Reflections on Greece Have Been a Little School There at Some Point

Rooted in tradition · Exploring the future

Vol. 45 · Issue #15 Thursday, February 23, 2012 Loyalist College · Belleville, ON · Canada

Digging into Belleville’s history Archaeologist shares findings at meeting of Historical Society

By Carleen Schmidt

Archeologists have unearthed a possible tavern on one lot in Belleville and findings at another lot suggest that the family living there may have been in mourning. “We opened up as many questions as we answered,” said Nick Gromoff, founder of Ground Truth Archaeol- ogy. These findings were from an archeological dig conducted at the new courthouse location on James Street and Bridge Street in Belleville. Gromoff presented the findings at the Hastings County Historical So- ciety’s general meeting at the Quinte Living Centre on Feb. 21. “The excavation started in fall 2009 and ended in summer 2010,” said Gromoff. The presence of the colour black was found in beads, ceramics and hair combs. “Blackness is intriguing. It is Photo by Chloë Ellingson not a typical colour,” said Gromoff, Aristeidis Maroulis works at Olympic 76 Restaurant, originally started by his uncles, who have since moved back to Greece. who added that they believe some of the family living there may have been in mourning, which would explain Local Greeks discuss the country’s economic crisis: the presence of the colour black. There was also evidence showing the presence of children - marbles, a little doll and 30-40 slate pencil ends and slate boards were found, which is a high number meaning there may Reflections on Greece have been a little school there at some point. By Chloë Ellingson don’t need to borrow anymore money. Let Fountoukis says Kefalonia’s main in- immigration regulations. “Right now it’s Gromoff spoke to a large audience us do it.” dustry is tourism, and that was his busi- not easy,” he says. of about 100 people. There was ob- As Greece continues to endure economic Three years ago, Fountoukis left his ness. He owned and operated four res- Fountoukis doesn’t know why Greece viously a lot of interest in the topic. turmoil, members of the local Greek com- life on the large Greek island of Kefalonia taurants that collectively employed 70 isn’t bankrupt already after years of it be- Usually only about 60 people attend munity reflect on life in Greece, life in Can- with his wife and three children to return people. “Now 70 people have to look for ing threatened. He wishes Greece would the meeting, but all the chairs were ada, and what it takes to survive. to his native Canada. The child of Greek jobs,” says Fountoukis. He hears from declare bankruptcy and return to its for- full and people were standing. ••• immigrants, he spent his early life in them all too often. mer currency. “If we go back to the drach- To construct a dig, archeologists “Before the Euro, we didn’t have a Montreal, returning to Greece as a young “Everyday I receive phone calls,” he ma,” he says, “Greece is going to be in the mostly use toothbrushes and wa- problem,” said Kanellos Fountoukis last boy. Greece is where he built his life, and says. They all ask about working for him right place.” ter and sometimes alcohol for cer- week in the kitchen of his Wellington res- much of his family is still there. in Canada, or if he knows of any jobs ••• tain items. According to Gromoff, taurant. The then imminent recent Greek “I came back for my kids’ future,” he here. He’d like to bring former employees though there isn’t any one item that bailout is, in his opinion, backwards. “We says. to Canada, but says he can’t because of ...See Greece, page 2 is most significant. The artifacts that help identify time periods, or what was going on there, are the most interesting. There were a lot of findings including ash, brick, coins, and buttons of all sorts, plates and smoking pipes. Archives making move to new digs The archeologists also found bones from white-tailed deer, ducks, geese, operating out of the former Thurlow town turkey, passenger pigeons and local Historical Society hall on Cannifton Road North for the fish. works on getting capital past 10 years, in a small space troubled by There were a couple different lots humidity, pests and structural issues. that they excavated on the property. to pay for building At its present location the community Lot eight is the first Gromoff dis- archives has about 2,300 square feet of cussed. He talked about the history of By Joanna Becket useable space. the property owners, which was used The new Church Street site will house to try to find out what was there pre- “An archives, as it turns out, is a bit like about 8,000 square feet of useable space. viously and talked about people who Rome. Can’t be built in a day,” wrote Or- The archives currently maintains col- had come by when the dig was going land French, former president, Hastings lections of prints and negatives, maps, on and shared their memories of the County Historical Society, in an opinion plans, architectural drawings, newspa- property. piece in The Belleville Intelligencer last pers, microfilm, ledger books and family At the second lot on the site, Gro- November. scrapbooks. moff did the same, showed histori- This is the public stage of the capital This past summer, The Belleville Intel- cal records of people who lived there campaign headed up by French to move ligencer added an additional 900 bound previously and showed photographs the Hastings County Historical Society volumes of newspapers, covering the pe- of the excavation. The archeologists community archives to a new location at riod from the 1880s to 2011. found a brick furnace with char- the Irish Hall on Church Street. “We have half a ton, about 900 vol- coals and ash, possibly from a smoke French has found that although com- umes, so all together we have over 1,000 house, and found meat hooks as well. petition for the donor’s dollar is stiff, bound volumes of The Belleville Intel- Numerous foot bones from cows were Belleville residents are stepping up with ligencer. The Intelligencer also donated also found. private donations towards the estimated their photographs and negatives,” said the Later in the excavation, it became $1.2 million required to build and equip archivist Sharon White. apparent that one of the deep pits dug a new site for the community’s historical “It’s been estimated that the archives by the archeologists was a root cellar documents. has approximately one million negatives. with barrel scraps, sand and even a What sets this cause apart from other More than half of them are from the Intel- trap door with a hinge and bolt. appeals for support, said French, is that ligencer,” said White. Lot one had to have gravel re- it’s a one-stage appeal. “The biggest issue is space, the amount moved for excavation. Gromoff “We’re raising money for a capital of space and also the organization of showed the history of home own- campaign to create an archives and space,” she said. So the new building will ers starting with James McNabb and once the archives is complete, we’re not have most of the archival records stored found cutlery, pipes, coins, buttons going to come back in a year to the pub- in a dedicated storage vault and it’s called from hunting jackets and military lic and say we want more money, be- a vault because it’s secure. buttons from this site. Stoneware cause the city and the county have tak- “It has environmental controls to mon- jugs were found from local Belleville en on the responsibility of running it.” itor temperature, humidity and air qual- merchants. They believe this site It’s all in the name of preserving the ity. That’s one of the things that make it may have been a tavern. past. a bit more costly than just building an Gromoff showed a slideshow at “If you don’t preserve the past, then office building, because you need to have the meeting on the archeological as- you have no community record of where these special controls.” sessment process in Ontario. There you come from,” said French. Most of the shelving will be in the main are four stages. The first stage has “I think this is especially important for halls that are two storeys high and will be a background study conducted and students, for those who study history, and designed to fill that space. tries to assess the property. Stage for historians. People who are interested “The shelving is very specialized. It two is the assessment of the property Photo by Joanna Becket in genealogy, for example, really appreci- will be fitted to meet our requirements to to find archaeological sites by going ate the kind of information they find in make the most efficient use of the space,” Sharon White, the archivist at Hastings County Historical Society Community out and looking for evidence on the archives,” he said. said White. Archives on Cannifton Road North, stands before the Belleville Intelligencer’s property. The Hastings County Historical Soci- “I hope the new archives will be more recent donation of newspapers going back to the 1880s. “We received half a Stage three is when Gromoff came ety partnered with the City of Belleville spacious and there will be more things ton, about 900 volumes, so altogether we have over 1,000 bound volumes of in. During stage three, archeologists and Hastings County to donate $950,000 actually available for self-help in the read- the Belleville Intelligencer,” said White. The move to the archives’ new Church find the limits of the site and create of the current $1.2 million target. Corpo- ing room including electronic systems, so Street location is planned for 2013. a grid and do the preliminary con- rate and private donations are helping to you can search on a data base. “It’s not the Cadillac version,” said “But plans can change,” said White. clusions on the nature and date of fill the balance needed to complete the “There will be a reference library to White. “But I think it meets all the re- “We have to get it right. And that’s one the site. Finally, in stage four is the project. consult as well. We also have some ge- quirements for a good community ar- reason we’ve had the architect’s feasibility mitigation of development impacts, “We are getting close to the million nealogy materials and some information chives that will preserve the records in study and the careful look at the design. which determines the best approach dollar mark but there’s still a shortfall of pamphlets about how to research your the future and have good space for mak- The design will be tweaked, but we’re very for conserving the site. about $300,000,” said French. own house or property and also informa- ing them available and good space for the happy with it in terms of it being an ef- In this case, the best way to con- The target start date for construction tion about other heritage organizations in volunteers and archivists and people who ficient and cost effective use of the space,” serve the site was to remove the is likely to be in September, 2012, said the area.” work with the records.” said White. artifacts for preservation. This is French. Will this new facility be state-of-the- The move is currently planned for “We’re getting there. It’s very exciting,” referred to as preservation through The historical society archives has been art? 2013. White said. excavation. Page 2 · The Pioneer · February 23, 2012 Yoga more than just for exercise Spiritual practice dates back over 5,000 years By Brynn Campbell

Those Lululemon shorts better be blessed. Yoga has become one of the 21st centu- ries’ biggest trends. From clothing to spas, food, restaurants and fitness centres, businesses have tried to link this spiritual practice to whatever product they are trying to sell. Little do people actually know that this sweaty, stretchy, spandex “workout” is actually an ancient spiritual practice origi- nating from India. Ancient yoga texts date back over 5,000 years old when Hindus used this practice as a form of spiritual growth through self- realization. In Sanskrit, the word yoga can be trans- lated to the word ‘yuj,’ or to yoke or unite. The union is to unite oneself with your higher self. To unite with your higher self helps each individual realize his or her higher potential, and that each individual is divine. The yoga philosophies explain that the biggest problem in the world today is ig- norance. The only way to transform igno- rance to bliss is through transformation of the mind through meditation and self- observation. Shelly Zebedee, an Ashtanga yoga teacher and practitioner in Belleville, said she believes that, “most people perceive yoga as a physical exercise that will help them to stay flexible and relaxed. I think it is used for many physical en- deavours in the West like losing weight, staying young, shaping the body, which are almost the opposite of what yoga is all about, which is releasing all attachment to Photo by Brynn Campbell the ego-self. This means all of our self-talk Shelly Zebedee holds urdhva padmasana, upward lotus posture. Yoga is much more than a way to get fit or lose weight. about whether we look good enough, skin- ny enough and young enough.” an instrument,” said Zebedee. With lots of commitment and practice, the “Yoga has helped me to change myself of myself and to learn love and compassion Yoga is not necessarily about what you “It takes practising day after day for most beautiful music can be played. It’s the at my core and therefore it has helped me for all beings. I am still working at all of it. can do with the physical body; it is about years to create the most beautiful music. same with yoga.” with all of my life’s problems,” said Zebe- It is not something that happens in a day disciplining the mind. Zebedee said that Sitting down at the piano once a week is Zebedee was introduced to yoga when dee. or a week or even a few years. The process the only way to gain this mental discipline fun for awhile, but won’t really get you too she was 16 and said she believes that all “Yoga has helped me to find peace in- is magnificent and more rewarding than I is through daily practice. far and will become boring after awhile. those years of practice have paid off. side of myself, to stop looking for it outside ever could have imagined.” “Yoga is like a great art. It’s like playing Alumni status has added value for Loyalist graduates

By Sharon Kallaste through the annual ancillary fees. graduates as well as receive support with ates. Ivy Hayes, placement co-ordinator and ‘It is important for their own career paths, college officials “We want to know the stories from our You’re all in for life as Loyalist College supervisor for the general arts and science said. Alumni can become a mentor; sit alumni, new successes and accomplish- alumni. No membership required — it’s program, is one of many Loyalist graduates Loyalist students to on program advisory committees, and ments and contributions to their new already paid. under this assumption. Hayes graduated understand that their of course give financial gifts through the fields of interest and to the communities Alumni are enthusiastic, broad–skilled from the general arts and science program Annual Appeal Fund and The Alumni As- they affiliate with,” said Randolph. Loyalist grads. In five weeks, Loyalist will in 2001. Asked about her student experi- alumni status gives sociation Bursary that are disbursed to en- Part of this is acknowledged through the unleash their 45th batch of fresh grads to ence and alumni ties with the college she rolled students. Distinction Awards program that has been embark upon the world. said, “I’m not a member of the alumni. I them continued added The Alumni Association Endowment in place since the early ‘90s. Colleges On- To mark that special occasion, the col- always thought you had to join.” value for the rest of Fund eased 13 Loyalist students’ finan- tario also runs the Premiers Awards which lege has announced its first - annual Grad “The faculty here at Loyalist really took cial needs through grants amounting to has six categories. Bash to be held March 8 from 11 a.m.–8 a genuine interest in helping you be the their lives.’ $11,900. Loyalist has developed a substantial p.m. best you can in preparing for employment alumni services co-ordinator Michelle The fluctuating fund represented 14 per alumni database of 30,000 strong since its “It’s the first step in letting our soon-to- when you graduate. I was so impressed cent of the $172,098 the college’s awards founding year of 1967. With recent im- be graduates know that they will still have that when an opportunity came up last Randolph and bursaries presented at the undergrad- provements to the College IT and servers, complete access to the career centre, The April for a contract position within the uate awards ceremony. the joint efforts of the alumni association Parrott Centre, special insurance rates, program I applied. “It is important for Loyalist students to “I think it’s definitely a benefit to and alumni services now have the task in Perkopolis and discounted services at Club “Our college has a really great reputa- understand that their alumni status gives the students and the donors to hear updating the database to bring it to a com- 213, the college bookstore and the fitness tion out there in the community. Our stu- them continued added value for the rest of the “follow-up stories from individuals prehensive support tool for both the col- centre,” said Michelle Randolph, alumni dents are well sought after,” said Hayes. their lives. It is about building loyalty – loy- who have received such bursaries,” said lege and the alumni. services co-ordinator. Hayes also volunteers with the Canadian alty to Loyalist. It’s not just about money. Joanne Farrell, awards officer at Loyalist “Social media can facilitate increased A prominent misconception for new Diabetes Association, Hastings & Prince It’s more about working with a client and College. employment opportunities for alumni. It is graduates is that to become an alumnus, Edward Branch that has offered student knowing about their life,” said Randolph. Alumni Services produces the alumni also a great opportunity to share their ac- you have to pay a membership fee, when placement positions for the past six years. There are many ways Loyalist alumni magazine Lasting Connections. It is an av- complishments and successes with fellow in fact the membership fees are prepaid can contribute to the success of future enue to follow the lives of Loyalist gradu- alumni,” said Randolph. Greeks worry about economic impact on their homeland

tries to go bankrupt,” he said. “Eventually Greece… they came out of it.” Yeotes says he’s not very close with his Continued from Page 1 local Greek community. He has family in Peloponnese and Athens, but doesn’t of- “Greece, it’s a beautiful country,” says ten talk to them. His interest in the Greek Nicky Kotsovos in her Belleville home. economy has more to do with econom- “Beautiful, beautiful islands.” ics than it does Greece, and the situation Kotsovos left Greece with her then hus- doesn’t plague him. “I don’t worry about band at the age of 18. She left for love, she it,” he says. “There’s nothing I can do about says, not the need to earn money. Kotsovos it .” says her father was doing well as a farmer in the peninsula of Peloponnese at the ••• time. “I was too young, no brains,” she says. “I met my husband and I followed him.” Anastasia Argiris can’t get Greece off Both Kotsovos and her former husband her mind as she sets up her Belleville res- have since worked in the restaurant busi- taurant for lunch hour. “My family is worse ness in Canada. “The Greeks in Canada than other ones,” she says. “If they don’t have done well,” she says. “They started pay, they’ll cut the hydro.” off washing dishes, and most of them have Formerly construction business own- restaurants now.” ers in Peloponnese, her two brothers have Kotsovos thinks Canada should wel- been out of business for the past three come Greeks who wish to immigrate. years. “They aren’t fixing anything any- “Canada should do that for any country,” more,” says Argiris. she says. “My father is in the hospital,” she Much of her family still lives in Pelo- says, and explains that her siblings ponnese. “People there have farms,” she “don’t have money to put gas in the car explains, both for subsistence and for busi- and see him.” ness. “They can survive.” Like Fountoukis, Argiris wants to spon- She said it’s the region’s dependence on sor family members to come to Canada, tourism and the urban centres that con- but says she doesn’t have enough work for cerns her. them. From Kotsovos’s perspective, the Greek Photo by Chloë Ellingson Asked about why the Greek economy crisis is a result of irresponsibility on a Since moving to Canada three years ago with his wife and three children, Kanellos Fountoukis has run The Plaza Restau- is in its current state, she first blames the governmental and individual level. “Be- rant in Wellington. The family is in the process of expanding their restaurant business to Gravenhurst. Greek government. “They give too much fore, people didn’t appreciate the things money out,” she says. “The government they had,” she says. “Some people save, but businesses of running restaurants and fix- or more.” gives $15,000 to people starting business- most Greeks didn’t.” ing engines. Maroulis says his family has ••• Yeotes talks about the first wave of im- es.” “I think it will take a lot for things to get “had a slowdown,” but says it’s nothing like migrants, which came after the Second She also emphasizes the lack of frugal- better,” says Kotsovos, “If they do.” the situation in Athens. When Bill Yeotes is not exercising at the World War, and predicts a second wave ity in Greek citizens. “In Greece, they’re His opinion on the Greek economy Belleville YMCA, he’s hanging out at his anytime now. “A lot of university graduates spending their money,” she says. “Here, we ••• mirrors the many reports in the media of daughter’s vintage clothing store. are leaving to go wherever they can make a save our money.” the Greek people’s mistrust of their gov- He says his family members have long living,” he says. “I’m sure Canada would be Argiris has a prudent financial mindset, Aristeidis Maroulis works in the restau- ernment. “The government should have been business people in the area, with a prime destination.” but feels guilty about what success she’s rant his family has owned for decades. His stepped up,” he says, “but they didn’t.” their Canadian roots reaching back 90 “I’ve been to Greece 10 times,” says achieved. “For me it’s very hard,” she says. parents have been in Canada for 32 years. While Maroulis doesn’t feel closely con- years. Yeotes. “It’s the cradle of western civiliza- “Even if I make a little bit of money, I feel He and his brother were born here. nected with Greece’s current situation, Yeotes has seen the area’s Greek com- tion, but it’s not rich in resources.” bad for them.” Maroulis’s family is from a small town it still hits home. “If Ontario continues munity grow. “When I was growing up, He thinks Greek bankruptcy is a viable “I live their problems,” she says. on the island of Kefalonia. Family mem- spending and doesn’t fix its deficit,” he pre- the Greek community was 12 families,” he option. “Iceland went bankrupt. Argentina “Things have changed. Our lives have bers of his who are still in Greece are in the dicts, “we’ll be like Europe.” says. “Now there might be 200 in the area, went bankrupt. It’s not unusual for coun- changed.” The Pioneer · February 23, 2012 · Page 3 E-cigs disaster Chickens get their day in court brings new Family challenges ‘If they didn’t want us to awareness local zoning laws have them they should by keeping livestock have told us right up No nicotine allowed By Cole Breiland front.’ in electronic smoking What was supposed to be a home school Kelly Bacher devices in Canada lesson in science and agriculture for then By Sharon Kallaste 12 year-old Kayla Bacher has become a Quinte West. lesson in local government. The report concluded by suggesting Her parents will go to court today to Tragic news south of the border has if there was support from council and challenge the charges that they had bro- sparked some new awareness on the the community, the municipality could ken local zoning bylaws by keeping live- devices here in Canada. implement a permit system with rules for stock. E-cigs are electronic smoking prod- number of chickens, coop size, and coop The couple’s pro bono legal represen- ucts—electric vapour cigarettes, cigars, placement. tative from the Canadian Constitution cigarillos and pipes. Those that contain However, the Trent Hills council decid- Foundation, Karen Selick, told media that nicotine are illegal here in Canada. ed to maintain the restrictions on agricul- they will be using a defence of officially While smoking an e-cigar on Feb. tural activities in urban residential areas induced error. 18, Tom Holloway, 57, of Niceville, during an Oct. 4, 2011, council meeting. When the Bachers got the chickens two Fla., lost several teeth, part of his The Bachers were not in attendance years ago, they thought they had done tongue and suffered facial burns when during that meeting, claiming that they their homework. the product exploded. The home office were not notified personally, though the Kelly Bacher said she went to the Trent he was working in at the time also re- municipality made a public announce- Hills municipal office to ask if it was pos- ceived minor fire damage from the bat- ment in newspapers of the issue. sible to keep chickens in the city, and was tery explosion of the e-cigar. According to the meeting minutes, given information on what animals could CSPnet.com and the Digital Journal four of seven members of council Bill be kept as pets. That information did not reported this week that the incident Thompson, Meirion Jones, Kim Mac- list chickens as prohibited. has raised suspicions about a possible Neil, deputy mayor Rosemary Kelleher- “If they didn’t want us to have them modification to the original manufac- MacLennan and Mayor Hector Macmil- they should have told us right up front,” tured product. lan spoke against revising the bylaw, all said Bacher. “I never would have gone E-cigarettes and other similar to- felt that chickens belonged outside urban through the trouble of doing it, that was bacco smoking simulating devices areas. money we had to pay for the hens; we are battery-operated. The filters can Ironically, the Bachers are taking care had to build the coops; we had to buy either contain a nicotine solution or of an extra chicken of unknown origin, their dishes, we’ve got to constantly feed a non-nicotine flavored liquid. A va- given to them by the municipality after them. por is produced and inhaled similar it was found roaming in Campbellford. “We wouldn’t have put that money out to that of a tobacco cigarette, cigar or They have to keep the hen in a separate if we thought there was a chance they pipe. indoor coop, because it does not get along would be taken away.” Like many other electronic devices, with the family’s other chickens, which They kept those chickens without and appliances, the end users can pur- have grown up together. complaint until they moved to their cur- chase aftermarket parts to ‘beef’ up the Since Oct. 4, 2011 meeting bylaw offi- rent Doxsee Street residence. In June, two performance making appliances work cers have inspected the property multiple months after they settled in the neigh- faster, give longer battery life, or pro- times, giving them revised deadlines. The bourhood, the municipality received a vide more power. Feb. 3, 2012 visit proved to be the munici- complaint. Olivia Caron is a media relations of- pality’s last. In response the family gathered a pe- ficer with Health Canada. As to why they did not get rid of the tition of almost 200 signatures to have “There are basically two categories chickens after any of those inspections the municipality look at changing the of the electronic smoking products, while continuing to try and change the bylaw. with nicotine and without nicotine. bylaw, Mrs. Bacher said it is “the principle The municipality commissioned a “Those with nicotine are illegal in of it, and the fact that after two years, you planning report from Clark Consulting Canada and those without are required are attached to them.” on the advantages and disadvantages of to have market authorization. To this She adds that “it’s like a dog. You feed allowing chickens to be kept in urban date, there have been no approvals and water and clean up after it every sin- spaces. Cole Breiland granted by Health Canada,” said Caron. gle day after two years. I never thought I The report looked at examples of other Twelve-year old Kayla Bacher feeds the family’s chickens in their winter coup In a backgrounder, Health Canada would say that about a chicken, but you municipalities, including the cities of in the backyard of their Campbellford home Feb. 20. The family’s first court advises Canadians “not to purchase or become attached to them, they become Guelph, Kingston, and Niagara Falls, as date to fight the charge of breaking the municipality’s zoning bylaws by use electronic smoking products, as part of your routine.” well as the neighbouring municipality of keeping the chickens took place today. these products may pose health risks and have not been evaluated for safety, quality and efficacy.” The product components fall under several governing authorities indicated Student government gets word out about elections in the backgrounder. “Nicotine is a drug subject to the different categories. On the college’s voting website, Deter- “I’m most looking forward to another Food and Drugs Act. The delivery sys- Students must Last year’s voter turnout was a mere ing writes that he feels that he could bring year with the student government. This tem component is a medical device eight percent, and in the hope of hav- more of himself into the role of president. past year, as Media Studies Leader has subject to the Medical Devices Regula- go online ing more people vote this year, Simpson “I feel it would be a valuable experience been fun and a learning experience for tions. to choose candidates says students have the opportunity to win for me,” he says. “I also feel very attached me about what the student government “Any electronic smoking product $500 by voting online. to this college and want to see it grow and actually does for students. I want to listen associated with nicotine or with thera- By Megan Voss Christopher Detering in broadcast en- succeed as much as possible.” to what the students have to say and help peutic claims falls under the Food and gineering has been acclaimed as student As president, his wish is for more class- make what they want, happen. Drugs Act and its regulations, and The Loyalist College Student Govern- president, since he was the only candi- room space. “Also, I don’t think people fully realize requires market authorization from ment is trying to get the word out about date. “Classrooms have been converted for what we do and that as a member of the Health Canada to be imported or sold elections as much as they can. “I don’t think anyone ran against me several different non-classroom uses and board we really can make change around in Canada.” “We’ve got flyers out as well as through because when you think about it the title it’s having an impact on the students and the college. I think most people think we To be granted market authorization the Facebook page, e-newsletters and our of ‘Student Government President’ can be scheduling,” he says. just organize pub, but there’s so much for an electronic cigarette product, a website: loyaliststudents.com,” says Nan- intimidating,” he says. He also hopes to work to lower cafete- more to it than that and that’s where I sponsor would have to submit scien- cy Simpson, returning officer. “Since most of our current board is ria prices, expand the cellphone extender think the reluctance to run comes from. tific evidence demonstrating the prod- To vote, students must go online to loy- leaving at the end of this year, someone program beyond the pub to other dead “I’d encourage anyone who wants to uct’s safety, efficacy and quality, the aliststudents.com, provide their date of with no experience on student govern- zones around the school and work to make change around the college, to make backgrounder states. birth and student number. Then, they can ment might be a little scared to take the make pub nights more enjoyable for ev- it a better environment for everyone, to Electronic smoking products with- select one out of two candidates in three big chair.” eryone. run in next year’s elections.” out nicotine or any other drug and without therapeutic claims are not subject to the Food and Drugs Act and its regulations. “We have only had a few general in- Participants eat it up at pancake event quiries about the e-cigarette, not much really,” said Crystal Roach, public health nurse, with Hastings and Prince Shrove Tuesday event Edward Counties Health Unit. Roach has worked for the unit for the past marks the beginning nine years. for 40 days of Lent “Belleville has the highest smoking rate in eastern Ontario. We are By Megan Voss in an area of available cheap cigarettes, as well as a social economic The atmosphere at St. Andrew’s Presbyte- stylus—low paying jobs, unemploy- rian Church was about as light and fluffy ment and a high senior population, as the pancakes they were making. which all contribute to this statistic,” Traditionally, Shrove Tuesday is the last said Roach. day before Christians begin Lent – the 40 The products without nicotine raise days before Easter, when some people do potential questions of being a possible not eat anything that comes from an ani- avenue for a smoking cessation aid, mal, such as meat, eggs and dairy. such as nicotine gum and the nicotine Pancakes, sausages and juice were be- patch. ing served at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian “We will not be promoting or gen- Church in Belleville on Feb. 21. erating any awareness about these Several people arrived early before the products unless expressed approvals event began, donning aprons and getting have been issued by Health Canada, of the run-down of what to do for the eve- which we have not heard anything to ning. While a few people stood at tables, date,” said Roach. flipping pancakes, many others were Local retailer Fast Freddy’s gas bar dishing up plates with sausage and pan- has chosen not to supply electronic cakes to serve to the people seated around smoking products. the tables set up in the church basement. “There has only been a few inqui- Peter McNaught was among those who ries here at Free Flow, and most likely were working at the griddles. He only at- the reason why our district manager tends the church occasionally, but happily Janet Hill made the decision not to agreed to help make pancakes for the eve- sell them,” said Karen Baptiste, site ning. manager at Lakeview Plaza in Shan- “Well, no pancakes came back!” he nonville. joked, after watching as a plate of sausages A sampling of five convenience and pancakes were successfully delivered stores in the Quinte area turned up not to an attendee. After fiddling around a single e-cigarette, with or without for a while with the amount of batter nicotine, for sale. It would seem some he poured onto the griddle, as well as local retailers are taking heed of Health the temperature, he was more confident Canada advisories and strict regula- about the pancakes being cooked all the tions. way through as time went on. Loyalist photojournalism student And although Janis Drummond, who Jeff Peters, 21, of Kingston, was given was selling cookies, is a regular attendee, a pack of U Smoke as a gift with an she doesn’t follow the traditions of Lent incentive to quit smoking. Peters has either. Like McNaught, she helps out at Photo by Megan Voss been smoking for six years. the pancake supper as more of an out- “They taste like raisins and when Peter McNaught pours pancake batter onto a griddle at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Belleville, Ont. on Feb. reach to the community. you drag, they burn and feel just like a 21. Although he is not a regular churchgoer, he enjoys helping out with various church activities and community Rev. Anne-Marie Jones was sporting real cigarette. an apron along with the rest of her vol- events. that could be a reason for the smaller “ I just don’t have the willpower to unteers. She was a bit concerned with the low- enjoy sausage and pancakes. Jones ex- amount of people attending this time quit. I guess until I smarten up or get “My job is to greet people as they come er turnout than last year, but was still in plained that not many churches follow around. sick with a tumour or something, I will in,” she said, relieved as a few more people good spirits. the tradition of not eating anything that A common theme for the evening was find my motivation, that’s the reality of trickled into the room. “There are about six or seven other comes from an animal for Lent. churches in the area,” she said, noting that it was simply a social gathering to “Catholics will, though,” she said. it,” said Peters. Page 4 · The Pioneer · February 23, 2012 Students test skills in competition Board and Limestone District School $2,000 scholarship Board. “This gives them the opportunity to to Loyalist College provide a competition to their students goes to winner locally, rather than having to take them By Melissa Murray to Kingston, which is problematic for schools as far as Cobourg or as far north as Bancroft.” While students are studying, travelling, Initially, the event was planned for and taking some time off from Loyalist about 75-80 students, but current regis- during reading break, area high school tration numbers suggest more than 100 students will labour in a full-day skills students could be attending. competition at the college. “We have had our challenges, but I Vince Kennelly, a grade 12 student at think at the end of the day, when we see St. Theresa’s Catholic Secondary School, the finished product on March 1, we will is one of the students taking part in the see how well it did come together and competition. Kennelly will be part of a how quickly it happened. four-person team in the carpentry com- “The intent here is we hope this be- petition. comes an annual event. So we are break- “My teacher wanted to put some people ing new ground. We are learning from it in the competition, so me and a couple of and it’s been great,” said Malloy. friends volunteered,” said Kennelly. While the event helps to bring students “I’m not really sure what to expect, but to Loyalist and acts as a practice for the I’ve been playing around with some proj- Ontario Skills competition, Malloy and ects to practice,” he said. skills competition co-ordinator Treena This is the first year the college has of- Ellis said they also hope to increase the fered the skills competition, which will confidence and skills for job training in take place Thursday, March 1. Grade 11 the competitors. and 12 students will compete in seven While the competition takes place different areas including architectural from 9-5 p.m., 95 per cent of the score is design, automotive, precision machin- tallied from the physical work being coming, aesthetics, welding and two or four- pleted and five per cent is calculated from person carpentry in the hopes of winning Photo by Melissa Murray an interview with industry professionals, up to a $2,000 scholarship to the college. Vince Kennelly cuts a piece of wood with a mitre saw in the construction lab at Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf said Ellis. The competition gives Loyalist the op- in Belleville, Ont. Kennelly is participating in the first Loyalist skills competition being held on March 1. He and his “They have to give us a resume and portunity to showcase the school and the friends volunteered to represent St. Theresa Catholic Secondary School in the four-person construction competition. they have to be prepared to answer cer- opportunity to have future students in the tain questions,” she said. building, said Tom Malloy, Dean for the lent resources we can provide,” he said. es, they were absolutely thrilled with the increased our capacity in the skills pro- “It’s good also, because there are so schools of skills training, access and con- The idea for the event was to create idea because currently, without Loyalist grams, so we are trying to increase the many students on a daily basis that don’t tinuing education. a regional example of the annual Skills having the competition, they were send- awareness of the facility and part of that talk to people -- they text people. We all “What we really tried to do was attract Canada competition, which happens in ing their students to Kingston to a region- is to increase the enrolment as well,” said do it, but certainly when you go in for students to the college to see and experi- Waterloo every year in May, said Malloy. al competition,” said Malloy. Malloy. an interview, you have to have the con- ence the facility. He first mentioned the idea last spring With the recent addition of a $16.6-mil- Students were hand-selected for the fidence and know what they are looking “From the college’s perspective, we are and worked with Trenval and the Eastern lion Skills Centre, including space for bio- competitions from their high schools for,” she said. really trying to promote the value of skills Ontario Training Board to get the project sciences and building sciences, the capac- within the Algonquin and Lakeshore “Some of these students in Grade 11 and selfishly, we want students to have the rolling. ity within the programs went up by 200 Catholic District School Board, Hastings or 12 have never had an interview, so it is experience of being in our facility, using “When I went to and met with the vari- students. and Prince Edward District School Board, good practice.” our equipment and looking at what excel- ous individuals at the school board offic- “The addition of the new skills centre Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Parrott Foundation Seven new programs donates to Pathways part of Loyalist plans By Sarah O. Swenson By Rachel Cohen Loyalist College will be offering seven new programs in Pathways to Independence has received a grant for $200,000 from in the upcoming school year, with the hopes of drawing the John M. & Bernice Parrott Foundation. The funds were do- in new students. nated to help the not-for-profit agency build a new fully acces- “We always try to offer new programming and phase out sible home in Belleville for adults living with a developed brain programming that isn’t responding,” said Bill Walsh, vice injury. president of enrollment management and student services. Pathways to Independence provide community based living One program that the college is particularly excited support to people with impairments in cognitive functioning. about is the sports and entertainment sales and market- “The support of the Parrott Foundation is critical to helping us ing, offered as a one-year post-graduate certificate. achieve our dream,” said Lorrie Heffernan, executive director of “We’ve had an amazing response from different major Pathways to Independence. league sports teams,” said Dan Holland, the dean of the The agency has a long-term plan to build fully accessible schools of business and management studies, biosciences, homes where needed, for people who have an acquired brain and centre for justice studies. He says that programs like injury. this are born out of gaps in post-secondary education where “Many of our clients are aging, and homes that were suitable there is job availability. many years ago, no longer meet their needs,” said Deborah Paus, “What they said to us was ‘it’s nice to have the face of the manager of human resources and administration of Pathways. ex-jock but that’s not the person that’s going to put bums “We are absolutely thrilled to have the support of the Parrott in seats or sell the advertising boards,’” explained Holland. Foundation who helped us renovate our facility back in 2007,” In addition to the new sports-centric course, the school said Paus. of business and management studies will be bringing back With the donation from the Parrott Foundation, the new a revamped two-year diploma in advertising and market- home will be built in Belleville, and is closer to the amenities ing communications. The previous advertising program of a larger, more urban environment. The people Pathways sup- was suspended for renewal and had its curriculum report who currently live in the Stirling area, will be able to access tooled to fit today’s industry standards. a greater range of community-based services, medical support “Each program has an advisory group made up of and leisure activities when they move into their new home later largely industry representatives and they advise us on the this year. direction the program should go in,” said Walsh. “There is “Without the support of the Parrott Foundation, our dream always a refreshing of the product.” would take us much longer to realize, and we are grateful to the In addition to the aforementioned programs, Loyalist Parrott Foundation for their generous support,” said Heffernan. will now be offering a three-year advanced diploma in According to Pathways, many people in the community who food science and technology and a one-year certificate have an acquired brain injury live with and depend upon the sup- in English for academic purposes. The school of media studies will also be adding two new programs: a one-year port of their families to meet their daily needs. By Liam Kavanagh-Bradette Marguerite Cooke, president of the John M. & Bernice Foun- post-graduate certificate in 3D video production and a dation wrote in a news release: “Each year, the Foundation re- Lowe’s is hosting it’s annual Muscular Dystrophy fundraiser, Buck 4 Luck, which three-year advanced diploma in graphic design. ceives many requests for support which fall within its mandate kicked off last Saturday. “So far we’ve reached about $400,” said Debbie Azzopar- Loyalist has also partnered with Trent University to of- which is to assist in improving the quality of life in the Quinte di. This fundraiser will be running till March 17, Saint Patrick’s Day. “We usually fer an advanced diploma in journalism (online, print and area. We are pleased to support Pathways to Independence in its average about $2,300 to $3,000, but this year our goal is to raise $5,000. We also broadcast), as well as a Trent joint-major honours (B.A. excellent work.” hold bake sales and other things, like employees pay $3 to wear casual clothes to or B.Sc.) degree in journalism and a discipline of their work,” explained Azzopardi. choosing. New basketball league a hit in Durham region ing and the overall in-game experience is League founded in 2011 great. You can’t beat the entertainment value that the league and Oshawa Power has seven teams provide to our fans.” across eastern Canada There are about 17 Canadians who play in the NBL. The Power has the most Canadians on their roster out of all six By Kayla Allen teams. The Power has four Canadian’s: Papa Oppong, Tut Ruach, Paul Campbell The Power is the new sporting hit in Dur- and Kevin Shand. ham Region. “There is an amazing amount of bas- The Oshawa Power is one of seven Na- ketball talent in Canada and it’s going to tional Basketball League teams in Can- be amazing for CIS/OCAA kids to real- ada. The other six teams are the Halifax ize their professional hoops dreams while Rainmen, London Lightning, Moncton playing professionally in their own coun- Miracles, Quebec Kebs, Saint John Mill try of Canada in front of their family and Rats and Summerside Storm. friends,” said Ebanks. The NBL is a professional men’s bas- Tut Ruach is one of the Power’s best ketball league that was founded in 2011. players. Ruach has played all 33 games Basketball is among the fastest growing with the Power during the first year of and most popular sports in Canada. More the NBL. The 6’2, 170-pound point guard than 600,000 Canadians 15 and up play from Toronto graduated from York Uni- the sport of basketball regularly. versity. Asked if he enjoys playing for the For a long time, Canada was the only Power, Tut said, “It’s been really fun. The country out of the top 30 basketball na- best part is being so close to my family tions in the world that didn’t have its own and friends.” professional basketball league, according Even though it’s the inaugural year for to the NBL. the NBL, the Power has had roughly 5,700 Drew Ebanks, vice president of Com- fans out to their Rogers Slam Dunk Day munications for the Oshawa Power, is very and Cure on the Court for breast cancer involved with getting the word out about awareness day at the GM Centre in Os- the Power in his community. Asked how hawa. Photo by Kayla Allen it makes him feel to be a part of a NBL Asked how Ruach thinks the NBL is Kevin Shand, number 52 and Rick Bodiford, number 23, both take off to block a shot taken by Julian Allen from team, Ebanks said “For me it’s a dream doing as a league in its first year, he said, the Summerside Storm. In only it’s first year of existence, the National Basketball League of Canada has experienced come true to be a part of the NBL Canada “I think the league is doing pretty well for enough success they have already announced an expansion initiative for the upcoming 2012-13 season. and Oshawa Power. I’ve said for years that its first year. There are some kinks that The Oshawa Power currently sits in 104.6 points against per game. Brandon Robinson is leading the Pow- there’s no reason Canada shouldn’t have I’m sure as time passes will be smoothed fifth place in the standings, only two Motivated to make the playoffs, the er with 19.46 points per game. Close be- its own professional basketball league and out. I think the league will continue to points behind the Saint John Mill Rats. Power have three away games remaining: hind is Omari Johnson with 17.76 points I am glad that it is finally here. grow and I believe it has a lot of room for The hard-working Power has 14 wins and two against the Saint John Mill Rats and per game and Morgan Lewis with 17.39 “The quality of play and talent is amaz- improvements as well.” 19 losses averaging 101 points for and one against Summerside Storm. points per game. Page 5 · The Pioneer · February 23, 2012

Playing with Pet Pals The relationship between a pet and its owner is timeless and universal. Whether it is a bearded dragon, a cat or dog, there is a unique, unspoken bond between the animal and human. For some people, having a pet runs in the family. Sometimes, having a certain kind of pet or breed of dog is important. And in other cases, having a name that stays in the family is also significant. Deanna Cole has had her German Shepherd, Ripper, for the past 11 years. Her husband wanted the dog and they found an ad in the paper and picked up the dog when he was five weeks old. “His grandfather had two Rippers, so this is the third in our family,” she says. The most rewarding part for most pet owners is the companionship. Jess Powell has two dogs – a seven-year-old chocolate lab and a five-year-old husky. He brings the dogs to the park almost every morning, and says it’s good for him and the dogs to get out of the house. On the way to the dog park, Powell drives by the Tim Hortons to get a coffee for himself and a couple of timbits for the dogs. Cliff Maclean has a two-year-old Alaskan Malamute named Nanuk. He also enjoys the friendship with his big dog. “They’re great companions and funny clowns,” he says. “One hundred pounds of Malamute on your bed in the morning is a very effective alarm clock.” For many pet owners, their animals are more than just their pets. They are their lifelong companions – someone who will always love them uncondition- ally. This is true for Jordan Buskard, the owner of a four-year-old pit-bull named Carter. “He’s with me through thick and thin.”

Story by Megan Voss

Top: Deanna Cole with German Sheperd Ripper, photo by Chloë Ellingson. Top left: Jenn Faulkner with German Pointer Hackett, photo by Sarah O. Swenson. Top right: Noah Widder with bearded dragons Mr. Big and Viola, photo by Brynn Campbell. Middle left: Julie Slaughter with cat Luther, photo by Cassandra Davidson. Middle right: Melanie Jardine with hound Max, photo by Stephanie James. Bottom right: Jordan Buskard with pit-bull cross Carter, photo by Dan Pearce. The Pioneer · February 23, 2012 · Page 6

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Photo by Sarah O. Swenson Loyalist’s Martine Gauvin removes her mouthgaurd to shout instructions to her teammates during Wednesday night’s basketball action against St. Lawrence Vikings. Gauvin led the team in minutes and scored 11 points. Turnovers contribute

to women’s final score Photo by Sarah O. Swenson Loyalist’s Damone Donaldson takes a shot during Wednesday night’s basketball action. Despite a strong fourth quarter, the Lancers fell to the Vikings 71-63. Donaldson played all 40 minutes and scored 9 points.

By Melissa Murray The men outscored the Vikings 26-14 “They brought intensity and pressure to Amber Burton, guard and forward Haley lost games at the beginning of the sea- in the fourth quarter, but they never got the game.” Sisler and guard and forward Sierra Cau- son. They underachieved and the players The third quarter decided the game for within six points of the Vikings to over- Turnovers were a huge contribu- ley. The ladies also used three-pointers know it,” said Whitfield. both Loyalist basketball teams last night. come the 20-pont lead by St. Lawrence tor to the final score. The Lady Lancers to their advantage banking seven three- “No coach is happy when their team After 30 minutes of play, the men’s College after the third quarter. The Vi- snatched 31 turnovers while the St. Law- pointers, while their competition scored underachieves. It’s disappointing, but loss and women’s win were almost sealed kings still won 71-63 guaranteeing them rence Vikings only produced seven points four. they are a team of great guys.” during the Lancers’ final regular season a home play off game. off of stolen chances. The ladies end their season in fourth Patrick Kalala, Matt Miller and Calvin basketball games against St. Lawrence “The fourth quarter was phenom- “The morale has been really decent place in the east division of the OCAA. Chevannes contributed 44 of the 63 bas- College. enal,” said the men’s head coach Richard all year,” said Eligh. “They are a positive The Lady Lancers host the fifth place kets made and Kalala and Damone Don- The women played with intensity lead- Whitfield. “They played a more physical group and a good group.” Niagara knights in their first play-off aldson played the entire 40-minute game. ing the entire game and finishing strong game than us. They played a full 40 min- Eligh said he believes if the team keeps game on Saturday. The status of the men’s team next year against the St. Lawrence College Vikings, utes of basketball and we only played a their consistency, their intensity and their The men’s team saw their chance at is still up in the air as up to five players with a final score of 75-48. good 10.” communication open, they’ll thrive dur- entering the playoffs slip away after their could be leaving Loyalist this year, said “We wanted to finish them in the third,” Eligh said he felt it was the women’s in- ing the playoffs. “They’ll also need to fin- loss to Centennial this past weekend. This Whitfield. said the women’s head coach Chris Eligh. tensity that won them the game. ish their lay-ups,” he added. loss was just as disappointing. With the loss, the men finished ninth And they did with a lead of 24 points. “They played hard basketball,” he said. Top scorers for the ladies were guard “The morale is the same as when we in the East Division. Best Eastern Ontario figure skaters visit Belleville this weekend By Dan Pearce tional Championship from Feb. 24-26. TFSC coach Ida Klemencic said the girls these girls. It’s what they’ve been working qualifier for these girls, but in years to Figure skaters from Whitby to Ottawa are between 10 and 12 years old, and each towards the whole season,” said Klemen- come, they’ll be able to qualify and com- Spins, jumps and intricate footwork will will compete in the annual competition. has been figure skating for around five cic. “This is the biggest competition that pete at the all-Ontario level. be on display by some of the best figure Lauren McLean, Emily Seigner, Rena- years. Seigner is competing in the cham- they compete in at this level.” “Everyone’s been working really hard skaters in eastern Ontario this weekend. da Barnable and Maddie Callaghan of the pionship for the second time. For the rest Klemencic has been coaching figure skat- to get ready for this competition,” she The Yardmen Arena in Belleville will play Trenton Figure Skating Club, or TFSC, of the girls, it’s a brand new experience. ing for 24 years in Frankford and Trenton. said. “Ultimately that’s what they want to host the Eastern Ontario STARSkate Invita- will all be competing. “This is the biggest competition for She said, for now, this is the largest do, qualify for all-Ontario.” First playoff game doesn’t go well for Hawks Series now at 1-0 after overtime loss to Kingston Voyageurs By Dan Pearce

The Voyageurs ventured to Trenton and emerged victorious from Community Gardens on Tuesday night. The Golden Hawks weren’t so golden. The Hawks got off to a bad start in their first playoff game of the season against the Kingston Kimco Voyageurs with a 1-0 overtime loss. The series is now at 1-0 for the Voyageurs. It was a battle between two goalies as the game was scoreless after three periods. Despite an onslaught of offensive pressure from the Hawks — they outshot the Voyageurs 48-37 — Voyageurs goalie Charlie Finn came out on top, saving ev- erything the Hawks threw at him. “We have a young team with a quiet confidence, and we believe in our goal- tender,” said Kingston head coach Co- lin Birkas. “Finn has been doing a great job for us in the playoffs. You can’t say enough about him.” Finn, who got his second shutout of the playoffs with an impressive 48 saves, received a much-deserved first star, while Hawks netminder Spencer Finney received the second star with 36 saves. “It was all we could handle,” said Bir- kas. “It’s definitely a tall order for anyone in the league to go up against the larger and older Trenton team.” The Hawks had plenty of opportunities and lots of close calls, but couldn’t find a way to get the puck by Finn. “It’s pretty simple, if you don’t put the puck in the back of the net, you don’t de- serve to win,” said Trenton coach Jerome Dupont. Photo by Marta Iwanek A penalty early in the overtime period Kingston Voyageurs goalie Charlie Finn stops a shot on net from Trenton Golden Hawks forward Andrew Parks on Tuesday night at the Community Gardens in may be what led to the Vees victory. Trenton. The Kingston Voyageurs won 1-0 in overtime. Finn left his crease to retrieve a loose puck and Trenton’s Krystain Yorke made McParland to give the Vees the win. Wil- regular season, including the Hawks’ last first playoff round. Friday at 7:30 p.m. to continue their best- a break to challenge him for it. Finn fell helm received the third star for getting game less than two weeks ago. The Hawks, who finished the regular of-seven playoff series. to the ice and York was given a slashing the OT game winner. The Vees were also playing their third season first in the Eastern division, re- Dupont said Trenton’s strategy head- penalty, giving the Vees a man advantage. It was a surprising win for the Vees, road game in three days after defeating the ceived a first round bye. ing into Thursday’s game is to “play good Less than a minute later Kyle Wilhelm who failed to win any of the six games defending Ontario Junior Hockey League The teams meet again in Kingston on defensive hockey, like we did last night shelved a one-timer pass from Steve they played against the Hawks during the champions, the Wellington Dukes, in the Thursday at 7 p.m., and in Trenton on (Tuesday).” Page 5 · The Pioneer · February 23, 2012

On the street Canada: America’s favourite child Photojournalism By Liam Kavanagh-Bradette Press story, written by Lee-Anne Good- student Liam man, which is full of pride and bluster at Kavanagh- Canadians are feeling the love from south being America’s favourite. of the border. Why do we act like being liked by the Bradette visited A Gallup survey released Feb 16 shows U.S. is some lofty goal? That earning the New York City on that the average American has a more approval and a metaphysical pat on the favorable view of Canada since this time head by the U.S. is something that should the weekend and last year. be trumpeted by the Canadian media? We are now sitting at a 96 per cent ap- I just spent the weekend in New York. asked people: proval rating, the highest ranking any They’re sure nice and had nothing negative Dionysus René Berkowitz, Anastasia Stekes, Ricky Sarkar, “The country has ever been rated in the 20 to say about us, but neither did they have What does Potamoskulos, “I like “I loved it, the food “My husband’s from only thing I know years that Gallup has been conducting anything particularly smart or deep to say. Canadian bacon, but wasn’t so good. The Flin Flon, Manitoba. I about Canada is these surveys. I guess I should have expected all this Canada mean to I heard it’s not what croissants were awful, want to move there.” they’ve got some The Toronto Star, Canadian Broad- crowing, but it’s still depressing how ea- you? we have here, what’s they were like hockey really nice waterfalls.” casting Corporation, and Hamilton ger we are as a nation to earn our neigh- peameal?” pucks.” Spectator have all run the same Canadian bour’s approval. Editorial Isn’t pedophilia more damaging than smoking pot? Apparently the Tories don’t want anything to be safe in Canada, not marijuana and not children either. According to the backgrounder for the Safe Streets and Communities Act, the short title for the Omnibus Crime Bill, posted on the Canadian Department of Justice website, someone who is caught growing 201 pot plants in a rental unit would receive a longer mandatory sentence than someone who rapes a toddler or forces a five-year-old to have sex with an animal. Wow, can that even be digested? Christina Barriage, a Loyalist College community and justice services program student, weighed in. “Pedophilia does more long-term damage to our society than people smoking pot ever will.” It would seem that the Tory government wants to spend billions of dollars a year on people who like to smoke dope, listen to music and eat brownies. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, while on the campaign trail in April, repeatedly promised to get tough on sexual offences against children. So how is it that the penalties for some pot-growing offences could exceed those of sexual crimes against children? In his Speech from the Throne, at the opening of the 41st Parliament, David Johnston, the Governor General of Canada, included the follow- ing comments: “Our government will move quickly to reintroduce comprehensive law-and-order legislation to combat crime and terrorism. These mea- sures will protect children from sex offenders.” So, flash forward to Feb. 17, 2012. Riding on the coattails of The Protecting Children from Sexual Predators Act, the Omnibus Bill has been pushed through all readings of the house and now sits with the Commons Justice Committee, which consists primarily of Conservative members. Irene Mathyssen, Member of Parliament for London-Fanshawe, asked why there was only three hours of debate allotted to a third reading of the bill. She also wondered why the government refused to send the Opinion section of the bill that deals with child sexual assault separately, so that it might have speedy passage. The Safe Streets and Communities Act’s aim, (the short title for Bill C-10), as Justice Minister Rob Nicholson described during debate at second reading, is to “….. target sexual offences against children and seri- What are these women thinking? ous drug offences, as well as prevent the use of conditional sentences for serious violent and property crimes; increase offender accountability, Female fans tweet were expressing their love for Chris by tweet- girls that the rest of the population is worried eliminate pardons for serious crimes and strengthen the international ing things such as: about. transfer of offenders regime; wbetter protect Canadians from violent disturbing comments “Everyone shut up about Chris Brown being It makes you wonder how corrupted girls young offenders…..” with expressions of love a woman beater…Shiiiittt he can beat me up and women from 13-30 are and how they view Although the disparity between the minimum sentencing require- all night if he wants.” @_anniegregg, or “Dude, themselves. Part of me wants to believe they ments of Bill C-10 are in the forefront, let’s be clear that these are actually towards Chris Brown Chris brown can punch me in the face as much just don’t realize the power of the statements two completely different issues before us. as he wants to, just as long as he kisses it (:” @ they are making. By Kelly Michelle Gagné According to the Canadian Addiction Survey, 13.9 per cent of Cana- KaylaMarieWatts. My biggest issue right now is the effect dians have used cannabis in the past year. I’m sure victims of assault everywhere ap- those tweets will have on women and even The National Clearing House on Family Violence states that one in “You can punch me in the face, as long as you prove of this kind of talk. Nothing says you men, on how they view assault and abuse. every three women and one in every six men will be sexually assaulted kiss me afterwards.” respect yourself as a woman more than by It makes you wonder what these girls really before the age of 18. Any chance you’re still able to hear Chris completely degrading years of the struggle for think of themselves and how they view as- Both of these facts are from verifiable sources, but only one of them Brown’s name without cringing? women’s rights in a single tweet. sault. Were you one of the many who was watch- These female Chris Brown fans really stirred At the end of the day, we need to really has the ability to turn your stomach, turn the tide on the life of a child th and therefore the future of a country. ing the 54 annual Grammy awards last week? the pot and have had their tweets posted on take into account that celebrities are people The degree of both public and political rhetoric on the subject of this Maybe you weren’t watching, but you defi- websites everywhere from “25 extremely up- as well. Just because they are famous does bill is multi-faceted. However, the fact remains that the claims made by nitely were up-to-date with updates every two setting reactions to Chris Brown at the Gram- not mean they are some kind of superhu- the prime minister, governor general, and justice minister don’t actually minutes thanks to Twitter and Facebook. mys” to news and magazine articles, and you man. match the contents of the bill that has been pushed through. I know the feeling. My Twitter feed was an name it. They still can be capable of good and evil ac- So what’s the bottom line? First, get tough on pedophiles. explosion of tweets about who wore what best, But the ultimate question is whether fans tions and these girls and women need to really Second, putting marijuana offenders in jail will do nothing for the the recent and tragic death of Whitney Hous- and observers can separate the artist from the find a way to grow up and to stop obsessing ton, who-should-have-won-what Grammy, music. Should they? over these celebrity icons. problem, will cost a lot of money, and may even make things worse. th Sherry Tompkins and then came the Chris Brown tweets, which Many people have at least some common Now aren’t we all just excited for the 55 An- trended for a week. sense and respect Brown as an artist, but real- nual Grammy Award shows and what they will Talk about an explosion of controversy right ize he has made mistakes and that he needs to bring? Get ready, your Twitter and Facebook Wi-Fi gets attention after he accepted his Grammy. Female fans grow up and get help. It’s just the brainwashed feeds are going to be hurtin’. as new cancer cause Students facing ‘crunch time’ in their lives It seems as soon as people catch onto a craze, it’s found to cause cancer. of wakefulness – 7 a.m. to midnight – could assignments are going to take longer than an Smoking. A social activity that has been around for hundreds of years. Deadlines result lead to a brain functioning as if you’d con- hour or two, more than one night in front of Don’t light up anymore, it causes cancer. sumed two glasses of wine or a blood alcohol a computer. For group assignments, co-ordi- Lying on the beach is the favourite pastime of summer vacationers, in pushing the limits level of 0.05 percent. The legal limit to operate nating between everyone can be a nightmare. but slap on that sunscreen and grab that hat and umbrella because too to get ready for workforce a vehicle in Ontario is 0.08 percent. Either way, there’s always something else you much sun exposure causes cancer. By Jessica Corriveau Getting up at 7 a.m. and going to bed should be doing and someone else who needs As sun exposure is a factor for skin cancer, people switched to indoor at midnight seems pretty reasonable, even your attention. tanning to achieve their glow. Nope, that causes cancer too. College students are no strangers to all-night- conservative, when you factor in a full day Maybe it’s a matter of extending the pro- And now Wi-Fi has been added to the long, growing list of cancer- ers. in class, then a night of homework, with a grams, tacking on another year to spread causing activities. Sometimes it’s because we’re making time part-time job thrown in, and some time for things out. The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association, or OECTA, is to see our friends. Sometimes it’s because a yourself or for friends, so you don’t lose it and Maybe it’s simply re-evaluating the sheer urging schools to stop putting Wi-Fi in their buildings, saying that more project just isn’t coming together and there’s burn out. number of assignments and how much prac- research needs to be done on the effects of Wi-Fi on children before no time left. But is pushing it really worth it? Should we tice we really need before we get the concept. installation. Whether it’s at home or at school, staying be burning the candle at both ends in an effort Maybe it’s simply a matter of keeping our noses Last May, the World Health Organization called for more research to up all night to meet a deadline isn’t an uncom- to learn it all now and get out into the work- to the grindstone and using our smartphones be conducted on the potential dangers of Wi-Fi, as radiation from any mon practice during ‘crunch time,’ when every force? How much good is this way of life really to stay on top of it all. wireless device could be cancer-causing. single assignment you have seems to be due the doing us? Graduating with our sanity is a challenge, Because children’s brains are smaller than adults, the radiation affects next day. Intensive programs are just that – intensive. but hey, we’re preparing to conquer the world, them more. A child’s brain also contains more water, which allows elec- A recent BBC article revealed that 17 hours New deadlines are coming up every day and right? tromagnetic radiation to be conducted faster and stronger. Some parents of children attending schools with Wi-Fi in Ontario claim their children are suffering from symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, vertigo, racing heart, memory loss and skin rash. The Pioneer is currently produced by photojournalism students for Loyalist OECTA brought to public attention that no long-term studies have College and the surrounding area. In the spirit of the pioneers who settled our been conducted on the health impacts of Wi-Fi on children and that “no community and who were rooted in tradition, these pioneers always had an eye form of radiation can be deemed ‘safe’ as it depends on the constitution on the future. Our students strive to serve the public interest, seek the truth and of the individual exposed.” uphold the highest standards of our profession. Cellphones were added to the list of potential cancer-causing devices a couple years ago, which have up to 2.4 ghz frequency. Wi-Fi can have up Editor, Sherry Tompkins The Pioneer welcomes your letters and comments. Please send to 6 ghz frequency. Now many cells are made to be Wi-Fi capable as well. Photo editor, Rebecca Rempel material to the editor at the address below before Wednesday. The Wi-Fi craze is sweeping the nation with no end in site. People are In Focus editor, Jessica Corriveau We reserve the right to edit submissions for content and length. All letters must be signed and include a daytime phone number. Ontario able to get a wireless signal on buses, trains, restaurants, stores and even Faculty advisers: Patti Gower, Luke Hendry, while in parks. For advertising information, rates and placement, please Community Can Wi-Fi now be added to the growing list of cancer-causing activi- Frank O’Connor, Scott Whalen contact Sandi Hibbard-Ramsay, at the college, 613-969-1913, Newspapers ties that people know about but seem to ignore? What has to happen for Managing editor, Mike Beaudin ext. 2591; by cell at 613-848-5665; or at home, 613-965-6222. Association people to seek a healthy life and avoid known carcinogens? Publisher, Jane Harrison Pioneer newsroom, 1N9, Loyalist College, Box 4200, Belleville, Or will we all continue to suffer from the ‘superman’ syndrome, and ON K8N 5B9 · 613-969-1913, ext. 2828. believe we are invincible until proven otherwise? Email: [email protected] Rebecca Rempel