Letters & Op-Ed, October 5 2022

I’m with you, my friend. [“Ridiculously excessive, unnecessary, and disturbing to the neighbours,” Letters, Sept. 21, p.5.] The Town of Pelham is in dire need of some bylaws that work for we, the taxpayers. They hire new bylaw officers but don’t really have many bylaws it seems.

Your obvious problem is backyard neighbour lighting gone wild! Mine is my survey. I had to have a survey before I could get a mortgage from Royal Trust in 1963. My neighbors of 18 years have just recently decided I was on their property. They won’t accept we have a survey or our survey stakes.

Have you noticed a property on Canboro Road in Fenwick that has blue tarp 9 feet in the air, running the full length of the property? The Town has declared it a “privacy screen.” Why? Because the Town has no bylaw on “privacy screens.” I will tell you about backyard problems. The signs out there are big, bold and name- calling. The last sign in the backyard called us liars. My wife read it and made a sign back to him. It read “Your psychiatrist called! You missed your appointment!”

Remember this when you cast your vote. Something similar could happen to you

Merelle and Marlene Stirtzinger Fenwick

Having recently experienced health issues and wait times for numerous medical tests followed by surgery, I sympathize with a recent letter writer about his wife's challenges with the health system.

That said, I don't think taking away a $5.4 million dollar grant to build a new library would make even a dent in resolving the very complex issues facing healthcare. And libraries are just as essential and deserving of support as hospitals, schools, recreation and arts facilities.

If you have been to a library lately you would know they are no longer just about books—they are community hubs where you can access all sorts of information along with free internet access, children and adult programming, and so much more all in a very safe and welcoming environment.

As a library user for 60-plus years I have seen the impact of their services on people from all walks of life.

Susan Morrison Fonthill

It seems that our justice system has gone the way of our healthcare—belly up...sideways...down the tube, whatever.

It’s good to see that Mr. Clapp got justice [Earl Clapp’s killer sentenced to 14 years, Sept. 28, p.1]. Hopefully his family can move on, but it never really goes away for them. Richard Lowe, on the other hand, seems entitled to be free and has had 19 months to delay even longer [No progress in Lowes case, Sept. 28, p.2]. Why is it every time his name comes up, there is the little blurb about his charitable causes and Kinsmen Club’s Citizen of the Year 2008! Does that make him any less guilty? What about the victims. [Editor’s note: It is standard practice to identify community members accused of wrongdoing in a manner that most accurately identifies them to the community at large.]

Then we have Michael Bond, an offender of a different kind, who killed an innocent pedestrian out walking, facing traffic, doing all the right things back in 2019 [Verdict awaited in careless driving case, Sept. 28, p.8]. Here we are in 2022 and it seems that the charges under the Highway Traffic Act were not enough. This man should not have been able to access a vehicle, period.

How many times must we read about people who have had umpteen charges for driving without a license, driving while under suspension, driving unsafe vehicle, etc.

Our laws are much too lenient. Driving is not a right, it is a privilege, and it should be taken away if rules are not obeyed. In today’s world it seems there is little empathy for victims, and the families wait for months or years to get any kind of justice for their loved ones. The law seems to favour the persons on trial— sad state of affairs.

R. Obelnycki Fonthill

This coming Thursday, October 6, is the last day of the Pelham Farmers Market for the season. And it is designated as Customer Appreciation Day.

Instead of us being appreciated, I would like to invite the residents of Pelham to join me and come out to the market to express our appreciation to all the folks who grow our food.

Those of you who have had a garden know just how very hard the work of a farmer is, and it can be a thankless job at times.

We have become so conditioned to believe that our produce should be photo-worthy in its appearance that even the slightest blemish, dark spots, or bug bites can turn us off, and we may become averse to purchasing this produce and even complain to the farmer.

We are very fortunate to be able to get fresh fruit and veggies all summer long, and into the fall before we have to start buying the imported, nondescript, not-very-tasty fruit and veg shipped thousands of kilometres from California and Mexico. I am of course immensely grateful and privileged to be able to still buy any food, but local is so much better for so many reasons, not the least of which is climate change. Followed by better nutritional value, taste, and the building of a community of support for our local farmers.

Hope to see you at the market this week!

Immense gratitude and appreciation to each and every farmer in our community.

Edie Pett Fonthill

With the municipal election scheduled for October 24 with advance voting days in Welland on October 3 and 15, it is time for the electors to give serious consideration to which candidates deserve their vote.

With regard to the current Welland city councillors wishing to be re-elected to City Council, for me the choice is simple because of their action at their meeting on September 1, 2020, when council gifted themselves with an incredible 47 percent pay increase and extended health benefits, retroactive to July 1, 2020, by voting in favour of a motion moved by Bryan Green and John Chiocchio. At this time the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns were at their height, business was at a standstill, and municipal and private sector workers were being laid off.

The councillors who voted in favour of this motion (YEAS) were: Jim Larouche; Bryan Green, Graham Speck, John Chiocchio, Claudette Richard, Mary Ann Grimaldi, Bonnie Fokkens, and Leo Van Vliet.

The council members who voted to defeat the motion (NAYS) were: David McLeod, Tony DiMarco, Lucas Spinosa, Adam Moote, and Mayor Frank Campion.

Unfortunately, greed won out over common sense and concern for the taxpayers, and the motion carried. In my opinion, none of the councillors who voted in favour of this motion deserve a vote now for their re-election to council.

When the electors mark their ballots for their candidates of choice, they should keep in mind that “You reap what you sow.”

Albert R. Smith Welland

Just a week after Putin’s renewed threats of nuclear war and President Biden’s reminder that a nuclear war can never be won and should never be fought, it is of some comfort to acknowledge the designation of September 26th by the UN as International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. We can look beyond the present tensions to a future where the world is without nuclear weapons.

The road ahead is already mapped, the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) now having 91 signatories. But Canada and all the nuclear armed countries have not signed, despite peoples’ overwhelming support for it.

Why not? Not because signing TPNW would leave us defenceless. The Treaty provides for nuclear-embracing states to disarm in a measured way, progressively and with verification. The problem lies with vested interests which want to keep the bombs around forever. These are the companies making a profit from multi-year contracts to build them and the governments they lobby to keep spending $82 billion a year on these weapons of mass destruction.

For anyone who is moved to activity, join the anti-nuclear movement. A simple way to start is to call out the complicit companies and tell them that nuclear neapons are bad business. More details at icanw.org and dontbankonthebomb.com. Join me in telling them to divest now and help save our planet from nuclear weapons.

Dave Nicholson Fonthill

I want to begin by stating how important it is for you to get out and vote in this upcoming municipal election on October 24. Municipal politics is the most grassroots form of politics and is just as important as voting for your MPP or MP. Make it a family event, plan your day on October 24 to make your vote happen.

I have been working with Mayor Marvin Junkin and discussing mental health, homelessness and addictions issues with him throughout his term, as an advocate for these issues myself. Here are five key reasons to support Marvin Junkin’s reelection:

1. Junkin seconded a motion at Niagara Regional Council to declare a state of emergency on mental health, homelessness and addiction Region-wide.

2. Junkin stood up against the unethical practices of the previous Pelham Town Council, refused to be complicit with these unethical practices, and resigned his seat as Pelham Town Councillor for Ward 1 in protest.

3. Junkin understands the need to keep people connected in today's society. He has worked hard with other local and provincial elected officials to successfully expand the SWIFT rural internet partnership and get people connected.

4. Junkin has a balanced approach on the housing file. Everyone remembers the Gang of Four’s “cave like structures” objections when attempting to block a perfectly viable development project. I spoke to Marvin about this unreasonable opposition and he stressed to me how important it was to create smaller footprint housing in Pelham for seniors downsizing in their retirement, or young couples entering the housing market. There are many mayors in Niagara not taking the right approach on development/housing issues, but Junkin is one who is.

5. Why start over now? As it stands, Marvin Junkin is supportive of the issues of mental health, homelessness and addiction; he has a balanced approach to cannabis control in the Town of Pelham; Town finances are not running wild on development schemes; and he has pledged to continue to protect agricultural lands.

It took a lot of work to get many of these difficult files under control, but Junkin worked well with staff this term to make it happen. It makes little sense to elect an opponent who has never served even as a Town Councillor, let alone as Mayor.

We can skip the “training courses” and continue on a positive path for Pelham with Marvin Junkin.

Steven Soos Former candidate for Pelham Town Council, Ward 1

This National Newspaper Week it’s important to recognize your Champions Of The Truth.

Maybe I’m a bit of a throwback, but when it comes to debating the issues of the day, my style leans more towards persuasion rather than brute force. I like to build my case point-by-point, parry the objections where I can, and when I can’t, I like to take them away and have a think about them. While I may have gone into the discussion with my mind made up, facts, evidence and arguments may cause me to change my mind.

And that’s a good thing.

Too often, debates move from what should be a free exchange of ideas into a no-holds-barred, zero-sum-game clash for the ages. No quarter is asked and certainly no quarter is given. Two ideas enter, but only one can leave. Win or lose. Kill or be killed.

And that’s a very bad thing.

It’s bad because with that winning-is-everything mentality, the lines between truth and “truth” gets blurred. Inconvenient facts get ignored, projections are presented as certainties and counter-arguments are dismissed with only the flimsiest of pretexts. Not only that, the tone can range from haughty and superior to ridicule and outright bullying.

And that’s no way to come to a decision in a functioning democracy. It’s supposed to be the rule of the people, not the rule of the loudest.

That’s why newspaper journalism is so important. At our best, we look at every issue the same. We gather all available facts, we talk to experts and supporters from both sides, we do our research and then present what we find to our readers so they can make up their own minds. We have no direct interest in which side is right and which side is wrong. We lose nothing by pointing out the flaws in both arguments. Our job isn’t to advocate, it’s to inform.

As valuable as this is to the community, it doesn’t come without a cost. If you treat any challenge to your beliefs as heresy, you come out guns blazing, often attacking not what was reported, but the fact that it was reported. If I’m wrong about something, I’ll correct it, but if I’m accused of being pro or anti something just because I contradicted a “fact,” that says a lot more about the person complaining than it does about the quality of my journalism.

Truth is neutral. Truth doesn’t care if it agrees with your beliefs and desires. Reporting the truth helps the community discuss and debate the important issues of the day fully and with clear eyes.

The ultimate decision on these questions is up to you, but it’s our duty to give you all the information you need to decide for yourself.

Gordon Cameron is president of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors.. This column was written as a part of a series for National Newspaper Week on the topic of Champions Of The Truth: The Real Superheroes.

BY JULIE ANDREWS CEO, Lincoln Pelham Public Library

As we prepare to celebrate Canadian Library Month with a huge slate of programs and activities, Lincoln Pelham Public Library is reflecting.

In the six short months since our libraries came together, we have hit the ground running. Staff have provided many opportunities for our communities to connect through shared interests at programs and events — along with providing the same amazing services in the branches.

Our four locations are places for the community to gather, both physically and virtually. We provide equal access for all to information, knowledge, culture, and learning resources in print and electronic format, along with advice, assistance, and connections. Libraries transform individuals, communities, and the economy in this 21st century digital and globalized world.

People come to libraries not only looking for information, but also to find themselves and their communities. Families join baby story times; seniors attend events and find ways to connect with people; while teenagers meet up in libraries to study and work on school projects. The books in our collections provide windows into the wider world while also providing mirrors that reflect our diverse neighbourhoods.

Local governments fund the lion’s share of public library annual operating budgets. Savvy local governments and libraries look for grant opportunities to fund projects. If you need a reminder of how well this money is being used and how much your community benefits from library services, visit your local branch. Take some time to get to know us. We guarantee you’ll become a library champion!

Visit LPPL.ca to sign up for a library card and find information on collections, services, and programs. Follow us on social media at @LPPLibraryON