Summer’s awfully hard to leave behind. But fall’s spectacular colours and change in scenery gives us something to look forward to, as this photo from fall 2014 shows. By the way, the autumnal equinox brings the official start of autumn on Sept. 23 at 4:21 a.m., according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Canadian Edition. (File photo/Joe Barkovich)
Welland’s city hall and library building, rear view, can be a pretty scene at night, as it was Saturday. (Photo by Joe Barkovich. Out And About is a recurring feature on the blog.)
1967 photo, showing from left: Fred Harvey, interim administrator, Ivan Buchanan, board vice-president, Mayor Allan Pietz, a member of the board, Dr. W. George Bowen, college president and Ross Sawle, chairman of the building committee.(Photo by Bob Chambers)
By Bob Chambers
This is Chambers’ Corner ….. the occasional occupant of a corner of this blog, where Bob Chambers, an Evening Tribune photographer from 1957 to 1970, will present some of his photographs from that era …… Readers are asked to please comment!
I was disappointed.
My visit on Aug 24, to the Welland Library to ferret out the file of the Tribune’s coverage of the Niagara College sod turning, in 1967, turned out to be anti-climactic.
My memory of that Tribune coverage, was of a big spread, across most of a page, with at least two pictures. After all, Niagara College was a certified, “big deal”. It was a real coup for Welland. For, just a couple years before, St Catharines, the big city down the canal, had become home to a university, and now, little Welland was building a college. I remember going out to the college site that day to take pictures of the ceremony for the Tribune, it was a hot, dusty spot, bustling with construction work.
Certainly it was long past the actual first sod being turned (ceremonial sod turnings are common) but this one turned out to be somewhat unusual. There, behind the official microphones, was a large billboard trumpeting, “Niagara Colleage of Applied Arts and Technology’s Temporary Building”. Yes that word was spelled “Colleage” …. just a relatively harmless typo, but not for the key sign on the grounds of an institution of higher learning, on a very special day
So, now, in 2015, we decided that my picture of this event would be a fitting way to kick off back-to-school coverage on the blog, I was looking forward to seeing my paper’s 48-year- old coverage of the biggest education event to ever hit Welland. An accurate way of describing my look at the Tribune’s page five of June 8th 1967, the other day, would be “pffftt” or maybe “piffle”.
There it was, all of 1/6th of a page, with one picture, tucked in beside a story of a new sewer line. The picture’s caption did call attention to the sign, stating it, “did not spell the word ‘college’ quite correctly”. Not quite correctly, you say! Talk about being politically correct …. they got it WRONG.
Though the story, written by a Tribune reporter, David Michener, didn’t mention the faux pas, it certainly praised the college board and mentioned how the board praised each other at the preceding luncheon at the Welland Club …. not without reason …. as the school had come from concept, to building going up, in just over six months. Oh, and incidentally, that “temporary” building turned out to have a measure of longevity, serving the Welland campus more than 40 years! It was demolished during the summer of 2011.
Your comments please, Bob Chambers.
(Chambers’ Corner is a recurring feature on the blog.)
City of Welland rose (File photo/Joe Barkovich)
By Joe Barkovich, Scribbler-at-large
My ‘City of Welland rose’ this week goes to: Welland Humane Society.
I picked it because of success of an initative that has seen 2,500 cats adopted in the past three years through its cat adoption centre at Seaway Mall.
A story in The Tribune brought the news to light.
Chances are you’ve walked past the cat adoption centre while in the mall. Chances are you strolled in, out of curiosity and maybe a soft spot in your heart for our feline friends. And chances are you even decided, then and there or later, to adopt one of the cats and take it home yourself.
Long-time volunteer Wendy Hammond said the initiative is showing good results in terms of getting cats into homes. It’s a happy outcome for these cats and, I dare say, bonding, friendship and companionship for the folks who take them into their homes. Does that make it a win-win? Well maybe in this case, purr-win!
(Joe Barkovich, a former reporter and city editor, lives in his hometown of Welland, Ontario, Canada’s Rose City. City of Welland rose is a recurring feature on the blog, appearing weekends.)
City Shorts Art: A raft and paddleboat, foreground, on the recreational waterway earlier this week, photographed from the Woodlawn Bridge. Love that view! (Photo by Joe Barkovich)
Compilation by Joe Barkovich, Scribbler-at-large
City Shorts
City Shorts is a compilation, from various sources (government websites, news announcements, press releases, church bulletins, advertisements, community service information and events, bulletin boards, requests, telephone requests, web postings, email requests etc.) of short items (in most cases) about matters of local interest in Welland. Want to submit an item for consideration? Please send to: joe0606barko@gmail.com
Servicing work leads to closure
WELLAND – The city has announced details of a temporary road closure, according to an ad on the Civic Corner page.
Hansler Road between St. Lawrence Drive and Towpath Road is now closed to Friday, Oct. 9.
The closure is necessary to service the subdivision in the area.
A BBQ at the Wellness Complex
WELLAND – A Welcome Back barbecue is being held at the Wellness Complex, 145 Lincoln St.
The date is Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, cole slaw, dessert and coffee or tea are on the menu.
Price for advance tickets to Sept. 18 is $7 for passholders and $8 for non-passholders; after Sept. 18, $8 for passholders and $9 for non-passholders.
Join a book club
WELLAND –The Welland Public Library provides excellent opportunities for readers to make new friends and discover new books. Afternoon and evening book clubs return in September.
Books are provided in advance of the meeting date. There’s no need to register, just ask for the book club selection at the circulation desk. Readers can choose to attend all meetings, or those of interest. More information is available here.
Get set for back to school
WELLAND –The summer has flown by, and soon we will see the yellow school buses going down the street. Now is the perfect time to get your children ready for school with some of these books from Welland Public Library’s collection.
Volunteers sought for 150th anniversary planning committee
WELLAND – Welland city council is seeking dedicated citizens to volunteer their time to form an ad hoc committee that will meet regularly and collaborate on ideas for ways to make the celebration of Canada’s 2017 Anniversary of Confederation a day to remember in Welland.
Please submit your name, address, phone number and email address along with a brief summary of why you would like to volunteer to sit on this committee to clerk@welland.ca no later than Friday, September 18, 2015.
Golf tourney and perch supper fundraiser
Sheila and Rick Kiess
WELLAND – A fundraiser to assist the Rick Kiess family is being held Sunday, August 30, hosted by St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church at Freedom Oakes Golf Course, 612 Sandy Bay Rd., Dunnville; golf 2 p.m. sharp, supper at 5 p.m.
Nine holes with cart and perch supper is $50 for adults, Kids and youth golf for free. Burgers and fries $6, perch supper only, $20.
A Welland contractor, Kiess suffered several severe and life-changing injuries after a fall from a rooftop in June 2012.
Experienced, casual and first time golfers welcome! For questions or reservations call Dianne at 905-735-1152.
Catholic diocese announces info meetings for World Youth Day 2016
The Diocese of St. Catharines is involved in a pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2016.
World Youth Day is the largest gathering of young adult Catholics in the world and only happens every two or three years.
In 2016, World Youth Day will take place in Kraków, Poland. This pilgrimage will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we want you to join us as we travel as ONE Archdiocese to Kraków!
Journey with us on the way to Krakow! How, you ask? By joining one of the information meetings! As much as we look forward to gathering as one community and traveling to Poland, our needs begin here at home. There are several meetings you can attend in preparation for WYD:
Thursday, September 17 7:00 p.m. @ Diocesan Catholic Centre, St. Catharines
Wednesday, October 14 7:00 p.m. @ Diocesan Catholic Centre, St. Catharines
Thursday, November 19 7:00 p.m. @ Diocesan Catholic Centre, St. Catharines.
More info is on the diocesan website http://www.saintcd.com
Sign up for Continuing Ed
WELLAND – Registration is now open for Continuing Education offered by Niagara Catholic District School Board.
It offers opportunity to: obtain your secondary school diploma, have your work for secondary school credits and life experiences recognized, start a career in health services as a personal support worker, train in construction, building maintenance, retail sales, office administration and hospitality tourism, and more.
The site in Welland is the Fr. Fogarty Centre, 905-734-4495.
Classes begin Sept. 8.
Charity gala benefits kids, youth
WELLAND – The annual Mayor’s Charity Gala is being held Sept. 26 at Riverstone Event Centre, according to an ad on the city’s Civic Corner page.
Ticket price is $150 per person and doors open at 6 p.m.
Proceeds from this event go to the Niagara Community Foundation, Welland Mayor’s Children and Youth Fund. The gala is presented by RBC Wealth Management, Dominion Securities.
Annual meeting
WELLAND – Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Niagara has announced the date of its 52nd annual general meeting.
It’s scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Casa Dante hall, 34 Lincoln St. West. Attendees are asked to RSVP by Sept. 8 to 905-735-0570 ext. 221.
ND Pilgrimages reaches 40th anniversary milestone
WELLAND – Please support Notre Dame’s 40th Annual Pilgrimage for the Developing World. As a significant anniversary year, the organizers would like to extend a special invitation to alumni to support us this year on Sunday October 25th. Please consider joining the pilgrimage and / or contributing financially to fundraising efforts.
This year’s theme brings us back to basics – it is the concept of pilgrimage itself – a walk to a holy place. For 40 years, the Notre Dame community has come together each October to walk in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the developing world. We reflect on the inequality and injustice that exists in our world and the responsibility God gives us to right these wrongs. Justice is never a ‘quick fix’. It is a journey we travel together.
For more information on Notre Dame’s Annual Pilgrimage go to http://notredamewelland.com/forstudents/pilgrimage
(City Shorts is a recurring feature on the blog)
Won’t be long now!
Kindred won loud and sustained applause from the appreciative audience last night. (Photos by Joe Barkovich)
By Joe Barkovich, Scribbler-at-large
WELLAND – Kindred played to a full house in the Welland Community Wellness Complex theatre Wednesday night. Deservedly so.
It was the final performance of the summer in the Variety Nites concert series. I walked out wondering: was this concert really in Welland or was it at some other venue, like Massey Hall perhaps? Was I dreaming?
Nope, it was the real thing. Believe it or not, I still can’t believe it.
It was also my first time listening to this collection of talented, versatile musicians. Why did it take so long? Have to admit I was hooked right off the bat: their rendition of Don’t Think Twice, in my memory banks a Joan Baez classic that I listened to over and over and over in the 60s on one or another of her LPs, stole my heart. I was theirs for the rest of the evening. It was superb, musically and vocally.
Could say, and will, the same thing about Wild Mountain Thyme, especially based on the reaction of the two guys behind us, who were in seventh heaven or thereabouts by the time it was over. I’m only going to mention one other piece because it’s not my intention to fully review the performance – Evangeline. Wow! Emmylou Harris did this on her album with the same name (with backup vocals by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Robbie Robertson), but some say it is best remembered as part of The Last Waltz. Kindred’s offering last night was mighty, mighty fine! Well, maybe I’ll throw in one more (after all, close to 30 tunes were performed): Blue Bayou. Roy Orbison would have been proud.
Kindred’s musicians are: David Romano, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, vocals; Darlene Romano, guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, vocals; Joni Romano, percussion, mandolin, pennywhistle, keyboard, vocals; Ken Eller, bass guitar, vocals; Amy Elder, keyboards, mandolin, accordion, percussion, vocals; Natalie Walker, fiddle, percussion, vocals; Dave DiMarco, drums.
Late in the performance, it was announced Kindred has a Christmas concert coming up, at the same venue, Dec. 12. Tickets are now available. I can make a recommendation and will, without reservation: Don’t think twice about buying tickets, go out and get them before they’re gone! You won’t be disappointed.
Dave and Natalie, who also perform as Fiddlin Around, opened the second half of the show.
(Joe Barkovich, a former reporter and city editor, lives in his hometown of Welland, Ontario, Canada’s Rose City).
This gorgeous display of blooms is hydrangea paniculata, photographed at Cooks Mills Peace Park. It’s also found outside the Welland Community Wellness Centre and both plantings are by the City of Welland’s horticulture crew. (Photo by Joe Barkovich. Gadabout Gardener is a recurring feature on the blog.)
Shot this while riding across Woodlawn Bridge late this morning. Stand-up paddle boarders and kayakers were in the recreational waterway, with the Pen Financial Credit Union Flatwater Community Centre barely visible in the distance, right side. The sky was overcast and brooding, but the view is still spectacular. (Photo by Joe Barkovich)
A Brief Reflection On The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
By Rev. James T. Mulligan CSC
So – this Tuesday, September 1, Pope Francis has called on the Catholic Christian community to observe a world day of prayer for the care of creation. A first point to make is that Pope Francis is leaning on the leadership of the Orthodox Church and, as he says, “sharing the concern of my beloved brother, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew”. Here the Holy Father manifests an uncommon humility for a Roman Pontiff as he acknowledges, as Bishop of Rome, the leadership steps taken by the Orthodox Church and his willingness to follow and be a part of this holy initiative rather than to lead. The date chosen, September 1, is actually the same date the Orthodox Community has observed for several years now to pray for the care of creation.
A second point – “the world day of prayer” is a clear and practical follow-through to Laudato Si’ his June Encyclical Letter on the environment and the gospel imperative to care for creation. It would appear that the Holy Father is clever in a gospel sort of way doing what he can to keep our eyes on the ball – in this instance to keep our attention focused on the great dangers our common home, the planet, is facing by the careless use and abuse of the environment, abuses usually caused by greed and short term economic profit. I am sure the Holy Father has in mind the also the Paris summit on the environment that takes place in December. The more attention he can give to that global meeting, the better.
Fr. Mulligan with a copy of Laudato Si’.
Thirdly – this is a day of prayer! For believers in the One God, our creation is replete with God’s handiwork. The created world is God’s work of art. The psalms, the prophets, Jesus’ words about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, the Apostles’ Creed — all testify that God is Creator of all things and that creation itself is not simply one act but it is a continuous act happening day in and day out, as the Lord has entrusted to us the role of co-creator in our ministry to care for our common home, the earth. The Canadian Bishops have summarized this quite beautifully in their statement YOU LOVE ALL THAT EXIST … ALL THINGS ARE YOURS, GOD, LOVER OF LIFE: From panoramic vistas to the tiniest living form, nature is a constant source of wonder and awe. It is also a continuing revelation of the divine. It is good and it is important for Christians to pause and to give thanks in prayer for God’s gift to us in the beauty of the earth! It is equally good and important for us to reflect in prayer on our sacred responsibility to protect God’s creation. In Laudato Si’ Pope Francis sternly reminds us: To live our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.
A final point – the world day of prayer for the care of creation can be described as an irresponsible, dangerous act on the part of the church that should stick to religion and stay away from politics and economics and environmental structures. Many in politics and many who shape economic policy today would say: Don’t meddle! You don’t know what you are talking about! Leave it to us – we are the experts. But surely, the environment, our common home, is far too precious to leave to some politicians who give the go ahead to developers who lay waste God’s creation for short term gain and corporations in the extractive business who risk ruining the earth making it toxic for communities living close by and producing greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Praying together for the conversion of hearts becomes a political exercise. It is through prayer that Christians can be emboldened to struggle for change. After St. Francis of Assisi, his namesake, Pope Francis preaches the Gospel of Creation. A Gospel is “good news” that must be proclaimed by words and by actions. That this “world day of prayer for the care of our common home” may enrich and enlighten us on how to act in a prophetic way to protect creation!
(Father Mulligan is associate pastor of St. Kevin parish, Welland.)
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