Credit Valley Trail plan gets a burst of energy

As published in Country Routes

After decades of trekking over rough terrain, advocates for a continuous network of trails to connect Orangeville, Caledon and Erin with Lake Ontario are seeing a light at the end of their journey.

The Credit Valley Heritage Society (CVHS) has brought together a consortium of local volunteers and municipal officials to help Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) finish off a footpath concept that has been part of its mandate for 60 years.

More than two thirds of the trails network already exists in various communities, and now tentative preferred routes have been mapped out for linking them together. The Credit Valley Trail will become the main thread in a tapestry of trails throughout the watershed.

It will bring together nature appreciation, fitness, environmental protection, historical awareness and the economic benefits of establishing a brand to attract visitors. Sections of the network will also be suitable for bicycles, horses, strollers, wheelchairs and snowmobiles.

A preliminary overview of the Credit Valley Trail, created by CVC.
The final route has not been determined in some areas.

CVHS is an agency under the Ontario Historical Society, which has advocated for preservation of the Barber Mill on the Credit River near Georgetown. In 2012 they expanded their vision to the whole watershed.

“If we could find a way to promote the cultural and natural resources of the river together, then we could advocate for the conservation and preservation collectively – this is when the vision for a Heritage Tourism Trail was born,” said CVHS Acting Executive Director Susan Robertson, at a meeting of 45 participants at the Alton Mill.

Susan Robertson

“We’re promoting an ethic of care, and in terms of quality of life, this concept promotes sustainable transportation, getting people out of their cars, giving people an alternative – connecting nature with culture and recreation.”

The project is similar to other history-themed routes such as the Shared Path along the Humber River in Toronto and the Laura Secord Legacy Trail from Queenston to Thorold, which focus on “history hidden in the landscape”. Robertson expects the Credit River Trail to be the largest of its kind in Canada.

Deborah Martin-Downs, Chief Administrative Officer at CVC, praised the successful efforts of the Friends of Island Lake. With CVC and other partners in the Orangeville area, they raised funds and built the Vicki Barron Trail. It includes major sections of boardwalk and is designed to link with other trails.

“If Orangeville can do this, we can do the rest. We can tackle the rest of the watershed easily,” she said. “The idea of the Credit Valley Trail is not a new one, and the early pioneers and the First Nations would tell you that they’ve already been there and done that.”

An Orangeville to Port Credit route was envisioned at the founding of CVC in 1954, as a series of public footpaths linking conservation areas, but Martin-Downs said it has lacked a champion and funding.

“I think now is the right time. In two years it is Canada’s 150th birthday, and what is more Canadian than a trail that connects our natural and cultural history?”

A trail in the Grange area near Alton,
where Shaw's Creek joins the Credit.

A variety of existing trails running roughly east and west would intersect with the Credit Valley Trail and serve as a network of side trails. The Grand River Trail runs west out of Alton, while the Elora Cataract Trailway links Hillsburgh and Erin, continuing east into Caledon as part of the Trans-Canada Trail.

In the Terra Cotta area and points south, there are intersections with the Bruce Trail, the Caledon Trailway and the Greenbelt Cycling Route. In Georgetown, the trails in Hungry Hollow are expected to be linked with Willow Park (where Silver Creek meets the Credit in Norval) and with the Guelph Radial rail trail coming in through Acton and Limehouse.

Dave Beaton, Manager of Community Outreach for CVC, said there has been major progress in acquiring land along the river, especially more than 400 acres for the Upper Credit Conservation Area near Alton.

Dave Beaton

“The biggest bang for our buck is having nature interpretation and cultural heritage information along the trail system,” said Beaton, noting the connection between mills and the river. “We’re connecting the tree huggers with the heritage huggers. It’s a very natural fit. Tourism is a major draw, so we can be spinning this into a lot of economic benefits.”

He said outdoor activities are “integral to our well-being and integral to a sense of magic”, and that the project will “help fend off the crisis of nature-deficit disorder that seems to be plaguing this world.”

With help from the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, CVHS has formed a steering committee to create a Master Heritage Trail Plan. Future projects will include signage, ensuring safety and protecting historical sites, but the current challenge is the fact that sections of possible trail are on privately-owned lands.

“There has been a groundswell of community interest,” said Eric Baldin, Senior Lands Planner at CVC, who deals with property owners. “The ultimate goal of completing the links is very, very achievable.”

Trail plans for the Upper Watershed - Orangeville, Erin and Caledon areas.

CVC has put the project into its new strategic plan as a way to celebrate shared local history and create an emotional connection to the river valley. The trail will create destinations as part of a tourism strategy, provide “access to nature’s art gallery” and create an active transportation corridor.

Towns and cities within the watershed are including trails in their plans for infrastructure and economic growth, and the province has identified waterways as Ontario’s number one tourism asset.

Like the river, the Credit Valley Trail has major tributaries including the Caledon Trailway (Terra Cotta-Caledon East-Palgrave), the Elora Cataract Trailway (Forks of the Credit-Erin-Hillsburgh) and the Radial Line Trail (Limehouse-Guelph), all former railroad routes, as well as the Humber Valley Heritage Trail that leads to Bolton.

It also intersects with the Bruce Trail, which covers the length of the Niagara Escarpment, the Grand Valley Trail that runs from Alton to Lake Erie and the Trans Canada Trail – the world’s longest recreational network with 23,000 km of trails connecting all three of Canada’s ocean coasts.

“One of the key goals is to connect communities with nature, and promote environmental awareness, appreciation and action,” said Martin-Downs. “We believe that the most powerful force for environmental protection is an informed and mobilized community. Connecting people with nature is the first step in demonstrating how a thriving environment is vital for health, safety and well-being.”

Trail plans for the Middle Watershed - Terra Cotta, Glen Williams,
Acton, Limehouse and Georgetown areas.

Ambitious plan studied for economic development

As published in The Erin Advocate

Erin’s new Economic Development Action Plan outlines a series of initiatives that will build some valuable momentum towards a stronger community, for the benefit of local businesses and residents.

Town council received the first draft of the plan, written by Economic Development Coordinator Bob Cheetham, on August 11. They hope to finalize it in September, as a guide for the next four years.

“It’s an aggressive plan – a roadmap to follow,” said Cheetham. “It’s a transparent process, and it’s always open to change. It will take the leadership of the municipal council to foster a proactive, collaborative presence and respond to the desire for change and managed growth within the Town of Erin.”

Written comments and suggestions from the public about the 68-page draft plan were requested by August 25 – a very brief opportunity, especially during the summer.

On the other hand, people have had many opportunities to comment on most of these issues in recent years, and can provide input to council and staff at any time.

The Action Plan draft can be downloaded from the Economic Development page, under Departments on the Town website, www.erin.ca.

Even if you don’t expect to offer suggestions, the document is a good read for anyone who cares about the community – an overview of what’s going on, or could soon be surfacing.

On September 3, the draft and the public comments will go for further discussion to the Erin Economic Development Committee, which along with four sector focus groups helped create the plan. The final version will be presented to Town Council for approval on September 15.

If councillors disagree with parts of the Action Plan, or feel that more public input is needed, they should seek agreement on amending it or deferring some sections. But they must avoid the trap of endless talk and no action. Some version of the plan should be approved soon, to move the process to specific measures in a “doing” phase.

The plan is not carved in stone, but is rather a framework in which “action” can actually take place. Council should choose some targets and get on with them.

While there are 51 initiatives in the plan, six are rated as “top priority”. One is to hire an Economic Development Officer – Cheetham has been on a one-year contract since last November, and expects to pass the torch to a permanent staff person.

Others include establishment of an overall Community Improvement Plan that would benefit targeted areas. There should be applications for funding for a feasibility study on a Riverside Trail / Boardwalk, and for developing Erin as an “Equine Hub”.

The Plan urges council to develop terms of reference for the Wastewater Environmental Assessment and to move forward with it, and to provide direction on which urban areas should get sewer servicing.

All of the suggested actions work towards achieving various goals: fostering a more positive business climate, building partnerships with business groups and government agencies, establishing Erin as a premier location for equine enthusiasts, promoting the town as a tourism destination and developing a sustainable economy.

Some actions relate to retaining existing business, supporting the development of under-used business properties, encouraging growth in sectors where Erin has an advantage and diversifying the economy to be more resilient.

Here is a sampling of just a few of the other action items:

• Develop a Community Profile (print and web-based);

• Work with the County for a Main Street Crosswalk in Erin village;

• Undertake a Trails Master Plan;

• Establish public washroom facilities in Erin village;

• Host a regular Business Showcase event;

• Undertake an “Open for Business” marketing campaign;

• Promote Bed and Breakfast businesses;

• Work with Headwaters Tourism on a Four-Seasons Attractions Strategy;

• Investigate a St. Patrick’s Day Festival in March;

• Investigate a winter skating environment on the Charles Street pond;

• Undertake a Transportation and Parking Plan for the urban centres of Hillsburgh and Erin village.

Signage strategies needed for both County and Town

As published in The Erin Advocate

The road signs that tell motorists where they are (and where they could go) do much more than provide information. They help create an image for a community, and can provide an identity boost that builds pride among residents and economic activity for local businesses.

It’s good to see that Wellington County is working on a signage strategy to promote its “brand” – something that other counties such as Huron and Perth seem to have done quite well. It’s harder for a large geographical area to define its unique character (compared to the attractions of a small town), but the tools are simple.

A colourful sign with a consistent, well-designed look should welcome drivers at every entry point to the county. The Town of Erin welcome signs on major roads are excellent. The County signs could be designed to go on the same posts, to make it clear that Erin is part of Wellington, or they could be separate.

Throughout the county, there should also be many more way-finding signs, again with a recognizable design instead of just a place name and an arrow on a blue background. Some of these could be promotional, directing visitors to natural attractions like the Elora Gorge or to commercial hubs like the shopping area of downtown Erin village.

If the County is ready to spend money on signs, Erin councillors and business operators need to speak up about what exactly they’d like to see on those signs. A Focus Group meeting at Centre 2000 on August 5 provided a good opportunity for that. A mid-summer survey had also solicited public opinions on signage, but unfortunately was no longer open when I went to the website after the meeting.

For more information on the Wellington Signage Plan, call the Economic Development Office at 519-831-2600 x 2611.

Good signs are expensive, but they can also produce a revenue stream – as the provincial government has utilized on the 400 series highways. The County also plans to have signs on which businesses can buy advertising space for their nearby establishments, whether they be restaurants, bed & breakfast homes or zip-line adventures. Conservation authorities could advertise recreation areas and the Towns could advertise its parks and trails networks, or even its industrial zones.

I would much rather see well-controlled advertising on public signs than purely commercial signs on public property (or right next to it).

The Town of Erin, as part of its new Economic Development effort, could have its own sign strategy – not to duplicate the County effort, but to give priority to local attractions, both commercial and non-profit. These would be functional, but also send a more subtle message – letting visitors know that we are confident and organized in promoting ourselves. Here are just a few sign ideas:

• Ban all private signs from the public lands surrounding selected major intersections. Reducing the clutter will give a much better impression to visitors.

• Formally request that the Ministry of Transportation have more directional signs naming Erin on area highways. For example, drivers on Highway 10 in Caledon could see a sign indicating that Erin is to the west, and not just Guelph.

• Have more signs directing drivers to the various hamlets within the Town of Erin – this would be educational even for existing residents.

• Have signs indicating the river or creek that is being crossed. This is an excellent orientation tool, which the province used to use on its highways. Maybe we could leverage some funding from Credit Valley Conservation for such a project.

• Let’s let everyone know that Erin village, Hillsburgh and Orton are stops on the Trans Canada Trail, an important route for hiking, cycling and snowmobiling. It should be a big deal.

Belfountain Festival has classical music for all ages

As published in The Erin Advocate

The Belfountain Music Festival presented a special children’s concert on Sunday afternoon, as part of an ambitious classical music series being held over 11 days at the Melville White Church on Mississauga Road. 

The festival continues until this weekend, bringing together a collection of professional musicians in small ensembles, playing compositions mainly by the big names in classical music. It also provides performance opportunities for many student musicians. 

Violinist Urszula Zielinski Brock leads the children in a march.

The children’s concert started out with a little Eine kleine Nachtmusik, from the 1st Movement of Mozart’s 1787 Serenade in G Major, putting a nice, light touch on a famous melody. 

The “Hear the Music” quartet, which also plays in schools, consists of Zachary Ebin (Artistic Director for the festival) and Urszula Zielinski Brock on violins,
Alex McLeod on viola
and Tova Rosenberg on cello. 

Cellist Tova Rosenberg helps 4-year-old Anna Simonyi 

try her hand on the big instrument.

Some of the tunes were classic, if not quite classical, such as the ever-popular Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (with variations, of course). 

There were a couple of Bach minuets, and the kids were invited to show with a happy-face – sad-face sign when the music switched between cheery and melancholy. The quartet had them marching like toy soldiers, dancing with scarves and relaxing to Brahms’ Lullaby. 

It was an educational effort as well, with the kids answering questions and learning how the cello makes the low sounds, the viola handles the medium range and the violins hit the high pitches. It was a short concert at just over 30 minutes, which was probably just right for the three and four-year-olds, but the slightly older audience members would have enjoyed a bit more. 

The show had a good follow-up, with everyone invited to the stage to try out instruments and ask questions. So all in all, it was an excellent family affair, which helped the kids appreciate good quality classical music. 

It was just one of 17 concerts and other events in the festival. Last Saturday there was old-time country music and dancing, featuring Rod Salisbury on piano, Brian Stevenson on drums, Sam Leitch on fiddle, Wib Tupling on guitar and Lionel Gibney on bass. 

Prominent on the schedule is pianist Maria Dolnycky, who with Zachary Ebin has recently released a CD entitled “Dreams: A Revival of Ukrainian Music”. 

After the Thursday night (August 6) concert featuring the Glenellen String Quartet, there will be a campfire sing-along led by composer-educator Dean Burry. 

The Friday night concert has Alex McLeod on viola and Jeannine Maloney on piano, with mezzosoprano Arianna Maubach. Saturday night it is The Accolade Trio: Patricia Wait on clarinet, Mark Chambers on cello and Elizabeth Acker on piano. The final concert Sunday night is a solo performance by singer and pianist Emily Vondrejs. 

Admission to most of the concerts is $20 for adults and $5 for children, but admission to a series of student concerts and demonstrations is free. Full details are available at www.belfountainmusic.com. 

Island Lake trail could provide some inspiration

As published in The Erin Advocate

For an enjoyable outing, and an idea of what a team of dedicated enthusiasts can accomplish, take a drive to Island Lake Conservation Area just east of Orangeville, where the final section of an 8.2 km loop trail has just been opened to the public.

We might not be ready to dream of anything on this scale in Erin, yet, but it could provide some inspiration.

The completed Vicki Barron Lakeside Trail has been a ten-year project of the Friends of Island Lake group, working with Credit Valley Conservation Foundation (CVCF). They have raised more than $2 million in donations of cash, in-kind labour and materials, and organized the contribution of more than 12,000 volunteer hours for the project.

“Completion of the west link now connects the park to the surrounding community,” said Bill Lidster, Operations Manager for the north zone at CVC. “It gives local citizens and all visitors an outdoor hiking experience that is second to none.”

The regular trail is hard-packed gravel and soil, about eight feet wide, suitable for bicycles and even wheelchairs, but the most interesting (and expensive) feature is a series of five boardwalk style bridges with observation decks.

Boardwalks are not only attractive, but allow people get close to natural features without trampling them. Erin could benefit from some boardwalks to show off its views of the West Credit River and beautiful wetland areas.

No one is going to donate money or time, however, based on talk. For Orangeville, an appealing plan and an achievable goal resulted in huge support from residents, local businesses, service clubs, charitable foundations, big corporations and various levels of government. Once a good idea gains exposure and momentum, cooperation increases and serious fundraising becomes possible.

Change is in the air for Erin, so residents need to figure out what they really want and start going for it.

The process for Orangeville was perhaps more clear-cut, since they had a beautiful lake surrounded by publicly owned land. The 400 acre reservoir lake was created with the construction of two dams in 1967 to regulate the flow of water in the Credit River. The Conservation Area also includes wetlands, forest, meadows and a wildlife sanctuary, protecting the headwaters of the Credit and Nottawasaga Rivers.

The general admission fee, which includes parking and a variety of uses, is $5 for adults and $3 for kids. The public can enter the area at no charge from various points such as the corner of Hwy 10 and Fourth Ave., or from Hockley Road to the north, for trail use only.

The area is popular for bird watching (including osprey, heron and mallards), fishing (with heated ice hut rentals in the winter), and canoeing, kayaking and non-motorized boating. There’s windsurfing, picnicking, a kids’ wading beach, ice skating, snowshoeing and of course hiking, not only on the long loop trail, but shorter trails. For more information on area activities, including special events like Yoga in the Park, go to www.creditvalleyca.ca. (The website has not been updated with the newest trail information.)

An official celebration of the Close the Gap Trail Campaign and completion of the lakeside trail is planned for August 28, at 11:30 am, at the newest trail section near Hwy. 10.

Catching a glimpse of steampunk horsepower

As published in The Erin Advocate
The title of the painted horse sculpture at McMillan Park, which has arrived during the Pan Am Games as part of the Headwaters Parade of Horses, has had a few people scratching their heads.

The words of “Future Past 2412” make sense enough. The work is in the steampunk mode, which uses imagery of old-fashioned steam powered mechanics and Victorian aesthetics to create a futuristic style of art, as well as science fiction, attire and lifestyle.

But what about the 2412? Could it be a secret code or an allusion to something that will happen 397 years from now? Or maybe an obscure numerological reference – 24 being the 12th even number, the number of ribs in the human body and the number of furlongs in one league.

Clicking around the world wide web got me nowhere, so I just emailed the artists, Eva Folks and Judy Sherman, and asked about the horse’s name.

“We decided we wanted to add something personal to his name,” said Folks. “Judy came up with the idea of using our birthdays. I’m July 24th and Judy is September 12th. So there is the 2412. Mystery solved.”

The idea of man-made mechanics as part of a living being is central to the steampunk genre. The fiberglass horse stands 15 hands tall and appears to be held together with leather straps, chains, rivets, nuts and bolts, and has an ornate steam gauge that recalls the industrial revolution. There are portals into its interior showing a fiery furnace, gears and a gentleman with his hand on a lever. He is formally dressed, with a Victorian mustache and round goggles that are a trademark of steampunk fashion. 

He reminds me of Captain Nemo, from the 1870 science fiction novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne. Nemo is a mysterious, vengeful scientist; a foe of imperialism; a connoisseur of art and technology; an anti-hero who roams the oceans in the battery-powered submarine Nautilus. He has been adopted by steampunk culture.

Folks said the man was nicknamed George Frankenstein IV by two young friends of the artists who saw the painting in progress. Strangely enough, Mary Shelley’s gothic Frankenstein character from 1818 is also a favourite of steampunkers because of its quest for identity and the experimental merging of mechanical and human elements.
Steampunk seems to have only a distant link to punk music – perhaps in a gritty, anti-establishment attitude. It is also linked to cyberpunk, which can be seen in stories and movies about technology and the future breakdown of social order.

The sculpture has been funded by the Town of Erin and by Chris Naraysingh of Rapid Rentals. For more about the 26 horses (including Rosie at Century Church Theatre in Hillsburgh) and artists, visit headwatershorsecountry.ca, in the Parade of Horses section under Happenings.

Major expenditure needed to replace one-lane bridge

As published in The Erin Advocate

One-lane bridges need to become a thing of the past, especially when they carry substantial high speed traffic between communities – and sooner rather than later if they’re falling apart.

That’s the case with the bridge on Winston Churchill Blvd. just north of 27 Sideroad (Highpoint Sideroad on the Caledon side). It was built in 1920, rehabilitated in 1950, and now handles an average of 2,400 vehicles per day. A recent inspection report found it to be in “very poor condition” and recommended a new two-lane bridge “to improve public safety”.

People who use the road regularly to travel between Erin and Orangeville have learned how to judge the speed of oncoming traffic to see who will have to slow down and who will get to go first. But for those unfamiliar with the road or not paying attention, a one-lane bridge creates the need for an unexpected quick decision, which can be more difficult at night.

Winston Churchill is the boundary road for Caledon on the east (in Peel Region) and Erin on the west (in Wellington County). Further south, it is considered a Regional Road, with the Region and County sharing the costs, but this bridge, which crosses a tributary of Shaw’s Creek, is in a section where the local Towns are responsible.

There’s no detailed cost estimate yet, but Transportation Engineer Hilda Esedebe, of the consulting firm McIntosh Perry said a full replacement with two lanes could cost about $1.5 million.

At a recent Public Information Centre in Alton, as part of an Environmental Assessment (EA) now being conducted by the Town of Caledon, she said the reconstruction is planned for next summer and that the Town of Erin is expected to contribute 50% of the cost. The existing bridge has an estimated remaining service life of six years.

Erin Mayor Al Alls said that while it is normal to share costs for boundary roads, Erin has not been formally asked to participate. He expects to discuss the matter soon with Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson.

Erin has, however, included the project in its 5 Year Capital Plan for 2016, with an amount of $680,000. Like most of the 55 other items on the Roads list, the Winston Churchill bridge is “unfunded”, with no grants allocated and no reserve funds set aside. The draft plan provided to council last January showed $21.8 million in Roads infrastructure needs over five years, with $17.4 million unfunded.

The bridge will be discussed in the 2016 budget process, when council decides how much it is willing to borrow and which projects will make the cut.

Of course, the costs for Erin and Caledon could be greatly reduced if they were shared with all taxpayers in Wellington and Peel – but the bridge could collapse while waiting for such good news. Caledon has been lobbying Peel to take over this section of Winston Churchill (north of Beech Grove Sideroad) as a major arterial route, and similar discussions are ongoing at County Council. Erin will take any road uploading it can get. If upper tier municipalities take over a road, they are legally obliged to take over any debt payments related to its improvement.

The EA for the Winston Churchill bridge considered the lower-cost options of doing nothing, of closing the bridge permanently or of leaving it at one lane. Rehabilitation of the existing deck and foundations could last 20 years, and a new one-lane deck on rehabilitated existing foundations could last 50 years. The recommendation is an entire replacement with two lanes, expected to last 75 years.

The updated design would mean lower maintenance costs, a wider span that would improve river flow, and roadside barriers and railings that meet modern safety standards.

Public school cannon brings back memories

As published in The Erin Advocate

These days, people would never expect to see a World War I cannon mounted in a schoolyard, but there was such an installation for many years at Erin Public School – and George Short has the photo to prove it.

The picture is of his first wife Emily, sitting on the wheel of the big gun, taken in 1939.

George Short's wife Emily with the Erin Public School cannon

The cannon was a tribute to veterans of the war, but George recalls that when he was a teenager in the early ‘30s, the boys of the village were known to have some fun with it on Halloween night.

To avoid the problem, the cannon was moved to the barn across the road owned by school trustee Tom Scott, but this simply created a challenge for the young folks. One year they managed to get it out and started rolling it down the road, only to have it collapse when one of the wheels broke.

George happened to arrive at the scene and was rounded up with the other mischief makers. They all had to contribute a hefty 75 cents for the repair job and endure the wrath of their embarrassed parents.

“We should have had a kick in the rump, because it was an honour thing for the soldiers from the First World War,” said George, who served overseas in the Second World War. He doesn’t know what was eventually done with the cannon.

I met recently with him and his current wife Florence, who are approaching their 25th anniversary this year, to look at some old photos and talk about Erin as it was in the early 20th century. George was born in Erin in 1918 and has lived most of his life here. He worked at the Ford plant in Oakville, and was a welder at Massey-Harris in Brantford and General Electric in Guelph.

He’s been around long enough to remember Wellington Hull, the influential publisher of the Advocate, who also loaned money, issued marriage licenses and was the local auctioneer.

He also remembers Harry Gear, Erin’s long-serving doctor, who once sewed up a gash in George’s foot after an axe accident in the bush. No anesthetic was used – the doctor just had one of George’s brothers sit on his leg to keep it still. Gear’s house (next to the drug store) remains a village landmark, built by William Graham.

George still lives on a section of the land owned by his family just north of Erin Public School. When his mother Ada passed away, he ended up with a new photo collection. One example of that is a postcard showing the members of the 1915 Erin Shamrocks.

Top left in the photo is Bill Bush, whose family had a hardware store that he operated until 1973, then Humph Matthews, a harness dealer. In the centre is Dr. Henry Gear, followed by William Ramesbottom, who owned a large general store on Main Street, George Saunders, who lived on Charles Street and Wibb Small, who ran a downtown grocery store.

In the front row are Archie Chisholm, Harry Saunders, goalie Jack Trimble, a blacksmith who operated a garage in Belfountain, Tom Bush and Abe Hurd.

The photo was taken before his time, but George has heard that they were “a pretty hot hockey team”. They played in a red horse barn near the river on the Agricultural Society grounds. George would one day manage the arena that was later built on those grounds, with curling a very popular pastime in addition to hockey.

For those who are interested in more details about the olden days of Erin Village, Hillsburgh and Erin Township, I highly recommend a visit to the local history section at either branch of the library. Also explore the history articles on my blog, erininsight.blogspot.com, and on the Town website, erin.ca, in the About Our Community section.

EDHS French Immersion could shift to Orangeville

As published in The Erin Advocate

Despite the popularity of French Immersion in Erin, local students may eventually have to transfer to Orangeville if they want to continue in the program through high school, according to Trustee Kathryn Cooper.

Brisbane, Erin Public and Erin District High School (EDHS) are all are dual track schools, offering both French Immersion and regular instruction, and Orangeville students are currently bused to EDHS for French Immersion.

With little population growth in Erin, and strong growth elsewhere, that situation could be reversed, with Erin students having to go to Orangeville for French Immersion.

“This will be a fight that we will have to fight,” said Cooper. “There are demands for a French Immersion High School in Orangeville. In about four or five years’ time, there will be more kids coming from Orangeville into EDHS French Immersion than there will be coming from this region. At some point, the parents are going to say, that’s crazy, why wouldn’t we bring the smaller group of kids into Orangeville rather than the bigger group of kids into Erin.”

Between now and December, the Upper Grand District School Board will be reviewing all of its French Immersion and Core French programs, with the goal of creating a sustainable, efficient system with “equity of access”.

Cooper says Erin’s elementary school French Immersion programs are doing fine and are not at risk of closing. There is no French Immersion at Ross R. MacKay School in Hillsburgh, and that school is at risk of closing entirely within a few years if there is no population increase.

Erin has three representatives on the large board committee that is starting the review – Trustee Cooper, Parent Sandra Paolucci and Student Trustee Dylan Challinor. After each Committee meeting they will hold a meeting with local parent council members and other interested members of the public to share information and gather input.

“I’m not worried about the high school in general, but if you move out the Orangeville kids and the Erin French Immersion kids, then you have a more challenging situation, because there’s so many kids that go into French Immersion in the Erin area,” said Cooper.

If the Orangeville high school students move out and the Erin students stay, it will weaken Erin’s French Immersion program. Despite its popularity, there may still be not enough students to offer an optimal program.

More information on the process, and a link to the terms of reference for the review, is available on Cooper’s blog, www.cooper4trustee.wordpress.com.

Erin has almost 500 French Immersion students (elementary and secondary combined). Two thirds of the kids at Brisbane are in French Immersion. Two out of every three students in junior and senior kindergarten that were enrolled last year in Guelph went into French Immersion, and some Guelph schools are completely French.

“French Immersion has been growing in leaps and bounds around the board, more so in the urban areas such as Orangeville and Guelph. It’s putting accommodation pressures on the existing schools. When you have dual track schools, you can’t put as many kids into the school – you can’t balance the classes in the optimal way,” said Cooper.

“Sometimes you have so few kids in the English track in the Guelph area that you’ve got Grade 1-2 splits and 2-3 splits. So the more schools with these dual track systems, the more pressure we have and the more schools we need. If this continues to grow at this pace, there’s going to be a problem.”

Upper Grand is one the few boards that actually bus French Immersion students. In other boards it’s considered a specialty program, with no busing provided.

Other boards have put caps on French Immersion or held lotteries to get into the program, something that Cooper does not want to do.

Sitting down for a chat with the Dutch Queen

As published in The Erin Advocate

Freda Leenders of Erin had the thrill of a lifetime when she had the opportunity to meet the King and Queen of the Netherlands during their recent visit to Canada.

During a reception at the Art Gallery of Ontario on May 29, Freda was among 400 people chosen to shake hands with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. TV coverage of the event happened to show her greeting the couple – which was seen by acquaintances in Europe.

She was also one of 40 people selected to sit down for a chat, with four groups of five people meeting the king, and four groups meeting the queen, each with different preselected topics. She and four other seniors talked to the queen about what it was like to leave Holland and make a new life in Canada.
“It was very special and exciting – a great experience,” said Freda. “We were so nervous, but as soon as they came, it was relaxed.”

The event was organized by the Dutch consulate, which included an application process. Participants were not allowed to give any gifts, but Freda was able to slip the queen a copy of a poem she had had written about the experience of immigrating to Canada.

It was something she had written previously as part of a project for the Coningsby Women’s Institute, of which she is the president. The opening of the poem reads:

“A long, long time ago

My parents said we must go

To a far away land

Where our liberators are at hand

The winds of war brushed across our favourite land

But Canadian soldiers knew where to stand

They served by land, sea and air

Wherever the urgent need they were there

The very least that is their due

Is to be remembered by me and you.”

Freda’s family came by ship in the spring of 1951 when she was 15, initially to New York and then by train to Oakville where they had a sponsor. They learned English and returned to farming, which had helped them survive the war.

Joe and Freda Leenders operated a farm in Erin for many years and have been very active in the Dutch community, organizing events and hosting visitors at their home.

“When we were in Holland in May for the 70th anniversary of the liberation, we really felt their connection and friendship with Canada,” she said.

King Willem-Alexander assumed the throne of the Netherlands in 2013 after his mother, Queen Beatrix, abdicated the position. The state visit included a meeting with Prime Minister Harper, and several Dutch cabinet ministers came to discuss foreign policy, trade and education issues with the “Dutch Caucus” of Canadian Members of Parliament.

When the Dutch royal family fled the German invasion of the Netherlands to England at the start of World War II, Queen Wilhelmina sent Willem-Alexander's mother and grandmother, Beatrix and Juliana, to live in Ottawa. Willem-Alexander's Aunt Margriet was born there.

The First Canadian Army was responsible for defeating the Nazis in Holland in May of 1945. About 8,000 Canadian soldiers died in the campaign, which allowed relief supplies to reach millions of starving people in the north of the country.

After the war, Princess Juliana sent Canada 100,000 tulip bulbs as a gesture of thanks, a tradition that has continued and is celebrated with the Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa.

Septic inspections could require property alterations

As published in The Erin Advocate

About one in five properties covered by this summer’s septic system inspection program in Erin will likely require some remedial action – but in most cases it will be minor.

Letters have gone out to 127 landowners who are close to wells that supply municipal drinking water, as part of the Source Water Protection Plan.

Engineer Michael Varty of WSP Canada, the firm hired to do the inspections in Wellington, told about 20 people attending a Septic Social educational event at Centre 2000 recently that based on experience in other areas, 81% of properties will likely pass the inspection. Very old systems will not need replacement if they are working properly.

“The focus is on whether the system is safe,” said Katherine Rentsch of the Ontario Rural Wastewater Centre at the University of Guelph. “Overall the experience is positive. It’s a good way to bring the community together.”

Most properties that do not meet safety standards will require relatively minor work, such as tank pump-outs, repair of equipment or tank lids, cleaning or replacement of effluent filters (which have been mandatory on new systems since the year 2000), diversion of surface water or the removal of shrubs or trees affecting the septic bed.

“Only about 1% will require significant construction,” said Varty. In the worst cases, replacement of the septic tank and bed could be required, with the cost ranging from $15,000 more more than $25,000, depending on the property.

Sheds, pools and parking areas are not allowed on septic beds, and inspectors will require access to both hatches of the tank, even if this requires moving a section of deck or patio. Those who receive remedial orders will have to demonstrate to the Erin Building Department that the work has been done.

Homeowners must arrange an appointment, which could last 30-60 minutes, and have an adult present to discuss the septic system with the inspector. Funding from the provincial government means there is no cost to the homeowner, but that is not guaranteed for future inspections, which will be required every five years.

The sludge level in the tank will be checked and the inspector will be looking for wet, mushy areas in the septic bed. Inspections are being coordinated by Wellington County, with Risk Management Official Kyle Davis advising local municipalities.

In Hillsburgh the homes to be inspected are on Howe St. near Trafalgar Rd. and on Church St., north and east of Victoria Park. There are two zones on the Halton-Erin Townline near Third and Fourth Lines, for wells that service Acton.

The dual Bel-Erin wells (near the Butcher funeral home) have a large inspection zone to the south that includes more than 100 homes on Dianne Rd., Kenneth Ave., Mountainview Cres., and parts of Armstrong St. and McCullough Dr. Detailed maps and more information can be obtained in the May 19 Council agenda at www.erin.ca, at www.wellingtonwater.ca, or by calling 1-844-383-9800.

At the septic social, some expressed concern about gasoline-contaminated soil at a former service station site just north of the Bel-Erin well. Town officials later confirmed that it is a separate issue – the wells get water from the south and were not affected by the gasoline.

The Bel-Erin wells were shut down in 2001, but not because of contamination. It was more efficient to supply the former Bel-Erin and Mountainview water systems from the main Erin village system.

When the full Source Protection Plan is approved this fall, inspections will turn to storage of fuel and pesticides, and the use of manure.

Larger vulnerability areas are mapped out for Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids. They tend to sink into the ground if spilled and do not dissolve readily in water. These include dichloromethane, trichloroethylene and other chemicals used in products like paint strippers, metal cleaning, dry cleaning, adhesives and pharmaceuticals.

Even small amounts of chlorinated solvents can cause toxic contamination that is very difficult to remove and may persist for decades. Property owners who store or handle such liquids in these areas will be required to take safety measures.