Articles
Clearview couple suing WPD, farm owner
STAYNER - A Clearview Township resident is suing WPD Canada, the company that wants to erect eight wind turbines on land just west of Stayner.
The resident is also suing Beattie Brothers Farms Limited, owners of the farmland on which the turbines would be situated.
A news release says that Sylvia Wiggins and her husband John are seeking an injunction against the WPD project and $2-million in damages from the defendants.
“This claim seems unique because the owner of the proposed farm is also being sued,” said Eric Gillespie, the lawyer for Sylvia Wiggins. “Landowners who decide to allow turbines may need to look carefully at their legal position and potential liability.”
The claim focuses on the alleged devaluation of the Wiggins’ property, located at 1185 Nottawasaga Concession 6 North.
The couple listed their home for sale in 2011 and showings started but then ended shortly after the WPD project was publicized.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
The Sun contacted WPD for comment about the claims but the company declined.
“At this point we’ve decided that we won’t be providing comment on legal action that’s before the courts,” company spokesperson Kevin Surette said.
A statement of claim says Sylvia Wiggins is 78 and her husband John is 80. The claim states that Sylvia purchased the property on Oct. 26, 2006 as a property on which she could raise horses.
The statement says the nearest turbines to the Wiggins’ property would be “approximately 550 metres, 750 metres and 950 metres away.” The statement says the turbines are located to the north-east, the east and the south-east of the property.
“As a result of the proposal to construct and operate the [wind turbine facility], the property and any persons thereon will be exposed to significant audible and inaudible noise, low frequency noise and light flicker, together with low frequency electrical grounding that will cause annoyance and decrease the value of the property,” the statement of claim notes.
The statement says the Wiggins’ property has a number of features that allow it to stand out, “including a well-preserved farmhouse from the mid-19 century and commanding views across the landscape. These factors, among others, were part of the reason Sylvia Wiggins purchased the property.”
Since purchasing the property, the statement says “$700,000 has been spent on renovations and upgrades to the house, the barn and the outbuildings to create a luxury property that is perfectly situated to take advantage of the summer and winter activities common to the area around Collingwood such as skiing, biking and other outdoor activities.”
The Wiggins knew the property would not be a long-term home and “costly improvements and renovations were made with resale potential in mind.”
The couple listed the property on June 7, 2011 and the statement says “within a short time a number of potential purchasers expressed interest in viewing the property.”
However, the statement notes that on or about June 20, 2011 a notice of a public meeting regarding the WPD proposal was delivered to them and since then “potential purchasers have lost interest in viewing the property and no further interested parties have come forward.”
The statement says that “Sylvia Wiggins states and the fact is that the reduction in value that followed the announcement of the proposed [wind turbine facility] was immediate and substantial. Sylvia Wiggins is thus unable to deal with the property as she sees fit.”
The statement goes on to say that the wind turbine facility “constitutes a non-natural use of the neighbouring properties and will permit the escape of damaging noise/sound, vibration and light flicker onto the property.”
As well, the statement adds, “Sylvia Wiggins will suffer loss and damage, over and above the loss and damage sustained by the general public, including pecuniary losses, which include the substantial and unwarranted reduction in value of the property and non-pecuniary losses, which include special damages, anxiety and worry, annoyance, inconvenience, loss of comfort and enjoyment of a direct and substantial character, loss of enjoyment and normal use of their property and the subject premises will be unreasonably, substantially and permanently interfered with.”
The statement claims that WPD failed to study the effects of wind turbines and failed to issue warnings about the risks, and failed to take steps prevent noise from causing a disturbance.
Also, the statement claims that Beattie Brothers knew the turbine facility would create noise and failed to “take measures that will prevent the noise/sound from causing a nuisance; and have failed to take steps to remedy the damage that Sylvia Wiggins will suffer.”
wind turbines
"Windfall" Documentary on CBC......eye opening documentary on wind turbines, and they are coming to Clearview........
Date Time
Nov 11, 2011 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Nov 12, 2011 1:00 AM - 2:30 AM
Ontario's rapid expansion in wind power projects has provoked a backlash from rural residents living near industrial wind turbines who say their property values are plummeting and they are unable to sell their homes, a CBC News investigation has found.The government and the wind energy industry have long maintained turbines have no adverse effects on property values, health or the environment.The CBC has documented scores of families who've discovered their property values are not only going downward, but also some who are unable to sell and have even abandoned their homes because of concerns nearby turbines are affecting their health.News tipsFor news tips on this and other stories, please contact the writers at john.nicol@cbc.ca and dave.seglins@cbc.ca."I have to tell you not a soul has come to look at it," says Stephana Johnston, 81, of Clear Creek, a hamlet in Haldimand County on the north shore of Lake Erie, about 60 kilometres southeast of London.Johnston, a retired Toronto teacher, moved here six years ago to build what she thought would be her dream home. But in 2008, 18 industrial wind turbines sprung up near her property and she put the one-floor, wheelchair-accessible home up for sale."My hunch is that people look at them and say: 'As nice as the property is going south, looking at the lake, we don't want to be surrounded by those turbines.' Can't say that I blame them."P.O.V.:Would you live near wind turbines?Johnston says she has suffered so many ill health effects, including an inability to sleep — which she believes stem from the noise and vibration of the turbines— that she now sleeps on a couch in her son's trailer, 12 kilometres away, and only returns to her house to eat breakfast and dinner and use the internet.Industry rejects claims of lower land valuesMeanwhile, the industry rejects claims of lower land values."Multiple studies, and particularly some very comprehensive ones from the United States have consistently shown the presence of wind turbines does not have any statistically significant impact on property values," says Robert Hornung of the Ottawa-based Canadian Wind Energy Association (CANWEA). While acknowledging a lack of peer-reviewed studies in Ontario, Hornung says CANWEA commissioned a study of the Chatham-Kent area, where new wind turbines are appearing, and found no evidence of any impact on property values."In fact," says Hornung, "we've recently seen evidence coming from Re/Max indicating that we're seeing farm values throughout Ontario, including the Chatham-Kent area, increasing significantly this year as wind energy is being developed in the area at the same time."However, Ron VandenBussche, a Re/Max agent along the Lake Erie shore, said the reality is that the wind turbines reduce the pool of interested buyers, and ultimately the price of properties."It's going to make my life more difficult," says VandenBussche, who has been a realtor for 38 years. "There's going to be people that would love to buy this particular place, but because the turbines are there, it's going to make it more difficult, no doubt."Kay Armstrong says she felt fortunate to sell her two-acre property listed at $270,000 for $175,000. CBC Kay Armstrong is one example. She put her two-acre, waterfront property up for sale before the turbines appeared in Clear Creek, for what three agents said was a reasonable price of $270,000.Two years after the turbines appeared, she took $175,000, and she felt lucky to do that — the property went to someone who only wanted to grow marijuana there for legal uses. "I had to get out," said Armstrong. "It was getting so, so bad. And I had to disclose the health issues I had. I was told by two prominent lawyers that I would be sued if the ensuing purchasers were to develop health problems."Realtor association finds 20 to 40 per cent drops in valueArmstrong's experience is backed up in a study by Brampton-based realtor Chris Luxemburger. The president of the Brampton Real Estate Board examined real estate listings and sales figures for the Melancthon-Amaranth area, home to 133 turbines in what is Ontario's first and largest industrial wind farm."Homes inside the windmill zones were selling for less and taking longer to sell than the homes outside the windmill zones," said Luxemburger.On average, from 2007 to 2010, he says properties adjacent to turbines sold for between 20 and 40 per cent less than comparable properties that were out of sight from the windmills.Power company sells at a lossLand registry documents obtained by CBC News show that some property owners who complained about noise and health issues and threatened legal action did well if they convinced the turbine companies to buy them out.Canadian Hydro Developers bought out four different owners for $500,000, $350,000, $305,000 and $302,670. The company then resold each property, respectively, for $288,400, $175,000, $278,000 and $215,000.In total, Canadian Hydro absorbed just over half a million dollars in losses on those four properties.The new buyers were required to sign agreements acknowledging that the wind turbine facilities may affect the buyer's "living environment" and that the power company will not be responsible for or liable from any of the buyer's "complaints, claims, demands, suits, actions or causes of action of every kind known or unknown which may arise directly or indirectly from the Transferee's wind turbine facilities."The energy company admits the impacts may include "heat, sound, vibration, shadow flickering of light, noise (including grey noise) or any other adverse effect or combination thereof resulting directly or indirectly from the operation."TransAlta, the company that took over for Canadian Hydro, refused to discuss the specific properties it bought and then resold at a loss in Melancthon. But in an email to CBC, spokesman Glen Whelan cited the recession and other "business considerations" that "influence the cost at which we buy or sell properties, and to attribute purchase or sale prices to any one factor would be impossible."Province says no change to tax baseOntario's ministers of Energy, Municipal Affairs and Finance, all in the midst of an election campaign, declined requests for an interview. 'That's what makes them sick is that, you know, they'll get less money for their properties, and that's what's causing all this annoyance and frustration.'—Environment Ministry lawyer Frederika Rotter
A spokesperson for Municipal Affairs says his ministry has no studies or information about the potential impact wind turbines are having on rural property values.However, last February, before an environmental review tribunal in Chatham, Environment Ministry lawyer Frederika Rotter said: "We will see in the course of this hearing that lots of people are worried about windmills. They may not like the noise, they may think the noise makes them sick, but really what makes them sick is just the windmills being on the land because it does impact their property values."That's what makes them sick is that, you know, they'll get less money for their properties, and that's what's causing all this annoyance and frustration and all of that."When Energy Minister Brad Duguid declined comment, his staff referred CBC News to the Ministry of Finance, which oversees MPAC (the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation), which sets values on land for taxation purposes. They indicated that MPAC has no evidence wind turbines are driving down assessed values.However, CBC found one household in Melancthon was awarded a 50-per-cent reduction in property tax because the house sat next to a transformer station for the turbines. Losing the rural life Almost all the people interviewed by the CBC rue the division between neighbours for and against the turbines, and said what they have lost is a sense of home and the idyllic life of living in the countryside.Tracy Whitworth refuses to sell her historic home in Clear Creek.CBC Tracy Whitworth, who has a historic home in Clear Creek, refuses to sell it and instead has become a nomad, renting from place to place with her son, to avoid the ill effects of the turbines."My house sits empty — it's been vandalized," says Whitworth, a Clear Creek resident who teaches high school in Delhi. "I've had a couple of 'Stop the wind turbine' signs knocked down, mailbox broken off."I lived out there for a reason. It was out in the country. School's very busy. When I come home, I like peace and quiet. Now, we have the turbines and the noise. Absolutely no wildlife. I used to go out in the morning, tend to my dogs, let my dogs run, and I'd hear the geese go over."And ugh! Now there's no deer, no geese, no wild turkeys. Nothing."For the octogenarian Johnston, the fight is all more than she bargained for. She sank all her life savings, about $500,000, into the house, and she says she does not have the money to be able to hire a lawyer to fight for a buyout. But she is coming to the conclusion she must get a mortgage to try the legal route."I love being near the water and I thought, what a way to spend the rest of my days — every view is precious," she said, as tears filled her eyes. "And I would not have that any more."And that is hard to reconcile and accept."Getting a mortgage on her house might not be that easy. CBC News has learned that already one bank in the Melancthon area is not allowing lines of credit to be secured by houses situated near wind turbines. In a letter to one family situated close to the turbines, the bank wrote, "we find your property a high risk and its future marketability may be jeopardized."
Source - Stayner Sun Michael Gennings, StaffNew networking group in Stayner
STAYNER - The Stayner Business Women's Network held its inaugural meeting at the Golden Apple Restaurant last Wednesday morning.
The meeting attracted 33 professionals from the community.
Tamara Culham, a local real estate agent, founded the group, which will now meet monthly.
Culham said she started the networking group to help local businesses women survive in challenging economic times.
"If I can create a strong, cohesive group, where we can support each other in our struggles, get to know each other, what our services are, send each other referrals, share our clients, then we can create this really strong core in Stayner so that if the recession comes, we're going to weather it," she explained.
A broker at Paul Fisher Real Estate on Main Street, Culham said she started a women-only group after involvement in other networking organizations.
"I have been in a lot of different networking groups and find that the synergy within a group of women is much different than with a mixed group and I felt that was a strength. It can be more encouraging and more nurturing," she said.
Culham initially ran the concept for the group by several business women in town that she admires, including Marion Spellman, owner of the gift shop Knit 'n Kaboodle and Leslie Kinnear, co-owner of the Golden Apple Restaurant.
"They had some great ideas and were quite supportive," Culham said.
Membership in the group is by invitation only. The only other criteria, Culham said, is members must have a business address in Stayner.
"And that's because my goal is to have a strong, cohesive Stayner," she said.
Culham stressed that members of the group don't need to own a business with a Stayner address - just work for one.
The breakfast meeting last Wednesday started at 7:15 a.m. and ran until 9 a.m.
"Every meeting is going to have a different agenda. At our very first meeting, everybody signed in and I had assigned seating because I wanted people to meet people they didn't know or didn't know well. There's no point in going to a networking meeting if you sit with people you know," Culham said.
After breakfast was ordered, each person was given a minute to introduce themselves. Culham said she asked people to also note what they do to support the community.
"I wanted to encourage people to give back to their community," Culham explained. "It's not about just running a business and making a profit and going home at the end of the day. We'll be stronger as businesses and as women if we can give back to the community."
Throughout the meeting people had a chance to chat at their table and at the end Culham shared a business book called Work by Referral, Live the Good Life, by Brian Buffini and Joe Niego.
"It's got a lot of real estate stuff in it but also business principles that you can apply to anything. And I really believe heading into tough economic times - working by referral is the only way to survive, Culham said.
She plans to introduce a different business book at the end of each meeting as a resource tool for people.
After the meeting there was a good deal of positive feedback, Culham said. She added that planning for the next session is getting underway.
Culham said she sees the meetings evolving over time.
"I think the first couple of months I want to tailor the agenda so we get to know each other better," she said. "And then after that start to add some guest speakers and some other things."
For more information on the group e-mail Tamara Culham at tamaraculham@rogers.com or call 705-428-2148 or call Marion Spellman at 705-428-2043.
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Stolen Identitity
You go out of your way to safeguard your home, your business, even your car stereo. However, what if it’s your identity that thieves are really after? In this increasingly digitized world—where personal information is just the click of a mouse away—identity theft is becoming more common, and more expensive. ID theft has impacted one out of six adult Canadians, more than 4.2 million people, either directly or within their immediate households. The poll, conducted in 2006 by the Strategic Counsel for the Competition Bureau of Canada, suggests that 17% of people 18 or older have been victimized. The problem is real and is not going away anytime soon.
Be smart.Unless you have initiated the contact, never give out your personal information over e-mail, the Internet or the phone. Identity thieves often pose as government officials, bank representatives or credit card companies in the hope that you will provide them with your personal information.
What’s your ID worth? Stolen identities are peddled on the internet for about$100 each
CHECK AND DOUBLE-CHECK.Credit card fraud is the most common type of identity theft, making it especially important to review your statements eachmonth and look for any unauthorized charges. If an identity thief has your account information, he or she can call the companyand have them redirect the bill to a different address, so if your statement is late or never arrives, call the company.
PROTECT YOUR PASSWORDS.Use a combination of numbers, capital and lower-case letters when creating the passwords for computer, e-mail and Internetaccounts. Never use an obvious password, like your maiden name or birth date.
DESTROY THE EVIDENCE.Before you dispose of sensitive documents including bills, credit card receipts, pre-approved credit cards give them a goodshredding. Pulling these sensitive materials out of the trash is a favorite ploy of identity thieves.
PURGE YOUR WALLET.Never carry your SIN card in your wallet—store it in a safe location instead. Also eliminate any unnecessary credit cardsor ID cards.
SAFEGUARD YOUR MAIL.Don’t leave outgoing mail in your mailbox—it’s easy for thieves to swipe it and pull bank numbers from cheques or personalinformation from bills. Use post office drop boxes instead.
What to do when your wallet/purse has been stolen
1 Call your bank and credit card companies. Tell the representative that your card is missing, report what time you noticed it was missing, and if you can, state the last time is was used and whatpurchase was last made
2 Notify your local Ministry of Transportation. To get a replacement driver’s license, you’ll need to provide the office with documentation that proves your identity, such as a birth certificate orpassport.
3 File a police report. This helps add validity to your story. Keep a copy of the report in case unauthorized charges start showing up on your account\
.4 If your passport is missing report it to Passport Canada immediately at 1-800-567-6868. If your SIN card is missing contact the police and Service Canada at 1-800-206-7218.
5 The 2006 Fraud Survey Report reveals that victims of identity theft are spending more time to resolve identity fraud cases, increasing from 30 hours in 2003 to 40 hours in 2006.
In the event that you are the victim, people are waiting to help you resolve the problem.
1. Call the police.
2. Report it.
3. Close accounts.
4. File a complaint.
5. Keep an eye on your accounts.
A police report will come in handy if your bank or credit card company asks for proof of the crime.Contact the two major credit bureaus listed on the form below, and ask them to place a “security alert” on your file. This alert states that you are a victim of fraud and that any company accessing your report should verify your identification before granting credit.Contact the security departments of your creditors or financial institutions that have been opened without your permission.Notify Service Canada that you have been a victim of identity theft.
You may also want to contact PhoneBusters, the national anti-fraud call centre, for additional assistance or advice. Their phone number is 1-888-495-8501.Watch for future misuse and file reports if youfind any further unauthorized transactions.
Equifax1.800.465.7166www.equifax.caP.O. Box 190Montreal, Quebec H1S 2Z2TransUnion1.866.525.0262www.transunion.caP.O. Box 338 L.C.D.I.Hamilton, Ontario L8L 7W2 2Z2...........................................................................................................
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Funds will help familySupport for local family. Gavyn Douglas (from left), Jennifer Norton, Jennson Douglas, Amy Douglas, Alyssa Nesbitt, Aaron Douglas, Ramona Greer, Kelly Rawn, Tamara Culham and Madison Douglas at a cheque presentation for the Douglas family. The funds will help the family cover expenses as Jennson fights cancer. Contributed photo
STAYNER - Stayner deserves a pat on the back.
The community has raised a whopping $10,043.97 for the Douglas family.
The local family will use the funds to help cover expenses as nine-month-old Jennson Douglas fights kidney cancer.
"Thank you to all the supporters for all they have done, and for our friends who are wonderful that have looked after us through everything," said Amy Douglas, Jennson's mother, after receiving the cheque last week.
The For the Love of Jennson Project started with a scrap metal drive, hosted by Jennifer Norton and Alyssa Nesbitt, sponsored by Midwest Metals in Creemore.
"I really wanted to do something for their family as they have done so much for me. When I started the scrap metal drive I didn't realize it would snowball into so many side projects, its been amazing" said Norton.
Decals for support were sold by Stayner realtor Tamara Culham and generously donated by Steve and Kelly Rawn of Greenview Graphics in Stayner. Ramona Greer, a local general accountant, wrapped up the fundraiser by hosting a successful barbecue.
"I am so happy to be a part of this as it has shown me how wonderful of a community Stayner is," Nesbitt said
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STAYNER - Organizers of a fundraising drive in support of a Stayner infant being treated for cancer are closing in on their fundraising goal of $10,000. While chemotherapy and radiation treatments for eight-month-old Jennson Douglas began in August, residents of Clearview Township and surrounding communities supported a scrap metal recycling drive and a sticker campaign.On Monday, the total raised stood at $6,881.13. Monies will help the family fund travel, parking, and accommodation expenses related to Jennson's ongoing treatment as well as costs for medical supplies not covered under the provincial health insurance.The scrap metal recycling drive has raised a large part of the money. Donations have included scrap cars, old appliances and even a school bus."The 'For the Love of Jennson' decals are popping up everywhere," said Tamara Culham of Fisher Real Estate in Stayner, one of the organizers. People have donated anything from a dollar to $100 for the stickers but Culham said the money isn't the main point. "We want the stickers to send a message to Amy and Aaron Douglas and their families that the community is pulling - and praying - for them."Culham said they're planning to wrap up the entire fundraising campaign by the second week of September when the money will be turned over to the family. The office of Ramona Greer, CGA is hosting a fundraising barbecue and prize draw in support of the fund on Fri., Sept. 2 beginning at 2 p.m. at their office, 7351 Hwy. 26 in Stayner. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be served for a minimum donation of $2 or $3 with chips and pop
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Infant fights cancer Community rallying to support family as chemotherapy treatment beginsCampaign underway. A community decal campaign and scrap metal donation drive has been launched to support the family through the weeks ahead.
STAYNER – Miracles happen everyday at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children but, for people in Clearview, this one is personal and Jennson Douglas needs one.
In a six-and-a-half-hour operation Tuesday, July 19 a team of 21 doctors and nurses removed a cancerous tumour from the tiny body of seven-month-old Jennson.
Now with chemotherapy treatment set to begin, the community is rallying around the plucky little girl and her family with a scrap metal fundraising drive and a window decal campaign.
The surgery capped off an overwhelming 10 days for parents Amy and Aaron Douglas of Stayner.
Jennson had shown signs of a fever about a week before a lump was detected on July 14. In the span of just a few days Amy Douglas said the family went from suspecting a hernia to a diagnosis of naphroblastoma - cancer of the kidney.
Pediatric urologist Dr. Armando Lorenzo immediately cleared his schedule and pulled together the team needed to carry out the delicate operation on Friday, July 22.
The tumour had consumed the kidney on Jennson's right side and was the size of an adult human fist and placing pressure on other vital organs. The tumour and kidney were removed.
Amy said the occasional screams of pain and Jennson's discomfort in her car seat suddenly all made sense. Occasionally she would arch her back and cry out but her mother couldn't understand what was wrong.
Amy and her husband Aaron, a gas appliance serviceman, live in Stayner with their family, which includes five-year-old daughter Madison and three-and-a-half year old son. Gavin. Amy has had to turn her attention away from her studies in a social work program to focus on Jennson's needs.
Amy admits she and her husband first reacted with shock and disbelief, but she displayed a sense of calm and confidence Sunday while cuddling Jennson who was a little more like her "usually happy-go-lucky" self dressed in a cool black-and-white print dress with matching headband.
Jennson, who is teething, tried gumming on the six-inch pink decal created in her honour while her mom described the whirlwind that has been unfolding around her little baby.
"You quickly learn who your real friends are. We're overwhelmed," she said. "We have amazing support in our family and in our church - even churches we don't attend. People everywhere are praying for Jennson." Amy said she is also in awe of the work of the doctors and staff at Sick Kids.
The outpouring of support from relatives, friends and the community has been important to maintaining stability for the family and the Douglas's don't know yet just what is to come.
Tamara Culham of Fisher Real Estate, who sold the couple a home earlier this year, is calling on the community to display a "For the love of Jennson" decal in windows or on cars, to show the family that Clearview is pulling for them. Decals are available, in exchange for a donation of any amount, during business hours at Paul Fisher Real Estate on Main Street in Stayner next to the TD Canada Trust or you can contact Tamara Culham at TamaraCulham@rogers.com. Jenn Norton also has a number of the decals and can be reached at 705-999-1583.
Norton, a long-time friend to Amy, and Alyssa Nesbitt are coordinating a two-day scrap metal collection blitz August 6-7 at the Stayner Co-op parking lot on Huron Street. Drop-off hours are, rain or shine, Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"We'll accept any kind of metal," said Norton, "even tin cans." A full trailer unit could yield up to $1,500 and already someone has committed a scrap car, she said.
Proceeds from both efforts will be placed into a trust fund for the family to assist with the cost of incidental expenses not covered by their health insurance.
"We know that the costs of travel back and forth to medical appointments, overnight stays, parking fees, special clothing and medical supplies are going to eat into the family budget," said Culham.
"Amy and Aaron will face stresses from all directions but I think our community will step forward and make certain that the stress of extra costs can be taken from their minds."
Already, she said, the community has been stepping up to help out. Greenview Graphics produced the six-inch pink heart decals for windows or cars and donated their material and services.
The trailer for the scrap metal drive has been donated by Midwest Metals of Creemore
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Quake caps off seven days for mission team in DR
Mission trip. Tamara Culham shares some time with a young girl at Villa Esperanza last week. A six-member team from the area went to build homes for Haitian refugees living in the Dominican Republic. Contributed photo
STAYNER - For Tamara Culham and five travel companions from Wasaga and Stayner, the earthquake in Haiti was the exclamation point in a week of earth-shaking moments in the neighbouring country, the Dominican Republic.
Culham, a Stayner real estate broker was part of a mission blitz to serve Haitian refugees who have been living in the D.R.
"We'd all been suffering a little with stomach ailments and when the room started moving I just thought I was going to be ill," said Culham who was sitting with team member David Arbon, a Wasaga Beach electrical contractor. "Then the hotel staff shouted 'Earthquake' and started scampering outside. The trees were swaying. Water was sloshing over the sides of the swimming pool."
Culham's three sons, Stayner Collegiate students Travis, 18; Clayton, 18 and Riley, 15, had packed their bags and were playing cards with fellow team member Levi den Bok of Stayner.
The group landed in Toronto a few hours later with almost no knowledge of what had been unfolding in Port-au-Prince, about 150 km away.
Now it seems, the challenges for the impoverished Haitians who are squatters in the hills of the D.R. pales in comparison to what's taking place in their home country.
Seven days before the earthquake, the team from Clearview Community Church went into the hills south of Puerto Plata in a one-week push to build a simple concrete block home for a long-term refugee family.
The squalid homes of Los Algodones, first created to house migrant workers in the sugar cane plantations, are gradually being eliminated. And the population is being transferred to safer homes in a planned village, Villa Esperanza (Village of Hope), one of eight such villages developed by a Canadian missionary.
Five days of rain set back the work of the team. But the soggy crew took shelter in the village church last Tuesday as the partially completed home was officially dedicated to a family. The couple, with two young children, learned just four days earlier that they would be given a new home of their own.
"To be given ownership of a safe, properly-equipped home for this family is a significant change in circumstances", said Tamara Culham. "I don't even think they realize how this will change their children's health and futures."
The team members raised their own travel expenses with the support of family and friends. The Stayner-based church provides ongoing funding for the village medical clinic and raised more than $4,000 toward the cost of building materials and local support workers.
Team member Clayton Culham spent a few hours bending and tying reinforcing steel for use in the construction of another house.
"After seeing the images coming from Port au Prince in the last few days," he said, "I think we all know why the sturdiness of the homes is important."
No damage was reported at Esperanza.
The weather setback allowed the team time to build relationships and project hope to the children of the village.
Arbon was able to meet Andy, a youngster his family supports through monthly child sponsorship with the Christian aid agency, IN Network.
Den Bok reconnected with people he met in a previous visit and led worship songs at a local English church service.
The Culham brothers brought balls, cleats and practice jerseys for a locally organized soccer team and had a constant entourage of clamouring children looking for piggyback rides and attention.
Tamara Culham said she was especially moved by the work of Sandra Tineo, a devout community activist in a sewage infested barrio of Puerto Plata call Aguas Negras (Black Water).
"We saw and smelled it at its worst," said Tamara Culham, "but this woman is doing what she can to lift the children out of that circumstance."
The mission team also helped provide meals to hundreds of children who are served after a half-hour Christian education program.
Tamara Culham said there are plans to continue the relationships and Christian encouragement in Villa Esperanza with future trips to carry on the work.
"The people who come back from these expeditions are changed by what they see," she said. "We provide support, encouragement and hope for them but it's fair to say we all came back with a perspective that's a little shaken up."
