Archmill House Limited has reportedly resumed production at a new temporary facility, just six days after a devastating fire destroyed its Osprey Drive location in the Ancaster Business Park.
A commercial photographer who works for the architectural millwork firm said Archmill employees were called back to work on Monday at a temporary location at 1386 Sandhill Dr. The facility, located just around the corner from the Archmill site, operates as Workplace Design Inc., an office furniture manufacturer.
The photographer said he is not at liberty to speak for the company. Comments on the Archmill House temporary facility are posted in a blog at www.dewimagery.com/blog
Employees who responded to a reporter’s visit at Workplace Design on Monday morning declined to comment. Archmill senior partner Steve Buchan was not immediately available to comment.
According to its web page, Archmill House is an established full service manufacturer of commercial and institutional architectural millwork and case goods. The company’s products include architectural millwork in plastic laminates, natural woods and veneers, combined with architectural metals, acrylics and fabrics.
The Aug. 25 fire that burned for more than 12 hours, required more than 60 firefighters and 18 pieces of apparatus to extinguish.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Councillor urges better air monitoring
Ancaster Councillor Lloyd Ferguson will ask the city’s board of health to purchase real time air monitoring equipment to notify the public in the event of an industrial fire.
Mr. Ferguson said the city’s fire service performed admirably to extinguish the 12-hour blaze and safeguard neighbouring businesses and residents. But he called the environment ministry’s delay in providing air quality information “unconscionable” after a huge plume of black smoke billowed across Ancaster in the early morning hours.
Malfunctioning test equipment was blamed for the delay in receiving air quality data. The first air quality samples were not recorded until 12:30, nearly 10 hours after the fire began.
“There wasn’t a sense of urgency with them,” said Mr. Ferguson, addressing the ministry delay. He plans to address the issue at the city’s board of health meeting next month.
A Ministry of the environment official downplayed air quality concerns following Tuesday’s fire at Archmill House Inc., a woodworking facility in the Ancaster Business Park.
Ministry spokesperson Jennifer Hall said the fire produced particulate matter, benzene and butadiene, chemicals associated with the burning of building materials. But early tests have concluded chemical levels do not pose serious health effects, she said.
“There are no concerns for air quality impacts,” Ms. Hall said on Tuesday afternoon. She said test results showed air quality remained within acceptable ministry guidelines, even at the height of the early morning fire.
Ms. Hall said air quality levels at a Mountain index station at Vickers Road and East 18th street showed an air quality index of 48 at 7 a.m. An air quality reading is considered poor when it reaches a level of 50. By 7:30 a.m., the air quality returned to a normal level, Ms. Hall said.
Ms. Hall said douse water used to contain the fire was collected by vacuum trucks which minimized the impact on a nearby storm retention pond. Water samples from the outfall were collected for testing.
The ministry’s spills action response unit was notified at 4:23 a.m. Ministry crews were dispatched from Hamilton and London.
Ms. Hall acknowledged that delays occurred in air quality monitoring due to malfunctioning equipment.
Initial tests showed no results for air emissions, an obvious sign the equipment was not functioning properly.
Sophisticated equipment from the London office used to measure air quality in real time was already in use in Sarnia. The upgraded monitoring equipment finally arrived at 11:45 a.m.
Ms. Hall said the ministry regularly inspects its equipment. She could not explain why the equipment malfunctioned.
“It’s unfortunate and not something we would have expected,” she said.
Mr. Ferguson said the city’s fire service performed admirably to extinguish the 12-hour blaze and safeguard neighbouring businesses and residents. But he called the environment ministry’s delay in providing air quality information “unconscionable” after a huge plume of black smoke billowed across Ancaster in the early morning hours.
Malfunctioning test equipment was blamed for the delay in receiving air quality data. The first air quality samples were not recorded until 12:30, nearly 10 hours after the fire began.
“There wasn’t a sense of urgency with them,” said Mr. Ferguson, addressing the ministry delay. He plans to address the issue at the city’s board of health meeting next month.
A Ministry of the environment official downplayed air quality concerns following Tuesday’s fire at Archmill House Inc., a woodworking facility in the Ancaster Business Park.
Ministry spokesperson Jennifer Hall said the fire produced particulate matter, benzene and butadiene, chemicals associated with the burning of building materials. But early tests have concluded chemical levels do not pose serious health effects, she said.
“There are no concerns for air quality impacts,” Ms. Hall said on Tuesday afternoon. She said test results showed air quality remained within acceptable ministry guidelines, even at the height of the early morning fire.
Ms. Hall said air quality levels at a Mountain index station at Vickers Road and East 18th street showed an air quality index of 48 at 7 a.m. An air quality reading is considered poor when it reaches a level of 50. By 7:30 a.m., the air quality returned to a normal level, Ms. Hall said.
Ms. Hall said douse water used to contain the fire was collected by vacuum trucks which minimized the impact on a nearby storm retention pond. Water samples from the outfall were collected for testing.
The ministry’s spills action response unit was notified at 4:23 a.m. Ministry crews were dispatched from Hamilton and London.
Ms. Hall acknowledged that delays occurred in air quality monitoring due to malfunctioning equipment.
Initial tests showed no results for air emissions, an obvious sign the equipment was not functioning properly.
Sophisticated equipment from the London office used to measure air quality in real time was already in use in Sarnia. The upgraded monitoring equipment finally arrived at 11:45 a.m.
Ms. Hall said the ministry regularly inspects its equipment. She could not explain why the equipment malfunctioned.
“It’s unfortunate and not something we would have expected,” she said.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Fire sends smoke billowing through town
A thick plume of smoke blanketed Ancaster and the surrounding area Tuesday morning as firefighters battled an industrial blaze in the Ancaster Business Park.
The three alarm fire broke out around 3 a.m. Tuesday morning. Hamilton fire safety officer John Verbeek said the building was fully involved when firefighters arrived. Dozens of firefighters continued to douse the blaze throughout the morning, as thick smoke billowed from the building’s roof. A portion of roof on the north side of the building collapsed, forcing firefighters to combat the blaze from the building’s exterior.
“We decided to take a defensive stand,” said Mr. Verbeek.
Archmill House is a high end manufacturer of industrial millwork and office furniture located at the corner of Osprey and Sandhill Drives. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. No injuries were reported and no one was in the building when the fire began.
Mr. Verbeek said the building contained about 4,000 aerosol cans containing a flammable glue product. As bad as the blaze appeared, it could have been worse. Mr. Verbeek said the building had propane tanks at the rear that were safely vented. Witnesses indicated a loud explosion, possibly a propane tank at 6:15 a.m. The building also contained flammable polyethylene mouldings, wood products and flammable liquids such as laquer and paint thinner.
Mr. Verbeek said efforts were made to contain potentially harmful douse water.
“Water is running off into a cistern and it will be vacuumed out,” he explained.
Firefighters also dispatched a foam truck from Hamilton Airport to contain the fire by mid-morning.
Hamilton fire service advised all area residents and businesses to shut windows and doors to avoid smoke inhalation.
Bill Mallett, operations manager at a nearby manufacturing facility, said morning shift workers heard the exploding propane tank at 6:15 a.m. Workers were advised to evacuate the building, but the 5 p.m. night shift was expected to resume as usual.
Archmill House is registered with the environment ministry to handle hazardous industrial waste and liquid industrial waste.
Ministry staff were on the scene to conduct random air sampling.
The thick plume of smoke could be seen from the Lincoln Alexander Parkway at Rousseaux Street, the Ancaster Village Core and throughout Hamilton Mountain. Police closed several highway ramps as a precaution, but most reopened by mid-morning.
Local resident Jason Cassis thought something was wrong with his house when he woke up at 4:30 p.m. to the strong smell of smoke and several loud popping sounds, presumably when the aerosol cans ignited.
“It’s a thin, narrow, really toxic smell,” said Mr. Cassis, who lives about two kilometres from the scene. Several residents gathered to watch the fire near a police tape at the corner of Osprey and Sandhill. Patrons from the nearby Egg and I Restaurant also gathered on a hill to watch.
Ancaster Councillor Lloyd Ferguson arrived at the scene by 9 a.m. to assess the impact.
“The firefighters have done a great job responding to it,” said Mr. Ferguson. “I’m just worried about the plume.”
Andrew Janssens, owner of anDea Chocolate at 1252 Osprey Drive was worried about his $750,000 worth of inventory.
“If there’s smoke in the building, you can write off the whole inventory,” Mr. Janssens said.
A brief timeline of events
3:15 a.m. Firefighters arrive at the Archmill House facility, finding a fully involved fire at the rear of the building.
4:23 a.m. The ministry of the environment’s spills action hotline is notified. Ministry officials are on the scene by 6 a.m.
4:30 a.m. Local residents report loud popping sounds, presumably the sound of exploding aerosol cans.
6:15 a.m. Workers at a nearby manufacturing facility report a loud explosion, reportedly a propane tank at the rear of the Archmill building.
8 a.m. Smoke can be seen from several kilometres away from the Lincoln Alexander Parkway at Rousseaux Street.
9:30 a.m. By this time fire crews and police have advised most neighbouring businesses to evacuate. At least one neighbouring facility reopened by 5 p.m. for its evening shift.
10:30 a.m. Firefighters are getting the upper hand on the blaze as ministry of the environment staff and the fire marshal continue the investigation.
11:45 a.m. Ministry of the environment testing equipment that was delayed en route from Sarnia arrives at the scene. Canister samples are taken to a lab for testing.
2 p.m. The fire is reduced to a smoldering smoke cloud directly above the building. The smoke smell persists in the immediate area.
The three alarm fire broke out around 3 a.m. Tuesday morning. Hamilton fire safety officer John Verbeek said the building was fully involved when firefighters arrived. Dozens of firefighters continued to douse the blaze throughout the morning, as thick smoke billowed from the building’s roof. A portion of roof on the north side of the building collapsed, forcing firefighters to combat the blaze from the building’s exterior.
“We decided to take a defensive stand,” said Mr. Verbeek.
Archmill House is a high end manufacturer of industrial millwork and office furniture located at the corner of Osprey and Sandhill Drives. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. No injuries were reported and no one was in the building when the fire began.
Mr. Verbeek said the building contained about 4,000 aerosol cans containing a flammable glue product. As bad as the blaze appeared, it could have been worse. Mr. Verbeek said the building had propane tanks at the rear that were safely vented. Witnesses indicated a loud explosion, possibly a propane tank at 6:15 a.m. The building also contained flammable polyethylene mouldings, wood products and flammable liquids such as laquer and paint thinner.
Mr. Verbeek said efforts were made to contain potentially harmful douse water.
“Water is running off into a cistern and it will be vacuumed out,” he explained.
Firefighters also dispatched a foam truck from Hamilton Airport to contain the fire by mid-morning.
Hamilton fire service advised all area residents and businesses to shut windows and doors to avoid smoke inhalation.
Bill Mallett, operations manager at a nearby manufacturing facility, said morning shift workers heard the exploding propane tank at 6:15 a.m. Workers were advised to evacuate the building, but the 5 p.m. night shift was expected to resume as usual.
Archmill House is registered with the environment ministry to handle hazardous industrial waste and liquid industrial waste.
Ministry staff were on the scene to conduct random air sampling.
The thick plume of smoke could be seen from the Lincoln Alexander Parkway at Rousseaux Street, the Ancaster Village Core and throughout Hamilton Mountain. Police closed several highway ramps as a precaution, but most reopened by mid-morning.
Local resident Jason Cassis thought something was wrong with his house when he woke up at 4:30 p.m. to the strong smell of smoke and several loud popping sounds, presumably when the aerosol cans ignited.
“It’s a thin, narrow, really toxic smell,” said Mr. Cassis, who lives about two kilometres from the scene. Several residents gathered to watch the fire near a police tape at the corner of Osprey and Sandhill. Patrons from the nearby Egg and I Restaurant also gathered on a hill to watch.
Ancaster Councillor Lloyd Ferguson arrived at the scene by 9 a.m. to assess the impact.
“The firefighters have done a great job responding to it,” said Mr. Ferguson. “I’m just worried about the plume.”
Andrew Janssens, owner of anDea Chocolate at 1252 Osprey Drive was worried about his $750,000 worth of inventory.
“If there’s smoke in the building, you can write off the whole inventory,” Mr. Janssens said.
A brief timeline of events
3:15 a.m. Firefighters arrive at the Archmill House facility, finding a fully involved fire at the rear of the building.
4:23 a.m. The ministry of the environment’s spills action hotline is notified. Ministry officials are on the scene by 6 a.m.
4:30 a.m. Local residents report loud popping sounds, presumably the sound of exploding aerosol cans.
6:15 a.m. Workers at a nearby manufacturing facility report a loud explosion, reportedly a propane tank at the rear of the Archmill building.
8 a.m. Smoke can be seen from several kilometres away from the Lincoln Alexander Parkway at Rousseaux Street.
9:30 a.m. By this time fire crews and police have advised most neighbouring businesses to evacuate. At least one neighbouring facility reopened by 5 p.m. for its evening shift.
10:30 a.m. Firefighters are getting the upper hand on the blaze as ministry of the environment staff and the fire marshal continue the investigation.
11:45 a.m. Ministry of the environment testing equipment that was delayed en route from Sarnia arrives at the scene. Canister samples are taken to a lab for testing.
2 p.m. The fire is reduced to a smoldering smoke cloud directly above the building. The smoke smell persists in the immediate area.
Friday, August 21, 2009
New phone number
Please note that our Dundas office is closed as of August 20. All editorial, sales and composing staff for the Ancaster News, Dundas Star News, Stoney Creek News and Mountain News are now based at 333 Arvin Ave., Stoney Creek.
Please call 905-664-8800. My extension remains 332.
Please call 905-664-8800. My extension remains 332.
Coffee roasting prompts concerns
Canadians who crave freshly brewed coffee may not appreciate the smell emitted by coffee roasting facilities.
Coffee roasting plants have generated odor complaints across North America, including Henrietta NY, a suburb of Rochester, where a Tim Hortons facility has operated since 2002.
The odor limit is a key point of debate as Tim Hortons prepares to open its $30 million coffee roasting facility in the Ancaster Business Park. Announced with much fanfare earlier this year, the facility is expected to create about 50 new jobs.
Fruition Manufacturing, a Tim Hortons subsidiary, is appealing the environment ministry’s certificate of approval conditions for air emissions.
The plant, slated to open by the end of this year, will have the capacity to roast 3,000 kilograms of green coffee beans per hour.
Tim Hortons spokesperson David Morelli has declined to comment on the pending appeal.
Environment ministry spokesperson Kate Jordan said the coffee roasting operation will emit nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and acrolein.
Emission limits are not specified in the Certificate of Approval, but the facility is designed to include three catalytic oxidizers with a natural gas fired stack, often referred to as “after burners.” The after burners work in conjunction with three cooling cyclones to reduce harmful emissions before they enter the atmosphere.
Ms. Jordan said emission limits are established at levels deemed acceptable to human heath.
Odor limits are a point of contention between the company and the ministry.
Ms. Jordan said odor complaints from coffee roasting operations are often subjective.
“It’s mainly from a loss of enjoyment of outside activities,” she said. “What bothers one person may not bother another.”
Fruition is appealing the requirement to calculate and gather odor data, as specified in the certificate of approval. The company has been instructed to record the 10-minute average odor concentrations in the surrounding area. In its appeal documents, Fruition argues the certificate of approval conditions “are onerous considering that the facility is located in an established industrial park and is using the latest technology to deal with stack emissions from coffee roasters.”
If the ministry still receives odor complaints, Ms. Jordan said the ministry can work with the company to improve odor abatement using scrubbers or filters.
Fruition is also appealing a condition to notify the environment ministry’s district manager within two days of an environmental complaint, arguing the requirement is unnecessary.
Fred Ross, a code enforcement officer in Henrietta, NY, said the town has received a few isolated complaints from residents about the coffee roasting plant located in an industrial district on Mushroom Boulevard.
“It’s a combination of both odor and a smoky, burnt coffee smell,” Mr. Ross said.
The town has not received any complaints in several months, Mr. Ross said.
“It’s just been one here and there,” he said.
Henrietta has not taken any enforcement action against the facility.
Other jurisdictions including Ventura County, California have issued orders against coffee roasting facilities. In 2007, a Ventura County court concluded odors emitted from a Stir Crazy Coffee facility created a public nuisance. The county air pollution control district ordered the company to cease roasting operations after complaints were lodged by the surrounding neighbourhood.
In Salt Spring, BC, residents including Merv Walde successfully fought to keep a coffee roasting facility out of their rural neighbourhood. Last summer, the Salt Spring Coffee Company applied to the Islands Trust for a zoning amendment to permit a 13,000 square-foot coffee roasting, packaging and distribution centre. The application was rejected amid opposition from residents.
Mr. Walde, who lives within 300 yards of the proposed site said he’s not opposed to coffee roasting facilities as long as they are contained within an industrial park setting. Mr. Walde toured other coffee roasting facilities on Salt Spring Island, as well as the mainland, and said the operations emit a distinctly foul smell.
“It’s a very unpleasant smell,” said Mr. Walde. “It’s not a nice, perked coffee smell.”
Coffee roasting plants have generated odor complaints across North America, including Henrietta NY, a suburb of Rochester, where a Tim Hortons facility has operated since 2002.
The odor limit is a key point of debate as Tim Hortons prepares to open its $30 million coffee roasting facility in the Ancaster Business Park. Announced with much fanfare earlier this year, the facility is expected to create about 50 new jobs.
Fruition Manufacturing, a Tim Hortons subsidiary, is appealing the environment ministry’s certificate of approval conditions for air emissions.
The plant, slated to open by the end of this year, will have the capacity to roast 3,000 kilograms of green coffee beans per hour.
Tim Hortons spokesperson David Morelli has declined to comment on the pending appeal.
Environment ministry spokesperson Kate Jordan said the coffee roasting operation will emit nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and acrolein.
Emission limits are not specified in the Certificate of Approval, but the facility is designed to include three catalytic oxidizers with a natural gas fired stack, often referred to as “after burners.” The after burners work in conjunction with three cooling cyclones to reduce harmful emissions before they enter the atmosphere.
Ms. Jordan said emission limits are established at levels deemed acceptable to human heath.
Odor limits are a point of contention between the company and the ministry.
Ms. Jordan said odor complaints from coffee roasting operations are often subjective.
“It’s mainly from a loss of enjoyment of outside activities,” she said. “What bothers one person may not bother another.”
Fruition is appealing the requirement to calculate and gather odor data, as specified in the certificate of approval. The company has been instructed to record the 10-minute average odor concentrations in the surrounding area. In its appeal documents, Fruition argues the certificate of approval conditions “are onerous considering that the facility is located in an established industrial park and is using the latest technology to deal with stack emissions from coffee roasters.”
If the ministry still receives odor complaints, Ms. Jordan said the ministry can work with the company to improve odor abatement using scrubbers or filters.
Fruition is also appealing a condition to notify the environment ministry’s district manager within two days of an environmental complaint, arguing the requirement is unnecessary.
Fred Ross, a code enforcement officer in Henrietta, NY, said the town has received a few isolated complaints from residents about the coffee roasting plant located in an industrial district on Mushroom Boulevard.
“It’s a combination of both odor and a smoky, burnt coffee smell,” Mr. Ross said.
The town has not received any complaints in several months, Mr. Ross said.
“It’s just been one here and there,” he said.
Henrietta has not taken any enforcement action against the facility.
Other jurisdictions including Ventura County, California have issued orders against coffee roasting facilities. In 2007, a Ventura County court concluded odors emitted from a Stir Crazy Coffee facility created a public nuisance. The county air pollution control district ordered the company to cease roasting operations after complaints were lodged by the surrounding neighbourhood.
In Salt Spring, BC, residents including Merv Walde successfully fought to keep a coffee roasting facility out of their rural neighbourhood. Last summer, the Salt Spring Coffee Company applied to the Islands Trust for a zoning amendment to permit a 13,000 square-foot coffee roasting, packaging and distribution centre. The application was rejected amid opposition from residents.
Mr. Walde, who lives within 300 yards of the proposed site said he’s not opposed to coffee roasting facilities as long as they are contained within an industrial park setting. Mr. Walde toured other coffee roasting facilities on Salt Spring Island, as well as the mainland, and said the operations emit a distinctly foul smell.
“It’s a very unpleasant smell,” said Mr. Walde. “It’s not a nice, perked coffee smell.”
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Respite home eyes expansion
Judy Opar was running out of options.
Her seven-year-old autistic son, Nicholas, a playful, talkative youngster, suffers from recurring seizures. He needs constant care. And while she’s happy to provide the attention Nicholas needs, the stress of caring for Nicholas and her two other children soon became overwhelming.
When Nicholas turned four, Ms. Opar knew she needed help. She turned to a support agency. A worker said if she couldn’t care for her son, she should turn him over to the Children’s Aid Society.
“I was absolutely stunned,” said Ms. Opar, an Oakville resident.
An ongoing search for respite care led Ms. Opar to the Gregory School for Exceptional Learning in Ancaster. In response to a growing need for respite care, the private school for special needs students launched St. Nicholas House. The home is named for the patron saint of children.
Located at a residence in the Meadowbrook Drive area, St. Nicholas House offers round-the-clock respite care. Today Nicholas is the home’s only client, but Gregory School principal Angeline Sarabura said the new respite home could support four or five special needs children.
Ms. Sarabura said the respite home provides one-on-one care and attention, while teaching important life skills. For parents who feel stretched to their limits, respite care is often the best alternative.
“It’s like dealing with a two-year-old at age seven,” Ms. Sarabura said. “Some parents are always dealing with that.”
Nicholas spends three or four nights a week at St. Nicholas House. Ms. Opar said the time off has helped her spend more time with her other two children.
“Both of the kids said ‘we miss Nicholas, but we’re glad to have you,’” said Ms. Opar.
For Ms. Opar, respite care provides not only a much needed break, but peace of mind in knowing that Nicholas is receiving 24-hour care from trained professionals.
To help St. Nicholas House expand, the Gregory School is holding a comedy cabaret evening, called A Little Light Music. The event will be held Aug. 29 at the Old Firehall Arts Centre, 334 Wilson St. E.
Currently located at 91 Carrington Court, just steps away from the Ancaster Town Plaza, Ms. Sarabura envisions a pastoral setting for the future of the Gregory School. She would like to find a farm property that could include both a school and a respite home. But for now her goal is to raise the needed funds to hire more staff at St. Nicholas House. With a steady need for one-on-one interaction, the home would require three of four staff members to accommodate five students.
Today Ms. Opar is coping thanks to the help of St. Nicholas House. After searching unsuccessfully for 24-hour respite care in her community, she now commutes to Ancaster.
“It’s very hard to find a break,” said Ms. Opar. “There’s lots of families in this situation.”
Ms. Opar said fees for the respite program are about half of what she would pay for a similar program in Oakville. But 24-hour care was unavailable in her community.
Financial barriers are still a concern for Ms. Opar, who receives about $2,400 a year from the province’s Special Services at Home program. With increased community support for the Gregory Foundation, Ms. Opar hopes other families can overcome the financial barriers to access quality respite care in their community.
A comedy cabaret evening
A Little Light Music is a comedy cabaret evening in support of St. Nicholas House, Aug. 29 at the Old Firehall Arts Centre. The event begins at 8 p.m and tickets are $20. Performers include school principal Angeline Sarabura and her husband, Philip, director of the Brantford Symphony Orchestra and organist at St. Ann’s Church, Ancaster. Jazz pianist Peter Clements is a special guest. Performances include show tunes from Chicago, Annie Get Your Gun, and music from composers George Gershwin, and Cole Porter, plus Monty Python, Flanders and Swann and comic opera. A piano request auction is also planned. Admission includes an assortment of cheeses, dessert and coffee. A cash bar is available. For tickets call 905-304-9269 or e-mail gregoryfoundation@gmail.com
Her seven-year-old autistic son, Nicholas, a playful, talkative youngster, suffers from recurring seizures. He needs constant care. And while she’s happy to provide the attention Nicholas needs, the stress of caring for Nicholas and her two other children soon became overwhelming.
When Nicholas turned four, Ms. Opar knew she needed help. She turned to a support agency. A worker said if she couldn’t care for her son, she should turn him over to the Children’s Aid Society.
“I was absolutely stunned,” said Ms. Opar, an Oakville resident.
An ongoing search for respite care led Ms. Opar to the Gregory School for Exceptional Learning in Ancaster. In response to a growing need for respite care, the private school for special needs students launched St. Nicholas House. The home is named for the patron saint of children.
Located at a residence in the Meadowbrook Drive area, St. Nicholas House offers round-the-clock respite care. Today Nicholas is the home’s only client, but Gregory School principal Angeline Sarabura said the new respite home could support four or five special needs children.
Ms. Sarabura said the respite home provides one-on-one care and attention, while teaching important life skills. For parents who feel stretched to their limits, respite care is often the best alternative.
“It’s like dealing with a two-year-old at age seven,” Ms. Sarabura said. “Some parents are always dealing with that.”
Nicholas spends three or four nights a week at St. Nicholas House. Ms. Opar said the time off has helped her spend more time with her other two children.
“Both of the kids said ‘we miss Nicholas, but we’re glad to have you,’” said Ms. Opar.
For Ms. Opar, respite care provides not only a much needed break, but peace of mind in knowing that Nicholas is receiving 24-hour care from trained professionals.
To help St. Nicholas House expand, the Gregory School is holding a comedy cabaret evening, called A Little Light Music. The event will be held Aug. 29 at the Old Firehall Arts Centre, 334 Wilson St. E.
Currently located at 91 Carrington Court, just steps away from the Ancaster Town Plaza, Ms. Sarabura envisions a pastoral setting for the future of the Gregory School. She would like to find a farm property that could include both a school and a respite home. But for now her goal is to raise the needed funds to hire more staff at St. Nicholas House. With a steady need for one-on-one interaction, the home would require three of four staff members to accommodate five students.
Today Ms. Opar is coping thanks to the help of St. Nicholas House. After searching unsuccessfully for 24-hour respite care in her community, she now commutes to Ancaster.
“It’s very hard to find a break,” said Ms. Opar. “There’s lots of families in this situation.”
Ms. Opar said fees for the respite program are about half of what she would pay for a similar program in Oakville. But 24-hour care was unavailable in her community.
Financial barriers are still a concern for Ms. Opar, who receives about $2,400 a year from the province’s Special Services at Home program. With increased community support for the Gregory Foundation, Ms. Opar hopes other families can overcome the financial barriers to access quality respite care in their community.
A comedy cabaret evening
A Little Light Music is a comedy cabaret evening in support of St. Nicholas House, Aug. 29 at the Old Firehall Arts Centre. The event begins at 8 p.m and tickets are $20. Performers include school principal Angeline Sarabura and her husband, Philip, director of the Brantford Symphony Orchestra and organist at St. Ann’s Church, Ancaster. Jazz pianist Peter Clements is a special guest. Performances include show tunes from Chicago, Annie Get Your Gun, and music from composers George Gershwin, and Cole Porter, plus Monty Python, Flanders and Swann and comic opera. A piano request auction is also planned. Admission includes an assortment of cheeses, dessert and coffee. A cash bar is available. For tickets call 905-304-9269 or e-mail gregoryfoundation@gmail.com
Carluke Hall sustains minor flood damage
The Carluke Community Hall sustained minor flood damage in late-July when heavy rain rocked the city.
Bill Atanis, city recreation manager said flood water got into the furnace area of the community hall, located at 435 Carluke Rd. W.
No dollar estimate was available, but flood damage is believed to be minor. No events have been booked at the hall until mid-September. Mr. Atanis said previously booked events should not be affected by the recent flooding.
Bill Atanis, city recreation manager said flood water got into the furnace area of the community hall, located at 435 Carluke Rd. W.
No dollar estimate was available, but flood damage is believed to be minor. No events have been booked at the hall until mid-September. Mr. Atanis said previously booked events should not be affected by the recent flooding.
Community remembers Philip Morden
Family, friends and co-workers gathered this week to remember Philip Morden, an Ancaster native who died last weekend after a boating accident on Lake Muskoka.
Mr. Morden, 33, graduated from Ancaster High School and the University of Western Ontario before moving north to pursue a career as an associate advisor with RBC Dominion Securities in Orillia.
Mr. Morden was on route to meet friends when his 19-foot powerboat flipped over just after 6 p.m. on Aug. 8.
Bracebridge OPP Inspector Ed Medved said while the cause of death has not been determined, Mr. Morden sustained injuries as a result of being ejected from the vessel.
“Speed was a contributing factor,” Insp. Medved said.
Insp. Medved said Mr. Morden was wearing “a racing type” life preserver vest at the time of the accident. Rescuers from Muskoka Lakes Fire, Ambulance and the OPP responded almost immediately, Insp. Medved said.
Mr. Morden was unconscious when witnesses pulled him out of the water. He was airlifted to hospital in critical condition and died hours later.
Mr. Morden was an avid powerboat racer. According to Scream and Fly, High Performance Powerboating online, he was one of the top competitors at the 2006 Rumble on the River Rally in Carrollton, Kentucky.
“The Canadians ended up taking highest honors when Phil Morden pushed his STV to a screaming 115 mph,” a story on the Web site explains.
Carol Ivey, vice president and director of the Ivey Group, RBC Dominion Securities, said the Orillia office is devastated by the news of Mr. Morden’s passing.
“Everybody loved him,” Ms. Ivey said. “We found him a delight to work with as a co-worker.”
Ms. Ivey said Mr. Morden had a dry sense of humour and an uncanny ability to make people laugh.
“He’d have us all in stitches,” she said.
By Monday morning, clients had flooded the office with calls of condolence. Ms. Ivey said the entire office staff planned to attend Thursday’s funeral at St. John’s Church in Ancaster.
Mr. Morden lived in Milford Bay, Ont., north of Orillia with his girlfriend and dog.
High school classmate Sarah Galashan remembers Mr. Morden’s bright red truck and booming stereo that could be heard several blocks away from his home on St. Margaret’s Road. He enjoyed surfer movies and soon earned the nickname Spicoli, after fictional character Jeff Spicoli from the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
“He was easy-going that way,” said Ms. Galashan, who is currently Whistler bureau chief for CTV British Columbia. “He liked to have a good time. He liked life.”
Mr. Morden could also charm his way out of trouble, Ms. Galashan recalled.
After convincing Ms. Galashan to take Calculus, a course that forced her to seek a tutor, Mr. Morden got caught copying some answers from one of her assignments.
“He immediately took the blame and charmed his way out,” Ms. Galashan recalled.
After university, Mr. Morden took a job in Toronto. But Ms. Galashan suspects a keen sense of adventure attracted Mr. Morden to the Muskoka Lakes region.
“He was someone who needed a bit more adventure in his day,” Ms. Galashan said.
Despite moving north, Mr. Morden still loved Ancaster, giving it the nickname the Axe in the Hammer, Ms. Galashan said.
“It’s so hard to believe I won’t see him again.”
Longtime friend Josh Doan played hockey with Mr. Morden as a teenager in Ancaster. Recently he visited Mr. Morden in Muskoka about once a year. Whether he was riding a powerboat, skiing or snowboarding, Mr. Morden loved the outdoors, Mr. Doan said. As boys, Mr. Doan and Mr. Morden honed their snowboarding skills in the Spring Valley area. Mr. Morden spent two years in Fernie B.C. after graduating from university, where he continued his love of skiing and snowboarding.
When it came to fixing a small engine, installing a stereo or fixing anything mechanical, Mr. Morden was the one you could count on for help, Mr. Doan said.
“He could just get along with anybody,” said Mr. Doan. “He was that guy you would call for information.”
Mr. Morden, 33, graduated from Ancaster High School and the University of Western Ontario before moving north to pursue a career as an associate advisor with RBC Dominion Securities in Orillia.
Mr. Morden was on route to meet friends when his 19-foot powerboat flipped over just after 6 p.m. on Aug. 8.
Bracebridge OPP Inspector Ed Medved said while the cause of death has not been determined, Mr. Morden sustained injuries as a result of being ejected from the vessel.
“Speed was a contributing factor,” Insp. Medved said.
Insp. Medved said Mr. Morden was wearing “a racing type” life preserver vest at the time of the accident. Rescuers from Muskoka Lakes Fire, Ambulance and the OPP responded almost immediately, Insp. Medved said.
Mr. Morden was unconscious when witnesses pulled him out of the water. He was airlifted to hospital in critical condition and died hours later.
Mr. Morden was an avid powerboat racer. According to Scream and Fly, High Performance Powerboating online, he was one of the top competitors at the 2006 Rumble on the River Rally in Carrollton, Kentucky.
“The Canadians ended up taking highest honors when Phil Morden pushed his STV to a screaming 115 mph,” a story on the Web site explains.
Carol Ivey, vice president and director of the Ivey Group, RBC Dominion Securities, said the Orillia office is devastated by the news of Mr. Morden’s passing.
“Everybody loved him,” Ms. Ivey said. “We found him a delight to work with as a co-worker.”
Ms. Ivey said Mr. Morden had a dry sense of humour and an uncanny ability to make people laugh.
“He’d have us all in stitches,” she said.
By Monday morning, clients had flooded the office with calls of condolence. Ms. Ivey said the entire office staff planned to attend Thursday’s funeral at St. John’s Church in Ancaster.
Mr. Morden lived in Milford Bay, Ont., north of Orillia with his girlfriend and dog.
High school classmate Sarah Galashan remembers Mr. Morden’s bright red truck and booming stereo that could be heard several blocks away from his home on St. Margaret’s Road. He enjoyed surfer movies and soon earned the nickname Spicoli, after fictional character Jeff Spicoli from the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
“He was easy-going that way,” said Ms. Galashan, who is currently Whistler bureau chief for CTV British Columbia. “He liked to have a good time. He liked life.”
Mr. Morden could also charm his way out of trouble, Ms. Galashan recalled.
After convincing Ms. Galashan to take Calculus, a course that forced her to seek a tutor, Mr. Morden got caught copying some answers from one of her assignments.
“He immediately took the blame and charmed his way out,” Ms. Galashan recalled.
After university, Mr. Morden took a job in Toronto. But Ms. Galashan suspects a keen sense of adventure attracted Mr. Morden to the Muskoka Lakes region.
“He was someone who needed a bit more adventure in his day,” Ms. Galashan said.
Despite moving north, Mr. Morden still loved Ancaster, giving it the nickname the Axe in the Hammer, Ms. Galashan said.
“It’s so hard to believe I won’t see him again.”
Longtime friend Josh Doan played hockey with Mr. Morden as a teenager in Ancaster. Recently he visited Mr. Morden in Muskoka about once a year. Whether he was riding a powerboat, skiing or snowboarding, Mr. Morden loved the outdoors, Mr. Doan said. As boys, Mr. Doan and Mr. Morden honed their snowboarding skills in the Spring Valley area. Mr. Morden spent two years in Fernie B.C. after graduating from university, where he continued his love of skiing and snowboarding.
When it came to fixing a small engine, installing a stereo or fixing anything mechanical, Mr. Morden was the one you could count on for help, Mr. Doan said.
“He could just get along with anybody,” said Mr. Doan. “He was that guy you would call for information.”
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