Category: Uncategorized

By: Matt Weingarden, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter

Many of us know that sinking feeling when we have been of victim of theft. Imagine losing something that is your personal lifeline to everyday living. Michelle, a Belle River resident is that victim.

Michelle has cerebral palsy and depends on the bike to get around town. She used her adapted trike for a variety of things, such as grocery runs and visiting family and friends.  After she moved into a new building last year, the specialized bike was stolen on the first night. She has been without a bike for a year now.

“The bike she had stolen had been her transportation, her independence, it meant everything to her,” said Chris, a personal friend of the victim. “She had moved into a new residence…and somebody took the locked bike the very first night she owned it.”

According to Rick Anderson, Belle River/Rochester Goodfellows president, everyone knows Michelle in Belle River.

“If you saw that trike out in front of Tim Hortons, Foodland, Shoppers, you knew she was in the store,” said Anderson.

“The Goodfellows had a meeting, and we decided to replace the bike. We do special things like this if it comes to our attention, and if it wasn’t for the community, we wouldn’t be able to do this.”

So, the Goodfellows set about quietly finding a replacement trike.

Blaise Baillargeon, owner of Source for Sports in Belle River, assembled and adjusted the trike on his own time as a way of giving back to the community. He also provided a new lock for her.

“The bike is a three-wheeler that is stable and good for getting around,” he said. “However, in her case the bike needs to be set up to accommodate her special needs. You can’t just go out and purchase a replacement bike.”

“This is just good for the community and the right thing to do,” added a humble Baillargeon.

The bike was shipped from Ohio.

“If it wasn’t for the community and our vendors, we wouldn’t be able to do anything like this,” said Anderson. “The organization is more than just our basket giveaway during the holidays, if we hear of those needing assistance through the year, we step up and assist but, it’s the community that donates to our banquet and especially our newspaper sales. All proceeds are used to help those in need throughout the year.”

Friend Chris speculates that someone had planned the theft out in advance, cutting all three locks with bolt cutters.

Getting around was going to be a challenge as public transportation was difficult for her to use and taxicab and Uber expenses are out of reach.

“It was really hard on her, she’s independent, and it’s been very hard for her to ask for assistance over the past year,” said Chris. “What the Goodfellows have done is give her an amazing gift…one she is very grateful for…it means a lot to her.”

“You can tell she was very happy by her face when she received the bike,” Chris added. “It’s a great step to regaining that independence and getting her life back in balance.”

By: Devan Mighton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter

On Wednesday, April 2, many people around the world will observe World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD). April is also Autism Awareness Month, representing a spectrum disorder that the World Health Organization estimates afflicts one of every 100 children in the world and, according to the 2019 Canadian Health Survey, one of every 50 children in Canada.

The recorded prevalence of autism has increased dramatically in recent years due to improved screening tools, broader diagnostic criteria, and increased awareness, and it is very common. Males are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) four times more than females. Individuals with ASD present with a wide range of abilities and challenges, and there is no known cure. However, through applied behaviour analysis, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, people with autism can gain various skills and improve their quality of life outlook.

ASD affects the communication skills and behaviours of those with the disorder and can present challenges in how an individual deals with social interactions, communication, and sensory processing.

WAAD and Autism Awareness Month are important tools in raising awareness and understanding among the public about these disorders, how people and families are affected, and how you can help.

“The importance of Autism Awareness Day and Month cannot be understated,” said Autism Services Inc. executive director Jillian Fenech. “Increasing autism awareness paves the way for autism acceptance. In the last decade, we’ve seen a huge increase in the public’s awareness of autism spectrum disorders. The more people know about autism and how different people may show their autistic traits, the more we can normalize the concept of neurodiversity. The world needs all kinds of minds so when we improve people’s understanding of autism, we can celebrate these differences.”

Autism Services Inc. is located at 3640 Wells St. in West Windsor.

Fenech began working with autistic children in 2005, performing various roles, such as an interventionist, senior therapist, consultant, and clinical supervisor. After she had her first child in 2010, she began to notice “red flags” in her child and by 23 months of age, her beautiful daughter was diagnosed with autism. Since then, Fenech says that they have undergone speech therapy, intensive behavioral intervention, sensory integration, and social skills groups.

“At ASI, we are actually getting a head-start on the WAAD celebrations with a pasta dinner at the Moose Lodge on April 1st,” explains Fenech. “It is $10 per person for pasta, salad, and rolls and a whopping 80 per cent of the proceeds come right back to ASI to support our clients.” This year’s event will run from 4-7 pm, and they hope that it will carry on last year’s excellent turnout.

On April 2, Fenech will spend the morning with elementary school children, teaching them all about autism.

“While World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Awareness Month is important to us, we don’t limit these presentations to just the month of April,” adds Fenech. “We offer these presentations all year round and tailor the material to your specific audience. So, a presentation to a JK/SK class is vastly different from the presentation at a secondary school. Autism Services Inc. wants to make sure that everyone who wants to learn about autism gets that information in a way that is meaningful for them.”

ASI holds a variety of events throughout the year to raise awareness.

“This year we will also host our second Family Fun Walk to raise autism awareness,” she says. “This awesome event will allow families to collect pledges to raise funds for the Bruce Awad Summer Program throughout the month of April. Then on Sunday, April 27, ASI and other community partners will join together to walk for our cause and participate in hands-on activities that our community partners are offering. This gives our clients and their families a meaningful opportunity to connect with others and learn about the services and supports available in Windsor-Essex. In addition to these activities, we will join in with other community services providers and charities in their celebrations of the autism spectrum.”

They invite everyone to participate in the walk, regardless of whether you collected pledges or put together a team for the event. Also, you do not have to have a loved one who is autistic to participate. If you want help, you are welcome to volunteer. “We can always use a smiling face and an extra set of hands when we’re having a fundraiser,” explains Fenech.

ASI also offers customizable presentations to the public, whether you have a soccer team with an autistic child on it, or you’re a grandparent in a retirement community, they will build their presentation to meet your needs and will offer a Q&A session afterwards.

“Autism Services Inc. has been offering an amazing program for over 40 years,” she states. “The Bruce Awad Summer Program is an awesome six-week program that runs in July and August. We offer a high ratio of staff to students and have days that are jam-packed with fun. Our long-running partnership with the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board allows us to offer this program in an elementary school setting both in the city and in Essex. In the mornings, we try to help these students maintain the skills they’ve built over the school year through classroom activities individualized to the students’ needs. Then, afternoons are the same things you would expect to see any kid doing in the summer: trips to the park, playing and learning outdoors, and swimming three times a week – our students ride a school bus to a community pool to swim for an hour.

“As you can imagine, the Bruce Awad Summer Program is expensive to run. Between the high ratio of staff and the activities planned, we could always use financial support. While we receive funding through the Ministry of Child, Community, and Social Services, we rely heavily on alternate sources of support such as grants, donations, and fundraising efforts. In addition, volunteering your time, offering your talents or services, or in-kind donations are greatly appreciated. To make it easier for people to contribute, we post a “Wish List” of supplies that are vital to keeping our clients happy, relaxed, and engaged.”

ASI is making inroads in our community to promote neurodiversity and create understanding in the general public about ASD and the needs of autistic people.

“The more we embrace and seek to understand neurodiversity, the closer we get to meaningful inclusion and sense of belonging,” says Fenech. “There is a great quote by Liz Fosslien that sums it up perfectly: ‘Diversity is having a seat at the table. Inclusion is having a voice. And belonging is having that voice be heard.’

“As the parent of an autistic teen, this is the truest sentiment. I don’t want people to include my daughter because it ‘checks a box’ or ‘looks good’. I want people to include her for the richness and value her perspective will bring.”

For more information on Autism Services Inc., please visit their website at www.AutismServicesInc.com.

By: John Humphrey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter

An area high school student has made history by becoming the first local athlete ever to win a medal in wrestling at the provincial secondary school championships.

Shelby Kemp, an 18-year-old grade 12 student at Tilbury District High School (TDHS) won an antique bronze medal by finishing in fourth place in the girls’ 57.5 kg (125 pounds) category. Kemp advanced to OFSAA (Ontario Federation of Secondary School Athletic Associations) in Kitchener during the first week of March after winning the competitions earlier at both the LKSSAA (Lambton Kent Secondary School Athletic Association) and SWOSSAA (South-Western Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association) regional competitions.

In addition to her winning ways, all of the events were eye-openers and first-time learning experiences for Kemp.

“Both competitions at LKSSAA and SWOSSAA were great,” she offered. “I won all of my (four) matches at LKSSAA and I did the same thing at SWOSSAA,” she offered, matter-of-factly. “I was named the tournament MVP (Most Valuable Player) at SWOSSAA and I was very excited over that.

“AT OFSSAA, I won all three of my matches on day one of competition and then I lost my first match on day two,” Kemp continued. “I won my second match on day two before I lost my second match on day two.

“So, I ended up in fourth place and ended up with the antique bronze medal.

Kemp, who was making her debut on the provincial championship wrestling stage, entered the competition as the seventh-ranked competitor in her weight category but a great performance at the tournament elevated her to the medal podium.

Kemp’s medal is the first one ever won by a wrestler from Tilbury at OFSSAA.

“I never knew that until after the competition,” she claimed in her trademark soft-spoken manner. “I think it is very cool and I’m proud about that.”

Kemp’s meteoric rise on the local, regional and provincial wrestling scenes is viewed as even more remarkable in light of the fact that she just took up the sport three years ago.

“I went to L’Essor (Secondary School in Tecumseh) for one semester in grade nine and I had heard a lot of good things about the wrestling program there, so I decided to give it a try,” she recalled. “I’ve enjoyed it from the very beginning and I’m happy that I’ve stuck with it.”

While at L’Essor for just one semester, Kemp met legendary local wrestling coach David Trembley, with whom she trains under today. Trembley, who was a nationally-ranked amateur wrestler in his youth close to half-century ago, has coached numerous Canadian national champions, three world champions and three Olympians, including his son, David Trembley Jr. who competed in the 2012 Olympics in London, England with his proud father in attendance.

Kemp has had a vigorous training regime for years that has seen her train for two hours a day four or five days a week under Trembley’s tutelage at three locations – L’Essor Secondary School, Riverside Secondary School and Tilbury District Secondary School.

In addition to her impressive triumphs over the last six months, Kemp has already has a stellar athletic resume. In 2023 Kemp finished second in her weight class in the girls’ wrestling competition at the Canada Winter Games and finished in second place in the Ontario Juvenile Wrestling Champions (for 17 and 18-year-olds) in 2024 before capturing gold at both the LKSSAA and SWOSSAA meets last fall and earlier this year.

And Trembley has never been surprised over the results attained by Kemp so far in her young but accomplished wrestling career.

“I got into coaching years ago because I like to look into the future for my athletes,” he said. “Shelby is not only a tremendous person, but she is a great athlete and has never backed away from putting in the work required to achieve the results that she is capable of reaching.”

Trembley, who was diagnosed with having Parkinson’s Disease on February 14, 2022, added that he will continue coaching Shelby and his other wrestlers for the rest of 2024 – but likely not after that.

“As a result of my condition, my feet stick and I fall often luckily my wrestling background has help me break my falls,” he candidly admitted.” I have not had any major injuries yet, but I have been losing a lot of my mobility getting very stiff because of this and I can no longer be the coach my athletes need or deserve.”

“Shelby is a champion and she is going to be my last champion,” he added.

Next up for Tilbury’s history-making wrestler,Shelby Kemp, are the Canadian National Wrestling Championships in Alberta from April 25-27 and the Team Ontario Canada Games trials that will take place in Toronto this summer.

By Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice

A bid to increase Chatham-Kent’s farm tax ratio has been shelved once again.

That was the decision reached by C-K council at its March 3 meeting, following a lengthy discussion and several deputations opposing the idea.

And while Wallaceburg Coun. Carmen McGregor was the one who brought the motion to increase the tax ratio forward last year, she said she could no longer support the move due to uncertain economic times.

McGregor’s original motion would have seen the farm tax ratio increase to 23.5 per cent in 2025, followed by an increase to 25 per cent in 2026. However, the new motion she brought forward will see the tax ration remain at 22 per cent until the province’s Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) completes its next round of assessments.

“I can longer support the recommendations, even though I was the councillor that brought it back in August,” McGregor told council. “And I hope when I conclude this, you will agree with my thinking.”

Earlier decisions by council to push back improving gravel roads from a three year to four-year cycle, as well as suspend the use of dust suppressant on gravel roads factored into her decision, McGregor explained, noting these decisions were made to decrease Chatham-Kent’s base budget to a 4.99 per cent increase.

MPAC has paused its assessment process for several years, leaving Ontario municipalities working off of assessments made in 2016.

The majority of Ontario municipalities – including nearby Lambton County – have farm tax ratios at 25 per cent.

However, officials remain skeptical of MPAC’s timeline with neither C-K budget chair Brock McGregor or chief financial officer Gord Quinton holding out hope MPAC will re-assess Ontario properties anytime soon.

According to Brock McGregor, the same discussion around farm tax ratios surfaces annually.

“I’m not holding my breath for an MPAC assessment,” the Chatham councillor said. “We talk about it every year. It keeps not showing up.”

Brock McGregor pointed out that other segments of the population carry a greater tax burden – including businesses – which pay nine times the tax rate of rural and farm properties.

He also stressed the issue is a challenge because of what happened at amalgamation in 1998-99.

“Staff maybe politically can’t say it, but I will,” he stated, adding rural Ontario is “financially neglected.

“We need to all put in the same effort to lobby the province to get fair and equitable funding,” he said, adding that “we see massive investments” by government in other sectors and agriculture should be part of that.

In his comments, Quinton said he agreed that the next council should deal with the issue as there is “zero chance” MPAC will complete a new assessment before that time, noting the earliest it could come back is April 2027.

Members of various agricultural lobby groups, including the Kent Federation of Agriculture, were on hand to make deputations against an increase.

A drop in commodity prices, uncertainty around U.S. tariffs and the reduction of services to rural roads were among the concerns expressed.

Pleas to wait until the next MPAC assessments are completed were also made in each deputation.

The motion carried 13 to 3.

By Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice

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Chatham-Kent council won’t be sending a message to Queen’s Park regarding ousting municipal councillors for bad behaviour.

In a four to 12 vote, a motion by Chatham Coun. Michael Bondy to send a letter to the Ford government opposing tough new legislation, that would see the removal of councillors and possibly prohibit them running again for four years, was defeated at the Mar. 3 council meeting.

The failed motion stated that ” the voting public” should be the only mechanism allowed to remove a “sitting elected government official.”

It also read that “council recognizes that elections alone determine who sits on any municipal council and that practice cannot be undone by unelected bureaucrats and Integrity Commissioners.”

However, because the Ontario government was paused due to the election, the Municipal Accountability Act 2024 that was tabled in the legislature is now dead, making Bondy’s motion a moot point.

But the councillor pointed out the proposed bill could resurface under the new government and action should still be taken.

“What I don’t like is what the province wants to do, is it would give the ability for a democratically elected councillor to be removed,” he said, noting a “firewall” is in place at the municipal level whereby council must have a unanimous vote to proceed with sanctions.

Bondy said the potential exists that a few people would have the ability to vote against someone, noting it’s a “subjective” process.

“We’ve seen things go to the Integrity Commissioner that are not worthy of that kind of scrutiny,” he said. “There’s a good way to fire us and that’s not vote for us next time around.”

North Kent Coun. Rhonda Jubenville echoed Bondy, noting that a small council could have a mentality to “turn against” the colleague in question.

Jubenville said that removing a councillor should only happen if they commit an egregious “criminal” act, adding any decision about holding office should be left up to the electorate.

But the majority of council disagreed.

“I think we need to have a process to hold us accountable,” Chatham Coun. Marjorie Crew stressed, adding council has a code of conduct in place.

Chatham Coun. Brock McGregor also chimed in stating that under current rules, the only way you can be removed from council is if you spend too much on a campaign.

He said that “a lot of the advocacy” for the legislature came from a situation in Ottawa where a councillor committed “incomprehensible” acts of intimation and harassment” as described by the Integrity Commissioner.

There was no way to remove the councillor, McGregor said, meaning municipal staff experiencing the harassment had to continue to work with him.

“These rules and changes come about because there’s been really terrible behaviour and there is no mechanism to protect people from that type of behaviour,” he said. “I hope legislation like this gets re-tabled. Everyone deserves a safe work space.”

Councillors Jubenville, Amy Finn, Ryan Doyle and Bondy voted in favour of the motion.