WatSFiC is marking its half a century through events that reflect the club’s history. “That was a lot of fun doing a lot of the games and watching movies across the past 50 years,” Jaycob Liinamaa, club’s promotional director, shared. Liinamaa has been a member since May 2023 and has held multiple executive roles, including webmaster, president, and promotional director. He is currently serving as pagemaster following his graduation to help complete the Star Songs, a club fanzine revival project.

WatSFiC was founded on Jan. 13, 1976. It initially focused on activities such as movie night hostings and occasional war gaming sessions. However, a key shift came in the late 1970s as tabletop role-playing games became part of the club’s core activities. According to Liinamaa, the club began hosting Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) sessions on May 19, 1978, followed by its first tournament on November 3 of that year, which had 22 entrants and over the years, it grew to as many as 15 teams of 6 in attendance.

As the club expanded, it incorporated a wider range of activities. “We ended up adopting Magic: The Gathering, a live action role-playing (LARP) game, also known as Waterloo by Night. Humans vs. Zombies was originally a part of our club,” Liinamaa shared. The club also maintained a large shared resource collection. “Our library ended up growing to over 1,600 books before the university got rid of the club’s library and we were forced to sell most of them off,” he said, adding that “a good chunk of that collection was rare and collectible books.” The collection was previously housed in the Student Life Centre (SLC), where WatSFiC was a major contributor, and the club had earlier shared space with the Math Society. Today, however, WatSFiC no longer has a permanent headquarters, as that has been repurposed as office space and instead the club books rooms each term for meetings, most often in the Mathematics and Computer building. 

While these elements reflect earlier stages of the club’s development, WatSFiC has since shifted toward a broader and more flexible structure. “It’s really just been more multifaceted than singularly focused,” Liinamaa said. Today, the club runs a mix of recurring and one-time events throughout each academic term, beginning with initiatives designed to build community. At the start of the term, WatSFiC typically hosts a bonfire social to encourage informal interaction among members. This is followed by an introductory one-shot event aimed at new participants, where students can learn the basics of D&D. From there, the club’s programming expands into a range of activities that cater to different interests and experience levels. These include war gaming sessions such as Trench Crusade and Kill Team, as well as efforts to introduce members to the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game. Skill-based and workshop-style events are also part of the schedule, including mini painting nights where members are provided with materials and guided through basic techniques.

In addition to regular programming, the club organizes larger and more specialized events. These include themed gatherings and extended gameplay formats, such as a 24-hour marathon consisting of six back-to-back four-hour D&D sessions. Creative engagement is incorporated through competitions, including a short story contest in which participants write based on a set of prompts, with word limits varying depending on the organizers. A miniature painting contest is also held, where entries are judged by popular vote.

Beyond its internal programming, WatSFiC is also involved in collaborative initiatives across campus. One such example is the Tabletop Tavern, which brings together communities centred around games such as Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokémon, and board games. While Magic: The Gathering operates within WatSFiC, it functions largely independently and has newer collaborations. 

The club’s current structure has also been shaped by disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some activities, particularly LARP, have not fully returned to their previous format. “Before COVID, the LARP was really a bi-weekly thing… but because that interest died over COVID, we had to try and get it back with just one-off events,” Liinamaa said. He noted that rebuilding participation has been challenging, especially given the complexity of the format.

Membership levels vary by term, but the club maintains a consistent base. According to Liinamaa, the club sees around 60 active members over the course of a year. Weekly attendance typically averages around 20 participants, with an increase to approximately 30 for larger events. Introductory sessions tend to draw the highest turnout. “For one-shot events… we get upwards of 60 people,” he added, though many attend only temporarily. The club operates under an executive structure with the four roles required by WUSA – president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary; alongside additional positions such as Master of Tournaments (TTRPG events), Master of Events (non-TTRPG events), Warmaster (wargaming), Pagemaster (book club and arts), promotional director, and webmaster. The executive team typically meets weekly before Saturday events, and these meetings are open to members.

Disney, Dreamworks, Pixar, and Studio Ghibli currently dominate the popular consciousness when it comes to mainstream animated films. But did you know plenty of other masterpieces can be found outside the big-name studios? Here are a few lesser-known animated films to check out, spanning not only multiple countries but art styles and themes:

Persepolis

Release Year: 2007 (France)

Runtime: 96 minutes

TW: self-harm, violence, war, political unrest, sexual content

Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis is an autobiographical novel that details Satrapi’s childhood and early adulthood. From the Iranian Revolution during her childhood, to her relationships while studying abroad in Austria and then her struggles with depression before her return back to Iran, the film covers the ups and downs of her life set against the backdrop of her changing identity as an Iranian woman. Just like the graphic novel, the film is entirely animated in black and white, aside from its rare and intentional use of colour in certain scenes.

The Illusionist

(Original Title: “L’Illusioniste”)

Release Year: 2010 (France)

Runtime: 79 minutes

When time, trends and technology march on, what happens to art and our sense of wonder? Inspired by an unrealized script by French actor and filmmaker Jacques Tati, this movie spotlights the titular illusionist, reliant on traditional magic tricks as he searches for work across 1959 Europe, while modern entertainment like rock ‘n’ roll bands and movies begin to dominate society. Interwoven with his travels is a touching father-daughter story about the preservation (and loss) of innocence, the relevance of art in modern times, and what it means to believe in magic. This film is also mostly dialogue-free with the narratives carried by subtle visuals and music, so this is a great piece when you’re in the mood for something more lowkey and a little solemn.

Loving Vincent

Released 2017 (Poland, UK)

Runtime: 94 minutes

With all 650,000 frames painstakingly hand painted by oil painters rather than animators, Loving Vincent is the first fully hand painted feature film, telling the story of how the titular Vincent Van Gogh met his demise. The movie uncovers his relationships with close friends and family as the protagonist, a postman’s son, seeks to deliver Vincent’s last letter to his beloved brother Theo. This film won the Audience Award and earned a ten-minute standing ovation during its debut at the 2017 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

Song of the Sea

Released: 2014 (Ireland)

Runtime: 94 minutes

If you want a heartwarming comfort film that features Irish folklore, this movie is for you. Siblings Ben and Saoirse live with their father, grief-stricken years after their selkie mother Bronagh disappeared into the sea during Saoirse’s birth. When Saorise discovers her mother’s sealskin, the two children enter a magical world filled with creatures from Irish mythology to discover the secret behind their mother’s disappearance and repair their fragmented relationship with each other and the rest of their family.

For each month of the spring term, I will introduce a primary ingredient and illustrate its capabilities through a key dish. For May, the ingredient of the month is… sugar! Sugars come in various forms; however, this month will focus on crystallised refined sugar. These types of sugar are your typical white, brown and dark brown sugars. These sugars are perfect for drawing moisture out of foods, enhancing flavour. Additionally, sugars are also used as thickening agents, where the sugar acts as a “thickener” by breaking down into glucose and fructose. In other words, sugar is the go-to ingredient for when you need to enhance sweet flavours or caramelisation (i.e. the thickening process). 

For this month, a strawberry rhubarb compote is the perfect dish to illustrate these two characteristics. This compote captures the sugar’s ability to draw moisture and enhance the flavours of the fruits. The sugar is used to thicken the mixture into a compote consistency. With that, I hope you enjoy this recipe and learn a bit about how sugar performs!

Tools: 

Large mixing bowl 

Spatula or mixing spoon 

Large mason jar or airtight container 

Cooking pot

Ingredients: 

1⅓ cups of quartered or diced strawberries

1¾ cups of thinly sliced rhubarb 

¼ – ½ cup of sugar (optional: white, brown, etc.) 

2 tbsp of filtered water

2 tsp of vanilla extract 

A pinch of salt 

Instructions:

1. Thoroughly clean the strawberries and rhubarb and pat dry with a paper towel. 
2. Quarter or dice your strawberries depending on your preference for texture. Personally, I prefer quarters as they provide more texture. Then, thinly slice the rhubarb.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb and sugar, and let the mixture sit for 20-30 minutes. During this time, the sugar will draw the moisture out of the fruits to produce more juice that will further thicken the mixture. 
4. At medium heat, cook the mixture for 15-20 minutes or until the strawberries and rhubarb have softened. Once softened, add the vanilla extract, water and salt.
5. Let the mixture completely cool and store the compote in a large mason jar or an airtight container. 

GUELPH/ERAMOSA – Police say an inebriated camper with a BB gun was to blame for the evacuation of a portion of the Guelph Lake Conservation Area yesterday.

Wellington County OPP officials say police responded to a “weapons call” at the conservation area, north of Guelph, on May 14 at about 3pm.

According to police, a visiting camper was seen “with an alleged firearm,” so “out of an abundance of caution, nearby campers and guests were evacuated ...  and police began their investigation, alongside [conservation area staff],” police stated in a press release.

“A short time later, it was determined that the camper in question had a pellet gun and was using it to shoot pop cans on their campsite. 

“The camper was also found to be intoxicated ... [and was removed] from the property as a result of an alcohol ban on the premises.”

Police noted there were no injuries reported and the camper was cooperative.

FERGUS – Helmets and gloves flying, the bench emptied onto the ice as the home team scored in overtime at the Fergus sportsplex on May 10.

But the elation was short-lived.

The Fergus Whalers believed they had secured the Clarence Schmalz Cup – but the goal was waived off after a referee ruled the puck did not cross the goal line.

The team regrouped to make the next one count.

It was game five of the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) final against the Tavistock Braves this past Sunday.

The Braves’ Marc Dionne scored in the first with Joey Martin tying it up early in the second for the Whalers.

Tavistock's Nolan Miller put the Braves ahead once again minutes later. But Jacob Lesser answered with two of his own and Fergus headed into the third period leading 3-2.

Tavistock’s Yann Raskin erased Fergus’ lead with a goal in the third, sending the game into overtime tied 3-3.

Fergus rallied after the disallowed goal for their second chance.

Martin passed to Lesser, who fed Ryan Forwell in the slot for a one-timer that left no doubt.

The team again spilled over the boards, equipment flying, as the horn blared and fans hammered on the glass.

Nine minutes into overtime, the Whalers had clinched the Schmalz Cup, the young franchise’s first provincial Junior C championship, with a 4-3 win.

“It was pretty electric,” captain Tyler Ewald told the Advertiser.

Ewald, a Chatham-Kent native studying accounting in Guelph, said the team was “relentless” in the second and third, firing 21 shots across the two periods.

“We had all the pressure,” Ewald said of the overtime rally. “We just worked them and they ran out of gas.”

Had the Braves scored in overtime, the Whalers would have had to travel to Tavistock for game six of the best-of-seven series.

“The momentum really swings,” Ewald said. “It was really refreshing to get it done in game five.”

That an expansion club managed to win the championship just three years after forming is no small feat.

“We just kept winning – the boys, the players, everybody just bought in and it was quite a ride,” said head coach Ryan Black.

The Fergus Whalers, whose logo and green and blue colours borrow heavily from former NHL franchise the Hartford Whalers, launched in the 2023-24 season.

The team made it to the North Pollock Division finals in 2024-25, but lost to Hanover, which eventually won the Schmalz Cup.

“We reloaded for [this season],” Black said, “the year we wanted to win the Pollock.”

The team finished first in the Pollock Division with 34 wins and seven losses.

It had a remarkable 14-game winning streak heading into the playoffs, and had a 16–2 record in the post-season heading into the Schmalz Cup.

“We were on a big run,” Black said.

“After Christmas, we set some goals, some short-term goals to see if we could pull it off and the guys just bought in. The more games we won, the stronger we got, the more confident we got.”

The Whalers finished the regular season with the third-best record among 63 PJHL teams across the province.

The team then won playoff series against Kincardine, Hanover, Stayner, Frankford and Tavistock, for a combined overall record of 54–10 for the season.

“The Schmalz Cup is the furthest you can go, that’s the ultimate pinnacle,” said Whalers owner Jason Baier.

“To do it in three years is quite an accomplishment.”

This season’s lineup, Baier said, was a “determined and dedicated group that really had a great culture in the room” and became like a family.

“That just cultivated to winning on the ice.”

The majority of the team is made up of University of Guelph students, with just four from Wellington County.

Baier, a Stratford business owner, has coached AAA and Junior B hockey for 20 years, and was a director for the Mitchell Hawks during their 2021-22 Pollock Division win.

He said he was approached by the PJHL about bringing junior hockey back to Centre Wellington nine years after the Fergus Devils folded in 2014-15.

“Coming to Fergus was very exciting for us. We knew it was a hotbed for sports and to be able to bring CW junior hockey back was something that we felt was very exciting,” Baier said.

While the team was finding its footing during its inaugural 2023-24 season, it was lucky to draw 100 fans, according to Baier.

That’s a far cry from the 1,200-plus fans that Baier said attended recent home games – and over 10,000 spectators combined who attended playoff games.

“It’s catapulted within the community and with our players,” Baier said, adding the team is looking to embed itself more deeply in the community off the ice.

Baier expressed gratitude to fans, families and sponsors, including the team’s mainstay, Kitchener-based Coops Drywall.

In the coming weeks, the team will be recognized for its championship win at Queen’s Park by sports minister Neil Lumsden and Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Joseph Racinsky.

Black said staff plans to “reload” the team at its spring camp in Waterloo at the end of the month.

Ewald, who turned 22 during the playoff run and ages out of junior hockey this year, said there’s a strong core of players on the team.

“They’re going to want to continue to try and win it again next year,” Ewald said.

ROCKWOOD – Local driver Brad Ranson made his first appearance on the world stage as he competed in the NASCAR Euro Series on April 18 and 19 in Spain.

The Rockwood resident placed third in his class.

“I started racing in 2020, but this is our first year in NASCAR itself,” said Ranson. 

“I started ... regional racing for the past couple years, and then at the end of last year, I had a good end to the season, and I was invited to do some testing in February with NASCAR Europe.”

“I did well at the testing, and I was offered to drive for the full season in Europe with the NASCAR Europe team.”

Ranson has also been invited to compete in the NASCAR Canada Series, something not many racers typically get to do.

“I am one the few drivers ever to embark on a program both in Europe and Canada in NASCAR,” he said.

Asked if he was nervous to race against more accomplished drivers, Ranson said he is excited. 

“I would say excited more so than nervous ... when you get in the car and you put the helmet on, everything kind of goes away and you’re just driving, but it’s obviously a bigger stage, bigger crowd,” he said. 

“I mean, there was 40,000 people there at that race (last month). So a little bit of nerves from that end, but more excited. I was the only Canadian driver in that series.”

While drivers and their teams prepared to hit the track, spectators were treated to a multitude of festivities.

“[In Europe] NASCAR is kind of viewed as a very American form of racing, so what they do at most of the European events is they turn it into almost a festival of American culture,” said Ranson.

“So they bring monster trucks, they have country music bands, all the fans show up with cowboy hats trying to do their best American impression. They do car shows as well, with strictly American cars that you don’t typically see in Europe.”

When he isn’t competing, Ranson does his best to keep his instincts sharp both at home in Rockwood and on various tracks across the United States.

“I’ve got a simulator in the basement that keeps me a little bit sharp,” said Ranson. “But in the winter, typically, I go down to the States for some weekends to race. This year we were down in Texas and Alabama ... in December and January, when the weather was not so good up here.”

Professional racing in Canada poses some difficulty due to the prolonged winter. 

“That’s one of our biggest deficits here as Canadian racers, is we basically, in a good year, we get six months a year [to race],” said Ranson. 

With his first NASCAR race under his belt, Ranson is geared up and ready to compete in Canada. 

Ranson’s first NASCAR Canada Series race will take place on May 17 at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville. He will be driving the #28 Chevrolet Camaro.

“I mean, hopefully some people will see it on TV ... On the starting lineup on TSN, it’s going to show Brad Ranson from Rockwood, Ontario, so looking forward to representing Rockwood,” he said.

Ranson gave a special thanks to his sponsors.

“Especially with NASCAR, I mean, it’s all about our partners and our sponsors. They’re the ones that fund us to be able to make sure we do what we can do.” 

 Sponsoring Ranson on his racing endeavors are: Wallace Chevrolet in Milton, Best Deal Print Solutions, GMH UV and Komcan/Komori.

While this is Ranson’s first year competing with NASCAR, the local driver is keen on advancing his driving and hopefully winning a championship.

“Our goal is to keep competing and then hopefully win a championship in one of these two series ... next year or the following year,” he said. 

“Or however long I’m lucky enough to be able to keep racing NASCAR.”

Those interested can follow Ranson on social media – @b.ranson.racing on Instagram or Brad Ranson on Facebook – or by visiting nascar.ca. 

All of Ranson’s races will be broadcast live on TSN.

PALMERSTON  – Members of the club that runs an annual John Deere Show here say they were blindsided by recent accusations that their summer event left local soccer fields un-playable.

And they deny any wrongdoing whatsoever.

“There were no ruts that I saw [last year],” said David Craig, past president of the Upper Canada Two Cylinder Club.

“We never heard anything from Minto about issues created the weekend of our show.”

Craig said club members walked the grounds behind the Palmerston community centre, including the main soccer pitch, following the July 25 to 27 event.

“If there was damage, we didn’t do it,” said club member Doug Dann, who noted there is no fence around the pitch.

“If we cause damage we’re going to fix it.”

At an April 21 Minto council meeting, the club was accused by Minto United Soccer Club president Jeff Klemp of leaving behind possible injury-causing ruts that led to the soccer fields being “condemned.”

Klemp had a petition with 171 signatures asking for council to act on the issue and protect the soccer fields, which have served approximately 250 youths annually over the past several years.

“We’re disappointed ... our club has been named,” said Craig. “It insinuates that we are the problem, which I really don’t think is fair.”

The John Deere Show started in Drayton in 1993, moved to Grand Valley in 2012 and has been held in Palmerston for the past three years.

Craig and Dann say the club never had an issue until last fall, when Minto officials approached them about signing an agreement for the 2026 show.

They had previously operated with a verbal agreement, they said, but they decided in January to sign the document, which guarantees no damage to the soccer pitch. 

They assumed that was the end of the matter, until Minto United Soccer Club officials brought it up again this spring, which led to an April 12 letter from the town to the Two Cylinder Club that suggests a portion of its show may be relocated to a different, much smaller part of the property.

“There’s been a lack of clarity from the town,” said Dann.

Craig said moving campers, many of them seniors, farther way from show attractions is not ideal and, more importantly, neither is a reduced footprint for the event.

“How can we do the same show ... on less space?” he asked.

Craig said the future of the show is now uncertain, but he remains hopeful the matter can be resolved, perhaps during  discussions with Minto officials and with the club’s board of directors – both set for earlier this week (results were not known by press time).

Both Craig and Dann expressed regret about the situation, particularly considering the show’s popularity, its role in “educating the public” on agricultural issues and its charitable efforts in the region.

“We’re trying to be good citizens,” Dann said.

Over the past three years the club has donated over $11,000 combined to the Palmerston Food Bank, Minto fire department, Palmerston hospital and Groves hospital.

“We like to partner with people,” said Craig. “We do a lot of good, positive things with this show.”

Always top of mind for club members, many of them farmers, is being good stewards of the land on which they work, he added.

“I believe in safety and in leaving things the way we found them,” he said.

Craig noted the club would like to discuss the matter with Minto United officials, which to date has not happened.

BRUCEDALE – The results are in on the new Rockwood gateway signs and Guelph/Eramosa residents have a clear favourite.

More than 660 residents filled out a survey between April 7 and 30, choosing their favourite from among three options and providing written feedback as well.

“Option number one emerged as the clear preference with around 70 per cent of respondents choosing this as their preferred sign,” said clerk Amanda Knight during a May 11 council meeting.

The signs will be on:

• Highway 7, Alma entrance;
• Highway 7 Dunbar entrance;
• Wellington Road 27; and
• Harris Street.

Of the 664 total responses, 464 chose option one, 106 chose option two, 54 chose option three and 34 people chose “none of the above”.

Respondents who selected option one as their favourite were asked to explain why.

This feedback  included:

• a strong connection to Rockwood’s natural setting, including the conservation area, river, trees and rock features;
• a rustic, welcoming and “village scale” aesthetic that reflects Rockwood’s identity;
• clear legibility and contrast for drivers and visitors; and
• a design distinct from larger neighbouring municipalities.

“A smaller subset of respondents raised concerns regarding municipal spending priorities or questioned the need for new signage altogether,” states a staff report to council. 

“While these views were noted by staff, they represent a clear minority when considered alongside the overall response volume and voting results.”

The approved budget for the project is $80,000, however the project is expected to cost less than that. 

According to the report, the signs will cost $6,980, posts and installation $27,000, landscaping $5,000 and drawings and permits $3,500, for a total of $42,480. 

Staff also suggested adding lighting to the highway signs via solar panels, at an additional cost of $15,000.

“Now I will mention the signs themselves are reflective,” Knight told council. 

Councillor Mark Bouwmeester said he was “very pleased with the response rate,” and voiced his support for the additional lighting, granted it did not prove to be “overkill” with the reflective signs. 

“In general it’s a great upgrade to the entrance of Rockwood and our endeavour to bring more business and people to the downtown,” said councillor Steven Liebig. “It’s something that’s really needed and it’s really going to help with development.”

All councilors agreed to the additional lighting, unless it reacted poorly with the reflective coating of the signs.

Council voted unanimously to go ahead with the installation of option one. The work will be done by Scutt Signs of Guelph.

WELLINGTON NORTH – Though the Mount Forest Tim Hortons has been there for decades, Wellington North council is taking new measures to mitigate its impact on John Street. 

And a lawyer representing the township has issued a written notice to Tim Hortons regarding traffic issues there. 

A traffic enforcement program will be implemented to stop people from parking or stopping on John Street.

Expected to begin in mid- to late-May, it will include two weeks of education on social media and in local news outlets, two weeks of OPP enforcement and then one week of follow-up to measure compliance. 

The program is expected to cost about $5,000. 

According to a May 4 report to council, township staff met with Tim Hortons officials and the property owners three times in 2024 to discuss John Street traffic issues related to the drive-thru, but neither “acknowledged a traffic issue directly attributable to the drive-thru operations, nor did they propose any remedial measures.” 

The owner of the Mount Forest Tim Hortons did not respond to the Advertiser’s request for comment. 

During reconstruction of John Street in 2025, staff say access to the drive-thru lane moved to Main Street South, and no negative impacts on traffic were observed. 

When John Street reopened in September, township staff say “traffic associated with the drive-thru resumed pre-construction habits, including illegal parking and stopping on John Street. 

“Township staff are requesting a future meeting with 319 Main St. S. property owner and Tim Hortons ... owner to further discuss how they plan to address and correct the John Street traffic issue directly linked to the drive-thru operations,” the report states.

ELORA – The Elora and Fergus Legions just might get their veterans’ crosswalks after all.

Centre Wellington council certainly was willing to entertain the idea on May 11 and directed staff to return with more information, even after staff recommended not allowing the colourful crosswalks in the township.

Local resident Randy Vaine, Elora Legion president Don Cubbage and Fergus Legion president Randy Graham delegated to council seeking the extra consideration for veterans – a permanent and year-round tribute that extends beyond Remembrance Day, they said.

The crosswalks are painted with red and white stripes and often have a maple leaf or an image of a veteran. According to the Canadian Legion, they cannot have the poppy symbol or the Canadian flag.

Vaine had delegated to council last fall hoping the township would approve the plan and have crosswalks installed across from the Elora and Fergus cenotaphs in time for Remembrance Day.

Council sent the question to its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisory committee, which along with staff did not recommend installing the crosswalks.

According to the report by manager of community development Kristen Bettiol:

• paint quickly degrades due to winter weather, salt/sand application and friction from snow plowing and vehicle tires;
• paint colours may not effectively bind to the asphalt;
• non-standard decorative crosswalks can be targets of vandalism;
• annual touch-ups would be required and the entire crosswalk painting will need to be replaced every three to five years, depending on the initial paint material/method, resulting in high operating costs;
• decorative crosswalks are not recognized under the Highway Traffic Act and may create confusion among drivers and pedestrians resulting in safety concerns; and
• accessibility / AODA compliance – for people with low vision, faded colours or busy patterns can be disorienting.

Bettiol noted the township does many things to honour veterans including:

• installation and removal of remembrance banners in Elora and Fergus;
• maintenance of cenotaph grounds in Elora, Salem, Fergus and Belwood;
• road closures for Remembrance Day parades;
• annual Specific Stream funding for Remembrance Day wreaths as part of the Community Investment Fund;
• council participation in ceremonies and events; and
• maintenance and ceremonial management of cenotaph flagpoles.

And with the Inclusive Community Policy in place, there would be opportunity for new methods for honouring veterans through illumination of township sites, media displays and clear procedures related to half-masting and the display of flags on community flagpoles.

Vaine discounted the objections and said there are 110 veterans’ crosswalks in cities across Canada that have been installed and maintained without incident.

Cubbage said the Elora Legion is willing to contribute $500 annually toward touch-ups if requested.

Graham said the staff recommendation “is not the path to take. We are hopeful council will see this as a timely and progressive move forward.”

Council got tripped up on the Inclusive Community Policy and the recommendation about the veterans’ crosswalks, which were both discussed in the same report.

The Inclusive Community Policy is intended to provide a clear framework around flag displays, half-masting, illumination, recognition in public spaces and the township’s diversity calendar to recognize special days and months such as Remembrance Day, Pride Month and National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, among others.

Managing director of community services Adam Gilmore said the policy does not preclude the crosswalks.

Council supported the policy and it passed. But councillors also wanted the crosswalks handled separately.

They passed a motion to have staff meet with the Legions and staff at Wellington County, as some crosswalks would be on a county road, and to investigate the cost of installing the crosswalks. 

Staff are expected to return to council later this month with an update.

Looking for a change of pace, Lyn Allen made the jump to Elmira in taking the helm at Woolwich Community Services.

The former director of an Orangeville-based shelter for abused and homeless women and children brings 38 years of experience to her new role.

She took on the job following the retirement of Kelly Christie, who spent 25 years with WCS, the last eight as executive director. 

To the Editor,

I have been reading The Observer for years and never realized how satirical it can be.

I got a real chuckle out of a story last week in which Eric Schwindt decided to run for mayor. I got a real kick out of the part where he said the current tax increases were unsustainable. Really? I’m sure he has been told that hundreds of times and yet kept voting in favour of them.

Even last year when presented with a proposal to keep the tax increase at zero, he voted against it to give the mayor and council a whopping raise. We have been hit with consistent double-digit tax increases year after year, and yet the township is a mess.

What a joke. I would rather vote for a piece of sidewalk chalk.

Kevin Hymers
Elmira

PM Mark Carney’s plan to spend $6 billion over the next five years to recruit 100,000 new skilled-trades workers is good news for the area, says the executive director of Workplace Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin.

“It’s a great investment at this point given that it aligns well with his thought process to grow the defence sector and the nuclear sector. We know that trades workers are going to be in high demand generally,” said Charlene Hofbauer of Ottawa’s announcement.

“It’s a reassuring investment in the future of trades in the country.”

Aiming to inspire the next generation to care about groundwater, the Waterloo Wellington Children’s Groundwater Festival returns to Marden Park north of Guelph this year.

Students from Waterloo Region, Wellington County and the City of Guelph will attend the festival over five days, from May 22 to 28. Schools register in advance for the festival, which has run annually in the area since 1996.

Designed especially for students in Grades 2 to 5, the experience focuses on environmental education through hands-on learning. Over the five festival days, there will be close to 60 interactive activity centres, covering topics such as water science fundamentals, groundwater and aquifers, the water cycle, drinking water systems, water conservation and stewardship, and ecosystems and watershed protection.

Wellesley council is in no hurry to make a final decision on its former arena and community centre land, and plans to take its time while considering the four development options presented to them by a consulting firm Tuesday evening.

According to Mayor Joe Nowak, more community feedback is needed before they can barrel forward.

“I don’t think we need to be in a rush to make any sort of decision and we need to make sure we hear from the community and take our time,” he said.

Woolwich’s ability to prepare for emergencies just got a $45,000 boost from the province.

Minister of Emergency Preparedness & Response Jill Dunlop was in Elmira Friday, joined by MPP Mike Harris and Mayor Sandy Shantz, to announce the township will receive $44,306.83 from a Community Emergency Preparedness Grant (CEPG).

The township will use the funding for road-emergency response equipment, including signage, barricades, cones, sandbags and generators.

How can you make important decisions about youth without hearing from young people themselves?

That’s the question driving the fourth youth impact survey, through which the Children and Youth Planning Table (CYPT) of Waterloo Region is soliciting feedback from young people for the month of May. The data from these completed surveys will inform political decision-making going forward, whether that means designing programming, offering new services or engaging young people in innovative ways.

“Oftentimes in decision-making spaces like, for example, councils or school boards, there are decisions being made for youth without youth being present,” youth ambassador lead Adan Imran told The Observer.

You could say they earned straight As.

According to the annual report card that assesses the Region of Waterloo Library’s 11 branches and single satellite location, it continues to be a crucial community resource that is keeping pace with the growing technological demands of contemporary times.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same, says manager of library services Cristina McLaren, who has been working in libraries for more than two decades.