HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-07-13, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2017.
Local students head to Newfoundland on exchange
Hitting the road
Kathy Douglas, right, a youth minister with the Huron -Perth Presbytery, is heading up a YMCA
exchange program featuring several local students that will see the group of 21 make their way
to Newfoundland next week. There is a full roster of activities planned and then the exchange
will round out in October when several Newfoundland residents make their way to Huron
County for an education in farming and life in Ontario. Local residents were in Blyth to visit with
Huron -Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, left, on Monday to discuss the trip. From left: Thompson,
participants Peter Snyder and Ella Sawchuk and Douglas. (Shawn Lou
gnlin photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Twenty-one young people from
Huron and Perth Counties will be
heading to Newfoundland on July 17
as part of the YMCA Youth
Exchanges Canada program. Two
local participants and one of the
chaperones were in Blyth on
Monday to discuss the upcoming trip
with Huron -Bruce MPP Lisa
Thompson.
Kathy Douglas of Blyth, a youth
minister with the Huron -Perth
Presbytery, spearheaded the
visit that brought Blyth's Ella
Sawchuk and Bluevale's Peter
Snyder to Thompson's office for the
meeting.
The program will be bringing 21
youths between the ages of 12 and
17 to Mount Pearl, Newfoundland
for the exchange. The young people
are part of the Huron and Perth
Presbytery Youth (HAPPY) group.
To round out the exchange, a
number of Newfoundland residents
will then be travelling to Huron
County in October.
In Newfoundland, the group will
be visiting Signal Hill and The
Rooms, which is an innovative and
culturally -relevant institution that
showcases Newfoundland and
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In addition, the participants will
be learning about the importance of
the fishing industry of the province
and how important it is to the
viability, economy and daily life of
Newfoundland and its residents.
The week-long trip will also
include a community outreach
element and a clean-up of the
Waterford River Valley.
Sawchuk, in an interview with The
Citizen, said that she wanted to take
part in the program in order to learn
about different cultures. After
hearing about how different things
are in Newfoundland, she was
immediately interested in learning
more.
Snyder said he wanted to travel
throughout the country as well, and
the program would give him that
opportunity. Snyder, whose sister is
also taking the trip, says that it will
be the first time he has left the
province and the first time he has
ever flown in a plane.
Douglas said that she hadn't heard
about the program until recently, but
said that what she has since learned
is that the program is a very
important one for the YMCA
organization.
When the exchange rounds out in
October, Douglas says that the
Newfoundland participants will
focus on farming for their trip,
visiting various local farms, farmers'
markets, farm machinery dealers and
conservation areas, as well as the
Stratford Festival.
Douglas said that Kate Monk of
the Ausable Bayfield Conservation
Authority will be making a
presentation to the participants and
they will then plant trees at one of
the authority's conservation areas.
They also hope to attend the
St. Jacob's farmers' market and
perhaps tour the University of
Guelph.
Thompson offered a tour of
Queen's Park when the students are
in Ontario, which Douglas said
could be a possibility.
The YMCA Youth Exchanges
Canada program has been running
since 1976 and since then thousands
of young people have travelled
across the country as part of the
program.
To read about the trip when the
local students return or to follow the
October portion of the exchange, be
sure to read future issues of The
Citizen.
Wark named new
acting HC CAO
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Meighan Wark, the long-time
Huron County Librarian and
Director of Cultural Services, has
been named the acting Chief
Administrative Officer for Huron
County.
Wark was named to the position
after a lengthy closed -to -the -public
session at Huron County Council's
July 5 meeting.
Huron County sought a new chief
administrative officer for several
weeks after Brenda Orchard, who
had been in the position for just over
two years, announced she was
leaving to pursue an opportunity as a
county CAO in eastern Ontario.
Wark has been a member of the
senior management team since July,
2011, when she was named Huron
County Librarian and Director of
Cultural Service. Prior to her work
with the senior management team,
she worked as a branch services
librarian with the Huron County
Library system from 2006 until
2011.
Wark is a graduate of the
University of Western Ontario where
she earned her Master degree of
Library and Information Science.
She was named to the position of
chief administrative officer and
deputy -clerk for a period of six
months.
Looking for local heroes
There are so many people out there who do
so much to improve their community.
Now you have a chance to say thanks.
Nominate that special person for the 32nd
Annual Citizen Citizenship Awards.
Each year a committee chooses an outstanding citizen from each of the Blyth and area
and Brussels and area communities to receive an award for contribution to the
community. If you know someone you think should be honoured, please fill in the ballot
and send it in. You may attach a longer explanation of why you think your nominee
should win, if you like. If you have nominated someone before and he or she didn't win,
please feel free to try again.
I nominate
as Citizen of the year for
Blyth Brussels
& area & area
I feel she/he deserves this award because
Nomination Deadline July 31, 2017.
Name and phone number of nominator