can email him at rggrandy@sympatico.ca.
His southern Ontario farm scenes are very attractive, but most appealing to me are the depictions of the rugged terrain in the Killarney region (west of Sudbury). He is able to portray the starkness and wildness of those mountains, lakes and trees, experimenting with light and shadows to capture different moods.
May 27, 2009
Kids have ideas for Erin's future
As published in The Erin Advocate
Kids at Erin Public School love their town, and they have lots of ideas for making it an even better place to live.
A batch of 19 letters arrived in my mailbox after I invited students to add their opinions to the Town's "visioning" project, the initial phase of the Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP) process. My thanks to Librarian Lesley Rowe, who read my May 13 column to many students, and held a brainstorming session.
All the letters have been emailed to SSMP Project Manager Matt Pearson (mpearson@bmross.net), with copies to the mayor and town councillors. Here are some excerpts:
• "We want Erin to stay like Erin. We don't want Erin to become overcrowded. We like the small population. More fun stuff, more parks, swimming pools."
• "What I like about Hillsburgh is that it's not so crowded. Hillsburgh would be a better place if it had more stores and more restaurants (fast food). They should have better roads so that there are not potholes, and more parks so kids have somewhere to hang out."
• "Erin is not too big, but it's also not too small. The thing that I don't like about living in Erin is that you're not allowed to skateboard in town. So to fix that, I think that we should get a skate park, so that people can skateboard without getting in trouble."
• "I think that we should have a public pool. I don't think that that there should be any more houses."
• "We should have more health care. People have to waste gas driving to Brampton, Mississauga or even Toronto to see their doctor or dentist. I think we should have a health care centre right in downtown Erin. We should have an indoor pool. Why not build one right beside the Erin District High School."
• "In the near future, I want more little shops in Erin. Also more parks, and people should plant more trees in their yards. Maybe a Tim Horton's or a Starbucks, but otherwise I like it the way it is! Please don't put any factories or giant buildings."
• "You can walk around town to go where you like and it's not too big. We should open a sports store in Erin and the school should buy new equipment."
• "I like that Erin is a small town, but that's about it. There's never anything for teenagers to do. All of the activities are sports, and it'd be nice to have a mall and a Tim Horton's. Any place to hang out'd be nice; Centre 2000 gets boring after the first six years of living here."
• "I like Erin because you basically know everyone, and they have fairs. I wish they had a Tim Horton's."
• "I think that there should be a huge mall, or a regular mall, in Erin so you can have more people in it."
• "I think Erin is a good town and is perfect the way it is. I think that if Erin had buses or got any bigger the town would be over-populated and polluted. I think the town of Erin should build a Motocross track. Erin should also get a BMX park."
• "I would like to see more trees and parks, because there's so many people who like to walk, and go up town with their dogs. I don't think Erin should change that much, because that's what makes Toronto and Erin way different – no city shops and big houses, with huge highways and traffic."
• "The town of Erin is the right size. If it grows too much it will be a mini-Brampton. It should get some more entertainment, because all you can do on the weekend is go biking, and go to the theatre. They should get either a skate/bike park or an arcade. We could get a mountain bike trail."
• "We have lots of space and lots of fresh air, and where I live, lots of forest. Everywhere around us they are tearing down trees and adding strip malls and houses. I really wouldn't like it if they start building even more houses – we would be crowded, and the space we have right now is really nice. I really wouldn't like it to be like the city. It sucks in the city in my opinion. I really don't want factories because that would pollute the air. Some people already drive far away from where they live, so why can't they keep doing that."
• "We need a recreational area with a pool. Dog parks. More trails. The roads are bad on the small roads and they also need garbage clean-up; we pay taxes for services we are not receiving. Need more tourist attractions, more restaurants, more bike racks, a bigger Humane Society and more trees. We need a mall."
• "We should make an organization that has games and stuff to do after school. It will give our parents some time away from the kids and it will keep the teens off the streets."
• "I don't like how people litter a lot. Maybe some more restaurants. No factories because it would pollute the air even more. Better roads – too many cracks. I think the population should stay the same. Maybe a few more apartments. Maybe a paintball arena where an open field is."
Kids at Erin Public School love their town, and they have lots of ideas for making it an even better place to live.
A batch of 19 letters arrived in my mailbox after I invited students to add their opinions to the Town's "visioning" project, the initial phase of the Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP) process. My thanks to Librarian Lesley Rowe, who read my May 13 column to many students, and held a brainstorming session.
All the letters have been emailed to SSMP Project Manager Matt Pearson (mpearson@bmross.net), with copies to the mayor and town councillors. Here are some excerpts:
• "We want Erin to stay like Erin. We don't want Erin to become overcrowded. We like the small population. More fun stuff, more parks, swimming pools."
• "What I like about Hillsburgh is that it's not so crowded. Hillsburgh would be a better place if it had more stores and more restaurants (fast food). They should have better roads so that there are not potholes, and more parks so kids have somewhere to hang out."
• "Erin is not too big, but it's also not too small. The thing that I don't like about living in Erin is that you're not allowed to skateboard in town. So to fix that, I think that we should get a skate park, so that people can skateboard without getting in trouble."
• "I think that we should have a public pool. I don't think that that there should be any more houses."
• "We should have more health care. People have to waste gas driving to Brampton, Mississauga or even Toronto to see their doctor or dentist. I think we should have a health care centre right in downtown Erin. We should have an indoor pool. Why not build one right beside the Erin District High School."
• "In the near future, I want more little shops in Erin. Also more parks, and people should plant more trees in their yards. Maybe a Tim Horton's or a Starbucks, but otherwise I like it the way it is! Please don't put any factories or giant buildings."
• "You can walk around town to go where you like and it's not too big. We should open a sports store in Erin and the school should buy new equipment."
• "I like that Erin is a small town, but that's about it. There's never anything for teenagers to do. All of the activities are sports, and it'd be nice to have a mall and a Tim Horton's. Any place to hang out'd be nice; Centre 2000 gets boring after the first six years of living here."
• "I like Erin because you basically know everyone, and they have fairs. I wish they had a Tim Horton's."
• "I think that there should be a huge mall, or a regular mall, in Erin so you can have more people in it."
• "I think Erin is a good town and is perfect the way it is. I think that if Erin had buses or got any bigger the town would be over-populated and polluted. I think the town of Erin should build a Motocross track. Erin should also get a BMX park."
• "I would like to see more trees and parks, because there's so many people who like to walk, and go up town with their dogs. I don't think Erin should change that much, because that's what makes Toronto and Erin way different – no city shops and big houses, with huge highways and traffic."
• "The town of Erin is the right size. If it grows too much it will be a mini-Brampton. It should get some more entertainment, because all you can do on the weekend is go biking, and go to the theatre. They should get either a skate/bike park or an arcade. We could get a mountain bike trail."
• "We have lots of space and lots of fresh air, and where I live, lots of forest. Everywhere around us they are tearing down trees and adding strip malls and houses. I really wouldn't like it if they start building even more houses – we would be crowded, and the space we have right now is really nice. I really wouldn't like it to be like the city. It sucks in the city in my opinion. I really don't want factories because that would pollute the air. Some people already drive far away from where they live, so why can't they keep doing that."
• "We need a recreational area with a pool. Dog parks. More trails. The roads are bad on the small roads and they also need garbage clean-up; we pay taxes for services we are not receiving. Need more tourist attractions, more restaurants, more bike racks, a bigger Humane Society and more trees. We need a mall."
• "We should make an organization that has games and stuff to do after school. It will give our parents some time away from the kids and it will keep the teens off the streets."
• "I don't like how people litter a lot. Maybe some more restaurants. No factories because it would pollute the air even more. Better roads – too many cracks. I think the population should stay the same. Maybe a few more apartments. Maybe a paintball arena where an open field is."
May 20, 2009
A new vision for Erin? What's the rush?
As published in the Erin Advocate
Last week I invited students to think about the type of place they would like Erin to become, and to put their ideas into the mix during the "visioning" phase of the Town's Master Plan project. They will surely be adults by the time the plan has its full impact.
Of course, everyone is welcome to contribute to the Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP). At this early stage, we are asked 1) What do you really like about your town? and 2) What would make it a better place?
Send your responses (including photos if you want) to Project Manager Matt Pearson, who will use some of them in Erin's SSMP website. Email to: mpearson@bmross.net, or send letters to B.M. Ross, 62 North Street, Goderich, ON N7A 2T4.
It is an "early stage" for the SSMP, but really it is the start of a new chapter in a long saga that revolves around sewage, housing growth and protection of the environment.
I found an Advocate article from September 1995 on a standing-room-only public meeting regarding a $25 million sewage treatment plant for Erin Village. As soon as Reeve Terry Mundell had made his opening remarks, an audience member expressed concern about lack of information, and requested that the whole project be put on hold until there was consensus in the community. Many questioned the need for a plant, and criticized the planning process.
A sewage plant still has not been built, and while there are lingering concerns about septic systems and the type of growth we are getting, nobody seems too upset about the situation. Maybe we will still be looking for consensus 10-15 years from now.
Town Council is wise to seek people's views of the future and promise full communication, before making detailed growth plans. Ultimately, though, most people just do not care enough about municipal affairs, or do not have the time to participate. Among those who do care, some are actively opposed to any new costs or disruption of the status quo.
Nothing seems to happen quickly around here. That is frustrating at times, but like it or not, it forms part of Erin's character. We're a work-in-progress – a little rough around the edges. There are a lot of things it would be "nice" to have, but when there's not enough money or political will, they just have to wait.
And we are making progress – services and facilities are improving. For example, the new pedestrian bridge is being installed on Millwood. It provides a safer crossing of the river for students of St. John Brebeuf School, which opened 30 years ago.
We moved to Erin in 1985 because we wanted a community with lots of open space, walking trails, fresh air, clean water, views of green hills, historic buildings, safe streets, reasonable taxes and friendly, helpful people. Real estate was less expensive than in Georgetown, and it was within acceptable commuting distance for work in Brampton or Mississauga. Except for real estate prices, not much has changed.
Things that would make Erin better: a heavy truck bypass, bus links to neighboring towns, a few more stores, a better housing mix (more small homes, and apartments), a boardwalk on the Credit River, improvements to Stanley Park, more social and health care services, and high-speed internet access for everyone.
If it got really crowded here, I would want to move. But even with sewage treatment, Hillsburgh is only projected to grow by 800 people by 2031 and Erin village by 1,500 people. That does not qualify as crowded. The whole town would grow to 15,530, with 9,050 living outside the urban areas.
As part of that rural majority, I am willing to pay my share of studying Erin's future growth, since we rely on the urban areas for our local identity and economy. Obviously, though, I do not want a huge surcharge on my tax bill to pay for a sewage system to which I cannot connect.
Improvements need to be made to sewage handling in the urban areas, in order to protect the river and the groundwater, to allow moderate population growth (more customers for local stores) and to build up our commercial/industrial tax base.
I disagree with those who would oppose sewage improvements in an attempt to stop all new development, and I hope the SSMP process will come up with practical solutions that most people can support. Hoping for it to happen quickly, however, is probably hoping too much.
Last week I invited students to think about the type of place they would like Erin to become, and to put their ideas into the mix during the "visioning" phase of the Town's Master Plan project. They will surely be adults by the time the plan has its full impact.
Of course, everyone is welcome to contribute to the Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP). At this early stage, we are asked 1) What do you really like about your town? and 2) What would make it a better place?
Send your responses (including photos if you want) to Project Manager Matt Pearson, who will use some of them in Erin's SSMP website. Email to: mpearson@bmross.net, or send letters to B.M. Ross, 62 North Street, Goderich, ON N7A 2T4.
It is an "early stage" for the SSMP, but really it is the start of a new chapter in a long saga that revolves around sewage, housing growth and protection of the environment.
I found an Advocate article from September 1995 on a standing-room-only public meeting regarding a $25 million sewage treatment plant for Erin Village. As soon as Reeve Terry Mundell had made his opening remarks, an audience member expressed concern about lack of information, and requested that the whole project be put on hold until there was consensus in the community. Many questioned the need for a plant, and criticized the planning process.
A sewage plant still has not been built, and while there are lingering concerns about septic systems and the type of growth we are getting, nobody seems too upset about the situation. Maybe we will still be looking for consensus 10-15 years from now.
Town Council is wise to seek people's views of the future and promise full communication, before making detailed growth plans. Ultimately, though, most people just do not care enough about municipal affairs, or do not have the time to participate. Among those who do care, some are actively opposed to any new costs or disruption of the status quo.
Nothing seems to happen quickly around here. That is frustrating at times, but like it or not, it forms part of Erin's character. We're a work-in-progress – a little rough around the edges. There are a lot of things it would be "nice" to have, but when there's not enough money or political will, they just have to wait.
And we are making progress – services and facilities are improving. For example, the new pedestrian bridge is being installed on Millwood. It provides a safer crossing of the river for students of St. John Brebeuf School, which opened 30 years ago.
We moved to Erin in 1985 because we wanted a community with lots of open space, walking trails, fresh air, clean water, views of green hills, historic buildings, safe streets, reasonable taxes and friendly, helpful people. Real estate was less expensive than in Georgetown, and it was within acceptable commuting distance for work in Brampton or Mississauga. Except for real estate prices, not much has changed.
Things that would make Erin better: a heavy truck bypass, bus links to neighboring towns, a few more stores, a better housing mix (more small homes, and apartments), a boardwalk on the Credit River, improvements to Stanley Park, more social and health care services, and high-speed internet access for everyone.
If it got really crowded here, I would want to move. But even with sewage treatment, Hillsburgh is only projected to grow by 800 people by 2031 and Erin village by 1,500 people. That does not qualify as crowded. The whole town would grow to 15,530, with 9,050 living outside the urban areas.
As part of that rural majority, I am willing to pay my share of studying Erin's future growth, since we rely on the urban areas for our local identity and economy. Obviously, though, I do not want a huge surcharge on my tax bill to pay for a sewage system to which I cannot connect.
Improvements need to be made to sewage handling in the urban areas, in order to protect the river and the groundwater, to allow moderate population growth (more customers for local stores) and to build up our commercial/industrial tax base.
I disagree with those who would oppose sewage improvements in an attempt to stop all new development, and I hope the SSMP process will come up with practical solutions that most people can support. Hoping for it to happen quickly, however, is probably hoping too much.
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