Mail bag: 07/02/26
‘Loss for all of Minto’
Dear Editor:
The cancellation of the Upper Canada Two Cylinder Club’s (UCTCC) 2026 John Deere Show is a loss for all of Minto.
When UCTCC brought its show to Palmerston in 2023, it brought visitors to town, supported local businesses and celebrated our agricultural heritage.
The club also donated $1,100 to the Palmerston Food Bank, $3,000 to the Minto Fire Department, $6,100 to the Palmerston hospital and $1,200 to Groves hospital.
After reading the newspaper report and listening to the Town of Minto council meeting where this issue was discussed, I was left with more questions than answers.
During the meeting, it was acknowledged that Minto has soccer facilities in Palmerston, Harriston and Clifford. I understand Minto United Soccer’s concern about families being able to walk or bike to the Palmerston field. However, Minto United Soccer serves families across Minto.
If using another municipal soccer field temporarily meant keeping a long-standing community event in Minto, was that too much to ask?
No one is saying youth soccer is not valuable. But community organizations all face inconvenience. Games get moved. Teams travel. Facilities are shared.
What bothers me most is that a community event was lost because a public space could not be shared.
Representatives of UCTCC have said they walked the grounds after the July 2025 show and found no damage caused by their event.
Minto United Soccer said it emailed concerns about the condition of the soccer field on Sept. 6, 2025, nearly two months after the July show.
If the field condition was serious enough to become a safety concern for youth soccer, why were those concerns raised nearly two months later instead of immediately after the July show? Direct communication should have been the first step.
This event should not have been lost.
Rhonda Schill,
Palmerston
Community service
Dear Editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who responded to a flood-related traffic incident on the evening of June 25 on Gzowski Street in Fergus.
Thanks to Centre Wellington Fire and Rescue, Wellington OPP, Centre Wellington Township workers, Jason at Lowe’s Towing and a few private citizens.
It is important that we take time to recognize those who serve our community in various aspects.
It is great to see there are still some people in society with a good attitude and work ethic, even in unpleasant situations and weather conditions. Thank you, all!
Rob Zelch,
Fergus
‘Call to patriotism’
Dear Editor:
This is my first letter to you, but I have had an idea bubbling in my head since the opening of the spectacular new library in Erin.
When I read that our PM has opened a competition for the renovations on 24 Sussex, the first thing I thought was that the architect and contractor of the grist mill project should bid on it, with the full backing of the county, town, province and our paper.
Let’s get up a petition backing them, and if fundraising is needed, this is definitely what I would consider a call to patriotism.
I’m a dedicated fan of libraries and all written word.
Judith Slater,
Erin
All charged up
Dear Editor:
I have had to visit Groves Memorial Community Hospital four times in the last month.
As a purchaser of a new electric vehicle (EV) recently, I can’t help but get into the “EV politics” and notice that every time I go to Groves hospital the same two or three electric cars are parked and charging at the free stations.
A quick Google search shows “charging is completely free and available to patients and visitors with a three-hour time limit.”
These parking spots should be used by visitors of the hospital. If staff use them, they should be put on a strict time limit.
Health care is paid by taxpayers. Now, our tax dollars are being used to charge the cars of staff while they work? Completely unacceptable.
Adam Lesniewski,
Fergus
Bike ‘no match for car’
Dear Editor:
Kudos to the young man in the white baseball cap who stopped his bike at the four-way stop on Beatty Line and 18 on June 23 at about 8pm. And a pox on the young man who rode right through that stop without even a sideways glance to look for traffic.
He was at a speed that it was clearly obvious he had no intention of slowing down, let alone stopping. No thought to have a look for oncoming traffic. It was evident that these young men were together but one of them seemed to have no idea of the rules of the road, or care either.
The young man in the white cap was yelling at his friend and he shrugged him off. Oh well, nothing happened, it doesn’t matter.
But I would disagree. The white cap was waving me through and I was hesitating because the sun was setting and sunglasses or not, the sun was very bright.
My waiting was the only reason that the young man who rode through that intersection was not involved in an accident. It would have been a great way to start summer holidays.
I’ll will add, now that Highway 6 is closed for construction, traffic on Beatty Line is only going to get heavier. A bicycle is no match for a car.
Joanne MacDonald,
Fergus
Syrup standards
Dear Editor:
RE: The sugar maple has a rich Canadian history, April 23.
A couple months ago, the Advertiser printed a good story about maple syrup, but I would like to correct one part of it.
The new grades of syrup are now golden, amber, dark and very dark. These are North American standards.
Maple syrup must have a sugar content of 66% (or 66° Brix) to be called maple syrup.
Thanks, from a 40-year producer.
Morley Trask,
Alma
‘More gas stations?’
Dear Editor:
It seems the Township of Puslinch is like many other communities in Wellington County: changes are coming from all sides whether we agree or not.
A recent zoning bylaw amendment has been posted on farm land on the west side of Puslinch at Ellis Road and Townline, which borders Cambridge. The proposal is to rezone the land from secondary agricultural land to an industrial site.
Various buildings will include offices, a gas bar and a convenience store. This property abuts to the east with the beautiful Puslinch Golf Club which has been there for as long as I can remember (which is a very long time).
Presently, a farmer has seeded the land and a crop of corn is planted. It’s growing up nicely and waving in the breeze.
Maybe I should have a “farewell” party for the corn or any other crop that could be planted there. And, we should gather the children so they can see what corn growing looks like and how farmers provide for us and the animals.
More gas stations? I thought we were all told to go electric.
Liz Hughes,
Puslinch
Ticked about tick story
Dear Editor:
RE: Province reports over 10,000 cases of Lyme disease since 2021, June 25.
In the article on tick-borne zoonotic diseases that appeared in the Advertiser last week, the word “babesiosis” is vague and meaningless.
There is a marked difference between human babesiosis caused by Babesia odocoilei and human babesiosis caused by Babesia microti. They are both tick-borne zoonotic diseases; however, the latter is relatively easy to treat, whereas the former is recalcitrant and very persistent to treat.
During a Canada-wide tick study, researchers found the ratio of Babesia odocoilei to Babesia microti to be 60:1 in blacklegged ticks. This distinct difference was not taken into account in the article.
Chronic Babesia odocoilei causes dementia and cognitive impairment. Clinicians often label Babesia odocoilei as Alzheimer’s disease, MS, POTS, chronic fatigue syndrome and more.
The difference between these two Babesia species resembles the difference between apples and oranges. Both are fruits, but each have distinctly different characteristics.
In order to have meaningful statistics on human babesiosis, Babesia odocoilei and Babesia microti must be tabulated separately. Unfortunately, the article fails to take into account the difference between these two Babesia species.
Tick testing is required, as well as blood work to differentiate between these two Babesia species, so that treatment protocols are correct.
John Scott,
Fergus