The Citizen, 2016-05-26, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016.
M -T council defers burn bylaw to finalize wording
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Morris-Turnberry Council has
again pushed back the adoption of a
new bylaw controlling open air
burning. This latest delay is in order
to finalize the wording of the
document after a lengthy council
debate.
During council's May 17 meeting,
Fire Prevention Officer James
Marshall advised council that he had
found interesting and conflicting
reports regarding farmland and the
Ontario Fire Code.
Marshall had been instructed to
clarify wording in the provincial
document regarding the fire code
that would mean the difference
between only farming structures or
entire farm properties being exempt
from the code. He was told the
Ontario Fire Marshal's interpretation
of the term premises was any land or
building on farmland used for
farming with the exception of a
residence. Marshall informed
council that any bylaw Morris-
Turnberry could create, which he
said would strengthen and
compliment the fire code instead of
over-riding it, would be able to affect
farm land.
Marshall did report, however, that
the Fire Protection and Prevention
Act (FPPA) is what gives the Ontario
Fire Code its power. In a previous
interview with The Citizen, Marshall
explained that the FPPA allows fire
bylaws to be enacted, these bylaws
are independent of the Ontario Fire
Code allowing municipalities to
address their specific needs.
In the end, council decided to
bring back a bylaw that includes
rules about what can and can't be
burnt anywhere in the community.
The bylaw will include a $200 fine
for any ratepayer in the municipality
who doesn't inform the fire
prevention officer or fire department
when they are having a burn. That
agreement, however, didn't come
about until after council had aired
several grievances with the bylaw
and, in one case, with Marshall
himself.
Councillor Sharen Zinn took issue
with a request from Marshall, which
had come in prior to the meeting, for
the municipality to write a letter
explaining that he had done
everything in his effort to have
council pass a comprehensive open
air burn bylaw. He did not feel
comfortable with the bylaw that
council had suggested and felt it left
him open to liability. She said she
read it as Marshall not respecting
council's decision, which Marshall
said wasn't accurate.
"I will respect whatever decision
council makes, even if I don't agree
with it," he said. "I will enforce the
bylaw that council puts forward"
Councillor John Smuck, who has
long held that all agricultural land
should be exempt from any bylaw
prepared as open air burns are, in his
opinion, a part of farm life, said he
wanted any reference to agricultural
land removed from the bylaw.
Eventually, though, he did acquiesce
to the above rules being
implemented. He did, however,
repeat a call from a previous meeting
to have a bylaw created to fight what
he calls 'cell phone heroes' and bad
neighbours.
"What we do need is a bylaw [for]
the people who call in, when there
isn't an emergency," he said. "We
need to fine them. They are just
phoning in as cell phone heroes,
that's what I think."
Smuck said any fine that could be
placed on a farmer could just prove
fodder for bad neighbours to call in
and make sure they had followed the
rules as a punitive means.
"There is so much over -regulation
in this and other bylaws it's not
funny," he said. "What we have here
says the fire code knows what's
what, so we should leave it at that."
Marshall said that 911 calls in
error are not a significant issue for
the municipality.
Smuck went on to say he would
fight against any bylaw that included
any reference to time with an open
air burn, saying he should be
allowed to start a burn at any time if
he is going to be responsible about
it. He stated that, if he worked a late
shift and wanted to start a burn when
he got home at 2 a.m., that's his
right.
Other councillors felt that setting a
time made sense, including Jim
Nelemans who stated the point was
to not have people light a fire at 5
p.m. when it gets dark at 6 p.m. in
the winter months. Smuck and Zinn
disagreed, saying that people on
farm properties should be allowed to
burn whenever they want.
The bylaw will be brought back
to council after being redrafted by
staff.
A rough game
The Blyth U15 team faced off against competition from Wingham
Fields south of Blyth. Unfortunately, Blyth couldn't manage much
match 16 to 2. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Council decides airport's future
After receiving two letters and
impassioned pleas from both their
writers during its May 16 meeting,
North Huron Council decided
against changing the status quo as
far as the Richard W. LeVan airport
is concerned.
The airport, which was considered
for the chopping block as one of
several options presented by its
operational committee, will survive
if North Huron Council holds the
course it set during the meeting.
Henry Van Heesch, owner of
Europarts and a pilot, and Chris
Vankoughnett, owner of Apex
Helicopters which is based at the
airport, spoke to the benefits of the
airport to businesses and community
groups such as the cadets.
Councillor Bill Knott responded
by saying he did not like the fact that
these people were asking to keep the
airport running when no options
were presented to help offset the
deficit of the site which is
approaching $9,000 annually, not
including the recently announced
GPS system maintenance at
approximately $5,000 annually.
He said he had hoped the group
would come forward with a
suggestion as to how they could run
it, similar to the Belgrave
Community Centre which is run by a
community group and not the
municipality, and the municipality
would chip in. He said the
municipality doesn't need a licensed
airport and stated that many of the
groups and benefits that the two
espoused could easily be
accomplished by a private airport.
Council also discussed the fact
that Huron County is supposed to be
investigating how to help local
airports because, while they may be
situated or maintained by a specific
municipality, they are regional
benefits. However council decided
that, whether or not the county
provides support, the airport should
stay operational. Discussions were
also had as to how the airport could
become part of the shared services
agreement between North Huron
and Morris-Turnberry as it is
operated by North Huron in Morris-
Turnberry.
This decision could see changes at
the airport as several individuals
have expressed interest in building
hangars at the airport, which
requires leasing the space from the
municipality, however no one
wanted to proceed with the future of
the airport being in question.
Council was told that the airport had
already lost two clients due to the
time taken to resolve the issue.
Council decided to continue to
operate the airport and allow leases
to be signed for new hangars
regardless of discussions with either
Huron County or Morris-Turnberry.
•
Attention
All Coaches
BLYTH-BRUSSELS
MINOR HOCKEY
is looking for
COACHES
for the upcoming
2016-2017 hockey season
If interested in being part of a rewarding experience
please contact:
technical @ blythbrusselsminorhockey.ca
DEADLINE IS MAY 31ST
See histories and
historic photographs on
the Huron History
section of our website
www. north h u ron.on.ca
on May 18 at the Sparling
of an offense and lost the
Motorcycle Jackets
Bainton's
Old Mill
Downtown Blyth
519-523-4740
Brussels Tigers
2016 Schedule
Game #
Day
Date
Home
Away
Time
1
Tuesday
May 31
Tavistock
vs
Brussels
8:30 pm
2
Saturday
June 4
Brussels
vs
Wingham
7:45 pm
3
Wednesday
June 8
Brussels
vs
Sebringville
8:30 pm
4
Thursday
June 9
Milverton
vs
Brussels
8:30 pm
5
Wednesday
June 15
Brussels
vs
Mitchell
8:30 pm
6
Wednesday
June 22
Brussels
vs
Belmore
8:30 pm
7
Monday
June 27
Goderich
vs
Brussels
8:30 pm
8
Tuesday
June 28
Walton
vs
Brussels
8:00 pm
9
Wednesday
July 6
Brussels
vs
Tavistock
8:30 pm
All-Star Game Saturday
July 9
Belmore Hosting (Memorial)
10
Sunday
July 10
Fullarton
vs
Brussels
7:00 pm
11
Friday
July 15
Brussels
vs
Milverton
8:30 pm
Tigers Tournament
July 22.24
12
Wednesday
July 27
Brussels
vs
Fullarton
8:30 pm
13
Wednesday
August 3
Sebringville
vs
Brussels
8:30 pm
14
Friday
August 5
Belmore
vs
Brussels
8:00 pm
15
Monday
August 8
Mitchell
vs
Brussels
8:30 pm
16
Wednesday
August 10
Brussels
vs
Goderich
8:30 pm
17
Sunday
August 14
Wingham
vs
Brussels
2:00 pm
18
Sunday
August 21
Wroxeter
vs
Brussels
2:00 pm
19
Wednesday
August 24
Brussels
vs
Walton
8:30 pm
20
Wednesday
August 31
Brussels
vs
Wroxeter
8:30 pm
Year End Tournament
September 9.11 Wroxeter Hosting