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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-07-14, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016. County approves grant despite some criticism Continued from page 1 generated by the centre only hit 40 per cent of its goal, Gaudet said there would still be an opportunity to see a return on investment, but it would take longer — likely between seven and eight years. Central Huron Deputy -Mayor Dave Jewitt said he was struggling with his decision whether to support the centre, but said that Gaudet's numbers, ensuring the county a return on investment, was what really sold him on the idea. One of the great challenges the county is facing in terms of economic development, he said, is looking ahead and being where the county needs to be in the future, which is something the centre and its vision achieves. Jewitt said he felt the centre fits into the tourism niche the county is aiming for and that he intended to support the request. Howick Reeve Art Versteeg was strongly against the grant request, saying it was an inappropriate way for council to spend ratepayers' money. He also had some harsh words for the economic potential of both the Blyth Festival and a school for the arts in the village, saying that if there has been economic spinoff as a result of the theatre in the last 40 years, he hasn't seen it. "I don't see economic development happening because of the arts," Versteeg said. "I don't see it after 40 years in Blyth and the theatre isn't self-sustaining on its own." He also argued that while a grant request debated earlier in the meeting from the Wingham and District Hospital could apply to more Huron County residents, supporting the arts isn't any of Huron County's business. Versteeg added that while funds contributed to a potential grant to the centre will have come from all residents, including those with lower incomes, they would benefit the upper and upper -middle class people who, he felt, greatly comprised arts audiences. In conclusion, Versteeg said he couldn't support collecting taxes from some of the county's "poorest people" to "support self-indulgent entertainment for the rich." Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan disagreed, saying that the Blyth Festival and its theatre productions are just one piece of what's happening in Blyth, pointing to the centre and its programming, as well as the development of the Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company site, which aims to become a major tourism driver, as well as the new gas bar/Tim Horton's development in the south end of the village. Many of the projects ongoing in Blyth, MacLellan said, are working on one another's coattails, so there is great economic potential for Blyth, as well as the entire area. North Huron Reeve Neil Vincent echoed some of what MacLellan said, insisting there is an optimism in Blyth he hadn't seen before. Goderich Deputy -Mayor Jim Donnelly also spoke against the request, saying it was "too glitzy" and "too uncertain" for him to support, adding that he simply couldn't get a handle on exactly what it is that the centre hopes to provide to the community. He also added that the county's $500,000 grant would represent less than four per cent of the project's $14 million budget, so the project wouldn't "stand or fall" based on the county's contribution. Chief Administrative Officer Brenda Orchard said that if the county were to approve the grant, those from the centre were hoping to leverage the grant into matching funds from the federal government, although there would be no guarantee. The vote to approve the grant out of the Economic Development Board's reserves over the next five years was approved by a vote of 10 to five. Voting in favour of the motion were David Frayne, Paul Gowing, Ben Van Diepenbeek, Joe Steffler, Kevin Morrison, Bernie MacLellan, Dave Jewitt, Roger Watt, Jim Ginn and Tyler Hessel, while Jim Donnelly, Jim Fergusson, Art Versteeg, Maureen Cole and Neil Vincent voted against it. Hitting the 'ice' The Belgrave Community Centre played host to a ball hockey tournament over the weekend, which blended Canada's favourite game with the warm weather of the summer that's finally upon us. (Vicky Bremner photo) One impressive grill Why flip one pork chop when you can flip them all? That might have been the question that led to the creation of the grill seen above at the recent Winthrop Community Ball Park pork chop barbecue fundraiser on July 7. The fundraiser, which took the form of a pork chop dinner, was nearly sold out by the end of June and, on the day of, tickets were a hot commodity. Shown cooking the chops to perfection are, from left: Brian Alcock and Ken and Scott Dalton. 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