HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-07-19, Page 1INSIDE
THIS WEEK:
SPORTS - Pg. 8
Local track and field star
wins gold in Jamaica
DIAGNOSIS - Pg. 9
Local family finally finds
closure with diagnosis
ZONING - Pg. 18
Council undecided on
event space project
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Citiz
Volume 34 No. 29
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Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, July 19, 2018
Statuesque
During the the Brussels Ministerial's annual Kid's Corner vacation Bible school at Brussels
Mennonite Fellowship, which began on Monday, students sought to keep cool in the darkened
sanctuary of the church surrounded by fans. Staying cool was an uphill battle though as the
children were very active, putting their all into songs and games and never stopping moving.
Above, Hailey Beuermann, Jesa and Adel Fischer, backed up by their many peers at the
event, posed as statues as part of a song the group was singing. Kid's Corner continues
throughout this week at the church in the afternoons. (Denny Scott photo)
H.C. Health Unit
releases results
of turbine study
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
An interim report from Huron
County epidemiologist Erica Clark
regarding wind turbine noise,
vibration and light points to 60 per
cent of the 40 total respondents for
the study experiencing negative
effects due to wind turbines.
Clark's report, which is available
through the Huron County Health
Unit, was deemed necessary in 2015
by the Health Unit based on another
study undertaken by the Council of
Canadian Academics, which stated
there was sufficient evidence of
annoyances caused by the turbines,
limited evidence of sleep
disturbance and inadequate evidence
of other adverse health effects. The
council noted that further research
was necessary to determine potential
human health risks.
The council identified knowledge
gaps that needed to be filled and
Clark's report focuses on two such
gaps: the impact of turbines on
children and infants and the lack of a
reporting system providing
consistent collection of residents'
experiences.
The study was set to collect and
analyze observations for one year
from Huron County residents that
live near turbines to understand
what, if any, impact turbines have on
the residents.
The scope of the project
considered the proximity of those
who are being "bothered, disturbed
or annoyed by noise, vibration,
light and/or sensations from the
wind turbines," and how often
those residents are affected by
turbines.
Lastly, the project will evaluate
any environmental conditions that
increase the probability of residents
being negatively affected by the
turbines.
All Huron County residents
living within 10 kilometres can
participate in the study, meaning the
study could take into account
approximately 30,000 county
residents.
The study commenced in October,
2017 and, as of earlier this month,
105 residents have signed consent
forms to participate in the turbine
study. Forty have completed a
registration survey and 35 have been
giving input through an
"Observation Diary".
Of the 40, Clark reports that half
are male and the majority are not
leaseholders for a wind turbine
company. Sixty per cent of the
respondents have reported a negative
impact by wind turbines, with noise
being most commonly reported.
Residents are still welcome to sign
up for the study until the end of
October and data collection
continues until Dec. 1, 2018. A
second interim report will be
released after that collection
concludes.
The final report will be released in
2019.
Clark reports the Huron County
Health Unit will not be writing an
order under Section 13 of the Health
Protection and Promotion Act. A
Section 13 order, issued by a
medical officer of health or a public
health inspector, forces a "person to
take or to refrain from taking any
action that is specified in the order in
respect of a health hazard."
Clark, in the report, says that a
single study will not provide enough
evidence to link the turbines to
negative effects and further, the
medical officer of health doesn't
have the authority to shut down wind
turbines.
For more information, the seven -
page report can be found on the
Huron County Health Unit website
at www.huronhealthunit.ca.
Reeve race on in North Huron as Vincent files
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Nominations for the upcoming
municipal election this fall are set to
close on July 27 and several locals
have put their names forward for
local council positions.
In North Huron, former
Councillor Bernie Bailey was the
first to run for a council position,
filing papers to run for reeve after a
failed bid in the 2014 election. He
has now been joined by incumbent
Reeve Neil Vincent, who put his
name forward on July 10.
Agost Vaday has also filed papers
to be a councillor in the Wingham
Ward, as has incumbent Wingham
Ward Councillor Trevor Seip.
In Huron East, Zoey Onn has
joined incumbents David Blaney and
John Lowe running for two
councillors positions in the Brussels
Ward.
Bernie MacLellan has filed to
become the municipality's mayor
once again.
Current Deputy -Mayor Joe
Steffler is running to be a Seaforth
councillor. Huron East Council
recently eliminated the at -large
deputy -mayor position and decided,
after the election, to promote one of
the councillors to the position.
Current Tuckersmith Councillors
Ray Chartrand and Larry McGrath
and McKillop Councillor Brenda
Dalton have filed for their positions
for another term. Gloria Wilbee,
mother of current councillor Kevin,
has filed to run to be a McKillop
Ward Councillor.
This is in addition to newcomer
Curtis McKinnon, who has filed to
run as a councillor in the Grey Ward.
Incumbent Seaforth Councillor Bob
Fisher is also looking to fill his
position once again.
In Morris-Turnberry, current
Councillor Jamie Heifer has put his
name forward in hopes of becoming
the municipality's next mayor.
At council's June 5 meeting,
Mayor Paul Gowing announced that
he would not be running for re-
election, after two terms as mayor
and several years as a councillor
before that.
Incumbent Councillors Dorothy
Kelly, Jim Nelemans and Sharen
Zinn have all filed for councillor
positions again, while newcomer
Andrew Somers has also let his
name stand for a councillor position.
In Central Huron, Mayor Jim Ginn
is running for the mayor's position
once again. Jared Petteplace has
filed his papers for the Deputy -
Mayor position.
Councillors Dan Colquhoun and
Marg Anderson have also filed
nomination papers to serve as an
East Ward councillor for another
Continued on page 20