Mail bag: 09/03/26
‘Irreplaceable habitat’
Dear Editor:
The stretch of the West Credit River between the Town of Erin and the Village of Belfountain isn’t just another waterway.
It is the “crown jewel” of southern Ontario’s coldwater fisheries, sustaining the longest continuous stretch of native brook trout habitat remaining in the entire Credit River Watershed. As urban development pressures intensify and increasing air temperatures persist due to climate change, this rare ecosystem is at high risk of vanishing.
Now, this irreplaceable habitat faces an immediate and preventable threat.
This September, the Town of Erin plans to begin discharging sewage effluent from its new wastewater plant into the WCR. Shockingly, they intend to do so without an operational effluent cooling system or a publicly transparent effluent temperature management plan.
The town appears to be ignoring a basic environmental reality: autumn wastewater effluent temperatures remain warm and do not mirror cooling air temperatures of the fall months. Without effective chilling, warm effluent will pour directly into the river precisely when native brook trout begin their sensitive spawning season, which spans mid-October through November.
The Coalition for the West Credit River is deeply concerned that the town has requested permission from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) to delay installing and operating a cooling system until some unidentified date after the plant begins discharging effluent into the river.
The town’s request to the MECP has not been shared with the coalition despite our numerous requests. They have stated that there are contingency plans to avoid harm to resident Brook Trout, but these plans remain secret.
If the required technology is not ready, Erin must delay its sewage effluent release until the cooling system is operational to effectively meet the Town’s obligations. Bypassing Environmental Compliance Approval requirements, even temporarily, must not be an option.
The coalition – backed by Ontario Streams, Ontario Rivers Alliance, the Greg Clark Chapter of Freshwater Conservation Canada, Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Club, West Credit River Watch and the Belfountain Community Organization will continue to speak up for our precious brook trout. Our advocacy is evidence-based: the required 19°C limit must be upheld. Regulatory commitments made to protect this coldwater ecosystem must be honoured—not waived.
Ann Seymour,
Board member, Coalition for the West Credit River
Won’t be ‘fooled’ again
Dear Editor:
Why can’t Canadians have a copy of the trade agreement which was discussed between Canada and the U.S.? Why can’t our elected Conservatives, the “watchdogs,” have full access to the tentative deal discussed between Canada and the U.S.? We need transparency and to know the terms of this agreement, not political manipulation to steer votes.
The “Trump” card has already been played and it is over, Mr. Carney. Canadians will not be duped again. Is this about China? After all we still have Trudeau’s Chinese police stations on Canadian soil. Is this who all Liberals think is a better partner for Canada – a dictator and communist country? Well, you are very wrong! Canadians love our democracy and our freedoms!
Get back to the table with the U.S. and work out an agreement! That is your job and what you are paid to do.
You have fooled many Canadians once, but not twice! Canadians are not just “votes.” Mr. Carney, we have eyes to see and ears to hear and brains to discern!
We need positive outcomes for our nation with a U.S. trade deal.
Carolann Krusky,
Fergus
Scrap the tax
Dear Editor:
An open letter to Canadian finance minister François-Philippe Champagne.
I don’t believe the average working person in Canada can afford your government’s taxes as they stand, as you can note by increased credit card debt, and certainly their lives will degrade further if you re-install the tax hike on gasoline and diesel on Sept. 8.
Please give us a break. We, not you and the rest of your government, are going to have to withstand the job losses and increased prices associated with your government’s failure to obtain tariff relief from our ex friendly neighbours.
You, and only you, have got us into the financial mess of increased debt, reduced GDP per capita and now tariffs. I know this puts us in a financial predicament for the long term, and might solicit some reduced elective spending on the part of your government, but you did all this, not us.
We trusted you to manage us fairly and competently and you have not.
Okay, recriminations aside, we have to live with what you have given us, probably for the next few years, but please take some of the pressure off and delay or preferably scrap the above tax.
Michael Lee,
Salem
Advertising issue
Dear Editor:
I wonder if the Wellington Advertiser’s weekly poll could ask a question that might provide some interesting – and useful – information: Do residents collect their mail at least once a week?
I personally only collect my mail from the community box (right across the street) every three weeks. By then there are two Raddar flyer bundles advertising promotions that are already over. The results might give local advertisers something to think about.
Catherine Shelton,
Fergus
‘Idiots’ not in charge
Dear Editor:
Do bicycles belong with cars or with pedestrians? A bicycle is nothing like a car. It does not have the size or the massive weight of a car or the speed. A bicyclist has about as much protection in a collision with an automobile as a pedestrian – in other words, none at all.
A pedestrian and bicycle collision is unfortunate, but when a car hits a bicyclist, the results are always catastrophic. We do not have people walking on the streets with cars, and we should not have people riding bicycles with cars either. And motorists definitely do not want to share the roads with bicycles.
Before there were cars, there were bicycles. The bicyclists themselves probably made the decision to ride on the roads rather than on the sidewalks. It was reasonable to share the road with horses. But then cars came along and choosing streets over sidewalks turned out to be a very bad decision.
In many places in Europe, bikes and pedestrians share the sidewalks and it works out well. When a bicyclist approaches pedestrians he slows down and rings a bell. There will always be idiots who go too fast but idiots should not be allowed to dictate the rules.
Bikes using sidewalks could have highly visible license plates which would make reporting speeders easily done. I am sure bicyclists would not object to this if it allowed them to finally get off the roads.
Pete Kocal,
Guelph
Good Samaritan
Dear Editor:
I lost my wallet recently outside a store on St. Andrew’s Street in Fergus but didn’t know until I went to use it at the grocery store. I went back to the store on St. Andrew’s Street to try to find it. They did not have it.
As I was having a meltdown a man walked into the store and said that he had found it on the street and took it to the police station. He not only took proper action, he came back to the scene to tell the store owners what he had done.
I gave the man a spontaneous hug and thanked him, but didn’t get his name. Whoever you are, a huge thank-you.
Penny Lipsett,
Elora
‘Fair-weather friends’
Dear Editor:
Fellow Canadians: I am proud of our country, its historic place on the world stage, not as a military power, but more so as a peacekeeping nation who advances improvement and development of countries.
I am talking about Cuba. How many Canadians have travelled there? Enjoying the warm winter climate, the sandy beaches, the genuine hospitality and the cheap prices. Cuba has its charms and its people are warm and welcoming.
Then why are these hardworking kind people being abandoned by most of the Western hemisphere? Is it because of economical tariff reasons solely? If so what does that say about us as a nation?
Search on YouTube what’s happening in Cuba today to find out and decide whether you are on board with what is being done? I am a little more aware than most, as I have friends there and have been sending money so they can buy food.
Regularly I hear the mantra: “no electricity, no water, desalination plants need power to operate. It’s very hot and there are horrendous amounts of mosquitos and flies, no garbage sanitation, no fuel. An hour a day of power to run the water plants and fill all your containers, cause no one knows when the electricity will return!”
I am not getting involved in the politics of the situation, but is Canada proud of its apparent inaction thus far? Do we continue to turn a blind eye to bullying or do we hold our moral ground and compass?
We have been taught in the past little while about putting all our trade eggs in one basket.
Cuba offers agricultural opportunities for Canadians seeking fresh produce. They export doctors and medical technology and migratory farm workers.
I would like to know what Canada is doing to assist in this Cuban manufactured humanitarian crisis? Are we sending food, medical supplies, anything? Will Canada step up or are we just fair-weather friends? Let’s start the discussion.
A motion at the UN could gain support. What is being done? I would love to know.
Lou Maieron,
Erin
‘Small acts of kindness’
Dear Editor:
Just the other day, as I turned onto Main Street in Acton from Highway 7, I saw an older gentleman in the oncoming lane stop for what appeared to be an injured bird. He gently picked it up and returned it safely to the sidewalk.
Thank you to the oncoming drivers who waited patiently and quietly until he returned to safety.
Small acts of kindness are happening all around us; let’s pay closer attention to them.
Anne Porteous,
Rockwood
Latest mill project
Dear Editor:
Over the years, we have shared updates with the community as the Elora Mill property has continued to evolve. With the Walser Building set to open this October, we wanted to provide what is a particularly meaningful milestone for us.
The Walser represents the eighth and final heritage building restoration undertaken as part of the Elora Mill property.
While our work on the south site will continue for years to come, the completion of the Walser marks the restoration of the full collection of heritage buildings that form such an important part of this property and of Elora’s industrial history.
The Walser has been part of Elora’s landscape for more than 170 years, and throughout the reconstruction we have been deliberate about preserving the details that give the building its character.
A few examples include returning windows to their original locations, including their distinctive irregular spacing; selecting window colours with reference to the building’s historic appearance; reconstructing the chimney as a defining feature of its industrial character; and returning the original cornerstones to their historic locations.
When the doors open in October, the new Walser Building will include nine guest rooms, along with a unique and intimate private gathering space on the lower level overlooking the Grand River. The main level will also be home to a Bardo restaurant, and we look forward to seeing this neighbourhood concept become part of the community.
We are excited about what these spaces will add to the town, but the significance of the opening goes well beyond the new uses inside. For us, it is about seeing another important piece of Elora’s heritage restored and active once again.
One of the things we have always valued about working in Elora is how deeply this community cares about its history, architecture and sense of place.
That care has shaped our approach from the beginning and has encouraged us to look closely at the details that make these buildings unique and authentic.
We are grateful to the Township of Centre Wellington Heritage Committee, the local trades and craftspeople who worked on the building, including a direct descendant of the Walser family, and the broader community for its continued interest and patience throughout the restoration.
We are incredibly proud to see the Walser operational again after it sitting empty for over two decades and look forward to welcoming you all this fall!
Aaron Ciancone & Jocelyn Maurice,
Elora Mill/Pearle, Elora