HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-01-28, Page 22 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Dave Flaherty Huron Expositor
Last year, Huron East council voted against accepting a vibrancy fund offer
from St. Columban Wind Energy. Earlier this year, Mayor Bernie MacLellan
said he would like to reopen discussions on the fund. At last week's council
meeting, members of Huron East Against Turbines (HEAT) asked council to stick
to their decision.
HEAT asks council to stick to
its decision on vibrancy fund
Dave Flaherty
Huron Expositor
Members of Huron East
Against Turbines (HEAT) have
asked council not to reconsider
an offer for a vibrancy fund
from St. Columban Wind
Energy.
Late last year, Huron East
Mayor Bernie MacLellan said he
would like to reopen discus-
sions on the vibrancy fund,
which the previous council had
voted against last spring.
The offer was for $115,000
annually over 20 years, which
equates to $2.3 million overall.
A large group of representa-
tives from HEAT were at the Jan.
20 council meeting.
Speaking on their behalf was
Jeanne Melady, who told coun-
cil they need to use "forward
thinking" when an energy com-
pany comes into a rural
municipality.
"Please do not second guess,"
Melady said. "Why question a
thoughtful decision?"
Melady said HEAT's concerns
with the vibrancy fund remain
as they were before.
They believe that the terms of
the vibrancy fund may "co-op
the right of duly elected council
to do what is in the best interest
of the municipality" and that if
they accepted the offer, a "silent
nights by-law" would be "off the
books."
While Melady acknowledged
that other municipalities have
accepted vibrancy funds, "that
doesn't make them right."
"You voted to be an unwilling
host, accepting a vibrancy fund
says you are willing hosts," she
said, adding that the municipal-
ity might as well "open the
door" to other projects.
"It's a slippery slope but once
you start slipping it's hard to
stop going."
While there is an "escape
clause" in the fund, Melady
said, "it would defy my common
sense to think that you would
get out easily and not face seri-
ous consequences."
Speaking on a Health Canada
study regarding the connection
between wind turbines and
health conditions that was
released last year, Melady said
there are references in the
report about people becoming
more annoyed the louder tur-
bine noise is.
"(Annoyance) might very well
be the link between wind tur-
bine and health issues," Melady
said.
She stated at its highest level
of annoyance could have an
effect on people's wellbeing.
In closing, Melady once again
urged council to stick to their
guns.
"We are the people of the
community, we ask council to
use common sense and to not
go back on your decision of last
year," Melady said.
A court challenge put forth by
HEAT and two other groups in
Huron County was dismissed in
late -December, but Melady said
they would be appealing the
decision.
She said that Huron East
could serve as an intervener in
the court case.
"It's another opportunity to
do something."
Both the municipality and the
county have decided against
becoming interveners in the
past.
Harmony Kings director wins prestigious award
Special to the Expositor
the Middlesex Centre and Sea -
forth chapters of the Ontario
Dave Campbell, director of District of the Barbershop
Harmony Society, has been
awarded the Paul Tamblyn
Music Educators award.
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The award was presented by
John Wilkie, board member for
Sing Canada Harmony, at the
Western Division Charity Christ-
mas Concert in early December.
The award is a perpetual
endowment within Sing Canada
Harmony, seeded by the
bequest of a very special
Ontario district barbershopper,
the late Dr, Paul Tamblyn.
Tamblyn's lifetime passion for
excellence in training for choral
and barbershop leaders and
directors lives on through his
endowment and the endowment
continues to grow as family and
friends honour Tamblyn's name
with additional gifts to Sing
Canada Harmony.
The endowment currently sup-
ports an annual scholarship award
of $1,000. The Dr. Paul Tamblyn
Music Educator Scholarship is
awarded to a choral director who
has made a significant impact on
the development, promotion and
improvement of choral directing
and performance in Canada, with
preference given to those involved
with acapella choral groups.
Campbell was unanimously
selected by the Board of Sing
Canada Harmony after review-
ing this year's nominations.
A 29 -year member of the Bar-
bershop Harmony Society,
Campbell attended Harmony
College in Kenosha, Wisconsin
in 1990 majoring in chorus
direction. He has sung in and
directed numerous choruses in
the Ontario District and cur-
rently directs the Harmony
Kings Chorus of Seaforth Chap-
ter and Forest City Fire Chorus
of Middlesex Centre Chapter. He
has become well known in
recent years for his excellence
as a trainer in chorus director
workshops held throughout the
Ontario District.
seaforthhuronexpositor.com