Error: no decision tree source folder detected This is probably not the page you’re looking for It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem Home » Reserve now for Dundas Valley Summer Camps Get your kids outside this summer with an Adventure in the Valley Register now and join the Hamilton Conservation Authority’s (HCA) Environmental Education team for a week of outdoor fun in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area and want to learn more about the environment Each day will hold new and exciting opportunities to discover and explore the plants and animals that call the Dundas Valley home Throughout the week we will hike the trails Registration for Adventures in the Valley summer camp is now open Children 7-12 years old can register for one Join our mailing list and stay up to date on all things HCA you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy one is struck by his resemblance to Italian Capuchin Franciscan Saint Padre Pio “I am a fully sick Leb!” Fr Christopher insists Fr Benedict and Fr Ruben are the Friars of St Francis a religious  community in the Diocese of Parramatta This particular branch of the Franciscans is based at St Bernadette’s Parish It is dedicated to living out the Rule of their Holy Father St Francis of Assisi in modern Sydney building on his former life as a Capuchin Friar Read more about the Friars of St Francis here. Read more about St Bernadette’s Parish, Dundas Valley here “I’m very conscious that you have one life and I wanted to live my vocation the best I possibly could That was the biggest motivation,” Fr Christopher said Fr Christopher had a profound sense of vocation from his earliest memories “Even before I could walk I knew I belonged to God I grew up in a very devout Catholic family and even when I was a little boy I knew I was going to be a priest,” Fr Christopher said He has experienced many “extraordinary moments of grace” in his vocation One such moment was in the early days of the community when they had nothing and did not know where the next meal would come from We were very poor when we started…we had no income I think I had ten dollars and the cupboard was getting a bit bare and I was going to go and spend the last ten dollars I had to get some food I opened the front door and there was this box of beautiful fruit and vegetables that someone just left for us God has always looked after us in the most extraordinary way,” Fr Christopher said Today the Friary has a hospitable atmosphere and is adorned with many crucifixes and statues of saints in the Franciscan style Fr Benedict explained the seeds of his vocation were planted in his warm childhood home surrounded by a large and devout Catholic family “Mum had taught me from a young age to pray…and I had an intimate connection with the Good Lord,” Fr Benedict said The youngest and newest member of the community, Fr Benedict often says Mass at Macquarie University for the Catholic Students Society He fits this in with the Friars of St Francis’ significant routine of prayer – meeting close to five times daily to chant the beautiful prayers of the Divine Office which is the official prayer of the Church and an obligation for members of religious orders commonly celebrated as Morning and Evening Prayer by Diocesan priests the Angelus and perform spiritual reading (Lectio Divina) observed from 12.45pm until 2pm and then from 8.30pm until the morning “The Middle Ages was when orders like the Dominicans and Franciscans were born,” Fr Christopher said “I’m very biased towards the Medieval Church and obviously our Holy Father St Francis,” he said “There is such life and vibrancy in the order,” he said It is clear Fr Christopher finds great joy and satisfaction in the religious life The life of prayer and ministry is founded on Christ himself The “very roots of our Franciscan order nourish the Order’s spirit This is one of the things we very much try to recapture,” he said Fr Ruben’s apostolate involves working as an assistant priest in the parish, filling in for other priests throughout the Diocese of Parramatta, RCIA and he is also undertaking post-graduate studies in historical and Franciscan theology “There is never a dull moment in our way of life,” Fr Ruben said Fr Christopher’s apostolate includes ministry each Friday at the BAC Systems factory Fr Christopher is the factory’s chaplain and is very grateful for the opportunity to preach the Gospel of Christ directly to people in their workplace Read more about the BAC Systems factory even though we might have different apostolates.” we pray together and sometimes we go off together to different things,” Fr Christopher said Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" 100 Indigenous students from 14 remote and fly-in communities across Canada gathered.. Sinfonia Ancaster’s final concert of the season takes place in Peller Hall.. Burlington Performing Arts Centre Hall of Fame inductee and Burlington’s Key To.. The Hamilton Potters Guild’s annual Spring Pottery Sale will take place at.. which has been confirmed to contain high risk asbestos Parramatta Council has granted Scouts NSW approval to demolish the building An Asbestos Material Survey was submitted with the Development Application confirming traces of friable and non-friable asbestos had been located throughout the building But a Parramatta Council report said it “has not identified any fundamental issues of concern.” “The application along with the Detailed Site Investigation submitted by the applicant was reviewed by Council’s Environmental Health Team Leader who determined that satisfactory evidence has been provided that the site can be made suitable for the proposed development subject to conditions of consent,” it read further investigation into the potential contamination of the soil will be required for any development on the site The Dundas Scout Hall was badly damaged by fire in December 2022 making it the second time in one month that the much-loved facility was targeted by arsonists Although the hall hadn’t been used by an active Scout group for many years the hall was being utilised by The Manning Foundation who was using it as a space to store items like food and blankets to give to those in the local area Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards Home » Reserve now for Dundas Valley March Break camps Do you have kids who like to get out and explore Or want to learn more about the environment Registration is now open for Adventures in the Valley March Break camp in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area Each day will hold new and exciting opportunities to discover the diversity of plants and animals that call the Dundas Valley home Learn about animal adaptations and the seasonal transition from winter to spring with hands-on exploration of nature artifacts Adventures in the Valley March Break camp will run March 10 to 14 Registration is required and space is limited St Bernadette’s Parish, Dundas Valley is devout and intimate energised by the presence of the Friars of St Francis It is deeply connected to the local community on the eastern edge of the Diocese of Parramatta told an amusing anecdote about the presence of the Friars in the local community “Fr Ruben and I went to Epping Boys High the other day and we walked into the gate the whole school was buzzing with ‘Jedi Knights are here!’” “And one of the teachers came running to the classroom to see who we were and it turns out she was one of our parishioners She couldn’t believe we were the ‘Jedi Knights’ The kids were so funny,” Fr Christopher said Meet the Friars of St Francis here The parish spiritually nourishes the local community through daily Mass and Thursday night devotions and Confession. Lots of families visit the parish, which has close to a hundred altar servers. The parish has a school, St Bernadette’s Primary a local charity begun in honour of the late philanthropist Fr Benedict MacKenzie FSF says the parish can be characterised as somewhere that preaches the Gospel in an open and pertinent way Fr Benedict heard this from a parishioner who came to love the Faith in the years the Friars have been at St Bernadette’s how much love she shows for her kids and her husband and her family but also it overflows into her love for helping out the poor and also passing on the Faith in catechetics,” Fr Benedict said This parishioner likes to come to St Bernadette’s even though it is very difficult because of family commitments “She likes to come and hear the Gospel proclaimed but with an open and freely discussed kind of way that pertains to a number of the issues going on now…and to sort of talk about them openly “The Gospel actually gives us a lot of clarity and guidance with regards to how to lead our lives towards goodness very grey areas…to help others as well and to do it with a lot of charity and patience,” he said The area has many poor residents in the large Housing Commission developments from the 1950s though Dundas Valley has changed significantly since then and is undergoing much new infrastructure and property development The Manning Foundation runs a special prayer group for the disadvantaged members of the local community A number of these people have requested baptism or admittance to full Communion with the Church as a result The Manning Foundation Van is also parked at the church The parish has a wonderful devotion to its patron saint “I love St Bernadette,” Fr Christopher said Many images of her life adorn the entrance room to the church The parish email is named after Nevers (neversdv@bigpond.com) the home of St Bernadette’s Shrine in France The Friars and parishioners have lovingly restored the church building polished floorboards and a processional cross hand-crafted by a parishioner Another special way the parish and Order come together is the celebration of the Feast of St Francis the text of which was published in a booklet by Fr Christopher which is based on the writings of St Francis and we go through the life and we give a homily every night We get a beautiful turn up for it,” Fr Christopher said The novena culminates on the night St Francis died This is “an ancient custom in the Franciscan order I think it goes back to the first or second century after he died,” Fr Christopher said “And it goes through all that happened when he was dying– all the things he said and the events that happened it’s unique to the Franciscan order,” Fr Christopher said The parish usually transfers the Feast Day to Sunday to encourage parish involvement The Feast of St Francis has a Solemn High Mass with incense and a full choir followed by a BBQ picnic and the colourful tradition of blessing animals The unique St Bernadette’s Parish is a font of life and grace within the Dundas Valley Click here to find out more about St Bernadette’s Parish This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page the Merrick and Artaban Road Parking Lots will be temporarily closed for wildlife migration You’ve seen the beautiful photos and heard about what a great spot Tiffany Falls Conservation Area is to visit with an even smaller parking lot which is why the area is experiencing significant parking challenges Below is some important information to consider before visiting Tiffany Falls to ensure you are best prepared and to avoid disappointment The Tiffany Falls parking lot is small and located on the very busy Wilson Street Police and bylaw officers will be present on weekends strictly enforcing no-stopping and illegal parking consider visiting during off-peak times and always park legally security and police will be on-site for weekends Extend your visit and enjoy the beautiful Dundas Valley Conservation Area on a hike to Tiffany Falls from one of the many parking lots here the Dundas Valley Conservation Area has six parking lots Please see the map above to view all the trails The parking lot numbers listed correspond to the map During the winter months trails can become extremely icy Proper footwear is essential to ensuring your own safety and wearing crampons or icy cleats is highly recommended Learn more about safe hiking here. Dundas and Oatlands have enjoyed new homes sales records as buyers flood northwest Sydney A four-year-old Dundas townhouse on Kissing Point Rd smashed the old record by more than 30 per cent late last week Just four days later a new Oatlands record was set on Ellis St of $5.5m The property located at 4/166 Kissing Point Road, Dundas sold for $1,410,000 – beating the previous record by $350k Home set to make $2.5m profit in less than a year “A majority of buyers who were showing interest in the property were first home buyers and young families,” Mr Moussaoumai said older townhouses were achieving $950k to $1m in price Since this property is located on a busy main road the townhouse was constructed by the previous owners to include modern finishes such as high grade timber flooring A view of the living room and stairs leading up to the second level of the townhouse two bathrooms and four undercover car spaces Two of the bedrooms are kingsize with built-in wardrobes whilst also featuring soaring raked ceilings with fully ducted airconditioning With modern appliances and a contemporary design “We were surprised that this townhouse broke the record when compared to the other sales in the area The owner did have high expectations and wanted us to get them a higher sales price,” Mr Moussaoumai said “After seeing our previous record breaking property from 72a Yates Ave the owner hired us ASAP to launch their property in late November.” The semi-detached duplex of 72a Yates Ave in Dundas Valley sold for $2.75m in November 2021 Meanwhile, the Oatlands property at 15 Ellis Street was offered to buyers with a 315 sqm basement garage that can park 19 cars – it sold for $5.5m Brought to market by Manor Real Estate Agents Jay Bacani and Ellie Lane the family home has been architecturally designed to include state of the art fixtures including high ceilings and large open plan entertaining areas The Oatlands property has space for 19 cars this property was passed at auction for $5m We only did private inspections and had over 30 groups walk through the property,” Ms Lane said “It was a huge result for a normal residential block a record for a block under 1000 sqm for the suburb and highest sale price since 2016 We had a few interested parties however we had to negotiate to get the right offer on the market since October 2021.”“The market is usually quite slow for houses of this calibre it’s a rare opportunity that doesn’t come around too often.” The Oatlands property sold for $5.5m and includes an indoor cinema The 19-car basement garage could house anything from a small boat to a luxury car The basement also features a storage room and a lift found in the foyer The property enjoys a mixture of indoor-outdoor living with floor to ceiling sliding doors in both the dining and living space opening up to the covered alfresco which overlooks the 12 metre in-ground heated swimming pool third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. Pain medication recalled nationwide after dosage error Wildfire smoke linked to more ER visits for asthma, researchers urge preparedness Toronto police charge teen with murder after shooting deaths of two men Manitoba warns of new measles exposure sites south of Winnipeg Loblaw, George Weston’s $500M bread settlement returns to court Organ recipients push Doug Ford government to change donation rules Canadian rookie and Dundas native Mackenzie Hughes won his first ever PGA event at the RSM Classic in Georgia Monday morning his older sister Jessica Thurley was beaming about the news Hughes and his two sisters have been around golf their whole lives thanks to mom and dad They played at the Dundas Valley golf club Hughes picked up his first club when he was about four years old Alex on more of a leisurely level and Mackenzie obviously really excelled and loves the sport.” Jessica Thurley earned his tour card in August which gives his the privileged of playing all PGA events making this his 5th official tournament this year The Dundas Valley golf club dedicated a plaque to Hughes for qualifying for the PGA tour A good indication the club is proud of their hometown hero who has accomplished what no other Hamilton golfer has done before “We’ve had a lot of good juniors coming out of here what he’s done in Canadian golf is legendary.” John Kirkwood Hughes earned just over a million dollars for the win That means he qualifies to play on the PGA tour for the next two years Steve Ruddick was at the Oakville & Milton Humane Society learning about the region’s trusted morning news source for more than ‘Reskilling for the Future of Work’ is the title of media consultant FirstOntario Credit Union‘s Chief Risk Officer Mainly cloudy with showers/thunderstorms today and a mild high of 20°C CHCH-TV started broadcasting in 1954 and is proud to be the news leader for Hamilton and the surrounding Halton and Niagara regions Copyright © 2025 CHCH. All Rights Reserved. ZWD A truck advertising a paintball game was used to film scenes for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s TV show “FUBAR” at the Dundas Valley Conservation Area “Murdoch Mysteries” filmed scenes for a War of 1812 episode at Dundas Valley Conservation Area just a few days after Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “FUBAR” shot at the park A camera position was set up in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area to film scenes for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s TV show “FUBAR.” A sign for cast and crew filming “FUBAR” in Dundas Valley Conservation Area but were warned they could be filmed for the show Two detective programs and a spy show roll cameras during one week Alex Cross and the Terminator all have in common They’re TV shows filmed in the Dundas area during the same week two of the shows filmed at the same location just missing overlapping by a couple of days Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Netflix show “FUBAR” — which has been shooting its second season around Ontario — came to Dundas to shoot scenes at the Dundas Valley Conservation Area and Christie Lake Conservation Area “Murdoch Mysteries” came to town to shoot its first scenes for its 18th season on CBC shot scenes on May 28 at the historic gothic manor Springhill Estate (built in 1840) at the top of the Highway 8 hill and then moved to the Dundas Valley Conservation Area posted a selfie of himself outside Springhill on social media to celebrate the show’s return The show arrived at the Governors Road park just two days after “FUBAR” had shot scenes on May 27 involving a paintball contest “FUBAR’’ had a truck in the parking lot advertising a paintball game Schwarzenegger was not at the park — he was back in California — and was reportedly not at Christie Lake for filming on May 29 “Murdoch Mysteries” filmed scenes in Dundas Valley for an episode about a War of 1812 battle There were two encampments in a field near the parking lot one with a British flag and the other with an American flag The show is known for shooting its second episode first posted a photo on June 3 on social media of him dressed in a British soldier’s uniform — a red coat — which he said was taken at Dundas Valley Conservation Area James Patterson’s famous detective Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge) was in the area filming on May 30 Amazon Prime’s “Cross” — which is shooting its second season in Ontario and has already filmed in Hamilton and Brantford — shot scenes at a handsome and modern-looking home on Fallsview Road in Greensville The property overlooks Webster’s Falls All three shows have filmed in Hamilton in previous years “Cross” filmed all over Hamilton in the spring of 2023 at such places as Liuna Station “FUBAR” is about a CIA operative named Luke Brunner (Schwarzenegger) who is forced to forego his retirement when he finds out his daughter Emma (Monica Barbaro) is also an agent and they are sent on a mission together It filmed its first season at such locales as Valens Lake Conservation Area and an old warehouse on Brockley Drive in east Hamilton (where Schwarzenegger rode a motorcycle) The first season ended with the Brunners’ identities being blown and a scramble to avoid former enemies “Murdoch Mysteries” has shot in Hamilton for years Its favourite locations are the Scottish Rite and Westfield Heritage Village The show often ends a season with a cliffhanger Murdoch becomes acting inspector and his wife Dr Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy) goes off to England with their daughter to take a new job The Hamilton-shot comedy “Bike” from Hamilton director Terrance Odette will have a special screening on Father’s Day this Sunday at 4 p.m It is about a beer-loving bicycle thief nicknamed “Bike” (Brian Stillar) whose life becomes challenged after he becomes the only witness to a drive-by shooting first shown on TV as a six-part series on Bell Fibe TV1 played in theatres across Canada this spring Odette is probably best known for “Fall” (2014) in which he received a Canadian Screen Awards nomination for best director Daniel Nolan is a freelance writer who writes about film and TV for The Hamilton Spectator. He can be reached at dannolanwrites@gmail.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account The Sydney price growth was mainly attributed to changing consumer confidence and reduced recessionary worries “I think Sydney has benefited, in particular, from a real change in sentiment in the market this year, compared with last year,” REA Group senior economist, Paul Ryan, previously told The Property Tribune “This time last year, I think people were worried about recessions, they were worried about the risks to the global economy, and now we are in a position where we are either at the peak of rates or very close to the peak of rates.” UPDATE: The Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) has kept interest rates on hold for the third consecutive month in September The pause on rates is expected to continue instilling confidence in the property market but the dual headwinds of high interest rates and affordability challenges remain UPDATE: Residential real estate in Australia has hit the $10 trillion mark again, previously reaching the feat in June 2022 Drivers of Australian property prices include a rising median price and more homes UPDATE: Sydney was recently ranked first in the world for luxury market growth, further cementing the strength of the premium market. The Knight Frank report found that the total combined sales value of the luxury homes sold across the second quarter was over US$680 million Recently, PropTrack forecast 3% to 6% price growth for Sydney dwelling prices towards the end of this year While less confident due to the multiple factors impacting the market next year’s forecast was between a -1% to 2% price change Westpac also recently released a forecast for dwelling values with Sydney real estate prices expected to grow by 10% in 2023 PropTrack director of economic research, Cameron Kusher, previously noted key drivers of property price growth were limited supply and strong demand There may be light at the end of the tunnel though, with the typically busier spring season approaching, and an unseasonable uplift in Sydney property listings recently reported Shore Financial has revealed its latest property price predictions for Sydney unveiling the top five suburbs for price growth across five different quintiles of the Sydney housing market These quintiles divided Sydney’s circa 600 suburbs into five categories based on their current median asking prices for houses The quintiles are referred to as Heartland Sydney The rankings are done by first excluding suburbs that do not meet certain benchmarks and trends related to asking prices and sales volumes over the past three months The remaining suburbs are then ranked on expected growth in asking prices over the next six months Sydney’s housing market has turned the corner prices were falling in most suburbs across Sydney we can say with certainty that Sydney is in growth mode,” he said we’ve seen days on market and inventory levels fall in many parts of Sydney market conditions have swung from buyers to sellers which has been reflected in rising asking prices Chambers stressed that there is a distinction between a rising market “It’s also important to realise that while prices are rising across Sydney as a whole like Naremburn on the North Shore and Fairlight on the Northern Beaches are likely to record stronger growth over the next half-year than less affluent suburbs like Busby and Green Valley in the city’s west “Focusing just on the 25 suburbs in the Shore Financial State of Sydney Report they’re all showing strong signs they’ll outperform suburbs in a similar price bracket over the next half-year One of the key leading indicators is the low levels of inventory in these suburbs which is likely to lead to above-average price growth.” Located on Sydney’s lower North Shore and benefits from an abundance of amenities It also enjoys close proximity to the Royal North Shore Hospital and the Crows Nest retail precinct Median house price – growth over past 12 months  Share of homes occupied by owner-occupiers  The total property listings for the postcode of 2094, including Fairlight is incredibly tight, with SQM Research data showing only 14 properties listed for sale The bustling hub of Chatswood has seen its landscape change considerably over the past few years and continues to change Stay up to date with Australia's most important property news through our free email service Get the latest real estate news delivered free to your inbox Living Corporation Pty Ltd (trading as The Property Tribune) ABN 17 159 150 651 provides an information service and factual information only in relation to property This information does not take into account your objectives To consider whether a financial or credit product is right for you speak to a licensed Financial Adviser or Finance Broker before you apply for any product or commit to any plan Consider the product issuer’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before making a purchase decision We do not make any suggestions or recommendations to you about property investment a particular credit or financial services product If you decide to apply for a product or service through our website you will be dealing directly with the provider of that product or service and not with us You should be aware that the service provider may not have access to all providers or all products available in the market Stay up to date with our free emails containing the country’s most important stories with our free email newsletters brutally tortured and held for ransom by brazen thugs who broke into his family home by posing as pizza delivery men Vahe Geokjian was abducted by four men from his home in Dundas Valley He was doused in petrol, tasered and had his toes beaten with a hammer by the men who stormed his house and aimed guns at his kids, the Daily Telegraph reported. The 58-year-old property developer, who was convicted and jailed in 2007 for importing cocaine, was dumped naked in Liverpool after paying off the ransom.   Police were notified of the kidnapping when he arrived at the hospital in a critical condition with several injuries, including face and leg fractures.  CCTV footage reveals the horrific moment Mr Geokjian was abducted from his home. A man with a cap is seen standing outside the front door holding a pizza box as he repeatedly rings the doorbell.  When the door is opened, the man drops the box and lunges forward into the door as three other men emerge from the darkness and run into the home.  Mr Geokjian was knocked unconscious in front of his wife and then dragged into a stolen BMW X1 getaway car.  The $45,000 car was found burnt out in a street at nearby Beverly Hills a day later.   Mr Geokjian's wife said she was also punched and attacked in the terrifying ordeal, and a gun was pointed at her children. Their teenage daughter was the one who called police.   'They came in knocked me to the ground pointed a gun at my two children and told them to get to their rooms,' she told Daily Telegraph. 'My husband was bashed until unconscious and only gave up because he didn't want my children to get hurt.' Police released an edited version of the kidnapping in a bid to find the men, but Ms Geokjan wants the full footage made public.  'My husband was close to death and I don't think he would have lasted another day if the ransom was not paid,' she said.  Mrs Geokjian has been left devastated by the attack and is unsure why her husband was targeted as he had been working as a 'legitimate businessman' since he was released from jail.   NSW Police are on the hunt for four men who may be able to assist with their inquiries relating to Mr Geokjian's kidnapping and assault.  Major terror attack 'was just HOURS away' before it was foiled by the special forces and police:... Victim of acid attack 'plotted by his ex-partner who teamed up with a gang' dies in hospital six... We are trapped in unsellable newbuild homes after a £52m dual carriageway was built on our... Horror as $4.5M influencer-laden yacht SINKS off Miami... after glam women made a rookie maritime... 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Hamas hostage, 23, 'raped by personal trainer influencer in her own home after being released' King, Queen, William and Kate honour selfless devotion of Britain's wartime heroes as they lead... Husband of British mother, 65, who was knifed to death in French village says her affair is a... 'Pizza delivery' goons kidnap convicted cocaine smuggler from homeCommenting on this article has endedNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}} Thomas Beckett with a copy of his book in 2018. Thomas Beckett delivered a convocation address at McMaster in 2019. Served as judge in famous case involving allegations of Satanic rituals in 1980s Thomas Beckett was a lawyer, judge, municipal councillor, Liberal candidate and one of the founders of the area’s first conservation authority, Spencer Creek, in 1958. It eventually became the Hamilton Conservation Authority and he served as its first chair from 1966-70. But perhaps his finest hour was when he led opposition to the building of a four-lane highway through the Dundas Valley in 1967. It was proposed to run from Peters Corners to the interchange of Mohawk Road and Highway 403. Beckett — who died Aug. 23 at age 97 — recounted in his 2018 autobiography “My Path to the Dundas Valley” how he rallied opposition to “this grossly stupid government mistake.” It helped lead to backing from a prominent environmental group and a meeting with then-premier John Robarts. “As we proceeded into his office with George Gomme, the minister of highways, along and before sitting down, premier Robarts said to his minister, ‘George, is there anyone left in the province of Ontario who is still in favour of this highway?’ I knew at that moment we had won: The highway would not be built.” Beckett later had a trail in the valley named after him in 1973 and a forest in 1998. “Most people don’t get honoured like this until they’re dead because as long as you’re alive, you’re still capable of disgracing yourself,” Beckett quipped at the 1998 ceremony. Beckett, named a Queen’s Counsel in 1974, was inducted into the Hamilton Gallery of Distinction in 1999. Beckett became a family court judge in 1984 (he became a superior court judge in 1995) and heard the bizarre case against a mother who was alleged to have abused her two daughters through Satanic rituals. It ran for 150 days between 1985 and 1987 and was Canada’s longest child welfare hearing. There were 27 witnesses, 86 exhibits and 15,000 pages of testimony. It was the subject of the book “Ritual Abuse” by journalist Kevin Marron. Beckett ruled the two girls, both under eight, had been sexually abused by the mother, father and mother’s boyfriend, but he made no ruling on the Satanic involvement. The woman lost custody of the girls, plus a third born during the hearing. Beckett’s handling of the sensitive case generally impressed Hamilton’s legal community. John Harper, lawyer for the Children’s Aid Society, said, “Given the complexities and intensity of emotions at times, I felt Judge Beckett handled the case extremely well.” Friend Brian Heller said “there was something special” about Beckett. “He was kind, engaging, thoughtful, hilarious at times,” he said on social media. “Tom leaves behind a good name, a wonderful reputation and a life of achievements.” Beckett was born Dec. 23, 1925, in Riverside (now part of Windsor), the son of notable architect Harold Beckett and his wife, Josephine. He graduated from Walkerville High School in 1945 and from the University of Toronto law school in 1950. He was called to the bar in 1952, the same year he went to work in Hamilton. He moved to Ancaster Township and got elected to council in 1956. He served for nine years, including as deputy reeve and reeve. He was the unsuccessful Liberal candidate against Tory Lincoln Alexander in the 1968 federal election, and ran unsuccessfully for the provincial Liberals in Wentworth North in 1971 and 1977. After he stepped down from council, he remained its representative on the conservation authority. But, he got in a huge row with council over his criticism of a $10-million sewer project and was fired in June 1972. The authority was going to fight the township, but Beckett resigned two months later with some parting shots. “The right to speak only when agreeing with government is no is no right at all,” Beckett said. Beckett is survived by his wife, Meralee, children, John and Mary-Jo, 10 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and three stepchildren. He is also survived by his first wife, Joan. He was predeceased by his daughter, Elizabeth. is a former longtime Hamilton Spectator reporter. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. The annual Haudenosaunee bow hunt in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area once again sets a limit of 60 deer, but has never hit that number, with last year’s hunt taking fewer than 10. The annual Haudenosaunee deer hunt is once again closing two parts of the Dundas Valley Conservation Area to the public on most weekdays for five weeks as of Nov. 6. An agreement with the Hamilton Conservation Authority will see the bow hunt take place during daylight hours from Monday to Thursday in Ancaster and Dundas sections of the valley until Dec. 7. As in the past, the Ancaster portion is in the conservation area bounded by Martin, Jerseyville, Paddy Greene and Powerline roads, while the Dundas section is on authority land west of Weir’s Lane between Governor’s Road and the CN Rail line. It’s the 13th year for the hunt, which no longer has a two-week January leg in Dundas. That ended in 2018 because of low turnouts during the more frigid temperatures. The agreement with the Haudenosaunee Wildlife and Habitat Authority once again sets a harvest limit of 60 deer, but hunts have never hit that number, reaching a high of 37 in 2012 before dropping into the mid-teens or lower. Gord Costie, the Hamilton authority’s director of conservation area services, said last year’s hunt took fewer than 10 deer. Authority directors first struck the hunt protocol in November 2011 after being advised the Haudenosaunee have treaty rights allowing them to hunt in the valley without permission. It has continued since then without any reported incidents and was renewed in 2022 for three years, with 2024’s hunt scheduled from Nov. 4 to Dec. 5. Based on the author’s interpretations and judgments of facts Finding her father’s old briefcase was the spark that lit Rose Anne Prevec’s creative fire Last year Prevec experienced two major life changes: her father died and she took early retirement from her job at McMaster Museum of Art “I was lining up a number of projects that would keep me busy post-retirement and lift my spirits during the difficult time following my father’s death,” she says “He was a virologist at McMaster University so of course the briefcase was full of inks “Playing around with the materials,” as she put it The name comes from one of her favourite spots “I always loved hiking and biking the trails in Hamilton never more so than this last year,” she says “One day when I was sitting on a bench on Groundhog Hill in Dundas Valley Conservation Area it all came together — here’s my place The cast of characters includes lovable wildlife such as raccoons — lots of these — squirrels “I can think less about anatomical correctness when I draw animals than I do when I’m drawing humans,” she says I approached this almost as if I were planning a novel “I’m always fighting the impulse to accurately shade things and cross over into illustration Using a big fat brush helps me from getting finicky.” She gives her creatures human-like thoughts and activities “Most often it’s words or wordplay that sparks the joke,” she says “Maybe it’s from all those years of writing and editing at the McMaster Museum of Art Some turns of phrase just strike me funny when I imagine them coming out of the mouth of a turkey vulture or some such creature “Occasionally random doodles inspire the joke but I always feel like I’m working backwards then But one of them stands on a park bench and calls out instructions like a choirmaster In “Top Heavy,” Prevec’s word play involves deer Humans and animals can also talk to one another In “Secret Garden,” a helpful but cheeky squirrel interrupts a girl reading to inform her about the relocation of her bulbs “The only human who appears is loosely based on a younger me but I also speak through the mouths of any number of creatures Only a couple are based on actual experiences like when I met a coyote in the woods.” Prevec has been making art all her life She has just finished illustrating a third book about Toby And she has drawn cartoons for family and friends on special occasions Prevec drew a moving depiction of what should have been a close and joyful encounter “Her grandson was born during the pandemic at a time when she had to stay isolated it was through a doorway that had been sealed with plastic wrap She called herself ‘vacuum-packaged Nanny.’” Opinion articles are based on the author’s interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details YouTube video maker and former professor at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand As the pandemic continues, the Hamilton community has been showing their gratitude to healthcare workers any way they can. This includes Dundas Valley School of Art (DVSA). Understanding the therapeutic benefits of art, DVSA took it upon themselves to create the Art to Heart program a series of free art classes for healthcare workers “DVSA already has many healthcare workers among our students they appreciated the time in the studios,” says Claire Loughheed we felt we could offer healthcare workers a positive outlet Self-care is more critical than ever for healthcare workers during these times.” The program began in March and offered eight classes over eight weeks with a different project each class All activities were specifically designed for people without an artistic background Classes were led by a certified art psychotherapist as they were intended to provide a greater therapeutic element then a simple “how to” class Funded by the Hamilton Community Foundation 58 healthcare workers from across Hamilton participated in the program With a long waitlist and favourable feedback DVSA hopes to be able to offer the program again soon “It was such a positive experience,” says Suganya Vadivelu education and development clinician at Hamilton Health Sciences “There was a lot of self-reflection and looking into deeper meanings of the art we created I really enjoyed it and felt rejuvenated after each class.” Vadivelu had taken art classes recreationally she knew it would be something she’d enjoy She even had her two sons participate with her “Not only were the classes a great break from daily stresses but it gave me the opportunity to spend time with my kids,” she says “My older son and I had so much fun in the scribbles class we actually reflected on what we saw and how it made us feel Artwork done by Suganya and her older son during the free hand scribble art session They enjoyed the classes so much that Vadivelu her husband and their kids now have a family art night once a week Despite the family seeing each other more often due to the pandemic she says their family art night is a special way to spend time together Vadivelu is proud of the pieces of art she created during the Art to Heart program and keeps them in her office at the Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre She finds they give her a moment of reprieve throughout her day and she smiles when reminiscing on the quality time with her family For those working in the hospital during a global pandemic those moments can make a world of difference thank you to Dundas Valley School of Art,” says Vadivelu Designed by INTENT. Built by Sandbox Software Home » Equestrians Last fall I found the “hill from hell” again Set deep in the trails of Dundas Valley Conservation Area just outside of Hamilton when I used to take the track group I coached to do repeats on the hill the 400 and 800 m runners wouldn’t even dream of calling the 1.3 km loop with a wicked 300-foot climb and tricky descent anything as banal as “K2.” They weren’t nearly as excited as I was to find the “hill from hell.” So the gang were working their way through a set of three efforts around the loop I went to get some pictures of them coming down the hill “Where’s Sharon?” I asked the two triathletes who had been running with my wife the last time I saw them “She fell and told us to go ahead,” they replied As she came down the hill towards me at a slow jog “Did you know this watch would start talking to me?” she asked “It kept asking me if I was OK after I fell and if I needed help.” and she’d gone down hard enough that the safety features built into the watch kicked in the watch could have made a call to emergency services it would have called emergency services and then sent a message with her location to her emergency contacts The day after witnessing the watch in action one of the other runners from the group bought an Apple Watch for her elderly father who’d always refused to wear any sort of emergency gear in case of a fall but could be convinced to wear a cool-looking smartwatch a website that analyzes Apple business activities over 100 million people wear Apple Watches Thirty million people started wearing the watch in 2020 alone Apple’s share of the global smartwatch market is just over 51 per cent according to industry analysis firm Counterpoint dwarfing the numbers of the rest of its competition an age-group world champion and two-time Ironman World Championship competitor appreciate the safety features that are built into the Apple Watch But many of those features can be found in other multisport watches There are other watches that lend themselves to more detailed analysis of workouts than the apps you’ll find on the Apple Watch But even serious athletes are starting to embrace their Apple Watch to keep track of even their toughest and most technical workouts They like the fact that it can serve as a multisport watch a fitness tracker and a smartwatch that provides easily accessible data the Apple Watch reinforces the fitness lifestyle that they embody Every day that data is expressed in the form of an exercise which gets “closed” once they’ve hit the appropriate levels They embrace the challenge the Apple Watch throws at them every day cajoling them to ensure they don’t hit the sack without “closing their rings” by moving enough throughout the day getting enough vigorous exercise and standing for a little bit every hour was this what the engineers and developers had envisioned when they were working on the Apple Watch before it was released in 2015 “We started with a very simple premise with the Apple Watch – we knew it would do a number of things but one of the core tenets was to help people have a better day by being more active,” says Jay Blahnik the senior director of fitness for health technologies for Apple “That was something we cared about from the very beginning We focused on two apps to help us reach that goal – the activity app to measure your day and the workout app to measure your session-based activities We knew they needed to talk to each other because how you measure your workout is not how you measure your active day but obviously what you do in your workouts impacts your active day.” who came to Apple with a long history as one of the pioneers in the digital fitness world (among his many consulting gigs with companies like Nautilus he worked with Nike on the Nike+ Run Club app and Nike+ FuelBand) says that as the Apple Watch launched they figured “sportier” people would be drawn to the workout app and less interested in the other metrics the watch provided while people who were less sporty “would care more about how their day ends up and less about workouts.” Surprisingly “There seems to be a trend that even if you’re elite and you care about your split times in a workout there’s a growing trend for that to add up to something wonderful across your day you really want that workout to contribute to your overall health,” Blahnik says people who were measuring their day with the activity app suddenly they had a device that could tell them how far they went on their hike or their walk and something that they wouldn’t have considered exercise they were thinking ‘I’ve done this a couple of times and now I’m going faster.’ What we noticed was that elite athletes had become more aware of the health of their day and people who were just trying to make their day healthy were getting more engaged in the value of dedicated exercise.” Blahnik says that the biggest lesson he learned from his experience with digital fitness before he arrived at Apple was that “measurement or staying the same is very motivating,” he says “Knowing when you’ve beaten something is motivating Knowing how you’re doing against other people – those things are really motivating Even closing your rings for the day is using this idea of bringing in this idea of using measurement as motivation It’s hard not to get excited when you hear Blahnik talk about what the Apple Watch can do but as far as he and the rest of the health and fitness team at Apple are concerned And that message comes right from the very top level of the company “I really believe that if you zoom out to the future and then look back and ask ‘What has Apple’s greatest contribution been?’ it will be in the health and wellness area,” Apple’s CEO Tim Cook told Outside Magazine in an interview earlier this year “The future of health is on your wrist,” went the slogan that accompanied the launch of the Apple Watch Series 6 last fall The various sensors in the watch can monitor so many different aspects of your health and Apple keeps expanding the capabilities can measure your blood oxygen levels and the previous version introduced an ECG app so you can do your own electrocardiogram The watch can also predict your cardio fitness level providing similar information that you would get from a cardio fitness test “We added a heart rate sensor to really be able to see heart rates during a workout but we started to see that people were wearing Apple Watch all day every day and it became clear that the sensor might be able to pick up other things,” Blahnik says “When we realized that we could detect irregular arrhythmia consistent with A-fib we pushed down that development route and it made us think about other things that would make the watch a person’s guardian.” The emphasis on health doesn’t mean that Apple isn’t doubling down on the fitness aspects of the watch Last fall the company launched Apple Fitness+ – “a new fitness experience for everyone instead of just “nudging” you to get up or head out the door for some activity Apple was ready to show you how to do get started with a running program using data from your watch and integrating your own music tastes there is a lot more crossover between different levels of athletes and fitness enthusiasts than Apple had anticipated “What we’re finding is that people who are incredibly fit may be using fitness plus to do their indoor run when it’s cold or to do some cross-training in the rower but they’re also discovering things like yoga to balance out their routine,” says Blahnik “They never would have done it if they would have had to go to a 90-minute class in the studio but they’ll happily do 10 minutes at the end of their running session.” you pretty much need to be an iPhone user to use one and even though there are lots of third-party apps you can load onto the Apple Watch to enhance them Suunto and Wahoo provide a more detailed and fulsome experience While those watches will offer some “smartwatch” features they can’t match up with all the things an Apple Watch will do Couple all those “smart” abilities with enough fitness tracking apps and you have an all-day tool on your wrist that keeps you connected allows you to leave your phone at home and still be able to connect in an emergency and monitors your health also serves up daily reminders and motivation to keep you healthy And it’ll even make a call for you if you run into issues on the “hill from hell.” Get the digital edition of Triathlon for your chosen platform: Scott Gravesande and Shawn Matthias (in order from left to right) golf in a fivesome at Dundas Valley John Kirkman is finding a new way to get more people on the course It’s doubtful anyone called for him to be burned at the stake but it’s likely some members at the Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club called their head pro a heretic when he suggested they play in fivesomes this summer John Kirkwood has been the head pro at Dundas Valley for the past 20 years pushing through fivesomes is the most — some might say outrageous — thing he has ever suggested After all convention is that the game is played in foursomes The pandemic changed almost everything in golf and it opened the door for Kirkwood to suggest something he has long believed would work “I’ve always been pushing it and I thought this year we’re going to have to do it because we have 650 people who have access to the tee in some way shape or form,” said Kirkland “But when I first brought it up it was ‘oh boy.’” and made his case that they could get 10 per cent more people on the course in a day even with increasing the tee-time intervals from nine minutes between groups to 10 and 11 minutes and that rounds would take only slightly longer to play That trial basis has long passed and so far there is no real talk at the club about returning to foursomes “I had some reservations,” said Jed Gilmore who is in his fifth year as a member at the private Dundas club “I thought it was going to take longer to play And I found that if I didn’t have a (tee) time it was easier to jump in with another group.” Gilmore said the key was getting everyone into the mindset of playing ‘ready golf.’ While Kirkwood is obviously happy the experiment was successful he doubts it would catch on outside of private clubs “I really don’t know if it would work at a public golf course,” he says “For us communication with our membership was the big thing and getting everybody to play ‘ready golf.’ At a public golf course you don’t know who you are getting day-to-day are cutting back on or eliminating some of the pandemic precautions garbage containers and benches are being put back on near the tees the various devices to make it easy to remove balls from the cup are being removed and the plastic cart liners are being removed Clubs find them an unnecessary expense to maintain Men’s amateur: The finish of the Ontario Men’s amateur championship last week at the Beach Grove G&CC near Windsor had a Hamilton area flavour to it Thomas Giroux of the Club at North Halton in Georgetown won the title in the first hole of a sudden death playoff against Nicholas Hofman of Hamilton G&CC after both had carded 205 over 54 holes Dave Crawford of Dundas Valley was fourth at 208 Whole-in-one: Daniel Knapp and Kathy Lehockey are the men’s and women’s club champions at Heron Point Matt Wood captured the men’s club championship while Gail Waddell won the ladies’ title Club champions at Twenty Valley included: men’s-Kyle Stephenson Aces: Aces in the area include three at Willow Valley; Dan Boduris on the 148-yard 13th with a seven iron Ryan Watson on the 110-yard 10th with a pitching wedge and Joe Stanzian on the 102-yard 15th with a pitching wedge is a freelance contributor for The Hamilton Spectator who specializes in golf Patrick Harrison (24) breaks a tackle as he carries the ball upfield for DVSS in a 24-12 win over Sherwood last week Harrison had several big runs in the victory Football team wins first game in Division 1 Ryan Whelan had two touchdowns and Brendan Hadley had a key interception while Dundas Valley Secondary School’s senior boys football team kept a lid on Sherwood’s offence for most of the game on the way to a 24-12 win in the season opener – and the Gryphons first game in Division One “We certainly seemed to get good pressure on their quarterback in the first half,” Gryphons head coach Mike Samson said “Our offensive line also gave fantastic protection for our quarterback in the first half.” On the team’s second first quarter possession DVSS receiver Geoffrey Kennedy had a big catch on a pass from quarterback Daniel Dean to put the ball on the doorstep of Sherwood’s end zone Whelan ran the ball in for a touchdown and 6-0 lead then Whelan caught a pass for his second touchdown and a 12-0 lead Patrick Harrison carried the ball in for a two point convert to make it 14-0 with about nine minutes left in the first half DVSS controlled the ball for an extended period over several plays Kennedy leapt to snag a catch over his head with two minutes left in the half Another successful two-point convert gave DVSS a 22-0 lead Sherwood finally got on the board with a touchdown and failed convert attempt to make the score 22-6 at the end of the first half Brendan Hadley intercepted a Sherwood pass in the end zone to prevent a touchdown and preserve the 16-point lead The Gryphons defense also forced a Sherwood safety to pick up two more points Sherwood managed a second touchdown with just five seconds left in the game as Dundas ground out the second half to complete the 24-12 win Whelan and quarterback Dean are among a group who moved up to the senior team this year from last year’s undefeated city champion junior team that won the city championship They made the move just in time for the senior team’s jump from Division Two “This will be a real learning year for us,” head coach Mike Samson said before Thursday’s opening game at Dundas Valley’s home field followed by a visit to Dundas Valley by division powerhouse Westdale on Thursday Dundas Valley Conservation Area is a spectacular destination for outdoor lovers to escape into nature not far from the city the 1,200-hectare conservation area is just over a 1-hour drive from Toronto that's perfect for a day trip A post shared by Diva Maffett (@divathedog) Dundas Valley was carved out by a succession of glaciers dating back 10,000 years ago It also boasts a rich cultural heritage with Indigenous history and evidence of First Nations' occupation found in the form of various archaeological sites and artifacts The conservation area encompasses several historic structures, including the Hermitage Gatehouse a once-grand mansion that offers a glimpse into the region's past A post shared by Chris Sohar (@chrissohar) Dundas Valley Conservation Area is renowned for its hiking The park's three major trails include the Main Loop Trail Bruce Trail and the Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail A post shared by June Cecol (@junececol) The Main Loop Trail is the most popular for first-time visitors The 3.4 km trail begins at the Dundas Valley Trail Centre which features a replica of a Victorian train station A portion of the massive 900 km-long Bruce Trail also runs through Dundas Valley, which you can follow to see Canterbury Falls or Sherman Falls A post shared by Lauren (@ontariohiking) Finally, the Rail Trail extends 32 km in length connecting the cities of Hamilton and Brantford There is a vehicle entrance fee of $11 for visitors to Dundas Valley Conservation Area which is open 7 days a week from sunrise to sunset The park is available for day use only year-round Sixth-year upper elementary students from Dundas Valley Montessori School recently attended the Montessori Model United Nations Midwest Conference in Fort Wayne Model United Nations is a simulation of the UN General Assembly and other multilateral bodies Students step into the shoes of ambassadors to debate current issues on the organization’s agenda resolve conflicts and navigate the Model UN conference rules of procedure Members of the Dundas Valley Secondary School novice boys cross-country running team — including Owen Craddock (bib No Fynn Gibson (2143) and Noah Weingartner (2156) — pose for a photo after winning gold Saturday at OFSAA in in Etobicoke First OFSAA cross-country team title for Hamilton since 2009 The novice boys team from Dundas Valley Secondary School blew by the rest of the competition to win the Ontario high school cross-country title in Toronto over the weekend Fynn Gibson (35th) and Noah Weingartner (74th) dominated the field to give Hamilton its first Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) cross-country team title since 2009 — when Highland and Westdale swept the two junior categories Renton Leighton of Bishop Tonnos also ran well finishing 12th in the OFSAA novice boys division which had 265 runners cross the finish line Research by team head coach Mike Smith indicates that Dundas Valley’s novice team’s margin of victory is among the largest in provincial championship history “They’re a good bunch of multi-sport athletes who dedicated themselves to training,” Smith said “We have a strong group of committed athletes in Grade 9.” Mary’s Anna Ptaszek finished fourth in the junior girls individual race and top-40 finishes were also registered by Maeve Trealeven of Hillfield Strathallan Melisa Kekic of Saltfleet and Julia Gupta of Dundas Valley Hamilton was led by Alexis Elkins of Hillfield Strathallan with a ninth-place finish Shakir Saleh of Bernie Custis was 25th in junior boys while in senior girls Vanessa Giannou of Ancaster was 17th Clara Fava of Bishop Tonnos came 21st and Erika Gordon of Ancaster was 38th Iain Thomson’s 11th-place individual finish led Dundas Valley to 11th in the senior boys team event Top local runners in the para race were Liam Curtis of Dundas Valley (24th) and Lily Hudgins (47th) of Westdale Other local high school sports highlights include: has spent 33 years of his 42-year sports-writing career at the Hamilton Spectator, most of that as an award-winning columnist. He is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the Skate Canada Hall of Fame and is also the author or co/author of 25 books. is pictured with some of the Valley Manor tenants Valley Manor resident Patricia Crabtree gets a hug from Robin Smeltzer Convenience on Osler Court across from University Plaza has suffered losses since construction began in front of the business in March Valley Manor tenants on Osler Drive proved they were true friends — with very big hearts — through a donation last week to J.C The convenience store on Osler Court across from University Plaza has suffered losses since construction began in front of the business in March Valley Manor tenants had no idea the extent of their neighbours’ financial distress until a Hamilton Spectator story last month outlined a campaign to help Smeltzer and her partner, Mollie Winfield, keep the store afloat. Tenant Patricia Crabtree and others in the 29-unit building, which is home to geared-to-income and subsidized senior residents, quickly rallied to help their neighbours. “Tenants came together as a whole and through a donation drive collected $300,” said building attendant Kelly Hodder. “We were all quite surprised. This just goes to show what ‘community’ really means to people...helping people in true need.” The presentation to Smeltzer — Winfield was minding the shop — took place last Monday afternoon and came complete with introductions, beverages, cookies and a cheerful chat. After a pleasant visit, store co-owner Smeltzer thanked her neighbours and offered personal delivery service should anyone be unable to get to the store. “The moment was a very warm and proud one for the tenants and a very caring, thoughtful and appreciative moment for Robin,” said Hodder. During the summer, Winfield and Smeltzer have received help from community members young and old. Neighbourhood children ran a lemonade stand and helped pay an overdue phone bill, a donor brought their $2,700 hydro bill up to date and another left $250 in cash.