the converged citizen - february 11, 2016

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Sports

Ryan Ellis signs an autograph for a fan during a pre-ceremony meet-and-greet at the WFCU Centre.Photo by Todd Shearon

SEE PAGE 11

About 50 Syrian refugeesare currently living in a hotelin Windsor’s downtowncore with more families ontheir way to the city. Children run through the

halls of the Days Inn Hotelon Ouellette Avenue andplay with the buttons on theelevator. They laugh as theirfathers sit in the lobbytalking to one another whilewearing new winter coatsgiven to them byWindsorites, their mothersremained in the room. Thefamilies arrived in Windsorover the holiday season andwill be living at the hoteluntil they are moved into

their own housing. Hotelmanager Asar Ahmed saidhe is happy to give thefamilies a place to callhome, even for a shortperiod of time. “We want to help

whoever we can,” saidAhmed. “We let them useall our facilities and we areaccepting that they aredifferent. Anyone whocomes from a differentcountry is going to bedifferent.” Ahmed has been the

manager at the Days Innfor three years and said heis glad to be helping thenewcomers, includingopening the hotel

Aaron Lombardi

Converged Citizen Staff

SEE PAGE 5

ELLIS NUMBERRETIRED

ELLIS NUMBERRETIRED

SyrianRefugeesHoused

Windsor’s new arrivals

Inside

The Power of the Future

*Volume XI Issue 11 *February 11, 2016

ONVERGED CITIZENFEBRUARY 11, 2016C2

newsBullying a silent killer

Naureen Ahmed


Workplace bullying is asilent killer according to abusiness executive who wrotea book on the topic.

Andrew Faas, the author ofThe Bully’s Trapwas speaking at aluncheon presenta-tion about work-place bullying. Theevent took place onJan 27, at the St.Clair CollegeCentre for the Arts.Large numbers ofpeople attended theevent.

Faas said work-place bullying is onthe rise, which notonly reduces pro-ductivity but some-times leads to sui-cide.

“Sometimes peo-ple who are targetedare unaware whatthey are goingthrough is bully-ing,” said Faas. “InThe Bully’s Trap Ihave provided com-prehensive insightinto the dynamics,impacts and costs ofbullying in the workplace andanswers to how it can be pre-vented and stopped.”

According to Faas, bullyingdestroys everything fromcareers to lives. “There aremany organizations who notonly ignore bullying but evenencourage it,” he said. “Mostpeople who are targeted orwitness bullying do not reportit for fear of losing their jobs.

“I experienced anxiety,depression even post-traumat-ic stress disorder that lead topsychological harm and actualphysical illness,” said Joshi.

Fass said if workers are get-ting bullied they must speakup quickly and do not let it

fester into a life ordeath decision.

Dr. Catherine Lee, alocal psychologist,said bullying is abusecreating an unhealthyand psychologicalpower imbalancebetween the bully andtheir target which canresult in psychologi-cal damage for bothparties.

“Bullying causestargets to feel anx-ious, depressed, fear-ful, developheadaches and stom-achaches, createsself-doubt andanger,” said Lee. “Itis not a one-timeevent, it’s ongoingabuse that occurs sev-eral times a day orweek, becomes moreand more aggressiveover time.”

According to Leethere should be ahealthy workplace

policy ensuring the workplaceis free of negativity andunprofessional behaviours. Itshould aim at providing anatmosphere of respect, collab-oration and safety.

Faas advised workers who

may be the victim of an office

bully to document all inci-

dents and then take that infor-

mation to management or

human resources.

Ankur Joshi, 40, attended the

presentation. He said he

worked as a cashier at a local

retail store for several years.

He said he experienced work-

related bullying until he

decided to quit his job.

“I was accused of various

forms of gross misbehaviour

and numerous other offences

by my boss,” said Joshi. “My

boss always tried to humiliate

me in front of everyone.”

He said eventually he filed a

harassment case but the

human resources department

and management did not

respond seriously to the alle-

gations.

Andrew Faas, in his book The Bully’s Trapprovides comprehensive insight into the

impact and costs of bullying in the workplace,and answers how it can be prevented and

stopped.

Early morning fire on Dougall

Windsor Fire and Rescue discuss the fire that occurred atthe triplex on 820 Dougall Ave. The fire started at 7:30a.m. in the attic of the residence.

Photo by Victoria Parent

Windsor Fire and Rescue

Services were called to 820

Dougall Ave. Feb. 5 for a fire

in a triplex.

The fire started in the attic of

the triplex at around 7:30 a.m.

and was quickly put out by

firefighters. There were more

than five fire trucks at the

scene with Windsor Police

Services and Windsor

Emergency Medical Service.

No injuries were reported.

One resident of the building

said the response of Windsor

Fire was so quick that, “by the

time I put the phone down, I

could hear the sirens.”

Fire and Rescue put up cau-

tionary tape around the scene

because of the Dougall Public

Elementary school being right

across the street from the resi-

dence.

After the fire was put out

they checked for hotspots and

awaited the arrival of the

investigator, who will deter-

mine the cause and of the fire.

Victoria Parent


Windsorites donate more

food around the Christmas

holidays than any other time

of year, according to an

employee of the Downtown

Mission.

The Windsor Essex Food

Bank Association is a non-

profit organization made up of

15 food banks offering neces-

sities such as food and clothes

to individuals and families in

need. Food banks receive

donations from many sources

including local school can

drives and personal contribu-

tions. Non-perishable food

Felicia Patterson


Windsor food bank shelves become empty around Aprilitems are contributed when

there is a can drive, leaving it

up to food bank supervisors

and staff to come up with

ways to cover the cost of fresh

dietary essentials. Most food

banks in the Windsor Essex

County area, including the

Downtown Mission, do not

receive government funding.

Windsor food banks are

flooded with donations during

the days leading up to

Christmas. Some food banks

offer extra help during the hol-

iday season and also help to

promote toy drives like

Sparky's Toy Drive. One food

bank supervisor says the

shelves of some food banks

become so stocked around the

holidays it lasts for months.

"Usually we get enough at

Christmas that it stocks us up

right through February and

partially through March," said

Laurie Musson, supervisor of

the Downtown Mission Food

and Clothing Bank. "In April,

that's when our shelves are

starting to get empty."

One Windsor mother said

she uses food banks twice a

month to help sustain her fam-

ily.

"I utilize food banks because

I have a low income and a

large family," said Katie

Renaud, who is a stay-at-

home-mother of six.

Most Windsor food banks

require identification for all

family members and proof of

income. Some banks require

individuals to provide confir-

mation of address, as some

food banks have set bound-

aries in which one must live in

order to receive food assis-

tance. Various services are

offered at food banks depend-

ing on the location. The

Downtown Mission offers a

culinary assistance program in

which individuals are taught

how to prepare recipes with

simple ingredients, most of

which are offered at food

banks.

"We have cooking lessons

that we have once a month

where a woman comes in and

shows good, healthy ways of

cooking with the foods that

we provide at the food bank,"

said Musson.

Musson said the staff at the

Downtown Mission try to

ensure fresh food and baby

items are available despite

their low budget, because of

not receiving government

funding.

"We try to have fresh pro-

SEE PAGE 6

Source google.ca


newsWindsor Public Library

receives government grant

The Windsor Public Library

is receiving $200,000 in fund-

ing from the Ontario govern-

ment in hopes of making their

services more accessible to

people living in homelessness

and poverty.

The funding is part of the

Ontario Libraries Capacity

Fund, which aims to improve

library services for Ontarians.

Over the next three years, $10

million will be invested in

libraries across the province.

The Library Hubs Meeting

Community Needs Project is

designed to create library tools

that will engage Windsorites

in new ways and create hub

services for the homeless. The

hubs will add to community

life by providing central gath-

ering points for health and

social services and resources

as well as providing cultural

and recreational information

spaces for residents. Windsor

is one of 10 libraries across

the province currently taking

part in the project.

“The current system serving

these high-risk populations is

funded by many different

organizations and agencies

and is very difficult to navi-

Allanah Wills


gate,” said WPL CEO Kitty

Pope in a press release. “The

LHMCN project is an oppor-

tunity to streamline the

process, eliminate some of the

confusion and make it easier

to find the information and

services required.”

According to Pathway to

Potential, around 74,000 peo-

ple in Windsor currently live

in poverty.

By creating the community

hubs anyone living in poverty

or on the streets will be able to

come in and access food,

income and health services

they might not normally know

how or where to access.

Christine Wilson-Furlonger,

administrator of Street Help,

supports the project but hopes

the money is used wisely.

“If we’re going to use that

money and the library would

stay open all night I would say

‘fantastic,’” said Wilson-

Furlonger “This is a wonder-

ful, heated and safe environ-

ment and people could be in

there 24 hours a day. We need

realistic programs for the

homeless so take that

$200,000 and make sure that

you’re really trying to help

those who are worst off.”

The project is expected to

begin this summer and wrap

up at the end of 2017.

Student housing: liability or smart investment?

The growing student popula-

tion in Windsor has given rise

to the lucrative business of

student housing.

A city of approximately

36,000 post-secondary stu-

dents, Windsor has a competi-

tive student housing business.

Online classifieds such as Off

Campus Student Housing,

Kijiji and Craigslist make it

easy for students to search for

homes that meet their needs.

However, the same websites

make it difficult to establish a

competitive edge in such a

saturated market.An apartment and family

home realtor for over 20years, Janette Calandra hasrecently returned to the busi-

ness of student housing whichaccording to her, gave her astart in the real estate busi-ness.

“I knew of the demand for

housing for students,” said

Calandra, “but it wasn’t worth

the liability that I was carry-

ing in terms of fire hazards

and other risks.”

The fire department alleged-

ly did not approve of the way

in which some Windsor stu-

dent houses were being

altered by landlords.

According to Calandra, land-

lords were putting tiny rooms

in every corner of their houses

and posting them as six or

seven bedroom houses in an

effort to demand more rent.

For this reason, many student

homes are in violation of fire

codes. This poses legal risks

for landlords getting into the

business of student housing.“I came back to student

housing because I was com-fortable with the area and thehome I purchased was in com-pliance,” said Calandra.“Once those liabilities wereeliminated, I was comfortablerenting the property out.”

Another issue prevalent inthe student housing industry isprice and quality of home,according to KimberleeBrown-Mighty, a 21-year oldUniversity of Windsor studentwho recently rented a homewith her friends.

“It is important to me thatlandlords be flexible, willingto work with a limited studentbudget and easily accessible,”said Mighty.

According to Calandra, onceyou get a group of students onthe same page and willing torent, the first and often biggesthurdle in student housing isbroken. Calandra says hercompetitive edge to entice stu-dents is a reduced summer rateand a fully-furnished home.

“This is my first year tryinga furnished home so I hope thestudents take care of it,” saidCalandra, “It makes the stu-dents feel at home, and whenthey walk in I always get thesame excited reaction whichtells me not many landlordshere do this.”

For more information on thestudent housing business, visitocshwindsor.com

Photo by Sreedha VaranasiStudents have another option when choosing homes dur-ing their schooling years.

The Windsor and DistrictLabour Council joined unionsacross the province of Ontarioto protest against U.S. SteelCanada for “failing to supportjobs, pension plans and bene-fits for steelworkers” inHamilton Jan. 30. The protesttook place at Hamilton’s cityhall.

In 2014, Stelco, a Canadiansteel company, filed for pro-tection through theCompanies' CreditorsArrangement Act, whichallows financially troubledcorporations to restructuretheir affairs to avoid bankrupt-cy. It also allows the creditorsto receive a payment for theamounts owing by the corpo-ration. U.S Steel boughtStelco for $ 1.1 billion in 2007and assumed its debt.

Workers have been laid offsince the company took con-trol and in 2013 U.S Steel

announced it will stop ironand steel making in Hamilton.Workers have also beendenied their pensions and ben-efits since U.S. Steel claimedCCAA.

At city hall, RolfGerstenberger, retired presi-dent of the UnitedSteelworkers who organizedthe protest, addressed in hisspeech that the issue of work-ers are not getting pensions or

benefits and how the new andold Stelco and now U.S Steelhave been asumed to discardthe law on pension funding.“The government first passed

the 5.1 election, endorsed theCCAA bankruptcy court andU.S. Steel’s special regulationon pensions and subsequentlyprovided yet another CCAAexemption from all pensionfunding... all three maneuversto protect the corporation cir-

cumvented the laws, leavingworkers, pensioners and thecity vulnerable,” saidGerstenberger.

Seventy-seven year oldDennis McLaren worked forStelco for 33 years and retiredin 2001. McLaren hopes, withthis protest, steelworkers willget some recognition for theirhard work. AlthoughMcLaren retired he has con-tinued to be involved with the

steelworkers.“Our country should think

together and fight for the rightof the workers,” saidMcLaren.

Windsor and District LabourCouncil attended the protest atHamilton holding up signs toshow their support for steel-workers.

Windsor District LabourCouncil member MarvinRoman, 50, who has been amember since 1993, also tookpart in the protest. Roman saidthe workers want to show thegovernment that workers allaround Canada want them tointervene in favour of theworkers.

“These workers are theCanadian workers, peoplewho pay for this country,”said Roman.

The steelworkers union isstill trying to reach an agree-ment with U.S. Steel Canadafor their pension and benefits.The union is also asking thegovernment to help them withthis issue.

Labour council supports Hamilton steelworkers

Sreedha Varanasi


Mayra Lacayo


Photo by Mayra Lacayo

Men from Windsor-Essex District Labour Council stand with Hamilton steelworkers, atHamilton City Hall Jan. 30.


news

Is there a doctor?Aaron Sanders


Former Toronto mayor John Sewell addresses a crowd at the at Windsor PublicLibrary Central branch in Windsor, Feb. 4.

Windsorites have found

another voice opposed to the

upcoming mega-hospital.

John Sewell, former mayor

of Toronto, visited Windsor to

discuss the problems of build-

ing a mega-hospital in an

urban area on Feb. 3 and 4.

During those two days, Sewell

spoke to crowds at the

University of Windsor and at

the public library who are

concerned about the hospital

plans . Sewell says the city

will have to consider using the

money on hospital staff than

the building.

“I think we have to worry

about how much we spend on

bricks and mortar,” said

Sewell. “Every cent that we

spend for bricks and mortar is

not money we can spend on

humans. It seems to me spend-

ing $2 billion just on that

means we aren’t going to have

a lot of money left over to

spend on the staffing we

need.”

Stephen Pitman, spokesper-

son for Citizens for an

Accountable Megahospital

Planning Process, said the

support from the former

Toronto mayor was beneficial

to their cause.

CAMMP, a local group

against having the mega-hos-

pital located on the south-east

side of the city, organized the

two day presentations.

“I think it’s terrific to see

someone who’s such a high

calibre speaker come here to

Windsor and to talk about this

item. We’re really lucky for

him to come here and speak

about this. I think it really

landed some importance and it

shed some light on reviewing

the chosen location.”

The planned site for the $2

billion mega-hospital will be

at the corner of County Road

42 and Ninth Concession.

Recently, there was a lawsuit

involving Windsor Regional

Hospital and the owner of

GEM Properties in which

some terms were dropped.

Since the partial dropping of

the lawsuit, Windsor Regional

Hospital has been set to move

ahead with final plans.

However, Sewell said the hos-

pital should be located where

people can access it easily.

“What I think we should all

be after is accessible patient

care,” Sewell said. “So the

best place for the hospital is

always in the central area. It’s

easier for everyone to get to,

whether by public transit or by

cab. Having a hospital at the

very edge of the city is not

only difficult for patients and

staff, it’s difficult for family

members as well.”

Pitman agrees location and

residents matter when it

comes to the mega-hospital.

“Location is very important,

especially when we think

about the environmental and

social dimensions,” said

Pittman. “That’s providing

people (who are providing

health care) to access those

who don’t have a full array of

transportation options.”

Rino Bortolin, Ward 3

Councillor, was in the crowd

during the presentation at the

public library. He said he will

bring the concerns to city

council for further discussion.

Photo by Aaron Sanders

Organization promoteshelping neighbours

Samantha Wigfield


A new Windsor organiza-tion is bringing back with oldtraditions of care with a neigh-bours helping neighbours ini-tiative.

The Windsor EssexCompassionate Community isWindsor’s new non-profitgroup boasting of completelyself-reliant community drivencare to neighbours, includinghealth and wellness.

The main targets for theWECC are the aged and thosewho are nearing death. Theyare reaching out to neighbourswho are in a life crisis, in dis-tress and need lifelong careand planning. They are alsotrying to get young people inthe community more involvedwith the project.

Deborah Sattler, the directorof the organization, said theWECC is trying to find waysfor people to rely on eachother instead of having to usepricey alternatives, such aspsychologists. This is to aid inproviding a culture of neigh-bours helping neighbourswhere it is easy to reach outand help each other and alsoto provide informal and prac-tical help.

“It’s especially for peoplewho live alone and don’t havefamily around them to helpwith that practical kind of sup-port,” said Sattler. “We’re alsodemonstrating a new caremodel. Citizen coaches willgo out with them (the client)and work with them on howthey organize the care theyneed that combines informal,self-help, family and any carethey can get across the countythroughout multiple programsand sectors in the communi-ty.”

The goal is to improve the

quality of life for everyone,providing extra care for thosewho are more vulnerable ornearing the end of life whileusing every resource the com-munity has to offer in the mostdiligent way possible. Theseassets are family, neighbours,friends, technology, socialservices, agencies, educationand distress centres.

The WECC is planning amodel to help people who arein an early stage of distressbut not yet at the crisis point.A coach will then try to figureout what kind of stress theyhave and what kind of helpwould be most appreciated.

Katrina Borrelli is part of astudy looking at trying to getcommunities to interact andconnect with one another.This is called the neighbour-hood and care model initia-tives.

“Care Model is more forthose who can’t afford healthservices,” said Borrelli. “Ithink our community needsthat connection and trustagain. Trust is a huge issuenowadays and for that toslowly build, it would makeeveryone a lot closer.”

She also believes it couldgo province-wide once othercities see results from theWECC.

For the past year, morethan 120 people have beenplanning this citizen drivenproject, using associationsthat represent 10,000 seniorsin eight municipalities. TheWECC is expected to launchin the fall.

“We do have a responsibil-ity for narrowing the equitygap in terms of the outcomesfor people who could be vul-nerable, poor or isolated,”said Sattler. “And we will dowhat it takes to improve equi-ty and improve quality oflife.”

Managing Editors

THE CONVERGED TEAMCo-Managing Editors Production Team Production Managers

Sports EditorsCP EditorsPhoto Editors Entertainment

Editor

WWW.THEMEDIAPLEX.COM

EMAIL: [email protected]: (519) 9722727 EXT. 4963

Mark Brown

Caleb Workman

Ashley Ann Mentley

Michael Hugall

Caleb Workman

Rabiul Biplob

Naureen Ahmed

Jeremy James

Stephanie Zografos

Mayra Lacayo

Tyler Boissonneault

Anthony Sheardown

Julia Poehlman

Rhiannon Lotze

Samantha Wigfield

Christian Bouchard

Jordan Caschera Allanah Wills

CONVERGED CITIZEN FEBRUARY 11, 2016 5

Young males are the most

needed stem cell donors but

currently make up less than

one-quarter of the total reg-

istry, according to OneMatch,

the national stem cell and mar-

row network.

In 2015 data from OneMatch

found male donors ages 17 to

35 represented 17 per cent of

the current Canadian donor

database. Men are needed

more than females because

their stem cells are more like-

ly to be compatible with their

recipients.

Stem cells are the immature

cells that have not been

assigned a function. They can

become red blood cells which

carry oxygen, white blood

cells which fight infection or

platelets which help stop

bleeding. This is what is

extracted from the donor and

can be obtained from the bone

marrow which is a rich source

of cells. It can also be taken

from the circulating blood.

These stem cells can be used

to treat leukemia, aplastic ane-

mia and inherited immune

system and metabolic disor-

ders.

OneMatch encourages any-

one in “good standing health”

and between the ages of 17

and 35 to become part of the

donor registry but they are

requiring more male donors

because of the benefits their

stem cells offer.

“Male donors are more com-

patible with their recipients

because the cells are more

adaptable and heal quicker,”

said Joanne Bedard, co-

founder of the Katelyn Bedard

Bone Marrow Association.

“There is also less chance of

graft-versus-host disease

between the donor and the

recipient. Graft-versus-host is

when the donor's cells attack

the recipient's body, which

can be caused by women who

have a history of pregnancy.

Due to this, male matches will

be chosen over female match-

es most times.”

‘OneMatch’ gives a second chance

Photo by Lyndi-Colleen Morgan

Joanne Bedard (right) tells the story of her daughter Katelyn at the swab event at St. ClairCollege Jan. 28. She also thanked the participants of the event for becoming part of the reg-istry.

Lyndi-Colleen Morgan


Bedard and her husband

Bryan founded the Katelyn

Bedard Bone Marrow

Association in July 2005 after

their daughter Katelyn, 3, died

of leukemia when no match

could be found for her.

The association’s mission,

said Bedard, is to promote

awareness and education

about bone marrow and stem

cell registries, to bring atten-

tion to the need of donors and

to encourage people to join

the registry. She also said their

organization aspires to give

support to families with a

family member in need of a

transplant.

“Our organization helps to

build the registry of donors

and sponsor research projects

working on stem cell trans-

plants and treatment methods.

We also provide support to

families who have family

members who will be receiv-

ing a transplant,” said Bedard.

“Donors help to provide a sec-

ond chance to those who may

not get it other ways and being

aware is the first step in the

donation process.”

Donor Tessa Shawman said

she gave someone a second

chance in November 2014

with her stem cell donation.

She became part of the reg-

istry in 2011 at a swab event

held at St. Joseph’s High

School in Windsor.

She said her process to

become a donor was shorter

than most. The process can

take three months but she was

prepared and ready for the

donation in three weeks.

Donations can be taken in two

forms -- through peripheral

blood stem cell donation or

through bone marrow stem

cell donation surgically.

Shawman donated through

the stem cell bone marrow

extraction process.Shawman said the extraction

method was not too painfulbut it was uncomfortable.Although it did cause hersome discomfort she said shewould not change anythingabout the experience.

“My first few days post-surgery were super uncom-fortable but not unbearable,”said Shawman. “Althoughmy healing took a little longerthan expected, if I had to do itall over again, I wouldn't doanything differently.”

She also said she believespeople should consider regis-tering as a donor becausethere is little risk for thedonor and they could poten-tially save someone's life.

In 2010, Alex Tetreault wasdiagnosed with leukemia atthe age of 18 and shortly after

being diagnosed was placedon the recipient transplantlist. He went through 11 bonemarrow extractions to helpfind a match but he neverreceived a transplant becausethe chemotherapy treatmentsworked.

In 2013, Tetreault was told

by doctors he was cancer free

and has been in remission for

the last three years.

He became part of the donor

registry Jan. 28 and said it is

his way of giving back.

“People should help other

people, and becoming part of

the donor registry helps,” said

Tereault. “I mean if people

don’t volunteer, give blood,

or give bone marrow, people

like me, wouldn’t be here.”

Bedard said when individ-uals become part of theCanadian registry theybecome eligible to donate tothe international registryand this is one thing to con-sider before becoming adonor.

Those eligible to donate

can become part of the reg-

istry at swab events or

through Canadian Blood

Services. For more informa-

tion about becoming part of

the OneMatch stem cell and

marrow network, visit

www.onematch.ca.

basement so they have aplace to conduct their dailyprayers and bringing coffeeto share with the men in thelobby. Ahmed’s desk clerk,who only wanted to beknown as Sandy, spendsmost of her working daytaking care of the families inthe building. Each daySandy opens the basementfor the daily prayer andjokingly tells the children tostop running in thehallways. “Sometimes it can be a

little intimidating,” saidSandy. “The women stayupstairs and the mennormally hang out in thelobby. Keeping an eye on 15men can be a little bitintimidating, but it hasnothing to do with wherethey come from.” Sandy, who is a mother,

said she frequently enjoysplaying with the childrenwho roam the hotel’scorridors. Receivingpackages of food andclothing daily fromWindsorites, she says thecommunity couldn’t bemore supportive. “These people were

scared. Every day they wereseeing buildings gettingblown up, people gettinghurt,” said Sandy. “They areso glad to be here andpeople in the community aremaking them feel verywelcome.” The Days Inn has a

contract with the federalgovernment to offeraccommodations to thosewho are new to the countrybefore they are moved topermanent residences.Ahmed said they are notresponsible for bringingfood or clothing to therefugees. “When people think

refugee, they think of skinnypeople in rags but that’s nottrue,” saidAhmed. “A lot of these

people have money, theyjust want to come to a newcountry for safety reasons.” Included in the 50 Syrians

are 20-25 small children.Once the governmentprovides the families withtheir permanent residencesthe hotel will open to a newwave of arrivals.

FROM PAGE 1


health & lifestyleFlowers and gifts don’t

come cheap

Valentine’s Day is fast

approaching and many strug-

gle as to how much they

should or can spend on gifts.

The cost of gifts such as

flowers and chocolates can

make Valentine’s Day a strug-

gle for love-struck shoppers.

Retailers around Windsor are

trying to make it easier on

customers looking to but this

Valentine’s Day.

Kathy Molenaar is the cur-

rent owner of Victoria’s

Flowers. She’s owned the

business for five years but the

store has been open for over

32 years. The store sells flow-

ers, jewelry, chocolates and

other gifts. Molenaar has

been preparing the store for

Valentine’s Day and she

understands that the economy

is a major factor in people

purchasing flowers and gifts.

“Victoria’s Flowers has

been purchased in the last five

years by myself, and we have

only been able to grow with

the economy,” said Molenaar.

Besides flowers and

plushies, one of the most pop-

ular gifts bought on

Valentine's Day is chocolate.

According to statistics, close

to 50 per cent of the gifts

bought for Valentine’s Day

are chocolates and candies,

and baskets and chocolate

boxes can range from $5 all

the way into the hundreds of

dollars.

Walker’s Candies is a

Victoria's Flowers owner Kathy Molenaar prepares abouquet of orchids for a customer. A bouquet like this canrange into the hundreds of dollars.

Victoria Parent


chocolate and candy store on

Howard Avenue. They have

been open since 1920 and

since 1989 the Obeid family

has taken over and continues

to make homemade candy.

Ray Obeid is the owner of

the store and has been prepar-

ing different varieties of

chocolates for Valentine's

day. He said it is the busiest

day of the year with over a

thousand customers coming

in.

“I would say the highest

amount some people would

spend is about 100 bucks…

.but mostly we sell the one

pound heart which is about

$29,” said Obbeid.

In the end, whether you

want to buy your significant

other flowers, chocolates or

something else, the best bet is

to know your budget, and

retailers will be ready to help.

By Allanah Wills

Shirley Valentine at Olde Walkerville Theatre

Feb. 11, 12 and 13

Little Shop of Horrors at Kordazone Theatre

Feb. 11-14

Funny Friday at Rockhead Pub

Feb. 12

Valentine’s Dinner Date Night at Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards

Feb. 12

Latin Fever at the Capitol Theatre

Feb. 13 and 14

Aretha Franklin at Caesars Windsor

Feb. 13 at 9 p.m.

Cheese n’ Cheers and Chocolate at Walkerville Brewery

Feb. 14

What’s going on inWindsor - Essex

duce, eggs, milk, meat and

that type of thing on hand all

the time. Meat, we almost

always have to purchase. We

try to keep things as best we

can for good health. We do

have quite a few people who

donate money every month,

but that's for the whole

Mission, not just the food pro-

gram," said Musson. "We have

a diaper and formula program

here. We fund that totally."

The Downtown Mission and

some other Windsor food

banks are successful in pro-

viding good quality food

items, as well as quantity.

"When they come here they

get usually about three to four

bags of food. A lot of food.

When they come in we know

how many children they have.

If it's a large family, we will

give them a larger portion,"

said Musson. "Cereal, bread

and stuff like that. Milk, if

we've got it. Peanut butter. We

try to give families with chil-

dren protein items."

Renaud said she appreciates

the items she is given from

food banks, as every little bit

helps.

"I think the quality of food is

actually pretty helpful. It's not

about satisfaction. You can't

FROM PAGE 2

Laurie Musson is the supervisor of the Food and ClothingBank at the Downtown Mission. Behind her a volunteer helpsa local woman select food for her family.

be greedy when you go to the

food bank," said Renaud.

"You get what you get. It's

helpful either way. It doesn't

matter what the quality or

quantity it is, it's all helpful."

Hundreds of Syrian refugees

have arrived in Windsor and

Musson said she has already

helped two families.

She said she believes the

arrival of more Syrians to the

area will put a strain on

Windsor food banks.

Photo by Felicia Patterson

Photo by Victoria Parent


newsAutomotive archives

Windsor Public Library CEO Kitty Pope stands outside theOuellette Avenue branch, Jan. 26.

The Windsor Public Library has officially openedits Automotive Archives on the second floor of theOuellette Avenue main branch. The archives featurebrochures, pamphlets, books and other automotivematerial dating back to the 1930s. It also has set upretro gas pumps and a sculpture by Peter Sollyfrom MacDonald’s Automotive called “MichelleMichaels.”

- All photos by Sean Previl and Taylor Busch

CONVERGED CITIZEN FEBRUARY 11, 2016 8

Express improve to 3-0 at ColosseumChristian Bouchard


Photo by Christian Bouchard

The Windsor Express’ Brandon Robinson (10) goes up for a layup against the LondonLightning in the Clash At The Colosseum on Feb. 3 at Caesar’s Windsor. Robinson ledthe Express to victory with 34 points to snap the Lightning’s nine game winning streak.

The Windsor Express are

benefiting from a change of

venues which has brought

them major success over the

years.

While the WFCU Centre is

home to the Express, on Feb. 3

the Express played host to the

National Basketball League of

Canada’s top team, the

London Lightning at Caesar’s

Windsor’s Colosseum. The

game was a part of an annual

event at the Colosseum which

brought in more than 2,000

fans.

League commissioner David

Magley said the game

becomes more of an event due

to the large number of specta-

tors and the unique venue.

According to Magley it is a

chance for the Express to

showcase their talent and ulti-

mately get more people to

attend their regular season

games at the WFCU Centre.

“It’s a very exciting time,”

said Magley. “Any time you

can play in front of such a

large crowd, it’s electric and

fabulous. This is what

Windsor deserves. They’re a

two time defending champi-

onship team and deserve to

have great crowds like this.”

The Express fed off the

energy of the crowd and

would find their shooting

form to defeat the Lightning

114-93 and improve their

record to 3-0 in games played

at the Colosseum.

Brad Bondy, a season ticket

holder and avid fan of the

Express said the change of

venue was exactly what the

Express needed to get back on

track for the season.

“This venue turned Windsor

around,” said Bondy. “They

want to play for these fans,

they want to impress them and

now they’re playing harder

than they’ve ever played this

year.”

Brandon Robinson led the

Express in scoring with 34

points. He said the team owed

it to the fans to come out and

put on a great performance for

them.

According to Robinson, the

Express built their win around

family, which also derives

from the support they receive

from their fans.

“We say family before every

huddle,” said Robinson.

“Tonight, it really looked like

a family. We didn’t argue with

each other. We just came out

and played Express basket-

ball. When we play like this, I

don’t think anyone in the

league is going to be able to

keep up with us.”

The Express will look to

build off their success despite

another change of scenery as

they head to the GTA to meet

the Orangeville A’s followed

by a tilt against the same

London team on Saturday.

The team returns home on

Feb. 11 when the A’s come to

town for a game played at the

WFCU Centre.

AKO plans on restoring its homeMichael Hugall


One of Windsor’s oldest

venues may get a new facelift

thanks to a local organiza-

tion.

The Alpha Kappa Omega

Fraternity is progressively

moving toward renovating

Windsor Stadium, which has

housed the AKO Fratmen

since the 1940s.

Although the stadium is

used mostly to host football

games, it has served as a

multi-purpose facility, hous-

ing concerts, festivals and

other sporting events. The

impact it had on the commu-

nity and the fraternity is what

prompted AKO chairman

Dan Hogan and governor of

the board of directors John

Zucchet to take action.

“The response from the

community has been phe-

nomenal,” said Zucchet.

“We’re looking to sort of re-

align that space to make it

more amenable to some of

the other teams and central-

ize them all to the Jackson

Park area.”

There will be multiple

phases in completing the

entire vision of the restora-

tion project. In the current

stage AKO plans on resurfac-

ing the field to include turf

instead of natural grass, reno-

vating the seating structure to

fit a capacity of 1,200 fans,

providing the stadium with a

new scoreboard and finally

moving the light posts out of

the field of play to ensure

proper player safety.

Further to the initial plans,

the AKO Fraternity is hoping

Windsor Stadium and

Jackson Park can be used to

facilitate a variety of events

including concerts, festivals

and parades in hopes of

bringing back a part of histo-

ry to the city.

According to Joseph Passa

of Passa Architects the esti-

mated cost to complete the

entire project will be around

$15 million.

“We want to bring a lot of

colour and life into the front

entry,” said Passa. “One of

our biggest images we all

think about in Windsor is the

Big House in Ann Arbour…

so if we can grab a hold of

that, it’s the idea.”

Windsor Stadium has been a

place of brotherhood for

many years, a brotherhood

that has stayed with Windsor

native and Dallas Cowboys

defensive end, Tyrone

Crawford for a long time.

“A football team is a foot-

ball team, and the players on

that team make it a brother-

hood,” said Crawford. “It’s

different in the NFL but in

high school you knew that

your teammates were going

to be around for a long time.”

The Windsor restoration

project is attempting to

remodel Jackson Park, but

first the intention is to bring

players back to a field which

shares memories generation

after generation.

As Crawford recalls, it

meant more to him than just a

game of football.

ONVERGED CITIZENsports & fitness FEBRUARY 11, 2016C9

Tecumseh council considering new indoor sports complexDanielle Gagnier


Tecumseh town council

members are talking about the

idea of building a new multi-

use SportsPlex in Tecumseh,

but the final decision to pro-

ceed with the project could

take a number of months.

The complex was one of

mayor Gary McNamara’s

platform items when he was

running in the 2014 municipal

election. He has served as

mayor since 2003 and said

one of his main priorities has

always been his “service to

the community.” One of the

issues he sees as important

from the years 2014-18 is to

“support an enhanced indoor

sports facility such as an

indoor soccer complex and

walking track.”

Town council held a feasibil-

ity study analysis on Jan. 27 at

the Tecumseh arena. The

study included a survey for

residents to fill out asking

whether or not they would like

to see a new indoor facility

built in Tecumseh. It would be

built as an add-on to the exist-

ing Tecumseh arena in order

to reduce operating costs.

There is a possibility the new

complex would include

indoor walking tracks and an

indoor turf field, but the pur-

pose of this feasibility study

was to determine what

Tecumseh residents see as a

Photo by Danielle Gagnier

Mayor Gary McNamara at the feasibility study analysis for the new multi-useSportsPlex at the Tecumseh arena Jan. 27. priority.

“I was getting a lot of com-

ments from individuals that

there was not enough facilities

to add to the quality of life for

people of different ages,” said

McNamara. “We’re asking the

general public what you

would consider an important

component in a facility.”

There has also been a lot of

talk about a pool being includ-

ed in this facility. With so

many pools in the immediate

vicinity, council members said

it is unlikely there will be

enough demand for a pool and

it would be underused.

Council members want to

ensure they create a facility

that the town can truly benefit

from.

The public has been reacting

well towards the proposal for

a new indoor facility so far.

Kevin Mulvey, a Tecumseh

soccer coach, said he is excit-

ed by the proposal because

they are currently using

indoor facilities on the west

end of Windsor. While some

residents are concerned about

funding, McNamara said “the

community is in a pretty solid

financial footing” and the

complex will do nothing but

benefit the town.

This complex would not only

create a place for everyone in

the community to go to any

time of the year, but it will also

create more opportunities to

help the town grow and

expand in the future.

McNamara said the facility

and amenities in the commu-

nity would add to a business

case where the council could

bring the idea of possibly

building a hotel for people

coming from out of town for

tournaments.

“We could bring all kinds of

sports tourism here – tourna-

ments, partnerships with

school boards and so forth,”

said McNamara. He said he

believes Tecumseh should no

longer be classified as part of

downtown Windsor and wants

to look at growth areas for the

community to help it thrive.

John Alley, the director of

the development team, said

the earliest possible time the

complex will open is three

years from now. The director

of parks and recreation servic-

es for the Town of Tecumseh,

Paul Anthony, is looking for-

ward for the complex to be

built.

“It’s exciting that we’re

looking at doing something

different than other communi-

ties are doing,” he said.

“We’re looking to offer

amenities that aren’t currently

in a number of other munici-

palities.”

Although there are many

exciting ideas that have been

suggested by not only council

members but the general pub-

lic, the decision will not be

made until later this year

whether or not the complex

will be built.

Harbaugh renews Buckeye-Wolverine rivalry

Is it ethical?

Would you sleep over at a

recruit’s house, climb a tree or

throw some footballs to a cou-

ple of kids in order to get the

top recruit in the entire coun-

try to come play football for

you? How about getting

Kalamazoo native Derek Jeter

and former Michigan

Wolverine Tom Brady to

come out to a private event to

persuade a senior in high

school into choosing your

school instead of another.Say what you want, but the

recruiting efforts of JimHarbaugh are remarkable.

National Signing Day wasFeb. 3. For those who areunaware, it is a big deal forcollege football teams, fans,players and coaches. It’s a daythat brings hope and a senseof bragging rights to fans, nomatter how well their teamperformed in the football sea-son.

While thousands of highschool seniors made a life-changing decision onNational Signing Day, per-haps the most important sign-ing was Rashan Gary, thenation’s top recruit. He decid-ed to go to Michigan.

Most of you might think

I’m crazy for saying this, Imean, I’m a fan of THE OhioState. Buckeye fans are sup-posed to hate that team upnorth’s guts and everythingabout them. Which is exactlywhy the signing of Gary to theWolverines should excite fansof the rivalry.

It is believed by many the

Buckeye-Wolverine rivalry is

the greatest in all of sports. It

is beyond rivalry, it is stupidi-

ty. When these two teams

come to play, no matter the

sport, all hell breaks loose.

Houses divide, friends

become enemies and the pas-

sion for a team takes over.

There are no rules on game

day.It is a rivalry that has last-

ed 119 years. It is not goinganywhere. Unfortunately, thedays of the 10 Year War when

Woody Hayes and BoSchembechler redefined thetrue meaning of rivalry arebehind us. But it’s making acomeback.

The rivalry is great and it isonly going to get better.Millions of passionate fansacross the globe will continueto cheer for their team. Fightswill break out, Heisman poseswill be made and the braggingrights will continue to be a tra-dition that will forever live on.

The problem with this rival-ry, however, has been the pastdecade and the dominance ofOhio State. Or more recently,Urban Meyer.

Since taking over the reinsof the Scarlet and Gray, Meyerhas yet to lose to theWolverines going a perfect 4-0. He understands the impor-tance of the greatest rivalry inthe world and has even said it

does not matter what yourrecord is at the end of the sea-son. What matters is you beatMichigan.

In fact, the Buckeyes have

been victorious in 11 of the

past 12 games between the

two schools.

While the players, fans,

coaches, atmosphere and all

other things football will sure-

ly allow this heated rivalry to

grow, this rivalry would be

intensified if Michigan were

to win more games. No matter

what, both teams are going to

put up a fight and no matter

the score, the winning team

will have year-long bragging

rights. With 119 games in the

books, the memories still live

on. But now it is time to wit-

SEE PAGE 11

Opinion

Christian Bouchard

Sports Columnist

ONVERGED CITIZENsports & fitnessFEBRUARY 11, 2016C10

Three-on-three a change for the fansGarrett Fodor


Whether hockey fans are for

or opposed to it, three-on-

three overtime has a statistical

benefit compared to the con-

ventional four on four format

previously used.

Three-on-three overtime was

introduced at the NHL level at

the start of the regular season

in October 2015, after testing

it in the preseason and getting

rave reviews from fans and

general managers. It was also

proposed at the time that the

league would adopt this new

format for the NHL All-Star

game which was held Jan. 31

in Nashville, Tenn. The NHL

originally tested the idea dur-

ing the 2014-2015 season in

the American Hockey League

and received positive results.

The AHL saw a 12 per cent

drop in games that were decid-

ed in a shootout with the intro-

duction of this new format.

If the game is still tied after

regulation the game goes into

go on to win the Memorial

Cup. In the off-season during

the Toronto Maple Leafs orga-

nizational overhaul, it was

announced now-former

Detroit Red Wings head coach

Mike Babcock would join the

team. Joining him in the

organization was Smith as an

assistant coach, who works

with the defence on the team

along with the penalty kill.

Smith said he believes the

changes were done to improve

the fan experience.

“There’s a lot of skill and it’s

exciting for the fans,” said

Smith. “I think it’s good for

skill, the fans and for develop-

ment. These changes in all

these leagues (Junior ‘A’

through to Junior ‘C’) are fair

to everyone. I think when

you’re making a line it

depends on who you’re play-

ing and where they are in the

standings. If you are trying to

match them and just survive

or trying to move up the

standings.”

overtime. The three-on-three

overtime has three skaters on

each side plus the goalie.

Teams will play up to five

minutes of sudden death in

three-on-three. If no one has

scored, the teams will proceed

to a shootout. In previous

years, the league would play

five minutes of sudden death,

four-on-four. If the game is

still tied it would proceed to

the shootout.

It is now just past the mid-

way point in the NHL regular

season schedule. According to

NHL Public Relations, as of

Feb. 3, 110 out of 172 games

that needed extra time were

decided by the three-on-three

overtime period. Compared to

the same point last season, 84

out of 186 games that required

extra time were decided by

the four on four overtime

used.

During the 2014-2015 sea-

son Windsor native DJ Smith

was the head coach of the

Oshawa Generals, who would

Superbowl betting still prohibited in WindsorChristian Bouchard


Windsorites are among

many Canadian citizens to

lose out on millions of dollars

during Super Bowl 50 due to

the Senate stalling Bill C-290.

The bill, which would allow

gamblers across Ontario to bet

on single-game sporting

events was introduced into the

House of Commons on Sept.

28, 2011 by Joe Comartin,

retired NDP M.P. for Windsor-

Tecumseh.

“We would get a ton of busi-

ness from Michigan, Ohio,

and Illinois and not to mention

our local action,” said Joe

Carnevale, an employee at

Caesars Windsor and advocate

for single game sports betting.

“We need it in our community.

Not just to create jobs but to

shore up the jobs we have

now.”

As it stands, gamblers must

wager a minimum of two

games and correctly predict

the outcome of each in order

to win. This is known as a par-

lay bet and is more difficult to

win as the odds of winning

decrease with the increase of

games that are bet on.Bill C-290 was reintroduced

by local M.P. Brian Masse

after being held up at theSenate after it ended up onestage short of Royal Assent byJune 2013. The bill came withslight changes which wouldeliminate the Criminal Codesection that prohibits bettingon a single race, fight, sport-ing event or athletic contest.

“There would be an elimina-tion of some of the black mar-ket gaming that’s taking placeright now,” said Masse. “Anywagering would be done in apublic accountable way andthen if the wager were lost,the money would go to theprovince for education, healthcare, gaming addiction and allthose different streams ofpublic infrastructure that arenecessary.”

The Canadian GamingAssociation estimates $150million was wagered illegallyin Canada during last year’sSuper Bowl. This is comparedto the $3 million through legalsports lotteries such asPro.Line.

Carnevale, who runs hisown Facebook page promot-ing the legalization of single-game sports betting, believesCaesars Windsor would beable to eliminate a vast major-ity of illegal wagers with BillC-290 passing through the

Senate.“You can’t even monitor the

age of a person online,” saidCarnevale. “A kid could gograb his father’s credit cardand go online. But when youwalk into the casino, theycheck your ID, you have to be19 and you get flagged withany suspicious behavior.There’s no place more securethan a casino to gamble.”

According to a report by theCanadian GamingAssociation, Caesars Windsorwould also benefit as an esti-mated 100 full-time jobswould be implemented if thebill were passed.

Masse agrees and said thelegalization of single eventsports betting will benefitWindsor because it will attractmany Americans.

“We often have calls fromChicago to Ohio aboutwhether or not the bill haspassed,” said Masse. “Peoplewant to come down and visitWindsor.”

Carnevale said Windsor andthe casino are losing out onmore than just the SuperBowl. The CGA estimated$26 million in single-eventsports betting has beenwagered illegally while theSenate has been debating the

Bill Bellaire a member of

the Quebec Remparts, of the

Quebec Major Junior Hockey

League has been scouting free

agents for the last five years

who have fallen through the

cracks. Bellaire said he

believes three-on-three does

not change the approach

scouts have.

“Three-on-three is much

better than the shootout. When

you see a kid three-on-three, it

does not matter to me as I pre-

fer to see them five on five. It

is a different game then,” said

Bellaire. The fans are the win-

ners in the three-on-three.

Further, my thoughts for kids

that want to play major junior.

it is not the end of the world

because that is why I am here

and also trust me a lot of the Q

scouts are watching. A player

never knows who is in the

stands watching.”

With the NHL adapting to

the three-on-three format so

have the junior leagues across

Canada. With the NHL having

success with it’s all-star for-

mat, drawing an estimate of

over one million viewers in

the U.S., according to the

National Broadcasting

Company Sports Network,

fans can expect to see more

three-on-three in the future.

Photo by Christian BouchardDrake Baird celebrates during Super Bowl 50 with hisProps ticket. bill. Carnevale said actionshould be taken soon to legal-ize the bill in order to capital-ize on the $10 billion a yearindustry.

“It’s not just the SuperBowl,” said Carnevale. “It’sthe NCAA March Madness,it’s all the college footballgames and more. Peoplewould stay for days on end atour casino. If they came fromout of town, they would staylong enough to collect theirwinnings at least. Our down-town restaurants and hotelswould benefit tremendously as

well.”

According to the State of

Nevada Gaming Control

Board $132 million was

wagered on this year’s Super

Bowl, a slight rise from the

previous record-breaking

$119.4 million.

“I think one of the biggest

reasons for the stall in the bill

is the reputation that the gov-

ernment says more people

will become addicted,” said

Carnevale. “People who want

to gamble will gamble. They

always find ways.”

A former Spitfires captain

who won back-to-back

Memorial Cups in 2009 and

2010 with Windsor during his

junior career has had his num-

ber six retired to the rafters.

The Canadian Hockey

League’s all-time defensive

scoring leader Ryan Ellis

returned to his old stomping

grounds at the W.F.C.U.

Centre Saturday night for a

ceremony in his honour.

“I’m very excited to be here.

Windsor is a second home for

me,” said Ellis. “I have some

connections here and family.

It’s nice to see all the coaches

and trainers. Obviously the

players have changed but the

room is the same. It’s nice to

be home.”

The Nashville Predators’

defenceman who was drafted

eleventh overall in the first

round of the 2009 NHL draft,

scored 73 goals and 241

assists for 314 total points

during his four seasons with

the Spitfires. The most recent

defenceman to win the

Canadian Hockey League’s

most valuable player award,

Ellis said he takes great pride

in his junior career.

“Everything I did in junior,

team achievements and player

achievements, was all just a

whirlwind really,” said Ellis.

“It was so much fun for me to

be a part of the teams we had

and there are a lot of great

players who have come

through here. For me to be

back is fun and I’m excited.

Tonight has been a great time

so far.”

Ellis, who recently signed

a five-year deal worth $12.5

million with the Predators, has

fond memories of his days in

Windsor.

“Honestly, I miss it

(Windsor). It’s a great city. It’s

a great hockey city,” said

Ellis. “It’s great to come back

and see some old faces.

Tonight the barn will be

rockin’.”

Ellis said playing for the

Spitfires was key in preparing

him to play in the NHL.

“It was huge. To have some

ex-players who played in the

league, they truly ran it like an

NHL organization. Winning

was the ultimate goal but they

developed some great family

relationships,” said Ellis.

“You’d come in and they’d

begin as your coaches and

your teammates but as the

years went on it was more

father figures and the players

like brothers. It really became

a whole family atmosphere.”

Windsor Spitfires president

Bob Boughner, who coached

Ellis during his tenure in

Windsor, returned home from

his assistant coaching position

with the San Jose Sharks to

attend the banner raising.

“Ryan Ellis was and always

will be a great Windsor

Spitfire,” said Boughner. “The

Spitfires are proud and grate-

ful to have him as a part of our

family and community.”

Ellis, who surpassed Chicago

Blackhawks’ head coach Joel

Quenneville as the Spitfires’

all-time leading scorer among

defencemen after scoring 230

points, was welcomed by an

electric sellout crowd at the

WFCU Centre.

“There are some greats up

there. (Joel) Quennville,

(Adam) Henrique and (Steve)

Ott,” said Ellis. “There are a

lot of big names and players

who have done a lot of good

things. I’m sure (Taylor) Hall

will be up there soon. Great

names. Great players. To be a

part of that group is really spe-

cial.”

FROM PAGE 1


A hundred years of the Maple Leafs logo

In preparation for their 100thseason the Toronto MapleLeafs have unveiled a newlogo.

Maple Leafs fans are used tochange. The team is constant-ly fluctuating with playerscoming in and out of theorganization but the one thingwhich has remained the samefor the better part of 50 yearsis about to change.

To many, the current sacredblue and white crest is areminder of a great historicalteam. It’s the logo I’ve wornon my jersey my entire life,but nothing really special orhistoric about it. The Leafshave never won a Stanley Cupwith this current logo or madea serious run with it – besidethe Matts Sundin and DougGilmour era of course.

The more time goes on with

this logo, the more it starts toremind me of disappointmentand the organization is tryingto leave all the negativitybehind with this currentrebuild.

So I say bring on the newlogo. Change is a good thing.

The end of what was debat-ably the worst season for theLeafs last year came with abitter sweet overhaul of uppermanagement. We saw formerDetroit Red Wings winger

Brendan Shanahan, promisefans the beginning of some-thing great after his hiring. Hebacked his promise up withthe signing of now-formerDetroit Red Wings head coachMike Babcock to an eight-year $50 million contract.Shanahan then hired formerNew Jersey Devil LouLamoriello, to manage theteam.The new regime of the Maple

Leafs promised to overhaul

the team after taking controlin the off-season, but nobodyexpected the transformationof the team logo.

The new logo is the begin-

ning of a new-era, the Mike

Babcock-era. The Leafs are

being rebranded by this new

regime and a new look to the

team is just one step towards

what is supposed to be a five-

year multi-step process.The Maple Leafs logo has

always been one of the mostsimplistic in the league butnot in a good way. The startof the 2016-17 season willchange that. The logo has aretro look to it, a look whichreminds me of a team thatwas once great, a team withplayers like Dave Keon, TimHorton and Johnny Bower.

The logo has meaning now,it’s not just a simple logo withthe team name inside of it.The 31 points on the crestrepresents 1931- when MapleLeafs Gardens was opened,the 13 veins on the top of thelogo is symbolic for the num-ber of Stanley Cups the teamhas won and the 17 veinsthroughout the logo mark theinaugural season of the fran-chise in 1917.

The next step in the newlook process is a whole newre-design of the blue andwhite jersey, which isrumored to be unveiled dur-ing the 2016 NHL Entry Draftin Buffalo, hopefully with thename Auston Matthews onthe back.

The logo is a reminder of

what can be and what once

was. The only thing fans want

is the Toronto Maple Leafs to

win and this new logo is a start.

Designed by Jordan Caschera

The new Toronto Maple Leafs logo for the 2016-17 centennial season.

ness the greatest years of the

rivalry.

When it comes to winning

and losing, fans hate losing

more than they enjoy win-

ning. That is the case every

time my Buckeyes play the

Wolverines.

Since Meyer stepped onto

campus, he has captured the

trust and faith of the entire

state of Ohio. Now it’s time

for this rivalry to take a step

up.

Jim Harbaugh is no joke.

He wants to win and he’s not

willing to wait.

We’ve seen him go to some

extreme lengths to get recruits

and will continue to see him

go to extreme lengths to win

football games.

I have had heartbreaks, even

cried in the shower for an

hour following a crushing

loss. I’m not afraid to admit

that, and not afraid to admit

come autumn when football

fans get a look at how talented

the University of Michigan’s

football team is, Buckeye fans

will be a tad bit scared in the

days leading up to the last

Saturday in November.

But in those days leading

up to Nov. 26, Buckeye fans

will be cheering for the

Wolverines. More than any-

thing in this world, I love

the rivalry. Scratch that.

More than anything, I love

the feeling I am left with

every time the Buckeyes

beat the Wolverines.

This time around, on Nov.

26, it will be different. The

Buckeyes and Wolverines

will meet at Ohio Stadium

on Senior Day ranked in the

Top 10. More than 110,000

fans will flood the horse-

shoe for a chance to witness

one of the greatest rivalries

in the world in person. This

time around, the energy will

be more electric and it will

be an instant classic.

In such a short period of

time, Jim Harbaugh has

managed to instill fear into

my poor little heart.

The rivalry is back.

Urban Meyer versus Jim

Harbaugh.

Get used to it, folks. We

are in for the best 10 year

war of our lifetime.

FROM PAGE 9

Opinion

Jordan Cashera

Sports Columnist


St.Clair College Polar Plunge

Photo 1: A St. Clair College Pre-ServiceFirefighter Education and Training studentyells while staring into at his GoPro afterbeing thrown into a pool during the 2016Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Ontarioat the college Feb. 4.

Photo 2: Sgt. Matthew D’Asti (left) andConst. Andrew Drouillard of the WindsorPolice Service dive into a pool during the2016 Polar Plunge for Special OlympicsOntario at St. Clair College Feb. 4.

Photo 3: A pair of St. Clair College studentsperform a dance prior to diving into thewater for the second annual Polar Plungefor Special Olympics Ontario at the collegeFeb. 4. The two students recreated a scenefrom the 1997 film Titanic for about 90 sec-onds before jumping into the water.

Photo 4: Two St. Clair College students per-form a dance prior to diving into the waterduring the second-annual Polar Plunge forSpecial Olympics Ontario at the collegeFeb. 4.

Photo 5: A pair of St. Clair College studentsjump into a pool during the 2016 PolarPlunge for Special Olympics Ontario at thecollege Feb. 4.

Photo 6: Two St. Clair College students askfor a valentine while jumping into a poolduring the second annual Polar Plunge forSpecial Olympics Ontario at the college’smain campus Feb. 4.

Photos by Justin Prince.

the converged citizen - february 11, 2016

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