The contentious and some-times emotional issue ofMono’s Klondyke gravel pithas resurfaced following adecision by the town to closeoff parts of cross-country skitrails to extract needed gravel.

It is hoped, however, thatthe civility and respect usuallyshown by Mono residents indebating issues, will prevailand an agreement will bereached between the town andMono Nordic Ski Club,the organization that hasmaintained trails ontown property alongsidethe pit for 26 years.

The club is upset thatportions of its trail systemhave been cut off and thatnearly two acres of treeshave been clear-cut to makeway for the extraction ofgravel to be used on majorroad-work projects.

The town, on the otherhand, says the action is neces-sary to protect itself on liabili-ty issues. It also says substan-tial savings are achieved whenit uses gravel from its own pit.

Speaking on behalf of MonoNordic Tuesday, Ross Martinconceded that the conversationwas somewhat heated whenthe issue came up during thequestion period of the April 13council meeting.

He said the club executive

held a meeting Monday nightand agreed to approach thetown and see if the two sidescan come up with a plan to sal-vage the affected trails.

“Our first goal was todecide how we can best recov-er for this year,” said Mr.Martin. “The second will be towork with Mono for furtherrehabilitation in future years.

“We would like to create atrail along the edge of the treesthat border the cleared area,”he added. “This would allowthe Yellow, North Red trail and

Outer Red trails to be recon-nected.

“This would mean eitherthat a few feet of the setbacklimit on the west side wouldnot get excavated, or wouldrequire rehabilitation prior tothe winter season. Any banksclose to the trails would alsohave to have fill placed to sta-

bilize them.”The person at the centre of

the recent controversy is Monopublic works director MikeDunmore, who gave the direc-tive for the trails to be inter-sected by excavation and addi-tional areas be put off limits torecreational users.

“My position, as the signingauthority for the Town ofMono, is to protect it from lia-bility,” Mr. Dunmore toldcouncil at the public meeting.“If I took out more than fiveper cent of an extensive skitrails system, I would be very,very surprised.”

While he has been underthe gun from recreationadvocates, Mr. Dunmorewas defended at council byMono parks and recreationdirector Kim Perryman. “Ihave to say this,” she toldcouncil. “Mr. Dunmorehas bent over backwardsto accommodate theuser groups.

“It’s been a pleasureto work with someonewho’s as recreation-prone as Mike.”

Mr. Dunmore has prepareda detailed report to councilwhich outlines substantial sav-ings for road projects when thetown uses gravel from the pit.

Concerning constructionwork on Second Line betweenHighway 9 and 5 Sideroad, his

When Shirley White lookedup at Mount Kilimanjaro, thehighest peak on the Africancontinent, towering over

Tanzania’s landscape at 5,895metres, (19,336 feet), she start-ed walking.

Her mind made up, anddetermined to get as far as shecould, she began an experienceof a lifetime, one she feelsprivileged to share today.

During the interview, Mrs.White sat comfortably in thewhicker chair, her lightsweater worn over a blue poloshirt. Sunglasses shaded hereyes and her short graying hairwas ruffled gently by the wind.She is not typically an individ-ual that would come to mindwhen thinking about climbinga mountain.

“I’m not a superwoman,”Mrs. White joked. “But(climbing Mount Kilimanjaro)certainly did take goingbeyond what you’re comfort-able with.”

This fall, she will be cele-brating a milestone birthday.“I’m not sure I would want tosay which one that is,” shesaid, and laughed. “You cansay 50-plus.”

She has been living in Erinfor the last 25 years with herhusband John, sons Michaeland Christopher and daughterKatie.

“I was a teacher, and Iretired from teaching five

years ago,” she advised.But having decided that

retirement wasn’t quite readyfor her yet, she tried severaldifferent jobs and for the pasttwo years she has worked as apersonal support worker forCommunity Living Dufferin.

Mrs. White has been activeto a degree her whole life. As aphysical education teacherthere was a certain amount ofeffort involved in the job, andshe has participated in walkingand running events over theyears, the latest being herclimb of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Mono pit friction returns to forefront

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Vol. 36 No. 31 www.citizen.on.ca Thursday, April 22, 2010 24 Pages (2 Sections) $1.00 (GST Included)

Cancer survivor made it to top of Africa’s highest peak

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By DAN PELTON

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Photo/DAN PELTONORANGEVILLE COUNCILLOR Sylvia Bradley was at Town Hall last week with Amy Castator, right, and MelissaKovacs of the County of Dufferin Waste Management Program to proclaim April 17-25 Earth Week in Orangeville.In Canada, Earth Week has grown out of Earth Day: the largest environmental event worldwide that joins over 6 mil-lion Canadians with 1 billion people from over 170 countries in special events and projects to address local envi-ronmental issues.

MENTAL HEALTH

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• Please turn to page A10

Photo/WES KELLERMPP SYLVIA JONES presents a plaque to Staff Sergeant Steve Sills, commander of Dufferin OPP, to make the offi-cial opening of the new detachment last week. The ribbon was snipped by Correctional Services Minister RickBartolucci and OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino following the ceremonies under canvass before about 120 spec-tators.

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The new Dufferin OPPdetachment offices officiallyopened last week as “a symbolof the excellence” of theprovincial force, but “the realexcellence is the people whowork inside it,” said retiredStaff Sergeant WalterKolodziechuk, who nowserves as deputy mayor ofAmaranth.

The estimated 120 whoattended the opening – policeofficers active and retired,politicians, prosecutors, thearchitect and the builder, andmembers of the general public– were given a video glimpseof the cramped and sometimeswet conditions of the formerdetachment on County Road124. The video included 10ducks waddling in the floodedbasement, shared by two con-stables and a number of filing

cabinets, among other things.The ducks, possibly the

property of Sgt. Dave Quintonwho acted as director of cere-monies for the opening, wouldhave been during the tenure ofStaff Kolodziechuk.

The unauthorized duck pla-toon might have helped bringthe new building to fruition bydemonstrating one of the prob-lems at the old detachment.

(Apparently the floodingproblem was solved at the oldbuilding, but the crowded con-ditions weren’t.)

By contrast, the new detach-ment offers an exercise andchange room for the officers, aplatoon room, secure cellswhere “overnight guests” areescorted out of sight from any-one in other parts of thedetachment.

Rick Bartolucci, minister ofcommunity safety and correc-tional services, and OPPCommissioner Julian Fantino

had kind words for each otherat the opening.

The minister used a WayneGretzky quote to describe thecommissioner’s abilities. Hesaid Gretzky told him a “good”hockey player skates to wherethe puck is, but a “great” oneskates where the puck is goingto be. He said Mr. Fantino“skates where the puck isgoing to be.” The commission-er returned the compliment bydescribing the minister astotally supportive of the OPPand, as one who would strapon a gun and go on patrol “ifconditions permitted.”

Detachment commanderStaff Sgt. Steve Sills and Mr.Fantino both spoke at length ofthe advantages of the modernnew building, both as an effi-cient facility and as a moralebooster for the officers whobring a measure of comfort tothe public – often at great per-sonal risk.

By WES KELLER

Freelance Reporter

New OPP station ‘symbol of excellence’

The climb has also fall-en on a year of celebrationfor Mrs. White, on a morepersonal level.

“In 2000 I discovered alump in my breast, and itdid turn out to be breastcancer,” she said. Over thenext eight months sheendured a lumpectomy,chemotherapy and radia-tion. “I was lucky enoughnot to have my entire

breast removed.”Chemotherapy lasted

five months. When her 21rounds of radiation endedin December, she wasdeclared cancer-free.

She retold her experi-ence with a calm expres-sion. What she said was acompilation of difficultexperiences, with a silverlining.

“This is a special yearfor me too,” she said, smil-ing, “being cancer- free,

becoming a survivor.”Her family was sup-

portive throughout thejourney. Her lifestylechange included taking ayear off work, duringwhich constantly feelingsick and loss of her hairtook their toll.

She says cancer is alife-changing experience.Sometimes it can be diffi-cult to remember to hope.

“You’re going throughall this and there is noguarantee that it’s going towork,” she commented,voicing her own pastdoubts. “There is alwaysthat psychological chal-lenge of telling yourselfyou’re going to getthrough it.”

She is a firm believer inkeeping a positive attitude,believing that statisticallymore people are becomingsurvivors of cancer and

that you have to hope youare going to be one ofthem.

Last August, she wasconfronted with some-thing else. TheGrandmothers toGrandmothers campaignfor the Stephen LewisFoundation caught herattention. The campaign isto raise awareness andsupport in Canada forgrandmothers in Africa,where as many as 11 mil-lion children have beenorphaned by AIDS andwarfare, leaving theirgrandmothers to care forthem with no real meansof employment.

“I think at some pointyou decide you want tomake a contribution, and Iam certainly at that point,”she said.

On her own, Mrs.White organized an expe-

dition to Africa to climbMt. Kilimanjaro, with apersonal goal to raise$2,500 for Grandmothersto Grandmothers. Roughly90% of that goal has beenfulfilled to date.

“I am able and interest-ed in helping others and Ifelt like it was something Icould do,” she comment-ed. “And to show womenin middle age, grandmoth-ers, that there is a lot thatwe can do.”

The climb to the top ofMount Kilimanjaro tookfive days, and it took oneday to get back down.

“On the way up youhave to go fairly slow asyour body acclimatizes,”she said, smiling.

“You start off and it’stemperate rain forest, bythe time you get to the topit was minus ten degreesCelsius and we were inwinter clothes.”

She says theGrandmothers toGrandmothers campaignprovided the motivationshe needed to take on thechallenge. The six monthsof preparation werefocused on walking andrunning to keep up herlevel of fitness.

“I feel very privileged,with my health back-ground and age and so on,

to be able to do things likethis.”

She will also be partici-

pating in the first Relay forLife in the Orangevillearea this June, taking part

in the Survivors walk andsupporting her belief infinding a cure for cancer.

A10 April 22, 2010 Orangeville Citizen/Free Press and Economist

• From page A1

Cancer survivor made it to top of Africa’s highest peak

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Peter and Gail Horner are pleased to announce theforthcoming marriage of their daughter

Laura to Mark Ditnerson of Gerald and Eileen Ditner, Palmerston.

The wedding will be held at St. Martin of Tours Church, Drayton

on Saturday, July 10, 2010at 2 o’clock in the afternoon

The reception to follow at Moorefield Community Centre

Buck and Doe

Mark Ditner & Laura HornerFriday, April 30th, 2010

Listowel Agricultural Hall8 pm - 1 am

Late LunchMusic by D.J.

In Advance: $8At the Door: $10

For tickets call Gail519-925-6306