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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-02-11, Page 1INSIDE THIS WEEK: MISSION - Pg. 12 Blyth, Auburn area residents return from Haiti mission trip PROJECT - Pg. 13 Huron to be part of new ROI project HERITAGE - Pg. 19 Brussels collector works on new historical project Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON NOG 1H0 C1t1Z Volume 32 No. 6 n ESTABLISHED 1877 $1 .25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, February 11, 2016 A high -scoring affair On Saturday, the Blyth Brussels Atom Local League Crusaders were in action at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre, taking on a team that travelled to Brussels from the north: the Howick Hornets. Finding the back of the net didn't seem to be a problem for either team. When it was all said and done, Blyth Brussels took the win by a score of 11-6. (Vicky Bremner photo) Central Huron moves to next NWMO phase By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Central Huron continues to be one of the communities in the running to host a deep geological repository through the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO). Representatives from the organization spoke to Central Huron Council at its first meeting of the month, saying that of the 22 potential sites, nine remain, one of which is Central Huron. The municipality is now entering phase two of step three of the process, a preliminary assessment that will last a number of years. The objectives of this phase are three -fold, said Jo -Ann Facella, director of social research and dialogue for the NWMO. The goal is to "develop confidence on selection of a preferred location to take into detailed site characterization," which includes a strong safety case (geoscience, engineering design, environment and safety), confirmation that used fuel can be safely transported to the location and potential for a strong partnership with the interested community, local First Nation and Metis communities and the surrounding municipalities. Facella said that much of the previous phase, which lasted 18 months, was at the "desk" level, whereas much of the next phase will actually happen within the community. There are a number of questions that need to be answered during this phase of the process, Facella said, including whether there is potential to find a safe site, to foster well- being in the community, for citizens' continued interest and for the well- being of the surrounding area. The phase will also include initial general field studies, that Mahrez Ben Belfadhel, director of geoscientific site evaluations, says are crucial in understanding the geology of the community and how uniform it is from one end to the other. This step, he said, will include observing some of the geological features of the community and borehole drilling and testing to get a better feel for the geology across the municipality. Belfadhel said that there have already been over 48 boreholes drilled throughout Central Huron. The holes were not drilled as part of the NWMO's process, but years ago as part of oil and gas exploration. Belfadhel said that only a handful of those holes are deep enough that they could be of use to the NWMO, Continued on page 16 ESTC strikes partnership for marine safety course By Denny Scott The Citizen The Emergency Services Training Centre (south of Blyth) in co- operation with GB Industrial Safety have passed the final hurdle in pursuing marine safety training at the site with the approval of the instructors from GB Industrial Safety. A pool of 10 instructors will be prepared to teach new courses annually from January to March, starting this year, on marine safety now that Transport Canada has approved the project and GB Director of Operations Shane Wickens is excited for the new project. "This is really a public-private partnership that is going to benefit many people," Wickens said in an interview with The Citizen. "GB technical advisors will help develop the program for the ESTC and instruct it at the ESTC sites." The pool is set to increase, according to Wickens, with both local instructors set to be trained as well as those from farther afield. "The certification for instructors, which is the third part in accreditation after certifying the facility and curriculum, is ongoing right now," Wickens said. "Certification comes from experience and going through the process outlined by Transport Canada " The marine safety training, which includes many different programs outlined in a 200 -page course package makes the ESTC one of the few places in the country where this kind of training can be hosted. "There are approximately seven facilities across the country servicing [the marine] industry," he said. "That sector employs 30,000 to 50,000 people every year who will need training." The programs vary in length between 16 to 40 hours and with the facilities at the ESTC, Wickens said as many as 24 students could be housed in two classes at any given time. The programs are all set to be held during the commercial marine industry's off-season which is traditionally January to March, depending on weather. "Once the waterways close, the industry shuts down, "Wickens said. "That's when training and maintenance is done." The only limiting factor to the number of students that would come through the ESTC is the fact that only 12 at a time can take a course and only two courses can be held at any given time according to Wickens, however the centre could be quite busy with the courses due to some changes in marine training. Wickens said the timing couldn't be better for the programs to start in Blyth as Canada's marine standards are being brought in line with international standards, meaning that 80 to 90 per cent of people working on commercial water crafts will be needing more training in the near future and making a certified site like the ESTC, which is so close to ports on Lake Huron, an absolute necessity. "Being close to a place like Goderich is great, but one of the things that really makes this a great place is the fact that it's a custom- built facility," Wickens said. "There are few facilities that meet the kind of standards necessary to do this training and the ESTC is multi-purpose as well." Currently, the training is available in Owen Sound, two sites in Quebec, Nova Scotia and British Columbia, though Wickens said that the industry is very mobile so it's good to have more sites. The training, which covers any commercial ship (or anything that floats, according to Wickens), will focus on how to deal with emergencies when emergency Continued on page 16 NH, MT plan to merge services On Tuesday Afternoon North Huron and Morris-Turnberry Councils announced they would be merging some municipal services on Tuesday, Feb. 9 in order to recognize efficiencies for both municipalities. During a press conference, representatives of the two municipalities stated they would be working on a partnership that would see public works, building, drainage and some administrative services shared by the two municipalities. Both municipalities approved concept and cost analysis reports regarding the issue and stated that, by working together, the two municipalities will achieve savings not possible individually. "The sharing of our resources only makes our two municipalities stronger and the delivery of these services, more efficient," said Morris-Turnberry Mayor Paul Gowing in a press release related to the announcement. "This natural partnership recognizes our common goals, geography and service needs and will allow for future development in our community." North Huron Reeve Neil Vincent agreed, saying "by working together and pooling resources, we can provide more efficient and effective services, with a greater focus on customer service" The merger of services is planned to be in place and operational by July 1, 2016. The cost analysis estimates savings of more than $600,000 by the end of 2018 by resources including staff and equipment. The release states that there will be no jobs lost by the merger. The first task as part of the partnership is the hiring of a director of public works. The savings will be realized with more streamlined structures and revised job descriptions, the release said. Check next week's issue of The Citizen for a full story and reaction to the announcement.