Editorial: Affordability hits home

July 18, 2019 Editor Opinion

Housing affordability has become an important issue impacting citizens living here, and those who might wish to move to South Dundas. For the past two years, the cost of home ownership in South Dundas has become more expensive, strongly outpacing wage and job growth for the area. Even as a bedroom community for commuters, affordability and supply in South Dundas are lacking.

This mirrors what neighbouring communities are reporting as well. Recently the City of Cornwall identified housing availability and high price as hindrances in growing that community. Any type of home availability plus the rising cost of rental housing adds to this issue.

According to Statistics Canada in 2016, 47 per cent of tenants in Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry spend more than 30 per cent of their monthly income on rent. Add in the high cost of utilities in rural areas, and an ever-increasing affordability gap for renters is evident.

Compounding matters is the lack of actual rental units. The last major incentive program encouraging construction of rental housing was in the 1980’s. Thirty-plus years later, those original units are in need of renovation: but there is little incentive for property owners to do so. Changes over the years have made it difficult for property owners to see any return on investment for units they own.

Incentives from the federal and provincial governments have been meagre at best. The latest says that Ontario will now exempt new rental housing construction from rent control rules. That will do nothing to solve the problem of affordability.

Adding houses to the ownership market is relatively simple: build more houses. The new subdivision west of Morrisburg will assist in that effort. However more housing stock will not easily translate into adding more rental units. That problem requires solutions. Certainly a better scheme for creating more affordable rental units is needed.

Tie residential development agreements to a plan that also includes lower cost housing and rental units similar to arrangements in Ottawa or Kingston. Attract more good paying jobs to the community through commercial and industrial growth. Jobs that pay more than the minimum wage will increase the spending power of those working in South Dundas. Affordable housing is a vital component in the long-term success of any community. We need to offer people opportunities that help keep them here.

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Perspectives by Rev. Janet Evans

May 30, 2012 Editor Opinion

 

Love One Another, As I Have Loved You

This past weekend marked the second anniversary of “Run for Davi”. Friends and family ran, walked etc. in memory of David Freire, a fine young man who suffered from a mental illness and died at a young age.

Davi touched the lives of many people, and his family cherishes his memory by helping others who live with mental illness. Money raised as a result of “Run for Davi” goes directly to mental health research, care and support.

I had the privilege of presiding at David’s funeral service several years ago. I was struck by how much his mom and other relatives and friends loved him, how much they want to create a world where anyone suffering from a mental illness obtains proper help, is not stigmatized, is understood to be precious in God’s sight.

One of the best known lines in the Bible is “Love one another as I have loved you.” Perhaps we might reflect upon loving our neighbour in this month of May, this month which focuses on mental health awareness.

“Love one another as I have loved you.”

During my years in ministry, I have often had people show concern for those with cancer, heart disease, addictions…yet those ill with a mental disorder sometimes receive little care and may even be ridiculed. Even clergy, a few of them, will say, “no one in my congregation has ever had a mental illness. I doubt that is true!

One in 10 is affected but as times no cards, phone calls etc. come to someone dealing daily with depression, schizophrenia, manic etc.

Mental illness can rob people of their joy, their dignity, their ability to function. Men, women and children can act “out of character” while suffering from an acute mental illness, but even when they apologize later, there is no forgiveness.

Unfortunately, some who profess to be atheists often show more compassion than those who profess to walk in God’s ways.

I urge all of us in this community to be the hands and feet of Christ by respecting those who are ill and celebrating when they begin to feel better.

In the eyes of God, we all have value: Perhaps we all need to remember that to ostracize the mentally ill is surely not the will of the Lord.

“Love one another as I have loved you.”

Let us not blame any who are ill, but share of God’s love with our brothers and sisters everywhere. Know that you cannot possibly know how an individual with a mental illness feels–don’t presume to understand until you have walked a mile in his or her shoes.

Over the past months, I have been touched by the grace and light that has shone forth from David Freire’s dearest ones. May every one of us pass on God’s love in words and actions, as they do.

I believe that David is secure within God’s compassionate embrace. I believe that those who have gone before us are at peace and rest with God.

It is so comforting to know that whether we are healthy or ill, male or female, outgoing or reserved, God is with us. We are never alone. In life, in death, in life beyond death, we are never left desolate.

God sheds His love upon us–how blessed we are.

The goal of “Run for Davi” is to ensure he did not die in vain. His spirit lives on and can encourage all of us to raise awareness and money to fund treatment and research for Mental Health.

God calls us to be His faithful disciples–to minister to the ill, the hurting, the forgotten. God can bring joy out of sorrow, comfort out of pain, resurrection out of death.

In God we have our hope, our inspiration.

Amen.

 

Rev. Janet Evans, 

Iroquois United Church

 

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Opinion

Perspectives by Rev. Clarence Witten

March 21, 2012 Editor Opinion

Loving Spring

I just read a cute story about gratitude that I think can teach us something. 

Apparently in San Francisco, on the day after Christmas, the pastor of a church was looking over their nativity scene when he noticed that the baby Jesus was missing from among the figures. “That’s strange,” he thought. “Who would steal Jesus?” 

He hurried outside to try and find the thief and what he came across was a little boy with a red wagon, and in the wagon was the figure of the baby Jesus. 

He walked up to the boy and said, “Well, where did you get Him, my fine friend?” The little boy replied, “I got him from the church.” “And why did you take him?” The boy said, “Well, about a week before Christmas I prayed to the little Lord Jesus and I told him if he would bring me a red wagon for Christmas I would give him a ride around the block in it.”

I like the story. Well, not that I think it’s cool to steal Jesuses or even to pray to figurines. I like it because of what it teaches us about gratitude. 

I respect the little guy in the story first for being grateful for what he received and for following up on his promise. 

We can learn from that. To be grateful and appreciative for all that people do for us and that we receive. And also to be grateful for all that we receive from God.

It’s spring. The snow is gone, the sun is warm, the bird’s are back, and everything around us is simply glorious. We get out to walk, to bike, even to garden, to enjoy it. 

Our little story can remind us to give thanks to the God who provides all this. This is his world, and it’s him who provides the wonder of spring. And so it’s him who deserves our thanks and praise. 

Have you, have I, given thanks for spring?

One more thing. If we enjoy the beauty and wonder of creation and spring, maybe we could also use a reminder that the One who provides it has something still better for us. Something still more glorious and wonderful, namely, himself.

All the good things God gives are a reflection of what he is like. They’re an invitation to us all to get to know him.

Being a Christian seems to be less attractive these days. People see it as restricting their fun and freedom. Hardly. 

Instead we ought to see it as it is. To believe in Christ is to be reconciled to God and to enter a relationship with him. You see, if you love spring, if you love creation (God’s gift), believe me, you’ll love the Giver.

Pastor Clarence Witten

Community Christian 

Reformed Church

Dixon’s Corners

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