Spring seat belt campaign results

At last count, Peggy Williams has finished and sent 6,458 bears to children (and some adults) who truly need them. 

Now 88 years old, Williams says, “There have been many children who have been comforted by these little bears. I have even heard that CHEO sent some of them to a home for adults suffering from Alzheimer’s disease: they loved them. About four years ago, I sent 100 bears to babies in an orphanage in Chernobyl. Helping others, well, it just makes you feel good.”

Each of Williams’ small bears is lovingly made by hand in bright colours, soft and huggable. Since 2001 she has been sending bundles of them off to CHEO in Ottawa.

“CHEO sometimes calls them ‘pocket pals’, although I tend to think of them all as bears,” Peggy laughs. 

“They can go with a small patient into X-Ray units, with them for CT Scans. They are easily sterilized, so there really is nowhere in the hospital they can’t go. One of these bears is a friend for a child (even a child in his or her teens) to hold.”

Assisted by her daughter Dorothy Williams (“Peggy is the knitter. I cannot knit. I handle the stuffing and the bears’ faces,” Dorothy laughs), Peggy can make as many as five bears a day.

“But the creation of a personality for each bear takes a little longer.”

Dorothy says that her mother has always been a volunteer. 

Originally the family operated Ottawa Valley Ceramics in Kars. Despite the demands of  helping to run the business, Peggy continued to find ways to help her community. 

She personally knitted 600 outfits for ‘preemies’ prior to 2001. Along with creating her bears, last year she also began crocheting afghans for CHEO. “They help to warm people in their beds, or when they are in wheelchairs. I make sure the afghans are bright and cheerful.”

When they lived in Manotick, CJOH learned about the Williams ladies’ efforts. Max Keeping ran a story about their work at CHEO on the television news. 

In 2010, Peggy moved to Iroquois.

“I love it here. I wanted a place where I could see things going on. From my living room I can watch the river, the roads, the planes landing and I can still keep right on making my bears.”

In all the years that Peggy and Dorothy Williams have been making bears, only twice have they received any actual financial help to defray the costs of materials. They accept and collect yarn and material from friends and neighbours. They are very grateful when people make donations of knitting and crocheting material to them. 

In the meantime, the Williams’ bears are off on a new journey. 

Pictured above, in the centre, is Diane Orlicky, who is taking 110 of the bears to the 2012 South Dundas Christmas Exchange. Left is Peggy Williams, right, her daughter, Dorothy.

“I plan to keep on working on this as long as I can,” Dorothy Williams said.  

[…]

 

WILLIAMSBURG – The rain held off and 10 teams held on here Saturday to raise $5,045 for the Dundas County District Chapter of Easter Seals Ontario. That brings the 12 year total of the Brian and Tracey Shaver organized ball hockey tournament to over $40,000, an amount the Shavers and all of the ball hockey players are very proud of.

This year’s double knock out event attracted 10 teams, down one from last year’s record 11 teams.

For the third consecutive year, it was the James Morrell entry finishing as the champs. Playing for the Morrell team were Kelly Morrell, Laura MacDonnell, Lindsay Waddell, Dave Summers, Greg Millard, James Morrell, Adrian Glauser, Daniel Glauser and Colin Moran (goalie).

For this year’s win, the Morrells knocked off Team Francis which included Andrea Francis, Scott Francis, Jamie Francis, Adam Schofield, Chelsea Seguin, Debby Berwick-Seguin, Will Mclean and Paul Flaro.

Money is raised for Easter Seals through pledges, with each player asked to collect a minimum $25 in pledges. Getting the most pledges this year was Jason Rooney at $475.

The Dundas County Chapter of Easter Seals assists children living in Dundas County with physical disabilities.

The Chapter counts annually on three major fundraisers, the ball hockey tournament, Snowarama and a blooperball tournament along with the annual Easter Seals Paper Egg Campaign.

The Dundas Chapter now consists of just four committee members and it assists 14 children living in Dundas County.

“We need this [successful ball hockey tournament] because we are down in events, and we are a small committee,” said secretary Harriet Clarke. “As always the community has been very generous with our prizes today and Brian and Tracey [Shaver] do a wonderful job. It is a lot of work. Brian and Tracey do this out of the goodness of their heart. They deserve the credit and a huge pat on the back.”

According to Chapter Chair, Ian MacLaughlin, the group is looking for volunteers. “This would allow us to diversify and to take on more activities.”

“We would like to make more people in the Dundas County Community aware of us and what we do. We would also like to reach out to the parents out there who don’t know they can access us.

To find out more about the District Council for Easter Seals, local residents can contact any member of the committee. In addition to MacLaughlin and Clarke, they include Bob Ruddock and Deanna MacKillican.

[…]

 “I have worked really hard over the last four years to earn this position,” said Evonne Delegarde, who was at the Iroquois Legion when she learned that the people of South Dundas elected her mayor of South Dundas, and the first female mayor of this municipality.

Around 8 p.m., a crowd of about 60, including most of the South Dundas municipal election candidates had gathered at the South Dundas Municipal centre in council chambers to await the results of the 2014 election.

There they waited, and waited, and the crowd dwindled to about a dozen, when the clerk finally read the results at 11:20 p.m.

Archie Mellan, Bill Ewing and Marc St. Pierre were among those who stayed at SDMC to hear the results. Once the results were announced the men who where elected councillor received congratulations from defeated mayor Steven Byvelds and defeated councillor Jim Graham.

St. Pierre, led the polls for the councillor seats with 2104 votes.

“My feeling is one of excitement,” said St. Pierre, and, “I’m a little tired,” he said of the unexpectedly long wait for results.

“The last few weeks have been great, and the next four years will be a good adventure,” said the first time councillor, who lives in Mariatown.  “We do have some issues to deal with, and I’m confident that those elected can deal with them.”

“It’s time for change,” said Bill Ewing. “We should have a good crew here, so let’s get at it.” Ewing lives in Iroquois, and has previously served as a member of South Dundas council when the ward system was still in place. He represented the Iroquois ward. Ewing received 1,813 votes in Monday’s election.

Archie Mellan was re-elected as councillor. “It was a tight race,” he said, looking at numbers between he and fourth place finisher Jim Mills. Mellan received 1,328 votes, only 15 more than Mills. Mellan is from Hulbert.

“It’s looking like I will be back, and I’m looking forward to another challenging and exciting four years,” said Mellan. “I’m sad to see Steven and Jim go,” said Mellan of Byvelds and Graham, both of whom have served two terms on South Dundas council. “They were both extremely hard-working and dedicated individuals. Losing them will be a loss for South Dundas, but the slack will be picked up by our new members.”

At the Iroquois Legion, Delegarde offered congratulations to all those elected and “kudos” to all the candidates.

“I am really pleased with the results,” she said. “Thanks to everyone who supported me.”

Of being elected the first female mayor of South Dundas, she said, “I hadn’t really thought of that, it certainly breaks with tradition, so I thank the people for the confidence they have in me.”

Delegarde is very excited that she will now be part of the SDG Counties council, and she will look to re-elected deputy mayor Jim Locke for his knowledge of counties and issues and procedures to guide her into the new venture.

Leading up to election day, Delegarde said she had a very positive feeling. From the verbal support she had been receiving she felt like she would win. “I didn’t think it would be by that much,” she said. She figured that she would win, expecting a 60:40 split. When the  numbers finally came in, it was a 67:33 split, in her favour. Delegarde received 2,807 votes compared to Byvelds’ 1,388.

“I’m not surprised by the result,” said Jim Locke, who was re-elected to the deputy mayor’s seat with 1,900 voted compared to the 1,344 votes that Del Jones received.

“I thought the mayor’s race would be close. Evonne worked hard at it, and the people have spoken,” said Locke, who lives in Iroquois. “I look forward to working with her and the new council.”

As for his own win Locke said that he didn’t really work hard at campaigning. “I just let it be, and left it up to the people to decide.”

Of the 8,380 electors in South Dundas, 4,265 voted – a 51 per cent voter turnout. That’s down from the last election which saw a 53 per cent turnout, which was down from the 2006 election when 59 per cent exercised their right to vote.

In this election, 2,255 electors chose to vote by internet, 1,053 in person at the South Dundas Municipal Centre in Morrisburg and 957 by phone.

[…]