Firefighters fight for Adam
It took a little more than four hours to raise $7,340.
Professional and volunteer firefighters from every Thorold station pitched in to wash the non-stop stream of cars that filled the Richmond Street School parking lot two weeks ago, while others took turns selling snacks at the barbecue.
All were eager to support Adam Egerter and his family in the eight-year-old’s battle with brain cancer.
Jeramy, his father, is a long-time volunteer firefighter at Station 4 and he and his wife Tanya are currently taking time off from their jobs to accompany their son to treatments at Hamilton hospitals.
“It was bigger than I ever thought,” said Tanya, as Fire Chief Brian Dickson presented the couple and their sons, Adam and Christopher, with a cheque from the fundraiser Friday morning at Fire Station 1.
Having accepted the position of fire chief about six months ago, “It was my first opportunity as a chief and it was really special for me to see the community’s involvement,” said Dickson. “The car wash was a great success, especially on a long weekend, and the weather held out. On behalf of the fire department and the community, we say thank you to everyone.”
A royal rose and flower show
The city’s greenest thumbs were recognized Wednesday at the Thorold Garden Club’s annual Rose and Flower show, with a theme of “Everything Royal.”
Brenda Martin took won first place for her Balmoral Wild Stag Night arrangement.
Long-time Garden Club member Patsy Ingoldsby won the Mayor’s Choice Award, (chosen by Coun. Fred Neale on behalf of Mayor Ted Luciani).
Betty Beck’s Brown Betty rose won the Best Rose in Show.
Garden Club president Leslie Daniels took home five first-place awards. She has been working with the Thorold Public Library to teach local children how to grow fairy gardens. Their entries were also featured at the Flower Show.
Beaverdams yard sale brings bargain hunters
Perfect weather and hordes of treasure-hunters kept 31 volunteers busy selling bargains at the annual Beaverdams Church yard sale Saturday. Proceeds from the sale will help offset the cost of installing new siding.
Friends Helen (Robins) Hartley, Bea (Sim) Vanderburgh, and Jessica (Jager) Primerano helped run a bargain booth at the Beaverdams Church yard sale Saturday. All three ladies are lifelong residents of the village and have happy memories of attending Sunday school at the historic church, built in 1832.
Bridgefest kicks off summer fun in Port Robinson
Two live bands and a barbecue kicked off Bridgefest Saturday, signalling a season of summer fun in Port Robinson.
Bridge 12 Pub & Eatery welcomed locals from both sides of the canal, many of whom arrived in style on Bridge-It, the village’s free ferry service.
In an effort to promote healthy living, the restaurant will host a Pedal and Park event on Saturday, July 28.Tourists and Niagara residents will be encouraged to ride their bikes to Bridge 12—bringing them aboard the ferry for free, if crossing the canal. Live music will start at 3 p.m. and prizes will be given for the Ugliest and Most Unique Bicycles at 7 p.m. A $1 entry fee will be charged, with all donations going to the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
The 2nd Annual Hammer Open Golf Tournament happens on Saturday, August 18, offering a grand prize along with many other prizes.
The grand finale is slated for Saturday, Sept. 8, when Bridge Pub will partner with the Port Robinson Fire Hall Station #3 for the village’s annual pig roast and street dance, featuring two live bands and raffle prizes.
Once a month, the pub hosts Monday Paint Nights, and Karaoke on Fridays.
Bridge 12 has 20 flavours of ice cream stocked for summertime, and a licensed patio for dining pleasure.
It’s open seven days a week, serving lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. (2 a.m. on weekends).
Viva Italia! June is Italian Heritage Month
From helping construct the canal to serving the best gnocchi, Thorold’s Italian roots run deep.
The Italian national anthem played outside city hall Friday, symbolizing the start of Italian heritage month across Ontario. The Canadian national anthem followed; then Mayor Ted Luciani raised the red, green and white flag of his family’s homeland.
Luciani said his uncle was first to emigrate from Italy to Canada. “Then, after World War I my parents came and had 11 children. I’m number nine. I’m a very proud Italian but a prouder Canadian.”
He added that the influx of Europeans who came to Canada contributed to its diversity, “and that’s what makes us a great country.”
“That’s the beauty of Canada,” agreed the city’s CAO, Manoj Dilwaria. “People come from all over.”
Luciani’s ancestors came from Castropignano, Italy, he said, and Club Castropignano in Port Robinson “makes the best gnocchi on the planet.”
In terms of other contributions, many Italians are listed among those who lost their lives and inscribed on the Welland Canal’s Fallen Workers monument, he added.
Coun. Terry Ugulini said his grandfather also came to Canada from Italy after World War I and landed in Halifax before settling on a 40-acre mixed fruit farm he bought in Beamsville.
“He’d sit under the apple tree with a glass of wine and a Stogie,” and if asked about returning to Italy, “he’d say, ‘Never. This is the greatest country in the world’.”
As president of Club Capri, Nick Dell’Omo explained that Thorold’s Order of the Sons of Italy—along with 13 fellow lodges across Canada— requested that their rich heritage be recognized at the national level.
“For now, it’s just Ontario that celebrates it. Hopefully, next year,” it will gain country-wide notoriety.
Thorold’s 39th Feast of St. Anthony will host its annual religious program at Holy Rosary Church from June 13 to 15, followed by a festival featuring Italian music at Holy Rosary Hall on June 16 and June 17.
Come celebrate Canada Day
Plenty of live music and patriotism will be showcased in Thorold’s three-day celebration next weekend.
The annual Canada Day celebration kicks off at noon Sunday, July 1, with the national anthem sung by the Young at Heart Thorold Seniors Choir at the Battle of Beaverdams Park bandshell stage.
New this year, pony rides will be offered for $5, along with free bouncy castles and the annual Decorate Your Bike Contest for children starting at 1:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Thorold Credit Union, the contest rewards kids with the most patriotic bikes with a $100 savings account for first place, $50 second prize and $25 third prize. Every child who enters will receive a prize.
Calvin the Magician will appear onstage in two shows, one at 12:30 and again at 3:45.
The oldest continuous band in Canada—the Thorold Reed Band—will perform at 2 p.m. Then, The Wanted, will bring their mix of old-time gospel harmonies with unplugged vintage rock and roll at 5 p.m.
Two popular local bands will deliver back-to-back classic rock. First up, Thorold-based Veranda Beach takes the stage at 6 p.m., followed by Vinyl Flux at 8:15 p.m.
Food trucks will offer a variety of treats—from authentic southern barbecue flavours to fresh-squeezed lemonade and ice cream, and the Thorold Lions will also be busy behind the grill.
A fireworks grand finale will cap off the celebration Sunday at about 10 p.m.
Decoration Day in Thorold
Thorold Legion members played host to their Post 105 comrades from the town of Northeast, Pennsylvania last weekend, as about 20 of them made their annual visit to celebrate Decoration Day.
According to long-time Legion member Dave Handley, the cross-border visiting between the two branches is a time-honoured tradition.
“For 54 years we’ve been doing this. We all go down there at the end of August.”
Each year, when the Americans visit, “They lay a wreath for the Unknown U.S. soldier,” who is buried at the Battle of Beaverdams Park from the War of 1812, said Handley.
After being welcomed by the Ormond Street branch for their Saturday night barbecue and live band—Thorold natives The Change—the U.S. contingent joined Branch 17 members in a parade through downtown Thorold Sunday, led by the City of Thorold Pipe Band.
The parade ended at the cenotaph for a service and wreath-laying ceremony, where Thorold Legion president Eric Cuthbert explained the origins of Decoration Day.
“It’s a Canadian holiday that began June 2, 1890 and originally served as a form of protest for the veterans of the Battle of Ridgeway, who thought they were overlooked in the Fenian Raids, and placed decorations on the veterans’ graves. And this became an annual event.”
Participants included veterans of the Fenian Raids and other battles, he continued.
“This resulted in the creation of a British service medal recognizing Canadians in the pre-war conflicts. Ontario did provide some recognition at the provincial level. Decoration Day became less prominent in the early 1900s. Today, we are here to honour this original act from our veterans and we celebrate their lives.”
Padre Keith Pidduck prayed for peace and Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey, Thorold Mayor Luciani, and Regional Coun. Henry D’Angela thanked all veterans and current members of peacekeeping forces who pave the way for Canadians’ peace and freedom.
“Most of us have never experienced the atrocities of war first-hand and never will,” said Luciani, “but we are the beneficiaries of those who have. We are here to honour those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Following the service, the Legion welcomed everyone to the branch for fellowship and refreshments.
Firefighters Convention and pig roast in Thorold South Saturday
Feats of strength, a parade and live music, along with plenty of fun and food are all part of the Thorold South Volunteer Firefighters Association’s annual convention this Saturday, June 16.
Thorold’s finest will square off against firefighters from across Niagara and Haldimand, in skill-testing competitions such as rescue races, ladder races, tug-of-war and hose races, said Station 2 District Chief Kelly Saunders.
He said that typically, about 150 firefighters in total take part every year.
The day-long event kicks off bright and early with a buffet breakfast served at the Thorold South fire hall from 8 to 11 a.m.
A parade from Ontario Public School will start at 1:30, featuring marching units, antique fire trucks, and the City of Thorold Pipe Band, all proceeding south from the school to the fire hall along Allanburg Road.
Firefighters will be busy at the barbecue all day, offering hot dogs and hamburgers in the afternoon and pulled pork and beef on a bun around dinnertime.
In addition to the skills competitions, there will be loads of family entertainment, including a free bounce house, face painting, and fire truck tours for the kids.
Live music starts with a two-hour concert for all ages at 6 p.m., followed by the band Stonewall at 9 p.m., at which time it becomes a licensed 19+ event.
In the event of rain, Saunders said the parade may be cancelled but all other activities will run, rain or shine.
The majority of proceeds raised from food and drink sales are used to fund Station 2 firefighters’ pet projects, such as sponsoring breakfast clubs at Ontario School and St. Charles School, annual student bursaries, and enhancements to McAdam Park.
Firefighters host FunFest
Sporting plastic fire chief helmets, future firefighters were put through their paces two weeks ago, as pros from Thorold and St. Catharines fire departments shared tricks of the trade with children.
Thorold firefighters Danielle Ervin and Park Reilly taught proper hose techniques to tots while others supervised rescue drills in the WalMart Superstore parking lot. Siblings Carter and Tessa Schell from Thorold South took part, running laps in mini fire coats and “rescuing” an oversized teddy bear.
All events—from the free barbecue, Sparky the fire dog bouncy castles, face painting and dunk tanks, among others— are sponsored annually by the store, the firefighters and Enbridge.
A joint project of the Thorold and St. Catharines Fire Departments, it’s designed to bring together agencies—such as the O.P.P., the R.C.M.P., and Niagara E.M.S.—that promote preventable injuries and wellness, and teach kids about safety.
Typically, as many as 5,000 to 6,000 people attend the popular annual event, which Fire Prevention Captain Vince Giovannini of the Thorold Fire Department said he’s helped organize for 15 years.
And as a bonus, the event raises food and funds for St. Catharines/Thorold Community Care.
Free summer concert series starts June 20
The sound of music drifting through the downtown is a summertime staple in Thorold, and this year is no different.
Rehearsed and ready to start its staggering 167th season, the Thorold Reed Band will welcome music-lovers once again on Wednesday nights.
Built-in benches—historic remnants from the former Welland Canal—and a strategically-angled bandshell make the Battle of Beaverdams Park the perfect summertime setting, and conductor Andrew Carruthers can’t wait to lead the band for his sixth season.
Joking that there are “no original members,” Carruthers confirmed Thorold’s Reed Band is, in fact, the oldest continuously playing band in Canada, formed long ago in 1851.
“Everything from flutes to tubas” will be featured among the nearly 50 musicians who make up the band, he said.
The series of nine free summer concerts kicks off Wednesday, June 20, with performances running from 7:30 till dusk.
When selecting the music, Carruthers makes it his mission to put together a program “so everyone hears something they like.”
To create well-rounded concerts, he typically includes a march, a song of faith, “something swing,” a newer pop song, an older pop song, and a tune from a musical within each week’s mix.
This year, music-lovers will be treated to a Star Wars medley, songs from the Jungle Book; “everything from Glenn Miller to the Foo Fighters.”
“I have directed in lots of bandshells,” and the Battle of Beaverdams Park bandshell has been “angled properly so the sun doesn’t bother anyone,” he added.
While plenty of built-in bench seating is available, people who prefer to bring their own chairs are welcome to do so.
Carruthers said the show must go on, so even in light rain, “We try to play,” hoping audience members bring umbrellas. “Even if it clears at the last minute, we will play. Only if it’s a downpour, it will be cancelled.”
The Thorold Reed Band will also perform in the Battle of Beaverdams Park on Sunday, July 1 during annual Canada Day festivities.
Heritage brochures hot off the press
Hot off the press, Heritage Thorold’s brand new brochures highlight the city’s historic hot spots, and include interesting facts about each one.
There’s the DeCew-Young house, for example, built on land bought in 1812, near two heritage sites on a road which follows the line of the former Mohawk Train used by indigenous tribes. John DeCew, who was born in 1766, built the three-bay Ontario cottage, and it was owned by Philip and Mary Young for 20-plus years; its rubble stone basement containing evidence of a circa 1815 structure, including full and hand-hewn timbers. DeCew was prominent in the area for assuming command of the 2nd Lincoln Militia when war was declared. His stone house was occupied by James FitzGibbon and men of the 49th Regiment—the house to which Laura Secord made her famous walk.
Heritage LACAC chair Craig Finlay said the brochure project was spearheaded by Pamela Minns, who volunteered for decades on LACAC, and was largely responsible for helping the city win the prestigious Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership last year.
The 14-page brochures were completed by Kathleen Wittick Design and printed for both tourists and locals who want to learn more about Thorold’s rich history.
Having recognized the substantial role heritage plays in attracting tourists to the area, city staff, heritage volunteers and tourism team are collaborating to showcase Thorold’s 50-plus designated sites.
They will also be featured on Segway tours and walking tours along the canal and throughout Thorold. Heritage fans can locate addresses listed in the brochures and easily pinpoint sites by the plaques posted by LACAC at each of them to show they’ve been designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.
“Education about heritage is part of our mandate,” aid Finlay. “We have to continue to fan the flames of heritage as tourism.”
The brochures are available at Venture Niagara, 20 Pine Street North (across the street from the Pine Plaza) and at the Tourism Centre at Lock 7.
More information is available at www.heritagethorold.com
Classical couple performing concert
There was a time when Ken Cowan made beautiful music at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Thorold.
Now a Professor of Music at Rice University in Houston, Texas, the Thorold native is renowned as one of North America’s finest organists, maintaining a rigorous schedule appearing at major concert venues on various continents.
Next Friday, Cowan will team up with his violin virtuoso wife, Lisa Shihoten, to perform a violin and organ concert in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Casavant Organ at Knox Presbyterian Church.
Hailed by audiences and critics alike for his dazzling artistry, impeccable technique and imaginative programming, he’s been featured at several conventions of the Organ Historical Society and the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
After studying with his major teacher during high school, James Bigham, Organist/Choirmaster at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, in Buffalo, New York, Cowan graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, then went on to receive his Master’s degree and Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music/Institute of Sacred Music.
A native of Princeton, New Jersey, Shihoten is a violin soloist, chamber musician and teacher, and member of the critically acclaimed Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, as well as an active and significant presence in New York City's classical music scene.
She made her debut in 1995, performing with the Juilliard Orchestra, and won the Grand Prize at the Marcia Polayes National Violin Competition and the Nakamichi Concerto Competition.
The talented couple will combine their considerable musical forces to present the concert on Friday, July 6, starting at 7:30 p.m.
Knox Presbyterian is located at 53 Church Street in St. Catharines. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $10 for students with I.D., and are available at the church, or by calling 905-641-8868.
Licensing bylaw benefits fire rescue
While not welcomed by landlords, the city’s residential rental licensing bylaw can be a lifesaving tool to fire rescue teams, said Vince Giovannini.
The Captain of Fire Prevention said he’s seen “as many as 17 people living in a single family home. We’ve had numerous calls with smoke in the building and a few where tenants have narrowly escaped. We do see a huge benefit to licensing. We see a lot of complaints about rental properties. When you start adding extra people and extra appliances, it’s dangerous.”
Thorold’s population fluctuates—reaching highs of 22,000 when factoring in Brock University students, he added.
“The licensing program gives us a database and additional information on what they are responding to when they search and rescue. It will help us down the road when we have computers in our trucks; we can use the fire safety plans that have been submitted and have all the emergency analytics, so we can better respond to each particular call.”
Central dispatch in St. Catharines will be able to warn Thorold crews, “You’re responding to a rural property with seven renters,” as an example.
Giovannini said tenants have told him, ‘We’re glad this (bylaw) is in place because my landlord never shows up.’ When bylaw officers see something that’s not right or contravenes life safety, it comes to our attention and we go and try to educate the owner into compliance as soon as possible. If they aren’t cooperative, we go to formal inspections and code enforcement, but our philosophy is education first. We have the authority to lay charges, but we would rather educate people.”
According to Giovannini, four information sessions were held to inform the public about the controversial licensing bylaw, and he’s willing to answer questions at his Towpath Street office anytime.
“Call me, e-mail me, and I’m happy to sit down with you and guide you through the entire process. I think the city is being proactive, in my opinion. We see it as a benefit because sometimes landlords neglect their duties, which puts their tenants at risk,” due to outdated appliances and overloaded electrical systems.
“There are some very good landlords but I think it’s great the city is trying to ensure the safety of their tenants. The last thing we want to see is somebody get hurt, so from that perspective, it’s a good tool.”
Even before the bylaw became effective this past winter, homeowners and tenants alike were required to follow the minimum requirements of the Ontario Fire Code, he said, which means ensuring fire alarms and carbon monoxide alarms work, and having a fire safety plan in place.
“The fire safety plan is a home escape plan and everybody should have one,” he said, “whether they live in an apartment, a home or a semi. It assists us to make sure they are safe.”
Since a maximum of two to three minutes is all the time anyone has to escape a room on fire, a fire plan becomes especially important when multiple residents live under the same roof.
Many landlords balked at perceived fees for fire safety plans, but they can be drawn by homeowners themselves at no cost, said Giovannini. All that’s required is a detailed diagram showing measurements of each room in the dwelling, as well as ways to escape in the event of a fire. There is also a checklist to fill out regarding smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, sprinkler systems and other safety information.
“The first thing people think of when they hear fire prevention is Sparky the fire dog and school visits, but fire prevention officers must be highly educated and constantly trained” in ongoing legislative changes, he stated. “Community risk assessment is one of our mandates.”
The fire department creates a strategy to respond to all calls and designs education programs “based on the risks we see. We want to educate people on the residential licensing bylaw and then if need be, we do inspections to see they are complying. We still need the response capability to address them. This is a great tool, based on our lack of resources and staff, to have the landlords and owners assume responsibility to help us out.”
To date, 153 fire plans have been approved, with many more to sift through.
“We’re backlogged in the review of the fire safety plans. Once approved, it gets sent back to the city and they call the owner to arrange an inspection. If there are issues and it’s not approved, Giovannini said he will work with the owner “to make it right.”
For more information about the bylaw or the application process as it pertains to fire safety plans, call Giovannini at 905-227-6412 Ext. 25 or e-mail [email protected]
Luciani running for Region
Ted Luciani hopes to switch seats.
Having served 10 years as a Thorold city councillor and the past two terms as mayor, Luciani officially announced this week that he hopes to become Thorold’s next regional councillor.
First to toss his hat in the ring for the position, “I put my name in for the region today,” he told the Thorold News Friday.
“I have a feeling we’re going to have a lot of big changes at the region—all good change—and I want to be part of it.”
Luciani feels his past eight years representing Thorold at the regional level in his role as mayor give him the necessary experience to continue infusing the city with needed funding.
“I want regional money spent in Thorold. I don’t do Thursday night big-mouthing,” stressed the mayor. “All my talking is in the back room.”
In addition to helping save the Port Robinson ferry, Luciani said he helped sway the region to invest $36 million in the Empire Estates subdivision in Port Robinson, and $1 million in the multi-use paved pathway that runs parallel to Merrittville Highway, as well as funds to improve Allanport Road and Townline Road, “from Thorold Stone Road all the way to McLeod (Road).”
During 2017 regional budget deliberations, Luciani said he assisted in financing the reconstruction of St. David’s Road “all the way to Collier (Road).”
“It’s a giant project,” added city CAO Manoj Dilwaria, “but eventually, it will connect all the way downtown.”
A new service tank and CSO (overflow) tank, along with “a tremendous amount of pipes, mostly in Thorold South,” is another $3 million project which Luciani helped secure from the region; a project that has provided Rolling Meadows builders with the ability to build an additional 600 homes, he said. Prior to the project, “They were frozen at 250.”
“The big thing next term is getting the ball rolling on building a new waste treatment plant in south Niagara Falls that services all south Thorold. It’s already in the books. I’m hoping by the end of a four-year term, it will be in the works.”
“The new plant will service as far as Welland and Stevensville, and that’s where all the growth is.”
Once Upon a Time, Part 9
Wilf Slater
During the Second World War, a military base was maintained in Thorold South at what had been the Pilkington Glass Works. For a short time, an army unit was stationed at St. John’s Church. A vacant lot opposite the church was used for manoeuvres.
Simulated air raid drills in blackout conditions were conducted and on one daylight occasion tracked vehicles roared through the downtown streets with pyrotechnical blasts and smoke filling the air. The command post was located in the basement of the library and the arena served as a rifle range.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police established a post in Thorold to maintain security along the canal. The contingent fielded a highly competitive softball league.
The glass plant opened in 1914. It was the first abroad for the British-based company, but the quality of the glass produced was inferior to that at home. The plant closed in 1925. Employees and their families were brought from England in two trans-Atlantic crossings—1914 and 1920. Local hirings existed as well.
The company provided housing for the migrants in a community named Windle Village. When the plant closed, many of the older employees returned to England while the remainder were able to find employment in the paper mills and other peninsula industries.
Company records show there was only one stretch of six months in 1920 when a profit was recorded. It would be several years before a buyer emerged for the abandoned assets.
The Protection Hose Company No. 1 represented the volunteer aspect of the fire department whose members’ drill team participated in parades in Ontario, New York state and Pennsylvania. At conventions of firemen in Ontario, the team competed with other drill teams, of which there were a few. A large collection of awards attests to its marching proficiency.
Dressed in black uniforms—long coats with white and silver trim plus silver helmets—the team’s close drill formations enthralled parade spectators.
Soon after the onset of the Second World War, some members took their firefighting skills abroad and were photographed in a Canadian weekly publication fighting fires in London during the Battle of Britain.
One major fire in town occurred at a macaroni factory in severe winter conditions. The site smouldered for several days.
At one of the company’s annual social events, a fire broke out in the Canadian Corps hall on Clairmont Street. Wives of the firemen were in attendance as were town officials, fire chiefs from the peninsula and a representative of the fire marshal’s office.
Fire extinguishers were inadequate to quell the blaze, so a call went out to the lone fireman on duty to respond with a truck. Thinking it was a hijinks request, he failed to show. It took two firemen to scurry down Front Street to retrieve a truck to the astonishment of the chap on duty. In the end, damage was negligible.
Poverty doesn’t take a vacation
Poverty doesn’t take a vacation, and neither does James Symons.
The Thorold volunteer’s recent Christmas “Toolbox” campaign collected 250 shoe boxes filled with hygiene and snack products for homeless men.
And now, based on the premise that the needs of the homeless aren’t restricted to Christmas time, he’s collecting products for both women and men for the summer.
“Too often, poverty is treated as a holiday thing,” Symons told the Thorold News.
“As soon as summer begins, our plans are to head to the cottage or go away and often, we forget people who live in poverty. We usually go away for two weeks so the campaign is two weeks.”
Symons said he was contacted by staff at Start Me Up Niagara, where he frequently volunteers, to collect warm weather hygiene and other products for the homeless.
“I can’t imagine not being able to keep clean in the summer.”
The items needed include: 24 sleeping bags, men’s and women’s deodorant, men’s and women’s razors, shampoo in travel sizes and underwear of various sizes.
Start Me Up Niagara also recently initiated a denture program, said Symons, “so we’re looking for (24) Poli-Grip.”
Symons has contacted a church that makes sleeping mats from plastic milk bags, and is being assisted by Brian Toye, a realtor from ReMax.
Last Christmas, each member of the Thorold Blackhawks bantam team donated their own individual shoebox filled with hygiene products.
“I’d like to challenge any of the summer sports teams to help” with the summer initiative, said Symons.
His launch for the annual Christmas shoebox campaign will take place in August.
“Boy Scouts Canada has chosen us as the group they support this year.” Each boy scout will prepare a box and help with assembling all the items donated by others into boxes.
Splash pads open for summer
From dawn until dusk, little ones can cool off in Thorold parks.
As of June 4, the splash pads at Port Robinson, McAdam, McMillan, Sullivan and Confederation parks are now open.
The splash pad at the Thorold Community Pool on Richmond Street will be available for use once the pool opens to the public on Saturday, June 23.
For families without air conditioning in their homes, splash pads are a fun, free alternative to escape the heat and cool off during the summer months, said city staff from the department of Community Services.
Caring counsellors ready to run TCAG summer day camp
No child will be bullied or excluded from playground activities on Braeden Kenny’s watch.
Studying social justice and entering his Master’s in Education program at the University of Toronto in the fall, the passionate future educator has signed on as a summer camp counsellor in Thorold.
He’s joining six new recruits and the Thorold Community Activities Group is welcoming back eight returning young counsellors to comprise this summer’s TCAG day camp team.
The 15 “energetic, creative and caring applicants” were carefully selected, said Jennifer Douthwaite, Director of Recreation and Leisure.
Some of the counsellors told the Thorold News they want to work with children in their careers.
Kenny said he hopes to spend some time teaching overseas before returning to his hometown.
“I’d like to come back and teach at a school I went to; Denis Morris or Monsignor Clancy. My enthusiasm for working with kids is important for this job, as well as my interest in inclusive education and promoting equity and social justice in a classroom setting. This camp is unique in that I can bring back some of those things I’ve learned and implement them.”
Braeden’s sister, Ellie, will also join this summer’s staff for the first time.
“I’ve been a counsellor before, but I wanted to come here because there’s a big sense of community here,” she said. “Growing up in Thorold, I always wanted to give back somehow, and this is a chance to meet some old friends.”
In her third year of engineering at Queen’s University, Kenny said she loves working with other people, and “Teamwork is big in these situations.”
Entering her first year of teacher’s college at Brock University in the fall, Stephanie Palomba hopes to teach Junior Kindergarten to grade 6 students one day. Since the TCAG accepts children aged 5 to 10 (with provisions to include some four-year-olds and 11-year-olds), she feels it’s the ideal setting, and has returned for her second summer as a counsellor.
“I had a really good time last year and I love to make sure the kids have a great summer and create memories they’ll be able to take with them when they’re older.”
According to Palomba, “We have a lot of new campers and a lot of the same ones as well, and many of them come from the day care,” which operates all year long at the TCAG.
The summer camp continues to expand, from 19 campers attending per day in 2014 to 70 in 2017.
Palomba said all the counsellors have taken First Aid training, as well as High 5 training, which teaches them how to engage campers in the various games and daily programs.
The summer camp is supported by the Canada Summer Jobs program, with funding from Vance Badawey, MP of Niagara Centre, for nine qualified student counsellors this year; helping offset their 2018/19 tuition fees while learning leadership skills.
The TCAG is also bolstered by The Canal Bank Shuffle and the City of Thorold. Each year, Henderson’s Pharmacy donates funds towards the cost of the Summer Day Camp daily swim at the city’s TCAG-adjacent pool.
Become a yoga teacher: training coming to Thorold’s Yoga Centre of Niagara
Thorold will become home to a yoga teacher school this fall, and Amanda Tripp couldn’t be happier.
Her life transformed from suffering with debilitating back pain and migraines to becoming pain-free.
And she owes it all to yoga.
“I never thought that would’ve been possible,” said Tripp.
“Getting rid of pain gives you a new lease on life. I can change the way I breathe and change my mental state. It’s given me an appreciation for my body and what I can do.”
It’s precisely this type of empowering information she wants to share with new yoga teachers.
Having taught yoga at Thorold’s Yoga Centre of Niagara since 2006, and trained several yoga teachers during the course of her career, Tripp is excited to be part of the centre’s new teacher training program.
“I want to give the teachers enough information so they can take care of their own bodies and help others, too. The training is for anybody who wants to understand yoga or enrich their own practice.”
Yoga Centre owner Laurie-Anne Lamothe told the Thorold News, “I’ve always dreamed of having a school that’s about teaching.”
She’s a Reiki master and life coach with a background in social work, but wants to learn to teach yoga as well, so Lamothe will learn right alongside her students. At the end, they will be certified yoga teachers.
For her school, she has chosen to “partner with people who promote positive energy.”
Former Yoga Centre owner/teacher Cheryl Gordon, Ashley Overholt, Sandra Edgar, Tony Murdock, and Oda Lindner are also part of the teaching team.
“Tony has been teaching meditation for 25 years, and Oda has been teaching for a long time,” said Tripp. “We are very experienced.”
Everything from Asana, anatomy, philosophy and subtle spirituality to the business side of yoga teaching will be covered in the course, which runs for 11 weekends starting September 22 and 23, 2018 and ending June 8 and 9, 2019. In between sessions, students will integrate what they have learned.
According to Tripp, who also has a degree in philosophy from the University of Victoria, “There’s armchair philosophy and there’s yoga philosophy, which you live and breathe. It’s a whole way of life.”
In her experience, some people become yoga teachers because they’re attracted to the philosophical aspect, while others want to learn more about their bodies. In the course, “We integrate those two together,” she said.
“There are no mirrors in yoga studios because it’s not about how it looks. It’s about how it feels. Incorporating the moral and ethical aspects of yoga into my life has changed the way that it looks as well. It’s made me more intentional. I think about the way that I live my life and I’ve made it my entire livelihood. The fact that I can do that is pretty amazing.”
People can become teachers at any age, added the Thorold resident and mother.
“The youngest person I’ve trained was 16 and the oldest was in their 60s; maybe 70s, and everything in between.”
While most teachers in North America are female, Tripp encourages men to take the course.
“In India, it was mostly men doing yoga. I think there are lots of men who might like to be taught by a man.”
Tripp is currently studying kinesiology at Brock University, and said the program can also be beneficial for psychologists, massage therapists, and people who work with special needs populations, as well as athletes who want to develop cross-training.
The course costs $4,300 + HST, and includes all books and a full membership at the Yoga Centre, once a deposit of $800 is received. Payment plans can be arranged by contacting Lamothe at [email protected]
Barnes and Schmidt honoured at Fire Station 3
From their Port Robinson home, Debbie Barnes and the Barnes family can gaze across the street and see a memorial bench that bears the name of firefighter Tom Barnes.
Right across the street from his former home, the granite bench was installed Tuesday, next to the war memorial cenotaph and flag pole at Station 3.
After 31 years of service to his community, Barnes was 56 years old when he died from cancer in 2012.
“In January of 2017, the legislation was changed to consider cancer line-of-duty death,” explained Carl Pearson, District Chief of Station 3.
“The WSIB confirmed that at the end of February and his name was installed on the National Firefighters’ memorial in Ottawa in September, followed by the provincial memorial at Queen’s Park in Toronto in October of 2017.”
While accompanying Barnes’ widow, Debbie, on those occasions, Pearson said he pointed out memorial benches and said, “What do you think about one at the fire hall? And she said she would be honoured.”
After presenting the idea to his fellow firefighters at Station 3, they agreed to purchase two granite benches similar to ones located at the Queens Park Firefighter Memorial, one for Barnes, and one for Ernie Schmidt, who passed away from a heart attack at the age of 43 while working alone one night in 1974 at Fire Station 1.
Pearson said—if needed—there is sufficient space to add two more names on the opposite side of each bench, but the criteria is that they must be listed on both the Ottawa and Toronto firefighter memorials, as Barnes and Schmidt are.
The bench project was kick-started, he said, “with some generous donations from individuals that afforded the deposit for the granite order made in October of 2017. In April, 2018 we initiated the second phase of this fundraiser by approaching local business and asked for financial support. The response has been moving.”
Cotton Construction installed 48-inch deep cement foundations at no cost and raised 76 per cent of the funding. With donations from the Barnes family, Pearson and local businesses, the total cost of $7,430 for the two benches was raised, with an extra $45 to spare.
Sponsors for the project were: Zappi’s Pizzeria, Bridge 12 Pub, N-Tec, Demar Construction Inc., Gauboc Construction Inc., Belchior Contracting & Excavating Inc., Pump Pro Shop, Coons Heating & Sheet Metal Ltd., Photec Environmental Solutions Inc., Knights of Columbus Council 1394, Future Waste Recycling Facilities Inc., and JC Auto.
Pearson and Station 3 firefighters plan to host an official unveiling of the benches within the next few months.
The Niagara Centre Board of Trade & Commerce announce their new board of directors
Chair, John D’Amico Vice-Chair, Dave DeGrave Treasurer, Marilyn Colbert
Directors, Nick Dell’OmoDirector, Diane Henderson, Malcolm Woodhouse, Mark Kawabe, Vito DiPaola, George Callura
TSS Class of 2018
For the 144th year, Thorold Secondary School celebrated Commencement Thursday night, with 114 more graduates receiving their Ontario Secondary School diplomas.
These are five outstanding TSS students and award-winners from the Class of 2018.
Rachel Gillespie received her Core French Certificate of Completion, Gold Medal for academic excellence, and is an Ontario Scholar, achieving an average of 80 per cent or higher. She also won a Jeff Yungblut Memorial Scholarship, presented by Nancy and Yungblut in memory of their son, Jeff, in addition to a Mathematics Proficiency Award, Moderns Award for the highest achievement in grade 12 French, and the Thorold Horticultural Society Award.
Taylor Maddox is an Ontario Scholar, and received the PenFinancial Student Scholarship. She was also chosen as Valedictorian by her fellow students, and was presented with the Steadman Valedictorian Award by Ken Atmekjian.
Renique Robinson is an Ontario Scholar, and received her Gold Medal for academic excellence. She was presented with the City of Thorold Council Recognition Award for her outstanding work on Student Council by Mayor Ted Luciani. She also received the Frank Fortura Memorial Bursary from the Thorold Legion Branch 17 for demonstrating high academic standing, leadership, character and citizenship; and was a Specialist High Skills Major in the field of Health and Wellness. Renique received the Thorold Secondary School Council Scholarship for community service beyond the required 40 hours, and the William and Martha McMillan Scholarship for contributing significantly to Thorold Secondary’s overall extra-curricular activities, and proceeding to post-graduate studies.
Cienna Simpson is an Ontario Scholar who received the First Generation DSBN Bursary for being the first person in her family to pursue a post-secondary education. She was also presented with the Thorold Community Credit Union Award by Manager Tim Whalen, for exemplifying high standards in business education.
Grace Skeffington is an Ontario Scholar and was presented with her Gold Medal for academic excellence, as well as the English Proficiency Award, the Mary A. McMillan Scholarship, the Mathematics Proficiency Award, the Ontario Paper Thorold Foundation Scholarship for contributing to her school and community, the Physical Education Proficiency Award, the Science Proficiency Award, the Thorold Chiropractic Centre Award (for proficiency in university preparation biology and proceeding to higher education, preferably in health sciences), a Thorold Secondary School Arts Letter, and TSS Proficiency Award for achieving the highest average.
Venditti Brothers Birthday Roast for Charity
Carlo and Donny Venditti bore the brunt of the jokes, but it was all for a good cause.
Their younger brother Tony, who’s travelled the world as a professional comedian, hosted a comedy roast to celebrate his twin siblings’ 60th birthdays.
And pay them back for a lifetime of being picked on.
Instead of gifts, they accepted donations for Start Me Up Niagara from the mostly Thorold residents who crowded into the Showtime Comedy Club on St. Paul Street Wednesday night.
For the past 25 years, Tony’s act has focused on growing up as an Italian in Thorold.
He told the audience his mother used to convert Jehovah’s Witnesses who knocked on their door, “once they saw all the cash you got for confirmation.”
Joking that he spent seven years at Thorold High school, Venditti said, “Some kids in grade 9 thought I was the janitor. I told them, ‘Here; I’ll hook you up with some garbage bags’.”
Taking his turn at the mike, Fred Pizzo joked that Donny used to come back with free drinks for all his friends when they went to different clubs. According to Pizzo, they found out later he was stealing them from the tables.
Professional comedian Steve Cox said he was another victim of the twins, and “So poor we couldn’t afford a father. That’s why we went to the Vendittis.”
Known for their athletic and boxing abilities, they all worked out in their “garage/gym,” said Tony.
Carlo apologized, “For all the guys we beat up, I’m sorry. We just liked to fight. But nobody could beat my mother. My mother had a wooden spoon to stir the sauce and one with chains she’d swing at us like nunchucks.”
Admitting, “We did beat Tony up a lot,” Donny added, “No, we don’t feel sorry for him but some day we may need body parts. We have a special bond that we’re always going to be there for you.”
Wanted: Affordable, age-friendly housing
Can councillors, planning staff and developers collaborate to build affordable, age-friendly housing in Thorold?
That was the goal as the three groups met with regional staff and Thorold municipal non-profit housing board members last week to discuss possibilities.
“We’re here to hear from the development community,” said Coun. Fred Neale, chair of Thorold’s age-friendly housing sub-committee. “We’re here to maybe change our bylaws and policies to help you progress, and we’re looking forward to building more housing options in Thorold.”
Age-friendly housing is a need that’s been identified, said Coun. Terry Ugulini.
“We do a good job in Thorold of providing student housing because we’re so close to Brock. We need to look at different options for seniors.”
Jean D’Amelio Swyer, chair of Thorold’s age-friendly committee, presented statistics showing that 138 out of 150 respondents disagree that wait times for senior housing are reasonable.
Long-time Thorold resident John Henderson said some seniors have been forced to leave Thorold due to lack of proper housing.
“I may have to move from my house down the road. I grew up in Thorold and I would like to stay in Thorold and I’m concerned I may not be able to. From my perspective, I’d like to be near things so I can stay here.”
Mark Basciano, president of Mountainview Homes, urged councillors to “See what other municipalities are doing. If they can do it in places like Port Dover, surely we can do it in the city of Thorold, so Mr. Henderson doesn’t get displaced. With seniors, a large part of the market is not local buyers anymore. Purchasers of all ages are coming from out of the area and they look at the region as one place to be, not 12 municipalities, so Thorold is competing with the outside market. Seniors are living longer and have to stretch their income, so affordability is huge. Municipalities have to start listening more or plugging into the industry. I would argue that we know the market better than you.”
“You can never satisfy everyone,” said Mervin Croghan of HighRiver Developments.
“Make a decision. That guy who stands up and says, ‘I don’t want this house because there’s a shadow over here’ is nonsense.”
Ugulini said public meetings are required under the Planning Act; that “making an oral or written submission is legislated and part of the process. We’re trying to give you feedback on what we hear from residents who have had to move from Thorold.”
Mike Skrtich, developer of several Thorold student residences, is unhappy his Ormond Street project “had to be reduced from 18 to 12 (units) because the city needed more parking.”
Current bylaws require 1.5 parking spots for each unit; other cities require only one parking spot, he stated.
“I want to stay in Thorold, but I can’t without 1:1 parking. Seniors don’t have two cars for one family, so that’s my suggestion in the downtown core. I can’t believe that council squashed some of my projects based on parking.”
Paul Dedivitiis, another Thorold student residence developer, said, “The fees are climbing and climbing so to get affordable housing—I would love to—but by the time you even get the shovel in the ground it’s too expensive for the developer to break even. You can’t offer affordable housing when you’re spending three years in planning and your fees are atrocious.”
He added that delays like “having to wait eight months to change a window are costly.”
Another problem is “rapidly eroding land supply,” said Basciano. “We need some push-back on the province about releasing some land supply. I’m not talking about cutting all the trees down. What we need at the staff level, we need to get them to understand. Yes, be environmentally-sensitive and follow rules but there are pieces that absolutely should be developable. Land in some places has gone from $200 an acre to $700 an acre in three years in Niagara. It can only be addressed from the approving authorities. The region has the power to make a difference.”
Basciano has had “More applications than ever for rentals,” meaning the market is heading that way.
“I think rentals will address some of the shortfall and demand that isn’t here. What is out there is very low quality. People want new options.”
Karen Blackley, private real estate broker and vice president of Thorold’s municipal non-profit housing corporation, agreed.
“I think there’s a lost demographic” for people ranging from age 40 to 55 “who can’t afford to buy,” as well as singles, seniors, and two-income families who want other options, she said.
“Affordable housing can mean many things. You do need a developer with somewhat of a conscience because the money doesn’t flow like in other situations. There’s a huge opportunity to partner with us and work our way around the bureaucrats. There are non-profits and co-ops all through the region and I think they’d welcome any help or input.”
Affordability can be solved by continued construction, said Adrienne Jugley, Commissioner for the Region’s Community Services. “Build, build, build. Just getting stock in the market impacts affordability.”
Urging developers to “watch the CMHC website for updates,” new federal and provincial funding may help offset costs of building affordable housing, Jugley added.
“If you add 80 units and five are affordable, we’re open to looking at everything that comes across the table,” said Regional councillor Henry D’Angela.
“We all want to build senior housing,” said Croghan. “We want to build affordable housing, not just senior housing, and we have to make money to do that as developers because it costs us a lot of money. The developer over the years has this horrible image that we want to gouge. We can’t gouge anymore. There’s an affordable issue for seniors. We will find a solution and present it to council. Let’s work together and not be so rigid. We want to build housing in Thorold. It’s a nice community, great people; great lifestyle. We have bought properties that have taken over a year now to get a permit. Why not cut the nonsense? I’m not going to fight those battles with the politicians. Make it easier for developers to get going.”
“Our company builds a lot of age-friendly products,” said Gerry Rinaldi of Rinaldi Homes, “but we haven’t looked into a lot of affordable housing so we’d like some information.”
D’Angela said Niagara Region’s housing staff can help, and that municipalities need to waive development fees and permit fees and issue tax reductions. “The city has to have the same policies as the Region. We’re losing business.”
Neale said for years council has had difficulty “getting the province to change the zoning “in the corridor south of Hwy. 20. “We asked to take some of the land on the north side of the highway out of the greenbelt but they won’t. All this land is fallow and not being utilized.”
He asked how the city of Thorold could “tap into projects like the Hotel Dieu” rehabilitation, headed by Basciano.
“It’s your process,” replied the developer. “Thorold has as much to offer as any municipality and the problems exist everywhere. The beauty is the location is right smack in the middle.”
Basciano suggested implementing a “fast-track process for affordable housing; maybe less staff involvement and more council involvement. What it can’t mean is site plans that involve the public. Sometimes it takes 90 days and turns it into a year.”
City planner Denise Landry suggested having group meetings “and getting on the same page” with agencies such as the MTO, “and figure out what’s required so it will speed the process up.”
D’Angela and Neale suggested forming a committee to continue examining the issue.
Youth invited to annual fishing derby Saturday
If you’re angling for a good time, some free refreshments, and maybe a prize for biggest catch, bring the family to the fishing derby at the Thorold South dam this Saturday.
Station 2 volunteer firefighter Doug McIntyre said the event will run, rain or shine—“Unless it’s thundering”—and reward the best anglers in four fishing categories with prizes for first, second and third place in each one.
From 8 a.m. to noon, firefighters will welcome kids from zero to 13 years of age to cast their lines into the dam on Niagara Falls Road in an attempt to land the big one. Each child must be accompanied by at least one adult.
“Every entrant gets a swag bag full of outdoor stuff and there’s free food and drinks,” said McIntyre.
“Most of our sponsorships come from local business, and we go door-to-door in Thorold South to get donations, too. It’s a good family event. It’s a good way to give back to the community.”
The derby was started 25 years ago by the Thorold Anglers. McIntyre said the firefighters took it over four or five years ago, “After the Anglers gave it up, just to keep the tradition going.”
Our Painted Lady Caterpillars have arrived!
Over the next few weeks, children at the Thorold Community Activities Group will be learning about the life cycle of the “Painted Lady” butterflies. This is a great way for the children to experience the full life cycle of the butterflies and join in taking care of them. Once the butterflies have emerged from their chrysalis and the weather is warm enough, they will be released into the playground.
