MOUNT FOREST – The latest fundraising campaign for the Louise Marshall Hospital Foundation will have the added bonus of brightening up the hospital for patients and staff who have to spend time there during the holiday season.

The “Let’s Light up Louise Marshall Hospital” campaign will run from Nov. 18 to Dec. 23, and ties donations to decorations.

For a minimum donation of $10, supporters can choose an ornament, include a special message to accompany it, and add it to one of the Christmas trees or wreaths that are placed around the hospital.

The hope is to bring some warmth and festivity to the hospital, a news release stated.

“Especially during the holiday season, no one wants to have to spend time at the hospital,” foundation executive director Amy Van Huss stated in the release.

“If we can add a little touch of home, a little comfort, a little holiday joy, that’s what we’re hoping to accomplish.”

New this year, the campaign will include an outdoor Christmas tree: a blue spruce set on the west side of the hospital grounds, adjacent to the visitor parking lot.

All donations will be put toward equipment and capital project needs at the hospital, and donations of $20 or more will be eligible for a charitable tax receipt.

To sponsor an ornament, people can stop by the foundation office inside the hospital or visit louisemarshallfoundation.ca. Donations can also be made at the Mount Forest Scotiabank branch, which will be matching donations made at the branch up to $3,000.

“This is our second year running this campaign,” Van Huss stated.

“We had some really beautiful messages attached to the ornaments last year, and a lot of staff were recognized for their dedication.

“It was truly heartwarming to see the response from the community.”

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Passed away peacefully at home on Friday, November 15, 2024 in her 94th year. Beloved wife of the late Eden Martin (1974). Loving mother of Gerald (Laurel), Janet, Stewart (Lucille), James (Janet) and Dale (Lucille). Lovingly remembered by 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Survived by sisters Nora (Melvin Martin) and Alice Brubacher. Predeceased by her parents Sydney and Alice (Shantz) Brubacher, sisters Verna (Edgar) Martin, Ruby (Melvin) Martin, Ella (Maurice) Martin and Erma Brubacher; and brother Lester (Lucinda) Brubacher. Visitation was held on Monday, November 18, 2024 from 1-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the Dreisinger Funeral Home, 62 Arthur St. S., Elmira. A family service was held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at the funeral home, then to Montrose Mennonite Meeting House for burial and public service.

www.dreisingerfuneralhome.com

HARRISTON – The Orangeville Vikings U11 boys hockey team will be playing in Harriston this weekend to raise funds for a local girl with cancer. 

Skylar Beuhler, 10, was camping with her family in the summer when she awoke with severe pain in her back. 

Her mother, Kayli, had noticed some bruising on her body and thought her daughter may be anemic.

She planned to arrange an appointment the next week with a doctor but the Beuhlers didn’t make it that far. 

In the middle of the night Skylar and her parents rushed to the closest hospital, which was Wingham and District Hospital, knowing something was wrong. 

“They were amazing there,” noted Kayli.

They brought Skylar in and began doing bloodwork when something caught their eye. 

“Right away they sent us by ambulance to London’s children’s hospital and then she needed blood transfusions and platelet transfusions and she had spiked a fever too,” Kayli said. 

“Everything just happened really quick; it was weird.”

Once they arrived in London, more bloodwork was completed.

“The doctor comes and takes me to a room and she told me something a parent doesn’t want to hear,” said Kayli.

“And it was Skylar’s fight from there.”

Just before her 10th birthday she was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia.

She spent her birthday in a hospital room as she had to begin chemotherapy.

“When she lost her hair … she was very strong about that, it didn’t bother her,” Kayli Beuhler said. Submitted photo

Skylar’s cousin plays for the Vikings and her uncle is the coach; they wondered what the team could do to help the Beuhler family.

Her uncle reached out to Kayli, his sister, and shared the idea to raise funds during a Vikings game.

“At this point in her treatment she needs all the push and support she can get; she is sick of being poked, sick of all the medicine so we need to keep her fight going,” Kayli said. 

The event will be held at the Harriston arena on Nov. 23 at 5:30pm. The game will be livestreamed so Skylar can watch in the comfort of her home.

All proceeds will go to the Beuhler family. 

“[There is] no goal needed financially; it’s a lot of driving back and forth to London so anything helps,” Kayli said.

Kayli and Skylar’s father Ryan are praying for no more hospital stays, noting, “It’s always hard when you have to leave your other children.”

Skylar has two older brothers and one 10-month-old brother. 

“The two oldest ones are very awesome with her,” Kayli said.

“Once we got her back home her spirits changed – she needed them.”

Skylar has finished the first two phases of her chemotherapy and is now going into the third phase, which will last approximately two years. 

“She’s a strong little girl,” Kayli gushed.

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ERIN – Deputy fire chief Jim Peavoy was recognized for 50 years of service to the Erin community on Nov. 14, in a room filled with friends, family, council members and fellow firefighters. 

Peavoy joined the Hillsburgh and District Fire Department in 1974 following in the footsteps of his father, Lloyd Peavoy, who volunteered from 1965 to 1972. 

“Following amalgamation he continued to rise in the ranks and has now served as deputy chief since 2002,” Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott said of Peavoy in his congratulatory speech. 

Over five decades, Peavoy has acted as chairman of the Firefighters Association of Hillsburgh for 15 years and has been instrumental in planning for the department’s future, including the construction of Station 50 in Hillsburgh and the procurement of the equipment to keep the community and his firefighters safe, added Arnott. 

Peavoy’s Federal Fire Service Exemplary Service Medal and his Provincial Fire Services Long Service Medal have both been updated to show his 50 years of service by adding bars indicating the years.

“I thank you and congratulate you on your extraordinary community service through the [fire department],” said the MPP. 

Peavoy got a standing ovation as he accepted his award in the council chamber. 

“I try to be a teacher … in the fire service,” said Peavoy at the Nov. 14 meeting.

“We’re very kind to the people we go out to help and assist and that is so important but … it’s very important to be kind to each other.”

He noted how honoured he felt to have his award presented by Arnott, who he has known for 30 years.

Erin firefighters filled the Erin council chamber on Nov. 14 to celebrate five decades of service from deputy fire chief Jim Peavoy, front row, fourth from left. Photo by Georgia York

In an interview with the Advertiser, Peavoy reminisced about his earlier days as a volunteer firefighter.

Two firefighters, Jack Graham and Jack Leachman, came to his home in 1973 to see if he was interested in volunteering with the Hillsburgh and District Fire Department. 

Peavoy had just gotten married and, on the advice of his father, asked the men to return in a year’s time.

And in 1974 they did. 

Throughout his career, Peavoy said he had two mentors: late Hillsburgh Fire Chief Bob Cheyne and late Puslinch Fire Chief Doug Smith.

They were both fine men, they were kind to people, they were always at community functions and they could make some good decisions, he said. 

Asked what advice he would give to new firefighters, Peavoy reiterated the importance of being kind, not only to others but to oneself as well. 

“I couldn’t have done the 50 years without the support of my wife, Susan …  and my two sons, Jamie and Darrell,” he added.

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FERGUS – The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) strike that began on Nov. 15 continued this week.

“We have been without a contract for nearly a year. This happens every negotiation. It’s stalled. There’s not really any negotiating happening,” said Anika Warmington, second vice president of CUPW Local 546, based in Guelph. 

“We’re really far apart … So as a last resort, we need to put pressure on the company to negotiate a contract with us.” 

Nearly 55,000 Canada Post workers walked off the job on Nov. 15 and have been picketing outside local post offices in an attempt to demand fair wages and safer working conditions. 

“One of the things we’re looking for is to keep our pensions … especially for new hires, to have the same good pension that more senior workers have,” said Warmington on Nov. 18.

“We want to keep our pensions safe. It’s important for people to be able to have dignity when they retire, to have a good pension.” 

She added, “We have a two-tier wage system that was imposed on us in 2011 and we’re trying to get rid of that as well.”

The union is also demanding wage adjustments, as Warmington says the current offer is not equal to inflation.

“We haven’t had a significant raise in a really long time. I’ve been here for 20 years, and what they’re offering isn’t even in line with inflation,” she said.

“So, it’s essentially a pay cut.” 

According to CUPW officials, Canada Post had the opportunity to prevent the strike but refused to negotiate real solutions.

Officials also claim Canada Post is “attempting to undermine hard-won collective agreements, reduce full time jobs, and compromise the quality of service provided to the public.” 

A statement provided to the Advertiser by Canada Post notes that despite mounting financial losses, officials have put forward offers that protect and enhance what is important to current employees.

“Canada Post is at a critical juncture, losing more than $3 billion since 2018, with losses continuing to mount,” stated officials.

“Even with that, Canada Post has continued to put forward offers that protect and enhance what’s important to our current employees.

“We’ve offered competitive wage increases (11.5 per cent over four years) and additional paid leave, while protecting the defined benefit pension and job security provisions.” 

Canada Post officials says they remain committed to reaching new agreements at the bargaining table – not through arbitration – and that discussions with CUPW continue to achieve them.  

It is unclear when the strike will end, as Warmington says the federal government has no interest in legislating postal workers back to work.

“We’ve always done rotating, or we’ve been locked out by the corporation, and we’re always legislated back within a couple of weeks, said Warmington.

“So, I’m not sure what happens this time as the federal government has said they’re not interested in legislating us, but we’ll see.”

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GUELPH – The county’s joint social services committee has endorsed a recommendation that would see solar panels installed on the roofs of three county-owned residential buildings at a cost of more than half a million dollars. 

“I think this is a terrific project, and I love what we’re doing with the solar panels,” councillor Campbell Cork commented during the Nov. 13 committee meeting.

But he went on to question how staff had arrived at its recommendation of awarding the contract for design and installation of the rooftop solar photovoltaic systems to VCT Group of Kitchener.

The company’s total bid price of $578,736, exclusive of HST, was far from the lowest bid received from eight contractors who responded to the request for proposal and attended mandatory site visits.

“There’s nothing in here that explains why we’re not taking the lowest bid,” Cork said, referencing the report attached to the meeting’s agenda.

According to that report, companies that responded to the request for proposals were scored on a 100-point scale, and while pricing held the greatest weight at 40 points, companies were scored on four other factors.

System features and warranties were worth 30 points, and there were 10 points each for company profile, past project experience, and project management and team profile.

“VCT Group scored highest in all categories,” manager of purchasing and risk management services Jackie Osti told the committee.

“Their proposal provided the best balance of competitive pricing, proven experience and superior system features and warranties, making them the most suitable candidate for this project,” stated the report.

Guelph Mayor Cam wondered what had prevented Guelph Solar Mechanical Inc. – a local company whose total bid price of $503,847 was slightly lower – from being the recommended candidate.

“The chart that’s included in the report really only highlights the price,” Guthrie said.

Prices ranged from $265,479 at the low end to $639,000 at the high end.

One of the eight companies failed to meet minimum submission requirements, and two others failed to meet the minimum scoring threshold, the report stated.

“Proponents who did not achieve a minimum score of 45 points before pricing, were disqualified from further evaluation,” it stated.

Osti said this was not the case for Guelph Solar, but VCT Group had scored slightly higher.

Ultimately, the committee seemed to feel comfortable with the process that had been followed, and approved the recommendation, but Cork asked that staff provide more information in future.

County councillor Matthew Bulmer asked that an addendum with more information be added to the report before it comes to council for the final approval stage.

The three buildings set to get the rooftop solar systems are rent-geared-to-income properties located at 411 Waterloo Ave., 263 Speedvale Ave. E. and 33 Marlborough Rd.

The proposed solar installations are expected to generate more than 6.5 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity over the 25-year life cycle of the systems, the report stated.

“This output will result in an approximate cost reduction of $885,325 in electricity expenses over the project’s lifespan, supporting the municipality’s ongoing efforts to reduce energy costs and enhance sustainability,” it stated.

As well, “if everything goes well, we’ll receive a clean energy tax credit” from the province, Osti said.

A portion of the project costs – $100,136 – will come from the county’s housing capital reserves.

Another $133,645 will be covered by the federal government through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, and the remaining $344,955 will be covered by the City of Guelph.

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FERGUS – It looks like Strathallan Park might remain a park after all.

In a joint press release issued on Nov. 19, the Wellington Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) and Township of Centre Wellington stated the school board is re-examining its space needs and might not need to build a high school in the park.

The board had previously determined Strathallan Park might be a good location for a high school. 

Currently, all high schools in the WCDSB are located in Guelph. 

With growth in Guelph and other parts of its catchment area, the board determined it needed a high school in Centre Wellington.

It started talks with Centre Wellington and in January, council declared the parkland surplus to facilitate the board’s request.

“Pursuant to the township’s disposition policy, lands must be declared surplus before any agreement to dispose of lands is negotiated,” the press release stated.

• Township to consider selling Strathallan Park to Catholic school board
• Council declares park surplus, opens door for new Catholic high school in Fergus
• Neighbours don’t want to see high school on Strathallan Street

This caused a stir in the neighbourhood that regularly uses the park.

Parents were also concerned about a future high school being located directly beside St. Joseph Catholic School, which is an elementary school.

But since January, the long-term accommodation needs of the Catholic school board have changed.  

“In partnership with Watson and Associates Economists Ltd. we updated our long-term accommodation plan, which reflects the latest enrolment projections and identifies both immediate and long-term accommodation needs across our district,” board spokesperson Ali Lupal stated in an email to the Advertiser.

“Projected enrolment in Centre Wellington has exceeded our original forecast. As well, the municipal projections for Centre Wellington show significant growth in the medium to long term.”

As such, the board has initiated an accommodation review and is seeking feedback from families in the board. Information about the review and how to participate can be found at wellingtoncdsb.ca.

The township and the board have now mutually agreed to reconsider the sale and acquisition of Strathallan Park.  

“The township understands that the [WCDSB] will not be pursuing any rezoning of the property, which would have been a necessary precondition of any sale,” the press release stated. 

“As such, (township) staff will be taking a report to council in the near future recommending that the lands be deemed non-surplus.”

 The board will continue  to explore options for other sites to accommodate education and childcare needs within the township, the release states.

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GUELPH – An effort by the County of Wellington to increase the number of licensed day care providers in Guelph and the county seems to have paid off.

“At this time, the number of providers has increased in Erin, Guelph/Eramosa, and in Guelph,” county director of children’s early years Mandy Koroniak told members of the joint social services and land ambulance committee.

Koroniak was at the committee’s Nov. 13 meeting to present the results of a marketing campaign that aimed to recruit more home-based child care providers to Wellington Home Child Care, the county’s licensed home child care agency.

Families whose children attend licensed home day cares are able to benefit from child care fee subsidies and reduced parent fees under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) System.

Increasing the number of home child care providers in the county can also mean “increased access to licensed child care in communities that may have less access to centre-based child care, such as in rural communities,” stated Koroniak’s report.

Koroniak told the committee the number of active home child care providers registered with Wellington Home Child Care in Guelph and Wellington County had dropped significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, decreasing from 45 in March 2020 to just 27 in December 2022.

In an effort to reverse this trend, a marketing campaign was launched.

• Wellington County looks to beef up roster of licensed home daycares

“The campaign ran from July 1 to Aug. 31, 2024, and it included a range of marketing methods, from radio and social media to mall kiosks, bus shelters and newspaper ads,” Koroniak said.

According to the report, the children’s early years budget included $20,000 in 2024 for the recruitment campaign.

The campaign “led to a surge of inquiries, growing from eight … in 2023 to 38 inquiries in 2024 for the same period,” the report stated.

“The campaign is expected to lead to an increase of 18 homes, potentially increasing access to licensed child care for up to 108 children, as each provider may care for up to 6 children,” said Koroniak.

She added the total number of active licensed home day cares is expected to be as high as 54 by the end of this year.

A chart included in the report reveals the greatest gains have been in Guelph, where the number of providers increased from 25 to 32 between April and October of this year.

Centre Wellington actually saw a decrease, from seven to six; and Guelph/Eramosa now has two, rather than just one.

Erin’s increase may also be considered significant, as the town went from having no licensed home child care providers to having two.

Mapleton and Puslinch townships still had none as of October, and Minto and Wellington North each had one.

County councillor Campbell Cork stood up to thank county staff for the marketing campaign.

“I think that paid off, and we’re well served by that,” Cork said.

City councillor Dominique O’Rourke also spoke positively about the results of the campaign.

“I have a communications background, and that’s a spectacular return on investment for $20,000,” she said.

“Really well done.”

She said it was not just a good return on investment from a communications perspective, but also has positive impacts for families, allowing more of them to access the “deeply subsidized” daily rates.

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