INSIDELetters

Port Stanley needs another seniors resi-dence. Would the location where the silosare not make a wonderful place for seniorsto reside,. STORY PAGE 2

War of 1812 ReportBritish naval and military expeditionunder Vice-Admiral Sir AlexanderCochrane and Major-General Sir Ed-ward Pakenham lands near New Or-leans. STORY PAGE 2

What the Toronto Staris saying about us!There’s also a busy port, one of

many lovely inlets on the north shoreof Lake Erie, where brilliant whiteboats bob in dark waters surroundedby deep green hills. STORY PAGE 3

1812 Plaque TrailNears CompletionThe finishing touches are being

placed on nine colorful interpretivesigns dotted throughout Elgin County.

STORY PAGE 4

Port Burwell ReportVery few properties are too small

for leaf composting. The resultingproduct does wonders for vegetableand flower gardens. STORY PAGE 4

Losing my PoppyThis year, I had the honor of assist-

ing laying the Lions wreath at thecenotaph in Port Stanley.

STORY PAGE 5

Karen Vecchio entersrace to succeed Joe Preston

Born and in raised in Elgin County,Vecchio has been an active member ofour community throughout her life,volunteering her time, skills and ef-forts with countless communitygroups and not-for-profit organiza-tions. STORY PAGE 6

Serving Lake Erie’s North Shore

Friday November 28, 2014

LOOK AHEADCommunity Events Page 6

Classifieds & Service Directory Page 7

Business Roladex Page 8

Continued On Page 7

Continued On Page 7

Andrew HibbertElgin County has initiated the de-

velopment of an exciting RegionalCommunity Improvement Plan (CIP)that will help promote the unique eco-nomic development advantages of theCounty.

On Tuesday November 18th theCounty held two workshops to whichelected representatives and commu-nity members were invited. The meet-ings were Focus Group style roundtable discussions, at which, a numberof questions were asked by the meetingfacilitators, Nancy Reid of MedianPlanning and Jon Linton of TCE Man-agement Consultants. The workshopswere designed to bring communityinput to the development of the ElginCounty Community ImprovementPlan.

A Community Improvement Plan isa planning and economic developmentInstrument that sets out tools and

Elgin CIP Workshops

Linda EastonThe weather was nasty but some

hardy souls did attend the generalmeeting of the Port Stanley Village As-sociation. After welcoming the mem-bers, President Linda Easton,introduced each of the speakers forthe evening.

A new board for the PSVA waselected made up of: Andrew Hibbert,Margo Karda, Darcy Taylor-Vedova,Harry Bishop, David McCarthy, JoeFournier, Janet Kennedy and LindaEaston.

Andrew Hibbert discussed theproblem of accessibility for touristswith handicaps visiting Port Stanley.He is investigating Elgin County andCentral Elgin’s role and any future ac-tions required.

He also displayed possible new sig-nage for the village entrance. It wasagreed that a more attractive sign wasneeded.

with the crushed concrete to act in acontainment cell for the dredgate thatwill be taken from the harbour to cre-ate the new Sylvia Hofhuis park to theeast of the pier. Halwa would like tosee one of the silos preserved as a pos-sible observation deck and landmarkfor boats and tourists. The timeline istight as Central Elgin will be decidingin December or January. The costwould be a concern as well. A strawvote showed a majority in favour ofpreserving the silo.

Sheila Pinder, principal of PortStanley Public School, put two ru-mours to rest. There is no move toclose the school, which will be gettingstudents from the Mitchel Hepburnnew subdivision. There will be theusual five-year school review, ARC, in a

strategies for improving the built, eco-nomic, and social environment of amunicipality and region through thedevelopment of a CIP, the meeting del-egates discussed the Needs and Op-portunities that might presentthemselves, which communities orsectors of the County should be in-cluded in the program. Which projectsor businesses could qualify for grantsand what other funding agenciesshould be part of the CIP program.

When the CIP is established theCounty will be able to offer financialincentives to local business andlandowners to assist with improve-ments to private property. Specificallythe CIP will focus on assisting withdowntown beautification and revital-ization efforts and supporting newand existing agriculture and agri-busi-ness opportunities. The programcould also assist with marketing acommunity or business.

Comments were made about theclutter of signs as people enter the vil-lage. It was also mentioned that thesign for the Fishermen’s Memorialgives no indication of the actual loca-tion of the Memorial. As well, peoplewho park in the harbour lot nearMcAsphalt, need signs to direct themto the beach.

Harry Bishop described his work toestablish a dog park. The Lions Clubhas agreed to contribute and there is apossible site on Catherine Street.

Linda Easton talked about thepreservation of the Port Stanley light-house. Central Elgin had to explain toParks Canada/Fisheries and Oceansthat our lighthouse is not a multistorey building accessible buildingand so does not require the usual ren-ovations. It does have lead paint thathas to be replaced prior to the transfer.

Ted Halwa presented his plan topreserve one of the Richardson silos.The silos are slated to be dismantled

The Annual General Meeting of thePort Stanley Village Association

Nancy Reid of Meridian Planning shows one of the idea pages from the workshop.

Discussions at the Port Stanley Village Association Annual Public Meeting included LtoR: A dog park, a new villageentry sign and the Save A Silo project.

Page 2 • The Lake Erie Beacon • Friday November 28, 2014

Published by Kettle Creek Publishing Ltd.204 A Carlow RoadPort Stanley, ON N5L 1C5Telephone: 519.782.4563

Letters to the Editor andrew@lebeacon.ca

Follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.comRead Complete Issues of The Lake Erie Beacon at: http://issuu.com

The Lake Erie Beacon is a community newspaper published every second Friday by Ket-tle Creek Publishing Ltd. Over 6000 copies are delivered by Canada Post to homes, apartments and businesses along the north shore of Lake Erie.

The Beacon is also available through Variety Stores, Restaurants, Inns and B&B’s in Dutton,West Lorne, Rodney, St. Thomas, Copenhagen and Port Stanley bringing our distribution to 7000.

The Lake Erie Beacon shall not be liable for changes or typographical errors that do notlessen the value of advertisements or other similar material that has been included in thispublication. We reserve the right to edit all submissions including letters to the editor whichmust be signed and include your name, address and phone number, be in good taste and fol-low the laws of libel and slander. Anonymous letters will not be published. Articles written byfreelance writers do not necessarily reflect the views of The Lake Erie Beacon.

The Advertising Deadline is: Friday Noon Prior to Publication.Distribution Audited by CCNA

Member: Ontario Community Newspaper AssociationMember: Canadian Community Newspaper AssociationMember: St. Thomas and District Chamber of CommerceMember: Dutton/Dunwich Chamber of CommerceMember: Elgin Tourism Services

Publisher/EditorAndrew Hibbert andrew@lebeacon.ca

AdvertisingLinda Hibbert linda@lebeacon.caDiane Sura diane@lebeacon.ca

Sound, Collingwood, Saint Jacobs, or any-where else with restored silos. They're alandmark and people like to see them.

Counsel made a list of reservationsthat they have about saving a silo in theOctober 31st Beacon. Those reservationscan be overcome. Please read them again.Lets not tear down the Silos and regret itlater.

Sincerely, Claudia Hepburn, Port Stanley

Speeders On East Road Regarding Mr. Taylor’s article on East

Rd. speeding in the Nov. 14 issue of theBeacon I would like to comment. I havelived on East Rd. for 38 years and naturallythere has been a huge increase in trafficdue to a large increase in housing in par-ticular Little Creek which is still growing. Afew years back the speed limit wasdropped from the water tower south from80kms to 60kms. This was an improvementhowever I totally agree to drop the limiton all of East Rd to 50km/hr. and attemptto enforce it.

My wife and I have difficulty leavingour driveway due to a curve in the roadhindering our view of southbound trafficand vehicles coming well over the postedlimit. When we do back out and shift intodrive many times a car seems to come outof nowhere and is right on your bumper. Ifdrivers feel this is not practical leave acouple of minutes earlier. Hopefully peoplethat have the power to make this decisionwill take action. Also an expensive studyby some engineering firm at a cost to theCentral Elgin taxpayer is NOT required.

Thank you, Fred Smith Port Stanley

Outstanding small community newspaper

WOW! What a great edition.....if therewere awards for outstanding small com-munity newspapers, I would nominate ThisEdition November 14th, 2014 of The LakeErie Beacon.

Denis McClelland, Summer resident of PortBruce

December 6: Virginia militia drive backBritish raiders in a skirmish at FarnhamChurch (Virginia, US), on the Rappa-hannock River.

December 8: Battle of Lake Borgne –British Vice Admiral Alexander InglisCochrane's invasion fleet approachesChandeleur Island near New Orleans,Louisiana; his 74 gun frigates anchoroff that island while the rest of the fleettakes a position between Ship and CatIslands; only the lighter vessels cannavigate from this point which is theentrance to Mississippi Sound - theshoal coastal waters between Mobileand Lake Borgne.

December 9: The U.S. Senate passesthe new bank bill proposed by TreasurySecretary Alexander Dallas to financethe war and increase taxes.

December 10: British naval and mili-tary expedition under Vice-Admiral SirAlexander Cochrane and Major-Gen-eral Sir Edward Pakenham lands nearNew Orleans, Louisiana.

Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Inglis Cochrane

LETTERSA wonderful place for seniorsto reside

Having read some of the comments withregard to maintaining one of the silos as atourist attraction, interested parties shouldgo to St. Jacob north of Waterloo and seejust how viable the silos have been finan-cially. We have visited many times. Some-times they are busy, other times there areempty shops and tea rooms.

Port Stanley needs another seniors resi-dence. Would the location where the silosare not make a wonderful place for seniorsto reside, another Villa? Food for thought.

Harriett DeJonge

Motivation was compassion I had the opportunity to talk to a young

volunteer Fire Fighter in small town Copen-hagen just recently. Wow, what an educa-tion! I never realized what their duties,responsibilities, compassion and commit-ments entailed, until fully explained. The re-muneration is very small dollars.

What impressed me most of all waswhat motivated this young person wascompassion.

David Harding Sparta

Silos verses Park There's room for both. I find it hard to

believe that the least expensive way tomake a containment cell for the dredge ma-terial that will create Hofhius Park is therubble from tearing down the Grain Silos.It's like throwing away one monument tomake another.

The Grain Silos have significant histori-cal value and they should ALL stay. Thiswould make the property more desirable tofuture development and tourism. Otherplaces spend lots of $ to build significantlydifferent and unique designs. This is alreadyhere. We've already heard some great ideas.Just think of what we could come up with,with a little professional help. It wouldmake Port Stanley Harbour a more interest-ing tourist destination. Just go to Owen

Andrew HibbertDecember 1814: The British completeconstruction of Fort Wellington, atPrescott, Upper Canada.

One of the few British fortifications inUpper Canada commenced duringthe War of 1812, Fort Wellington wasauthorized in early 1813, but con-struction delays meant that it was notcompleted until late 1814. The fortconsisted of a single storey woodenblockhouse 30.48 m (100 feet) squarethat could accommodate 144 soldiers.The blockhouse was surrounded bymassive earthworks that containedbombproof storerooms while thepost's artillery commanded the sur-rounding countryside. The fortifica-tion was a redoubt of substantialstrength designed to assert Britishcontrol over the St. Lawrence River atPrescott, a vital port in the line ofcommunications from Montreal toKingston. Although never attacked,Fort Wellington's guns were used tofire on U.S. Major General JamesWilkinson's flotilla in autumn 1813.

December 1: Major General AndrewJackson arrives in New Orleans,Louisiana and commences prepara-tions for defence of the city.

REPORT

2014 Holiday ParadesAround Elgin County there are

several Holiday Parades as noted below.

Port Stanley - Fri November 28th 6 pm

West Lorne - Fri November 28th 7 pm

Springfield - Saturday December 6th l pm

Rodney - Saturday December 6th 5:30 pm

Bothwell - Saturday December 6th 6:30 pm

Fingal - Sunday December 7th 2 pm

Belmont - Sunday December 7th 6 pm

Straffordville - Saturday December 13th 10:30 am

What the Toronto Star is saying about us!

The Lake Erie Beacon • Friday November 28, 2014 • Page 3

Jim Byers Toronto Star Travel A great and hugely vibrant beach

culture combine with a lovely port anda pretty, old-time Ontario village at-mosphere to make this historic LakeErie port one of the great towns in theprovince.

PORT STANLEY, ONTARIO –

Call it a tale of two cities. Or maybe three.

On the one hand, Port Stanley isyour quintessential southern Ontariotown. There are old-time B and B’s withgiant porches and carpets of stunningflowers and quaint shops selling out-door gear and fashionable women’sshoes and a cute coffee shop.

There’s also a busy port, one ofmany lovely inlets on the north shoreof Lake Erie, where brilliant whiteboats bob in dark waters surroundedby deep green hills.

But there’s also a wild beach scene,with warm, gentle waters and endlesssand and an outdoor patio whereyoung folks in barely there bathingsuits gather for a beer or three andpose for endless summer selfies.

In short, this is one terrific town.

I rolled into town around lunchtimeafter driving in from Kingsville on daytwo of my “getting to know the LakeErie shoreline” tour.

I parked down at the waterfront,joining a long line of folks queuing forthe parking meter, and then saunteredover to GT’s . The quesadillas could’vebeen spicier (hey, we’re just about onthe border of northern California here;let’s get some chilies going) but theywere pretty tasty. And the patio was hotand heavy with young girls in bikinisand guys in board shorts and familiesdowning burgers and nachos under abaking sun. Their sign says sand, sudsand sizzle, and they're right on themoney on all three counts on this day.

It felt a lot like a café you’d find onClearwater Beach or Myrtle Beach. Andthat’s a good thing in my book.

I wandered over to legendaryMackie’s , where they sell sweet or-angeade and where you can buy a hugebasket of fries – it looked to be the sizeof a small pizza box - for $8.95. That’sless than you’ll pay for a tall boy of beerat some southern Ontario golf resorts.There is, of course, ice cream, includ-ing a cotton candy flavour that I didn’tget around to trying.

If you stand in line for a minute, andyou probably will in summer, you canscan through a great book at the cash

the water in a place that boasted thelargest dance floor in the country.

As much as I loved the beach, I wasequally taken by the people I chattedwith in the stores on Main St., whichstrikes me as a less precious version ofPort Carling in Muskoka. It’s cute, butnot overly taken with itself.

Down at a place called The Store-house, shopkeeper Barb Booth sells adelicious snack called Barb’s Brickle ,with roasted pumpkin and sunflowerseeds, raisins and organic, wheat freetamari. And, as she likes to say on herwebsite, “nothing else”.

I ask how the name Barb’s Bricklecame about and she said the son of afriend of hers was trying it out.

“We asked what he thought and hesaid, ‘It’s good. It’s kind of brickley.’”

“We have a saying here that the onlything that’s stuck up in Port Stanley isthe bridge.” I love it.

A couple short blocks from thebeach, I pull into The Windjammer Inn ,which dates to 1854. I have a large,

counter that shows the old days intown, with model A’s lined up in frontof an old bath house and photos of theincline railway they used to have to runfolks up and down the hills in town.

This was a major arrival port for im-migrants coming to Canada in the mid-dle of the 19th century, and Port

Stanley was the busiest port in Canadaat one time.

There’s a plaque in town that ex-plains how former Ontario PremierMitchell Hepburn once worked in abank on Main Street and would some-times dance the night away down near

Continued On Page 7

boats onto the shore. The others werePort Talbot and the mouth of KettleCreek (now Port Stanley).

In St. Thomas (near 140 Talbot Street)and in Richmond, a small village in Bay-ham on the original Talbot Road, (54254Heritage Line) are plaques noting theswath cut by a marauding troop of UShorsemen under the command of Gen-eral McArthur in November of 1814. Hestopped in both locations each time atwell-established farms where food wasplentiful and lots of fence rails wereavailable for fires.

The final plaque on the Trail marksthe settling of the Sparta region at theFriends Meeting House (6387 QuakerRoad). The Quakers’ search for new landfar from the fighting, led the commu-nity’s founder Jonathan Doan to secureland in south Yarmouth Township (nowCentral Elgin).

The war found the Elgin region’s firstsettlers working on fairly well-estab-lished farms. Though plundered andharried and forced to fight our first set-tlers held on to establish the communitywe have today. Follow the 1812 PlaqueTrail and experience their story.

1812 Plaque Trail brochures are avail-able at the Elgin County Museum 450Sunset Drive 519-631-1460

PORTBRUCEREPORTCathy Crane

PORTBURWELLREPORTAllan Spicer

Page 4 • The Lake Erie Beacon • Friday November 28, 2014

ception of emergency dredging toprevent upstream flooding. We lostour rail trail linking Highway #3 to theharbour and our Provincial Park.

We need harbour divestiture fromOttawa, just as badly, as Straffordvilleneeds a community centre in bothcultural and economic terms.

The incoming Bayham Councilhas to deal with the Richmond watersystem and the community centreright off the bat. Then, there are fes-tering administrative issues. We needto shake up the governance of ourcommunity. Assuming the Straf-fordville Community Centre will berestored at great cost, we need to ex-amine how our community centresare administered. Perhaps, a committeeshould be struck to help raise build-ing repair funds and to operate theother community centres in the samefashion as the Eden volunteer model.

Tourism innovator ofthe year

The Tourism Industry Associationof Ontario recognized The Ojibwa as anew, innovative product that will pro-mote and enhance tourism in theirlocal community, region or provinceof Ontario. Awards are fine, but we arenot there yet. With the project debt,operating deficit, community di-chotomy and lack of local public rela-tions by the E.M.M., there is a long,long way to go.

The Ojibwa does offer huge poten-tial. There are signs of hope with theoff-season bookings happening now.The Community of Bayham must getbehind the project. The Elgin MilitaryMuseum must work with our newCouncil. It is time to bury the hatcheton all sides and move the Ojibwaproject forward.

With everyone pulling together,the potential of Bayham is unlimited.If we continue our parochial atti-tudes, we will remain a backwater.

1812 Plaque Trail NearsCompletion

Mike Baker Curator, Elgin County Museum

The finishing touches are beingplaced on nine colorful interpretivesigns dotted throughout Elgin Countymarking events and people related tothe war of 1812.

While some may point out that lit-tle of note happened in what is nowElgin County – the war actuallytouched these shores on a number ofoccasions. Most settlers here, includ-ing all men ages 16-70 would havebeen eligible for militia duty. As well,many members of the local elite - Col.Talbot, his surveyor Mahlon Burwell,Col. John Bostwick and Col. Pattersonof Tyrconnel all served as officers inthe militia. Talbot in fact had overallcommand of the London District tak-ing in Norfolk, Oxford and Middlesex(including Elgin).

Plaques for all four men have beeninstalled. Burwell’s is located near hisfinal resting place at St. Stephen’sChurch (33105 Fingal Line), Bostwick’splaque is on the grounds of ChristChurch Anglican in Port Stanley (283Colborne Street), and Talbot’s is nextto his cairn at 32109 Fingal Line. Aplaque at the Backus-Page House Mu-seum near Wallacetown (29424 Lake-view Line) describes the hardshipsfaced by settlers in that area, many ofwhom came with Col. Patterson in 1809.

Other plaques commemorate thesurvival of the stones from Talbot’smill, burned in 1813 by the Americans.They are in Port Glasgow (8650 Furni-val Road) where the stones weremoved after long service in a nearbymill. In McColl Cemetery (24724 Tal-bot Line) one of the plaques com-memorates the stop General Sir IsaacBrock was forced to make on the wayto Detroit. It was one of three points inElgin where bad weather forced his

Fall colours were glorious this year the disposal was not

Very few properties are too smallfor leaf composting. The resultingproduct does wonders for vegetableand flower gardens. As I travel aroundS.W. Ontario I see lots of wasteful, evenharmful leaf management.

Far too many handy paper bags arefilled with leaves to be picked up bythe municipality at some cost. Burningis particularly unacceptable leaf dis-posal, just adding to our negative car-bon balance. Last week leaf burning atthe roadside, created a close call be-tween a large truck and my vehicle.Neither driver could see clearlythrough an unwelcome haze of smoke.

Besides composting, another alter-native is to mulch the leaves with thelawn mower. Mulched or compostedleaves put the carbon in the soil not inthe over loaded atmosphere.

Shoe's on the other footIn Ward 1, we can feel the pain of

Upper Bayham, concerned about los-ing their community centre in Straf-fordville. It is a vital part of communitylife in and around Straffordville.

In Port Burwell, we saw the lifesucked out of our local economy im-mediately after amalgamation. TheCouncil of the day did not support theconstruction of a sweet gas plant. Thisstance sent Talisman gas packing andour anticipation of a navigable har-bour. For over a decade, nary a dimewas spent on the harbour with the ex- Continued On Page 7

Don't Forget - Santa'scoming!

Just a reminder that the annual TreeLighting and visit with Santa will startat 7:00 p.m. on December 6 th at Won-nacott Park, near the pavilion. The treewill look brighter than ever, with newlights being purchased by the PortBruce Ratepayers Association and in-stalled with the help of Eastlink. AfterSanta lights the tree he will head to theclubhouse at North Erie Marina to hearwhat everyone wants for Christmas,and maybe he'll even have time to tella story. It will be lots of fun for thewhole family!

Mark Your CalendarIt is time to mark your 2015 calen-

dars with some events planned by thePort Bruce Ratepayers Association fornext year. Here's the dates to circle:

May 23rd - Port Bruce Ratepayers An-nual meeting at the pavilion;

July 4th & 5th - Perch Derby (duringfamily fishing week);

August 1st - Community Dance at thepavilion;

HealthTalkI have a bone to pickwith Osteoporosis

November is Osteoporosis month. (It’s hard

to tell because Hallmark has decided to over-

shadow the Osteoporosis cards with ones devoted

to Christmas for some reason). Although osteo-

porosis affects both sexes, it is more frequent

among women. It is estimated that about 1 out of

4 four women and 1 in 8 men over the age of 50

in Canada have osteoporosis. Also, at least 33%

of women and 20% of men will suffer from an

osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime. Frac-

tures from osteoporosis are more common than

heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined.

(But slightly less common than Subway restaurant

locations). The overall yearly cost to the Canadian

healthcare system of treating osteoporosis and the

fractures it causes was over $2.3 billion as of

2010. This cost includes hospital costs, commu-

nity services, prescription drugs and other indi-

rect costs. When we factor in the number of

Canadians who live in long term care facilities be-

cause of issues related to osteoporosis, this cost

jumps to $3.9 billion. (That’s a cost of $111 to

every single Canadian per year). And the inci-

dence and costs of osteoporosis are only going to

rise.

Bones are constantly being broken down and

rebuilt. With age, this process becomes less

efficient, and bone mineral density is lost, leading

to weaker, more porous bones. (like swiss cheese)

When bone mineral density is lower than normal,

but not low enough to be classified as osteoporosis,

it is called osteopenia. Osteoporosis causes bones

to become very thin and weak over time and

increases the risk of fracture. It is often called "the

silent thief" because bone loss occurs without

symptoms. Certain risk factors increase the chance

of osteoporosis: being female, increased age, white

or Asian descent, family history of osteoporosis,

smaller/light frame size. Low dietary calcium

intake, anorexia, certain medications, smoking,

sedentary lifestyle and excess alcohol can also

increase the risk.

Some risks of osteoporosis are unavoidable.

Sadly we cannot reverse our age or change our

genes. Taking steps such as staying active, eating

adequate sources of calcium and vitamin D, moder-

ate alcohol consumption and stopping smoking

may help to reduce the risk and likelihood of

developing osteoporosis. Screening and early

intervention is also important.

Take care of yourself and each other.

For more information, check out our blog:yurekpharmacy.wordpress.com

Steve Bond, BScPhm, RPh, CDEPharmacist/Manager

519 Talbot Street, St. Thomas 631-3330

PROFESSIONAL CONSULTATIONAVAILABLE

CONVENIENT HOURS:Monday to Friday 9 am - 9 pm,

Saturday 9 am - 6pm, Sunday 10 am - 4 pm

The Col. John Bostwick plaque located atthe Christ Anglican Church in Port Stanley.

September 12th - Fish Fry at the pavil-ion; Stay tuned for more details!

Worth the drive to Port Stanley

Again this year, a visit to 291 Sel-bourne Drive, Port Stanley is a must tosee a spectacular display of holidaylights and decorations. Over 65,000lights, including some synchronized tomusic adorn the yard of Dennis Taylorand Raymie Jewell. You'll be amazedjust driving by, but you are also invitedto tour the backyard where you’ll find amagical display. The homeowners payfor this on their own each year and in-vite everyone to come and enjoy thesights. Donations are accepted forMake-A-Wish Foundation (Southwest-ern Ontario) or the Port Stanley FoodBank. The lights are on each night fromNovember 29 th to December 31 st, 6p.m. to 9 p.m.. Friday and Saturdaynights the lights stay on until 10. It iswell worth the drive to Port Stanley!

The Lake Erie Beacon • Friday November 28, 2014 • Page 5

ing, “I see you are wearing a Canadianpoppy”, to which he replied, “yes, howdo you know this is Canadian”. Shereplied, “I know, because I think Iknow where you got it from”. I thinkmy brother in law gave it to you lastyear”. They had a short conversationre last year’s `exchange’, with him fi-nally saying “you make sure you tellyour brother in law, I wore this poppyat last year’s remembrance day pa-rade, I treasure it dearly and keep it ina safe place, and will again proudlywear it this year”. Please thank him forthat act of kindness”.

This year, I had the honor of assist-ing laying the Lions wreath at thecenotaph in Port Stanley. As I carried

the wreathtowards thecenotaph, Ihad all kindsof thoughtsand emo-tions run-ningthrough me.I was re-memberingthe veteranswho gaveand sacri-ficed somuch. I was

thinking of my mother, who was hun-kered down in an air raid shelter inSouth London during the war, be-cause of a current air raid. The `allclear’ sounded but when she emergedfrom the shelter with my three broth-ers intending to return home, only tofind a large hole in the ground whereour house used to be. I was thinking ofour current military, still in harm’sway. But I was also remembering mynewfound friend in England, who Iknow is proudly wearing our Cana-dian poppy. Sometimes the simplestof gestures in life can be so profound.I know there is a British veteran whoat this time of remembrance, looks atCanada with different eyes now. Yes,we will remember them, and yes, I willremember `him’, all because I wasafraid of losing my poppy…

Losing my Poppy Volunteers Uncover Elgin'sHidden Gems Through

Natural Heritage InventoryRay Filewood

This time last year, I returned toLondon, England, to visit my ailingbrother Jim. It was well over a 12-hourjourney from Port Stanley, back toLondon, England, resulting in manyhours sitting down. We were due tostay with my Sister in Law, Janet, wholived about a mile and a half from thetrain station my wife Bev and I hadjust arrived at. I said to Bev “I justcan’t sit down anymore; we are goingto walk the last part of the journey”.This was my `home turf’ and I knew ashort cut through a very large localmall. As we walked through the mall, Iobserved a British Legion member,smartly dressed in his Legion uni-form, adornedby manymedals andribbons. Istopped topurchase aBritish Poppyfrom him, asthese are dif-ferent fromthe Canadianpoppy wewear here, aspart of our re-membrance.He gave me apoppy, and at that time I rememberedI had brought along with me someCanadian poppy’s, as I’m always los-ing mine and wanted to make sure Ihad a couple of spares with me. I bentover and opened my suitcase to re-trieved one of the poppies and gave itto this veteran explaining this is whatwe wear in Canada this time of theyear. His face lit up, and I swear I sawa tear form in his eye. He told me hewould wear this on RemembranceDay and would always treasure it. Iwalked away feeling very good aboutthis simple exchange.

Two weeks ago, I received a phonecall from my sister-in-law Janet inEngland. She told me she was shop-ping in the same mall I was in lastyear and came across a veteran sell-ing poppy’s. She went up to him say-

CarolinianCanadaElgin Countyis perhapsbest knownfor its sandybeaches, richagriculturalindustry andhistoric railline. But thewild places ofElgin, and thediverse arrayof speciesthat live here,are often �overlooked. Until now.�� Car-olinian Canada staff and a small armyof volunteers are cataloguing the rareplants and animals that call this areahome.

Calling All Citizen Scientists!Elgin Natural Heritage Inventory

Carolinian Canada and its manylocal partners launched a three-yearNatural Heritage Inventory for ElginCounty in spring 2014. Volunteer “citi-zen scientists” from Elgin and furtherafield were invited to collect andrecord observations of plants, animalsand ecological communities through-out the county in this important initia-tive.

Many fantastic tools and programsalready exist for volunteers to sharetheir species observations. CarolinianCanada will be coordinating partnersand volunteers to gather and submitdata to existing programs. Top priorityis to increase the number of rarespecies reports to the Ontario NaturalHeritage Information Centre, theprovincial repository for conservationdata. However -- rare or common --all biodiversity information is impor-tant, and simple wildlife observationsof any species can inform important

scientific re-search andrecovery ini-tiatives.

We havecreated a Par-ticipantGuide thatwill arm vol-unteers likeyou with theknowledgeand tools

needed to identify significant species,collect and record accurate and reliabledata, and report this information to theappropriate place. These data may beused by government agencies, environ-mental organizations and researchers,to track the status of species and informeffective conservation actions.

Together we will develop an accurate,up-to-date database of the county’s richnatural heritage. Knowing where localspecies occur and keeping track of theirpopulation trends contributes to wiseplanning decisions for a healthy andsustainable future for species, ecosys-tems and human communities alike.

Take Action!The strength and success of this ef-

fort will depend on both the number ofparticipants reporting their observa-tions and the area of land that can becovered. We need your help!

In order for us to track the growthand success of this community effort itis important that all participants registerfor the project. Learn more about thevarious opportunities to get involvedand register your commitment to partic-ipate by following the links below.

www.caroliniancanada.ca Email:info@carolinian.org OR Phone: 519-433-7077

GiantHogweed

Page 6 • The Lake Erie Beacon • Friday November 28, 2014

Karen Vecchio enters raceto succeed Joe Preston

MediaKaren Vecchio, a veteran political

campaigner and senior government of-ficial in Elgin-Middlesex-London, hasannounced that she has entered therace for the Conservative Party nomi-nation to succeed outgoing Member ofParliament (MP) Joe Preston.

"I have worked alongside Joe fornearly a decade and completely under-stand the hard work, dedication andcommitment required to properlyserve Elgin-Middlesex-London de-mands, both within the riding and inOttawa," stated Vecchio, who hasserved Elgin-Middlesex-London withMP Preston since 2004.

Vecchio has held dual roles as MPPreston's executive assistant and con-stituency office manager since 2008,overseeing ministerial scheduling,communications and community rela-tions. A vital member of MP Preston'steam, Vecchio also manages inquiriesregarding the Federal Budget, Citizen-ship and Immigration, Canada BorderServices and Foreign Affairs.

Born and in raised in Elgin County,Vecchio has been an active member ofour community throughout her life,volunteering her time, skills and effortswith countless community groups andnot-for-profit organizations.

Prior to her employment with MPPreston, Vecchio owned and operated

the Coffee Grind in London, ON andworked with the management team atthe New Sarum Diner.

"I have been a small business owner,an employer, a volunteer and most im-portantly, a wife and mother. I under-stand the challenges that people faceevery day as I have experienced many ofthese challenges in my personal life,"stated Vecchio.

"I love this country and want my chil-dren and my children's children to enjoythe same opportunities that I have en-joyed in my lifetime – even better ones.Our riding is one of the most diverse andindustrious areas in the country and I amso proud to put my name forward to repre-sent Elgin-Middlesex-London in Ottawa."

The Lake Erie Beacon204 A Carlow RoadPort Stanley, Ontario N5L 1C5Phone: (519) 782-4563

The Lake Erie Beacon is pleased to support your local community events. We will makeevery effort to post promptly and accurately. If you would like to have your event posted on this page please contact us at:

519 782-4563or linda@lebeacon.ca

North ShoreCommunity EventsPORT STANLEY 2014Port Stanley Community Policing Requires volunteers.To help protect your village, call 519-782-3934 or Car-roll at 519-782-7616, email pscp@rogers.com Port Stanley Library 782-4241 304 Bridge St. Mon, Tues, Thurs, 10 - 8:30 Fri 1 - 5, Sat 9 - 1. Men’s Book of the Month. December, In the Heart of theSea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by NathanielPhilbrick. Ask about the Mens Book Club to discuss this titleChildren’s Programs Kidz Korner Mondays from 6-6:45pm, Ages 6-12 — please pre-register! Pajama RamaMonday evenings from 7-7:30pm, Storiesand songs for all ages & their caregiver. No registration re-quired, please drop in!Preschool Story TimeTuesday Mornings from 10:15-11am,please pre-register! Songs, stories and crafts for children ages0-5 with a caregiver.Lego Boys in grades 3-8: Sign up now for our fall session!Thursday Evenings 4:30-5:30pmPort Stanley Optimist Club Fruit-cake fundraiser, Threedifferent types, all $18 each, In Christmas boxes or tins.To order please call: Connie Arnold 519-782- 5082or Emily Finch 519-769-2514. We can deliver locallyOptimist Club of Port Stanleywill have Christmas Treesfor sale starting Nov 29 at Foodland.Optimist Club of Port Stanley Angel Christmas Tree.The celebration will be Saturday Dec 13 at 10am. Makecheque out to Optimist Club of Port Stanley for Angels youwant, $10 each. Call Angela Howie for info 519-782-3272. Angels are for deceased family members or friends.Port Stanley "Dickens Days' Parade Friday, Nov. 28,Parade starts at 7pm from Kettle Creek Villa, Parade endsat Mackie’s. Come and meet Santa and bring him yourletters. Canned goods collected by Port Stanley SailorsHockey Team. The Parade is sponsored by the Port StanleyLions and Lioness Clubs. For more info call 519-782-4308.Christ Anglican Church Sunday Morning Service,9:30 am with Eucharist. We invite all to join in worshipwith us. Coffee follows downstairs.Al-Anon Meeting, Christ Anglican Church 7:30 pmevery Friday. If there is an alcohol/drug problem of afamily member or friend that is affecting you, the AlanonFamily Groups may be able to help you.St. John's Presbyterian Church Tom Jeffrey Pastor.Sunday Worship 10 am followed by Fellowship Hour. TheDoor is always open, why not join us? Sunday Schoolstarts at 10:20 am.St. John's Presbyterian Church the Sunday SchoolChristmas performance. A Portrait of Emmanuel on December 14th 10 am followed by a pot luck lunch.Everyone is welcome.Port Stanley Youth Group at St. John's PresbyterianChurch December 12, Possible snow sculpture and/or craftPort Stanley United Church Service of Worship at 11am followed by a time of fellowship. Come join us. We arenow wheelchair friendly and barrier free.Port Stanley United Church presents the cantata,“Sing with the Angels”, presented by a combined choirled by Lindsay Traichevich at the Port Stanley UnitedChurch, 11AM on December 7. Come and enjoy.Port Stanley & Community 55+ Club Meets everyMonday 1:30 -4 pm to play Euchre at the Port StanleyArena. For info call 519-782-4801 (John Brenders) or519-685-2101 (Marie Geerts).Port Stanley Legion Branch #410 Summer Hours: Mon. & Thurs., 12-7, Tues. & Fri., 12-10, Wed. 11-10. Sat. & Sun., 12-7,Port Stanley Legion Branch #410 Don’t forget the Legion offers the following:Seniors Bridge, Tues. night, Euchre:Wed. nightLegion Darts Tuesday night 8 pm Men’s DartsSaturday Afternoon Meat Draws 3-5 pmPort Stanley Legion Bottle ReturnsMon & Thurs- Closed, Tues, Wed., Fri, Sat 12-4 pm.Port Stanley Legion Ladies MahJongg, Fridays1:30pm. We are looking for beginners as well. If youlike to play MahJongg come on out! Port Stanley Legion Port Stanley Karaoke, Every 3rd Fridayof the month, 7pm - 11pm. Come for the fun. Port Stanley Legion Br. 410 New Year's Eve DanceWednesday December 31, Band: Point Taken. Cost: $20. perperson, after Dec 15th $25. per person. Time: 9 pm - 1am.Hot and Cold Buffet Served at 12:15 am

PORT BURWELL/VIENNA 2014St. Paul’s Port Burwell /Vienna Sunday ServicesSt. Paul's P.B./Vienna United 11:00 am Port Burwell Trinity Anglican 11:30 am Port Burwell Lighthouse Gospel Church 10:45 amNativity Display Port Burwell Trinity Anglican ParishHall 25 Pitt St. Over 200 Nativities on display. Dec. 12and 13 - 1pm to 8 pm. Dec. 14 m- 1 to 6 pm Admissionis free. Donations accepted.Port Burwell - Bayham Horticultural Society,MeetsEvery 3rd Monday, 7 pm at the Port Burwell School,Strachan Street. For more Info 519 874-4260.Otter Valley NaturalistsMonthly Meeting is the sec-ond Monday of the month, 7 pm to 9 pm. Please call519-874-4028 for information. Order of the Eastern Star Areme Chapter #15, OESmeets the first Tuesday of every month, at 7:30 pm atthe Vienna Community Centre, Vienna. Photographers of the Otter Valley (POV)meet the lastMonday of the month, 6:30 pm, Bayham Public Library inStraffordville. All are welcome. Call Bruce at 519 874-1822.Port Burwell Historical Society meets the 3rd Tuesday ofthe month, 7 pm at the Marine Museum. Call 519 874-4135.Museum Bayhammeet the 2nd Wednesday of the month7pm, Municipal Office in Strafforville. Call 519 874-4135.Oriental Masonic Lodgemeets the 4th Tuesday of themonth at the Vienna Masonic Hall, 7:30 pm. New Mem-bers Welcome! Call 519 874-4135.Hubbub at the Sub Hub Pub is bubbling back! Join usfor improvisation workshops every Thursday 8-9:30pm atthe Lighthouse Restaurant. Members free, non-members$2. Have fun, gain confidence, new skills, and friends.www.periscopeplayhouse.ca or marionrogers@prodigy.net.mxTrinity Anglican Church hosting in the Parish Halla BakeSale and Silent Auction, Sat., Nov. 29, 9 am to 3 pm,Lunch 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. White Elephant Table Too.

The Port Stanley Community Food Bank at Christ Anglican Church

PLEASE!!! We are servicing more clients this year than

ever before!We need you to drop off non-perishable items at

Foodland or call 519 782-3122 for pick-up.

The food bank is open the third week of the month: Tues. 3:30-6 pm Thurs. 10 - NoonFor cheque donations please send to: Port Stanley Foodbank, c/o Christ Church, 283 Colborne St. Port Stanley, On. , N5L 1A9

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AYLMER 2014Aylmer 50 + Seniors Welcome you to join them for Eu-chre or Bridge Every Monday 1 - 3:30 pm upstairs atAylmer Legion Admission $2.

DEXTER 2014Dexter United Church Dexter Line. Service of Worship at9:15 am followed by a time of fellowship.

DUTTON 2014Dutton & District LIONSWed., Dec. 3, Lions CharityBINGO; in Dutton Dunwich Community Centre, 7 PM, fea-turing $500 Jackpot and several other special games.Dutton & District LIONS Sunday, Dec. 14, LIONS famousfull breakfast; 9 am-1 pm, in the LIONS DEN (behind Dut-ton Dunwich Community Centre): Adults $6

FINGAL 2014Knox Presbyterian Church Worship 10 am. Coffee,cookies, fellowship follows: Sunday school/nursery 10 am.For info (519) 769-2157. Come and worship with a warmand friendly group of people, we are barrier free.The Fingal & Shedden Optimist Club is hosting its 34thannual Santa Claus Parade on Sunday December 7th at2 pm through the streets of Fingal. For info or to enter theparade, please call Steve Garvin at 519-764-2436.

SHEDDEN 2014Shedden Library Hours: Tues. 2:30-8:30, Thurs. 2-5,Fri. 10 - 5, Sat. 2 - 5 764-2081.Children’s Programs Preschool Story Time Friday mornings from 11-11:45am Songs, stories and crafts forchildren ages 0-5 with a caregiverLego! We have LEGO for use anytime while you’re in the library!Adult ProgramsAdult Book Club Surface Rights by Melissa Hardy. New mem-bers are always welcome! Ask how you can reserve a copy!Wabuna Rebekah Lodge #143 Shedden,Annual Snowflake Bazaar, Sat. Nov. 29 2014 9am-12 noon.Shedden IOOF Hall, Talbot Line, Shedden. Baking, crafts, tea ta-bles, something for everyone.

SPARTA 2014Sparta Stitchers Every Tuesday 1- 4 pm, Sparta CommunityHall. We quilt, tat, knit, embroider, smock, crotchet, etc. Every-one welcome. Cost is $5. session. Come learn a new skill.Sally Martyn (519-775-2292).AA Group Meetings: Tuesdays at 8 pm in the lower hall atthe Community Centre.

ST. THOMAS 2014Abundant Life Fellowship Join us at the Timken Commu-nity Centre - Doug Tarry room (2 Third Ave.) at 6 pm onSaturdays for a free meal followed by our celebration serv-ice. For more info call 519-633-9207 or go to www.abun-dantlifestthomas.caAlzheimer Society Elgin-St. Thomas Breakfast withSanta Sunday, December 7, 9 am-12 pm St. Thomas Sen-iors’ Centre 225 Chestnut Street, Pancakes, Sausage, Bever-age Games/Activities Picture with Santa EntertainmentTickets Available at the Door or through the Society 519-633-4396. Adults $8. Children aged 10 and under $6.The Lunch Bunch choir sings at the Salvation Army, ElmStreet, Sunday November 30, 2 PM. Freewill donations.Proceeds to community activities of Canadian Federationof University Women, for projects in St. Thomas Annual Christmas Carol Sing at the Old St. ThomasChurch, 55 Walnut St. Sunday, December 7, 3:00 PM.Emcee Steve Peters, Guest Speaker Rev. Mavis Currie,Church shaped cookies, hot cider and mince tarts served.Free will donations to Salvation Army Family Services.Dress warmly.Carols by Candlelight - Sunday, Dec. 7th at 7 p.m.Central United Church, 135 Wellington St., Join us insinging Christmas Carols, and special Christmas music pre-sented by our Senior & Junior Choirs Free Will Donation, allproceeds to Inn Out of the Cold. For Information 519-633-3503 or visit our website www.centraluc.ca/OtherEvents

UNION 2014Union United Church, 6008 Stonechurch Rd., Rev. DavidMitchell leads worship with Sunday School at 9:30 a.m.We are welcoming friendly Family of Faith and are barrierfree. For info 519-631-0304 and our website: www.unio-nunitedchurch.ca

VIENNA 2014Bayham Historical Society meets the 2nd Thursday ofthe month, 7:30 pm at the Vienna Community Centre. Allare welcome. Call Bruce at 519 874-1822.

The Lake Erie Beacon • Friday November 28, 2014 • Page 7

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What the TorontoStar is saying!Continued From Page 3

nicipal water and sewage, and beingonly a short distance for such fieldtrips as visits to the fire station, library,Port Stanley Terminal Rail, not tomention a river and a lake.

Councilor Dan McNeil remindedthe members that the $13.5 milliontransferred from the federal govern-ment to Central Elgin must be spenton harbour infrastructure and within20 years. The west breakwater repairwill cost $2.2 million. The $1.5 millioninterest earned on the money will payfor the boat launch ($300,000) and thedemolition of the silos ($800,000). Thesilos debris will reduce the cost of thedredgate cell for the new park.

Members had many questions answered on the issues affecting Port Stanley.

(Linda Easton is a contributing writer andlocal reporter with a particular interest incommunity and environmental issues. Sheis a retired teacher residing in Port Stanley.)

Sponsored by the Port Stanley

Lions & Lioness Club

for more information call:

519-782-3007, 519-782-3186, 519-782-4308

Do you want a local operator?

If one prefers a local operator, or ishaving difficulty understanding a faroff accent when requesting informa-tion about credit cards, banking,health, insurance or any information,there is an option. You can ask to betransferred to a Canadian operator.(Courtesy T.J Lilliman)

Port Burwell ReportContinued From Page 4

year but there is no indication ofclosure. She is requesting an expan-sion of the school boundaries to,hopefully bring in more students.

The other rumour was that nomaintenance was being done on theschool but it has been recentlypainted, new blinds are replacingcurtains and repairs are being doneto washrooms. Pinder spoke of theadvantages of the small classes inthe school and gave a brief overviewof the programmes and servicesavailable to the school, which arethe full services available to all of theThames Valley Board.

It was also mentioned that theschool has many advantages: beingnext door to an arena, having mu-

The Annual General Meetingof the PSVAContinued From Page 1

lovely room with all the amenities Ineed on the second floor, where I findgreat old books to read and a refrigera-tor to keep my Oxley Estate wine coldand a coffee maker and a TV room.

I settle in for dinner on the lovely,wraparound porch (they have far toomany of these in this part of Ontarioand it drives me insane with jealousy)on a warm July night and wolf down afabulous salad with greens, radishes,strawberries, almonds, and more. Myrisotto comes with three types ofgreen peas, plus parmesan cheese andperfectly cooked scallops and shrimp.

My friendly and knowledgeableserver tries to tempt me into dessertbut I settle for a good cup of coffeeand a nighttime stroll down to watchthe moon dance on a dark and quietLake Erie.

Jim Byers' Travel Blog is a regular feature of the Toronto Star online: www.thestar.com/life/travel.html

LOOKING FOR A “FOREVER HOME”!!!

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tion and a saltand pepper coat.He is a true hid-den gem.

Animal Aide News: Ourfundraising store,Tabby's Treasuresis having it'sChristmas OpenHouse Dec. 5th &

6th from 11am to 5 pm. Giveaways, refreshments, complimen-tary gift wrapping and super spe-cials will go a long way to finishyour Christmas shopping. Allblack cats and kittens will beavailable to adopt for $100.00for those 2 days only, at AnimalAide.Do you have a person who haseverything and wants nothing forChristmas? Consider making adonation to Animal Aide, in theirname, Make their day and ours!!

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DO YOU NEED A PSWCHRISTMAS TREESSNOWBIRD PATROL

December 4 General, Pizza Day, Orders Due

December 10 Holiday Concert 6 PMHot Lunch Day (School) Pizza DayAssembly (School) Holiday Concert

December 17 GeneralChristmas Dinner

December 22 - January 5, 2015 Winter Break

Port Stanley Public School Activities December 2014

Port Stanley Community Policing

Snowbird Patrol: The Port StanleyCommunity Policing Office has asnowbird program for the resi-dents of the village. We takeyour information of when youare going away and when youwill return, a contact person andyour address. We do a weeklydrive by your home and if thereis anything unusual, we will re-port it to your contact personand if necessary the Police. Youdo still need someone to checkthe inside of your home.The list of homes will be for-warded to the OPP so, they alsoare aware the home is empty.Please call:The Community Office at519-782-3934 or drop in.

Only 26 days tillChristmas

The Port Stanley Public School

Elgin CIP WorkshopsContinued From Page 1

The two Community Workshopswere held at Tasty Sweets Café andBakery, in West Lorne and at NewSarum Diner in New Sarum.

The two consulting agencies Me-dian Planning and TCE ManagementConsultants will now combine the re-sults of the two meeting and presenttheir final report to Elgin CountyCouncil early in the new year.

290 Pages with full colourReproductions of Port Stanley PostCards along with a history of theimages shown. Hard Cover $90.Sample at The Lake ErieBeacon Office204 A Carlow Rd. (Side Door, ring bell)All proceeds to Heritage Port

Perfect Gift For The History BuffPort Stanley’s Pictorial Postcards Volumes One & Two Now Available (Book size 9.5”x8”)

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Page 8 • The Lake Erie Beacon • Friday November 28, 2014

Karen Vecchio Executive Assistant to Joe Preston

Joe Preston, Member of Parliamentfor Elgin-Middlesex-London on behalfof the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minis-ter of Infrastructure, Communities,and Intergovernmental Affairs andMinister of the Economic Develop-ment Agency of Canada for the Re-gions of Quebec, announced todaythat the second installment of the fed-eral Gas Tax Fund for 2014 is beingmade available to support local infra-structure priorities. With this install-ment $28,695,393 is being madeavailable to Elgin-Middlesex-London.This is the second instalment of theannual $2 billion transfer available formunicipal infrastructure

“Through the federal Gas Tax Fund,our Government is providing stable,predictable funding so that Canadiancommunities can address their local

Federal Gas Tax Fund Supports Infrastructure in Elgin-Middlesex-London

infrastructure priorities” said Preston.Our Government is pleased to invest inimportant infrastructure projects likeas we focus on creating jobs, promotinggrowth, and building strong, prosper-ous communities across Canada.”

In Elgin-Middlesex-London the following funds have beenallocated:County of Elgin, $1 434 914

Municipality of Bayham, $202 369

Municipality of Central Elgin, $368 979

Municipality of Dutton-Dunwich,

THE LAKE ERIE BEACON ROLADEX

$112 231

Township of Malahide, $264 826

Township of Southwold, $130 126

Municipality of West Elgin, $149 323

Since 2006, our Governmenthas made significant improve-ments to the Gas Tax Fund:• In 2007 it was extended,

• In 2009 it was doubled from $1 bil-lion to $2 billion annually,

• In 2011 it was legislated as a perma-nent source of funding, and,

• In 2013 it was indexed at 2 percentper year, meaning that it will growby $1.8 billion over the next decade.

• Federal Gas Tax funding is providedup front, twice a year to Ontario, theAssociation of Municipalities of On-tario and Toronto administer the

program in the province. Projects arechosen by local governments andsupport the local infrastructure pri-orities of each community.

• Thanks to new, expanded eligible in-vestment categories, funding cannow be spent in the following areas:drinking water; wastewater; solidwaste; public transit; local roads andbridges; community energy systems;capacity building; disaster mitiga-tion; broadband connectivity; high-ways; short-line rail; short-seashipping; brownfield redevelop-ment; regional and local airports;and projects supporting culture,tourism, sport and recreation.

• The federal Gas Tax Fund is thelargest component of the New Build-ing Canada Plan, which provides $53billion in funding to communitiesacross the country over the nextdecade.