ERIN – An Erin man has been charged with impaired and dangerous driving in an off-road vehicle crash early on Saturday that left a Burlington man dead.

Emergency crews responded to the scene, at the intersection of Sideroad 10 and 8th Line in Erin, on June 28 at about 12:15am.

Wellington County OPP officials say a utility task vehicle carrying four people had overturned and one passenger died.

“The deceased has been identified as a 19-year-old male from Burlington,” police stated in a press release.

“The three other passengers did not suffer any injuries.”

Julian Connell, 20, of Erin, faces four charges, including dangerous driving causing death, driving with more than 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system and being a young driver with a blood-alcohol level above zero.

He is to appear in Guelph court on July 29.

Police are asking anyone with information or dashcam footage of the incident to call 1-888-310-1122.

To remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip at ontariocrimesoppers.ca.

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GUELPH – The Support after Suicide program has been terminated after losing provincial funding, but local officials say they are determined to keep the conversation going and to seek funding elsewhere.

Created in 2020 to support individuals and families bereaved by suicide, the program is a partnership between the county, Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW) and the Wellington County OPP.

It was a part of CMHA WW’s Here4Hope framework, a community-based life promotion and suicide prevention project.

“The grant was a community in policing grant … and it was funded through the Minister of the Solicitor General,” county manager of strategic wellness initiatives Cecilia Marie Roberts told the Advertiser.

In the last three years the total grant was $224,800 each year. 

“We were quite lucky and I think it’s not common for the grant to be able to be used for two cycles for the same program,” she explained.

Roberts noted the funding was not cut off or stopped by the OPP, just discontinued by the province. 

“This is the sad nature of this work,” she said.

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Here4Hope was launched in 2019 with the focus of increasing the public’s ability to speak about suicide, bring it out of the shadows and make it a mainstream topic. 

Officials wanted the chance to normalize the discussion and increase the capacity of people reaching out for help. 

“We particularly wanted to focus on supporting those individuals that had been impacted by loss via suicide,” Roberts said.

“When you’re talking about a rural community where people are so interconnected, the impact was huge, and the very specialized support that we needed to address that pain was just not there.”

In 2022 the province confirmed $647,500 would be provided to Here4Hope’s Support after Suicide program for 2022 to 2025.

Around 85 per cent of the overall funds went to wages for a CMHA WW mental health clinician, peer navigator and an OPP officer.

The rest (around $97,125) paid for consultants, engagement, education and training.

The program offered bereavement counselling, grief groups, resources and referrals to other community supports. 

“We knew (when we were) applying for the grant that it was time-limited,” CMHA WW chief executive officer Helen Fishburn said. 

Roberts and Fishburn delegated to county council on June 26 to reassure councillors they will continue the ongoing work, despite the lack of funding. 

According to Fishburn, the next steps include applying for more grants, fundraising and keeping the conversation open and active. 

“We do ongoing training, social media, podcasts … whatever role you have in the community there is training available,” she said.

“We’re going to continue to do our best to find other grants that might be able to support the Support after Suicide program.”

Fishburn added, “We’re still in the middle of a mental health crisis in our community.

“We’re still unpacking from the [COVID-19] pandemic.”

Communities in the county are also “very unsettled” by a housing and affordability crisis, international wars and tariffs, she continued. 

“It really has created a tremendous change in our baseline of anxiety, stress [and] worry that really creeps into every corner of our community,” Fishburn told council. 

Although the Support after Suicide program has been halted, the Here4Hope program will continue to offer resources through existing staff. 

“We’re going to continue to specifically focus our efforts on two groups: youth who present at risk … and on men, who we know are particularly at [a] higher risk of suicide,” she said.

Those interested in getting involved in suicide prevention can visit the Here4Hope website at here4hope.ca.

Here4Hope is a partner with the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline.

Those needing immediate assistance can call Here 24/7 at 1-844-437-3247.

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MINTO – Council here has formally adopted its 2025 asset management plan, which calls for annual capital tax levy increases of 3% over 20 years to ensure town infrastructure remains in good condition.

However, approval of the plan does not tie the municipality to tax increases for the next two decades.

“The 3% capital levy is recommended … but nothing is approved until after the budget process is completed,” Minto treasurer Gordon Duff stated in an email to the Advertiser.

At a June 17 meeting, Sarah Craig of London-based software company PSD Citywide presented the plan, which notes Minto’s infrastructure is worth $525.7 million.

The total was determined based on a combination of user-defined costs and historical cost inflation.

According to Craig, 76 per cent of the assets in Minto are in fair or better condition.

“The asset management plan includes core assets which are roads, bridges and culverts, storm and sanitary systems as well as the water network,” she told council.

Non-core assets include vehicles, buildings, machinery and equipment, and land improvements (parks, general landscape items).

Roads and roadside assets make up the largest portion at $183 million, while the smallest is land improvements at $4.7 million.

Craig noted her analysis includes only existing assets, but it does consider “what the impact of growth would be in terms of maintaining your current levels of service as well as your proposed level of service.”

Of the nine asset categories, six are showing an overall downward trend, reflecting current funding levels and a decline in asset condition, compared to last year.

Craig presented three scenarios to council regarding what the next 30 years can look like.

“The approach is very focused on the condition of your infrastructure,” Craig said.

Scenario one would maintain an average condition rating of 72%, which is in the middle range of the “good” rating band.

Scenario two shows what the average condition rating will be at the current level of capital spending.

“Unfortunately, the forecast shows that we are on track to have a poor or 35% condition rating in 20 years,” states the financial report.

It notes this condition rating will fail to support the delivery of adequate services to the community.

Scenario three adopts a goal of a long-term condition rating of 60%, which is at the low end of the good condition rating band.

“It is a balanced approach that maintains infrastructure in a state of good repair at a lower financial burden than that of scenario one,” the report continues.

It suggests scenario one is not affordable and scenario two will reduce the levels of service provided to residents.

That leaves scenario three, which provides the “best balance of adequate condition ratings over the next 20 years with consistent funding levels.”

 Scenario three will ultimately maintain the good condition at 61% with the funding required for a $10.3 million average annual investment, Craig said.

“To reach that average annual requirement in five years [it] would be 12.7% per year for five years,” she explained.

“We are recommending … 20 years with a 3% annual tax levy increase completely allocated to capital funding.”

Councillor Geoff Gunson said he is concerned about replacement costs rising each year.

“Three per cent for 20 years might not cover a whole lot, it might not cover playground equipment,” he said.

Duff replied, “Unfortunately the municipal inflation rate seem to be much higher than the CPI (Consumer Price Index), so that 3% builds.”

He added, “It partly will offset, but let’s be honest, even in 2024 dollars … the figures we have here are probably still even a bit low.”

Mayor Dave Turton said town officials “thought we were doing a pretty good job of managing our infrastructure in Minto.

“When you hear stuff like 61% of our infrastructure is good, I mean it’s hardly a passing grade.”

Duff responded, “I know and we had to spend this much money just to stay where we are … it is a bit sobering.

“For the last 20 years we’ve been doing what we can.

“We’ve been purchasing [and] our debt-to-reserve ratio, we try to keep it at a certain level and that’s not good enough.”

“It’s pretty scary,” Turton said.

Duff added, “It’s a tough balance … we don’t want huge tax increases. but yet our taxpayers are looking for a [certain] level of service.”

Craig explained she hasn’t come across a municipality that is fully funded or can pull off full funding in five years.

“Everybody is struggling to find the right balance,” she said.

Deputy Mayor Jean Anderson stated it is a real challenge and a “pretty grim picture.”

“We need our provincial and federal governments to come with their purses and open up,” said councillor Paul Zimmerman.

“We absolutely cannot do this on our own.”

After a lengthy discussion, council unanimously passed a resolution to receive the report for information and to formally adopt the 2025 asset management plan.

Actual changes to Minto’s tax levy will be approved each year in town budgets.

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ARISS – Eric Sergi has his eyes on the prize as he competes in the 2025 FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) Mini Moto GP Canadian series.

The teen’s need for speed seems to be genetic as his grandfather was also involved in the sport, although not professionally.

Sergi, 13, of Ariss, began his racing journey just last year, but first dabbled in the sports when he was just eight or nine years old.

“When I was like eight or nine I went to Toni Sharpless’ racing school for a day and I enjoyed it a lot,” said Sergi.

“But then it kind of just faded and I didn’t really do it again and then last year in September I did it once and I got hooked.”

Sharpless, the founder and director of Mini GP Canada, was the first woman to win a Canadian Motorcycle Association championship. 

She has spent decades racing motorcycles in North America and around the world. After seeing the training and support that exist throughout Europe and Asia for young riders, she made the decision to bring some of that home to Canada. 

Sharpless now owns her own school, Super Sonic Road Race School, which operates out of four locations: Brechin Motorsports Park near Beaverton, Lombardy Raceway south of Smith Falls, Flamboro Speedway  in Millgrove and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park northeast of Toronto.

Sergi regularly attends the Brechin location to practice on his Ohvale 160, the only make of bike permitted to race in the series.

Sergi races alongside his good friend Stefan Tanasic from Elmira. Both racers sang the praises of Sharpless and her school.

“When you start with Toni … you can start as young as five years old and they will teach you every little thing you need to know,” said Tanasic. “And the way they do it is amazing.”

While the racing season is relatively short, training and preparation make for a long and grueling season.

“He has training available to him all throughout the spring and into July, and then his actual racing begins end of July and goes into September,” said Sergi’s mom Kelly. 

The season consists of 10 races and based on each racer’s best eight race times, scoring is decided.

The top two racers from the Canadian series will ultimately qualify for the world championship hosted in Spain in October. 

“He’s [Eric] been on a dirt bike since he was maybe six years old … we had training wheels on his dirt bike,” said Kelly.

Tanasic will be travelling to China at the end of July to compete.

Unfortunately for the young racers, the race series is not recognized as a sport by the Canadian government for grants or funding. 

“I believe the hope is that with more awareness this can be recognized as a national sport and gain more support across Canada and encourage more kids to give it a try,” said Kelly.

Tanasic and Sergi voiced their support for those hoping to give the sport a try and assured parents that with the proper training, the sport is relatively safe.

“As long as you’re trained and everything is good, you’re safe,” said Tanasic.

The Mini Moto GP series is for riders aged 10 to 14. After that riders move on to bigger and faster bikes.

“If you live in Canada, you should try and come to Toni Sharpless’s school,” said Sergi.

For more information on the school and the sport in general visit roadracecanada.ca. 

To follow along with Sergi’s racing journey, follow the young racer on Instagram @surgeracing111.

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CENTRE WELLINGTON – Township staff, councillors and the mayor himself are coming to terms with a new budget process now that Mayor Shawn Watters has been granted strong mayor powers by the province.

Centre Wellington received strong mayor powers on May 1 and is now one of 215 municipalities in the province with them.

Among the mayor’s legislated duties is to prepare and propose the municipal budget – it cannot be delegated to council or staff.

“However, the mayor may issue a mayoral direction to staff regarding the preparation of the budget,” states the report from treasurer Adam McNabb that was presented at the June 16 council meeting.

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That said, McNabb had prepared a budget recommendations report for 2026 that outlined the financial picture of the township and some of the constraints it will have to operate within in 2026. They include:

• inflation is sitting at 2.5 per cent;
• the township needs to increase its contribution to the asset management plan by 2%;
• assume assessment growth is 2.5%;
• increase fees and charges by 2.5%;
• understand that the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF), the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF) and Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) funds the township receives are decreasing year over year; and
• allocate 2% of the funds collected from OLG to the termite management strategy.

The draft pre-budget report proposes to maintain a three-year average of $1.9 million in development charges (DC) capital funding and to contribute $1.4 million to the general capital reserve.

It also proposes to maintain a minimum balance of $1.25 million in the general capital reserve.

According to the strong mayor powers, the timeline for discussion on the budget is different as well.

After the mayor proposes the budget, council has 30 days to offer amendments and the mayor has 10 days after that to veto any amendments.

Fifteen days after that, council can override the mayor’s veto but it requires a two-thirds majority of council, including the mayor’s vote.

The timeline proposed by staff is for council to discuss the preliminary staff capital budget recommendations on Sept. 15; for Watters to give staff direction on budget on Oct. 27; and for council to discuss budget amendments on Nov. 24.

A committee of the whole meeting is slated for Dec. 2 and 4 for council to make amendments and Dec. 6 is the deadline for Watters to veto amendments if he chooses.

Dec. 15 is when council can discuss the mayor’s vetoes if there are any and Dec. 21 is when council can override the mayor’s vetoes of amendments if they choose.

The hope is that the budget will pass on Dec. 21.

Given that schedule and the limited opportunity for council to talk in open chambers about the budget, councillor Bronwynne Wilton asked if council could discuss the budget at its July 14 meeting.

She also wondered when or if public consultation fits in the new timetable.

Watters assured council that although there is new language and a new way of doing things, he wanted to continue with the same collaboration and cooperation council has practiced throughout its term.

“In the end it is done the same way,” he said. “I want to do it in a way that is respectful.”

“I hope the discussion will be open and transparent,” Wilton said as council voted in favour of adding a budget discussion to the July 14 meeting.

“I agree,” Watters said.

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GUELPH/ERAMOSA – Police are investigating an incident at Guelph Airpark on Wednesday that left a pilot with minor injuries.

Wellington County OPP officials say emergency crews responded to the small airport, just outside Guelph on Skyway Drive, on June 25 at about 2:30pm.

“Early indications from the investigation suggest that the plane flipped over just as the pilot was landing the small plane,” police stated in a press release.

“People nearby quickly assisted in getting the pilot out of the plane and tipped the plane back onto its wheels.”

Police say the pilot was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

“The investigation continues with assistance from Transport Canada, Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre,” the OPP stated.

Anyone with information or video footage can contact the Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip at ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

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