Do your part
Dear Editor:
I was ticked off last Sunday by a lady in our Fergus LCBO literally running around shopping with absolutely no regard for the directional arrows on the floor or customers.
When a man nicely pointed it out, she commented “give me a ticket.” Currently we are told that we are at the tipping point of a second wave of the pandemic.
Our leaders of governments and our health professionals have directed all retailers to do this and other protocols to protect us.
So please take this letter not as a complaint, but a call out to everyone to go in the right direction, be it arrows in a store or anything else.
Let’s do our part so we can reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Larry Schmidt,
Fergus
‘Wonderful’ cinema
Dear Editor:
RE: Gorge Cinema in danger of closing; hopes to work with arts centre to open new venue, Oct. 1.
First off, many thanks to the Wellington Advertiser and everyone who has supported the cinema through these trying times. Without community support, ye ole’ cinema would have rolled over and died a couple of months back, so “thank you” hardly sums up my gratitude. What a wonderful community we all inhabit! I do have an addendum for the article, which I now humbly submit: I don’t consider the cinema as “my baby.” In fact, I look at myself as its steward or custodian. My affection for the cinema is truly indescribable, but the building is 170 years old, and the cinema itself has clocked in more years than I’ve been walking the earth.
Secondly, I have to say that running the cinema was never my “dream job”. In fact, my dream job was to be a pirate. But unfortunately I reached an age and the realization that sailing the seas, patch over eye, robbing the rich of their gold with saber in hand was not a viable career option.
So I shifted to visual effects in film. This is where my love for the Gorge Cinema took hold. If it weren’t for this wonderful little cinema, I’d never have become such a cinephile and in turn pursued a career in visual effects/animation.
This is the career I put aside to take over the Gorge Cinema. Not for personal gain, but to give something back to such a wonderful community and institution that fostered my love of film and provided me with a non pirate-related direction in life.
In my opinion this community would suffer a great loss if the cinema were to close its doors. So, to all those who have downloaded films, generously donated money, enjoyed a classic title since we’ve reopened, or purchased screen printed goods, I sincerely thank you for your help.
Payton Curtis,
Elora
Senior thankful
Dear Editor:
I like to give a big thank you to two very kind gentlemen that helped me, a senior citizen, out when I was locked out of my car at the Petro Can Gas station in Rockwood.
The owner of Casual Dining in Rockwood unlocked his restaurant door and insisted I come inside out of the cold and sit down, as I waited for CAA to arrive to unlock my car
The second helpful man loaned me his cell phone to call for help. He was taking a break from working on Jones Base Line.
They both surely brightened a day that was looking pretty gloomy for a bit.
Thank you both so very much. Appreciate your kindness.
Pat Lawrie,
Rockwood
Grandmothers adapting
Dear Editor:
There is no doubt the past several months have been unprecedented for our community. We know people in our community support our local businesses, restaurants, hospital, food banks and local charities.
Indeed, it is a challenging time for everyone.
The Grandmothers of the Grand want you to know that while we have supported our own community in many ways, we still have a desire to continue to support the grandmothers in sub Saharan Africa who are struggling to raise orphaned children amidst two pandemics now – COVID and HIV/AIDS.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has made it unbearable and catastrophic for those in sub Saharan Africa who are struggling with poverty, lack of clean water, crowded living conditions, lack of shelter, lack of masks and lack of education.
As a group, we have missed meeting together to continue our work raising awareness and funds for the Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. We want to continue our support and do what we can, looking at innovative ways to do this.
We have held an annual “Bridge to Africa” bridge tournament and auction every Fall in order to raise much needed funds that go directly to the grassroots organizations.
We will not be able to hold this fundraiser this year, but will encourage bridge players to play online and donate to the Grandmothers of the Grand and be eligible to win awesome door prizes.
We hope we can count on the continued support of our community and are always looking for new members and new ideas. Thank you.
Grandmothers of the Grand,
Fergus
Mental illness issues
Dear Editor:
RE: Dunsmore raises over $16,000 with 500km walk for Cody Shepperd Project, Oct. 1.
Why aren’t there more people like Neil Dunsmore in the world? His story definitely earned its spot on the front page! Dunsmore raised significant funds for the project, and did an amazing job of raising awareness about mental illness.
Too many people are affected by disorders like depression and anxiety. Most don’t even know they have a mental issue – or don’t want to admit it. “Mental illness” is a scary term.
People often overlook mental illness, ignoring those who call themselves “depressed”. We can’t pretend that mental disorders don’t take control of lives. It really was a mental illness that swallowed up Cody Shepherd’s last bit of confidence three years ago, making him take his own life!
Two of my own friends struggle with depression. I’ve seen the effects first hand. Both have had horrible thoughts – suicidal thoughts. In the past, my other friends and I couldn’t get either of them to seek the right help. Then, one of the two decided to take our advice. Now, she’s healing, and she wants to encourage others to follow her example, and to know that their illness doesn’t say who they are; they can overcome it with the right help!
My friend should be an inspiration. Her passion is the same as Dunsmore’s – to stand up to mental illness, and motivate people to overcome it.
If someone who suffers from mental illness herself is able to show people that “depression doesn’t define them”, what’s stopping others in the community?
I pray to see more stories like Dunsmore’s on the front page of the paper in the near future. We need to acknowledge the presence of mental disorders in our midst and stand beside Dunsmore, showing the world the truth – that mental disorders are a horrible reality, and something needs to be done about them.
Cassidy Vanleeuwen,
Fergus
Youth feel ‘targeted’
Dear Editor:
RE: Be responsible, Oct. 1.
I think that targeting the youth is unfair. “Why won’t young people wear a mask?” is the first question in the letter and I strongly disagree with it. It definitely feels like the younger generations are being targeted. It’s a very biased question because most youth wear a mask, besides the few who oppose the rules.
But categorizing all youth into one group is ridiculous.
I have met many adults who considered the mask wearing rule to be stupid and refused to wear a mask. Are we supposed to tell them to grow up as well? I don’t think so. People go and tell the younger generations what to do, just because they are younger, even though every age group does the same thing.
So how is it fair to target just one age category when the blame falls on everyone as a whole?
The point about obeying the rules of the road is a fair point. Obeying the rules put forth by the government in context with health regulation is also a fair point.
Teens cause the most accidents statistically, they do the most things recklessly, but this isn’t always the case.
So please stop putting the blame on those who aren’t responsible, and for putting us all into a category that makes us feel targeted.
Nadine Feenstra,
Wellington North
Flag thanks
Dear Editor:
A big thank you to Senator Robert Black for dropping off a Canadian flag at our school office. We did not even have enough time to say a proper thank you, so we like to do it here in our wonderful local newspaper.
Senator Black, we wish you all the best in your job as senator. Most of us do not know much about the senator’s job, but we know that you do a lot of committee work, work in the community, and sitting in the Senate to amend, defeat or pass proposed bills.
We wish you much wisdom in your task.
Arthur Kingma, Vice-principal,
Emmanuel Christian High School
Insulting
Dear Editor:
RE: Don’t be selfish – wear a mask, Sept. 24.
I was very badly surprised by the negative and insulting nature of the comments directed towards the anti-mask protesters in the editorial written by Chris Daponte.
I think it should be pointed out that peaceful protests are one of the foundations of true democracy. From what I read, a peaceful protest is exactly what took place with the anti-mask group.
Mr. Daponte is certainly entitled to his opinion, but a good editorial should include research and facts on both sides of the issue. The editor instead felt it was best to belittle and insult the anti-mask protesters.
Pat Kelly,
Mitchell
What a ride
Dear Editor:
RE: Virtual Food Cycle Ride raises $10,750 for food bank, Oct. 1.
I’d like to give a shoutout to those who participated in the virtual Food Cycle Ride to raise money for the Centre Wellington Food Bank! This is such a great opportunity to show our generosity to our community!
In the previous nine years of this event, a total of $100,000 was donated to the food bank. Although there was a significant drop in riders due to the pandemic this year, the 45 riders raised an amount similar to each previous year!
Let’s congratulate the riders and let’s plan to join them in the coming year!
Dianne DeBoer,
Guelph
Pandemic poem
Dear Editor:
The devil plays the covid hand
And I can hear him laugh.
Don’t think that he can change the land?
Ha, you don’t know the half!
Yes it’s true, it’s a bad flu
And some people will die.
But ain’t it great, exaggerate
It’s just a little lie.
Amazing how he takes control
An excellent mind shaper.
Where are peoples heart and soul
As they fight for toilet paper!
All are forced to wear a mask,
For him another prize.
Making better an old task,
Evil and crimes disguise.
It is all for our own good
For our protection too.
Follow the rules as we should
And we can all get through.
Seniors locked up like they are jailed,
Jobs and business going under.
Though social distancing is hailed
World health promise loses thunder.
Limits and fines are all in place
Enforcing all the rules.
Keep the cover on your face
Even on kids in schools.
Freedom is no more today,
Covid feels like it’s here to stay.
Even Churches send us away!
Oh Jesus, save us all I pray.
Agnes Ammerlaan,
Kenilworth
Seniors still struggling
Dear Editor:
An open letter to Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott.
As a senior living on only my CPP and OAS income, I have more than a few problems. And they are all quickly becoming hardships. Serious hardships!
We are about to go back to normal hydro rates, but I am still at home 24 hours daily for up to five or six days in a row. I’m using more hydro than a normal lifestyle would demand. I do my laundry in daytime hours because it’s easier than staying up long after I’m tired and need to go to bed – which I need to do in order to pay lower rates under normal hydro terms.
I am using more natural gas (Enbridge never did give anybody a break), as I have hot water on demand as well as a gas furnace. I would usually turn the heat down when I was out of my house during the cooler months – now, I’m here all the time and need to stay warm. I’m also cooking more because I’m not invited out to eat nearly as often as I once was before the pandemic.
My rent will be increased the first of November but my pension won’t. How can a rich landlord’s organization be allowed to raise the rent of seniors while seniors’ pensions stay the same? Somehow that’s never seemed fair and this year, more than ever, it’s creating a problem for huge numbers of us who are tenants.
Groceries are costing us more because we don’t shop around to save money – we go to one store – and only once every week to 10 days, and we purchase what’s available there so we can to get in and out quickly and get back home (where we’re safe from people invading your space in their perceived security of wearing masks). We often don’t get the things we need and we frequently have to purchase substitutes – sometimes more costly.
Food is often pre-packaged to make sure it’s clean and uncontaminated, but those packages are never the amount required by a one-person household, so there’s more waste in addition to the extra expense of having to buy what we don’t want. Thousands of Wellington County households are single-person households.
Honestly, we seniors need a break on rent. We need lower rates from our local hydro company (what about all-day same costs for anyone over 75?). We need (and have all along) a break on natural gas prices.
I’m not asking the government for more money; you’ve already been more than generous with your bolstering of Canada’s economy. But can’t something be done to sway utility companies and landlords to back off – at least for a bit longer? Amounts that are miniscule to them would go a long way to ease the path forward for those of us living on CPP!
Can’t you please help us?
Helen Marucci,
Fergus
‘Radioactive waste’
Dear Editor:
Why South Bruce? And of all the locations in South Bruce, why a site located beside a town? Why farmland on the edge of the largest forested swamp in Southern Ontario, with the river running through it? Driving down the 8th Concession, northwest of Teeswater, I just cannot understand how anyone can look at the landscape and say, “Wow, the perfect spot to bury radioactive waste! “This is the safest environmental site?
Water must be protected. Moving some of the radioactive waste from the lakeshore does not protect the Great Lakes. There will always be waste and radioactive danger along the lakeshore, until they stop the production of nuclear energy and it doesn’t look like they are planning on that any time soon. All a DGR does is add transportation risks, place another community at risk and threaten important aquifers, swamps, and rivers.
The only operational DGR in the world is WIPP and it is a low/intermediate level in the desert in New Mexico. It is located in a completely different environmental situation so it actually doesn’t provide very much useful data except that accidents happen and you can’t predict human error.
Science does get it wrong. A chemist won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1948 for his invention of DDT. Nobody at the time anticipated the unintended consequences DDT would end up having on wildlife. Boeing thought they had a safety feature to prevent stalling but unexpected results and human error resulted in two terrible plane crashes. Chalk River – mechanical problems and human error. Chernobyl – flawed design and human error. WIPP – human error and mechanical failure.
The industry has learned from past mistakes but we don’t want to be the next accident or negative incident that the world nuclear industry ‘learns” from.
How are they able to ignore the petition of 1,600 local signatures and the visible display of unwillingness? Why won’t they give us a definition or benchmark of a willing community? What is the real reason they won’t give an answer?
Ben Befadhel, I read your letter to the community and would like reply; protectsouthbruce-nodgr.org is full of reports and science that explain the potential risks. Just because they do not have the NWMO stamp of approval does not mean they aren’t true. There are many scientists and geologists who have grave concerns about this proposal.
From what I have seen the call for us to be “willing to listen” is actually a request that we keep quiet and if we don’t, we will be called names.
We did listen, we researched, we talked to many members in our community and many of us have decided we are not willing to bury your industry’s radioactive waste in our community.
Michelle Stein,
Teeswater
