BOOK BEAT THE DECK AND NOW! FENCE SEASON RUSH Vol 23 | Issue 30 Call: 226•220•1196 | www.martinandmousso.ca LIVING HERE He's now promoting good health in the townships People. Places. Pictures. Profiles. Perspectives. PAGE 21 FRI. SAT. SUN. VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 03 CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITIES. -6 1 -4 -8 -5 -11 JANUARY 16, 2020 WOOLWICH BUDGET Woolwich looks to add green projects as part of climate action plan BY STEVE KANON [email protected] Planting trees remains Wool- wich’s priority in rolling out a 0.5 per cent greening levy on prop- erty taxes again this year. How much more the township will do to reach its goal of reducing car- bon output by 20 per cent in the next decade remains up in the air. Councillors meeting Tuesday night seem divided on efficacy of the likes of solar panels and switching over to electric vehi- cles. Director of recreation and com- munity services Ann McArthur proposed a number of options, all currently unfunded, to augment The tremendous amount of rain that fell on semi-frozen ground turned farmland into ponds over the weekend, as is the case with this area on Lobsinger Line in St. Clements. VERONICA REINER the township’s climate action plan. The list includes a solar wall to help heat the pool at the Wool- Record rainfall in the region wich Memorial Centre ($50,000), $100,000 for water conservation Watershed sees 100mm, but few flooding incidents in Woolwich and Wellesley townships projects and motion sensors on light switches ($10,000). BY VERONICA REINER Warning Zone Level 3, said fire [flooded]; we had a lot of water town throughout the weekend. In There’s no money earmarked [email protected] chief Dale Martin. Any higher on property,” noted Martin. “It addition, the low-level bridge on for such projects, meaning a would have resulted in flooded was very, very close ... we were Three Bridges Road saw nearly further tax hike – the current pro- Unusual winter weather walloped homes. watching that. At about 4:30 four feet of water over the top posal is for five per cent in 2020 – local areas as well as Waterloo Portions of the watershed saw [Sunday] morning, we noticed and remained closed well into or finding places to cut elsewhere Region this past weekend, with an upwards of 100 mm of rain. that it was starting to recede a bit the week. would be necessary to proceed record levels of rainfall across the Martin and Woolwich Township ... then we decided to maybe go Other local road closures that with some of them. Grand River watershed. flood coordinators were out until and get some sleep. We were very have since reopened included That would be in addition to Flows in the Grand River run- the early morning hours monitor- fortunate.” Glasgow Street and Misty River the current green levy, which at ning through West Montrose ing conditions. He added there were several Drive in Conestogo. Chalmers CLIMATE | 04 reached the lower threshold of “We had no homes directly cases of sump pump failures in FLOODING | 05 Fully equipped to take on more adventures this season. - Symmetrical Full-Time All-Wheel Drive - Class-leading safety features - Amazing fuel effi ciency - Generous cargo capacity Limited-time offers. MSRP of ($28,695/$30,695) on the 2020 Forester CVT (LJ 225)/2020 Outback Convenience Package (LD 2CP). *Advertised pricing consists of MSRP plus ($1,725/$1,800) freight and PDI, $249 Admin, $100 Air tax, $10 OMVIC, $20 Tire Levy Freight/PDI charge includes a full tank of gas. 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See your local Subaru dealer or visit www.ontario.subarudealer.ca for complete program details. 02 | COMMUNITY NEWS THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020 ADVERTORIAL Rigarus Construction held their 20th Anniversary party at St. George’s Hall on January 4, 2020 with 91 guests in attendance. There was a formal dinner, employee appreciation gifts awarded to 5 and 10 year employees. A dance followed. Rigarus Celebrates 20 Years in Business igarus Construction moved to a new facility in facets of the communica- hands and crew. These are Inc. wishes to express 2010 that houses our office tions industry. Our mission is the people that make things Rour sincere apprecia- and handles an increasing to provide exceptional and happen; they have worked tion to our employees and amount of fabrication; we reliable service throughout faithfully for many years, customers for their loyal presently have a fully cer- the conception, construc- some for over half the com- support as we celebrate our tified CWB welding metal tion, and service of all proj- pany’s lifetime, watching twentieth year in business. shop and can manufacture ects. No matter the location it grow into a force to be When our company was on-demand integral compo- or environment, we strive to reckoned with. The greatest founded in 1999, we could nents for towers. fulfill our customers’ most gift to us is the knowledge hardly foresee our growth In line with solidifying our demanding deadlines and that Rigarus is a great place to a staff of more than forty. commitment to growing the project specifications. to work and family to be part We could not have come telecommunications indus- From our humble begin- of; long-term employees and this far without the hard try in Canada, we are proud nings in 1999, Rigarus Con- employees that return to us work and dedication of to announce our company’s struction Inc. now boasts are an honour and an ac- each member of the Rigarus election to the Structures, seven crews, an impressive knowledgement of this gift. team. Towers & Antennas Council fleet of trucks, and prov- There is not much we have Rigarus Construction Inc. is of Canada (STAC) Steer- en success in challenging not done, not much we can- 100% Canadian-owned and ing Committee. Moreover, conditions that make our not do. And because of them operated locally in Elmira, we remain focused on our company the installer of and their faith in each other, Ontario. We build and main- community by utilizing local choice for some of Canada’s we are able to push forward tain the towers that permit suppliers and sponsoring biggest, most demanding and get the job done. consumers to use the latest local charities. clients. As an established We have evolved and wireless communication The Rigarus Construction company, Rigarus has devel- grown this outfit next door technologies, allow search team is committed to pro- oped a culture that values its to some pretty heavy, world- and rescue operations to viding turnkey solutions, key personnel, and we want wide competition, proving, stay in touch with command while adhering to the high- to acknowledge that it takes “There’s No Such Thing as centres, and enable insti- est quality standards. Our a team of talented people to Can’t!”. We sincerely value tutions to collect environ- highly qualified field tech- grow a successful business. the contributions of our mental data for scientific nicians and personnel have We need to thank all of dedicated staff members research. worked with all types of our staff from supervisors, and look forward to the next To meet the needs of our tower installations and have project coordinators, finance twenty years of business in impressive client list, Rigarus extensive training in many and admin, foremen, lead this community. RIGARUS CONSTRUCTION INC 284 Union St., Elmira | 519.669.5040 www.rigarus.com OBSERVERXTRA.COM | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020 | 03 HOUSING PRICES UP FROM THE ARCHIVES There were 5,925 residential homes sold through the Yvonne Martin, 67, was the first confirmed Canadian MLS System of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association casualty of a category 7 earthquake that devastated Creating community connections of Realtors in 2019, an increase of 1.6% compared Haiti on Jan.