The Echo by The Echo

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Serving the communities of Elgin County

Volume 1: Issue 15

West Elgin mayor new county warden Ian McCallum: The Echo

Moments after being officially sworn in December 11 as a member of Elgin county council, Duncan McPhail put the icing on his political comeback by being elected county warden. The return to municipal governance began October 22 when he was elected mayor of West Elgin, marking his third term as head of that township. His victory last week over Malahide Mayor Dave Mennill - the only other member of county council to declare his intention to seek the warden’s chain of office - also marks the third occasion McPhail has served in that capacity. The election was the first in 10 years with acclamations being the order of the day over the past decade. In his pitch to members prior to the vote, McPhail compared council to a well-tuned machine performing what it is designed to do, “produce quality decisions for the best possible price for the citizens of Elgin.” He continued, “I am comfortable standing here seeking the position of warden because there are many people in here today who, over the years, mentored me, showed me, explained to me how the machine works. “I am talking about the members I sat on county council with and, cer-

tainly, the past warden. You have been integral in educating me to have a full understanding of the machine.” Prior to the casting of ballots, McPhail offered a guarantee to those in attendance. “No matter what the share that I end up with tonight, I promise you all I will roll up my sleeves, put a smile on my face and work shoulder to shoulder with you on behalf of our citizens of Elgin county. After a brief intermission to tally the votes and don the robe of office, McPhail returned to the council chamber where he employed an analogy appropriate for the season. “It is a pleasure to stand here as your warden for 2019. What I see in this room is kind of like a Christmas story. We have three members of council present, we have three members of council past and three members of council for what it can be. I think that is a wonderful, wonderful mix.” Turning the spotlight elsewhere for a moment, he paid tribute to Julie Gonyou, finishing up her first year as Elgin CAO. “I believe she has the talent, the work

See LAUNDRY LIST | page 2

TVDSB releases costs for Kettle Creek PS renos/construction

Ian McCallum photo Past warden David Marr, left, presents the official gavel and the Lord Elgin watch - presented to the county in 1952 - to Duncan McPhail, Elgin county warden for 2019.

A 65 year-old Christmas story between two friends Ian McCallum: The Echo

Melissa Schneider photo The Thames Valley District School Board supplied total costs for renovations and construction completed at the former Port Stanley Public School during the summer. Melissa Schneider: The Echo

A freedom of information request from October 19 recently returned to The Echo from the Thames Valley District School Board indicates the cost of construction/renovation over the summer to Port Stanley Public School (Now Kettle Creek Public School) as well as the cost associated with placing one portable on school grounds. By The Echo’s calculations of actual work completed in response to this request, the amount totaled $103,839.57 – with an additional $177,975 expense submitted for conceptual design work completed by Cornerstone Architecture (in relation to the school’s possible future addition). Break-down of expenses include

$9,345.10 for a topographical survey by AGM, $10,821.98 to Bronnenco Construction Ltd. for a concrete sidewalk ramp and power door operator, two charges from Kettle Creek Landscaping Ltd. for a total of $10,367.75 and a $5,763 charge from C L Martin & Co. Ltd. for splitting, moving and anchoring the portable, to name a few. There are also multiple charges listed for the portable, with no explanation provided. A summary of projected final expenses for work completed at the former Sparta Public School over the same period listed totals of almost $1.4 million, which The Echo also obtained through a Freedom of Information request.

The two men haven’t seen each other in decades and yet they still exchange Christmas greetings every year. More precisely, David Harding of Sparta and Arthur Clarke of Bracebridge exchange the same well-travelled, somewhat-the-worse-for-wear card every December, a tradition dating back 65 years. It began in 1953 in Minden, Ontario when Harding was 13 years of age. “I received a card from Arthur Clarke, who was a boy neighbourhood friend in Toronto. His mother had sent out six cards and the only person to return the card was me.” The greeting inside the card spells out the hoped-for protocol. “I’m sending you this good luck coin to bring you joy and cheer. Providing that you promise to give it back next year.” From that Christmas on, the two have faithfully sent the card all over the province, linking the pair wherever they may have resided that particular year. Harding explains, “I keep it the even years, he keeps it the odd years. And all the years I worked in the bank, I worked from Oshawa to Ottawa and Whitby to Windsor, and wherever I was and kept the card for that year, I sent it back as to where I was.” Harding was employed by the TD Bank and his many stops included the downtown St. Thomas branch, now closed. Back and forth, year after year, the

Southwold inaugural council address

Ian McCallum photo David Harding with the well-travelled Christmas card that has crisscrossed the province over the past 65 years. tradition continues. “I’m hoping one of my three children will carry on,” says Harding, “as one of his two children will carry on and we’re not too far away from the Guinness Book of Records.” Harding cannot pin down the number of years required to enter the record book, however he does vividly remember the year the card went AWOL.

See CHRISTMAS | page 2

Page 3

2 The Echo | Tuesday, December 18, 2018

The Voice Of Your Community

Christmas card sent by registered post Continued from page 1 At the time, his Christmas card pal was living in Bracebridge. “Several years ago it got lost. And thank goodness it was registered. I got it just after Christmas. Arthur sent it to me and, at that time, I was living in Port Bruce and the mail was going to Aylmer. Somehow from Bracebridge to Aylmer it got lost.” To prevent another mail mishap, Harding has been sending the cherished Christmas card via registered post. “When that first card came out, it was a one-cent stamp. Today, it cost me $10 to mail it by registered mail from Sparta.” It’s a Christmas tradition the two men eagerly anticipate every year.

Harding explains it this way. “What I love about Christmas is cards that are so personalized. When somebody goes and picks out a card then they fill out a little story with it, they lick the envelope and then go to the post office to buy a stamp and send it off. That is so personal and meaningful to me.” Glancing at the card, it is quickly obvious little space remains for the annual sign off. Almost every blank spot has an inscription, including the inside fold which has a single panel left. Not to worry, assures Harding. “We won’t run out of space. We’ll just keep on adding paper.” And so the card continues.

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Laundry list of of items includes Terrace Lodge, POA Continued from page 1 ethic and I know she has a vision that she is ready to share with Elgin county. Let’s let our CAO spread her wings and see where she can take us.” Returning to his role as warden, McPhail advised “We must set our goals high, both for council and for staff. Not only do our citizens expect it, they deserve it.” As to what lies ahead in the new year, he reminded “We all know we have a laundry list of items to put in the machine. Some of these items include Terrace Lodge, the upcoming relocation of the POA (Provincial Offences Act court), we have a bridge to build . . . Council will deal with them over the next four years. “We need an action plan that council and staff will develop. We must make this plan very transparent to our

Call Jeff Kohler for details 226-926-5951

citizens. We must keep them informed and we must work with all stakeholders to move forward. “We must rely on our staff and our past members to give us a solid foundation on our plan for moving forward. Returning to the bridge replacement in Port Bruce, McPhail urged “Let this council be known as the bridge-building council, and I don’t mean out of steel and concrete, but we do have one of those to build. “Let’s build bridges to each other, and to our staff and to our member municipalities. We need strong bridges built on good foundations. “And we must realize the bridges we build to our citizens must be built of the best quality and at the best price possible.”

May the Christmas season fill your home with joy, your heart with love and your life with laughter.

48B Talbot St. E., Rear, Aylmer 519-521-4444 (Direct) www.jennymcmullin.com

The Corporation of the Municipality of

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Garbage Bag and Dog Tag Pickup Don’t forget to pick up your 2019 garbage bag and dog tags! They are available in our office at 450 Sunset Drive, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, excluding holiday the holiday closure. Holiday Office Hours The Municipal Office in the Elgin County Administration Building will close at 4:30 pm on Friday, December 21st. Regular office hours will resume on Wednesday, January 2nd. Urgent matters can be reported to the Municipality during the office closure by calling 519-631-4860.

Saturday, December 22nd Monday, December 24th Thursday, December 27th Friday, December 28th Saturday, December 29th

Land Division Committee Central Elgin Council nominates one individual to serve on the County of Elgin Land Division Committee for a four year term (2019-2022). The Land Division Committee holds hearings into applications for consent to sever property and other land matters within the entire County of Elgin. The Committee normally meets monthly. Any person interested in serving on the Committee should submit a written application, detailing qualifications, to Donald N. Leitch, Chief Administrative Officer, Municipality of Central Elgin, dleitch@centralelgin.org or by mail to the Elgin County Administration Building, 450 Sunset Drive, St. Thomas, ON N5P 4K1. Applicants must be eligible to be an elector in the Municipality. Applications must be received prior to 4:30 pm, Monday, January 7, 2019. www.centralelgin.org MunCentralElgin

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Tuesday, December 18, 2018 | The Echo 3

The Voice Of Your Community

Jones kicks off second term as SW Mayor Ian McCallum: The Echo

Admitting council and the municipality face many challenges in the coming years, Mayor Grant Jones pointed out he is part of “a great team . . . that is going to make Southwold strong moving into the next millennium.” The comments came as part of his inaugural address December 3 as the new council was officially sworn in. “We have a lot of challenges ahead of us,” noted Jones, “most of it within development. Not just residential development but with business and industrial, we need to work with that as well.” This will be Jones’ second full term as Southwold mayor, and moving forward, he cautioned council will have to recognize “finances are first and foremost with being responsible to taxpayers.” Jones indicated he is anxious to begin consultations with the new committees of council. “I look forward to working with the seniors’ committee which will give us new insight into where our township and services should be going. “I am also looking forward to working with our new Talbotville committee and the insight they will bring to council with our new developments in the Talbotville and Ferndale area.” The latter committee is an offshoot of several meetings between concerned residents and the developers of the subdivision to be built west of the Talbotville Gore Road. The key to Southwold’s future success will be “great communications,” according to Jones. “I and council need to ensure this happens with staff and with our neighbours to the east and to the west. “In the near future, I will be sitting down with the new mayors in DuttonDunwich, Central Elgin and St. Thomas to listen to some of their concerns. As

Lions project gives old eyewear new use Jonathan Martyn: For The Echo

Ian McCallum photo The new Township of Southwold council was officially sworn in Dec. 3. Pictured front row, from left: Deputy Mayor Robert Monteith and Mayor Grant Jones. Back row: councillors Justin Pennings, Peter North and Sarah Emons. well as conveying Southwold’s concerns.” Hand in hand with those discussions, Jones indicated he will be “reaching out to the chiefs of the neighbouring First Nations to discuss issues they are seeing, as well as to make them aware of developments that are happening in Southwold. “This is not only required by the province, but it is also the right thing to do.” Jones advised council the new year will see the completion of the second and third phases of the township’s parks revitalization program.

And the assurance of continued support for broadband internet for all residents and businesses in the township. With economic development, Jones noted the next steps “are the rebranding of Southwold and the proper gateway signage on the 401 overpasses. “This is the perfect time to do that since, in the next year, the Union Road overpass will be rebuilt.” In closing out his remarks, Jones stressed it will be a busy four years for council and township staff. “Working as a team, I look forward to a bigger and better Southwold.”

I recently spoke with Lion Derek Brown about an initiative he and the other Port Stanley Lions are undertaking to get old glasses to those who need them most. He described to me how the Lions Club of Port Stanley have chosen January 2019 as the “Eyesight” month, and that all January they will be taking donations of eyeglasses to send to Guatemala. All around the village, and also at Kettle Creek Public School, donations will be made. If you want to donate some of your old specs just look for one of the boxes that will be placed around the village all January. Brown asked it be noted all donations should be glasses complete with frames, not just spare lenses or frames on their own. What they are looking and hoping for are complete sets of glasses. At the end of January the glasses will be sent to have their prescription recorded and then the glasses shipped to where they are needed in Guatemala. Eyes Right is the commonly used name for District A-1 Lions Sight Conservation Foundation and is a registered charitable foundation that primarily supports vision care in Southwestern Ontario. The project has helped the group make numerous donations to the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital including a $49,000 donation for a Phaco machine and a $31,000 donation for a YAG laser. Please visit lionseyesright.ca for more information on the project!

During D uring tthis his hholiday oliday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible. It is in this spirit that we say… Thank you and best wishes for the holidays.

4 The Echo | Tuesday, December 18, 2018

The Voice Of Your Community The Echo is published bi-weekly

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 107 Sparta, Ontario, N0L 2H0 Phone: 519-775-2443 email: editorial@the-echo.ca

And so we wrap up 2018 . . .

By: Melissa Schneider 2018, how can I describe it? It’s been an adventure. It’s been wonderful, it’s been terrible, it’s been happy, it’s been devastating. There have been a lot of ups and downs on this rollercoaster of a year, but I am grateful for all the things that have come my way – good and bad. If any of you follow CBC, you’ll know that with a recent announcement we just lost our printer in Brantford. We are not alone in that. I was surprised to learn how many small papers relied on the same press to help get our messages and news into the hands of the public. It’s been a stressful time, but I’m hopeful we have found a new home. The same week I get the message about our printer, my trusty laptop screen dies. I am never, ever prepared enough for something like this to happen. I am lucky to know an extraordinarily gifted IT guy and he helped calm me down and get myself sorted until I can afford (time-wise), to get it fixed in a more permanent manner. At the Elgin Federation of Agriculture Annual General Meeting the membership voted me in as President for a second term. I was

honoured by their confidence and look forward to serving the farm communities in two capacities – as President of the EFA, and as a newly elected Ontario Federation of Agriculture Zone director for Elgin and Oxford counties. I take the position from long-time board member Mark Wales, who leaves (as the running joke goes), big Birkenstocks to fill. I look forward to 2019 in so many ways and I look forward to continuing to help support my local community through agricultural or other endeavours. I suppose I can also let the cat out of the bag for those of you who have seen me these past few months and wondered if maybe something else isn’t also going on. My partner Darren and I are expecting our first child at the end of March, and as Jim and Ian joke, I can look forward to my first child and the two maternity days they will allow me to take before I have to get back to work. Like I said, 2018 has been an interesting year. It’s been a bit topsy turvy, but I suppose most years are like that when you look back from a distance. I look forward to a bit of a Christmas break and spending time with family and friends. I am lucky to have so many supports and I can’t wait to catch up with them all. So to you, dear reader, I wish you nothing but the happiest and healthiest of Christmas seasons. Presents are nice, but it’s who’s around the tree, not what’s under it that matters the most. We will catch up with you again in the new year with our January 15th paper and in the meantime, please keep an ear to CBC radio if you’re able, we’re still hopeful our documentary will air in or around January 12th.

Shop ‘til you drop?

By: John Morrow In the Excited States of America citizens celebrate Thanksgiving a month after our Turkey Day here in the Great White North. Maybe their tardiness has something to do with when corn and squash are harvested. That used to be the focus and purpose of Thanksgiving – to give thanks for the harvest and our many other blessings. But now it serves as the starter pistol to begin the Christmas shopping race. Thanksgiving Thursday triggers Black Friday. At 12:01 Friday morning, masses of near-crazed shoppers barge into malls like ancient Vikings sacking English villages. Normally mild-mannered folk ram their carts through other bargain seekers like NFL fullbacks breaching a defensive line. Professional hockey players would admire the ferocity of the little old lady throwing elbows in the corner, controlling a BOGO display of pantyhose, or single-handedly hoisting the last 65-inch Smart TV onto her back as she stares down the

Contributors

By: Jonathan Martyn

Just a reminder to be safe this holiday season

Jonathan Martyn Ian McCallum John Morrow

Ad Sales Al Tucker

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production@the-echo.ca Advertising deadines are Wednesday at Noon prior to publication date. The Echo is protected by Canadian copyright; no material may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Reproduction without this consent may result in legal action. Liability for errors and omissions are limited to the cost of the space occupied by the advertising/editorial. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in The Echo are the views of the author(s) and are not necessarily reflected by the paper. The Echo is published bi-weekly by Mile Maple Publishing Inc.

competition. So what happens when the Friday sale ends? Is the shopping done? No! Surprise! Black Friday will be extended for the whole weekend. That brings us to Cyber Monday where everyone is encouraged to sit in front of their computers and click on purchases until their credit card limit is finally reached. If you have any cash left by Monday night, don’t worry. Cyber Week will be announced early Tuesday morning. Who knew Christmas could be such fun? And all this happens before the end of November. Back in the day, we used to track the number of shopping days until Christmas. Stores were closed Sundays, of course, and also many Saturday afternoons. Today we don’t have to count “shopping days,” we just count days, because we have achieved 24/7 shopping for all. Maybe that’s progress – maybe not. Generally, brick-and-mortar stores will be closed on Christmas Day. That’s an opportunity for exhausted shoppers to relax and recharge their batteries. They need their rest too, because it all kicks back into high gear the next morning with the Boxing Day sales. Hey, don’t worry if you are too stuffed with turkey and good cheer to hit the stores on the morning of the 26th. If it’s like last year the stores will be celebrating Boxing Week and even Boxing Month well into the new year. Try not to overdo it this year. Remember that the real joy of the season is all about family, friends, and sharing with others. Merry Christmas.

Recently I received a phone call from my mother which I missed picking up and so she left a message. It went something like this: “I was just in an accident....would you mind calling me when you can?” We all dread these sorts of calls, calls with sudden bad news and

this was no exception. It turned out that only the car had been seriously damaged and the other driver was at fault for running through a stop sign. I breathed a sigh of relief and we set to dealing with the situation. But it really got me thinking. As mom described the situation she was traveling north on Fairview just at the intersection of John Wise when a car heading west hit her passenger side hard enough to send her spinning like one of those old toy tops. She described the fear and confusion, the massive crunching noise, wondering if she would end up running into one of the other cars entering the intersection. Finally she came to a stop and at least that was avoided. People then began to get out of their cars to come to help, checking to see she was alright, looking over

the damage, removing the debris from the road. It was a great sign of Christmas spirit how quickly and readily help appeared from the other drivers. These things really increase your faith in humanity. Eventually the police arrived and the situation calmed down, but it made me really think about what could have happened. This is an especially busy time of year, people are running to and fro with holiday engagements here, there and everywhere and it’s easy to lose focus and make a mistake while out driving. The roads are sometimes icy, visibility is often not great, and any number of other things which can go together to cause a crash. So in this busy season lets all take time to drive safely and arrive at our friends and relatives unharmed.

The Echo welcomes Letters to the Editor. We also reserve the right to edit letters. They can be emailed to editorial @the-echo.ca All letters will be considered for publication, but publication is always space permitting and at the discretion of the publisher

Tuesday, December 18, 2018 | The Echo 5

The Voice Of Your Community

ng team participated in the Dickens The Port Stanley Waves Synchronized Skati in Port Stanley November 30

Day Night parade

From left, Jen DeBackere, Tammy Shaw, Aiden Shaw, Taliah Shaw, Blake DeBackere (on wagon), Dylan DeBackere, Joanna DeBackere and Dan DeBackere entered their first float into the Dickens Day Night parade November 30. The truck was pulled by a large tractor and promoted the DeBackere Farm Market on Sunset Drive

Kettle Creek Public School vice principal Rick Ritter and Me to We club members Kennedy L., Alex V. and Ella R.present a cheque for $1,007.65 to St. Thomas-Elgin Community Cupboard general manager Karen McDade. The money was raised during the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Halloween fundraiser October 30

St. Thomas-Elgin Community Cupboard general manager Karen McDade accepts a $2,000 donation from Sparta Country Candles manager Mark Muscat. The money was raised through the sale of charity candles at the store

Members of the Sparta Stitchers group created and are donating 22 lap quilts to nursing homes across Elgin County just in time for Christmas

Marian Bishop read from a list of lost loved ones during the 13th annual Memorial Angel Christmas Tree celebration December 8 at the Port Stanley Library. The event was held by the Port Stanley Optimist Club

The Kettle Creek Pu blic School student council collected alm non-perishable food ost 1,000 items and raised $1 73 for Elgin county during a food drive food banks held at the school De cember 3-10. Pictured from back, left: Mitch are, ell R., Dylan L. From front, left: Luka S., En Hailey H. and Abby av C., W.

All Photos by Melissa Schneider unless otherwise noted

6 The Echo | Tuesday, December 18, 2018

The Voice Of Your Community

Central Elgin says yes to bike-share pilot project Melissa Schneider: The Echo

Central Elgin councillors have agreed to a two-year pilot project involving a bike-sharing program that will see 20 smart bikes added to four Ride Elgin racks in Port Stanley. Alan Smith, Economic Development general manager, brought the project forward to councillors at the December 10 meeting and told them of the benefits of adding more cycle tourism to Central Elgin, adding that Ontario also recognizes the importance of cycle tourism. With large scale bike sharing operations already underway in places like Toronto and Hamilton, the county was eyeing a smaller, “turn-key” operation where the company running the program is responsible for providing bicycles, maintenance, insurance, etc. Central Elgin council passed a

resolution to support in principle a two-year pilot project in December 2017 for a bike share program in Port Stanley and asked Smith to solicit a request for proposal at a maximum cost of $50,000 per year. The request went out in January and by February three companies had responded with prices ranging from $34,000 to $80,000 annually. Dropbike was identified as the preferred company at a price of $36,500 per year. For the first year of the program, $15,000 will come from Southwestern Ontario Tourism Corporation, and $10,000 from Southwestern Public Health, leaving the county and Central Elgin to pay $11,500 (or a split share of $5,750) in 2019. Both agencies, Smith said, have indicated a desire to repeat their funding for 2020

and there is the potential of acquiring private sponsorship for the program as well. For the two years the program runs, Dropbike will keep the revenue acquired and after the pilot project is complete the county will reassess and see what kind of revenue was generated. Currently the bikes are for adults and helmets will have to be provided by riders. Interested riders will pay an hourly rate by credit card to unlock a bike to ride. Mayor Sally Martyn said she was in favour of the program, adding that she would be delighted to see Port Stanley become far more bike oriented. All councillors, with the exception of Bill Fehr and Karen Cook, voted for the project.

Sparta Christmas Bazaar

Melissa Schneider photo Jack Green, from St. Thomas and his daughter Jenepher Rollins display a few of Jack’s hand-carved Santas during the Sparta Community Centre Christmas Bazaar held Saturday, December 1.

County CAO given ok to speak with MPP about Elgin school board Melissa Schneider: The Echo

Elgin county councillors have given CAO Julie Gonyou the ok to speak with E-M-L MPP Jeff Yurek about the possible reformation of an Elgin County school board. During the meeting held December 13, new members of county council listened to the presentation requested by the previous council after a report from Heather Derks was brought forward about the possibility of re-creating an Elgin County school board. Derks, the former chair for the Pupil Accommodation Review committee in Sparta, brought forward the case that creation of an Elgin County school board would create better oversight for schools within the county. Elgin County had its own school board until 1997 when then Conservative leader Mike Harris merged Elgin with London, Oxford and Middlesex to create the Thames Valley District School Board. In her report, Gonyou noted that TVDSB now maintains control over 160 schools, and that as the school system and society evolve and become more complex, there is a growing and widespread concern that governance by school boards need to effectively respond to both provincial priorities and local contexts through enhanced community engagement, accountability and transparency. TVDSB is one of the largest school boards in Ontario, serving an area that stretches more than 200 km and across more than 7,000 square kilometers.

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Seasons Greetings!

from Council and Staff of the Township of Southwold

Tuesday, December 18, 2018 | The Echo 7

The Voice Of Your Community

Local Yoga at the Union Community Centre on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 1011:15am and Thursday nights 5-6:15pm. For details call Vicki 519-631-3840

Happenings

Archive Corner

muffins or other light snacks

January 10: Port Stanley United Church Soup and sandwich lunch. Freewill offering. John Morrow at 11:00am to talk about “HisZumba classes at the Union Communtiy toric Port Stanley.” Lunch 11am-1:30pm Centre on Mondays and Wednesdays from January 24: Port Stanley United Church 6:30-7:30pm. For details call Vicki 519-631- Soup and sandwich lunch. Freewill offer3840 ing. Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacist Rick December 23: Port Stanley United Church Nemett to talk about , and answer your Regular service and Sunday School at questions about medication and health con10:30am cerns. Lunch 11am-1:30pm

December 24: Port Stanley United Church February 24: Join Erie Fun Tours as Christmas Eve Candlelight service at 7:00pm they take you to see Sting starring in December 30: Port Stanley United Church, The Last Ship in Toronto. Many difevents on different dates. Breakfast round the table- Downstairs in the ferent To find out more about times/dates/events/ Church Fellowship Hall- Bring a breakfast of tickets please check them out online

OPP Briefs Melissa Schneider photo The forklift after it was dredged from the Port Stanley harbour.

A forklift operator is lucky to come out unscathed after both he and the forklift he was driving went into the Port Stanley harbour. Adam Crewdson, media officer for the OPP, said police received a call on December 8 about a possible drowning after a passerby noticed a forklift and its operator in the water in the harbour behind Jackson’s Wharf (the driver was working for a local fishing company at the time). The operator was taken to the hospital as a precaution and is fine. The Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Environment attended the scene, as did Central Elgin Fire and St. Thomas-Elgin paramedics.

The Ministry of Labour is continuing to investigate. December 8 Elgin County OPP responded to a fatal crash that occurred near the intersection of John Wise Line and Springwater Road and involved a single red pickup truck. The 25 year-old male passenger from Central Elgin was declared deceased on the scene and a 24 year-old from Southwold Township stands charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, impaired operation of a motor vehicle causing death, exceed 80 milligrams of alcohol causing death and careless driving causing death.

Please join us in celebrating the

Courtesy of the Elgin County Archives December 12, 1960: During the Sparta Santa Claus parade the most popular figure in the parade was the one for whom it was named Santa Claus himself. The jolly old fellow made a distinct hit as he waved happily to the huge crowd along the mile and one quarter route.

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To make sure your business is included in every issue, contact melissa@the-echo.ca

CLASSIFIEDS SPARTA STITCHERS Sparta Stitchers meet every Tuesday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the hall to quilt, knit, crochet, tat, smock, embroider, etc. Cost is $5.00 per session which is considered a donation and receives an income tax receipt. Call Sally Martyn (519-775-2292) for more information or just show up.

CASINO BUS TOURS 2019 Casino Bus Package Deals now available: 6 trips for $80 - use anytime within the year. Call 519-852-2161 for information.

8 The Echo | Tuesday, December 18, 2018

The Voice Of Your Community

New CE council officially sworn into office ing, and two older sewage treatment cells at the Port Stanley treatment plant will be changed. She plans to institute community input meetings on a regular basis with venues rotating around the municipality so citizens have a place to express concerns and make suggestions. She’s also hoping to make the current website more user friendly and set up a virtual calendar with all the pertinent dates for taxes, meetings, billing dates, special events and so on. Two top items for Martyn are the

recognition of volunteers, who she calls the backbone of communities within Central Elgin, and continuing work on environmental improvements in Central Elgin that could include reducing the municipality’s carbon footprint. Preserving farmland for future generations is also on her list. In closing, Martyn added that Central Elgin will work together with Elgin County and the City of St. Thomas and other neighbouring municipalities to serve everyone in the most efficient way possible.

Getting in the Christmas spirit

Melissa Schneider photo Central Elgin council members, from left: Dennis Crevits, Colleen Row, Karen Cook, Mayor Sally Martyn, Deputy Mayor Tom Marks, Bill Fehr and Fiona Roberts. Melissa Schneider: The Echo

During a special meeting of Central Elgin council held Monday, December 3 in council chambers at 450 Sunset Drive, new councillors as well as those returning officially took their declaration of office and Mayor Sally Martyn received her chain of office. Speaking to council, Martyn said that while there are many challenges ahead, council should work as a team to make sure everything done is in the best interest of citizens and fiscal responsibility. She added that with several new councillors having financial expertise, a financial committee consisting of all members of council will be formed and meet several times a year. During this term of council she an-

ticipates there will be a new fire hall built in Port Stanley, as well as a revamp of the Harbour Secondary Plan. It’s her hope that far more parkland will be included for all citizens to enjoy. She includes following Central Elgin’s official plan to make sure enough affordable housing is included in developments going forward. There will be a new park in Eastwood, an expanded park in Lynhurst, and several new trails will be opened throughout the municipality to encourage active transportation. Sparta will receive heritage lighting in conjunction with Elgin County redoing the storm sewers, curbs, gutter, boulevards, sidewalks and street repav-

Ian McCallum photo Gary Somerville from the Union-South Yarmouth Optimist Club helps pack potatoes for this year’s Christmas Care food and toy hampers. His club donated over 8,000 pounds of potatoes which were packed by members of the Golden K Kiwanis Club of St. Thomas and a group of Arthur Voaden Secondary School students.The community organization also delivered poinsettas to area seniors - Just in time for Christmas.