brockville observer

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 17 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2011 FREE

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By Austin de LuisThe Observer Editor

Food, fun, and culture await at this years’ edi-tion of Brockville’s annual multi-cultural festival, which kicks off this week-end at the Memorial Cen-tre.

The event, now in its 30th year, has grown considerably since its in-ception, in 1981, and has continued to expand to include more vendors, more shows, and an even more impressive variety of food from all corners of the globe. Additionally the

festival has grown beyond the main arena and will now occupy the banquet hall as well, which will temporarily be known as the Education Hall.

“We are very excited about some of our new countries and booths for this year”, said Pro-gram Director Bea Singh, adding that not only are many new countries be-ing represented this year, several booths are adding a cultural learning aspect to their displays.

The Chinese extension will be showcasing how to fold and design paper,

as well as teaching how to write your name in Chi-nese. Chernobyl, Kenya and Nicaragua, and the Brockville Steel Band will have informative demon-strations throughout the weekend. Dan de Luis will have a demonstration for Sivananda and other disciplines of yoga.

There will be 18 booths from the different coun-tries including: Holland, Ireland, Mexico, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Greece, China, India, Turkey, Peru, Nicaragua, Phillipines, Germany, the Carribean, Kenya, Chernobyl, as well

as the Fair Trade Coffee, the Lions Club and Brock-ville Museum.

The importance of the festival is simple. Give those new to the country a weekend to celebrate their own heritage freely, while giving existing cit-izens the means to learn more about their new neighbors. “We fell that the festival important be-cause it welcomes every-one to meet new people and learn about the dif-ferent cultures that make up our community”, said Singh.

After four great years behind the Brockville Braves bench, Todd Gill has accepted the head coaching position with the Kingston Frontenacs for the upcoming season.

Gill spent the day Tuesday in Kingston with Frontenac GM and for-mer teammate and friend Doug Gilmour, was an-nounced during a press conference at noon. “It has been a crazy day. Good crazy though”, said Gill, adding that this was the next logical step in his coaching career.

Gill, who played sever-al years with Gilmour will be able to keep his family in Brockville, while com-muting back and forth to games and practices. “This is the ideal oppor-tunity for me”, said Gill. “You need to have a great trust for who you work with, and I wanted to be able to take on a new challenge without having to uproot my family”.

Gill has had several op-portunities over the past few years to coach at the next level, but none of the proposals fit as well as the current Frontenac job. “I have been preparing myself over the past few years to take the next step in my coaching career”, said Gill. “The time and support I have received

from the community, staff and team have made this possible”.

Gill will turn over the head coaching duties to Brockville native Jason Hawkins who has been Gill’s assistant for the past four seasons. “Jason has done a great job over the past four years as a coach and last year as General Manager”, said Gill. “We both learned things from each other and we’re bet-ter coaches for it. The team is in great hands”.

“Leaving the head coaching job in Brock-ville isn’t easy and I would like to take this oppor-tunity to thank the staff, players, volunteers and fans for all their sup-port”, said Gill. “Without them we couldn’t have accomplished so much”.

The challenge begins with the OHL draft on May 7th and Gill will be looking to solidify the team with the potential loss of key players like world junior star Erik Gudbranson, who could end up with the Boston Bruins next season. “It’s a new challenge and I’m looking forward to get-ting started”, said Gill. “Hockey is hockey, but a new challenge will bring new skills and learning more and more about the game. I’m looking for-ward to getting started in Kingston”.

Todd Gill to take Frontenacs job

Multi-Cultural Festival brings the world to Brockville


MULTI-CULTURAL continues on page 15

World famous Ouzo Power will be one of the big draws performing at this year’s Multicultural Festival. SUBMITTED PHOTO

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2011 THE OBSERVER

The ObserverNEWS

“If you want a government with a strong record of sound fiscal management, a great plan for family issues including jobs, education and health supports, vote for Marjory Loveys.” “I will work full time to help improve the economic prospects of Leeds Grenville, and I will work with civility, listening to ALL points of view, all the time. Please support me in the election, and most of all, please get out and vote.”

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Brockville parents joined thousands of par-ents across North Amer-ica and around the world at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday April 23 when the world record was set for the most cloth diapers changed simultaneously.

In Sweden, Brazil, Tan-zania and over 20 other countries, parents

gathered to change their babies into reusable cloth diapers at the same time. While Brockville babies were being changed at 12:30 p.m., babies were be-ing changed in Vancouver and California at 9:30 a.m. local time; in Germany at 6:30 p.m. local time, and in Australia at 12:30 a.m. and 2:30a.m. local time.

Guinness World Rec-ords is expected to pub-lish the official total in late May. The Real Diaper As-sociation is gathering an unofficial total and hopes

to publish it soon.Some of the Brockville

parents had been using cloth diapers since

their babies were born. Others used them for the first time on

Saturday. “I’d thought that cloth diapers were big, awkward pieces of ma-terial that you had to fold,” said Tom Simko, a local father. “I was surprised at how easy they are to use.”

Member of Parliament Gord Brown gave the countdown and officially started the Brockville Cloth Diaper Change. Thirteen babies and several dolls were all changed at the Brockville Public Library. The Brockville event was organized by Bums Away and the Real Diaper Asso-ciation.

This worldwide event was a fitting follow up to

Earth Day. With over 4 million disposable dia-pers dumped in Canadian landfills each day, reusable cloth diapers are an en-vironmentally friendly al-ternative. Some families report cutting their house-hold waste in half when they switch to cloth dia-pers. Using cloth diapers instead of disposables can also save parents about $2,000 per year.

Local babies participate in record-setting diaper change

The gymnasium at Vanier Public School be-came a small shanty town last Friday morning when the junior and intermedi-ate students became ‘vic-tims of disaster’, residing in simulated cardboard relief shelters for most of the day, in order to raise funds and build aware-ness for those whose lives have been devastated by the impact of the mas-sive earthquake and sub-sequent tsunami that hit northeastern Japan on March 11th. In order to allow the students to “ex-perience what victims of disaster experience”, they

were allowed few posses-sions, other than a blan-ket, pillow, and one non-electronic toy, such as a book or playing cards, and were given only rice to eat, though they were permitted to bring bot-tled water and snacks.

The goal of the event, explained grade 7/8 teacher, Becky Bell, one of the event’s organiz-ers, was not only to hit the two-thousand dollar fundraising target, but to promote compassion and empathy within the stu-dents.

“We thought this would be a more meaningful way for the kids to con-nect with the people who are living in relief shelters

right now,” said Bell, add-ing that the funds raised from the event would be donated to the Red Cross, in support of their relief efforts.

“This activity also ties in with the school’s char-acter education curricu-lum. We want to really promote that even if we are half-way around the world, we can still help each other.”

Bell continued that the students would end the day with a celebration dance, which, she added, would be doubly sweet as the students had not only met, but surpassed their goal, raising a whop-ping $2011, $400 of which came from Bell’s class.

Disaster for a day fundraiser surpasses goal

Grade five students, from left to right, Michaela Merkley, Haylie Heidemann, and Liz Lake, munched on bowls of rice, complete with chopsticks, in their makeshift relief shelter, dur-ing a Japan relief fundraiser held at Vanier Public School last Friday. The students built their own shelters out of cardboard boxes, provided by 3M Canada, where they spent most of their day, in an effort to raise awareness for the victims of the recent tsunami.

ERIN CHRISTIE PHOTO

Parents who wish to learn more about social media and what their children are up to on the World Wide Web are in-vited to an information session Tuesday, May 3rd sponsored by the Brock-ville Family of Schools.

A seminar for parents entitled The Wired World: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly will take place from 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. at Brockville Collegiate Institute, located at 90 Pearl Street East, Brock-ville. The seminar will feature guest speakers who will discuss every-thing from positive uses of Facebook to how to protect your child and yourself from the dan-gers of Web 2.0.

“We want to give people an idea of the amazing possibilities open to them with this new media, but also make them aware of the hazards that exist out there,” explained Don

Lewis, principal of Brock-ville Collegiate Institute, who is helping organize the night.

The evening will fea-ture a presentation by guest speaker Peggy Sweeney, senior com-munications consultant with the Ontario Princi-pals’ Council. She will dis-cuss what social media is and how children are using it, and look at some popular sites such as YouTube and Facebook. She will also talk about what actions parents should guard against, such as their children posting inappropriate pictures on the Web, not fully appreciating the consequences.

Officers from city po-lice and the Leeds Coun-ty OPP detachment will be on hand to discuss the dangers of Inter-net fraud, cyber preda-tors and cyber bullying. There is no cost to attend the evening.

Schools Offers Information Night on Social Media

By Erin ChristieObserver Staff Writer

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The ObserverCOMMUNITY


The ObserverELECTION2011

Official Platform

Better economic choices and help for fam-ilies.

Every young Canadian getting skills training or going to college or uni-versity will get $1000 per year for up to four years ($1500 for low income families).

Access to affordable child care.

Those caring for ser-iously ill loved ones will receive $1350 every year, or six months of Employ-ment Insurance, if they need to quit their job.

Working Canadians will earn a larger Canada Pension Plan with the op-tion of buying into extra pension credits – to help you, and help small busi-nesses attract workers.

Seniors will get a $650 increase in their Guar-anteed Income Supple-ment.

Homeowners can save money while helping the environment, with the Liberal Green Renovation Tax credit.

Liberals will pay for this by stopping mega-prisons, corporate tax cuts and by getting a better price on military equipment.

Vision for Leeds and Grenville

With our natural beauty, wonderful com-munities and ready ac-cess to markets, there are many opportunities to create secure jobs right here in Leeds and Grenville. We can better integrate the recreation and arts sectors with the hospitality industry to bring more tourism busi-ness here. I am work-ing with the Economic Development Advisory Team in Brockville to add more university-level courses to St. Lawrence College, and perhaps a satellite university cam-pus. This would provide more education options

for our youth, and pro-vide opportunities for new local spin-off busi-nesses in the future. We already have “green” jobs here – jobs installing and maintaining the many solar energy installations throughout the region. The next step is to at-tract a plant to manufac-ture solar components. Investments in clean energy will give this in-dustry a boost. I will work to ensure that high-tech companies locating here have the same special-ized technical and finan-cial support as those in big cities. I will work with the municipal govern-ments and organizations such as the Eastern On-tario Development Pro-gram to ensure that these and other opportunities are fully exploited to cre-ate jobs not in faraway places, but right here in Leeds and Grenville.

Political Experience

I worked for Pollution Probe after earning an engineering degree. I co-owned a small company and met a payroll. Dur-ing Mr. Chrétien s term I worked in the Prime Min-ister’s Office, spending 10 years advising on small business, agriculture and environmental issues. I learned how to get things done in Ottawa.

Your Party’s Key Ideas and Issues

• A Liberal Government will work to provide equal opportunity for every Canadian.

• Funds to make post sec-ondary education more affordable will help families and guarantee an educated work force to create jobs.

• We will take action on the environment – a strategy for fresh water, reducing toxic substan-ces and climate change.

• We will strengthen our health care.

• We are committed to open and honest gov-ernment and will re-spect your tax dollars.

What do you feel are the top two issues facing Canadians right now?

The two top issues are choosing the right spend-ing priorities for govern-ment and stopping the secretive and deceitful actions of Harper’s Con-servatives. I hear from many families who are struggling to support their families and fearful of the loss of more jobs. Rising prices are affect-

ing every household. The Liberal priorities of support for families and investments in new tech-nologies and education to attract future jobs are the right choices. Over the past few weeks I am hearing a lot about the style of the “Harper” gov-ernment – and concerns that it will become more secretive, deceitful and divisive if re-elected. Key information on the costs of the mega-prisons was withheld from the public; funds for essential infra-structure at our borders was used to build wash-rooms in the riding of the Minister of Industry; and millions were spent on TV ads about govern-ment programs that have already ended: These are only the latest examples of Harper’s bad behav-iour.

The Liberal approach is one of cooperation and honest debate. We are committed to open gov-ernment and respect for your tax dollars.

Summarize the initia-tives that you plan to pursue once elected

To engage in actions that will help families, at-tract jobs, and keep the next generation living and working here.

The Liberals will focus on education and give an extra boost to the health, information and green energy sectors, all sectors that have poten-tial for jobs right here in Leeds and Grenville. We will work with the prov-ince to attract more doc-tors, nurses and nurse practitioners, boost home care and cover the costs of very expensive drugs. We will stop post office closures, sup-port volunteer fire fight-ers and get broadband internet to ALL commun-ities.

Liberals will treat vet-erans fairly.

Proper labelling will help us buy local and Canadian food, and bet-ter inspection of food im-ports will let our farmers compete on a level play-ing field. We will support programs such as the Business Risk Insurance plan proposed by Ontario beef and hog producers.

As a fiscal conservative I will work to reduce the debt. As a social progres-sive I will support equal-ity of opportunity. As a strong environmentalist I will work to protect our water and make Can-ada strong on climate change.

I will work hard for you and for our commun-ities.

Candidate: Marjory LoveysCandidate: Gord Brown

Official Platform

Creating jobs through training, trade and low taxes.

Hiring credit for small businesses, protecting jobs with increased workfare and helping older workers with more re-training and EI pro-grams, skills training op-portunities, cutting red tape, a one stop shop for businesses, support for research and develop-ment and signing more trade agreements to open more markets for Can-adian goods and services.

Supporting families through our Family Tax Cut and support for sen-iors and caregivers.

We have cut federal taxes for families and the federal rate is the lowest it has been in 50 years

Increasing the Guar-anteed Income Supple-ment for seniors

Eliminating the defi-cit by 2014 by controlling spending and cutting waste.

Making our streets safe through new laws to protect children and the elderly.

Investing in the de-velopment of Canada’s North, cracking down on human smuggling and strengthening the Can-adian Armed Forces.


My vision for Leeds-Grenville is a community where you can rise as high as you want and be proud of your achievements. It is a community that cares for its residents. It is a community where fam-ilies can grow and thrive and that is creating jobs and opportunities for everyone. Leeds-Gren-ville is rich in assets and ideas. Yet, it remained one of the best kept se-crets in Canada. Since becoming the Member

of Parliament I have been outspoken in Ottawa for our riding. I know Leeds and Grenville. I grew up here and have served the community in many cap-acities. When I speak at caucus meetings and in the House of Commons, I speak about Leeds-Grenville. That effort is paying dividends. Leeds-Grenville is now at the table and that will help leverage our collective vi-sion federally – because I believe we all want the same things. They do not want hand-outs. They want jobs and opportun-ities for growth and the ability to work hard and care for their families.


• Member of Parliament for Leeds-Grenville for 7 years.

• Served on a number of community agen-cies/organizations in Gananoque and Leeds-Grenville, including town council in Ganan-oque.

• President of the Gan-anoque – 1000 Islands Chamber of Commerce

• Chair of the St. Law-rence Parks Commis-sion

• Board of Directors of the United Way.


• The Advantage Canada plan

• Nurturing our citizens by supporting our insti-tutions such as health care, arts, culture and education.

• Protecting ourselves from threats from with-in the country and from outside our borders.

• Our Economic Action Plan

• Health Care• Care for seniors• More for assistance for

low income seniors.• Maintaining our fiscal

and tax advantage over other countries

• Job creation, not just jobs, good, well-paying jobs


At the current time, the largest issue facing Canada is economic de-velopment and job cre-ation which are linked and must be viewed as a single issue. Our govern-ment has been guiding the country through the worst recession since the 1930’s and while we emerged on top of the world there is still a great deal to do. Over 500,000

jobs have been created since 2009, 75 per cent of which are good, full-time, good paying jobs – more than were lost as a result of the reces-sion – but we still have an unacceptably high unemployment rate. Our economy, though grow-ing through the last six quarters, is still being af-fected by events and cir-cumstances out side our borders and our control. We must maintain our fiscal and tax advantage over other countries if we are going to continue creating good jobs. Our Economic Action Plan maintains a focus on this issue.

The other two primary issues are health care and the concerns of seniors.

Summarize the initia-tives that you plan to pursue once elected

I regularly hold con-sultations in the rid-ing and in January I met with individuals and groups in my annual pre-budget consultations. Going door-to-door in this campaign has re-emphasized these points. It is interesting that the needs of Leeds-Grenville mirror those of the entire country. Jobs, continued economic development, health care and seniors issues top the list of con-cerns in the riding. Our government is pursuing those same objectives.

While I have accom-plished a lot for Leeds-Grenville in all these areas, there is more to do and I am looking forward to returning to Ottawa, getting our budget passed and getting back to work on all these issues. If there is one disappoint-ment I have, it has been the interruption in this work caused by this un-necessary election. By the time parliament is able to resume, almost two months will have passed since the coalition forced this opportunistic elec-tion. In that time we have lost economic develop-ment money that could have been used to create jobs right here in Leeds- Grenville before the summer.

I am looking forward to fast-tracking the re-instatement of those funds so that economic development work can move forward again in Leeds-Grenville.

I am pleased to note that Prime Minister Ste-phen Harper, if given a majority mandate, has promised to get right back to work on all these issues that are important for Canada and Leeds-Grenville.


The ObserverELECTION2011

Candidate: Mary Slade Candidate: Matthew Gabriel

Official Platform

A Smart Economy and True Democracy

• Create jobs in renewable energy, rail, freight, & retrofitting buildings.

• Expand access to EI, se-cure pensions and re-duce EI & CPP contribu-tions for businesses.

• Reform trade agree-ments.

• Support organic farm-ing.

• End bail-outs for big business and subsidies to nuclear & fossil fuels.

• Revenue-neutral carbon pricing to modernize our economy.

• A “Made in Canada” economy.

• Lower income taxes• Introduce full income

splitting.• Support telecommuting,

working from home, job sharing & flex hours.

• Support flexible child care, early childhood education, workplace child care spaces.

• Long-term funding for municipalities for infra-structure, recreation, transportation, water works & arts & culture.

• Address mental & physical health.

• Stop elder abuse• Respect living wills.

True democracy• Proportional represen-

tation.• Solutions to corporate

control of journalism.• Social justice & equity.• Strengthen & enforce

the 2010 climate nego-tiations.

• Refocus the mis-sion in Afghanistan.


My vision for Leeds & Grenville is based upon the Green Party initia-tives for small farms and small green business. We must encourage the young to remain in Leeds & Grenville and to re-turn here. To this end the Green Party proposed to provide loans and assist-ance to young Canadians who wish to farm or be involved in Green pro-

jects. Enterprises such as fish farming, green-houses, and small farm market gardens can sup-ply Leeds & Grenville, and Montreal and Ottawa. We have lots of land which is no longer being farmed, and such small start up business will attract additional ventures. It goes without saying that healthier local food would be a boost to our local health. Similarly, the Green Party focuses on eco-tourism and our area is perfect for pro-moting such businesses being situated between the Rideau and St. Law-rence Rivers. The Fron-tenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, designated an UNESCO World Bio-sphere Reserve in Nov-ember 2002, is also con-tained within our area. In other areas, Leeds & Grenville needs more in the way of housing for those who are growing too old to live alone, and for those who need such as-sistance for other reasons.

Political Experience • Have worked as a Statis-

tician & as a Data Analy-sis co-ordinator

• As a farmer, I’ve worked with various agricultural organizations. I feel that those different experi-ences have prepared me for a political role.

• Active in Leeds-Grenville for over 30 years from Beaver leader to Treasur-er of the Athens Friends of the Public Library.

Your Party’s Key Ideas and Issues • Sustainability• Social Justice• Non-violence• Respect for diversity• Ecological wisdom• Participatory democracy

Those values, coupled with a commitment to sound fiscal management and local representation are our vision for good government.


The top two issues for Canadians are health care & jobs. In the last 5 years, the present government has respected the regu-lated 6 per cent increase in health care funding; but this is the extent of their involvement. Our population is aging – ob-vious in our riding & we have no clear initiatives to prepare for the future of health care in Canada. The Green Party is pro-moting pharmacare, a national drug care pro-gram both to reduce costs & provide better access to needed pharmaceut-

icals. Other policies aim at improving lifestyles. On the subject of jobs, the Green Party would cre-ate “Green collar jobs” by developing low-emission industries in areas af-fected by the shift away from natural resource sectors. We would reduce taxes for small & medium sized businesses in their first 5 years of existence. We will establish a feder-ally funded Small Cities Green Venture Capital Fund to support viable local green business start-ups. The Green Party aims to extend the EI Work-Sharing Program & ex-tend EI for seasonal work-ers. We will provide a $500 million fund to farmers transitioning to organic agriculture & $50 million for farmers markets and assist family farms to sup-ply supermarket chains by supporting compan-ies which offer ware-housing, refrigeration, packaging & marketing to enable small farms to compete with large farms.

Summarize the initiatives that you plan to pursue once elected

• Proportional represen-tation. Making your vote count to discour-age cynicism and foster youth engagement.

• Improving health care expenditures and ef-ficiency and create Pharmacare, a drug plan for all Canadians to re-duce costs and increase access.

• Subsidize universal den-tal and eye for children

• Address the non-drug health issues of seniors

• Fund mental health treatment

• Helicopters for the Coast Guard and an accur-ate accounting of the jet purchase.

• More money for re-habilitation of young of-fenders and fewer jails.

• To restore prison farms. They feed, train and re-habilitate offenders.

• Decrease power of PMO and encourage representatives to vote according to the wishes of their constituents, not the demands of the party leader.

• Increase public housing and housing for sen-iors. Seriously address the problem of senior poverty.

• Small farm initiatives and support for farmers markets.

• Support small and green businesses, start-ups and new methods of solving old problems.

• Aid in the transition to organic farming, net-working, and sharing knowledge.

Official Platform

• Job creation and reten-tion

• Rewarding job creators • Leadership on the world

stage and in Canada• Fix Ottawa by setting a

new tone in Parliament• Improved access to post-

secondary education• A streamlined and more

effective E.I. program that would allow part-time workers to collect benefits when they lose their jobs and focus on the best 12 weeks within a claim.

• Tax cuts for small busi-nesses

• Improved access to so-cial programs

• Families first, dignity, and the right to be able to afford to live. We must not let the middle class disappear, we have to strengthen it.

• Strengthening pensions and retirement security.

• Strengthening the 10 year Health Care accord with the province

• Reducing credit card rates to prime plus five only. Let’s get out of debt!

Vision for Leeds Grenville

My vision for Leeds and Grenville is a simple one. I envision a community that not only attracts new citizens, but retains its current ones, particularly our youth. A place where there are good, well-pay-ing jobs so that people don’t have to leave to find work. A place where people can afford to feed their families, where sen-iors on a fixed income can afford to live, and not have worry about being unable to heat their homes dur-ing the harsh Canadian winter. My vision includes fair and equal access to social programs, afford-able daycare, and time with the people that mat-ter the most, your family. Where environmental concerns are met with the needs of the workforce in a balance to set the stan-dards for other ridings to follow, and we set the standard for clean energy,

while creating jobs in the process. I envision a place where elected govern-ment officials act on the best interest of their con-stituents and not the best interest of their parties. Where hospitals run on compassion first and not a business model. I want a place where my daughter, when she is old enough, will want to settle down and raise her family be-cause it is a viable option.


I am not a politician I am a representative. I fight for what is right, and I do not let go of a task until it is accomplished to the best of my ability. If you know me I am all about getting the job done. If you don’t know me, let me prove it to you every day that I am in Ottawa.


• Ottawa is broken, it’s time for a change

• Social democracy, put-ting people and families first

• Removing HST from home heating costs and regulating gas prices

• Rewarding the job cre-ators

• Improving health care services

• Effective pension reform and lifting our seniors out of poverty

• Putting money back in your pocket, capping credit card companies with prime plus five

• Democratic reform, let’s fix what’s broken so Can-ada can serve the people for a change


Jobs and Health Care. The statistics don’t reflect how destitute so many areas across Canada are right now, and the bot-tom is going to fall out if we don’t do something. Temporary workforces and lack of benefits do not feed the economy enough regular meals. We need to shift gears now and change the direction that our current situation is leading us. We have one of the world’s best and productive work forces and we need to capital-ize on that by providing Canadians with good, stable jobs. We can turn this ship around and The New Democrats should be at the helm! In regards to healthcare, we need to strengthen and address our accord with the prov-inces, and work with all levels of government to get our health care sys-

tem to the standard that Canadians deserve. We need to shift the focus to primary care, we need to reduce the costs of pre-scriptions medicine, and focus on mental health. We must take a look at ex-panding hospital services such as home-care and long- term care.

Summarize the initiatives you plan to pursue once elected

I plan to maintain an open-door communica-tion policy and remain available and approach-able, and show Leeds and Grenville they have made the right choice. I will put the needs of Leeds and Grenville first by bring-ing their concerns to Ot-tawa as they arise. I will put jobs and putting family first. I will work to reduce family debt, and better improve access and funding to daycare and mental health programs. Job retraining through employment insurance will be a focus as well as making this employment insurance program easier to access for the people who need it. I will work to make life more affordable for seniors, beginning with the removal of home heating HST. I want to work with the provincial government to reduce the skyrocketing hydro prices. Home care services avail-ability will be a priority, as well as allowing families in the sandwich genera-tion incentives for caring for or supporting their loved ones. Strengthening maternity leaves. I want the people of Leeds and Grenville know that I am in Ottawa to take care of their needs.

It’s TimeTo Vote!

MONDAY, MAY 2nd

isElection

Day

The ObserverEDITORIAL WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2011 THE OBSERVER

THE OBSERVER EDITORIAL

Celebrating one year On April 28th 2011, the Observer will celebrate its one year anniversary in

operation. Since merging with the Morris Group of newspapers in 2010, the Ob-server has grown from a 12-page paper to something that looks considerably dif-ferent today.

The support we have received from Brockville and the surrounding area has been amazing. We have tried to reward our faithful supporters and readers by providing the most compiled local news, sports and community events to the public.

We have seen some big strides over the past year, from the meger, to the cre-ation of the Guide to Area Homes, all of which wouldn’t be possible without you, the readers. We would like to thank everyone for all their support and we look forward to continuing the make the Observer, your newspaper.

The stylists at Elite Salon will be donating their tips and portions of their sales from products and services for the month of April to the Child Help Foundation. The foundation is geared towards raising awareness for children of abuse. Pictured from left to right are Elite owner Melanie Gardner, with stylists Linn Rylands and Jamie Arnill.

PHOTO BY AUSTIN DE LUIS

With Ten Questions our goal is to highlight some of Brockville’s most popular names, in hopes that our readers will connect with the sub-ject and in turn, feel more connected to some of the organizations that they represent. Since the Observer launched the feature last June, we have had the opportunity to shed light on people from politics, sports, entertainment, and the not-for-profit sector, and we have only begun to scratch the surface. In celebration of our one-year anniversary we decided to turn the question marks on ourselves. Read on and see what Editor/General Manager, Austin de Luis and Reporter, Erin Christie have to say when they answer Ten Questions for the Observer.

Do you have a motto? And if you do what is it?

Love what you do and do what ever makes you happy.

What book are you currently reading or what book do you recommend?

One of my all time favorite books is ‘The Hobbit’ by J. R.R Tolkien, which I have recently re-read for the third time. Not only is it a classic adventure story, but it’s one that you can immerse yourself in. For me, those are the best kind of books.

What characteristic do you most ad-mire in others?

Determination and ambition.

What characteristic do you most de-plore in others?

Pretentiousness and arrogance.

Who do you most admire, living or dead?

I would have to say, Wayne Gretzky. He is the best and most humble ambassador that any sport has ever seen, and he’s a Canadian!

What do you do in your free time?I try and spend as much time with

family and friends as I can. If you could change one thing about

yourself, what would it be?I would be 6”4 and still be playing

hockey for a living.

What talent would you most like to have?

I would like to be an actor.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?Dean Winchester from the t.v. show,

‘Supernatural’. What is your most treasured posses-

sion? I wouldn’t call them possessions, but

I value my health, and the people that I surround myself with.

Ten Questions with Austin de LuisDo you have a motto? And if you do

what is it?“It doesn’t cost anything to be nice to

people.” My dad says that and he’s right.

What book are you currently read-ing or what book do you recommend?

I am currently reading ‘Gonzo; the life of Hunter S. Thompson’ by Jann S. Wen-ner and Corey Seymour. I also recom-mend ‘In cold blood’ by Truman Capote, and ‘My life in France’, by Julia Child.

What characteristic do you most ad-mire in others?

I admire fearlessness and integrity. I also appreciate a good sense of humor.

What characteristic do you most de-plore in others?

Cowardice and arrogance. That being said, I would have to include bullies or people who are under the impression that putting others down makes them look good.

Who do you most admire, living or dead?

I admire my parents, both of whom are alive. I admire my father because he has a tremendous amount of personal and professional integrity, and he leads by example. I admire my mother, be-cause she’s intelligent and independent but also warm and nurturing. Plus she has a GREAT sense of humor!

What do you do in your free time?Lately I have found myself enjoying

cooking, which is why my boyfriend keeps the pizza places on speed dial.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would be more patient. If I could change something physically, it would be my hands, they look like a child’s hands, they are small and I don’t have proper knuckles, I would love to have ‘grown-up’ hands.

What talent would you most like to have?

I would like to be able to sing again. I took vocal lessons throughout high school but did not continue with them and now I restrict myself to singing in the car. It would be nice to get decent enough to do it in public again.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction? That would be Holly Golightly, the

heroine of Truman Capote’s short story, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, because she’s got spunk! I have re-read that book at least ten times and never get tired of it. Strangely enough, I didn’t really care for the movie.

What is your most treasured posses-sion?

My freedom. Hands down.

Ten Questions with Erin Christie

Letters to the editor welcome

email: [email protected] fax: 613-342-8773


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One of the pinnacle buildings of the Brockville city skyline is the Victoria Building, otherwise known as City Hall. It was built be-tween 1862 and 1864 on land presented to the local government by the Hon-ourable Charles Jones, who owned a great deal of prop-erty in Brockville. Previous to its construction, there was the East Ward Mar-ket Hall, a square shaped frame building constructed in the 1830’s to house in-door butcher’s stalls. It was in 1859 that debate began with Council on the plan-ning of a new building. The B&O Railway tunnel to what is now Blockhouse Island was nearing com-pletion, and had changed the property quite a bit. After lengthy political ban-tering, the architect Henry H. Horsey of Kingston was contracted to design the new building, begun in 1862, and finishing in 1864. William Fitzsim-mons was a master builder and Mayor of Brockville at the time, he was also ap-pointed as superintendant of construction. It was es-timated at $26,000 to build but costs most likely went higher by completion. As a beautiful example of 19th century design, the front block of the main build-ing is complemented by a large clock and bell tower.

The clock itself has four faces, and is cared

for by Victor Smetona and his grandson Jordan, who winds the clock manually every Tuesday. The second floor originally housed a concert hall, and a ball-room. The first official use of the concert hall after the building was finished in the fall of 1864 was by Madam A. Bishop. The rear building housed the mar-ket area, and in 1904, two more storeys were added to house more town of-

fices. The rear wing of the building originally housed 16 well appointed butcher stalls, eight on each side, with a passage leading through from the front of the main building.

The Post Office rented out the offices on the front block main floor until the 1880’s, operating out of Victoria Hall for fifteen years, when town offices took over, and the Post Of-fice moved to their own building on Court House Ave. The market in the rear wing is gone, taken over by office space, but the Farmer’s Market is still a pleasant attraction dur-ing the warmer months on Market St. West these days. A beautiful building, Vic-toria Hall is an unmistak-able landmark to Brock-ville, and another proud example of 19th century architecture in our city.

Victoria Hall

The Observer OBSERVATIONS

You may know Cab-ernet Franc as one of the three grapes used in classic Bordeaux blends (known as Meritage blends in On-tario), the other two being Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. You have probably seen Ontario bottlings of single varietal Cabernet Franc on LCBO shelves. Most people focus on the word Cabernet and as-sume that it is related to Cabernet Sauvignon and is similar in character. They would be partially right, but would be mis-sing out on some vital dif-ferences.

With all of the gen-etic sleuthing being done in the wine world these days it has been discov-ered that Cabernet Franc is one of the genetic “par-ents” of Cabernet Sau-

vignon along with Sauvignon Blanc, hence the name. While Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon share a number of simi-lar characteristics, there are some dramatic differ-ences that may impact how you approach the two, es-pecially when considering food partners.

One of the first you may notice is that C a b e r n e t Franc seems to have a lighter colour than Sauvi-gnon. Many people equate this with a less intense, light-er flavoured wine. Caber-net Franc is a thin-skinned

grape and since colour is directly derived from skin contact it produ-ces lighter coloured wines. Flavour is an en-tirely different matter.

Cabernet Franc pro-duces wines that, in general, have lighter

tannins and higher

acidity than Cabernet Sauvi-gnon. The fruit tends to be from the red end of the spectrum as opposed to the

darker, even black fruit often associated with Sau-vignon. There is also a def-inite herbaceous quality to both the nose and palate of Cabernet Franc. Franc’s role in the traditional Bor-deaux blend is to add aro-ma and finesse to the final product.

So to this week’s wine, Pelee Island Caber-net Franc 2009 (CSPC# 433714, $10.45). Pelee Island may be Ontario’s forgotten VQA wine re-gion, with all the clamor

about Prince Edward County and the unassail-able position of Niagara. It is always described as being home to Canada’s southernmost vineyards. To add some context to this it is at the same lati-tude as northern Califor-nia and half of the U.S.A.’s

states lie north of it. As to the wine, the nose is open and inviting with cherry, raspberry, anise, peppery spice and vio-let/floral aromas. There is also another aroma that is

very characteristic of Cab-ernet Franc, very distinct-ive and is a descriptor used for a number of red wines. This is bell pep-per, the standard garden-variety pepper. I don’t think it has ever appeared in a column before, but you will definitely rec-ognize it and as odd as it sounds it is a good thing. This is a medium bod-ied wine with rich fruit flavours, superb balance and what the winemaker calls “an elbows on the table” rustic feel. The pal-ate features bright cherry, raspberry and plum fruit with licorice, herbal spi-ciness (think marjoram or peppery basil) and just a hint of muted mocha flavours. There’s plenty of zesty acidity and the finish is lengthy, re-freshing and flavourful. Keep a bottle or two on hand to match with the aforementioned foods, especially spicy sausages on the grill. Enjoy!

Getting to know Pelee Island Cabernet FrancOFF THE

VINE

by Russ Disotell

The higher levels of acidity in Cabernet Franc make it a better match for fattier meats than Cabernet Sauvignon. This would include such items as duck, goose, juicy sausages, ribs and even lamb. Meats served with chutney sauce are also good candidates for Cabernet Franc partners.

THE FINEPRINT

by Dennis Stein


The ObserverOBSERVATIONS

In hope, peace and joy we enter the sea-son of Easter. After the forty days of Lent, after the solemnity and sacredness of Holy Week, after Jesus’ hor-rific death on the cross, finally, finally, we ex-perience the explosive joy of Easter morning.

Easter is about resurrection and trans-formation. It’s about discov-ering what we thought lay dead and lost in our lives, and regarding it anew. Eas-ter tells us all futures are possible, no ending is final, and no sorrow everlasting.

It surprises me, given that Jesus made no secret of his coming resurrection, that none of his earliest disciples truly expected him to come back to life. They hid after his death, understandably cow-ering from the might of the Roman army that had killed their leader.

Only the women, holding to the tradition of anointing the dead, visited Jesus’ tomb early on the third day. And when Mary Mag-dalene reported Jesus risen, the men still did not believe her. “But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it” (Mark 16:11).

Disbelief and cyni-cism infect human-ity. We undermine our hopes all the time. We tell ourselves that the things we desire are

impossible and out of reach. We accept finality, limitations, barriers and obstacles despite the word of God, despite the call of Christ. We fear setting ourselves up for failure and so retreat behind the closed doors of so-ciety’s expectations.

Easter teaches us to forget human lim-itations. It cries out to humanity to aban-don all fear, forego all norms and reach for dreams and stars. All is possible with God.

Anything can happen. We are reminded of the days before grief and fail-ure weighed us down. We are thrown back to the aspirations

of our childhood and fantasies of our youth before the world taught us that we weren’t good enough, couldn’t do it, weren’t worth it.

Because ultimately, on Easter morning, Jesus teaches us that we are worth it and al-ways have been.

We will suffer. That is a given. The won-der of Easter is not that suffering is eliminated for humanity (it isn’t), or that our lives will be obstacle-free. Rather we are pointed to a future beyond pain, sorrow and fear, a new day of hope and pos-sibility where justice, peace and love can prevail. Faith in God opens us up to faith in ourselves.

This Easter I invite you to embrace your blessings and dream your dreams. Reach for God. Find the Spir-it within. Love life and live lovingly. Happy Easter!

Last month, I ob-served that no single issue dominated my email inbox and the topic of conversation when I meet people than the soaring cost of hy-dro.

Well, it’s amazing how much a few weeks can change things – espe-cially when the bureau-crats at the South East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) cling to a proposal to elimin-ate surgical services at Brockville General Hos-pital.

I first shed light on this recommendation (contained in consult-ant’s report the LHIN still won’t make public) by going after Health Minister Deb Matthews in Question Period on March 29.

Ever since then, I have been buoyed by the sup-port from people in the riding who have been stopping me at public events, calling my office and sending in emails to urge me to continue to fight.

People like John and Carolyn Mack of Lyn are standing up to the LHIN and saying: Hands off our hospital!

In their email to me,

the Macks noted, “If any-thing, Brockville should be increasing services, given that we are more and more becoming a “seniors” community.”

I agree.And I also want to

assure everyone that I won’t back down until the Health Minister does what I insisted she do and tell the LHIN and its consultants to put this ridiculous proposal in the trash can where it belongs.

I asked the same of LHIN CEO Paul Huras in an open letter.

While Mr. Huras has tried to reassure the pub-lic in media reports by describing the elimina-tion of BGH surgery as an “extreme” option that would never happen, the LHIN’s response to my letter was revealing.

Board chair Georgina Thompson wrote, “giv-ing a written guarantee that the extreme option of centralizing surgical services will never hap-pen would pre-empt the discussion and work of the clinical team of ex-perts who must be free to consider all options and possibilities as they work to develop their plans.”

In other words, they won’t put it in writing because eliminating sur-gical units at hospitals in Brockville, Perth-Smiths Falls and Napanee by

moving them to Kings-ton and Belleville re-mains very much in play.

So much for those as-surances.

Although the over-whelming majority of feedback to my defence of the BGH surgical de-partment has been posi-tive, there has admitted-ly been some criticism – mostly anonymous postings on the Internet.

Certainly people are entitled to their opin-ion, but I would like to point out that some of the loudest voices telling me to keep fighting are those in the local med-ical community.

As for critics who argue that Ontario has to get hold of its health-care spending, I would say that I agree. (Chop-ping the $250 million spent on the LHINs and their unelected, un-accountable and largely anonymous bureaucrats would be a good start.)

But I refuse to accept that the “Roadmap” to responsible spending in health care means pav-ing over small hospitals by centralizing surgical services in a few cities.

It’s interesting to con-trast the threat to Brock-ville General’s outstand-ing surgical department with what’s happening in the Municipality of North Grenville.

At an economic de-velopment breakfast

hosted by the municipal-ity last week, Kemptville District Hospital CEO Colin Goodfellow noted how the hospital’s focus on building an excellent surgical department has been the key to its sur-vival.

The hospital will soon have five operating rooms in service and is attracting new surgeons and bringing in patients from across the Ottawa region for treatment.

As Goodfellow point-ed out to the audience, this is good news for resi-dents of North Grenville because it means they can rely on having a full-service hospital in the community for years to come. Without the focus on surgeries, that likely wouldn’t be the case.

Personally, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that as Kemptville Dis-trict Hospital has thrived, so too has the economy in North Grenville. You simply can’t bring new jobs and growth to a re-gion without the guaran-tee of a full-service hos-pital.

As someone working to bring the same growth to Brockville, I see the fight to preserve the BGH surgical unit as being about more than health care. It’s an effort, I be-lieve, that’s essential to ensuring our community remains a viable place to live and invest.

Peter YerdonSpring is here and

summer is coming. If you have not already done so, soon you will be firing up the BBQ and making the first of those five hundred to a thousand hamburg-ers, and hotdogs.

This week is not about the BBQ at all, it is how-ever about burgers. “Burgers;” measures of ground beef, shaped into hockey puck format, slapped on the grill or in the sauté pan, cooked until barely recogniz-able then melt some pro-cessed cheese over the

meat, thrown on a bun, smothered in ketchup, relish mustard perhaps some raw onion and a slice of tomato, “Dinner is served!” “Sounds tasty right!”

A few years ago I was doing a special event at the school and was look-ing for something dif-ferent, as well as special. That is when I created the Caesar burger. Pretty simple, actually, to my ground beef I added salt, pepper Worsterschire sauce, Hot sauce, some Clamato juice then mixed it all together formed my patties cooked, placed on

small bun (they were slid-ers) topped with a lemon infused mayonnaise and placed a thin piece of cel-ery on top. People loved them and it really did not take that much more time to prepare.

Now to “Make it your own” With a little thought and not much more work then it takes to open the package of ground beef, or for that matter ground turkey or chicken you can take boring and make it wonderful. Add some basil and or oregano, mix it in all the way through the meat, slice tomato nice and thick spread a little olive oil over the to-mato and grill them also, (be careful they won’t take to long) and melt some mozzarella cheese on top. Man that sounds good. Experiment with cheese, try a Provolone or goat cheese, or Edam, Make yours a Souvlaki burger with Feta mixed through ground pork and seasoned with garlic.

Get away from white buns, slice some Italian bread brush with some olive oil and grill on your BBQ, toast some multi grain bread, or use a

cheese or onion bun. Use Ranch or French dressing instead of ketchup. Try grilled onions and pep-pers, or here is one I like try a little sliced apple slightly grilled.

The options are end-less all it takes is a little imagination and you can “Make it your own”

Enjoy!

SOULSIDE

by Catherine Cavanagh

by Steve Clark

QUEEN’S PARK

REPORT

Make it your own - let barbecue season begin!

Joy of Easter morningFighting for the Brockville General Hospital

HERE FOR

LEEDS -GRENVILLE

On May 2nd Vote

GORD BROWNwww.gordbrown.ca Conservative Candidate Leeds Grenville613-499-2100 Authorized by the official agent for the Gord Brown campaign


The Observer IN THE SCHOOLS

Students at Prince of Wales Public School re-cently had the chance to see Wilber and Char-lotte in a whole new way, when a troupe of professional actors from the Upper Canada Play-house’s traveling produc-tion of Charlotte’s Web stopped by, giving the students a taste of live theatre. In anticipation for the event, each class studied E.B White’s best-selling novel of the same name, and prepared

artwork inspired by the story that adorned the school’s hallways prior to, and during the pro-duction.

“The entire school has really embraced the visit,” said POW vice-principle, Kim Melvin-Long, adding that some children even dressed up for the show.

Melvin-Long con-tinued that the signifi-cance of the story of Charlotte’s Web lay not only in its entertainment

value, but in its under-lying message, which highlights themes such as friendship, loyalty, truth and diversity.

These themes, said Melvin-Long, “coincide perfectly” with the Upper Canada District School Board’s Character Always campaign, one of the Board’s many ongoing initiatives geared to-wards promoting the in-corporation of character development within the curriculum.

“All the support has been amazing,” said the shy 17 year-old, who later caught a plane to Solio, Kenya, where he and five other Ottawa-area teens (both Anglo-phone and Francophone), will par-ticipate in the Garnier Finding Life Expedition to Africa, a challenging three-week relief project to Kenya, that will pair the Canadian teens with their Kenyan counterparts for a working visit to the vil-lage of Solio, and later to climb Mount Kenya, the second-highest peak on the continent, all of this will be recorded for broadcast by the charity and as a television docu-mentary.

The group will be lead by Finding Life founder, Ottawa filmmaker, Elia Saiklay, who visited Ange-Gabriel earlier this year. In conjunction with the preparation for Pardoel-Gibson’s trip, the staff and students have been rais-ing funds to be donated to Moving Mountains Trust, a not-for-profit that aims to foster growth and reduce poverty, primarily by providing aid for the

relief of hardship and in-equality for children and adults through education and vocational training, medical treatment, sport and employment.

During the farewell as-sembly it was announced that the students had sur-passed their $5,000 target and reached upwards of $6,000, in support of the Trust, $100 of which was personally donated by Brockville and Area Community Foundation chairman, David Dar-gie, who explained that earlier this year, he had presented the students with a $500 grant for the project, on behalf of the Foundation’s new Pay it Forward program, with the stipulation it be used to multiply the original sum in keeping with the Pay It Forward concept.

“I also promised the students that if they were successful in multiply-ing that seed money, that I would give a personal donation of $100,” said Dargie, adding that a similar grant was made to the Thousand Islands Elementary School in Lansdowne for a project to raise $10,000 to build a new school in Afghan-istan.

“I’m amazed by the kids’ efforts, and I don’t mind giving up some of my own money for some-thing like this, it’s more than worth it.”

Dargie continued that the driving force behind ‘Pay it Forward’ and the school’s involvement with Finding Life, is Ange-Gabriel teacher, Natasha Boudreau, who later pre-sented Pardoel-Gibson with a trophy that he will bring to Kenya to be used as the prize during an upcoming international soccer tournament.

“It gives me great pleasure to know that with the funds that we have raised, through our own efforts, as well as generous donations from people like Mr. Dar-gie and the Commun-ity Foundation, that our school will be able to cre-ate sustainable change in the community of Solio, Kenya, and that we have positively affected the education of these chil-dren by having raised enough money to build them a school,” said Bou-dreau.

Pardoel-Gibson’s ex-pedition can be followed in real-time on www.findinglife.ca

Seven year-old Melodie Thornhill, (right), presented fellow student Scott Pardoel-Gibson, (left), with a card containing a collection of well wishes from her class at Academie Cath-olique Ange-Gabriel, during a recent farewell assembly held in Pardoel-Gibson’s honour.

ERIN CHRISTIE PHOTO

From left to right-Vann Wilson, Emma Kelly, and Brayden Blackman of Mrs. Lacelle’s grade one class, pose with their paper mache pigs, after a recent performance of the Upper Can-ada Playhouse’s production of Charlotte’s Web at Prince of Wales School.

ERIN CHRISTIE PHOTO

Upper Canada Playhouse brings Charlotte’s Web to POW

Pardoel-Gibson - preparing for the trip of a lifetimeBy Erin ChristieObserver Staff Writer

Whether you’re looking to improve your pos-ture, increase circulation, or strengthen muscles, the benefits of physiological footwear, Masai Bare-foot Technology (MBT), are endless. MTB shoes are not your normal type of footwear. They are a com-pletely new shoe concept. Unlike a normal shoe, the MBT appears curved at the sole, resulting in a smooth, rocking motion when walking, acting as a shock absorber for the foot, fixing posture and supporting the back. As well as creating a better, healthier way of getting from A to B, MBT’s in-crease calorie burning and tone the legs by de-stabilising the foot, increasing stimulation of mus-cles that aren’t used to working so hard. The MBT shoe trains muscles, relieves the strain on joints, improves posture and gait and even burns calories at every step and even while standing. The MBT

shoes have been beneficial to many people and are really starting to become popular worldwide. But to really get all the benefits out of the MBT shoe, one must know how to properly walk in them. In this article, I will give you a brief summary on how to walk in the MBT shoe so that you get the most out of your new footwear.

When purchasing your MBT shoes, make sure that you purchase a pair that have the correct fit. Make sure that your MBT’s are tight on the heel, snug on the in-step and that they are comfortable around the toes. It is important that the heel is placed at the back of the foot bed prior to fitting the straps of the MBT.

Once you have adapted to the MBT’s, wear them everyday, and you can be confident that your body

continues to be activated and working the muscles whenever you wear them.


The ObserverHEALTH & WELLNESS

18 King Street West Brockville • 613.342.6400

Modern amenities, state of the art equipment, exceptional staff and client friendly business hours

renders this Centre as the go to destination for Brockville and area residents who are requiring

rehabilitation care and fitness training!

s

Minimizing Pain andMaximizing Mobility

Dr. Martin Herzan, B.Sc, N.D.Licensed Naturopathic DoctorAcupunctureHomeopathic MedicineClinical NutritionMenopausal CareBio-identical HRT

Wendy Herzan, BSTCognitive Behaviour TherapistAdaptive Technologist

613-926-9028Email: [email protected] • www.UnifiedPath.ca

The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit would like to remind everyone to stay up-to-date with immunizations to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

What you should know about immunizations:

• Parents are required to submit proof of their child’s immunizations to the Health Unit under the Immunization School Pu-pils Act, 1990. Children who are not up-to-date may be suspended from school.

• Children ages 14-16 years should receive a tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough vaccine.

• All people between the ages of 19 and 40 should verify they have received 2 doses of MMR vaccine for full protection

against measles, mumps and rubella. People who

have not received these should contact their

health care provider or the Health Unit.

• All adults should re-ceive a tetanus and diph-theria vaccine every 10 years.

• Students who are planning to attend Col-lege or University may be required to submit proof of immunizations to their academic institution. Students should contact their health care providers or the Health Unit in the late spring to ensure their required immunization information is current for school in September.

• Those who are plan-ning on travelling should check their immunization record to ensure they are up-to-date and protected. Other countries may have occurrences of diseases that do not occur in Can-ada.

• Some adults may need

to show proof of their im-munization status for workplace positions. This may include health care provides, first responders, corrections officers, sani-tation workers, or piercing and tattoo artists. All these positions may put a per-son more at risk of acquir-ing an infectious disease.

People can make ap-pointments with their health care provider or the Health Unit to receive im-munizations.

For more information

about immunizations, contact the Health Unit by calling the Health ACTION line at 1-800-660-5853 and asking for an Immunization Record Check or by visiting our website at www.healthunit.org

Child’s behaviour could be allergy relatedDear Dr. Herzan, our 8

year old son has been hav-ing digestive problems for the past 3 years. He has frequent bloating as well as a rash on his face that keeps coming back, in spite of using a steroid cream. His behaviour has just been ‘off ’ lately, and he’s having meltdowns, even at his school. Any suggestions?

L.H., Prescott

Dear L.H. – As a Nat-uropathic Doctor, I find it necessary to always step back and do two things—one, identify and treat the actual root cause and two, treat the whole person. The easy answer might be for your

family doctor to try and control the hyperactivity symptoms with stimu-lant based medication. This is sometimes help-ful, especially in the short term, but why stop at symptom manage-

ment only? It’s the in-teresting combination of digestive/ skin/ behav-iour challenges your son is facing that make me think that the root causes of his problems might lie in an allergy connec-tion. In this case, the use of medications to man-age your son’s behaviour should be considered as a last resort.

Allergies can be grouped into 2 basic cat-egories – immediate and delayed. The immedi-ate allergies are what we think of when someone breaks out in hives or has trouble breathing min-utes to hours after com-ing into contact with an allergen. A common

example of this is would be a peanut allergy, or environmental allergies to pollen, mold or dust mites. These are tested for using skin scratch testing and typically last a lifetime.

The second class of al-lergies involved delayed reactions—reactions that occur up to several days after consuming a par-ticular food. These reac-tions can be puzzling and can show up in many dif-ferent ways including:

• Digestive problems (gas/bloating/constipa-tion/diarrhea)

• Chronic skin prob-lems such as eczema

• Fatigue• Joint pain

• Headaches •Mood symptoms

(hyperactivity, poor con-centration, lower mood, increased anxiety)

These allergies are tested with a home test-ing kit using just a few drops of blood and then sent to a lab. These can-not be detected with skin scratch testing alone.

I often see children where their health can completely transform in just 4-6 weeks when their food allergies are identified, much to the delight and amazement of their parents. With the proper naturopathic support, they are often able to re-introduce their

problematic foods after several months without difficulty and continue to remain symptom-free. Naturopathic Doctors often work in collabora-tion with other health care professionals, such as psychologists, MD’s, and school staff to assist in resolving these types of issues with the least invasive methods pos-sible.

Dr. Martin Herzan BSc, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor with 15 years experience, practicing in Brockville. He can be reached through his website www.unifiedpath.ca, email at [email protected] or at (613) 926-9028.

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The ObserverSPORTS

With the recent de-parture of Todd Gill to the Kingston Frontenacs, Jason Hawkins will take over the reigns as the head coach of the Brock-ville Braves.

Hawkins took over the GM duties last season and will now take over behind the bench after assisting Gill for the past two seasons.

“This is a great honour bestowed on me by Todd and Krista”, said Haw-kins.

“To have their trust means a great deal to me”.

Hawkins will be joined behind the bench by existing assistant coach Jamie Mayo and two new coaches, former Braves alumnus Matt Ward and Adam Gibson. Ward will join as an assistant coach and Gibson as the video

coach. “I coached both Matt

(Ward) and Adam (Gib-son) and know that they both bring a lot to the table”, said Hawkins. “They’re young and just finished their own hockey careers. They will be able to help the coaching staff relate to the players, hav-ing not been far removed from their own playing careers”.

Hawkins will be faced with a different challenge this off-season, with a great core of players re-turning from last year, unlike the previous sea-son which saw the jun-ior team lose 12 players,

most of which were all-stars.

“There is a different goal this summer than leading into last season”, said Hawkins.

“We have six spots available on the roster and need to find a con-sistent scorer at the cen-tre position, but we’re in great shape”.

The top six scorers from last year’s team are returning next season as well as four veteran de-fenseman and both all-star goaltenders from last year’s squad. The Braves completed their rookie camp earlier in April and have already offered two spots to prospects from the camp.

In July the team will hold their initial train-ing camp in Kemptville to firm up the remaining roster spots.

“I’m looking forward to the new challenge and continuing the suc-cess the organization has built over the past sev-eral years.” the new head coach stated.

“I believe we will be a contender for the league title again next year”.

Hawkins is set to take over Braves coaching job

The 28th annual California Run is set for this Sunday, May 1st with both the 5K Corby Newcombe and the 10K Gra-ham Beasley races beginning at 10a.m.

The annual run has been highly suc-cessful in the past and this year has been designated as a ‘Charity Run’, lowering costs, with proceeds going towards the YMCA’’s Annual Giving Campaign and the Brockville Road Runners charity of choice.

This year’s route is new for the 10K race, using a residential area in hopes to get more of the public out to cheer on the runners and encourage the first time participants.

For more information or to register for this year’s run, contact the YMCA at 613.342.7961. Registration is available the morning of the race at the YMCA. Cost is $20 for adults, and $17 for stu-dents. Race Kit pickup starts at 8:30a.m.

Annual run is on Sunday


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Team needs to find consistent scorer at centre but is in good shape: new coach

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The ObserverTRACK & FIELD

Cold weather start for track and field

The members the TISS, BCI and ST. Mary track and field teams got their first taste of competition on Thurs-day last week in ex-tremely harsh condi-tions, something the athletes hope will be gone before the Kins-men meet on May 6th and 7th.

It was the first taste of competition against several regional schools for the members of the Pirates, Red Rams and Crusaders. The ath-letes battled near zero temperatures and snow throughout the day.

The day was domin-ated in the standings by TISS, who took the overall title with Syden-ham coming in second place and St. Mary jumping up into third place overall.

The senior men’s team from TISS lead the way for the Pirates in almost every event. Brandon Howell and Jesse Kennedy lead the way in the field, while the senior men’s 4 x 100 won with a time that would have eclipsed the EOSSAA record. In the distance races Nick Servage, Courtney Serson, Shelby Kent, Tyler Nolan, and Missy Schutten all had excep-tion days.

St. Mary had a great day in the field and on the track, finishing with their highest rating in recent years. Both the women’s and men’s teams finished third overall behind TISS and Sydenham. BCI round-ed out the local schools finishing ninth in the overall standings.

The Kinsmen meet begins on Friday May 6th through Saturday May 7th and will at-tract the best student athletes from around the province. The meet will be held at Thou-sand Islands Secondary School.

(Left) Emily Allard hits her stride during the midget girls relay on Thursday at TISS. St. Mary had a great day, finishing third overall during the opening meet of the season.

(Above) TISS Pirate Chris Cauley explodes up and over the bar during the sen-ior men’s high jump. Cauley opened the season well and will be looking to build on his success from last year.

(Right) Alex Cornillese reaches for distance during the senior men’s triple jump on Thursday at TISS.


PHOTOS BY AUSTIN DE LUIS


The ObserverTHE GOLF PAGE

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There are many choice words used in describing the game of golf, but most golfers play for leisure and relaxation, although many of us find little of either while we’re playing.

It is too bad, because relaxation is a key ele-ment when it comes to performing the swing well. The more relaxed we feel, the smoother our swings.

Many times we bring the worries of home or office to the golf course. These worries can creep into our swings through improper muscle con-traction which leads to a convoluted swing pattern and mishit shots.

This can have a “Dom-ino” effect on our game. Poor shots lead us to question what we are do-ing wrong, creating great-er tension and increasing self-doubt.

Let’s focus our atten-tion on this element, self-doubt.

Everyone who has tried to hit a golf ball will tell you it is a lot harder than it seems. This is especially true, when we try to avoid troubles on the course —for ex-ample: water, sand traps, trees or out of bounds.

The big looping slice —a shot that goes straight out, before turning away from the position where the golfer is standing— usually occurs at the most inopportune times. The same can be said of a duck hook —a shot that goes straight out, before turning in toward the position where the golfer is standing. Why?

Think about the last time you didn’t want to slice the ball. You prob-ably told yourself not to slice. You even went so far as to set-up away from the dangers. But, to no avail, the shot followed the path you were at-tempting to avoid.

This is directly related to the enhanced ten-sion you created by tell yourself not to do it. The same can be said of the times when you have an exceptional round going. You tell yourself to stay calm, but somehow your anxiety is elevated and you lose focus. Within the course of a few shots your score is back where you usually expect it would be.

In both instances, you created doubt. Your attention was diverted from the present to the past. A bad shot or an exceptional round both cause you to question your own ability. Every golfer does it and with seemingly good reasons!

How do we avoid it? All golfers must stay

focused on the shot at hand. Relaxation and trust will allow the body to perform the swing without any interference. Remember, the same good swing you take while practicing can be used when contacting the ball, as long as you let it.

Avoid the tendency to force the swing. Less can be more when it comes to power. An easier swing will improve ball contact resulting in the ball traveling further. Thus, less tension will bring us more satisfac-tion and lower scores.

Next time, we’ll ad-dress the problems of a poor grip and the in-herent tension it can create. Until then, stay relaxed and enjoy the se-rene setting of your sur-roundings. The architect designed it to enhance the relaxation process, which you can use to benefit your golf game.

The Tension Factor

Every spring us golf-ers, we can’t wait to get out and get in our first few rounds of the season especially after a five or six month lay-off. So what makes golf in the Spring that much different than the condi-tions from the Summer and Fall of the previous season?

One: The ball doesn’t go as far in the cooler temperatures. So if you normally hit your 7-iron 150 yards, you might want to go up one club and hit your 6-iron.

Two: You are probably playing at this time of year wearing a few more layers of clothing than you would in the Sum-mer. This in itself will re-strict how much you can turn in your backswing thus robbing you of dis-tance as well.

Three: The greens that you are playing are definately not in mid-season shape, they are rougher than usual, not as smooth or as fast as you were used to the pre-vious season. The bump-ier putting surfaces lead

you to employ a putting stroke with more of a hit-ting action than a swing-ing or stroking action. As for chipping, well in these conditions you’ll need to fly the ball closer to the hole as opposed to bumping it along those rougher greens.

Four: The softer ground will also require you to adapt the way you swing the club. In these softer conditions you’ll need to swing the club shallower, with more of a sweeping action than a steeper, digging action.

Yes starting your golf

season off this Spring can be fun, and if you can adjust your game to the above mentioned conditions, you could find yourself getting your game closer to mid-sea-son form.

John Ryan is a CGTF Level Three Instructor and he teaches exclu-sively at the Tincap Golf Club. If you have any comments or want infor-mation on Lessons you can either call or e-mail John at 613-345-1390 or e-mail at [email protected].

Spring Time GolfBy John RyanObserver Contributer

You will notice in this photo, Andy Fournier is dressed for those cooler Spring conditions. He is also working on his game to get himself ready for a big 2011 golf season.

By Tim McKeownObserver Contributer


The ObserverBUSINESS

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They cared for you and soon you may be asked to care for them. As the Boomer generation ages, many Can-adians are facing the challenges of elder care for their parents – and, at the same time, they may also be car-ing for their own children.

Yes, it’s difficult – you only have so much time, after all – but the ‘time crunch’ is only one reason why being the primary caregiver for an elderly parent can be so stressful. Maybe you are the ‘sole’ provider and all the weight of their care is on your shoul-ders. Maybe you are responsible for juggling care requirements among the other members of your family – and looking after your own family, as well – on top of your own daily work inside or outside your home.

Still, you do it willingly – because your parents have always been there for you and now you can be there for them. You’re more than willing to lend a hand – but there is a way to take care of a loved one over the long term that reduces the significant physical, emotional and financial consequences to the caregiver.

It’s called long term care insurance. It can be a good solution for those approaching retirement who want to avoid placing the burden for care on a spouse, adult children and other family members, or even friends. It is also a good option for adult chil-dren who want to ensure that parents on fixed incomes will have access to quality long-term care.

You may think that services like in-home nursing or personal care are covered by government health plans – but they’re not. Exactly what is covered varies from province to province.

Relying on government-funded programs for long-term facility care can lead to a loss of control. The part-ner that is staying at home has little influence over where a loved one will be placed and travel can be difficult and costly.

Long term care insurance bridges the gap by providing financial assist-ance for ongoing care services in the home, assisted-living setting or long-term care facility. Depending on the type of plan, long-term care funds can be used to pay for eligible servi-ces for the person receiving the care – anything from help with bathing or dressing to supervision because of declined mental ability – or to pro-vide a regular income that can be used for any purpose, including care-giving by family members.

Talk to your professional advisor about using long-term care insurance to bridge financial and emotional gaps, protect your finances and your family’s well-being – and secure your plans for the future.

This column, written and pub-lished by Investors Group Financial Services Inc. (in Québec – a Financial Services Firm), presents general infor-mation only and is not a solicitation to buy or sell any investments. Contact a financial advisor for specific advice about your circumstances. For more information on this topic please con-tact your Investors Group Consultant.

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Filling the caregiving gap

The Brockville Farmer’s Market kicked off the season on Saturday morning. Town Crier Lawrence Levere announces the grand opening before the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Customers braved the harsh conditions for the opening day of the Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning. The Market will be operating on Saturday’s only, with Tues-days and Thursdays starting later in the month.

SUBMITTED PHOTOSSports Dome meeting tonight

One of the first tasks for this planning team is to determine the level of interest and commitment among Brockville and Area sports associations who would become the “users” of the multi-sports dome. A public meeting has been set for Wednes-day, April 27th in the Am-phitheatre of Thousand Islands Secondary School beginning at 7:30 p.m. Any representatives of local sports associations and/or any interested members of the public are invited to attend this meeting and learn more about the proposed plans to bring a multi-sports dome to Brockville and Area by October, 2012.

Martin Noe, Co-Chair of the BASDA remarked, “The strategic planning session that we under-took on April 2nd was helpful to our group in determining the next steps that we need to take to accomplish our goal of bringing a multi-sports dome to Brockville and Area by October, 2012. We have identified that the public meeting on April 27th at T.I.S.S. will be key to understanding the sup-port and commitment of potential use groups in Brockville and the sur-rounding communities.

We invite any inter-ested representatives of sport and recreation as-sociations and groups to join us in the Amphithe-atre at Thousand Island Secondary School on April 27th beginning at 7:30 p.m. We have asked one of the founders of the ‘Glengarry Indoor Sports Dome’ in Alexandria, On-tario - Jamie MacDonald to join us at our meet-ing and talk about their experience in gathering community support for the funding, construction and operation of the com-munity dome in Alexan-dria.”

All interested members of the public and repre-

sentatives of area sports associations are invited to join the BASDA Plan-ning Committee on April 27th beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Amphitheatre at Thousand Islands Sec-ondary School. Please ar-rive early to ensure that you are guaranteed seat-

ing for this meeting.

For further information, please contact: Karen Nolan: Co-Chair BASDA - [email protected] Noe: Co-Chair BASDA - [email protected]


The ObserverMULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL

The line-up for enter-tainment is the biggest in the festival’s history with many new performances as well as several old favorites on the stage.

Friday night’s line-up begins at 5:30 and includes: the opening ceremonies with Toniata Public School Band, the Bread of Life Dance The-atre, East Indian Dancers, Costa Rican Dancers, Dutch Singers and Dan-cers, Brockville Pipes and Drums, Cardinal Studio C Dancers, Nicaraguan Dancers, the German TISS Dance Troupe, Es-meraldas De Columbia and award-winning pian-ist Joseph Naszady.

On Saturday, the doors will open at 11a.m. with entertainment begin-ning at noon. The Car-dinal Studio C Dancers will be back on stage to begin the day, followed by The Eccentric Jug-

gler, Nhoma Drum and Dance, Swiss Folklore, Maky Ukranian Dance Ensemble, Irish Fiddlers, Costa Rican Dancers, Ro-manian Dancers, Belle-ville Greek Commun-ity Dancers, East Indian Dancers, Brockville Lions Steel Band, Venezuelan Folklore Dance Group, Turquoise Turkish Dance Club, Brockville Good Life Performers, Yiddish Klezmer Ensemble and the Ottawa Chinese Arts Troupe.

“We are always trying to bring new programs and attractions to the festival”, said Singh. “We have listened and learned over the past 30 years and this year’s festival should be the best one yet”.

Admission prices are $4 for adults, $3.50 for students and seniors with children under five get-ting in free. The Brock-ville Memorial Centre has made provisions to ac-commodate persons with disabilities.

Open Monday - Friday at 9:00 am; Saturday at 7:00 am

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MulticulturalFestival brings the world to Brockville

The Fiddlers Pluswill be performing at the BrockvilleMulticultural Festival this weekend

The group which was formed around the turn of the the 20th century.

Front Row: Sam Mackey (Accordian), Chuck Quick (Uillean Pipes, Whistle, Irish Flute), Judi Longstreet (Celtic Harp) and Edith Phillips (Keyboard). Second Row: Kathy Nichols (Whistle), John Atkinson (Whistle, Flute), Peri Howlett (Whislte, Flute, Recorder), Joan Laforty (Fiddle), Chuck McKyes (Fiddle) Second Row cont’d: Glen Lums-den (Fiddle), Roma Simpson (Fiddle), Mike Lachapelle (Fiddle), Sharon deVries (Fiddle and Vocals), Eileen Kearns (Fiddle). Back Row: Doug Helmer (Guitar, Whistle and Silver Flute), Stewart Simpson (Guitar) and David Campbell (Banjo, Mandolin). Missing from the Photo: Earl and Peggy Goodmurphy, Peter Meleg, and Tom Byrne.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

MULTI-CULTURALcontinues from page 1

S I N C E 1 8 9 0

613-925-4265


The ObserverCOMMUNITY

LOCATED IN THE HEART OF HISTORIC BROCKVILLE

• Multicultural Festival. Brockville Memorial Centre. Friday, April 29, 5-11 pm. Saturday, April 30, 11 am-10 pm. www.brockvillemulticulturalfestival.com

• 5th Annual Relay For Life Garage Sale. Canarm Ltd parking lot, 2157 Parkedale Avenue, Brockville. Saturday, April 30, 8:00 am-12:00 pm.

• Rummage Sale - Saint Lawrence Anglican Church, 80 Pine St, Brockville. Saturday, April 30th, 9-11:30 am. Men’s, ladies, children’s clothing, dishes & small household items, plus books and many more items.

• Used Book Sale - last Saturday of the month. 10:00 am to 12 noon. Spencerville Library.

• Weekend To End Women’s Cancers - Help us find a cure. Sunday, May 1, 8:00 am-12 noon. Enjoy a brunch at the Grenville Snowmobile Club in Charleville.

• There will be a preview of new creations, by the “Art in the City” group, at the Brockville Public Library from May 1st to May 30th. Come and get a taste of art that will be on display at The 1000 Islands Food & Wine Festival, June 17th and June 18th.

• St. Paul’s United Church, Prescott. Spring Smorgasbord supper Tuesday, May 3, 4-6 pm. Tickets or information 613-925-5629.

• The Brockville & District Hospice Palliative Care Service, Monthly Grief Support Meeting. Garden St. Site Boardroom. Wednesday, May 4th.

• Film Brockville is presenting its penultimate movie of the 2010-2011 Season, Blue Valentine, starring Ryan Gosling & Michelle Williams. Showing at the Galaxy Cinema Wednesday, May 4th, 7 pm. Tickets are $8. www.filmbrockville.ca

• The Brockville & District Hospice Palliative Care Service, presents “Highlights of Hospice” Wednesday, May 4th, 11 am - 2 pm. Charles St. site of Brockville General Hospital. Information table - learn about our services. Thursday, May 5th, 5 pm-7 pm. Open house / meet and greet, learn about our services. Garden St. Site of Brockville General Hospital ground floor patient lounge. We welcome and encourage all to attend.

• St. Vincent de Paul Hospital, Brockville Annual Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, May 4th at C.J’s Banquet Hall, Chelsea St, Brockville. Social Hour - 11:30 am. Lunch at 12:30 pm. RSVP to 613-342-5515 before April 28th.

• Spring Tree Sale at MacJohnson Wildlife Area. Friday, May 6th, 2 pm-5:30 pm. Saturday May, 7th, 10 am- 2 pm. In MacJohnson Wildlife Area parking lot on Centennial Rd. $10-$30 per tree. HST included in prices. Many variety of trees available. Additional information 613-345 -1990.

• Saturday, May 7, 8:30 to noon Annual Spring Rummage Sale and Flea Market at Athens United Church

• Rummage Sale/Car Wash & Flea Market, Saturday, May 7, 8 am-3 pm at Greenbush Ball Diamond, 9352 Addison/Greenbush Rd. Proceeds to the Greenbush Minor Ball Association. Vendors welcome. For more information contact Lori Mullin @ 613-924-0746

• Sunday, May 8, 7:00 pm “Faithful Friends” old-time country gospel and sing-a-long at Athens United Church. Bring Mom for a fun musical evening.

• The Leeds & Grenville Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will hear Ed Bebee speak on the men and women who operated the Rideau Canal from 1832 to the present and their impact on the communities in the area. Meeting Monday, May 9th at 7:30 pm at the Brockville Tabernacle, 2nd Conc. of the North Augusta Road. Refreshment will be served. The public is invited to attend.

• Social Ballroom Dance Club - Couples dance. Brockville Rowing Club, Friday, May 13, 8 pm. Info: 613-345-1073 or 613-342-3181.

• Saturday, May 14, 7 pm, Melodia Monday, singing a mix of jazz, folk, pop, spirituals. St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Pine at Victoria Sts., Brockville. Info: 613-342-5865.

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YMCA awards recipients, Mohammad Khadra, who received the “Spirit of the ‘Y’ Youth Leadership” Award, and Sherry O’Connell, who received the “Dr. Stanley Brown Memorial ‘Y Values’ Award. Both are recognized for their outstanding volun-teer service.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

HAVE YOU HEARD OF LEEDS & GRENVILLE’S BEST KEPT SECRET?


The ObserverJUST FOR FUN

crossword

SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, be prepared for a busy

week that gives your bank account a boost. You may begin a new work assignment that requires a lot of creative energy.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21 This week you’re more interested in

the ways to promote personal health, Sagittarius. Your research could extend into holistic arts, exploring natural ways to boost health.

CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20 Capricorn, stay out of bookstores

because you could spend a fortune trying to satiate your need to absorb information this week. If you must, visit the library.

AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18 Aquarius, an encounter with someone

new puts you on a new course of action for which you cannot gain enough information fast enough.

PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20 Thoughts of a career change are

prominent this week, Pisces. It may be a good time to finally act on these ideas.

ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Romance may be on your mind, Aries.

That’s because you met a wonderful person and are interested in seeing where this new relationship will go.

SEE PAGE 18 FOR ANSWERS

WorD search

TAURUS - April 21/May 21 Taurus, you may feel artistically

inspired this week, which could play out in projects anywhere from painting pottery to making home improvements.

GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, the wedding of a friend

could inspire thoughts of a romantic nature. Maybe you’re thinking of taking a relationship to a new level or beginning a new one.

CANCER - June 22/July 22 Cancer, you aspire to learn a new skill

or take on a new project. Definitely forge ahead because it will mean meeting new people and learning other interesting things.

LEO - July 23/Aug 23 Love, romance and marriage are on

your mind, Leo. If you’re involved, it could be time to strengthen the relationship. Those unattached could find a special someone.

VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, expect an unexpected visitor

in the coming days. This could mean a complete overhaul of your schedule and living space. It’s time to get to work.

LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23 Your mindset will be intense this

week, Libra. Friends and family will find it very difficult to sway your opinion and change your mind.

CLUES ACROSS1. Roe producer5. Monastery head10. Opposite of a

credit15. Sheep shelter16. Polecat18. Undermine19. Control the realm20. Cheese shredder21. Hollows22. Disorder24. Fourth piggy’s

portion26. Have supper27. Merchandise:

abbr.28. Divide in two31. Glen33. Old Japanese

money34. Art medium36. Cook eggs, in a

way39. Provoke41. Net43. Confirmation45. Quicksilver47. Chromosome

component49. Greek harp50. Woodsman’s

implement51. Forecaster’s

device54. Old Danish

money55. Fawn’s father57. Mountain cat58. Voter60. Add up

62. Diminish slowly64. Theatre enthusiast, e.g.65. Chute fabric67. Insect egg68. Often-dried fruit69. Hawaiian gala71. Chocolate bean73. Buchanan of

“One Life to Live”76. Beat walker79. Out of ____81. ____ Years’ War83. Giraffe’s kin85. Sarcastic88. Shred89. He has an army90. Harangue91. Complacent92. Spud93. Father94. Shawl

CLUES DOWN1. Skinny one2. Devotee3. Map book4. Elk, e.g.5. Crocheted

blanket6. Emerald7. Swimsuit section8. Food tidbit9. Young driver10. Process, as film11. Time span12. Trunk13. Think-tank

product14. Exam

17. Stepped on23. Winged child25. Snooze29. Struggle30. Puzzling32. “Duke of ____”33. Attack term35. Leg hinge37. Prairie wolf38. Strong aversion39. Church official40. Agreement41. Pancake topping42. Computer

command44. Suspect45. Sail holder46. Chat48. Sniggler’s quest52. Prophetic sign53. Area56. Chutzpa59. Gear part61. More awful63. Zeta follower66. No68. Spigot70. Branch72. Scold73. Smell74. Arrangement75. Proverb76. Cloak77. Gumbo veggie78. Gasp80. Toddler’s bed82. Part of DVD84. Mom and apple

____86. Lode load87. Harass

- Healthy Vision -


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The family of Richard & Pauline Tapping would like to invite family and

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ANNOUNCEMENTPLACE AN ANNOUNCEMENT in the Brockville Observer, call 613-342-8777. Deadlines Monday by 3:00 p.m. for the Wednesday edition. Cash, visa or mastercard. All prices are subject to H.S.T. The Brockville Observer is not responsible for pictures left here over 6 months. Please pick up your photographs as soon as they appear in the paper. (nc-8tf)

WORK WANTEDLAWN CARE & property maintenance. Now giving estimates for grass cutting during the 2011 season in Prescott, Cardinal & Brockville area. Call 613-925-5048. (psv16,17)

HELP WANTEDADULT CARRIERS needed for the Brockville Observer on Wednesdays. Part-time and on call carriers for walking routes needed, car is an asset. Contact Bob at 613-925-1439, leave a message. (nc17)

HELP WANTEDHAIR STYLIST stations available for rent. Great downtown Brockville location. Newly renovated salon/spa. Call 613-340-5457. (psmc16,17)

CUSTODIAN REQUIRED for Sunday Services and other special events. Drop off or send resumes to Wall Street United Church, 5 Wall Street, Brockville K6V 4R8 by May 6th. (psv16,17)

FOR RENTDOWNTOWN OFFICE space for rent. Historic building. Various size office space from $5.00/sq. ft. per month. Parking, internet, reception services available. Please call Peter 613-349-2654. (cs17,18,19,20)

SERVICESLAWN ROLLING (1 ton roller), spring cleanup, lawn cutting, chainsaw, wood chipping, stump grinding, garbage removal (insured). Call Ron Stewart 613-926-2749. (ps17)

“Water for Elephants”, starring Reese Wither-spoon, Robert Pattinson and Christoph Waltz, and based on the New York Times best-selling novel, is a feast for the senses. This is one love story with a really dark edge that is guaranteed to move you.

Set in Depression- era America, the film stars Robert Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski. Pat-tinson of Twilight fame, breaks out of his teen heartthrob mold and shows the world more than just a pretty face. He is both narrator and protagonist in this tale of circuses, illusion, des-peration, and love. Jacob was raised by, and then educated to be a veter-inarian. Before finishing his final exam, he finds out his parents have died and left him nothing. In a modern parallel that didn’t escape my notice, he leaves his home which was foreclosed on by the bank, and hits the rails in search of a new life. Jacob jumps on a train owned by the Benzini Brothers Circus. Claiming to be a veterinarian, he is hired by the circus’s owner, Au-gust (Christoph Waltz) who is flattered to have a Cornell educated profes-sional on his crew.

Christoph Waltz is extremely well cast as August, circus owner and king of his domain. Waltz was a revelation in Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds”. His Col. Landa was a charming monster who seemed to exult in his cruelty. In “Water for Elephants”, Waltz’s August is all smiles to the rubes; fashion, flash and glamour. Beneath

his smile and seemingly calm exterior hides a fierce animal which cov-ets power, hates compe-tition, and needs total control. He is a man who in sudden bursts of rage is capable of acts of ex-treme violence to both the circus animals and the carnies in his employ.

Reese Witherspoon plays Marlena, the beautiful star attraction of the Benzini Bros. Cir-cus and August’s seem-ingly devoted wife. She alone seems to have the power to tame the raging beast inside her husband. Marlena loves being the star and is willing to suf-fer her husband’s cruel-ties to keep her proverb-ial place in the sun. Yet at the same time she is torn between her love of the spotlight and a desperate need for change. She is both coveted love inter-est to Pattinson’s Jacob, and prized possession to Waltz’s August. It is their love triangle that forms the central drama of the tale.

Director Frances Lau-rence (Constantine) brings a dark, almost horror film intensity to the proceedings. Even though the movie is in color, I couldn’t help but feel that the film seemed like a piece out of time. It reminded me of the clas-sic 1930s work of movie director, Tod Browning. During some of the dark-est moments of the film, I was reminded of Brown-ing’s carnie classic, “Freaks”. The movie also

made me think of HBO’s short-lived adult tele-vision series, “Carnivale”. All three films show the gritty realities behind the magic and illusion of the Depression era world of the circus. Downplaying the darker aspects of the film, director Francis Lawrence said, “One of the reasons I did WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is be-cause it has love, wish fulfillment, redemption, magic and beauty. I hope audiences latch on to all of those things.”

“Water for Elephants”

is a moving love story set in the world of the travelling carnivals of Depression era America. This movie celebrates the excitement of the Big Top, while exposing the dark underbelly and desperation at the heart of the world of the car-nies. This movie is well directed, features incred-ible performances, and is as frightening as it is moving. ”Water for Ele-phants” is one of the best films I have seen this year and I hope a contender for the Oscars in 2012.


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‘Water for Elephants’ a feast for the sensesVIEW FROM THE OUTSIDE

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