A local builder and three longstanding companies were recognized at the Brantford Economic Development Advisory Committee annual industrial appreciation luncheon on Friday.

Vicano Construction Ltd. was presented with this year’s Ambassador Award, while three companies – ACIC Pharmaceuticals Inc., The Marco Corp. and Beck’s Printing Services – were recognized for their longevity.

The awards were presented  at the Brantford Golf and Country Club. This is the 11th year that the committee has partnered with the Rotary Club of Brantford to host the luncheon.

Allan Lovett, chair of the committee, said Vicano’s name is evident throughout the community.

“You would be hard pressed to drive through an industrial or commercial area of the city and not see their familiar company logo on signs or equipment signalling yet another construction project aimed at attracting businesses and jobs to Brantford,” he said.

“We’re pleased to salute a family company that, for more than 40 years, has developed, designed and constructed buildings in our community.”

The Ambassador Award recognizes companies or individuals that have supported or contributed to the economic development of Brantford.

Founded by Peter Vicano in 1975, the company has completed more than 700 commercial, industrial and institutional projects worth more than $100 million. The company’s executive team includes Vicano, who is president, and his sons, Michael, project manager, Marc, project manager, and Paul, development manager.

The company also employs on site personnel, sub-trades and has many suppliers.

“It’s quite an honour to receive this,” said Peter Vicano. “We’re humbled by it.

“As much as we’ve done, we have plans to do more and large projects. What drives us is a sense of accomplishment when projects are completed and occupied.”

Watching projects get completed is “most gratifying,” he added.

Vicano noted there are a lot of great companies in Brantford that manufacture and distribute products globally.

The three companies honoured for their longevity were each established in 1973.

ACIC is a fine chemical company that manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients to a range of clients. The company employs 75 people at its 81 Sinclair Blvd. location.

Macro Corp. provides promotional management services and has two large warehouses in Brantford and employs about 160 people..

Beck’s Printing, located at 445 Hardy Rd., offers full print services and eploys five people.

“Recognizing the valuable contribution industry makes to our economic development is vital,” Lovett said. “Brantford continues to be an excellent location for new business and as well as existing businesses to grow and succeed.

“Last year, the city welcomed 12 new industries.”

Here are the new companies recognized at Friday’s luncheon:

• Rotalex, with 15 employees, provides automation solutions to industry from its 10 Abbott Crt. location.
• 48North Cannabis Corp. employs 20 people in cannabis production at its 47,000-square-feet in the Braneida Industrial Park.
• Kooljetm with 20 workers, designs and manufactures custom refrigeration systems for perishable products. It relocated to 150 Adams Blvd. from Tillsonburg.
• TexTrail Trailer Parts employs 14 people at its warehouse and distribution centre at 150 Adams Blvd.  The company recently merged with NuEra Transport.
• TW Trade, with five workers, distributes consumer products and is located a 46 Zatonski Ave., Unit 3.
• Intelcom Express opened a warehousing and distribution centre at 10 Abbott Crt., Building D, and employs 70 people.
• APC Auto Parts, with nine workers, opened at 10 Abbott Cr. and sells auto parts, paints and specialty items.
• UTS Consultants at 340 Henry St. provides municipal engineering services to telecommunications and electric utility industries. The company employs three people.
• Dohey Manufacturing Inc. employs six people at 195 Savannah Oaks Dr., where it manufactures co-packing for snack food companies and hygienic paper products.
• Cutting Edge Tools, at 445 Hardy Rd., employs five people and is an industrial manufacturing tool distributor for metal works, aerospace, oil and gas and automotive industries.
• OmniCoil Spring Works Inc. is at 25 Catharine Ave. and employs 21 people manufacturing springs.
• Trakar Products Inc. provides springs, light manufacturing and warehousing from its 54 Spalding Dr. location and employs six people.

Vball@postmedia.com

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The first-ever rulings by Norfolk County’s integrity commissioner on complaints involving a county council member will be submitted by April 15.

Toronto lawyer John Mascarin gave that assurance in a recent letter to Norfolk clerk Andy Grozelle.

The one-page letter, dated March 19, provides no details of the complaints or the identity of the council member under review.

Mascarin, however, says that he has received two complaints involving the same council member.

“The allegations arise from the same incident and essentially refer to the same code provisions as having been contravened,” he says in his letter. “We are investigating both complaints contemporaneously.”

He says the council member has “fully co-operated” with the investigation.

“Further inquiries are now being undertaken.”

At the Jan. 8 Norfolk council meeting new Mayor Kristal Chopp took Norfolk planning staff to task for a report on the costs and benefits of allowing backyard chickens in urban areas.

Chopp told principal planner Mat Vaughan that council asked for a road map to make urban chickens a reality, not a report re-iterating staff’s position that in-town chickens were a bad idea from a public health standpoint.

“To say I’m upset would be an understatement,” Chopp said at the Jan. 8 meeting. “This is going to be a long four years if the wishes of council are not respected.”

As she upbraided Vaughan, the mayor tore a piece of paper in half.

Shortly after the meeting, former Simcoe councillor Peter Black said he paid a $150 filing fee and lodged a complaint about Chopp’s conduct with the integrity commissioner.

Black said he thinks Chopp breached council’s code of conduct by challenging the professionalism and integrity of a staff member in a public forum.

Black was a member of Norfolk council from 2001 until last fall’s municipal election.

“The integrity commissioner told me not to talk about it till his report is revealed, but I was pretty upset by what she did,” Black said Friday.

“As I’ve got older, I’ve come to have respect for all people. Nobody wants to be treated that way. For crying out loud she’s supposed to be a professional person. She’s a commercial airline pilot.

“If I were in the chair, I would’ve jumped on that.”

Black said he is not in favour of the anonymity of the integrity complaints process. If someone is going to lodge a complaint, they should be prepared to attach their name to it, said Black.

Neither Mascarin nor Chopp was available for comment Friday afternoon.

As a council member, Black had first-hand experience with the council code of conduct complaints process. Three years ago, a member of the public accused Black of referring to them in a profane manner.

Norfolk council did not have an independent integrity commissioner to adjudicate the complaint so council handled the matter in-camera.

Black’s council colleagues questioned him about the incident but ultimately decided there was not enough evidence to uphold the complaint.

MSonnenberg@postmedia.com

Councillors have directed city staff to investigate the feasibility of implementing a 24-hour, city-wide street parking ban during winter storms.

A resolution introduced by Coun. John Utley was backed by the council’s operations and administration committee.

Utley said he finds it frustrating when multiple cars are parked on a street, impeding snow removal by plows.

“The slushy snow becomes almost like concrete and can do damage to the underside of a car,” he said. “Many people who park on the street have an empty driveway.”

Utley said plow operators often must return to streets that are blocked by parked cars, adding labour and operating costs to the city’s snow clearing and salting operations.

City staff have been directed to include in their report information about how a street parking ban would impact snow clearing, and the estimated cost savings.

The report also will consider:

• How to exempt some streets where there are no driveways;

• The mechanism, timing and protocol for a no-parking order;

• And how winter storm parking bans are working in other municipalities.

Coun. John Sless said parking bans are common in other cities and allow snow clearing to get done “faster and cheaper.”

Several councillors raised the concerns about how a parking ban would impact those who don’t have driveways or just a single parking spot.

“I have friends who only have one parking spot and their secondary vehicle has to go on the road,” said Coun. Joshua Wall. “I don’t feel comfortable with someone (in this situation) getting their car towed.”

The city plows and salts roads and bicycle lanes in priority, with main roads being done first. Mayor Kevin Davis asked staff to consider in their report a parking ban just on those streets and to consider how warning tickets could be issued for a couple of months while residents get accustomed to a ban.

“This would be an opportunity for citizens who own a car to help us find efficiencies,” said Utley.

A spring planting is planned for a food forest in an Eagle Place park that would provide free fruit to residents.

A final design for the forest in Parson’s Park on Ontario Street will be completed after the project received approval at an operations and administration committee meeting.

“(The project) demonstrates strong environmental stewardship and aligns with a green infrastructure incentive as outlined in the city’s strategic plan,” said a report from Brian Hughes, the city’s director of parks services.

Hughes said city staff is currently working with a designer who has experience in developing food forests in neighbouring communities.

A food forest is an orchard that mimics a natural forest and could include pear, apple and gum trees, along with elderberry and hackberry plants.
It would be less than a hectare in size.

The project has a projected budget of about $43,000 that includes the costs of plant material, mulch, raised garden beds, lumber, soil, a stone dust path, a standard park bench, picnic tables, a storage shed, rain barrels and renting a portable washroom.

The forest will be operated and funded by the Brantford Food Forest Committee made up of four core members and 11 members at large. About $11,500 has been raised so far for the project. City staff will provide guidance to the committee on an ongoing basis.

“I wouldn’t recommend going too big until we see how much funding they get,” Hughes told city councillors.

Coun. Greg Martin voted against the project because there are no plans to use pesticides at the site. He said that if the fruit is full of worms it will be thrown around “by hooligans in the neighbourhood.”

“If they don’t use pesticides, I can’t support it,” he said.

The Community Charity Airshow will take off in Aug. 28 with support from the city.

Councillors agreed at an operations and administration committee to support the popular air show with the donation of in-kind services up to $21,500.

The free show, held at the Brantford Municipal Airport, is one of the city’s largest special events, attracting up to 15,000 people.

In 2016, the lead organization responsible for the air show changed from the Rotary Club of Brantford to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.

The event’s net revenue from 2009 to 2016 was about $188,000. The money has historically supported local children and youth projects through Lansdowne Children’s Centre and the Rotary Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Brantford.

The city supports the air show through several departments, including police services, Brantford Fire, Brantford Transit, parks and recreation, facilities management and Brant County Ambulance.

“This is a good news item,” said Coun. Greg Martin. “The air show is something enjoyed by all. It is a great partnership between the Warplane Heritage Museum and the Rotary Club.”

Martin said a fundraising dinner held the night before the air show has grown since the event was moved to the Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount Hope.

Half-pipe on the move

There are plans to move the skateboard half-pipe at Jaycee Park to create more parking spaces.

Councillors approved the recommended plan at an operations and administration committee meeting that includes the removal of the half-pipe from the parking lot area with the potential, depending on its condition, of relocating it to another city park.

“The first step will be evaluating the structure and then we will look at options for the new location,” said Sandy Jackson, the city’s general manager of community programs, parks and recreation.

Jackson said this would be the least expensive way to expand the parking lot but only provide 18 additional parking spaces.

A second option, which would involve the creation of a new parking lot on an area currently used as a soccer field at a cost of $575,000, wasn’t recommended by city staff.

Jackson said the parking situation at Jaycee Park has been problematic over the last five years as the number of patrons parking their vehicles to attend sporting events there has increased. The lot can’t accommodate the needs of users, particularly during soccer season, she said.

The configuration of Jaycee Park, with the south side of the lot sloping to Dunsdon Street, the field house to the east, and Wayne Gretzky Parkway to the west, allows expansion of the parking lot in just one direction.

Jackson said the parking situation will continue to be monitored by city staff to determine whether problems persist.

Roundabout report delay

City staff have been given a little bit longer to present councillors with a report on roundabouts.

The report, originally directed to come to council at the end of March, will now be presented before April 30.

Coun. Dan McCreary received unanimous backing in December for his request for city staff to investigate and report back to council a policy, standards, and traffic control/parking bylaw amendments to support the implementation of the circular intersections.

He also is asking for staff to suggest possible locations for the roundabouts “where a feasibility study can be implemented in conjunction with approved road construction projects in the city’s 10-year capital forecast.”

Council first approved a resolution back in 2017 to look into the development of roundabouts but it didn’t proceed.

McCreary sees potential roundabout locations at Wayne Gretzky Parkway intersections, at Highway 24 and Powerline Road, and Powerline and Park Road.

More than 135 local teachers could lose their jobs under the province’s plan to increase secondary school class sizes.

Larger class sizes and mandatory online courses for high school students are among the many education changes announced by the Ontario government.

The average class size for high schools will increase to 28 from 22 starting in the new school year in September.

The province is also making it mandatory for high school students to take at least four online courses out of the 30 they need to graduate starting in the 2020-21 school year.

In a statement, Greg Anderson, chair of the Grand Erie District School Board, said moving to an average class size of 28 students will mean the loss of about 94 teaching positions and eight additional jobs related to secondary school programming.

“Understandably, this will create a challenging situation for our board,” said Anderson. “As we are developing our staffing plans moving forward, we will exercise extreme restraint in hiring to replace retiring teachers or those who leave the board for other opportunities.

“We will also look for ways to offset the impact of this change over time, as was outlined by the education minister.”

Although representatives from the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board wouldn’t speculate on how many jobs could be lost under the provincial plan, the union representing its high school teachers said it could be up to 60, including 40 teachers.

“That is a third of our secondary staff,” said Carlo Fortino, acting president of the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association. “Many of our young, enthusiastic teachers would lose their jobs.

“Many classes could have up to 40 students. It is a recipe for chaos. It’s going to have a dramatic impact. It’s very distressing.”

In a statement released by the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board, chair Rick Petrella said the board is in the process of finalizing enrolment statistics and staffing projections.

“When we receive more information from the Ministry of Education about the proposed changes, we will be in a position to share the impact on our staffing complement,” said Petrella. “Our stable financial position matched with clarification from the ministry will assist us with this process.”

Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation president Harvey Bischof said: “The government has declared war on Ontario’s public education system.”

He said the increased class sizes, phased in over four years, will result in a cut of 3,630 teachers —  “a loss that cannot possibly be absorbed without a significant impact on student learning and success.”

Bischof said other changes announced by the province, including a reduction of 12.91 per cent of the Pupil Foundation grant over four years and a reduction of 5.88 per cent to the overall Grants for Student Needs over the same period, will remove  $1.4 billion from Ontario’s public education system.

He said the moves amount to “an appalling betrayal of the public trust.”

“Not only do they make a mockery of the claim that there is fat to cut in Ontario’s public education system, but given the premier’s repeated election promises that no jobs will be lost, the government quite simply has no mandate to make the changes.”

Fortino said OECTA is looking at several ways to combat the changes, including putting public pressure on the government through protests and letter campaigns. He said they are also considering court options.

“Some of these things, including class sizes, are supposed to be collective bargaining items,” he said.

Anderson said slightly larger class sizes proposed for Grades 4 to 8 are still being assessed by the Grand Erie board.

He added that the board is “pleased” to see the ministry’s focus on increasing exposure to skilled trades, technology and apprenticeship training.

“We hope this will help boost Grand Erie’s already strong Specialist High Skills Major programs in construction, manufacturing and transportation.”

Anderson said the board is “cautiously optimistic” about the government’s commitment to increasing learning about Indigenous perspectives, cultures, contributions and histories, a “key priority for the board.”

He  said Grand Erie also is encouraged that the ministry is seeking input on hiring practices.

Brantford Police continue to look for two suspects after a downtown shooting in broad daylight on Friday that injured a young male.

The victim was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound shortly after 1 p.m. with serious injuries.

Police will say only that the victim, who remains in hospital, is under the age of 18. They wouldn’t say if he is a Brantford resident.

Police believe the shooting, in the area of Colborne Street and Park Avenue, was a targeted incident.

“We are following up quite a few things,” Cont. Shane Seibert said on Monday.

“There were people in the area who were driving by and witnessed what happened.”

Brantford police identified one suspect as 20-year-old Keyshawn Commissiong. He is described as five-foot-11, about 165 pounds, with black hair in dreadlocks. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black pants with “Champion” in white lettering and brown boots.

Police identified the second suspect as 19-year-old Isaiah Castillo. He is described as five-foot-seven to five-foot-nine with a medium build and a mustache. When last seen he was wearing a black jacket with pink on it, a hoodie, dark baseball hat, blue jeans and black running shoes with white soles.

Police warn not to approach the suspects who may be carrying a firearm.

Anyone who sees or has information about the suspects is urged to contact Brantford police at 519-756-0113 or call 911. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous are asked to contact Brant-Brantford Crime Stoppers at 519-750-8477 or 1-800-222-8477. Alternatively, a web tip may be submitted at https://www.tipsubmit.com/WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=251.

On Feb. 15, police were called to a home on Moyle Drive to investigate a report of gun shots. Upon arrival, officers found bullet holes to the residence, police said. There were no injuries. A mid-sized sedan style of vehicle was seen in the area. Moyle Drive connects Allensgate and Myrtleville drives in the north end.

On Jan. 24, a 20-year-old Brantford man was sent to Brantford General Hospital after a shooting at a Woodlawn Avenue home on Jan. 24. The man was in stable condition following the shooting.
Police said at the time that the Woodlawn shooting was not a random act and and that the victim and two suspects in the incident know each other. Woodlawn is a few blocks away from Moyle Drive.

Five decades of Special Olympics were marked in Brantford and across the province on Monday.

“Today is all about the number 50,” Brantford police Chief Geoff Nelson said at a ceremony outside the police station. “We have assembled to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Special Olympics. Today, we are one of 50 law enforcement agencies across the province celebrating this milestone together by hosting ceremonies just like this.”

Monday also marked the 50-day countdown to the inaugural 2019 Special Olympics Ontario Invitational Youth Games in Toronto.

Two local teams will participate in the youth games – Brantford’s Special Olympics Ontario floor hockey team of the year and Special Olympics Brantford’s high school division basketball team from Pauline Johnson Collegiate.

Floor hockey team members are Peter Charnish, Scott Gowing, Jesse Jewson, Ryan Murphy, Chris Tavener, Neil MacDonald, Keith Davies, Dave White, Rick Knight, Donny Tobicoe, Jennifer Sywyk, Brendan VanHorn, Matt Garvey, Steven Samwell, and Jess Horvath.

Students on the basketball team area Nick Semlitsch, Stantone James, Addison Russell, Josh St. Pierre and Jacob Bowman.

“The team is made up of students from two different programs, the developmentally delayed class and the mixed exceptionality class, who have come together in friendship and in community to create a welcoming, encouraging and successful team,” said Jerry Blue, who is an educational assistant at PJ.

Having mainstream leadership students assist in coaching the team helps overcome barriers, said Blue.

“When we all work together, amazing things can happen and no one is left behind.”

Prior to the raising of a Special Olympic flag in front of the police station, Nelson talked about the Ontario connection to the start of the movement.

In the early 1960s, Dr. Frank Hayden, from the University of Western Ontario, built fitness programs for intellectually disabled children. This attracted the attention in the United States of the Kennedy Foundation and its patron, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. The first Special Olympics games were held in Chicago in 1968.

“This movement has evolved into something far greater than just a program designed to improve health and fitness levels,” said Nelson. “These athletes with special abilities become whole through Special Olympics. They discover the joy of being on a team, of reaching personal goals. Many say they have regained lost self-esteem, no longer feeling pushed aside and forgotten about.”

Jim Kruis, co-community co-ordinator with the Brantford Special Olympics, said there are about 200 athletes currently involved in the local organization, established in the city more than 30 years ago. Many local athletes are gone on to compete provincially, nationally and internationally.

Honoured on Monday were Neil MacDonald, Kerry Lane and Jacob Potts, local Special Olympians who just returned from the United Arab Emirates where they represented Canada at the World Games. MacDonald earned two silver medals in bocce. Lane received a bronze in bocce and Potts was awarded silver in the 4×100 relay.

City Coun. Greg Martin said it’s remarkable for a volunteer organization to last 50 years.

“I look forward to more athletes bringing home hardware,” he said.

The Special Olympics Ontario Invitational Youth Games, to be held May 14 to 17, will host athletes with and without intellectual disabilities competing alongside each other.

Javed Thadani, manager of fundraising and sponsorship for Special Olympics Ontario, expects about 2,000 participating athletes, half from Ontario and the rest from around the world.

There was a goal on Monday to raise $50,000 toward the Draft an Athlete campaign for the youth games. Every $1,000 raised covers the costs of travel, accommodation, food and competition expenses for one athlete. Donations can be made at www.youthgames2019.com/draft

Also honoured at Monday’s ceremony were Sherri Lafleur, who received the Sport and Community Builder Award from Special Olympics Ontario, and the Knights of Columbus, which has supported the organization since 1968.

mruby@postmedia.com

The bright yellow daffodil is a sure sign of spring.

The resilient flower also has become a symbol of the Canadian Cancer Society since it was used for the first time by Toronto volunteers in the 1950s to decorate tables at fundraising events that became known as Daffodil Teas.

April is Cancer Awareness Month and time for the Daffodil Campaign.

Fundraising activities related to the campaign vary across the country.

Although there are no longer sales of live daffodils locally, volunteers are needed again to sell daffodil pins in Brantford and Paris on April 5, 6, and 7.  Proceeds will go toward cancer research, to support programs for those affected by the disease, and for advocacy to governments on cancer-related issues to drive social change and funding.

Wearing the pin is also a hopeful sign for people living with cancer, said Lynn Felker, co-ordinator of volunteer engagement with the Canadian Cancer Society.

“It’s about wearing the pin and creating a feeling that people are on your side. We all have a cancer story.”

Since the Canadian Cancer Society’s Brantford office closed a couple of years ago, Felker said effort is being made to ensure local residents continue to interact with the charitable organization.

She is hoping all the shifts to sell daffodil pins will be covered by volunteers. Pin boxes will be set up during opening hours from April 5 to 7 at Sobeys on Colborne Street West, at Metro on St. Paul Avenue, at the Brantford Farmers Market, and at the LCBO on King George Road.

About 70 volunteers are needed to be pin ambassadors and cover two-hour shifts at the locations. People can sign up for shifts at cancer.ca/daffodil where they can also make donations. Volunteers can also call 905-575-9220, ext. 3110, to sign up. Businesses that want to display a daffodil pin box can make arrangements by calling that number.

Amandeep Somal, a 24-year-old from Brantford, started volunteering with the cancer society in January, after her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

“It was kind of shocking,” she said. “No one in our family has had cancer. We’ve never gone through this.”

The news came at a time when Somal, a graduate of Humber and Conestoga colleges, was looking for work in human resources. She saw a posting Felker made looking for someone to help her with volunteer recruitment. Somal said it turned out to be the perfect way to gain experience in her field and learn more about the disease that was affecting her family.

“I want to go into recruitment,” said Somal. “Through my volunteer work, I’m getting the opportunity to create job postings and learning how to interview potential volunteers.”

Felker said volunteering has become the “new first job for young people,” who, perhaps because they must to commit to 40 hours to volunteer work as a requirement to graduate high school, seem to have the mindset for donating their time.

“They want to do something that has meaning for them,” said Felker. “Nobody should have to do something they don’t want to do. It’s about getting the right people in the right place.”

Lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancer account for about half of all cancer diagnoses and deaths.

About one in two Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetimes and one in four will die of the disease.

Sixty per cent of Canadians diagnosed with cancer will survive at least five years after their diagnosis.

The Canadian Cancer Society is also helping patients and loved ones with a cancer information service – at cancer.ca or 1-888-939-3333 – that  connects them to someone who has experienced the disease. Arrangements can also be made to provide rides to treatment and connect people with other services in their communities.

PARIS — Organ music is filling the splendid, spacious sanctuary at St. Paul’s United Church.

The sound is familiar, as one could imagine it ringing out 140 years ago when the Broadway Street West church in Paris was new.

But the instrument, being played on Saturday by the church’s music director, John Vandertuin, is entirely modern.

When Vandertuin, an accomplished organ recitalist, composer, recording artist, organ consultant, teacher and music critic, became music director at the church a year ago, he was quick to notice issues with the sound of the old pipe organ.

Some of the towering pipes at the front of the sanctuary, which are still in place, date back to 1910.

It’s not certain when the original pipe organ was built, but records show it was rebuilt and enlarged in 1963.

“It was developing a lot of problems but it was too costly to replace,” said Vandertuin. “The valves weren’t closing. There were air leaks.”

With a cost estimated at $250,000, replacement of the pipe organ was out of the question for the small congregation.

That set Vandertuin on a mission to find an alternative. His research led him to Content Organs of Ermel, Netherlands.

“It is one of the leading companies,” he said. “It’s a specialized art to build a digital organ that sounds like a pipe organ.”

The church council agreed to purchase the instrument for about $50,000 and it was installed last December.

Vandertuin has been playing it for Sunday services since Christmas Eve.

“It’s the largest digital organ in any church in Brant County and may, in fact, be the largest organ in the country,” he said.

The instrument, with its modern technology, provides endless musical possibilities. It is really four organs in one, said Vandertuin, capable of being played in baroque, classic, romantic and symphonic styles. It has a synthesizer, orchestral and harpsicord sounds, and can produce dozens of extra voices for a choir.

Vandertuin continues to work with Klaas Bos of Classical Organ Centre in Norwich to perfect the organ’s settings.

“I want it to sound as good as it possibly can,” said Vandertuin.

A dedication service for the organ will be held April 7 at 10:30 a.m.

There are several fundraisers planned to help cover the cost of the instrument. Those include an inauguration concert on April 27 at 7:30 p.m. The freewill offering will go toward the St. Paul’s Organ Fund.

On May 4 at 3 p.m., Vandertuin will be guest artist at a concert by the Cambridge Male Chorus, another organ fundraiser.

Every Friday in July, Vandertuin will perform with another professional organist, including Simon Walker, Andrew McKriel and Angus Sinclair.

Vandertuin, who is visually impaired, began his formal studies in piano and music braille at the former Ontario School for the Blind, now W. Ross Macdonald School, in Brantford and made his recital debut in Paris, France, at the age of 14. He has many organ and piano degrees, including those from the Royal Conservatory, the University of Western Ontario. He earned a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Michigan.

In 2012, Vandertuin was inducted onto the Wall of Fame at the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of music.

Vandetuin thanked the church council and congregation, along with the former minister, Rev. Barbara Fullerton, and interim minister Alison Chisholm for supporting the purchase of the organ, which will benefit the church for years to come.

Katie Montour, a graduate of Brantford’s Assumption College School, will be participating in Daughters of the Vote in Ottawa beginning March 30.

“I’m really excited and looking forward to being in Ottawa,” Montour, 20, said in a telephone interview from Kingston where she is studying political science at Queen’s University.

“It’s a great opportunity to spend time with a lot of smart, ambitious young women who are interested in politics and want to make a difference. It’s also a great opportunity to meet people who are involved in government.”

Montour brings to three the number of young women participating in the program who have ties to Brantford. The others are Gabrielle Cotton, 21, a graduate of Brantford Collegiate Institute now studying at the University of Toronto, and Madeline Brown, 20, also a BCI graduate, who now studies at University of Ottawa.

They are among 338 women, aged 18 to 23, from across Canada, participating in the leadership program launched by Equal Voice Canada. The program aims to encourage more women to enter politics.

Each participant will take one seat in the House of Commons. Montour will take the seat of Haldimand-Norfolk MP Diane Finley. Brown is representing Brantford-Brant MP Phil McColeman, while Cotton is representing Ali Ehsassi, MP for Willowdale, where she now lives.

Daughters of the Vote, which runs until April 5, coincides with the anniversary of Indigenous women obtaining the right to vote on March 30, 1960.

Participants in Daughters of the Vote will attend an Indigenous forum, policy development workshops, leadership training and meet federal party politicians.

Montour heard about the program from her mother who had read a newspaper article about the 2017 Daughters of The Vote.

“When I read about that and how each seat in the House of Commons was occupied by a woman, I just really felt inspired and wanted to be a part of it,” Montour said.

A Mohawk of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, Montour is from Caledonia. She’s looking forward to meeting other young Indigenous women participating in Daughters of the Vote.

“Historically, the relationship between the federal government and Indigenous people has been challenging,” Montour said. “We’re learning more about our shared past right now especially the residential schools and their impact.

“But we’re also living in a time of reconciliation.”

Montour said she wants to the work for the federal government.

For now, however, she’s enjoying her time at Queen’s and fondly remembers her time at Assumption.

“I’m a proud Assumption College Lion,” Montour said. “I had a lot of really great teachers at Assumption and they’re the ones that helped get me ready for university.

“Here at Queen’s, I’m learning from some of the best professors, I’ve made some really great friends and have had an opportunity to be involved in a lot of different activities.

Vball@postmedia.com

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Residents of Brant County have several ways of sharing their vision for the future over the next several weeks.

An online survey has been launched and two public meetings have been organized as the county embarks on a strategic planning process.

“With a new council firmly in place, the time is right to look ahead to the future,” Mayor David Bailey said in a statement. “The strategic planning process starts with a vision and we need the community to participate in this process.

“Tell us what is important and where we should focus our attention for the next five, 10 and 20 years to make Brant the best it can be.”

The online survey can be found at www.brant.ca/OurFutureSurvey.

Printed copies of the survey can be found at any county customer service office. The survey closes on April 30.

A public open house is being held April 17 from noon to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Bethel Community Hall, 154 Bethel Rd., Paris. The open house will be followed by a public information session from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Residents also have the option of completing “vision cards,” which are available at customer service offices or by contacting info@brant.ca. They must be completed by April 30.

The county’s last strategic planning exercise took place in 2012 and identified several priorities, including fiscally responsible financial management, improved maintenance of infrastructure, a healthy and safe community and ensuring high quality service to residents.

“Overall, I feel we’ve made strides in all these areas and there are many things we will continue to improve upon,” Bailey said. “Moving forward, we have new opportunities, new challenges and fresh eyes.

“This is an opportunity to help shape the future our our county.”

Heritage, residential growth and more walking trails are just a few of topics county residents might want to raise, Bailey said.

“We invite you to be part of the process and conversation,” Bailey said. “You will be heard.”

Vball@postmedia.com

twitter.com/EXPVBall

The City of Brantford announced Tuesday that the bronze plaque discovered stolen last week from the Bell Memorial has been returned.

“We are thrilled to announce that the plaque has been returned to its rightful place in history,” the city said on Twitter. “Thanks for helping us spread the word.”

A Brantford man who pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting a woman with a wooden deck spindle has been sentenced to the time he had already served in jail.

John David Eubank, 48, was found guilty in Ontario Court of assault and breaking probation orders for the May 2 incident but he was acquitted of assault with a weapon and aggravated assault.

According to police, Eubank attacked the woman with the piece of wood containing protruding screws and nails.

Justice Gethin Edward sentenced Eubank to the equivalent of six months of jail which he had already served and ordered him to get counselling for anger management and substance abuse.

Two years ago, Eubank was one of five people, all  occupants of the same Peel Street house, charged with multiple counts of possession of illegal drugs for the purpose of trafficking and having a large amount of money – more than $5,000 – knowing it had been obtained through crime.

In that case, Eubank, who was on probation at the time, was sentenced to 90 days of time already served on one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

His co-accused, Courtney N. Eastman, had all charges withdrawn and Angela L. Powless had charges stayed.

Allan D. Plant pleaded guilty to two counts and was sentenced to just under 90 days.

Cynthia Monica Tickle, who was at large on a recognizance not to possess or consume any unlawful drugs, was sentenced to more than 30 months in jail.

Time served

A Cambridge man who was arrested  after injuring two women outside a King George Road business was sentenced in Ontario Court to time served.

Derek D. Gillies, 41, was arrested in December 2017.

Police were told Gillies had been fighting with a woman inside the business and, when she tried to leave, he took her cellphone.

When a family member came to pick up the woman, she tried to retrieve the cellphone and Gillies fought with her and smashed the cellphone.

In court, Gillies pleaded guilty to breaking bail conditions and other charges were withdrawn.

Justice Colette Good sentenced him to the equivalent of 90 days of time already served.

100 days in jail

A Gladstone Avenue man who stole items from multiple area stores was sentenced to 100 more days in jail on top of about three months of time he had already served.

Christopher John Putkowkski, 36, pleaded guilty to six counts of theft under $5,000, two counts of failing to show up for a court date and one count of breaking bail.

On Aug. 21 2017, Putkowski took items from Zehrs on Fairview Drive and the following day he stole a computer tower from the Laurier Brantford campus.

In October of that year, he stole grocery items from No Frills and, in December, didn’t show up for court.

Last April 12, Putkowski was at Factory Direct and took four Apple iPads, even though he had been under orders to stay away from that store.

In July, he committed another theft under $5,000 and didn’t go to court again in September.

Last Oct. 28, Putkowski was back at Factory Direct where he was caught with several stolen items.

Justice Colette Good ordered Putkowski to maintain a one-year probation period during which he is not to go to any of the places he’s stolen from.

SGamble@postmedia.com

@EXPSGamble

Editor’s note: This story contains material that may not be suitable for all readers.

A former Brantford Scout leader and hockey coach has been found guilty of indecent assault for incidents that date back more than 40 years.

The man cannot be identified since it could identify his two victims, whose names are protected by a court-ordered publication ban.

He will be sentenced May 6.

“I have found both complainants to be credible and their testimony reliable,” said Justice John Harper as he pronounced the verdict in Superior Court.

“I find as a fact and beyond a reasonable doubt that all of the incidents of sexual encounters … happened.”

The judge noted that the similarities in the stories of the two victims moved him “toward absolute certainty” of the guilt of the accused.

The convicted man is now 67 years old and lives near Peterborough. But, in the 1970s, he was a Scout leader and coach with the Brantford Church Hockey League.

In 2015, a 56-year-old man told police he was sexually abused by the man. After those charges were reported in the news, a 47-year-old man came forward with a similar story.

One man said he was assaulted from 1972 and 1975 and the other said he was assaulted from 1975 to 1977.

“Both complainants were young children,” said Harper.

“(He) was in a position of trust and authority for both. Both boys were initially not conscious, either due to a substance or being asleep.”

Harper determined that the boys didn’t know each other and did not talk to each other as the case proceeded.

Neither victim knew the specifics of the other’s story and the second victim only knew what little he read in the newspaper about the first set of charges.

Victim J was 14 when he met the Scout leader who asked him to transfer into his troop, affiliated with a local church.

When the Scouting group was going on a camping trip, J stayed overnight in the man’s home to help prepare for the trip.  During the night, the man began fondling the teenager, who pretended to be sleeping.

One night at the camp, the man masturbated in front of the teen and tried to push his penis into his victim’s mouth. On another Scouting trip, he again fondled the teen.

When J was about 16, he moved into a rooming house due to arguments with his family. The man slept over at the house one night. J testified in court that the man came to him in the night, picked him up and took him to the bed where he performed anal sex.

The man and his victim never discussed what happened.

At trial, the judge also heard from J’s wife, who eventually was told about the abuse. She encouraged J to go to the police.

J eventually went into group therapy and met a woman who was dealing with anxiety and depression due to the death of her husband.

When J learned that the woman’s husband had also been in a Scout troop led by the man, he asked if the husband’s depression could have been due to being sexually touched by the Scout leader.

While the woman initially denied it, several years later, she got in touch and admitted her husband told her he had been touched by the man, too.

J then went police.

The second victim, N, played on a church hockey team when he was 10 or 11 that was coached by the man. His parents agreed the coach could take him to games and practices.

Once, before an early morning practice, N spent the night at the man’s house and was offered an alcoholic drink that “had some white powder in it.”

N told the court he passed out and awoke to the pain of the man having anal sex with him. He was petrified and passed out again.

In the morning, N pretended that nothing had happened and went to hockey practice.

At an out-of-town tournament, the man again gave N an alcoholic drink and had sex with him.

N refused to travel to next tournament and soon quit hockey.

He said the man tried to get in touch a few years later by “friending” him on Facebook but he declined the request.

At the trial, N’s ex-wife testified that he had talked to her several times about being molested by his hockey coach but got distraught and refused to provide details.

When N saw the news that the man had been arrested in 2015, his wife encouraged him to go to the police and he did.

At trial, assistant Crown attorney Derek Zuraw argued that the similar evidence given by the victims called out for a guilty verdict and the judge agreed.

SGamble@postmedia.com

@EXPSGamble

A fifth person has been charged in connection to the slaying of three Six Nations residents, whose bodies were found southwest of London last November.

Middlesex County OPP announced Tuesday that Ronald Sturgeon, 21, of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation is charged with three counts of accessory after the fact to murder in the deaths of 37-year-old Melissa Trudi Miller, 33-year-old Alan Grant Porter, and 32-year-old Michael Shane Jamieson.

Their bodies were found with a stolen grey 2006 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck in a field off outside of Oneida Nation of the Thames last Nov. 4. Police later confirmed Miller was seven months pregnant at the time of her death.

Sturgeon is the second person facing accessory charges in the case. Kirsten Bomberry, 36, of Six Nations, was charged last November with three counts of being an accessory after the fact to murder.

Two men, 36-year-old Nicholas Shipman and 30-year-old Thomas Bomberry, and a woman, 32-year-old Jamie Beaver, all of Six Nations, were charged earlier this month with second-degree murder. Shipman faces three counts, while Bomberry is charged with two, and Beaver is charged with one.

Police said they “will not comment on specific details to protect the integrity of the ongoing criminal investigation and any ensuing court processes.”

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the dedicated police tip-line at 1-844-677-5050, or Six Nations police at 519-445-2811.

Anna Everett, a captain with the Brantford fire department, has been promoted to deputy fire chief of fire prevention, communications and emergency management.

She begins her new role immediately, the department announced Tuesday.

“We are very pleased to have recruited this position from within the fire department,” said Fire Chief Shane Caskanette.

“As a resident of the city, Deputy Chief Everett brings a passion for this community to her new role, as well as diverse experience, and an educational background that will make her a valuable addition to our administration team.”

Everett is a captain in the professional standards and qualifications division of the department. She has 17 years of emergency service experience, previously serving with the City of Burlington fire department as an instructor at the South West Fire Academy.

A historic 101-year-old bronze plaque that was discovered last week to have been ripped from the Bell Memorial has been found by Brantford police after they got an anonymous tip.

Const. Shane Siebert said Tuesday that police got a call just before 5:30 p.m. Monday about the plaque’s location.

Siebert said the plaque was found on Marlborough Street. It has some minor damage to one corner where it was attached to the memorial.

Police turned over the plaque to city officials.

“It’s really nice to be able to recover it because of it’s historical significance and meaning to the city,” said Siebert.

The plaque, dated 1917, recognizes the work of Canadian sculptor Walter S. Allward, who designed the monument to telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell.  Allward went on to design the Vimy Memorial but the Bell Memorial is considered one of the finest examples of his early work.

The plaque was discovered missing on Monday last week by Kalvin Clark, who brought the matter to the attention of Coun. Dan McCreary.

“This is great news,” Clark said Tuesday. “A part of Canada’s history has been returned.”

McCreary also is thrilled the plaque is back in city hands.

“I’m so pleased,” he said.

“But, you know, it’s so appalling that there are people living in Brantford that would do that. A big thank you to The Expositor, city staff, police and people on social media, who shared the story and probably scared the dickens out of the little creeps who stole it.”

Last week, McCreary said he wanted to explore the idea of offering a reward for the return of the plaque or information that would lead to the arrest of those who stole it.

“I still think I’m going to proceed with the resolution about offering a reward for thefts like this. I like the idea because the buddies of the thieves might rat them out.”

Another next step is to discuss how to keep the Bell Memorial plaque safe if it’s returned to the memorial wall, McCreary said.

“We’re going to have a discussion with staff to see if we can fix these things in a permanent manner so they can’t be taken away. It would be a shame if we had to move it to city hall just to keep it safe.

He noted that Coun. Richard Carpenter has suggested installing cameras to monitor sites.

Mayor Kevin Davis said he is relieved the plaque is back.

“The plaque is an invaluable part of our heritage that is irreplaceable,” Davis said in a email.

“I can assure the community that we will find an alternate method for affixing the plaque to make sure we never again lose such a valuable article commemorating an important moment in the city’s proud history.”

The city also issued a statement thanking the police, local media and the public.

“It is clear from the enthusiastic reaction this incident received that people in this community are very proud of our city’s unique heritage and care deeply about preserving local history,” said the statement.

The loss of the Bell Memorial plaque is just the latest in a string of crimes that seem to have a connection to metal recycling.

They include:

•  In February, a plaque honouring Arthur Sturgis Hardy was cut from a post in front of the Brant County Museum. It was returned.

•  In 2018, the 130-year-old signs on the gates of Glenhyrst Art Gallery were stolen.

•  In 2017, two men stole 10 memorial plaques from graves in Oakhill Cemetery. Brantford police retrieved the plaques from a metal recycler.

SGamble@postmedia.com

@EXPSGamble

A male driver has died as the result of a single-vehicle accident west of Scotland, Ontario late Tuesday evening.

County of Brant OPP say the vehicle was travelling westbound on Burford-Delhi Town Line Road at about 11 p.m. when it left the roadway at McDougal Road.

The lone occupant was pronounced dead at the scene, but police are withholding his identity until next of kin have been notified.

Traffic Collision Investigators with the OPP assisted with the investigation, and anyone who may have information about this incident is asked to call the County of Brant OPP detachment at 1-888-310-1122.