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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-07-13, Page 1INSIDE THIS WEEK: IPM 2017 - Pg. 8 The Citizen' Countdown to IPM 2017 continues CAMPAIGN - Pg. 10 Locals to travel to U.S. in search of answers FESTIVAL - Pg. 19 'The Berlin Blues' opens at the Blyth Festival Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON NOG 1H0 4Citiz Volume 33 No. 28 n ESTABLISHED 1877 $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, July 13, 2017 Dancing in the streets Clinton was the site of the Central Huron Canada 150 celebration over the weekend, which coincided with the town's annual PIucKIN'Fest, hosted by the Clinton Kinsmen and Kinettes. One of the main attractions of an event that included a five -kilometre run, a firefighters' breakfast and plenty of children's activities was the parade on Saturday morning, which featured local businesses and groups. Above is the Clinton -based Dance Techniques group showing off their talents on Clinton's main street. (Shawn Lou gn;;n photo) M -T supports Walton extension By Denny Scott The Citizen Union Gas has the support of Morris-Turnberry Council in trying to extend a natural gas line from Blyth to Walton. During council's July 4 meeting, a proposed resolution was provided to the municipality asking for support of the project. Previously, Administrator Clerk -Treasurer Nancy Michie was informed that all three affected municipalities (North Huron, Huron East and Morris- Turnberry) would need to provide support. The natural gas line would run from Blyth to Walton along County Road 25 and north along Brussels Line, in addition to several side streets in the currently -unserved community. Michie said some landowners might be disappointed with the planned service expansion, especially those on Walton Road who would have to pay for their own extension from the new line if they wish to connect to the service. "This is the best proposal they could come up with that could receive funding," Michie said. "It doesn't take the gas line on the Walton Road as some landowners want." In a previous presentation to the municipality, Union Gas representatives explained the cost to the municipality would equal the taxes that Union Gas would pay on the service. Currently, Union Gas is the only utility in the province that pays taxes based on the land it uses to run services. The total annual taxes for the property the line uses would be approximately $8,000. "Part of the program is that $8,000 is turned back to Union Gas for 10 years to off -set the cost of the service extension," Michie said. "That's the criteria the provincial government has set up." Mayor Paul Gowing said the taxes were a non -issue as, without the extension, the municipality wouldn't likely receive them. While council members acknowledged Michie's report that landowners may not be completely happy with the proposed line, they felt there was enough infrastructure proposed that groups of ratepayers could fund an extension themselves. "If they want it, it wouldn't be too expensive for many people to get an extension," Councillor John Smuck said. "If everyone wants in, it wouldn't cost much." Council supported the resolution which will aid Union Gas in seeking provincial funding and support for the extension. BIA lends support to `Wizardry' event By Denny Scott The Citizen Like its parent organization, North Huron Township, the Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA) has lent its support to the Festival of Wizardry proposed to take place at the Blyth Campground. North Huron Economic Development Officer Connie Goodall explained, during the BIA's July 5 meeting, that the organization's support would be helpful as planning went forward for the event. "Nothing is finalized yet," Goodall said. "North Huron staff are working with representatives from [the Festival of Wizardry], but nothing has been signed yet." While the BIA did provide its support for the project, Chair Rick Elliott said he had turned down the opportunity to have organizer Nathan Swartz, the CEO of Transfigured Town, the parent company behind the event, speak to the organization. Elliott explained that he felt it would be premature speaking to Swartz prior to the event being confirmed. The BIA was then informed that, despite a press release and several media outlets reporting the event as officially being in Blyth, thus far, nothing had been confirmed or signed with the municipality. North Huron Councillor Bill Knott, council's representative on the BIA, said that council supports the festival 100 per cent, however the governing body is still waiting for details necessary to make the festival happen. He also made a point to say that this event, like any other event at the grounds, is not a municipal endeavour. "This is an event being hosted by an organization," he said. "This is not a municipal effort or a municipal event. This is a group renting a facility from the municipality and that is the end of our involvement." Irene Kellins of Stitches With a Twist asked if there was information to help local businesses avoid copyright infringements when preparing items and sales for the event. Goodall explained she had that information and would make it available to businesses interested in taking advantage of the fact that a possible 9,000 people would be coming to the village over the two- day event in October. Kellins also felt that, due to a relative absence of familiarity with the event among business owners, the BIA should look to screen some of the Harry Potter movies, one of the intellectual properties the event drew upon in its first year of operation. Knott said the film idea was a good one, provided the BIA sought out the necessary approvals to display the copyrighted materials before it happens. "I would caution you to make sure you cross your Ts and dot your Is before pursuing that," he said. During Knott's report to the BIA, questions arose as to the size of the festival, as, when it was originally presented to council, there were some events that could have used facilities outside the campground for the event's purposes. Elliott said that, in previous dealings with organizers of the event, there had been discussions about use of the Blyth Memorial Hall and the Greenway Trail, which was a municipal asset but is now maintained by the Goderich-to- Guelph (G2G) Rail Trail. Knott said all the documentation he had been privy to did not mention any kind of events off the campground. The BIA passed a motion supporting the event. Collection remains status quo By Denny Scott The Citizen North Huron Council gave the township's contentious curbside collection contract the final go- ahead last week at its July 4 meeting. The contract will see curbside garbage collection continue on a weekly basis in the township's urban areas and bi-weekly in its rural areas from Oct. 1 of this year to Sept. 30, 2020. This is the second consecutive meeting the contract has been in front of council. The suggested motion, to approve a contract with Waste Management to maintain the status quo for three years, was presented during a June meeting but was defeated and councillors said they would bring the issue back for discussion at a future meeting. The motion was brought back to council last week and passed, with the inclusion of Councillor Brock Vodden's vote, who was absent for the first vote. At previous meetings, council members have stood against maintaining weekly collection in urban areas for several reasons. Councillor Trevor Seip said he felt the municipality couldn't maintain the status quo if it wanted to reduce taxes. Deputy -Reeve James Campbell stated he felt collection wasn't fair because it was charged equally across the whole municipality, however his ward, East Wawanosh, which is primarily rural, received half the service the rest of the municipality did with its bi-weekly collection. Council had previously sought public input on the decision and, in two separate surveys, had a majority of respondents say weekly garbage collection was the preferred model. Seip, Campbell and Wingham Ward Councillor Yolanda Ritesma- Teeninga voted to defeat the proposed motion with Reeve Neil Vincent and Councillors Bill Knott and Brock Vodden of the Blyth Ward and Ray Hallahan of the East Wawanosh ward in favour of maintaining the collection status quo.