One way or another Brant County councillors want to put the brakes on speeders.

Councillors voted in favour of having county staff look for ways to get motorists to slow down using the three ‘E’s – education, engineering and enforcement. The motion came after a lengthy, passionate debate last week initiated by a recommendation from the public works committee.

The committee called for staff to look for solutions to speed and traffic issues on Willow Street (north end), Washington Street, Silver Street, Cobblestone Drive and West River Street in Paris.

Coun. Robert Chambers had an issue with the recommendation and suggested an amendment. He suggested they look at 60 other roads in the county.

During the subsequent debate, Chambers acknowledged that his amendment was a way of making a political point.

However, he defended his actions.

“Speeding is an issue for the entire county,” Chambers said. “If we’re going to look for solutions then we should be looking for solutions for the entire county.

“We shouldn’t be picking and choosing just a few.”

When the original motion to have the Paris roads studied and his amendment were rejected by councillors, Chambers suggested staff use the three ‘E’ approach – education, engineering and enforcement – to find solutions to speeding for the county.

The resolution received enough support to pass, but Ward 5 Coun. Brian Coleman couldn’t support it.

“I like a lot of what’s in this resolution,” Coleman said. “But I don’t think it should be up to our public works staff to solve this problem.

“This is something our police services should be doing not our public works staff.”

Public works staff should be making sure potholes are filled and county roads are plowed, he said.

Still, while councillors are united in believing something needs to be done to get motorists to slow down, they differ on how it could be accomplished.

During an earlier discussion about a Brant Police Services Board report, Coleman wanted to know why Brant OPP handed out more warnings during a traffic enforcement initiative on Burtch Road in the fall.

Coleman noted that during a month-long effort to address speeding on Burtch Road and Mt. Pleasant Road, OPP officers issued six tickets and eight warnings.

A similar initiative in Paris resulted in seven tickets and 15 warnings.

Coleman wanted to know why police were handing out more warnings than tickets.

A ticket, he said, is a deterrent. A warning, not so much.

Ward 1 Coun. John Wheat agreed.

“Warnings don’t work. Tickets do,” Wheat said But other councillors said there are other ways of reducing speed including the use of technology.

Insp. Lisa Anderson, the Brant OPP Detachment commander, told the Expositor she looks forward to working with county council to explore the many different options available to make roads safer.

“I’m proud of the hard work and dedication of the members of the Brant County OPP,” Anderson said. “In 2018, uniform members wrote 3,958 provincial offences notices for numerous different driving violations and handed out several warnings while performing their duties.

“All members of the OPP, while conducting enforcement initiatives and regular patrol, have the ability to stop vehicles for violations and use their discretion to decide if the situation warrants a provincial offences notice or a warning.”

Brant County OPP officers removed 65 impaired drivers from area roads in 2018, she added.

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Damage is estimated at $350,000 after fire gutted a barn Friday night on Highway 3, just west of Courtland.

Norfolk’s assistant fire chief Scott Pipe said no animals were in the barn and no one was injured.

Someone driving by the farm spotted the smoke and flames just after 7 p.m. and called 911.

Firefighters from four stations arrived to find the fire raging, said Pipe.

“They ended up having to bring in heavy equipment to tear down parts of the barn to deal with the fire.

“It was very cold and there was a strong wind. It was a real challenge for the crews.”

Pipe said firefighters were at the scene for several hours. Hydro One workers, OPP traffic control officers and paramedics were also called in, along with trucks to salt the roads for fire equipment.

Because of the rural location of the fire, extra water tankers also were brought in.

Damage to the barn is estimated at $200,000 and the building’s contents at $150,000.

It’s not the kind of item you might think would be the target of a high-stakes heist.

But as each new superhero movie rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars, creating legions of new fans, comic books — once the preserve of children and geeks — become more and more sought-after. And not just by legitimate collectors.

“She’s been collecting these for years. She was quite upset,” OPP Const. Ed Sanchuk said of the Tillsonburg comic collector whose storage unit was broken into earlier this month. The owner reported the theft of as many as 300 books, with titles like X-Men, Batman, Superman, Twilight Zone, G.I. Combat and Ghost Rider, on Jan. 15.

“It comes down to the sentimental value for the owner. She would definitely like to get them back,” Sanchuk said of the “huge” local comic fan.

The stolen books in this case, along with a slot machine that was taken, are valued at about $3,500.

That amount is dwarfed by another comic theft this month, from a man in Boca Raton, Fla.

A Florida resident was busted in Arizona on Jan. 10 when he tried to sell four rare Batman comics worth $100,000 to a Phoenix comic store. The comics, 439 of them, some from as far back as 1939, were taken from an indoor, air-conditioned storage unit that was double-locked.

Comic appraiser Gord Mood is the co-owner of Richmond Street’s L.A. Mood Comics and Games.

He has had merchandise stolen from his store, including comics, and has also had stolen merchandise brought into his store by thieves hoping to sell the stuff for a quick buck.

Are there criminals who specialize in stealing comics? “There are people that do that,” Mood said. “Not as many as the people who just take things.”

In the Tillsonburg case, Mood believes the thieves knew about the collection beforehand. “That, to me, seems like an inside job,” he said.

To unload the books, Sanchuk says the thieves will turn to comic stores, pawn shops and the internet.

But according to Mood, there is a tight network of comic retailers in London. “All the stores in town talk to each other about that kind of stuff,” he said. For comics stolen in Tillsonburg, Mood expects they will turn up as contraband in places like Kitchener or even Toronto.

Are there collectors who turn a blind eye to the origins of the comics they buy?

“You know, I don’t know any, but I’m sure there are,” he said.

The best thing the victim of such a theft can do is distribute as much information as widely as possible about the comics. For example, if they have been professionally graded, each individual book will have a bar code and a serial number. In addition, Mood says he would happily circulate a list of the stolen issues in his store and online, should the victim contact him.

Sanchuk — who has worked on stolen-property cases involving items as varied as rare coins to a missing stripper pole — is confident the thief or thieves will brag about the comics to others.

“I know somebody in the community knows something,” he said. “Those comic books are very rare.”

Oxford County OPP can be contacted at 1-888-310-1122. Tips can be submitted anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

danbrown@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/DanatLFPress

VINCENT BALL
Expositor Staff
WTFest is back with a bang.
The outdoor music festival will once again rock Lion’s Park with a line-up that features The Sheepdogs as the headliner. The Juno-award winning band will be joined by USS (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker), The Beaches and Ascot Royals for the July 27 festival.
Local bands to be featured on a side stage will be announced at a later date.
“We’re thrilled to have The Sheepdogs as our headliner,” said Jamie Stephens, an organizer and spokesperson for the annual music festival. “We’ve been wanting to bring them to Brantford for a couple of years now but for one reason or another it just didn’t work out.
“But we kept talking to them and we approached them again this year and we’re pleased to be bringing them to Brantford.”
Based in Saskatoon, The Sheepdogs includes Ewan Currie (vocals, guitar), Jimmy Bowskill (guitar), Ryan Gullen (bass), Sam Corbett, (drums) and Currie’s brother Shamus (bass and keyboards).
The Sheepdogs released a series of independent albums before winning Rolling Stone Magazine’s Choose the Cover competition and graced the cover of the August 2011 issue.
Since then, the band has produced a massive catalogue of Billboard charting albums and rock chart-topping singles including I Don’t Know, The Way It Is, Feeling Good and I’ve Got Hole Where My Heart Should Be.
In 2012, The Sheepdogs won three Juno-awards including Single of the Year for I Don’t Know Rock Album of the Year for Learn & Burn and New Group of the Year.
Bringing in such a well-known band is important for a couple of reasons, said Stephens.It helps build the line-up and, after not staging a festival last year, it makes sure the WTFest is top of mind for music fans.
“Yeah, we took a year off in the sense that we didn’t have our outdoor concert last year,” Stephens said. “But we really didn’t go anywhere because we had some smaller concerts and events throughout the year.
“So, yes, we’re back but we really didn’t go away.”
WTFest was launched in 2015. Organizers cancelled the 2018 festival when the tour package they had booked fell through for a variety of reasons. Although disappointed, Stephens said pulling the plug on last year’s show was the right decision.
“I think one of the things we’ve got going for us is transparency,” he said. “We could have rushed around last year and put together a show but we just weren’t comfortable putting something together just for the sake of putting something together.
“We owe it to our fans to put on a show that we believe in and that we believe they will enjoy.”
Previous festivals have featured Big Wreck, The Trews, I Mother Earth, Our Lady Peace and Billy Talent.
The WTFest organizing team includes Stephens, and Mark and Lance Calbeck from Calbeck Investments. The Calbecks have added Phil Gillies and MJ Perry to the ownership group.
Based in Toronto, USS have a way of getting the dance floor to erupt and eliciting widespread audience sing-a-longs. The duo includes Ash Boo-Schultz (vocals, guitar), and turn-tablist hype-man Human Kebab. They are known for their alternative hits, including Work Shoes, Shipwreck, This Is the Best, and Yin Yang.
An all-female alternative rock band, The Beaches won the Breakthrough Group of the Year award at the 2018 Junos. The group’s singles, Money and T-Shirt, enjoyed success with the latter song securing top spot on Billboard’s Rock Chart for three consecutive weeks.
Meanwhile, Ascot Royals, a Brantford-based band, have become one of the most talked about new bands to emerge with their own trademark brand of danceable alternative arena rock, pop hooks, and uplifting lyrics.
The group’s single The Best is Yet to Come, entered the Top 25 at Canadian Rock Radio as the band toured across Canada with Big Wreck.
Tickets for WTFest 2019 are available online at www.wtfest.ca for $28 and ticket-selling locations will be announced soon.
“The festival landscape has really changed since we first launched WTFest,” Stephens said. “There are festivals popping up all over the place and it seems to me that a lot of them are raising prices right across the board.
“We want to stand out as an amazing rock show at an affordable price and I think we’ve done that this year.”
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VINCENT BALL
Expositor Staff
The Brant Community Healthcare System is getting a boost of just under $1.3 million from the provincial government.
The funding, totalling $1.299,870, comes from the province’s Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund.
The fund aims to help hospitals repair roofs, windows, heating and air conditioning systems, as well as backup generators and fire alarms.
“This funding is important to the Brant Community Healthcare System,” said David McNeil, the healthcare system’s president and CEO. “We have an older facilities and this money will help us make some much-needed upgrades and repairs.”
The healthcare system operates Brantford General Hospital and Willett Urgent Care Centre in Paris. The provincial funding will be used to repair the roof and repair the heating and air conditioning systems at Willett. As well, some of the funding will be used to improve the energy efficiency at BGH.
The funding was announced by Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma.
“The health and safety of patients and families is a priority for our government,” Bouma said in a statement. “That’s why we must make the necessary investments in our hospitals now, to ensure our providers have the facilities they need to continue to provide excellent quality care to patients.”
The province is investing $175 million in repairs and upgrades to 128 hospitals in 2019 through the infrastructure renewal fund.
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A Brantford Collegiate Institute student has won a Vimy Pilgrimage Award.
David Pugh, who is in Grade 11, is one of 20 students from across Canada to be named a 2019 award recipient. He and the other students will take part in a fully-funded week-long educational program in Belgium and France to learn more about Canada’s First World War contributions.
Jeriann Hsiao, a BCI graduate who is currently in her first year at the University of Waterloo, was one of 20 students to participate in the 2018 Vimy Pilgrimage.
“It’s kind of crazy how it all came about,” Pugh said in a telephone interview. “Jeriann went last year and when she came back she did a presentation at our school.
“It was incredible and I really felt myself become inspired to learn more about local history.”
Encouraged by then-BCI history teacher Meghan Cameron, Pugh decided to apply for the award. The application process includes the completion of a biography, an interview with representatives of the Vimy Foundation. and explanation as to why the applicants wants to go on the pilgrimage.
The Vimy Foundation was founded in 2006 with the mission of preserving and promoting the Canadian contributions to the First World War through a variety of educational programs.
As part of the process, Pugh wrote a biography of Lt. Maurice Fisken Wilkes, a BCI student who fought and died in the First World War. The biography required a lot of research and a visit to the Canadian Military Heritage Museum where Pugh met Bob Ion, one of the museum’ directors. The research also led him to Geoffrey Moyer, president of the Great War Centenary Association.
Both Ion and Moyer provided some direction and Pugh was able to read letters that Wilkes had sent home following enlistment.
One letter was particularly poignant.
“He was a single man with no dependents – wife or children – and he came from a large family,” Pugh said. “Maurice thought of himself as a ‘favourable’ soldier because if he didn’t come back from the war, he knew that others could carry on their lives without him.
“He did not want his death to be a burden on his family.”
Wilkes wrote the letter while training at High Park in Toronto.
“He wrote about this before he joined the war,” Pugh said. “I think that shows his mindset at that the time.”
Wilkes was 24 when he enlisted and he died Sept. 15, 1916. He is commemorated at Grace Anglican Church, Brantford Collegiate Institute and at the Vimy Memorial in Pas de Calais in France. At the time of enlistment, Wilkes was living at 138 Chatham St.
Cameron, who had Pugh as a student in her Grade 10 history class at BCI, is not surprised by his success.
“He is passionate, curious, articulate and has an incredible critical mind,” said Cameron, who is now the department head of Canadian and World Studies and Humanities and Social Science at Cayuga Secondary School. “He has been immersing himself in primary documents and asks so many questions, some of which require extensive research, which he is learning to do via his connections with local organizations.
“David will be another wonderful ambassador for our community and he has already expressed interest in helping to update and accentuate Wilkes’ profile on the Great War Centenary Association database.”
The database can be found at www.doingourbit.ca .
During his trip to Europe, Pugh and the other students will visit important First World War sites, including museums, cemeteries and historic battlefields. Students will also participate in the Vimy Day commemoration ceremony at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.
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SUSAN GAMBLE
BRIAN THOMPSON
Expositor Staff
A snowfall of 10 centimetres closed schools Tuesday but caused few major issues for Brantford police and firefighters.
Brantford Police responded to about 30 motor vehicle collisions in the 24 hours that included the snowstorm and the Brantford Fire Department said Monday night and Tuesday morning were surprisingly quiet.
Firefighters were at a Tuesday morning fire on Barrett Avenue that caused a lot of smoke damage but seemed to be focused on the home’s furnace and no injuries were reported.
“The snow has had almost no impact on us today,” said deputy fire Chief Todd Binkley on Tuesday morning.
“But with the increased cold coming, there’s a potential for an increase in vehicular accidents.”
Binkley said the cold also tends to impact sprinkler systems and, when they are tied into an alarm system, firefighters are often called to assist.
As well, the coming drop in temperatures will mean more potential for freezing pipes in homes around the city.
“Sometimes the public calls us when pipes freeze and we generally assist and help them shut off the water and ensure the electrical system is safe.”
Binkley warns people should never use open flames to try and thaw a frozen pipe.
“Call a certified plumber,” he said.
At the police station, Const. Shane Siebert said the snow led to a number of minor accidents investigated by officers or reported to the collision centre by drivers.
“We’ve been OK on the roads – our newer vehicles assist with that. The old Crown Vics were pretty hard to manage in the snow.”
Brantford Police now uses mainly Ford Explorer SUVs and some Chevrolet Impalas.
Siebert said civilians could use the same guidelines police officers use. Those officers are often in and out of vehicles and sometimes required to be outside for long periods of time without warning.
“Make sure you’re layered appropriately and cover exposed skin.
“We recommend keeping a safety kit in your vehicle with a blanket, food, flashlight, road flares and an ice scraper, along with extra hats and gloves.”
Siebert said vehicles should be also prepped for the cold and snow with proper tires that are appropriately inflated, filled with gas and windshield wiper fluid, and outfitted with booster cables.
“One of the biggest things is to make sure you clear off all the snow from your vehicle so you can see all the way around. Don’t forget to do your headlights and taillights so those around can see you.”
Siebert urged drivers to be informed about the temperatures and weather over the next few days, to keep their phones charged, and to check on neighbours to ensure their well-being.
Brantford Police officers will be watching for those who are clearly in need of shelter.
“We work with different agencies to assist anyone who needs a place to stay and ensure people are inside during the cold,” said Siebert. “Being out in this type of weather for anybody can be extremely dangerous.”
Accidents that don’t involve injuries or criminal activity can be reported directly to the CRC – Collision Reporting Centre – at the Elgin Street police station. Any vehicle that’s towed goes to the CRC for reporting.
Anyone involved in an accident where there are no injuries is urged to move the vehicles to the side of the road, exchange information with the other driver and report to the CRC within 48 hours.
The overnight snowfall prompted both public and Catholic school boards to declare an inclement weather day, closing all elementary and high schools.
Kimberly Newhouse, manager of communications and community relations for the Grand Erie District School Board, said all schools, school bus transportation and permits for after-hours community use of facilities were cancelled for Tuesday.
For high school students, the snow day meant an extra day to study for exams.
“Exams scheduled for today have been shifted to Wednesday,” said Newhouse, adding that Tuesday was to be the final day of exams in the public school board.
The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board’s communications and community relations manager Tracy Austin noted a similar shift in the exam schedule for Assumption College, St. John’s College and Holy Trinity students in Simcoe. With two days of exams remaining, scheduled exams will move forward one day. Both school boards have a built-in buffer day to accommodate such circumstances.
Austin said the separate school board’s school messenger system successfully sent out e-mail notifications and recorded phone calls to parents of all students.
“The calls do go out early in the morning, but it allows parents to make arrangements for child care,” Austin said, adding that the boards website and Twitter account also carry advisories.
Work crews in snow plows, tractors and trackless vehicles from the City of Brantford’s operational services fleet were out clearing priority routes throughout the evening, and by late Tuesday morning were working on residential streets, which carry lower volumes of traffic.
Residents are reminded that vehicles parked on streets present obstacles for effective snow removal, leaving roadways more difficult to navigate once the vehicles are moved.
Environment Canada issued an Extreme Cold Warning Tuesday afternoon for much of southern Ontario.
The alert indicates that strong winds coupled with a frigid Arctic air mass means temperatures are expected to dip to between -20C to -25C but with wind chill, will feel like -30C to -35C.
The cold snap should remain until Friday, and people are advised to wear several layers of clothing, minimize exposed skin by wearing hats, gloves, and scarves.
An extra pair of socks, along with waterproof boots can also help prevent frostbite and hypothermia.
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@EXPSGamble
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@EXPBThompson

VINCENT BALL
Expositor Staff
Albert Jackson would be filled with pride.
So would his mother, Ann Maria.
“If they were able to come back today and see all that has happened since they came to Canada, well, they’d probably find it unbelievable,” Lawrence Jackson, 86, of Brantford, said. “They’d see how successful my children and my grandchildren are and, just like me, they’d be filled with pride.”
All of Lawrence children and grandchildren have received good educations and built careers – something Ann Maria could only have prayed for back in the mid-1800s when she was living in slavery in the United States.
Originally from Delaware, Albert Jackson was born into slavery and was just a toddler when his mother fled the United States with her seven children. She made the daring escape after her two eldest sons had been sold.
The family arrived in Toronto via the Underground Railroad in 1858 and settled in St. John’s Ward, near Osgoode Hall.
Although the family escaped slavery, they didn’t escape racism.
As a child growing up in Toronto, Jackson was able to get an education. Later, he competed and won a position as a letter carrier in 1882.
However, Jackson ran into a wall of racism when he showed up for work. Co-workers, outraged that he was given a position that placed him higher than some white workers, refused to train him.
Jackson was assigned a lower position as a hall porter. But he protested the slight and members of the black community then raised a public outcry.
As it happened, the June 1882 federal election campaign was well underway and word of the controversy reached Sir John A. Macdonald. He became concerned about the impact the controversy would have on the vote in Toronto and intervened. Albert Jackson became the first Black letter carrier in Canada.
Eventually, the opposition to Jackson lessened and he enjoyed a successful 36-year career. He died in 1918 at 61.
In 2013, he was recognized as Canada’s first black letter carrier when a laneway in Toronto – Albert Jackson Lane – was named in his honour.
Family and friends, including grandson Lawrence, attended the 2013 ceremony and, last week, Lawrence went back to Toronto for another celebration.
Canada Post has issued a stamp honouring Albert Jackson and Lawrence was at the unveiling ceremony.
“It was really something,” Lawrence said. “There were more than 300 people, a lot of dignitaries and a lot of speeches. We were treated like royalty.”
The stamp comes in a booklet of 10 and is available at www.canadapost.ca and at Canada Post outlets across Canada.
“Albert Jackson’s determination opened the doors for many Black Canadians to enter the postal service,’ said Ann Therese MacEachern, chief human resources officer at Canada Post. “His courage laid the foundation for the diverse workforce we have at Canada Post today.”
Lawrence is thrilled with the stamp, which shows Albert Jackson in his uniform.
“I think he really liked the uniform and that’s one of the reasons why he became a letter carrier,” Lawrence said. “Also, it was a government job.
“It was really something to get a government job back then and I think he was really proud to wear the uniform.”
Vball@postmedia.com
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VINCENT BALL
Expositor Staff
Many people will remember Stanley Saunders as the musician who spent more than 25 years building Brantford’s symphony into one of Canada’s best orchestras.
But Leslie Richards will remember Mr. Saunders, who died aged 91 on Jan. 25, as an avid runner, soccer fan and best friend.
“We met 40 years ago at the University of Guelph,” Richards recalled Tuesday. “I was new there and was going out for a run on my own.
“He was already running with someone but invited me to join them. That’s the kind of guy he was.”
They became running partners.
“It’s kind of strange, I suppose,” Richards said. “I don’t have a musical background at all. But we ran together every day and became the best of friends.”
So much so that Richards was able to bring his children to Brantford for concerts. His children were able to walk around the stage and meet the musicians during rehearsals, Richards recalled.
“He was also a pretty big soccer (English Football) fan,” Richards said. “His team was Arsenal and he followed them religiously.”
Born near Cardiff, Wales, Mr. Saunders came from a musical family and was the son of a concert master.
“Music is all my family has ever done,” Mr. Saunders told The Expositor in a May 2001 interview.
Early in his career, Mr. Saunders, who played clarinet and violin, was the director of music for Galmorgan, a county in Wales, performing with the BBC.
However, opportunities for advancement were limited in Wales and Mr. Saunders accepted a position at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick in 1958. He remained there until 1974 when he moved east to join the music faculty at the University of Guelph.
Just three weeks after joining the university. Mr. Saunders received a call from Marney Smale, the then-president of the Brantford symphony. The symphony was looking for a conductor and offered Mr. Saunders the position.
At that time, the symphony consisted of skilled amateur musicians who performed for family and friends.
Mr. Saunders was given a mandate to transform the symphony into the best orchestra possible.
Working with the late Alan Cook, the symphony’s personnel director, Mr. Saunders built an orchestra that included “first-rate professional musicians,” most of whom came from outside the community. Many of the musicians played with the National Ballet of Canada, the Canadian Opera Company and the Toronto Symphony.
Typically, the musicians would know the pieces to be played at a weekend Brantford Symphony concert and would gather for a three-hour rehearsal on the day of the performance.
Several prominent professional musicians also performed with the symphony under the direction of Mr. Saunders, including jazz pianist Oscar Peterson and vibraphone artist Peter Appleyard.
“He took his position seriously and was mindful of the responsibility that went with it,” said Philip Sarabura, the orchestra’s artistic director who played in the orchestra under the direction of Mr. Saunders for many years. “He was very dedicated to bringing the very best classical music to Brantford.”
Mr. Saunders also worked with young people, in and out of schools, to make classical music more accessible. As well, he worked with the symphony association to help save the Sanderson Centre – then the Capitol Theatre – from demolition.
Mr. Saunders was married to his wife Barbara for 68 years.
Michael Stoddart, a longtime friend of the couple, said Mr. Saunders was calming and intelligent with a wicked sense of humour.
“It was the way he led his life,” Stoddart said. “He was incredibly accomplished but he never spoke about it and he listened to people.
“The way he spoke and loved his wife Barbara couldn’t help but influence you.”
Mr. Saunders had an eloquence and strength about him that has unfortunately been lost in today’s society, Stoddart added.
A funeral service for Mr. Saunders will take place at Ebenezer United Church, 12274 Guelph Line, Campbellville, north of Bookville, at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Visitation also take place Saturday at the church beginning at noon.
Vball@postmedia.com
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Brian Smiley
Expositor Staff
The Paris Mounties playoff push began late Tuesday night.
Paris was hosting Norwich in Game 1 of a best-of-seven Provincial Junior Hockey League playoff series, the result of which wasn’t known at press time.
With the Mounties finishing fourth in the Doherty Division at the conclusion of the regular season and Norwich fifth, the series could be extremely tight.
The results from the first five games played between the teams certainly indicates fans could get their money’s worth.
Paris won the first two games between the clubs, scoring wins of 6-2 at home on Sept. 15 and 6-1 in Norwich on Oct. 12.
Norwich hosted and edged Paris 5-4 on Nov. 30 and 3-2 on Jan. 11 while the Mounties won the regular-season series 3-2 thanks to a 5-2 home win on Dec. 29.
Both teams were excellent at home – Paris was 14-5-1-0 at the Brant Sports Complex while Norwich was 13-5-0-2 at home – but it was on the road where the Mounties were better.
Paris was 10-6-2-2 away from the BSC while Norwich was 8-11-01 when travelling.
Both teams were about equal in overall offence – Paris scored 169 goals to Norwich’s 176 – but the Mounties were much better defensively, allowing just 94 goals to Norwich’s 138.
Paris will look for point-per-game performers Cameron Stokes (22 goals, 21 assists), Jack Gee (13G, 27A), Matt Patton (15G, 22A) and Benjamin Cripps (14G, 20A) to lead its offence.
It will also need goalie Justin Hergott (15-11-2, 2.42 goals against average, .916 save percentage) to continue his solid season.

PROVINCIAL JUNIOR
HOCKEY LEAGUE
Doherty Division
Delhi Travellers
The Travellers face a monumental task in their attempt to take down Tavistock in a best-of-seven playoff series.
Delhi finished its season eighth in the division with a record of 4-36 while Tavistock was first at 32-5-1-2.
The Travellers also haven’t posted a win in 2019 with their last victory coming on Dec. 30 when they beat Burford 5-2.
In five games between the two teams this season, Tavistock won all five, outscoring Delhi 51-6.

PJHL
Bloomfield Division
Hagersville Hawks
The Hawks will be looking to secure third place as their season winds up this week.
Hagersville is currently one point ahead of fourth-place Niagara and two in front of Hamilton. Each team has three games remaining, with the Hawks playing Hamilton twice and Dunnville once.
Hagersville has been hot as of late, winning nine of its past 11 games.
Last week, Hagersville was 1-2 with a 4-2 home win against Port Dover on Saturday that was preceded by road losses of 5-2 to Glanbrook on Wednesday and 3-0 to Grimsby on Friday.
Ralph Taggart and Peter Cappucci scored in the losses with Taggart notching two goals and an assist in the win and Nick Visser a pair of assists. Cappucci and Matt Weston also scored as Justin Easter earned the win in goal.

PORT DOVER SAILORS
The Sailors were 0-for-2 last week.
Port Dover was doubled 4-2 in Hagersville on Saturday before falling 4-1 at home on Sunday to Niagara.
Sam Restivo, Nigel Dantas and Ashton Mikasko scored goals for the Sailors.

ONTARIO JUNIOR A
HOCKEY LEAGUE
West Division
Brantford 99ers
The 99ers losing streak stretched to four games following a 4-0 loss to Newmarket in its only game last week.
Brantford’s next game is a Thursday matinee at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre when it hosts Burlington in a 2:30 p.m. game.

GREATER ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
MID-WESTERN CONFERENCE
BRANTFORD 99ERS
Brantford’s offence has gone missing in action.
Starting with a 9-0 loss in Kitchener on Tuesday, the 99ers were blanked 5-0 on Saturday by Elmira before falling 6-2 to Stratford on Sunday.
The team’s last two games were at home.
Although the 99ers got on the board first against Stratford when Mason Mantzavrakos scored, Stratford tallied five unanswered goals on its way to the win.
Ben Sheppard also scored for Brantford.

GREATER METRO JUNIOR A HOCKEY LEAGUE
South Division
St. George Ravens
With just a handful of games remaining in the regular season, one of the only questions remaining for the Ravens is whether they’ll lose again.
Following wins of 3-0 in North York on Saturday and 6-2 at home on Sunday against Oshawa, St. George has won 25 straight games.
The North York game was a forfeit.
Against Oshawa, Nick Breault (one goal, two assists), Anthony Mota (2G) and Kellen Gedies (2G) were the offensive leaders.
bsmiley@postmedia.com twitter.com/expbsmiley

Expositor Staff
Brantford CYO Boys Basketball held its annual Paul Mitchell Tournament on the weekend with the Major Bantam Level 2 team winning gold.
In capturing first place, the team went undefeated, winning all five of its games including a 52-50 decision over South Windsor Warriors in the championship.
The following are the results for local teams in the tournament.
Novice Level 1
Brantford 37, Ancaster 18
Brantford 47, Guelph 18.
Brantford 53, London 4.
Semifinal: Brantford 42, Burlington 17.
Final: Stoney Creek 48, Brantford 46.
Team members: Jesse Edokpolor, Zaki Paterson, Hunter Windle, Easton Martin, Ben Soules, Corson Gravett, Hayden Tunks, Izaak Cromwell, Noah Elliston, Ben Tindale, Brody Prosser, Noah McGrattan.
Atom Level 2
Brantford 26, Stratford 25.
Chatham-Kent 37, Brantford 35.
Guelph 29, Brantford 28.
Team members: Sean Harris, Ethan Pragnell, Riley O’Brien, Baustin Coombs, Saahil Kapadia, Zack Trowbridge, Anthony De Grandis, Carter JeJonge, Chase Rivers, Aidan Barr, Eric Donovan.
Atom Level 1
Brantford 46, Waterloo 36.
Brantford 39, Stoney Creek 34.
Brantford 49, York 40.
Semifinal: Brantford 42, Ancaster 31.
Final: East York 53, Brantford 45.
Team members: Isaiah Johnson, Diego De Cosmi, Garrett Young, Deaken Solomon, Eoin Wright, Lincoln McPherson, Jace Zecca, Griffin DeDominicis, Elliott Blyth, Jack McClure, Liam Taylor, Gabriel Gage.
Major Atom Level 2
Stratford 39, Brantford 26.
Sarnia 48, Brantford 30.
Milton 39, Brantford 34.
Team members: Daniel Waserman, Fadil Sam, Tyson Drydak, Logan Shaw, Carter dela Rosa, Tucker Barr, Kiefer Williams, Ethan Fawcett, Llyam Kenny, Mikhael Cromwell, Declan Yuhasz, Alexander Jubinville.
Major Atom Level 1
Dundas 38, Brantford 36.
Tecumseh 65, Brantford 59.
Brantford 47, Milton 40.
Team members: Owen Towers, Noah Bear Lowen, Liam Ryan, Sajjan Mattu, Evan Ireland, Kingston Paterson, Nathan Berardi, Noah Terejko, Matteo Pace, Gabriel Hamilton, Andrew McGarr, Odis Simpson.
Bantam Level 2
Grimsby 46, Brantford 44.
Brantford 57, Kirkland Lake 21.
Orillia 41, Brantford 36.
Team members:
Ben Roung, Aiydn Skalba, Elijah Heath-Nelson, Damian Osadebamwen, Blake Krukowski, Reece Maxwell, Evan Fotheringham, Ryan McFadden, Ben Rooney, Sam Cavan, Marcus Hyndman.
Bantam Level 1
Brantford 67, Waterloo 41.
Etobicoke 52, Brantford 49.
Brantford 47, Pelham 19.
Semifinal: Burlington 48, Brantford 39.
Team members: Traivon Meade, Jackson Holder, Zander Rivers, Rory Vrugtman, Brandon Britton, Andrew O’Neail, Owen Ford, Grayson Young, Carter Hogg, Liam Tosh, Brock McPherson.
Major Bantam Level 2
Brantford 67, Guelph 37.
Brantford 56, Stratford 36.
Brantford 63, Sarnia 42.
Semifinal: Brantford 80, Guelph 63.
Championship: Brantford 52, South Windsor 50.
Team members: Marcus Steane, Luke McKinnon, Zechariah Loftman, Ethan Lewis, Emery Bouk, Peter Banting, Michael Oddi, Jack Kelly, Javon Steane, Carlus Vincent, Landon Bromby, Luke McCabe.
Major Bantam Level 1
Brantford 63, York North 42.
Brantford 61, Hamilton 49.
K-W 71, Brantford 63.
Semifinal: Oakville 84, Brantford 83.
Team members: Daelon Smith, Jordan Hogg, Carter Kellam, Nathan Halliday, Nolan DeDominicis, Noah Johnson, Alec Eder, Luca De Cosmi, Darnell Mitchell, Nolan Raithby, Samari DeCordova, Sebastian Chance.

Brant OPP will not be laying charges in connection with the death of a two-year-old girl fatally struck by a vehicle on Christmas Day.

Foster Butler was hit by a vehicle in the driveway of a Burford area home at about noon Dec. 25. She was taken to a Hamilton hospital where she died on Jan. 1, 2019.

On Wednesday, Brant County OPP announced that an investigation to the tragedy has been completed and investigators have determined no charges will be laid.

The investigation included numerous interviews and consultations with the OPP Criminal Bureau, West Region Criminal Investigations unit and West Region Traffic Management, Brant County OPP said in a statement.

The 11-year-old City of Brantford website has been completely rebuilt and will be launched Feb. 12.
City councillors were given a tour of the new site at their Tuesday night meeting and Mayor Kevin Davis pronounced it “stunning.”
“I didn’t think I’d live long enough to see this,” said Coun. John Utley.
The multi-layered site took a year to complete – from awarding the job to Waterloo’s eSolutionsGroup to the planned launch – but communications director Maria Visocchi said the project is on target to come in under budget.
As part of the overall work, the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre website and Advantage Brantford – a micro-site that encourages business investment — were also revamped.
“We wanted to show Brantford as a modern, progressive city,” said Visocchi as the site was presented to council.
“We’re really proud of this and think the site will be a great resource for residents.”
Karen Mayfield, president of eSolutions, said every single page of content was rebuilt with accessibility in mind and ensuring the site would be found easily by search engines.
Mayfield said her firm has built 150 other municipality’s websites.
The new pages will let residents have quick access to answers, explore trails, find schools, report problems and pay bills.
Staff will be able to respond to questions and update the site themselves.
The site will also carry news and warnings and Scott Hall, the city’s IT manager, said it’s designed to be responsive to different types of devices at different levels of resolution.
“We’re going to have more payable stuff online,” said Hall. “It’s an easy way for people to alert staff about streetlights being out or potholes, and we’re working on a land development tracking site where you can pull up applications and see where they are on a map.”
As to regulations that have ordered municipalities to be more accessibly friendly by 2021, the city will now be well ahead of the curve.
The project team said the site was designed keeping in mind the main reasons Brantfordians seek city information online – transit and recycling questions – and they expect the more efficient site will reduce phone calls to the city from frustrated residents.
Councillors raised questions about whether the site will be safe from hacking and how it will protect the information of those using it. They also wanted assurances that access to PDF files for those with limited vision will be improved on the new site.
“This site screams accessibility and communication,” said Coun. Joshua Wall.
“A lot of sites are poorly done but this one is organized for the investor and the resident,” said Davis. “There’s visually stunning photography that pertains to the area and the graphics are great.”
SGamble@postmedia.com
@EXPSGamble

Re: County wants drivers to slow down, Jan. 28
“Still, while councillors are united in believing something needs to be done to get motorists to slow down, they differ on how it could be accomplished.” (Vincent Ball, The Expositor)
There in a nutshell, we see why communities from local to international cannot solve problems ranging from dangerous driving to global warming.
Robert McMillan
Brantford

Kudos to city workers
The heavy snowfall Monday night and Tuesday morning left many Brantford citizens in trouble.
Our street is not a main road and we were well aware that the city plows would get to us as soon as possible.
We were happy, thanks to our neighbours, Jay and Liam Allen, to have our driveway cleaned out and the street ready for us to go about our business by 11 a.m.
I think it is so important for all of us to realize that streets are plowed in order of importance. Workers do a great job and my wife and I want to thank them for their service to our city. It’s so easy to complain but as citizens in our eighties, my wife and I are grateful for the efforts of our city workers in both the cold of winter and the heat of summer.
Ken and Joan Simmons
Brantford

Bad decision
OK, I’ll admit it, I made a bad decision in the recent municipal election. I did do some research including directly asking our new (then only a candidate) mayor some direct questions.
They were basic questions concerning separation of church and state, views on the legalization of marijuana, women’s rights to choose what happens with their bodies, et cetera.
The answers I received, after some prodding, gave me no indication of the level of arrogance we’re seeing now.
Now, after circulating a survey asking a direct question, receiving a clear and overwhelming majority response with a “yes”, our now decidedly conservative city council decided they know better and made their own choice.
It was particularly disappointing to see Councillor Vanderstelt, whom I thought was more liberal and responsive to his constituents, vote against the acceptance of stores.
We have four years to deal with this. No doubt they will do some good things, but starting off with a direct betrayal of their voters is terrible. Yes, we elected council to think, but not to treat us like we cannot.
Mike LaPointe
Brantford

City council agreed Tuesday to reduce taxes on a number of properties but declined to make the requested changes for seven applications.
Property owners can apply for tax refunds, reductions or even cancellations if their land changes categories, if buildings are razed or destroyed by fire, or if the property is taken over by an exempt organization, such as a church.
City treasurer Catherine Brubacher said the approved tax adjustments would mean $103,225 less tax income but, with some charged back to the school boards and the downtown business improvement area, the effect on the annual operating budget would be $67,228, which is all part of the normal tax office operation.
The changes won’t impact the 2019 budget.
Applications turned down included two that were filed late, for 71 Middleton St., where a February 2017 fire destroyed the Mississauga Metals plant, and 232 Darling St., where a fire destroyed a house.
Other applications were turned down based on decisions by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.
MPAC said 114 Alice St. is still a commercial space despite being home to the Carnival Museum and Archives; 8-10 Craig St. was damaged but its value remains similar to its last sale price; 410 Fairview Dr. is leasing less space than before but is in an appeal process with MPAC; 407-419 Paris Rd. has a telecommunications tower on the site but MPAC disagreed with any error in the classification; and 240 Erie Ave. is still a commercial business, according to MPAC, because there’s still commercial signage there.
SGamble@postmedia.com
@EXPSGamble

Grand Erie District School Board staff are meeting with both the Brant and Haldimand-Norfolk health units to develop an action plan related to vaping on school property.
In a report to the school board on Jan. 14, director of education Brenda Blancher said changes to the Smoke Free Ontario Act bans smoking and vaping within 20 metres of school property.
“This means no smoking or vaping on any part of school property or adjacent grounds (ie: sidewalks) unless it’s 20 metres (or 65 feet) away from the school property,” said Blancher. “Those who break the law can be charged. It also means that we will have to work towards ensuring all of our schools and school board sites are smoke-free.”
An action plan will feature a working group that includes several school administrators, as well as “significant communications for our students, staff, parents/guardians and community users,” said Blancher.
There are also plans for new signs, education materials and a process for dealing with those who violate the new law.
Grants given to board
The Grand Erie District School Board has been awarded $30,500 in Parents Reaching Out Grants.
The grants will be used to support 31 school council projects.
Announcement of the grants was delayed due to the Ontario government’s line by line audit of all accounts.
The money supports parents identifying barriers to parent engagement in their own community and to find local solutions to involve more parents in support of student achievement and well-being.
The grants, which are capped a maximum of $1,000, are obtained by school councils through applications to the province. The grants are then used by councils to pay for outreach programs, such as school math or literacy nights. The funds can even be used to cover the cost of translating letters home to parents into languages that aren’t official ones.
At Grand Erie schools, money will go toward events and projects including family wellness workshops, a family coding night, art instruction, a healthy eating on a budget information session, and an event about post-secondary planning.
The 2018-19 grants represent an $8,000 increase over the previous year when 24 projects were funded.
The Grand Erie board has also received $5,350 in Parent Engagement Grants.
Every December, school councils apply for these grants to support parent engagement through parent-focused events or activities. Twelve grants were received, making an impact at 23 schools.
Funded events include a public information night related to cannabis and opioids, an art program, Mad Science Nights, family math and science nights, and a session on how to reduce anxiety.
Money needed for repairs
Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board schools are in need of about $8.8 million in repair over the next two years.
In a report to the school board, director of education Chris Roehrig updated the board’s five-year facilities renewal plan.
In an effort to maintain schools to their highest standard, the board’s facilities department monitors building conditions and allocates available funds, said Roehrig.
Yearly, based on enrolment, the board receives a School Renewal Grant, on average of about $1.4 million. In addition, beginning in the 2011-12 school year and continuing until end of year 2018-19, the board received a School Condition Improvement Grant of about $2.2 milllion, which was to be used for capital-related projects.
Among the repairs for this school year are $1.9 million for roof replacement at various schools, $700,000 for boiler upgrades, $450,000 for a two-pack portable at St. Joseph’s School along with a site upgrade, and $415,000 for paving.
Roehrig said that along with School Renewal and the School Condition Improvement Allocation, the board’s funding sources also include accumulated surplus and proceeds of disposition.
“With the change in the provincial government in June, the School Condition Improvement Allocation for 2019-2020 is not guaranteed,” said Roehrig. “It is likely, however, that the School Renewal Allocation will continue. Should revenue in 2019-2020 not cover expenditures, projects will be downsized or alternative funding sources will be introduced.”
School’s elevator now working
Despite installation delays and cost overruns, the new elevator at Major Ballachey Elementary School is up and running.
The elevator, at the west end of the school, improves accessibility to the Community Hub.
The project was budgeted for $545,000. The total cost to date is $621,000 and the projected cost is $765,000.
The project experienced significant delays due to excess water, weather, masonry, and the co-ordination of trades and inspections.
The additional cost will be absorbed by available funding in the 2018-19 Community Hub Grant.
The board is currently awaiting Ministry of Education approval to proceed to tender for a child-care addition at Central Public School.
The $2.05-million project will create an addition to Central School for a child-care program that will serve 10 infants, 15 toddlers, 24 pre-schoolers and space to provide support for a family-age group.
The opening date of the 5,500-square-foot addition is subject to the timing of receiving ministry approvals.
mruby@postmedia.com

With continuing sub-zero temperatures around southern Ontario, the Medical Officer of Health is reminding everyone to thoroughly prepare for conditions if going outside.
With the wind chills, Brantford can expect temperatures that feel close to -32C Thursday and Friday, leaving the homeless, elderly, those with chronic illnesses, anyone working outdoors and those in poorly insulated homes, at risk.
The Brant Health Unit and the city of Brantford are working with various community agencies to ensure that no one is left outside this week and everyone is encouraged to seek shelter.
Anyone needing emergency shelter can contact the Social Services Support Centre at 519-759-7009 or visit 220 Colborne Street in person. The city says that the Support Centre is the best option for help as it can offer a range of shelter solutions.
People can also contact shelters directly about availability:
The Salvation Army houses single men, 18 and older, 519-753-4193;
Rosewood House is for single men and women, 18 and older, 519-750-1547;
Nova Vita is for homeless women and children, 519-752-4357;
The Youth Resource Centre is for youths 15 to 19, 519-758-9644.
The Health Unit also reminds everyone to avoid hypothermia and frostbite by layering clothing, covering all exposed skin, wearing extra socks and winter boots, and drinking warm caffeine and alcohol-free drinks.
It also urges people to check on elderly and vulnerable neighbours and acquaintances frequently.
The deep freeze may also move indoors, freezing residential pipes.
Homeowners can let cold water drip from a faucet that has previously had freezing problems and keep the household temperature consistent during the day and night.
The Brantford Fire department urges people to never use an open flame to try and thaw a frozen pipe.
Frozen pipes can often be thawed with an electric heating pad, hair dryer or portable space heater. For burst pipes, water must be turned off at the source and homeowners are advised to contact a licenced plumber.
SGamble@postmedia.com
@EXPSGamble

Who says math can’t be fun?
Certainly not Jordyn Barnes and Jasper Taves, Grade 3 students at Major Ballachey School who were having a great time on Wednesday explaining to people how to use Rekenreks
“They’re what we call a math tool,” Jasper said with the conviction and authority of a teacher. “You can use them for everything – adding, subtracting, multiplication and dividing.”
They had a couple of Rekenreks with them for people to use and they also had an exhibit explaining their benefits. Rekenreks, according to their report, can help people count in a organized way.
Sometimes called an arithmetic rack, the Rekenrek was designed by a mathematics researcher in Holland as a way of supporting natural number sense development in children.
Jasper and Jordyn were just a couple of the students who spent part of their day at a school-wide math fair in the gymnasium. Students from kindergarten to the senior grades participated in the event, which included numerous exhibits like a lego board used to help with math skills.
The math fair brings teachers, students and parents together for an afternoon of fun mathematics.
Jordyn was delighted to be able to show her mom and dad – Andrea Hunter and Brandon Barnes – the display and explain to them how it works.
“I really like math,” Andrea said. “It’s kind of fun.
“I also like science.”
Mom and dad enjoyed the visit but neither could remember ever participating in a math fair when they went to school.
Other exhibits included an estimates table – a table that included several glass jars filled with treats or toys. Guests were encouraged to guess how many treats – candies or toys – were in a specific jar.
Some displays focused on geometry and spatial sense, patterns, data management and probability and number sense. There was also a display about fractions.
“We’re trying to show parents and students that there are different ways of teaching and learning,” Allie Cole, the school’s vice-principal, said. “They can take a look at what we’re doing and figure out what works best for their child and use it at home support what’s being taught in the classroom.”
Vball@postmedia.com
twitter.com/EXPVBall

A Norfolk man pleaded guilty in Ontario Court recently to causing a crash that sent five people – including himself – to hospital.
John Andres, 44, pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle in connection with an April 9, 2017, incident where he crashed his vehicle into the front porch of a house where four people were sitting.
At the time, Norfolk OPP Const. Ed Sanchuk said he was “shocked and amazed” there were only minor injuries from the accident.
Andres was driving west on Pine Street when he lost control of his vehicle and hit the Queen Street house.
A 60-year-old woman and 69-year-old man were injured in the accident and taken to hospital by paramedics while a 65-year-old woman and 68-year-old man were also taken in, but mainly for observation.
Andres was also taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries, according to the original report.
“There were four people on the porch that day enjoying the weather and each other’s company when this vehicle came across the front of their property and struck that porch,” said Sanchuk at the time, “and we’re very, very lucky we weren’t dealing with a quadruple fatality here.”
Andres was sentenced by Justice Gethin Edward to serve 90 days of weekend jail and is prohibited from driving for a period. He will also have to maintain a year-long probation.
Multiple charges leads to more jail time
A man with various addresses in Simcoe and Brantford was sentenced recently in Simcoe’s Ontario Court to time served plus another 140 days in jail.
James Anthony Sampano, 48, pleaded guilty before Justice Ken Lenz to seven charges from seven different dates covering eight months.
Toward the end of 2017, Sampano didn’t follow his probation orders when it came to getting an assessment and treatment for anger management, substance abuse and domestic violence.
In March last year, he didn’t show up for court and in April, he was caught with a stolen hockey jersey.
Days later, he didn’t report to his probation office again.
In July, Sampano went to the home of an ex-partner he had been ordered to avoid and then entered the house, failed to report to probation again and didn’t show up at court.
He pleaded guilty to all those charges.
Lenz credited Sampano with already having served 69 days in jail and he ordered that he return there for another 140 days.
For one of his convictions of not going to court, Lenz levied a suspended sentence and a two-year probation.
Gas dasher behind bars
A gas-and-dash expert who caused the Norfolk OPP to urge gas stations to move to a ‘prepay at the pumps’ system, was sentenced recently in Ontario Court in Simcoe.
Adam John Sapiano, 24, of no fixed address, was arrested after police got reports from different gas stations in the Norfolk County area about “gas drive-offs” between July and August last year.
Sapiano was arrested Aug. 11 after patrolling officers noticed the pickup truck he was driving and started an investigation.
In court, Sapiano pleaded guilty to theft under $5,000 for incidents on July 14, Aug. 1, Aug. 14, and Aug. 16. He also pleaded guilty to personate with intent and two counts of uttering forged documents.
Then in September he failed to appear at court, and in October he committed mischief and breached his bail conditions. He pleaded guilty to those charges as well.
Sapiano was credited with already having served 51 days in jail by Justice Lawrence Thibideau and ordered to serve a further 69 days in jail.
Thibideau also ordered him to make restitution of $280 and maintain an 18-month probation period.
SGamble@postmedia.com
@EXPSGamble

There is an old short story that is a cautionary tale with the moral that we need to be careful what we wish for.
The story, by W. W. Jacobs, entitled, The Monkey’s Paw, tells the tale of a man who comes to possess a mummified monkey’s paw that has been endowed with the power to grant three wishes to its possessor.
The cautionary part of the tale comes into effect when you realize that there is no such thing as a free lunch when it pertains to wishes. Each wish exacts a terrible price from the person who made the wish.
In this case, a wish was granted when their only son was killed in a horrible accident and they were gifted £200 as compensation for their loss. In their grief, they make even greater mistakes in trying to correct the consequences of the first wish.
Like the family in the story, mankind is faced with a similar choice with the development of Artificial Intelligence. This is an aspect of computer science where we develop computers that are capable of independent actions and the ability to learn. This is used to perform tasks that would normally require the intervention of a human being to a specific task.
For instance, applications of artificial intelligence have been used to perform tasks such as reading and interpreting X-ray scans and managing traffic flows. Computers have proven to be remarkably good at this task, often outperforming human doctors in making diagnoses. Perhaps the best example of this technology that we may encounter comes in the form of our personal assistants such as Google, Siri, and Alexa.
These personal assistants can understand natural language commands and they do a pretty good job of figuring out what we want, despite the natural imprecision of our spoken language. They come very close to passing the Turing Test for intelligence.
This test was first proposed by Alan Turing, the father of modern computers, who in 1950 suggested that we could consider a machine ‘intelligent’ if we cannot distinguish the difference between responses given by a computer or a human being. While none of these personal assistants can yet pass the test, there have been some impressive demonstrations of natural language processing and response coming out of the Google Labs.
However, some of the tests of artificial intelligence systems have yielded bizarre results that echo the lessons of The Monkey’s Paw tale. Sometimes the reason for these results have to do with the way these computers are given instructions.
Older-style computers are programmed in the traditional sense where we give the computer a very explicit set of instructions and then have the computer execute these instructions. The output from these computers, once the program is fully debugged, is usually completely predictable if the system is operating within the original constraints and assumptions that were programmed into it. For instance, we should not expect a computer that flies an airplane to pilot a submarine because the environments are radically different.
One of the main ways to test these kinds of systems is using games and simulations. It is then that we discover that artificial intelligent systems really do have ‘minds’ of their own.
In one computer simulation, a computer-controlled robot was tasked with putting a block in a very specific location on a table. The computer ‘solved’ the problem by moving the table, rather than by the expected means of moving the block.
In another game simulation, the computer learned how to achieve the high score by simply inserting the computer’s name into the high score table as the player with the highest score.
Perhaps my favorite example was a game of life simulation where survival required energy, but, in the context of the simulation, giving birth had no cost at all. The computer solved the problem by ‘living’ a sedentary lifestyle, continuously mating, and then eating the resulting offspring for energy. Somehow, I doubt that was what the designers had in mind, but it was a valid, if immoral solution to the problem presented.
If we are going to build intelligent machines, and I strongly believe we are only about 50 years from having machines that can ‘think’ as we humans understand that concept, we need to make sure that we build in some kind of ‘moral’ sense when the systems are built. Otherwise we may become victims of our own technological version of The Monkey’s Paw.
Tim Philp has enjoyed science since he was old enough to read. Having worked in technical fields all his life, he shares his love of science with readers weekly. He can be reached by e-mail at: tphilp@bfree.on.ca or via snail mail c/o The Expositor.