Morning Coffee – By Aaron Hall

Weather forecast for Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Today – A mix of sun and cloud. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50. High plus 1. UV index 3 or moderate.

Tonight – Mainly cloudy. A few flurries beginning late this evening and ending before morning. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light this evening. Low minus 4.

‘Bad Art’ at the Wallaceburg Library

If you were a hero or villain, what ‘Bad Art’ would you create?

Come and use clay, paint, and more to create your bad art at the Wallaceburg Library.

The activity is intended for children ages eight and up.

It runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, MArch 14.

Do you have a will?

Have you written your will?

Don’t think you need a will?

Join staff at the Wallaceburg Branch, Chatham-Kent Public Library, on Tuesday, March 27 at 6:30 p.m. where Jocelyn Kraayenbrink, Wills and Estate Lawyer, will be discussing:

– Wills versus power of attorneys

– Probate

– Executor’s role

Registration is required and can be made by calling Wallaceburg Branch at 519-627-5292 or online at www.search.ckpl.ca by searching keywords “will planning”.

This presentation is part of CK Reads Programming.

To find out more about programs and events at Chatham-Kent Public Library, visit www.ckpl.ca.

Annual A.W. Campbell Maple Syrup Festival – March 17 to 18

It’s Maple Syrup time again! The A.W. Campbell Maple Syrup Festival will be held on March 17 and 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Interpretive staff will be on hand at the festival to demonstrate the importance this liquid gold had in the lives of our First Nations people and for Pioneers. Visitors can even learn how to tap a tree.

It takes cold frosty nights and bright sunny days for sap to flow from the trees. Weather cooperating, visitors may have an opportunity to taste sap straight from the tree. Hands-on displays will be available for visitors to experience the pioneer sugar bush lifestyle. After the demonstrations, there are beautiful trails to explore. Scenic horse-drawn wagon rides will be held on both days from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Just remember to be prepared for the mud.

Admission to the Conservation Area is $5.00 per car.

The A.W. Campbell Conservation Area is located on Shiloh Line, 3 km north-east of Alvinston off Nauvoo Road (County Road 79). For more information, visit scrca.on.ca or contact the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority at 519-245‑3710.

The Alvinston Firemen’s Association will be holding their traditional pancake and sausage meals at the nearby Alvinston Community Centre.

Stephen Hawking dies aged 76

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Ontario is standing up for a $15 minimum wage

The number of Ontario workers contacting the Minister of Labour’s Employment Standards hotline to ask about the minimum wage has doubled since the rate was increased to $14 an hour on January 1, 2018.

Data from the Ministry of Labour shows the total number of calls specifically about the minimum wage more than doubled in January 2018 — after the new minimum wage took effect — compared to January of last year.

On Tuesday, Premier Kathleen Wynne reiterated the government’s commitment to fairness for workers and a $15 minimum wage in 2019 during a visit to a Toronto restaurant.

“No one in Ontario who works full time should worry about where their next meal is coming from,” stated Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario.

“The Ontario I know is a province where together, we care for each other — and that includes ensuring everyone earns a fair wage. Raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour is the right thing to do. Workers simply cannot wait for this increase, no matter what some of the opponents to fair wages may tell you.”

The increase in calls to the Employment Standards line demonstrates that the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act is having its intended effect and that there is a need for government to stand up for workers who are not receiving the fair treatment now mandated by law under Bill 148. That legislation became law in November and brought in improvements for workers including:

– A plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour on January 1, 2019

– Up to 17 weeks leave after a worker or their child has survived domestic or sexual violence, with the first five days being paid days of leave

– Ten days of personal emergency leave per calendar year for all workers, including two paid days
A required three weeks annual paid vacation for all workers who have been with the same employer for five or more years

– Equal pay for part-time workers who do the same job as full-time workers.

– Fair workplaces with fair wages are just one of the many ways the Ontario government is building a fairer, better province where higher wages mean people can better care for themselves and their loved ones. A fair wage builds on the government’s work to make tuition free for hundreds of thousands of students, make prescriptions free for everyone under 25 and build 100,000 new child care spaces, the majority of which will include subsidies.

“Our plan for fair workplaces and better jobs provides a minimum wage people can actually live on and modernizes our labour laws to adapt to an ever-changing economy,” stated Kevin Flynn, Minister of Labour.

“Too many families struggle to get by on part-time or temporary work. Those working full-time can be living in poverty. This is unacceptable in Ontario. Our plan will help ensure everyone who works hard has the chance to reach their full potential and share in Ontario’s prosperity.”

More details:

– Ontario’s minimum wage is scheduled to increase to $15 an hour on January 1, 2019.

– Inquiries to the Employment Standards hotline about the minimum wage or cancelled shifts more than doubled in January 2018 when compared to January 2017.

– Over the past 40 years, part-time work has grown to represent nearly 20 per cent of total employment.

– There are more than one million workers in Ontario earning a minimum wage.

– Currently, over half of the workers in Ontario earning less than $15 per hour are between the ages of 25 and 64, and the majority (nearly 60%) are women.

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