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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2016-01-20, Page 22 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, January 20, 2016 CBC hit TV show coming to Vanastra Shaun Gregory Huron Expositor A historical piece of Canada's Armed Forces is considerably a qui- eted contrast from what it once was, the base known for top-secret military information is following suit However, this is not for confidentiality, simply just a community struggling to stay afloat. The Village of Vanastra, home of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF Clin- ton) once saluted thousands of sol- diers with the primary purpose of training them in radar technology. Back in the 1940s and 1950s, this spe- cific course was considered by many to be the best of its kind in North Amer- ica, welcoming foreign soldiers from across the world including the U.S. and UK. Compared to the thousands who previously lived in Vanastra, which is now part of the Municipality of Huron East, merely a small fraction of the population of approximately 650 resi- dents share the land. Besides some abandoned buildings and a large golf Hopefully this CBC show will help enforce and encourage them to strive harder to revitalize the area," — said Tuckersmith Councillor, Ray Chartrand. ball looking radar dome with the faded company name Smith & Caven plas- tered across the front, not much is left of the RCAF Clinton base. On the contrary, losing such aprime source of income akin to the military establishment, the rural community of Tuckersmith Township maintains to stagnantly hold its place in its dwin- dling surroundings. Perhaps that is why CBC's hit TV show Still Standing embraced the village's efforts by fea- turing Vanastra in their second season. "It's huge, national coverage," said Jan Hawley, Huron East's economic development officer. Jonny Harris, typically known for his role on the television series Murdoch Mysteries is the host of Still Standing, where crews of researchers scalp the countryin search of beleaguered small towns. As soon as the destination is chosen, Harris then dedicates himself in the adventure by partaking in a day in the life of specific residents in the area. Born and raised in the small town known as Pouch Cove, N.L., Harris is rather familiar with the show's story line. For every community elected, Harris extracts enough material to per- form a stand-up comedy routine for the locals. In the course of action, he subsequently roasts the town. A roast occurs when a person uses even-tem- pered jokes intended to amuse the audience by making fun of them in a humourous manner. When the team of researchers came in contact with Hawley, after months of further investigations, the lead researcher pitched the findings to the producers of CBC. "It's home of the radar and that was a kept secret for 50 years after the war was won," stated Hawley. Hawley added the criterion used when towns are selected by Standing Still showcases everything about the location, not only what's pleasant to the eye. "It's not all about the pretty. It's the good, bad and the ugly" said Hawley. Hawley revealed to the Expositor the story producer had been in the area for a few days to meet up with a 94 -year- old who helped build the base back in the 1940s. Hawleywho is starting a sec- ond Wm This Space business proposal in Vanastra said she was so excited about the showmaking an appearance she cancelled her holiday retreat. "I had a vacation booked with a flight, stated Hawley, who also added she had to cancel her prior arrange- ments because of how influential this was to the Village of Vanastra. "There's been a stigma attached to the community for a number of years and we're breaking down those barriers." Building better plans to deal with uncontrolled electricity Brent Royce Board Member, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Unexplained electrical currents flowing under some Ontario farms have plagued farmers for years, drag- ging down animal health and produc- tivity. Uncontrolled electricity or stray voltage causes a constant under- ground electrical current to flow in the ground and in barns. Livestock exposed to uncontrolled electricity can exhibit odd behavior, have lower productivity, stop eating or drinking, and in extreme cases even die. The Ontario Federation of Agricul- ture (OFA) has been working to raise awareness of the seriousness of uncontrolled electricity on farms. As part of a working group of agricultural organizations, OFA has helped bring government and hydro companies together to address this issue. The Uncontrolled Electricity Agri- culture Working Group is a diverse group that includes OFA, Farm & Food Care Ontario, Christian Farm- ers Federation of Ontario, farmers, electrical experts, consultants, Ontario Pork, Beef Farmers of Ontario and Dairy Farmers of Ontario working with electrical dis- tributors, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Energy. The working group is tasked with collect- ing research and data on the scope and causes of uncontrolled electric- ity. The group has visited farms affected by uncontrolled electricity where Hydro One representatives conduct extensive testing. The group is awaiting testing reports from Hydro One and a third OFFICE HOURS The Office Hours for The Seaforth Huron Expositor are as follows Mondays - 9am - 5pm Tuesdays - CLOSED Wednesdays - 9am - 5pm Thursdays - 9am - 5pm Fridays - 8am - 4pm SEH?nrlh luron Expositor 8 Main Street, Seaforth ON PH: 519-527-0240 1 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com Y� party engineering company to help determine the source of ground cur- rent problems and offer solutions. The working group is also making progress in the reporting process and policy development around uncon- trolled electricity. As a result of the working group Hydro One has: • Simplified the reporting process - reducing the form to report ground current or stray voltage on a farm from 17 pages to one. • Committed to faster response to concerns - first site visit within five days of a report being registered. These changes will help identify uncontrolled electricity problems on farms much faster and hopefully lead to faster solutions. Appropriate policy development is always a priority for OFA. Bringing the government and the Electrical Safety Authority to the table with agricultural groups to deal with uncontrolled elec- tricity gives us a better understanding Photo from the Twitter of Jonny Harris CBC's television show Still Standing, hosted by Jonny Harris will be making its way to Vanastra next February. Tuckersmith Councillor Ray Char- trand, said if Still Standing eventually invites him to be part of the live audi- ence, he "absolutely" will attend. "Hopefully this CBC show will help enforce and encourage them to strive harder to revitalize the area;" Char- trand said. The 13 -man crewwill start the film- ing from February 1-4, followed by a live show February 5. As it stands there is no official place of where this will be held, but Hawley alleged the Vanastra Recreational Centre is a possibility. of the impacts this issue has on Ontario agriculture and individual farms. OFA continues to work closely with industry, farmers, government and energy companies to focus attention on the issue of uncontrolled electric- ity. As part of the working group, chaired by OFA director Brent Royce, OFA will keep pressure on utility and energy regulators to help farmers affected by misplaced energy. For more information on reporting uncontrolled electricity: Hydro One Stray Voltage Investiga- tion form: http://www.hydroone.com/ MyBusiness/MyFarm/Pages/Stray- Voltage.aspx Farm & Food Care Ontario Uncontrolled Electricityreporting form: http://www.farmfoodcare. org/component/content/ article/10-farm-food-care/ environment/311-uncontrolled-elec- tricity-agriculture-working-group Submitted Photo Uncontrolled electricity, also known as stray voltage, is being measured in a barn. This is a serious problem for livestock farmers and is being researched by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA).