As published in The Erin Advocate
Smaller, more affordable homes will be a key part of any new residential development in Erin, once Ontario's new Places to Grow guidelines take effect.
Designed to limit urban sprawl and make more efficient use of existing land within built-up areas, the plan requires Wellington County to take its share of Southern Ontario's growing population. In turn, Wellington wants Erin to take some of that growth.
The town is not obliged to grow, however, until it has the capacity to treat sewage in its urban areas. Since 2007, new housing has been frozen while the Town organizes its Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP). Public input meetings start next week, on Monday, May 4, at 7 p.m., at Centre 2000. The examination of sewage and other growth issues will take another two years.
At a public open house last week at Erin council chambers, County Planning Director Gary Cousins said Wellington is committed to maintaining "small town character" in its communities.
County projections show almost no urban growth in Erin until 2016. The forecast for 2016 to 2031 is for Erin village to grow by 1,300, to a total of 4,400 people (up 42%); Hillsburgh would grow by 700 to a total of 2,080 people (up 51%); the rural population would grow only by 1,040, to a total of 9,050 (up 13%).
The projected total of 15,530 residents is based on having sewage service by 2016. Cousins said projections will be revised as needed, and conceded that if the town decided against a sewage system, it would be difficult for the province to force it upon us.
"There would probably be some disappointment in the County," he said. "Other communities are having to take growth, and I'm sure they would like to see some of it go into Erin."
The idea of resisting all growth is dangerous, said Mayor Rod Finnie, predicting that it would result in fewer public services. "You grow, or you die," he said. Erin Councillor John Brennan asked, "How do you grow, and not lose what is precious?"
As several people at the meeting pointed out, growth in well-paying employment is crucial. If you are only earning $10 per hour, you will not be able to buy even a so-called "affordable" home for $200,000. One of the province's goals is to develop self-sustaining communities, with less need for commuting to big-city jobs.
"You have to bring in the work if you are going to bring the people in," said County Councillor Lou Maieron. He believes there is too much pressure on the SSMP process to develop services for potential new subdivisions on land within the urban boundaries, especially in the northeast area of Erin village.
"Council has a very open mind," said Erin Councillor Barb Tocher. "It is our community who will determine how we will grow, and there will be lots of opportunity for everyone to have their input."
Resident John Sutherland, a member of the SSMP Liaison Committee, said new technologies could eliminate the need for a central sewage facility. "We need to look forward, and maybe have a decentralized system," he said.
If and when the growth comes, here are the basic requirements that the county plans to set, with an amendment to its official plan. The County as a whole would have to meet the targets, so there will be local variations.
• 25 per cent of new housing would have to be affordable for low and moderate-income households.
• For currently vacant land within urban boundaries, known as Greenfield areas, new development would have to have a density of 40 residents and jobs per hectare (1 hectare = 2.47 acres). This would mean about 6 housing units per acre in new subdivisions. Wellington has requested exemption (not yet approved) from the provincial target of 50, which could push density to more than 8 housing units per acre. Developers with subdivisions approved, but not yet built, will be asked to consider revising their plans to add more homes per acre.
• By 2015, 20 per cent of new development would have to be in urban areas that are already built-up, with "a broader mix of housing types than has been the norm in small towns" and encouragement of new rental accommodation. Wellington has requested a major reduction from the provincial "Intensification" target of 40 per cent (also not yet approved).
• Only minimal growth will be allowed for hamlets and rural areas, and new settlement areas will not be allowed.
April 29, 2009
April 22, 2009
Breaking your lawn's addiction to pesticides
As published in The Erin Advocate
Every year, I look forward to the burst of colour on my lawn that confirms the arrival of warm, spring weather. Living out in the country, I have made a virtue of necessity, learning to love the dandelion and its many cousins. There are too many to pluck and I have no desire to attack them with chemicals.
For those who maintain formal distinctions between the "good" and "bad" plants, things have just become more complicated. To celebrate Earth Day today (April 22), the Ontario government has put into effect its Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Act. More than 250 products are now banned from sale, including many popular insecticides, herbicides and weed-and-feed mixtures.
Golf courses are exempt, along with specialty turf users such as lawn bowling clubs, but even these must make public their plans to minimize pesticide use. Farming and forestry are exempt, and you can still use chemicals to control poison ivy, giant hogweed, stinging insects and various indoor pests.
Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen says the new rules eliminate an "unnecessary risk to our environment, our families, and especially our children". According to the David Suzuki Foundation, "Researchers have found that pesticides can be associated with serious illnesses, including cancer, damage to the immune system and neurological problems."
Although there is the possibility of lower-risk biopesticides, many people may revert to old-fashioned methods of developing a healthy lawn. Naturally, there are businesses ready to help.
Dave Dittmar of Backyard Organics in Guelph was the guest speaker at the first of three events sponsored by the Climate Change Action Group of Erin (CCAGE), held recently at Centre 2000. His firm helps clients "grow healthy food and landscapes using ecologically sound methods".
Many lawns have become dependent on pesticides, requiring high levels of watering and maintenance to appear healthy, he said. Fertilizers that are not well-absorbed by your lawn are likely to be washed away by the rain, adding to pollution in our waterways. Some people have replaced their lawns with attractive alternatives, but the idea of a green open space is still very appealing.
"Lawns should not be toxic zones or water hogs," said Dittmar. "These are not intrinsic qualities of a lawn, but the result of chemical lawn maintenance. It requires a shift in the way you think about a lawn, look at a lawn and feed your lawn."
A truly healthy lawn requires lots of microbes in the soil to enable plants to absorb nutrients, but pesticides kill off many microbes. Dittmarr advocates a boost in microbes and slow-release nutrients by coating the lawn with lots of high-quality compost in the spring and fall, especially if you are trying to make the transition away from chemicals.
"If there only one thing you're going to do, top-dress with compost as thick as possible, even two to three inches. Hammer it on there, and your lawn will thank you for it," he said.
Follow up with over-seeding, using a mixture of different seeds that will be more hardy than a single species. The initial cost of this process will pay off with reduced maintenance costs in the long term, he said.
When you cut your lawn, set your mower to its highest possible level, and leave the clippings as free fertilizer. Thicker, longer grass, with strong, deep roots will crowd out many weeds and make your lawn less vulnerable to insect damage. Longer grass also shades the soil, allowing it to retain more moisture and still look good during dry spells. You can also aerate, with a machine that removes plugs of soil from a lawn to help water and nutrients reach the roots.
For those not ready to go for the full compost treatment, Dittmar suggests Compost Tea. You will need a special machine to brew it ($140 US at www.simplici-tea.com). Essentially, a pump bubbles air through a container with water and a small amount of compost, producing a supply of microbe-rich liquid that you can spray on your lawn.
Find out more about healthy lawns at www.backyardorganics.ca, www.organiclandscape.org, or search out lawns on the Health Canada website, www.hc-sc.gc.ca.
Lorraine Johnson, author of "100 Easy-To-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens", is the next speaker in the CCAGE Environmentally Sustainable Gardening Series. It is on Wednesday, May 13, 7-9 p.m., in the Shamrock Room at Centre 2000. Admission is $5.00. She will show how it is possible to achieve beautiful, low-maintenance gardens – naturally resistant to pests and requiring little or no watering. CCAGE is also planning a self-guided Organic Gardening Tour in June.
Every year, I look forward to the burst of colour on my lawn that confirms the arrival of warm, spring weather. Living out in the country, I have made a virtue of necessity, learning to love the dandelion and its many cousins. There are too many to pluck and I have no desire to attack them with chemicals.
For those who maintain formal distinctions between the "good" and "bad" plants, things have just become more complicated. To celebrate Earth Day today (April 22), the Ontario government has put into effect its Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Act. More than 250 products are now banned from sale, including many popular insecticides, herbicides and weed-and-feed mixtures.
Golf courses are exempt, along with specialty turf users such as lawn bowling clubs, but even these must make public their plans to minimize pesticide use. Farming and forestry are exempt, and you can still use chemicals to control poison ivy, giant hogweed, stinging insects and various indoor pests.
Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen says the new rules eliminate an "unnecessary risk to our environment, our families, and especially our children". According to the David Suzuki Foundation, "Researchers have found that pesticides can be associated with serious illnesses, including cancer, damage to the immune system and neurological problems."
Although there is the possibility of lower-risk biopesticides, many people may revert to old-fashioned methods of developing a healthy lawn. Naturally, there are businesses ready to help.
Dave Dittmar of Backyard Organics in Guelph was the guest speaker at the first of three events sponsored by the Climate Change Action Group of Erin (CCAGE), held recently at Centre 2000. His firm helps clients "grow healthy food and landscapes using ecologically sound methods".
Many lawns have become dependent on pesticides, requiring high levels of watering and maintenance to appear healthy, he said. Fertilizers that are not well-absorbed by your lawn are likely to be washed away by the rain, adding to pollution in our waterways. Some people have replaced their lawns with attractive alternatives, but the idea of a green open space is still very appealing.
"Lawns should not be toxic zones or water hogs," said Dittmar. "These are not intrinsic qualities of a lawn, but the result of chemical lawn maintenance. It requires a shift in the way you think about a lawn, look at a lawn and feed your lawn."
A truly healthy lawn requires lots of microbes in the soil to enable plants to absorb nutrients, but pesticides kill off many microbes. Dittmarr advocates a boost in microbes and slow-release nutrients by coating the lawn with lots of high-quality compost in the spring and fall, especially if you are trying to make the transition away from chemicals.
"If there only one thing you're going to do, top-dress with compost as thick as possible, even two to three inches. Hammer it on there, and your lawn will thank you for it," he said.
Follow up with over-seeding, using a mixture of different seeds that will be more hardy than a single species. The initial cost of this process will pay off with reduced maintenance costs in the long term, he said.
When you cut your lawn, set your mower to its highest possible level, and leave the clippings as free fertilizer. Thicker, longer grass, with strong, deep roots will crowd out many weeds and make your lawn less vulnerable to insect damage. Longer grass also shades the soil, allowing it to retain more moisture and still look good during dry spells. You can also aerate, with a machine that removes plugs of soil from a lawn to help water and nutrients reach the roots.
For those not ready to go for the full compost treatment, Dittmar suggests Compost Tea. You will need a special machine to brew it ($140 US at www.simplici-tea.com). Essentially, a pump bubbles air through a container with water and a small amount of compost, producing a supply of microbe-rich liquid that you can spray on your lawn.
Find out more about healthy lawns at www.backyardorganics.ca, www.organiclandscape.org, or search out lawns on the Health Canada website, www.hc-sc.gc.ca.
Lorraine Johnson, author of "100 Easy-To-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens", is the next speaker in the CCAGE Environmentally Sustainable Gardening Series. It is on Wednesday, May 13, 7-9 p.m., in the Shamrock Room at Centre 2000. Admission is $5.00. She will show how it is possible to achieve beautiful, low-maintenance gardens – naturally resistant to pests and requiring little or no watering. CCAGE is also planning a self-guided Organic Gardening Tour in June.
April 15, 2009
Erin Tennis Club offers exercise and fun for all
As published in The Erin Advocate
Whether you are looking for hard-hitting competition or a place to meet people and have fun, the Erin Tennis Club offers a great atmosphere, at a very reasonable price.
With five courts located behind Centre 2000, the club provides everyone from kids to seniors with an opportunity for exercise and development of skills. I will admit to a certain bias, since I've been a member for more than ten years. It has been a real benefit to me and my family.
"We have a huge cross-section of people, and it works," said Brian Gentles, president of the club. "We have a really good time."
The courts will be open and you can register this Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the clubhouse. The cost is $140 per family, or $85 for adults and $50 for juniors (17 and under). Members do not have to pay court fees, and all activities are at no extra cost – including four lessons at the start of the season.
Membership even comes with special bonuses, such as the humour on the courts, which is high in quantity, if not quality. For example, if you are looking tired after a match, do not be shocked when Brian says, "If you need mouth-to-mouth, you're going to die". As far as I know, he has not been put to the test on this matter, and members are hoping it stays that way.
When it looks like you are about to lose a match, Brian will sooner or later say, "The night is always darkest just before it goes totally black". This line was pretty funny the first time I heard it, but I can assure you it gets more humourous on each repetition.
The first special event of the season is the Spring Fling Tournament, where participants are paired up for doubles matches, on Saturday, May 9. The burgers and drinks are on the house.
Then there are the parties: Beach Blanket Tennis (beach attire encouraged) on Friday, June 19; "You're the Star" (dress up as a celebrity) on Friday, August 21; and the year-end Mexican-flavoured bash after the club championships on September 26.
For kids, there is a Junior House League Program on Friday evenings starting May 22 – ages 7-11 (7-8 p.m.), then ages 12 (8-9 p.m.) There is also the half-day Summer Camp, July 20-24 and July 27-31, with professional instruction at a very low cost, thanks to the support of the Lions Club, the Optimist Club and the Rotary Club.
For more information and names of people to contact on the various activities, go to www.erintennis.com, or send an email to info@erintennis.com.
Erin competes in the Caledon-Dufferin Interclub Tennis League, with teams in both the A and B divisions. Tryouts are in early May and matches are on Thursday nights. On Thursday mornings, the Freedom 55 Traveling Team competes with neighbouring communities.
On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, there is the Adult House League, with doubles teams balanced to include people of all skill levels. It is great to win a few games, but house league is really about having fun and making sure everyone feels welcome. The club also runs a singles ladder in which people arrange their own games. Winners move up to a higher rung on the ladder. It is designed so that you normally compete with players of similar abilities.
Every weekend there is Ladies' Saturday Morning (9-11 a.m.) and Men's Sunday Morning (8-11 a.m.). Balls are provided and there is no need to sign up. Just drop in and join in the play, with a rotation of doubles partners, for as long as you want.
The tennis club is actually a self-financing committee of the Town of Erin. The club covers its own operating budget, but the facilities are owned by the Town. This year, there may be a resolution to a long-simmering dispute between the Town and the School Board, which has prevented the tennis club from hooking up its washrooms to the board's nearby sewer pipe. (Composting toilets have done a reasonable job in the meantime.) The Town is considering the more expensive option of hooking up the club to its own sewer pipe, which leads to the same treatment plant.
Whether you are looking for hard-hitting competition or a place to meet people and have fun, the Erin Tennis Club offers a great atmosphere, at a very reasonable price.
With five courts located behind Centre 2000, the club provides everyone from kids to seniors with an opportunity for exercise and development of skills. I will admit to a certain bias, since I've been a member for more than ten years. It has been a real benefit to me and my family.
"We have a huge cross-section of people, and it works," said Brian Gentles, president of the club. "We have a really good time."
The courts will be open and you can register this Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the clubhouse. The cost is $140 per family, or $85 for adults and $50 for juniors (17 and under). Members do not have to pay court fees, and all activities are at no extra cost – including four lessons at the start of the season.
Membership even comes with special bonuses, such as the humour on the courts, which is high in quantity, if not quality. For example, if you are looking tired after a match, do not be shocked when Brian says, "If you need mouth-to-mouth, you're going to die". As far as I know, he has not been put to the test on this matter, and members are hoping it stays that way.
When it looks like you are about to lose a match, Brian will sooner or later say, "The night is always darkest just before it goes totally black". This line was pretty funny the first time I heard it, but I can assure you it gets more humourous on each repetition.
The first special event of the season is the Spring Fling Tournament, where participants are paired up for doubles matches, on Saturday, May 9. The burgers and drinks are on the house.
Then there are the parties: Beach Blanket Tennis (beach attire encouraged) on Friday, June 19; "You're the Star" (dress up as a celebrity) on Friday, August 21; and the year-end Mexican-flavoured bash after the club championships on September 26.
For kids, there is a Junior House League Program on Friday evenings starting May 22 – ages 7-11 (7-8 p.m.), then ages 12 (8-9 p.m.) There is also the half-day Summer Camp, July 20-24 and July 27-31, with professional instruction at a very low cost, thanks to the support of the Lions Club, the Optimist Club and the Rotary Club.
For more information and names of people to contact on the various activities, go to www.erintennis.com, or send an email to info@erintennis.com.
Erin competes in the Caledon-Dufferin Interclub Tennis League, with teams in both the A and B divisions. Tryouts are in early May and matches are on Thursday nights. On Thursday mornings, the Freedom 55 Traveling Team competes with neighbouring communities.
On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, there is the Adult House League, with doubles teams balanced to include people of all skill levels. It is great to win a few games, but house league is really about having fun and making sure everyone feels welcome. The club also runs a singles ladder in which people arrange their own games. Winners move up to a higher rung on the ladder. It is designed so that you normally compete with players of similar abilities.
Every weekend there is Ladies' Saturday Morning (9-11 a.m.) and Men's Sunday Morning (8-11 a.m.). Balls are provided and there is no need to sign up. Just drop in and join in the play, with a rotation of doubles partners, for as long as you want.
The tennis club is actually a self-financing committee of the Town of Erin. The club covers its own operating budget, but the facilities are owned by the Town. This year, there may be a resolution to a long-simmering dispute between the Town and the School Board, which has prevented the tennis club from hooking up its washrooms to the board's nearby sewer pipe. (Composting toilets have done a reasonable job in the meantime.) The Town is considering the more expensive option of hooking up the club to its own sewer pipe, which leads to the same treatment plant.
April 08, 2009
Careful grocery shopping essential for your health
Is grocery shopping an art or a science? Perhaps it is more like puzzle, where the pieces never fit together just right; or maybe a video game, in which the forces of evil lure you to spend more money on foods that are less than nutritious.
All I know is that it can be tricky to find healthy food that you really want to eat, especially if you do not have much time or prefer not to be seen using a calculator in the aisles.
Frances Jamison is on a mission to change people's grocery habits, to make healthy eating more of an adventure and less of a chore. She is a Registered Dietician at Headwaters Health Centre in Orangeville, and she was at Erin's Valu Mart store last week leading an educational Supermarket Scavenger Hunt.
"The choice of food is a very personal and cultural thing," she said, while analyzing the results of the hunt (I did OK, except I had no idea about prebiotics). "We are very lucky in this country – we have so much choice."
If you want to go the more scientific route, you can learn the ideal amounts of calories, fats, carbs and proteins you should aim for in your diet, based on your age and sex. The Nutrition Facts label on manufactured foods gives you actual amounts for servings, and what percentage of your recommended daily intake that represents.
Even if you are not doing exact calculations, be aware that the daily values are based on a person eating 2,000 calories a day. So if a serving is said to give you 20 per cent of your day's fat, it will only be about 13 per cent if you normally consume 3,000 calories a day.
But enough with the math. I prefer the nice, simple suggestions in Canada's Food Guide, such as: "Have breakfast every day" or "Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day." Not that I always do it, but at least I can easily remember it and do it if I choose.
Then there are the big three: fat, sugar and salt. Not that they are bad, but most people take in too much, especially from foods in which these ingredients are added to boost flavour and texture. In general, the more highly-processed and convenient the product, the more likely it is to be loaded with stuff you do not need.
Better to buy your food naked and dress it up yourself (the food being naked, not you). That brings up the culture of cooking – making time to shop well, then planning meals with healthy ingredients. It is a skill and habit worth fostering in our children.
Sometimes the things that seem to make our lives more enjoyable are the ones we are told to have infrequently, in very small quantities, like cake, pastries, chocolates, cookies, granola bars, doughnuts, muffins, ice cream, french fries, chips, pop, fruit-flavoured drinks and alcohol.
The payoffs of the discipline are huge, but can only be felt over a longer time: healthy weight, stronger muscles and bones, more energy, looking better, and lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and various forms of cancer.
Taking care of ourselves, and not taking the easiest ways of satisfying our hunger, does not have to be a complex project. Once you have set some goals, it is a matter of comparing packages in the store and going for products with lower saturated fat, lower sodium, higher fibre, and especially for those over 50, more calcium.
Dieticians say we should not go on "unbalanced" diets, including high-protein plans, and that most vitamin supplements should not be necessary.
"Eat a wide variety of foods, and you don't have to worry. You will get all your essential nutrients," said Jamison. The few exceptions in Canada's Food Guide are a multivitamin with folic acid for women of child-bearing age, and a vitamin D supplement for everyone over 50.
Check out the Guide for new food ideas, try the interactive tools and learn more about a healthy lifestyle at:
www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide
Remember, too, that putting good food on the table is an extra challenge for families with a limited income. Support the East Wellington Community Services Foodshare Program with food donations right at the grocery store, or call 519-833-9696.
All I know is that it can be tricky to find healthy food that you really want to eat, especially if you do not have much time or prefer not to be seen using a calculator in the aisles.
Frances Jamison is on a mission to change people's grocery habits, to make healthy eating more of an adventure and less of a chore. She is a Registered Dietician at Headwaters Health Centre in Orangeville, and she was at Erin's Valu Mart store last week leading an educational Supermarket Scavenger Hunt.
"The choice of food is a very personal and cultural thing," she said, while analyzing the results of the hunt (I did OK, except I had no idea about prebiotics). "We are very lucky in this country – we have so much choice."
If you want to go the more scientific route, you can learn the ideal amounts of calories, fats, carbs and proteins you should aim for in your diet, based on your age and sex. The Nutrition Facts label on manufactured foods gives you actual amounts for servings, and what percentage of your recommended daily intake that represents.
Even if you are not doing exact calculations, be aware that the daily values are based on a person eating 2,000 calories a day. So if a serving is said to give you 20 per cent of your day's fat, it will only be about 13 per cent if you normally consume 3,000 calories a day.
But enough with the math. I prefer the nice, simple suggestions in Canada's Food Guide, such as: "Have breakfast every day" or "Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day." Not that I always do it, but at least I can easily remember it and do it if I choose.
Then there are the big three: fat, sugar and salt. Not that they are bad, but most people take in too much, especially from foods in which these ingredients are added to boost flavour and texture. In general, the more highly-processed and convenient the product, the more likely it is to be loaded with stuff you do not need.
Better to buy your food naked and dress it up yourself (the food being naked, not you). That brings up the culture of cooking – making time to shop well, then planning meals with healthy ingredients. It is a skill and habit worth fostering in our children.
Sometimes the things that seem to make our lives more enjoyable are the ones we are told to have infrequently, in very small quantities, like cake, pastries, chocolates, cookies, granola bars, doughnuts, muffins, ice cream, french fries, chips, pop, fruit-flavoured drinks and alcohol.
The payoffs of the discipline are huge, but can only be felt over a longer time: healthy weight, stronger muscles and bones, more energy, looking better, and lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and various forms of cancer.
Taking care of ourselves, and not taking the easiest ways of satisfying our hunger, does not have to be a complex project. Once you have set some goals, it is a matter of comparing packages in the store and going for products with lower saturated fat, lower sodium, higher fibre, and especially for those over 50, more calcium.
Dieticians say we should not go on "unbalanced" diets, including high-protein plans, and that most vitamin supplements should not be necessary.
"Eat a wide variety of foods, and you don't have to worry. You will get all your essential nutrients," said Jamison. The few exceptions in Canada's Food Guide are a multivitamin with folic acid for women of child-bearing age, and a vitamin D supplement for everyone over 50.
Check out the Guide for new food ideas, try the interactive tools and learn more about a healthy lifestyle at:
www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide
Remember, too, that putting good food on the table is an extra challenge for families with a limited income. Support the East Wellington Community Services Foodshare Program with food donations right at the grocery store, or call 519-833-9696.
April 01, 2009
Coloroso probes core of ethical behaviour
Barbara Coloroso does not simply give advice to parents. She drives to the core of what it takes to become an ethical human being.
Her appearance at Erin District High School on May 1 is rare opportunity to hear from a big name in the realm of education speakers and a respected author on topics ranging from bullying to genocide.
She will make a presentation at 7 pm in the gymnasium, after a book-signing session at 6:30, thanks to a combined effort by parents from all five Erin schools, and a grant from the Ministry of Education. Parents now can get free tickets through the schools, and the general public can get tickets as of April 10. Email parentconnectionerin@hotmail.com or call 519-833-9665, ext. 520.
Not everyone will agree with Coloroso's views on parenting. It is an idealistic vision, based on treating kids with more dignity and respect, rejecting the simple techniques of punishment and reward that are part of our culture, promoting strategies to empower young people with inner discipline and self-confidence.
That is the main thrust of her best-selling book "kids are worth it", encouraging a parenting approach that helps children grow into responsible, resilient and compassionate adults. Check out kidsareworthit.com.
How do we develop our moral values? Children get many positive messages from parents, teachers and preachers, but our culture often sends a message that the end justifies the means. It is a confusing flood of influences that includes popular bands, TV shows, T-shirt slogans, websites and the evening news. Coloroso tackles the issue of ethics in her book, Just Because It's Not Wrong Doesn't Make It Right.
A former Catholic nun and a mother of three who is based in Colorado, Coloroso has been a classroom teacher and a university instructor, and has written about breaking the cycle of violence and fear in The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander. Quoted in Quill & Quire, Canada's book news magazine, she said: "The premise I take on bullying is that it's not about conflict or anger – it's about contempt for another human being."
It is that line of reasoning that took her writing career in a bold new direction, and the publication in 2007 of Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide. It may seem to have little to do with parenting, but the link is in the study of ethics and human nature. The remarkable thing about genocides is that they are not carried out by obvious monsters, but by ordinary people.
Coloroso has made a few visits to Rwanda, working with the orphans of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi people, and lecturing at the National University there. In probing the conditions that lead to violence, both against large groups of people and individuals, she points out common characteristics: victims are seen as less than human, authority is unquestioned and cruelty is portrayed as routine.
The author advocates fighting this weakness by raising a citizenry that cares deeply, shares generously and helps others willingly. At the core, it is about treating others, including our children, the way we ourselves want to be treated.
It is not exactly a new idea, but one that always bears repeating in a new light.
Her appearance at Erin District High School on May 1 is rare opportunity to hear from a big name in the realm of education speakers and a respected author on topics ranging from bullying to genocide.
She will make a presentation at 7 pm in the gymnasium, after a book-signing session at 6:30, thanks to a combined effort by parents from all five Erin schools, and a grant from the Ministry of Education. Parents now can get free tickets through the schools, and the general public can get tickets as of April 10. Email parentconnectionerin@hotmail.com or call 519-833-9665, ext. 520.
Not everyone will agree with Coloroso's views on parenting. It is an idealistic vision, based on treating kids with more dignity and respect, rejecting the simple techniques of punishment and reward that are part of our culture, promoting strategies to empower young people with inner discipline and self-confidence.
That is the main thrust of her best-selling book "kids are worth it", encouraging a parenting approach that helps children grow into responsible, resilient and compassionate adults. Check out kidsareworthit.com.
How do we develop our moral values? Children get many positive messages from parents, teachers and preachers, but our culture often sends a message that the end justifies the means. It is a confusing flood of influences that includes popular bands, TV shows, T-shirt slogans, websites and the evening news. Coloroso tackles the issue of ethics in her book, Just Because It's Not Wrong Doesn't Make It Right.
A former Catholic nun and a mother of three who is based in Colorado, Coloroso has been a classroom teacher and a university instructor, and has written about breaking the cycle of violence and fear in The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander. Quoted in Quill & Quire, Canada's book news magazine, she said: "The premise I take on bullying is that it's not about conflict or anger – it's about contempt for another human being."
It is that line of reasoning that took her writing career in a bold new direction, and the publication in 2007 of Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide. It may seem to have little to do with parenting, but the link is in the study of ethics and human nature. The remarkable thing about genocides is that they are not carried out by obvious monsters, but by ordinary people.
Coloroso has made a few visits to Rwanda, working with the orphans of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi people, and lecturing at the National University there. In probing the conditions that lead to violence, both against large groups of people and individuals, she points out common characteristics: victims are seen as less than human, authority is unquestioned and cruelty is portrayed as routine.
The author advocates fighting this weakness by raising a citizenry that cares deeply, shares generously and helps others willingly. At the core, it is about treating others, including our children, the way we ourselves want to be treated.
It is not exactly a new idea, but one that always bears repeating in a new light.
March 25, 2009
Erin could become an exit on a major new highway
As published in The Erin Advocate
Within 30 years, Erin could be ensnared in Southern Ontario's ever-widening web of major highways.
Erin is in the middle of a huge C-shaped district called the Greater Golden Horseshoe, curving from the Niagara River up through Kitchener and east to Peterborough. Erin is also in the Greenbelt area, and while the Town is not flagged as a growth centre in Ontario's Places to Grow plan, it is located between places that may need to be connected.
Starting with the QEW, the highway grid wraps around Lake Ontario. For routes like Hwys 403 and 407, the land corridors were reserved decades in advance. Now, Ontario's transportation planners are hard at work on the next strands of the web.
The Ministry of Transportation has conceptual plans for an outer band of limited-access highways. They would not necessarily be 400-series, at least not at first. For the district between Kitchener and Brampton, how will Ontario maintain an efficient east-west flow of goods once no more lanes can be added to Hwy 401? What is the best solution for all those trucks rumbling along Main Street in Erin village?
I attended an information session in Georgetown recently, hosted by a Ministry of Transportation study team for the "GTA West Corridor". They are looking ahead 20 to 30 years, as the area experiences a huge increase in population and economic activity.
By 2031, the population of Erin is only expected to grow by about 3,500 people. But Guelph will gain more than 30,000, and there will be at least 200,000 more in Waterloo Region and 320,000 more in Peel. If new highways are needed, the MTO wants to reserve the land soon.
A formal Environmental Assessment has been launched for the area from Hwy 401 up to the south part of Erin and Caledon, and from Guelph to Highway 400. It will "examine long-term transportation problems and opportunities and consider alternative solutions to provide better linkages between Urban Growth Centres".
They are identifying issues at this stage, and want your views – go to www.gta-west.com. For a taste of the opposition, try www.shiftontario.org, an alliance of groups working to "pry provincial transportation planners away from their road-building bias".
Of course, there is plenty of talk about rail transport and public transit, but inevitably the focus is on highways. The MTO approach is incremental: make the best use of current roads, look for non-road solutions, widen roads in existing corridors, and as a last resort, build new roads.
Apart from urban zones, the major obstacle to an East-West highway is the highly-protected Niagara Escarpment, which runs North-South. To minimize environmental impact, a major highway would likely use an existing corridor through the Escarpment.
Ministry staff would not speculate about a route, but you and I are free to do so. If a new highway is needed, here is my scenario, set in the late 2030's, based on the broad "conceptual" transportation corridor in the 2006 Places to Grow plan.
From Kitchener, the new highway could come to Guelph along Hwy. 7, bypass the city to the north, then cut east, crossing Wellington 124. It could bypass Rockwood and Acton, run parallel to Hwy 7, then join Trafalgar Road near Silver Creek to descend the Escarpment. To avoid Georgetown, it would have to cut east between Glen Williams and the Escarpment, then run parallel to Mayfield Road over to Hwy 10, where it would be in perfect alignment with the latest section of Hwy 410.
If this route was unacceptable, the MTO could look north, perhaps punch through the escarpment between Glen Williams and Terra Cotta, or push the route more into Erin and use Mississauga Road to descend the Escarpment.
If they prefer to go further north, outside the current study area, they could run the highway along Wellington 124, bypass Erin village to the north, carry on to Caledon village, cut south to descend the Escarpment on Hwy 10, and join Hwy 410 at Snelgrove. The Caledon route would also extend the web towards the Hwy 9 corridor, providing a link with Alliston, Newmarket and Hwy 404.
If the possibility of a major highway through Erin seems unthinkable, we should look around the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and think again.
Within 30 years, Erin could be ensnared in Southern Ontario's ever-widening web of major highways.
Erin is in the middle of a huge C-shaped district called the Greater Golden Horseshoe, curving from the Niagara River up through Kitchener and east to Peterborough. Erin is also in the Greenbelt area, and while the Town is not flagged as a growth centre in Ontario's Places to Grow plan, it is located between places that may need to be connected.
Starting with the QEW, the highway grid wraps around Lake Ontario. For routes like Hwys 403 and 407, the land corridors were reserved decades in advance. Now, Ontario's transportation planners are hard at work on the next strands of the web.
The Ministry of Transportation has conceptual plans for an outer band of limited-access highways. They would not necessarily be 400-series, at least not at first. For the district between Kitchener and Brampton, how will Ontario maintain an efficient east-west flow of goods once no more lanes can be added to Hwy 401? What is the best solution for all those trucks rumbling along Main Street in Erin village?
I attended an information session in Georgetown recently, hosted by a Ministry of Transportation study team for the "GTA West Corridor". They are looking ahead 20 to 30 years, as the area experiences a huge increase in population and economic activity.
By 2031, the population of Erin is only expected to grow by about 3,500 people. But Guelph will gain more than 30,000, and there will be at least 200,000 more in Waterloo Region and 320,000 more in Peel. If new highways are needed, the MTO wants to reserve the land soon.
A formal Environmental Assessment has been launched for the area from Hwy 401 up to the south part of Erin and Caledon, and from Guelph to Highway 400. It will "examine long-term transportation problems and opportunities and consider alternative solutions to provide better linkages between Urban Growth Centres".
They are identifying issues at this stage, and want your views – go to www.gta-west.com. For a taste of the opposition, try www.shiftontario.org, an alliance of groups working to "pry provincial transportation planners away from their road-building bias".
Of course, there is plenty of talk about rail transport and public transit, but inevitably the focus is on highways. The MTO approach is incremental: make the best use of current roads, look for non-road solutions, widen roads in existing corridors, and as a last resort, build new roads.
Apart from urban zones, the major obstacle to an East-West highway is the highly-protected Niagara Escarpment, which runs North-South. To minimize environmental impact, a major highway would likely use an existing corridor through the Escarpment.
Ministry staff would not speculate about a route, but you and I are free to do so. If a new highway is needed, here is my scenario, set in the late 2030's, based on the broad "conceptual" transportation corridor in the 2006 Places to Grow plan.
From Kitchener, the new highway could come to Guelph along Hwy. 7, bypass the city to the north, then cut east, crossing Wellington 124. It could bypass Rockwood and Acton, run parallel to Hwy 7, then join Trafalgar Road near Silver Creek to descend the Escarpment. To avoid Georgetown, it would have to cut east between Glen Williams and the Escarpment, then run parallel to Mayfield Road over to Hwy 10, where it would be in perfect alignment with the latest section of Hwy 410.
If this route was unacceptable, the MTO could look north, perhaps punch through the escarpment between Glen Williams and Terra Cotta, or push the route more into Erin and use Mississauga Road to descend the Escarpment.
If they prefer to go further north, outside the current study area, they could run the highway along Wellington 124, bypass Erin village to the north, carry on to Caledon village, cut south to descend the Escarpment on Hwy 10, and join Hwy 410 at Snelgrove. The Caledon route would also extend the web towards the Hwy 9 corridor, providing a link with Alliston, Newmarket and Hwy 404.
If the possibility of a major highway through Erin seems unthinkable, we should look around the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and think again.
March 18, 2009
It's time to sequester more carbon dioxide
As published in The Erin Advocate
Finally, the tree-planting season is here. Time to get your hands dirty, get re-connected to the land and get on with saving the planet, one planting at a time.
Living in balance with the world that sustains us is not pie-in-the-sky idealism, it is a shift in thinking that can have real benefits where we live right now.
Everyone knows we need to reduce output of carbon dioxide to fight global warming, but our addiction to horseless carriages and electrical gadgets is going to be hard to break.
In the meantime, what if we had ingenious devices to capture and sequester (store) carbon dioxide, filter pollution out of the air, pump out pure oxygen, improve water quality, reduce heating and air conditioning costs, boost the productivity of farms and provide habitat for animals?
Fortunately, they have been invented, with a design very pleasing to the eye. We just need to put lots of them in the ground and not chop too many down.
One of the most passionate tree advocates in this neck of the woods is Rob Johnson, Program Manager for Wellington County's Green Legacy Program. He is out in the schools almost every day at this time of the year with a program that enables about 2,500 Kindergarten to Grade 3 students to learn about ecology and grow Red Oak trees from seed.
"The curriculum is getting greener all the time," he said. "The best way to moderate climate change is with trees." Another 2,500 students in Grades 4-6 travel to the nurseries to transplant trees and go on an educational hike, while Grade 7-8 students go on tree planting field trips.
Johnson likes to quote Albert Einstein, who said, "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." One of Southern Ontario's problems is that many areas were stripped of good forest to supply lumber and create farmland. Forest now covers about 17 per cent of Wellington, but Environment Canada says 30 per cent is needed to maintain healthy water quality and quantity. That could take 50 million trees.
Green Legacy collects local seeds, then grows and plants more than 150,000 trees in Wellington every year. Seedlings are distributed free to environmental groups, service clubs, schools, local municipalities and landowners (who partner with a non-profit group). All the trees are booked for 2009, but starting in October, you can order for 2010.
For this year, you can still take advantage of the Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) Tree Planting Program. It is for properties of at least two acres (though you do not have to plant the whole area). The trees and the planting are highly subsidized – up to 75 per cent.
There is a reforestation program for old fields that are not being used for crops or pasture, where they will machine-plant 1,500 or more bare root evergreen seedlings. About 125,000 seedlings were planted last year, starting new forest on 125 acres.
The naturalization program is for environmental improvement to smaller properties (not for landscaping). They transplanted about 10,000 potted seedlings last year.
"Over time, the roots of trees will develop the soil, make it more porous so it will absorb water like a sponge and release it over time, so there will be less erosion," said CVC Forester Zoltan Kovacs. You can call him at 905-702-5201 for information, or go to www.creditvalleyca.ca.
CVC will have a technician check your property and give you a detailed cost estimate. You have to agree to leave the trees growing for at least 15 years, though you can cut some Christmas trees.
If you are keen, sign up for the CVC's free tree planting workshop, March 28, 9 a.m. to noon at the Caledon Village Library on Highway 10. Contact Holly Nadalin at 905-670-1615, ext. 449 by this Friday, March 20.
Finally, the tree-planting season is here. Time to get your hands dirty, get re-connected to the land and get on with saving the planet, one planting at a time.
Living in balance with the world that sustains us is not pie-in-the-sky idealism, it is a shift in thinking that can have real benefits where we live right now.
Everyone knows we need to reduce output of carbon dioxide to fight global warming, but our addiction to horseless carriages and electrical gadgets is going to be hard to break.
In the meantime, what if we had ingenious devices to capture and sequester (store) carbon dioxide, filter pollution out of the air, pump out pure oxygen, improve water quality, reduce heating and air conditioning costs, boost the productivity of farms and provide habitat for animals?
Fortunately, they have been invented, with a design very pleasing to the eye. We just need to put lots of them in the ground and not chop too many down.
One of the most passionate tree advocates in this neck of the woods is Rob Johnson, Program Manager for Wellington County's Green Legacy Program. He is out in the schools almost every day at this time of the year with a program that enables about 2,500 Kindergarten to Grade 3 students to learn about ecology and grow Red Oak trees from seed.
"The curriculum is getting greener all the time," he said. "The best way to moderate climate change is with trees." Another 2,500 students in Grades 4-6 travel to the nurseries to transplant trees and go on an educational hike, while Grade 7-8 students go on tree planting field trips.
Johnson likes to quote Albert Einstein, who said, "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." One of Southern Ontario's problems is that many areas were stripped of good forest to supply lumber and create farmland. Forest now covers about 17 per cent of Wellington, but Environment Canada says 30 per cent is needed to maintain healthy water quality and quantity. That could take 50 million trees.
Green Legacy collects local seeds, then grows and plants more than 150,000 trees in Wellington every year. Seedlings are distributed free to environmental groups, service clubs, schools, local municipalities and landowners (who partner with a non-profit group). All the trees are booked for 2009, but starting in October, you can order for 2010.
For this year, you can still take advantage of the Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) Tree Planting Program. It is for properties of at least two acres (though you do not have to plant the whole area). The trees and the planting are highly subsidized – up to 75 per cent.
There is a reforestation program for old fields that are not being used for crops or pasture, where they will machine-plant 1,500 or more bare root evergreen seedlings. About 125,000 seedlings were planted last year, starting new forest on 125 acres.
The naturalization program is for environmental improvement to smaller properties (not for landscaping). They transplanted about 10,000 potted seedlings last year.
"Over time, the roots of trees will develop the soil, make it more porous so it will absorb water like a sponge and release it over time, so there will be less erosion," said CVC Forester Zoltan Kovacs. You can call him at 905-702-5201 for information, or go to www.creditvalleyca.ca.
CVC will have a technician check your property and give you a detailed cost estimate. You have to agree to leave the trees growing for at least 15 years, though you can cut some Christmas trees.
If you are keen, sign up for the CVC's free tree planting workshop, March 28, 9 a.m. to noon at the Caledon Village Library on Highway 10. Contact Holly Nadalin at 905-670-1615, ext. 449 by this Friday, March 20.
March 11, 2009
Basketball a challenge for middle-aged bones
As published in The Erin Advocate
The pains were familiar and to be expected. Your tendons feel too short, your hips need a shot of axle grease and your lungs seem too small to keep up with your heart.
I would not want to discourage anyone from coming out to Sunday afternoon community basketball at the Erin high school gym. Most people who might consider playing are either in better shape than me, or smart enough to take it easy on their first time out.
No need to buy a membership or commit to a team, just drop in with your running shoes, contribute $3 to the pot, warm up for a few minutes and take turns in the pickup game. It was just what I needed last week, feeling cooped-up and tired of winter.
"We have good sportsmanship, with a wide range of ages and skills," said Patrick Suessmuth of Erin Hoops. "Everybody blends in and everybody has fun."
I have known Pat since the mid-1990s, when I got involved with Erin Hoops as a coach, shortly after the group was started by Brian Bissell, Carolyn White, Brian Smith and Peter Olsen. I was also a referee and club registrar for a couple of years, and though I gained an appreciation of the game, I never got very good at it.
Now, after not playing at all for at least five years, my skills are minimal. Still, players much better than I were willing to pass me the ball, and I did manage four baskets in two hours. Of course, Pat was more than glad to provide advice. "Phil, you need more arc on your shots – about six feet more."
Community basketball has been going about ten years now, open to men and women. The age range on Sunday was from young teen to senior.
Pat and his team of helpers always have a lot on the go, mainly at The Main Place in the old Erin Public School at 185 Main Street. Erin Hoops gets a great deal on the space thanks to Gary Langen, who owns the building. Kids can drop in for recreational activities any day after school. Check out the programs, or learn about becoming a volunteer, at www.erinhoops.ca.
There is the March Break Basketball Camp, March 16-20, and a wide choice of affordable Summer Camps including basketball, arts & crafts, dance, badminton, baseball, tennis and floor hockey.
There are monthly Classic Movie Nights. There are monthly Bingo Nights – no need for a gaming license, since people play for Freecycle prizes. Freecycle is a worldwide movement to keep good stuff out of landfills by offering it for free to other people.
Pat got the Erin chapter started and it now has 319 members. There are another 11,500 members in the Rockwood, Acton, Georgetown, Caledon, Milton, Guelph and Brampton groups. Go to www.freecycle.org, or Google: Erin Freecycle.
As for me and my middle-aged bones, the pains have subsided, so it must be time to push myself a bit more. I will play some basketball, but soon, the ice will be gone. I will get out the bicycle and the tennis racquet. And I can hardly wait to take Lilly for a nice, long hike without worrying about the wind chill factor.
The pains were familiar and to be expected. Your tendons feel too short, your hips need a shot of axle grease and your lungs seem too small to keep up with your heart.
I would not want to discourage anyone from coming out to Sunday afternoon community basketball at the Erin high school gym. Most people who might consider playing are either in better shape than me, or smart enough to take it easy on their first time out.
No need to buy a membership or commit to a team, just drop in with your running shoes, contribute $3 to the pot, warm up for a few minutes and take turns in the pickup game. It was just what I needed last week, feeling cooped-up and tired of winter.
"We have good sportsmanship, with a wide range of ages and skills," said Patrick Suessmuth of Erin Hoops. "Everybody blends in and everybody has fun."
I have known Pat since the mid-1990s, when I got involved with Erin Hoops as a coach, shortly after the group was started by Brian Bissell, Carolyn White, Brian Smith and Peter Olsen. I was also a referee and club registrar for a couple of years, and though I gained an appreciation of the game, I never got very good at it.
Now, after not playing at all for at least five years, my skills are minimal. Still, players much better than I were willing to pass me the ball, and I did manage four baskets in two hours. Of course, Pat was more than glad to provide advice. "Phil, you need more arc on your shots – about six feet more."
Community basketball has been going about ten years now, open to men and women. The age range on Sunday was from young teen to senior.
Pat and his team of helpers always have a lot on the go, mainly at The Main Place in the old Erin Public School at 185 Main Street. Erin Hoops gets a great deal on the space thanks to Gary Langen, who owns the building. Kids can drop in for recreational activities any day after school. Check out the programs, or learn about becoming a volunteer, at www.erinhoops.ca.
There is the March Break Basketball Camp, March 16-20, and a wide choice of affordable Summer Camps including basketball, arts & crafts, dance, badminton, baseball, tennis and floor hockey.
There are monthly Classic Movie Nights. There are monthly Bingo Nights – no need for a gaming license, since people play for Freecycle prizes. Freecycle is a worldwide movement to keep good stuff out of landfills by offering it for free to other people.
Pat got the Erin chapter started and it now has 319 members. There are another 11,500 members in the Rockwood, Acton, Georgetown, Caledon, Milton, Guelph and Brampton groups. Go to www.freecycle.org, or Google: Erin Freecycle.
As for me and my middle-aged bones, the pains have subsided, so it must be time to push myself a bit more. I will play some basketball, but soon, the ice will be gone. I will get out the bicycle and the tennis racquet. And I can hardly wait to take Lilly for a nice, long hike without worrying about the wind chill factor.
March 04, 2009
New park could be a boost for downtown
As published in The Erin Advocate
The Town Centre Park proposed for 109 Main Street will be an excellent addition to the atmosphere of downtown Erin, but it will need a strong commitment from the Town if it is going to happen this year.
A committee of councillors and community representatives has put a lot of work into the project. A design was published in The Advocate last month, and an optimistic goal of completion by July 1 was set.
How much weight will this project carry in the Town budget deliberations that are now in progress? The park could be a real jewel – an attractive and practical gathering place. I hope it ranks high on the list of new projects that Council is considering.
On one hand, Erin is running a small deficit and there are many needs in the community, from road paving to new dressing rooms at the Erin arena. The capital budget was $3.8 million in 2008, with 90 per cent of it allocated to Roads, Water and Fire Services.
On the other hand, we did get a provincial influx of $622,000 last year for new infrastructure, and it is about time we spent it. Apart from sports fields, we do not have much parkland, so a modest expenditure to create this new park could certainly be justified.
There has already been a lot of input from non-elected people, which is a sign of a healthy community, but there could still be a public meeting or at least a formal request for taxpayer feedback on the design. The estimated cost of this project should be made public.
Committee member Paul Rivers, who got involved through the Business Improvement Area, said the park will provide seniors and others a comfortable place to sit outdoors. "There are community events that are not being done because they need a venue," he said.
As Optimist Wilson Belford pointed out, the empty lot that was once the site of the village offices has become an "eyesore" for the area. The Optimists have pledged to construct the gazebo, which will be the focal point of the park.
The Town last year purchased $7,300 worth of steel for the structure, which the committee expects will be used as a stage for various musical and theatrical events. It will be surrounded by grass in the summer and a natural ice rink in the winter.
The Erin Garden Club has purchased $1,000 worth of stone for the rock garden that will provide an attractive entrance to the site, and plans to maintain the garden. A large spruce Christmas "Tree of Light" has also been donated.
More donations of building/landscape materials and cash are being requested, to help reduce the public cost. If you or your business are so inclined, call the Town office at 519-855-4407.
In the current plan, the gazebo has a central position, leaving almost equal "audience" areas on opposite sides of the performing stage. Since most performers will face mainly in one direction, it would be better to move the pavilion further from the road. This would allow a larger, primary audience area, perhaps with more stone seating.
Initially, the gazebo surface was to be 18 inches high, but now it is planned at ground level, to avoid the need for a ramp for the disabled. If you have 20 people sitting and watching a show, ground level is fine. But if you have 200 people, many of them standing or walking around, a raised stage would be much better, even if it is more trouble to build.
A winding, well-lit cobblestone-type path will extend to the parking lot at the back. That path could be part of a larger trail route, from the park, past Daniel Street and down to the West Credit River, where a foot bridge is being considered. It would link downtown to the Woolen Mills Conservation Area and nearby homes.
The Town Centre Park proposed for 109 Main Street will be an excellent addition to the atmosphere of downtown Erin, but it will need a strong commitment from the Town if it is going to happen this year.
A committee of councillors and community representatives has put a lot of work into the project. A design was published in The Advocate last month, and an optimistic goal of completion by July 1 was set.
How much weight will this project carry in the Town budget deliberations that are now in progress? The park could be a real jewel – an attractive and practical gathering place. I hope it ranks high on the list of new projects that Council is considering.
On one hand, Erin is running a small deficit and there are many needs in the community, from road paving to new dressing rooms at the Erin arena. The capital budget was $3.8 million in 2008, with 90 per cent of it allocated to Roads, Water and Fire Services.
On the other hand, we did get a provincial influx of $622,000 last year for new infrastructure, and it is about time we spent it. Apart from sports fields, we do not have much parkland, so a modest expenditure to create this new park could certainly be justified.
There has already been a lot of input from non-elected people, which is a sign of a healthy community, but there could still be a public meeting or at least a formal request for taxpayer feedback on the design. The estimated cost of this project should be made public.
Committee member Paul Rivers, who got involved through the Business Improvement Area, said the park will provide seniors and others a comfortable place to sit outdoors. "There are community events that are not being done because they need a venue," he said.
As Optimist Wilson Belford pointed out, the empty lot that was once the site of the village offices has become an "eyesore" for the area. The Optimists have pledged to construct the gazebo, which will be the focal point of the park.
The Town last year purchased $7,300 worth of steel for the structure, which the committee expects will be used as a stage for various musical and theatrical events. It will be surrounded by grass in the summer and a natural ice rink in the winter.
The Erin Garden Club has purchased $1,000 worth of stone for the rock garden that will provide an attractive entrance to the site, and plans to maintain the garden. A large spruce Christmas "Tree of Light" has also been donated.
More donations of building/landscape materials and cash are being requested, to help reduce the public cost. If you or your business are so inclined, call the Town office at 519-855-4407.
In the current plan, the gazebo has a central position, leaving almost equal "audience" areas on opposite sides of the performing stage. Since most performers will face mainly in one direction, it would be better to move the pavilion further from the road. This would allow a larger, primary audience area, perhaps with more stone seating.
Initially, the gazebo surface was to be 18 inches high, but now it is planned at ground level, to avoid the need for a ramp for the disabled. If you have 20 people sitting and watching a show, ground level is fine. But if you have 200 people, many of them standing or walking around, a raised stage would be much better, even if it is more trouble to build.
A winding, well-lit cobblestone-type path will extend to the parking lot at the back. That path could be part of a larger trail route, from the park, past Daniel Street and down to the West Credit River, where a foot bridge is being considered. It would link downtown to the Woolen Mills Conservation Area and nearby homes.
February 25, 2009
Bill Smiley was a welcome guest
As published in The Erin Advocate
Bill Smiley was a newspaper columnist who barged his way into the lives of millions of Canadians by the sheer force of his personality.
I have been reading old issues of The Erin Advocate at the library (back to 1974) and they draw a fascinating sketch of this area, even for someone who did not grow up here. Bill did not write about Erin, but he was our guest almost every week for some 22 years.
Known as Sugar and Spice, the column appeared in weeklies across Canada. It was in 18 papers when Erin picked it up in 1957, and the customer list grew to more than 130 with syndication by The Toronto Telegram, as editors and readers learned to love his small-town wit and wisdom.
He was honored as most outstanding columnist in 1974 by the Canadian Community Newspaper Association (CCNA). According to the CCNA website, he became Canada's most-read columnist and continued writing until two years before his death in 1987, at the age of 67.
Bill's column was very personal. He spoke of his father's depression and his mother's frantic work to support five kids in the 1930s. "There was no way we were going on relief. It was shameful. Somehow we staggered through." He predicted another economic depression, though it has been slow to arrive.
He often talked of being shot down during the Second World War and his time in a prison camp. He did not care for the annual gatherings of POWs who wanted to relive the experience after the war.
For 11 years, he was the editor and publisher of The Wiarton Echo. Later, he worked on "the assembly line at the pupil-factory," as head of English at the high school in Midland, and did not mince words about the quality of some of the finished product. "Some of the rottenest people, physically, morally and emotionally, whom I have ever met, have been honour students. With no sense of honour."
His grandson, however, was a great source of joy. "The existence of so much delight and charm and laughter and love, all wrapped up in one perfectly formed nine-month old creation, restores my faith, which at times becomes a little tattered around the edges, in God."
His wife Sue became well-known, though I doubt she appreciated the attention. He was calling her "old trouble and strife" in 1957. Their fighting and making-up continued as column topics for decades. In 1974, he described his feelings when she went away for a weekend: "When I put the old battleaxe on the bus, or see the car drive off, I try to look mournful. Then I give a great sigh of relief, and feel like a fellow who has just walked out the jailhouse gates."
It appears that The Advocate stopped carrying the column when the paper was sold to a new owner in 1979. A new column appeared, called The Way I See It, by James Burnett.
For all his crankiness, Bill Smiley had a wonderful way with words: "There's a certain sadness in the knowledge that summer is over, but it only lasts a day or so. Any red-blooded Canadian knows deep in his boots that summer is merely an unreal state of mind that has no more substance, no more staying power, than a pleasant dream."
I wish I had written that. Maybe I will write that, or something like it. After all, there are no new ideas waiting to be discovered – just old ones that need to be polished up.
Bill Smiley was a newspaper columnist who barged his way into the lives of millions of Canadians by the sheer force of his personality.
I have been reading old issues of The Erin Advocate at the library (back to 1974) and they draw a fascinating sketch of this area, even for someone who did not grow up here. Bill did not write about Erin, but he was our guest almost every week for some 22 years.
Known as Sugar and Spice, the column appeared in weeklies across Canada. It was in 18 papers when Erin picked it up in 1957, and the customer list grew to more than 130 with syndication by The Toronto Telegram, as editors and readers learned to love his small-town wit and wisdom.
He was honored as most outstanding columnist in 1974 by the Canadian Community Newspaper Association (CCNA). According to the CCNA website, he became Canada's most-read columnist and continued writing until two years before his death in 1987, at the age of 67.
Bill's column was very personal. He spoke of his father's depression and his mother's frantic work to support five kids in the 1930s. "There was no way we were going on relief. It was shameful. Somehow we staggered through." He predicted another economic depression, though it has been slow to arrive.
He often talked of being shot down during the Second World War and his time in a prison camp. He did not care for the annual gatherings of POWs who wanted to relive the experience after the war.
For 11 years, he was the editor and publisher of The Wiarton Echo. Later, he worked on "the assembly line at the pupil-factory," as head of English at the high school in Midland, and did not mince words about the quality of some of the finished product. "Some of the rottenest people, physically, morally and emotionally, whom I have ever met, have been honour students. With no sense of honour."
His grandson, however, was a great source of joy. "The existence of so much delight and charm and laughter and love, all wrapped up in one perfectly formed nine-month old creation, restores my faith, which at times becomes a little tattered around the edges, in God."
His wife Sue became well-known, though I doubt she appreciated the attention. He was calling her "old trouble and strife" in 1957. Their fighting and making-up continued as column topics for decades. In 1974, he described his feelings when she went away for a weekend: "When I put the old battleaxe on the bus, or see the car drive off, I try to look mournful. Then I give a great sigh of relief, and feel like a fellow who has just walked out the jailhouse gates."
It appears that The Advocate stopped carrying the column when the paper was sold to a new owner in 1979. A new column appeared, called The Way I See It, by James Burnett.
For all his crankiness, Bill Smiley had a wonderful way with words: "There's a certain sadness in the knowledge that summer is over, but it only lasts a day or so. Any red-blooded Canadian knows deep in his boots that summer is merely an unreal state of mind that has no more substance, no more staying power, than a pleasant dream."
I wish I had written that. Maybe I will write that, or something like it. After all, there are no new ideas waiting to be discovered – just old ones that need to be polished up.
February 18, 2009
Exploring Erin's maze of trails
As published in The Erin Advocate
It was a warm, sunny winter morning, so I decided to take a little hike along the rail trail at the north end of Erin village. The scenery is always better when you get out of your car.
It is the Elora Cataract Trailway, where the tracks put Hillsburgh and Erin on the map back in 1879. It is also a segment of the Trans-Canada Trail, a 21,500-kilometre recreational trail system (the world's longest).
When it is complete, we'll be able to hike, or bike, or ride a horse to Mount Pearl on the eastern tip of Newfoundland, to Victoria on Vancouver Island, or up to the Arctic Ocean.
The Trans-Canada Trail (www.tctrail.ca) is not a spectacular tourist attraction, but it is a feature of national interest. Currently there is only a small sign along the road to tell people it is there – we should do more to promote it.
Setting out westward on the trail from Main Street towards Hillsburgh, the view is anything but scenic at first. There's the idle Guardian Fiberglass plant. I know it is tough for the guys at the gate, now in their second winter of picket duty, and I hope the conflict can be resolved. But in the meantime, no one is missing the foul odour that comes from that place when it is operating.
After you get past the mountains of mulch and topsoil, and the graveyard of recyclable old trucks, the terrain is much greener. The trail is still very flat and straight, though, so I naturally looked for a side route, to make a loop. (Whenever there is an opportunity to go off on a tangent, I will usually take it.)
I cut to the left on the first snowmobile trail I saw, through a dense cedar grove. The great thing about winter hiking is that swampland is frozen solid and mosquitoes are fast asleep. I cut left again at the first opportunity and slid my way across a narrow section of the West Credit River, where the snowmobiles had packed down a nice, thick ice bridge.
I thought by then I was headed back east and would soon arrive at Stanley Park, close to my car. That never did happen, so it is a good thing that I had not set out late in the day. I was into an intricate maze of snowmobile trails, through open fields and wooded areas.
I cannot quite think of the right word to describe my situation – unable to figure out exactly where I was, or where I would end up. I wasn't going in circles, and I knew that civilization would be encountered if I just kept walking.
It is very quiet out there, except for the birds in the trees, and a pheasant I scared up on the ground. I encountered Everett and his hound, and we spent 20 minutes talking about bird dog training, so it became an educational outing as well.
By then, I was well south of my destination. A bit to the west were the fairways of Erin Heights Golf Club, or so I discovered when I got home and checked the Google Maps satellite view. My mistake was crossing the river, which winds north and then south as it gets closer to the village.
I emerged from the woods near the corner of Erin Heights Drive and Dundas Street, and faced a good long walk back to Main and up to the trailway parking lot at Ross and Daniel. It was a much longer loop than planned, but one of the most enjoyable excursions I have had this winter.
It was a warm, sunny winter morning, so I decided to take a little hike along the rail trail at the north end of Erin village. The scenery is always better when you get out of your car.
It is the Elora Cataract Trailway, where the tracks put Hillsburgh and Erin on the map back in 1879. It is also a segment of the Trans-Canada Trail, a 21,500-kilometre recreational trail system (the world's longest).
When it is complete, we'll be able to hike, or bike, or ride a horse to Mount Pearl on the eastern tip of Newfoundland, to Victoria on Vancouver Island, or up to the Arctic Ocean.
The Trans-Canada Trail (www.tctrail.ca) is not a spectacular tourist attraction, but it is a feature of national interest. Currently there is only a small sign along the road to tell people it is there – we should do more to promote it.
Setting out westward on the trail from Main Street towards Hillsburgh, the view is anything but scenic at first. There's the idle Guardian Fiberglass plant. I know it is tough for the guys at the gate, now in their second winter of picket duty, and I hope the conflict can be resolved. But in the meantime, no one is missing the foul odour that comes from that place when it is operating.
After you get past the mountains of mulch and topsoil, and the graveyard of recyclable old trucks, the terrain is much greener. The trail is still very flat and straight, though, so I naturally looked for a side route, to make a loop. (Whenever there is an opportunity to go off on a tangent, I will usually take it.)
I cut to the left on the first snowmobile trail I saw, through a dense cedar grove. The great thing about winter hiking is that swampland is frozen solid and mosquitoes are fast asleep. I cut left again at the first opportunity and slid my way across a narrow section of the West Credit River, where the snowmobiles had packed down a nice, thick ice bridge.
I thought by then I was headed back east and would soon arrive at Stanley Park, close to my car. That never did happen, so it is a good thing that I had not set out late in the day. I was into an intricate maze of snowmobile trails, through open fields and wooded areas.
I cannot quite think of the right word to describe my situation – unable to figure out exactly where I was, or where I would end up. I wasn't going in circles, and I knew that civilization would be encountered if I just kept walking.
It is very quiet out there, except for the birds in the trees, and a pheasant I scared up on the ground. I encountered Everett and his hound, and we spent 20 minutes talking about bird dog training, so it became an educational outing as well.
By then, I was well south of my destination. A bit to the west were the fairways of Erin Heights Golf Club, or so I discovered when I got home and checked the Google Maps satellite view. My mistake was crossing the river, which winds north and then south as it gets closer to the village.
I emerged from the woods near the corner of Erin Heights Drive and Dundas Street, and faced a good long walk back to Main and up to the trailway parking lot at Ross and Daniel. It was a much longer loop than planned, but one of the most enjoyable excursions I have had this winter.
February 11, 2009
Erin needs more affordable housing
As published in The Erin Advocate
When I am ready to retire, I would like to have the option of buying a smaller home in Erin. Is it too much to expect? Should we be able to stay close to our community when we have no need of a larger home?
It is a sad reality that many people have faced this issue and have decided to move away. It seems to be the price of living close to the Greater Toronto Area, and of living in a town with no sanitary sewer system.
The housing market in Erin has gone soft in recent months, along with the rest of Canada, but a quick scan of real estate listings shows plenty of houses selling for over $350,000, and a limited selection below that amount. New subdivisions in recent years have featured large lots and relatively expensive homes.
The main reason, says Erin Mayor Rod Finnie, is that large lots are required for individual septic systems. To justify the cost of large lots, large homes are built.
"When we do get sewage, I expect that development would include smaller homes," he said. In 2007, Erin decided to freeze new housing development while it works on its Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP).
The plan will guide development for decades, and public input will soon be requested. It involves not only sewage systems for the urban areas of Hillsburgh and Erin village, but a vision of the type of community we want. Current projections show the town's rural population declining slightly to 58 per cent by 2031, assuming a sewage solution is found.
The SSMP process will take until the end of 2010 – a long time for housing development to be tied up, said Councillor Josie Wintersinger. "I had hoped to be able to do more for seniors, so they wouldn't have to move to Guelph or Orangeville where they don't know anybody," she said. The mayor said the SSMP process "is taking a lot longer than I had hoped for".
Current homeowners should not be overly concerned about the slightly lower value of their properties during this recession, according to John Cook, of McEnery Real Estate in Erin.
"Our market seems to hold its value – it is a very desirable area," he said. "Some people are sitting on their hands, to see if they have a job next month, but the market has not fallen through the floor. It is still a safe place to invest."
Of course, smaller homes do come on the market, but there does not seem to be enough choice to meet the needs of buyers. For some, a home in Stanley Park is an attractive option. But others would prefer a townhouse to a mobile home, and or would like to own their own land.
Cook said a balanced approach, with a mix of different levels of housing, would be a benefit to the community. "We need more entry and exit type properties," he said, referring to younger and older home buyers.
The Canadian Real Estate Association reports that the average price of Multiple Listing Service homes in Canada in December was down 11 per cent compared to December, 2007. Sales as a percentage of new listings in the fourth quarter of 2008 fell to the lowest level since the mid-1990s.
The Royal LePage 2009 Market Survey predicts a price decline across Canada of 3.0 per cent this year, to an average of $295,000, though there are major variations by local market. Toronto is expected to be down 4.0 per cent. Regions dependent on manufacturing jobs will have sharper price declines. Prices will still be higher than three years ago, due to a surge in 2007.
Strong growth in the first half of 2008 was reversed by bad economic news in the second half, creating a buyer's market, according to recent analysis by RE/MAX.
"The situation is not expected to be remedied until consumer confidence is restored," said RE/MAX VP Michael Polzler. "We could see a bounce back as early as spring – if inventory levels remain stable, pent-up demand kicks into gear, and lower interest rates stimulate home-buying activity."
When I am ready to retire, I would like to have the option of buying a smaller home in Erin. Is it too much to expect? Should we be able to stay close to our community when we have no need of a larger home?
It is a sad reality that many people have faced this issue and have decided to move away. It seems to be the price of living close to the Greater Toronto Area, and of living in a town with no sanitary sewer system.
The housing market in Erin has gone soft in recent months, along with the rest of Canada, but a quick scan of real estate listings shows plenty of houses selling for over $350,000, and a limited selection below that amount. New subdivisions in recent years have featured large lots and relatively expensive homes.
The main reason, says Erin Mayor Rod Finnie, is that large lots are required for individual septic systems. To justify the cost of large lots, large homes are built.
"When we do get sewage, I expect that development would include smaller homes," he said. In 2007, Erin decided to freeze new housing development while it works on its Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP).
The plan will guide development for decades, and public input will soon be requested. It involves not only sewage systems for the urban areas of Hillsburgh and Erin village, but a vision of the type of community we want. Current projections show the town's rural population declining slightly to 58 per cent by 2031, assuming a sewage solution is found.
The SSMP process will take until the end of 2010 – a long time for housing development to be tied up, said Councillor Josie Wintersinger. "I had hoped to be able to do more for seniors, so they wouldn't have to move to Guelph or Orangeville where they don't know anybody," she said. The mayor said the SSMP process "is taking a lot longer than I had hoped for".
Current homeowners should not be overly concerned about the slightly lower value of their properties during this recession, according to John Cook, of McEnery Real Estate in Erin.
"Our market seems to hold its value – it is a very desirable area," he said. "Some people are sitting on their hands, to see if they have a job next month, but the market has not fallen through the floor. It is still a safe place to invest."
Of course, smaller homes do come on the market, but there does not seem to be enough choice to meet the needs of buyers. For some, a home in Stanley Park is an attractive option. But others would prefer a townhouse to a mobile home, and or would like to own their own land.
Cook said a balanced approach, with a mix of different levels of housing, would be a benefit to the community. "We need more entry and exit type properties," he said, referring to younger and older home buyers.
The Canadian Real Estate Association reports that the average price of Multiple Listing Service homes in Canada in December was down 11 per cent compared to December, 2007. Sales as a percentage of new listings in the fourth quarter of 2008 fell to the lowest level since the mid-1990s.
The Royal LePage 2009 Market Survey predicts a price decline across Canada of 3.0 per cent this year, to an average of $295,000, though there are major variations by local market. Toronto is expected to be down 4.0 per cent. Regions dependent on manufacturing jobs will have sharper price declines. Prices will still be higher than three years ago, due to a surge in 2007.
Strong growth in the first half of 2008 was reversed by bad economic news in the second half, creating a buyer's market, according to recent analysis by RE/MAX.
"The situation is not expected to be remedied until consumer confidence is restored," said RE/MAX VP Michael Polzler. "We could see a bounce back as early as spring – if inventory levels remain stable, pent-up demand kicks into gear, and lower interest rates stimulate home-buying activity."
February 04, 2009
White canes help blind live more independently
As published in The Erin Advocate
A white cane has helped give Doreen Cormier the confidence to go out walking in Erin village – but she has been surprised to discover that many people do not know what the cane signifies.
Only able to see shapes, she must often rely on others for help, especially when shopping.
“If I ask someone the price of something, they may say, ‘The price is right up there’. They don’t recognize me as being blind,” she said. “People are very helpful once you tell them you are blind.”
The first week of February is White Cane Week, a time not only to increase awareness of the cane, but also to celebrate the capabilities and talents of the blind and vision-impaired. The Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB), started by blind war veterans, has promoted White Cane Week since 1946. This year’s theme is: “Help promote accessibility…measure me by my capabilities, not my disabilities.”
There are three main types of white canes. Identification canes are lightweight and often can be folded up to fit in a purse or knapsack. They alert others to a person’s blindness and help them with depth perception, and finding things like curbs and stairs. Some people prefer to use longer “probe” canes, especially if they are traveling in an unfamiliar area.
The support cane is thicker and looks more like a regular cane used by non-blind people to help them walk – except that it is white. That is the type that Cormier uses. She says the meaning of the white colour should be taught in school.
The white cane as a symbol of blindness started in England in 1921, and was introduced and promoted in North America by Lions Clubs International, starting in 1931. One of the goals was to make the cane visible to motorists, improving safety for blind pedestrians.
The other major promoter of White Cane Week is the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), which provides many services, including mobility training to help people learn how to use the cane effectively. About 90 per cent of CNIB clients have partial vision.
Cormier benefits from the CNIB Talking Books service. She also has a magnifier so she can read The Advocate and other important documents.
The crosswalk at the corner of Church and Main in Erin village is equipped with speakers that emit a loud “cuckoo” sound when the walk signal is active for crossing the busy road. This was done particularly for the benefit of Cormier – and others with limited vision.
Now she does not have to wait for someone to come along to help her cross the road, though she is always appreciative when someone offers to help.
More than 600,000 Canadians are blind or vision-impaired. As seniors account for an increasing share of the population, issues of vision loss are likely to get more attention. Each year, 78,000 Canadians are diagnosed with Age-Related Macular Degeneration, which attacks a person’s central field of vision, leaving only peripheral vision. That number is expected to triple within the next 25 years, according to the CCB.
The blind community has lower income compared with other groups of disabled persons; 75 per cent are unemployed, compared with 49 per cent for other disabled groups, the CCB reports.
The CCB raises funds to help provide computers and computer training for the blind, along with workplace training, a legal assistance program and social support to help deal with the emotional impact of blindness.
A white cane has helped give Doreen Cormier the confidence to go out walking in Erin village – but she has been surprised to discover that many people do not know what the cane signifies.
Only able to see shapes, she must often rely on others for help, especially when shopping.
“If I ask someone the price of something, they may say, ‘The price is right up there’. They don’t recognize me as being blind,” she said. “People are very helpful once you tell them you are blind.”
The first week of February is White Cane Week, a time not only to increase awareness of the cane, but also to celebrate the capabilities and talents of the blind and vision-impaired. The Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB), started by blind war veterans, has promoted White Cane Week since 1946. This year’s theme is: “Help promote accessibility…measure me by my capabilities, not my disabilities.”
There are three main types of white canes. Identification canes are lightweight and often can be folded up to fit in a purse or knapsack. They alert others to a person’s blindness and help them with depth perception, and finding things like curbs and stairs. Some people prefer to use longer “probe” canes, especially if they are traveling in an unfamiliar area.
The support cane is thicker and looks more like a regular cane used by non-blind people to help them walk – except that it is white. That is the type that Cormier uses. She says the meaning of the white colour should be taught in school.
The white cane as a symbol of blindness started in England in 1921, and was introduced and promoted in North America by Lions Clubs International, starting in 1931. One of the goals was to make the cane visible to motorists, improving safety for blind pedestrians.
The other major promoter of White Cane Week is the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), which provides many services, including mobility training to help people learn how to use the cane effectively. About 90 per cent of CNIB clients have partial vision.
Cormier benefits from the CNIB Talking Books service. She also has a magnifier so she can read The Advocate and other important documents.
The crosswalk at the corner of Church and Main in Erin village is equipped with speakers that emit a loud “cuckoo” sound when the walk signal is active for crossing the busy road. This was done particularly for the benefit of Cormier – and others with limited vision.
Now she does not have to wait for someone to come along to help her cross the road, though she is always appreciative when someone offers to help.
More than 600,000 Canadians are blind or vision-impaired. As seniors account for an increasing share of the population, issues of vision loss are likely to get more attention. Each year, 78,000 Canadians are diagnosed with Age-Related Macular Degeneration, which attacks a person’s central field of vision, leaving only peripheral vision. That number is expected to triple within the next 25 years, according to the CCB.
The blind community has lower income compared with other groups of disabled persons; 75 per cent are unemployed, compared with 49 per cent for other disabled groups, the CCB reports.
The CCB raises funds to help provide computers and computer training for the blind, along with workplace training, a legal assistance program and social support to help deal with the emotional impact of blindness.
January 28, 2009
Reading skills essential for well-rounded citizens
As published in The Erin Advocate
Is it not wonderful that children these days are text messaging their friends and using the Internet to learn about the world? Will this modern digital literacy mould new generations of responsible cyber-citizens? If it comes at the expense of traditional reading skills, the answer is probably no.
The ability to do web research may be useful, but perhaps it is too easy. When what you think you need is served up to you, less thinking is needed. Reading a good novel, allowing yourself to be guided and entertained by a skilled author, is more likely to expand the mind.
With a little web surfing, I found this quote from Sunil Iyengar, a researcher at the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts: “We can no longer take the presence of books in the home for granted. Reading on one’s own – not in a required sense, but doing it because you want to read – that skill has to be cultivated at an early age.”
The NEA found that regular readers are more likely to vote, join community organizations, support the arts and be employed. Family Literacy Day (January 27 annually) reminds us that developing a love of reading, writing, and math at home is crucial for our economy and culture.
The Erin library is running a Family Literacy Bingo game. Children can fill in squares on a bingo card by completing literacy activities such as: writing a letter to the editor, making up a joke, Googling their name, designing a birthday card, following a recipe or reading a book. Pick up a card at the library and return it by January 31 to win a small prize.
The ability to read well, and enjoy it, does not always come easily, despite the efforts of teachers and parents. About half of Canadian adults have literacy skills that are poor, or barely adequate for their jobs.
The Wellington County Learning Centre offers help to children and adults who want to improve their reading and other basic skills. It is free and confidential. Some of the teaching is done at their facility in Arthur, but a network of about 80 volunteer tutors does much of the work at local centres such as the library, or students’ homes.
Consider becoming a tutor. I did it many years ago (not for WCLC) and it was a great experience for both the student and me. The WCLC provides training, and needs people who can commit three hours per week. Get more information on becoming a student or tutor by calling – 1-888-368-7889, emailing – literacy@thewclc.ca or visiting their website – www.thewclc.ca. They also refer people to similar agencies in Guelph and Acton when needed.
The WCLC website has a newsletter section with very specific advice for tutors and parents. There are techniques to improve spelling, pronunciation, story writing, comprehension, vocabulary and reading aloud with expression, plus information on different learning styles.
Funding from the Guelph-Wellington United Way supports a program for children, and teens up to 18 who are still in school, providing one-to-one teaching to upgrade basic skills. This benefits up to 60 students per year.
Adult programs for literacy, numeracy, resume development, basic computer use and workplace communication are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
“We have funding for 68 adult students, but we serviced 148 last year, so we’re feeling the crunch,” said Executive Director Elizabeth Debergh.
“The main reasons people join are for independence and helping their children learn to read, for further education and for employment needs.”
Relatively new is a college preparation program at the Centre, in partnership with Conestoga College, allowing people to earn prerequisite college admission credits they did not get in high school. There is also a General Education Development program that is recognized by colleges, apprenticeship programs and employers as equivalent to an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
For programs in Arthur, there is a transportation subsidy available. Publications on sale through the WCLC include a Skills Level Checklist, a Budget Workbook for money management and The Road Ahead, an easy to read driver’s handbook.
Is it not wonderful that children these days are text messaging their friends and using the Internet to learn about the world? Will this modern digital literacy mould new generations of responsible cyber-citizens? If it comes at the expense of traditional reading skills, the answer is probably no.
The ability to do web research may be useful, but perhaps it is too easy. When what you think you need is served up to you, less thinking is needed. Reading a good novel, allowing yourself to be guided and entertained by a skilled author, is more likely to expand the mind.
With a little web surfing, I found this quote from Sunil Iyengar, a researcher at the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts: “We can no longer take the presence of books in the home for granted. Reading on one’s own – not in a required sense, but doing it because you want to read – that skill has to be cultivated at an early age.”
The NEA found that regular readers are more likely to vote, join community organizations, support the arts and be employed. Family Literacy Day (January 27 annually) reminds us that developing a love of reading, writing, and math at home is crucial for our economy and culture.
The Erin library is running a Family Literacy Bingo game. Children can fill in squares on a bingo card by completing literacy activities such as: writing a letter to the editor, making up a joke, Googling their name, designing a birthday card, following a recipe or reading a book. Pick up a card at the library and return it by January 31 to win a small prize.
The ability to read well, and enjoy it, does not always come easily, despite the efforts of teachers and parents. About half of Canadian adults have literacy skills that are poor, or barely adequate for their jobs.
The Wellington County Learning Centre offers help to children and adults who want to improve their reading and other basic skills. It is free and confidential. Some of the teaching is done at their facility in Arthur, but a network of about 80 volunteer tutors does much of the work at local centres such as the library, or students’ homes.
Consider becoming a tutor. I did it many years ago (not for WCLC) and it was a great experience for both the student and me. The WCLC provides training, and needs people who can commit three hours per week. Get more information on becoming a student or tutor by calling – 1-888-368-7889, emailing – literacy@thewclc.ca or visiting their website – www.thewclc.ca. They also refer people to similar agencies in Guelph and Acton when needed.
The WCLC website has a newsletter section with very specific advice for tutors and parents. There are techniques to improve spelling, pronunciation, story writing, comprehension, vocabulary and reading aloud with expression, plus information on different learning styles.
Funding from the Guelph-Wellington United Way supports a program for children, and teens up to 18 who are still in school, providing one-to-one teaching to upgrade basic skills. This benefits up to 60 students per year.
Adult programs for literacy, numeracy, resume development, basic computer use and workplace communication are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
“We have funding for 68 adult students, but we serviced 148 last year, so we’re feeling the crunch,” said Executive Director Elizabeth Debergh.
“The main reasons people join are for independence and helping their children learn to read, for further education and for employment needs.”
Relatively new is a college preparation program at the Centre, in partnership with Conestoga College, allowing people to earn prerequisite college admission credits they did not get in high school. There is also a General Education Development program that is recognized by colleges, apprenticeship programs and employers as equivalent to an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
For programs in Arthur, there is a transportation subsidy available. Publications on sale through the WCLC include a Skills Level Checklist, a Budget Workbook for money management and The Road Ahead, an easy to read driver’s handbook.
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