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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-08-15, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2019. PAGE 9. Woman makes good on promise to protest show Susan Horvath made good on her promise to protest the Blyth Festival’s production of In the Wake of Wettlaufer, which is based on accounts of, among others, relatives of victims of serial killer Elizabeth Wettlaufer. Horvath, the daughter of 75-year- old Wettlaufer victim Arpad, took to YouTube earlier this year to express concerns about the play. Horvath made her stand beside a van with a large poster plastered on the side parked in front of Memorial Hall on opening night for the play last Friday. In an interview with The Citizen shortly before the play started, Horvath said she has found what she called “significant support” for her belief that the play is being produced too soon and only for the Blyth Festival’s financial gain. In a previous interview with The Citizen, she said that the trauma and shock of the Wettlaufer situation had taken its toll on her, and the announcement of the play made it worse. She said then that the play was was likely rushed to capitalize on the swell of media surrounding Wettlaufer’s crimes. Horvath claims she has numerous local supporters for her cause. “The only people happy are the people inside [Blyth Memorial Hall] making money and benefitting from media attention,” she said during her protest, which lasted throughout the show and into the night. Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt, when asked about Horvath’s claims earlier this year, said that Horvath’s video was “heartbreaking”, but said the play had to be made to make sure that Wettlaufer, and the fallout from her actions, remains in the public discourse. Garratt told The Citizen that there were no plans to include any actual, identifiable families in the play, or Wettlaufer’s crimes, and that the family involved would be “grappling with a parallel experience” to those impacted by Wettlaufer. “We have a duty to engage those ideas,” he said, adding that both he and co-writer of the play Kelly McIntosh worked closely with those families. Garratt also said that, prior to Horvath’s video being uploaded in March, the Festival had reached out to her through her lawyer and invited her to be a part of the process. For a review of In the Wake of Wettlaufer, see page 19 of this week’s edition of The Citizen. By Denny Scott The Citizen ‘Too soon, too close to home’ Susan Horvath, the daughter of Arpad Horvath, one of the victims of serial killer Elizabeth Wettlaufer, who murdered patients in long-term care facilities through the use of insulin, protested the premiere of the Blyth Festival’s In the Wake of Wettlaufer last week. While some families have worked with show’s playwrights, Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt and Kelly McIntosh, including Horvath’s brother, she says she represents others who feel the play is being produced “too soon” and “too close to home”. (Denny Scott photo) Thompson announces changes to wine industry Minister of Government and Consumer Services and Huron- Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson announced changes on Friday designed to promote growth in Ontario’s wine industry. At the Bainton Gallery in Memorial Hall, home to the Blyth Festival Art Gallery, Thompson explained that changes have been made to the rules under the Vintners Quality Alliance Act that her government believes will provide more flexibility to wineries across the province. The changes will also introduce a wider variety of wines approved through the Vintners Quality Alliance Ontario (VQAO). The biggest change is the addition of the Marquette hybrid grape variety to the list of permitted grapes eligible for VQAO approval. The variety is a heartier plant, designed to handle cold winter temperatures and resist diseases. Thompson said she chose to make the announcement in Blyth because her riding of Huron- Bruce could see significant benefit from the change as it’s a prime place to grow the new grapes. Bill Schmidt of the VQAO explained that consumers may start seeing VQAO-approved wines made with Marquette grapes in the coming months, as any unbottled vintage can now be created with the grape. New VQAO-approved products made with the grape could take as much as a year to hit shelves, he said. Thompson also announced that wineries can produce wines using grapes from different vintages, or harvest years, as displaying harvest years on bottles is now optional. The change will allow vintners to blend different years’ harvests, which, according to VQAO and Grape Growers of Ontario representatives, will have a beneficial impact for producers. Thompson said that, through consultation, it was discovered that other jurisdictions allow blending, making the move a logical one. Both changes will have a beneficial impact on consumers, producers and tourism industries, Thompson said, as more wineries will be able to produce VQAO- approved wines. Huron County Warden Jim Ginn was also at the event and said that, as a farmer, the changes are exciting as wineries produce jobs, offsetting jobs lost with advancing farming technology. 541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9114 405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792 The Citizen Great books available for every age at... $2995 WATERFALLS OF ONTARIO More than 220 pages of glorious colour photos and information on waterfalls across Ontario including many in the Grey- Bruce area. A complete inventory of the province’s falls. Rural Living & Local Authors Specializing in The Rural Reading Room 541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9114 405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792 The Citizen We carry a variety of books perfect for all ages Stop in and check them out today Grapes and vintages Minister of Government and Consumer Services and local MPP Lisa Thompson, centre, announced changes to the wine industry in Blyth on Monday. She was joined by Brian Schmidt of Vintners Quality Alliance Ontario, left, and Bill Schenck of the Grape Growers of Ontario. (Denny Scott photo) By Denny Scott The Citizen Get information on Huron County attractions on the all-new Stops Along The Way website at www.stopsalongtheway.ca