Waterloo, Ont. senior on hook for $6K skincare product contract she can’t afford An elderly Waterloo, Ont. woman is on the hook for nearly $6,000 after she believes she was coerced into buying skincare products she can’t afford. A recent trip to Conestoga Mall left the 73-year-old walking out with more than she bargained for. “The woman that worked in there, she waved me to come in,” said Brenda Lampman, recalling what transpired as she passed the skincare products and treatments store Resveralife. Once inside, Lampman said an employee handed her several products. “She says, ‘Just because I like you a lot, [I’m] going to drop the price down to $45 every two weeks,’” said Lampman. The senior was intrigued but told the employee before making any decision she wanted to speak with her daughter. “She said, ‘No, no, no. I can make this very, very good and easy for you,’” said Lampman. “So like a fool, I guess I listened to her.” Lampman said the contract she signed wasn’t fully explained to her. When she spoke with her daughter, Kimmie Guelck, she began questioning what she had signed up for. Lampman and her daughter went back to Resveralife and demanded a copy of the agreement. The contract shows a price of $3,390 for the products, but at a 24.90 per cent interest over 60 months, or five years, Lampman would have to pay a total of $5,933.20. Brad Davis, a former associate professor of marketing at Wilfrid Laurier University, said while nothing done here may be illegal, ethics may not have been top of mind. “Most consumer legislation often does provide a certain grace period, whether that’s 24 or 48 hours, at which point you can get out of that contract,” said Davis. That does not seem to be the case here, with no resolution in sight by the evening of Sept. 19. No money has been taken from Lampman’s account at this point, in relation to the contract. But the contract is active, meaning she still owes nearly $6,000. Waterloo residents fight to stop pricey renovations at townhome complex People living at a Waterloo townhome complex are fighting against pricey renovations they said they don’t need. Residents at the Westgate Towne Home Complex were told the windows and doors in every unit needed to be replaced. Despite their objections, they say building management is forcing them to go through with the work. “The options we have been given is pay a $32,000 lump sum each or [they] are increasing condo fees another $200 a month to cover the cost of this, which is [for] a condo loan that they will take out on our behalf,” homeowner Chris Dedman explained. For some people living in the 85-unit complex, it’s an expense that is simply too much too bear, especially considering homeowners were also asked to pay for a major sewer replacement project four years ago. “Over the span of two years, it was a total of $59,000 that each unit had to either pay directly out of their pocket or pay a 20-year condo loan,” Dedman said. Many residents said they’re still trying to pay off that last loan for the sewage work. They worry if the windows and doors are done too, their condo fees will be unsustainable. Dedman said all of their windows and doors are in great working condition and residents were not consulted before the property management company announced the plan to replace the fixtures. Weigel Property Management said it will not comment specifically on the issue, but said staff do fully appreciate the feelings of townhome owners. Decisions are made in part by the condo board, which is made up of unit owners. Staff said there are several upcoming townhall meetings where the concerns of residents will be discussed. ‘A regular gal from Bruce County’: Angie Hill celebrates 30 years on-air in Waterloo Region A woman who has been helping people in Waterloo Region start their day for three decades was celebrated at a special event on Sept. 19. Over the years, the station, now called Bounce Radio 99.5, has changed names. One thing, however, has remained constant: radio host Angie Hill always puts community first. On Sept. 19, the community turned the tables and celebrated the morning radio maven. The party began as the sun peaked over the Kitchener skyline. Dozens of people streamed in throughout the morning to share their love and support for Hill. Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic also stopped by with a letter of recognition from the city. When Hill first started in radio, he was the councillor for her ward. To honour Hill’s spirit of giving back, donations for The Food Bank of Waterloo Region were also collected at the breakfast bash. For the food bank, the support was just the latest addition to Hill’s long history of altruism. In a time when it can be hard to cut through the noise of endless entertainment options, Hill’s colleagues said it is her authenticity and enthusiasm that sets her apart. “[Hill] was the most engaging, welcoming person,” Larry Silver, former 105.3 Kool FM and KFun 99.5 radio host, said. “She was really, really terrific to me.” As for Hill, despite the fanfare, she remains humble. “I think it’s going to take a while for me to absorb it all,” she said. “I’m just a regular gal from Bruce County who lucked into an amazing career in probably the best place in the world.” Tenant questions response to Elora fire, first responders say smoke alarm was disabled A tenant is questioning what happened after he was left in an Elora building while the fire department battled a blaze. The fire started on Metcalfe Street around 1 a.m. on Saturday. While first responders rushed to the scene to try to extinguish the flames, one tenant was still asleep in his second-floor unit. “I was woken up by my dog and [the] smoke about 1:30 a.m. – 1:35 a.m.,” Trevor Wedgewood told CTV News. He said that was half an hour after firefighters were called to the property. At the time of the fire, 12 people were inside the building but no one was hurt. Jonathan Karn, another deputy fire chief, said their first priority was to put the flames out and prevent them from spreading through the building. Then, crews began searching the units, starting with the areas closest to the fire. “We did search all the units after that, and in between us getting to [Wedgewood’s] unit, that person had self-evacuated,” Karn explained. Benn also noted all of the smoke alarms in the building were working, except one. “The alarm had been intentionally disabled by a tenant taking off the wiring base and the battery was removed,” he said. Officials have not said what sparked the fire, but they did confirm it started in one of the short-term rental units. ‘This is true love’: lonely donkey finds his match A miniature donkey in Erin, Ont. has finally found his match. Hank, a seven-year-old jack, lives at Erin Hill Acres, a family-owned tourism farm. He was surrounded by picturesque views, had a best friend in his handler Tyler Garrard and was living out his days in comfort. But something was missing. Over the summer, the farm launched a search for Hank’s perfect romantic match. Eligible equines reached out to the barnyard bachelor, hoping to be chosen, but in the end, Hank’s heart could only be captured by one special someone. Buttercup. The seven-year-old jenny arrived at Erin Hill Acres on Monday. It turns out, Hank didn’t have to go far to find his ladylove. His sweetheart is from Sinopoli Farm, which is approximately a 12 minute drive away. Sinopoli Farm is currently in the process of downsizing and Sinopoli thought Erin Hill Acres would be the perfect place for Buttercup. But there was one condition: her best friend, a miniature pony named Scout, had to go with her. Erin Hill Acres said a wedding is on the way, but for now, Hank and Buttercup are taking things one hoof at a time.
