VIA Rail Canada Locked in the Past

Inside VIA Rail passenger rail car - photo copyright Paul Langan

One thing is constant in Canada - we never really move forward to having a truly modern passenger rail system. Periodically the government invests in rolling stock for VIA Rail but then it is back to the ‘same old, same old’.  That is: slow trains, high fare prices, and the absence of safety requirements that are mandatory in other countries.

The federal government has recently given money ($1billion plus) to VIA Rail to update their aging fleet of passenger rail vehicles. Just like the previous 2002-2003 federal government VIA Rail Renaissance Funding, this funding is heralded as modernizing VIA Rail service.  It remains to be seen if Canada can ever have a modern passenger rail system. Read the rest of the article HERE

GO Trains from Hespeler to Toronto

Go Trains for Hespeler could be possible!

An update on my previous blog about Go Trains going through Hespeler into Toronto. This would be via Guelph. The City has included this idea in their future master transportation plan.

City of Cambridge Moving Forward Transportation Plan

It seemed like it was a dream for the distant future. The then Liberal provincial government in 2016 funded a study looking at the best way for Cambridge to get GO Rail service.

This week the study recommendations will be presented to the Region of Waterloo Planing and Works committee. It does recommend the better option is to have GO Rail service using the Fergus sub (through Hespeler) rather than on the CP Rail line through Milton. The CBC has reported on this. Read it here.

But my guess is you don't want to go the Region of Waterloo Planning & Works Commitee, well scroll through this document to page 113 and read all about the studies recommendations!

We will have to fight for our station to be in Hespeler as the city is looking at other locations also. It has been 60 years since we had passenger rail service in Hespeler. Let us make it happen again.

Narconon In Hespeler - What you need to know about this Scientology front group

I wondered if things could get worse in Cambridge. Things have taken a sinister turn. The City has allowed the Church of Scientology drug treatment centre to open to take advantage of those misfortunate people with addictions. Problem is the treatment centre is a sham.

The rehab program is a sequence of three steps 1) Scientology’s “purification rundown” 2) Scientology’s communications drills called “Training Routines” and 3) basic Scientology auditing processes called “Objective Processing.” (source - Nick Lister former Scientologist)

The “purification rundown” requires participants to take extremely high doses of vitamins, including up to 5,000 IU of Niacin daily, do light cardio exercise, and spend up to 5 hours per day in a sauna. The idea is that one is supposed to sweat out all of the drug residue that has been stored in one’s body fat. Science has proven this concept to be completely false,

Marc Latour, Trois-Rivières regional health agency director said, "The centre was dangerous for patients and violated many of the criteria regulating Quebec's rehab centres. He said there was no medical supervision and no scientific basis to the treatment.He had no choice but to shut down a Scientology-based rehab centre in Trois-Rivières."

Here is some history

Trois-Rivières - 2012 - Closed and Registered Charity Revoked
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/scientologist-run-rehab-centre-ordered-closed-in-quebec-1.1226881
and video (LINK)


Three Former Patients Win Case Against Narconon with Quebec Human Rights Commission
(LINK)

Milton - 2015 Denies Narconon  zoning to keep them out
https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/5670030-town-of-milton-s-denial-of-scientology-based-facility-upheld-by-omb/

Maryland & Michigan - 2019 Prevented Narconon from Opening
https://tonyortega.org/2019/03/28/scientologys-narconon-drug-rehab-expansion-plans-denied-in-maryland-and-michigan/

Georgia - Narconon Loses Licence in Georgia  Insurance Fraud -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narconon#Narconon_Georgia_closed_amid_investigation_for_insurance_fraud

Former State Official Tells Her Story About Investigation  Narconon (3 Patient Deaths in 9 months)
https://tonyortega.org/2018/04/26/kim-poff-finally-free-to-speak-i-want-this-story-out-i-want-people-to-know-what-narconon-did/

Former Executives with Narconon Tell All About the Scandal and Fraud at Narconon

I hope our elected officials read this. It is tragic certain city staff and elected officials have allowed these charlatans in our city.

Clues to the Missing Hespeler Hockey Trophies Surface!

 Old Hespeler Arena Plaque Surfaces in 2017

As a history buff, I have been intrigued by the disappearance of the Hespeler Minor Hockey trophies and plaques when the old arena was demolished in 1988 and the new one was built.

The trophies never ended up in the new arena and over four decades of Hespeler hockey history was lost as the trophies mysteriously vanished.

Please read my previous BLOG on this topic to learn about the rich history of hockey in the community of Hespeler and my original quest to find the trophies.

I had never given up hope finding the truth about the trophies. New evidence has surfaced to suggest someone does have the trophies and in one case is selling them.

I discovered that in 2017 a plaque from the arena was sold on an online auction. The plaque  was titled Hespeler Minor Olympics Scoring Champion Pee-Wee Division . The last date on the trophy was 1974.

The last winner was Hespeler's own Tim Laurence. The year before Wayne Gretsky had won it and hence its value today.

Sadly the company auctioning the plaque did not return my emails. I wanted to find out who put the plaque up for auction. Maybe then we could find out what happened to the old Hespeler Arena trophies. The mystery continues.

Vera Causa Opera to Perform The Elixir of Love in Cambridge, Guelph and Waterloo

Vera Causa Opera to Perform The Elixir of Love in Cambridge, Guelph and Waterloo

Gaetano Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love” will be performed by Vera Causa Opera on April 5th, 6th, 7th, 2019

Wireservice.ca Media Release (03/26/19)- Vera Causa Opera (VCO) is proud to announce their performance dates for The Elixir of Love.

VCO is an innovative opera company in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. VCO reinstates opera as an accessible and communicative medium through the adaptation of old operas and the composition of new ones. VCO is a registered charity formed in 2015.

Gaetano Donizetti wrote countless operas, and many of them stand as cornerstones of early 19th century opera. Perhaps the most well-loved of all his operas is L'elisir d'amore, or, The Elixir of Love, which premiered in 1832.

Shows take place:

• April 5th - CAMBRIDGE - Cambridge Centre for the Arts - 7pm
• April 6th - WATERLOO - , Knox Presbyterian Church in Waterloo -7pm
• April 7th - GUELPH - Harcourt Memorial United Church - 2pm

Artistic Director Dylan Langan says:“Elixir of Love is no doubt going to be a riot onstage. Singers and orchestra members have been frequently bursting into laughter during rehearsal. The audience is really going to enjoy this show.”

Tickets are only $15.00 and available at http://vcopera.ca Ticket sales are limited due to size of venues, so buying tickets in advance are recommended.

For more information, contact Dylan Langan, Artistic Director at 519-277-9277, vcopera@gmail.com or by visiting http://vcopera.ca.

#opera #cambridge #waterloo #guelph #music #veracausaopera

Hespeler Furniture Made Radio Cabinets

The Hespeler furniture factory building is still standing but the company has not been in business since the 1970s. Known for its beautiful furniture that was made there. (more on that in a future post).

Rogers Majestic Radio Model 8M1092

What many do not know is that the Rogers Majestic Company in Toronto, who made early radios, used Hespeler Furniture cabinets to hold their radios.

 The radio to the left is a 1930s Rogers Majestic Radio Model 8M1092. It has several shortwave bands and AM.
The cabinet from the Hespeler Furniture Factory Model No. 8106.

Now not all Rogers Majestic Radios had Hespeler made cabinets. For example Knechtel Furniture Co. Ltd. Hanover, ON also made cabinets for Rogers.

It gets even more confusing considering another radio company DeForest-Crosley made similar models.

How to tell if the cabinet is made in Hespeler

Hespeler Furniture Company tag found on furniture and radio cabinets

But if you are looking at the backs, look for an identifying factors.

There were different types of marking made by the Hespeler Furniture Company on their products.This metal tag was one one radio cabinet is an example.

Another Rogers Majestic Company Radio with a Hespeler Cabinet

 

Rogers 12-126 "Teledial" model with Hespeler made cabinet

This is the Rogers 12-126 "Teledial" model. For all you vintage radio buffs here are the specifics.

This model is equipped with automatic tuning. The RT_neon is a voltage regulator tube. The 6X6 is a tuning indicator tube. The second 6F7M tube is used as a phase inverter. The radio has a telephone dial and an illuminated glass slide rule rolling pin dial window.

So check your old radios and see if the cabinets were made in Hespeler and send me a photo!