HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-11-10, Page 23Presenting the colours
The Blyth Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion held its annual Remembrance Day church
service on Sunday. The service traditionally rotates through the community and this year the
Blyth United Church was host to the service. Here, Legion President Ric McBurney and
Legion member Brenda Finlayson present the colours at the church ahead of the service.
(Vicky Bremner photo)
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2016. PAGE 23.
Blyth Festival doesn't
renew GM's contract
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
The Blyth Festival Board of
Directors has parted ways with long-
time General Manager Deb
Sholdice.
Chair of the board David
Armstrong said that Sholdice's
annual contract wasn't renewed this
year.
"We are deeply appreciative of her
years of service to the Blyth
Festival," Armstrong said in an
interview with The Citizen. "We
wish her well."
The decision was officially made
public last week and Blyth Festival
Artistic Director Gil Garratt said that
Sholdice would be missed around
the office.
Garratt first met Sholdice through
her children Sam and Sarrah, when
they were a part of Young Company.
The two have since come back to the
Blyth Festival in various capacities
with Sam penning music for a show
several years ago and Sarrah
working in the administrative office.
"Deb has been involved with the
Festival for a long time," he said,
adding he was grateful for the time
Deb and her children spent
contributing to the Festival. "They
were all in the Outdoor Donnellys
and after that, Deb became a
member of the board."
Garratt explained that Sholdice
made the switch from board member
to General Manager and has held the
position for nine years.
"She is an amazing example of
how a relationship can grow with an
organization like the Blyth Festival,"
he said, "going from her children to
volunteering to the board to the
General Manager."
Garratt said Sholdice was very
active with the Blyth Business
Improvement Area (BIA) and other
community events, saying she was
always ready to go above and
beyond her job description.
"She would attend events in the
off-season and volunteer to help with
costs for the Festival," he said.
"There was a constant sense of
dedication whenever you dealt with
her."
Garratt also pointed to recent
financing opportunities the Festival
has benefitted from, such as the
nearly $1 million Department of
Canadian Heritage Grant that was a
result of an application he and
Sholdice had worked on which will
be applied to the ongoing
renovations at Blyth Memorial Hall.
"Her impact on the Festival and on
Blyth is enormous," Garratt said.
As of press time, no official
announcement had been made
regarding the search for a
replacement from the Blyth Festival.
Stratford police costs deemed too high for HE Council
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Despite some councillors feeling
Stratford Police may be a cheaper
alternative to the Ontario Provincial
Police (OPP) in Huron East, a quick
look at the figures have shown that
to not be the case.
After Councillor Ray Chartrand
first proposed investigating Stratford
Police potentially expanding to
cover Huron East last month,
municipal staff found that under a
Stratford model, policing costs in
Huron East would more than double.
Chartrand cited both rising costs
associated with the OPP and long
response times as reasoning to
investigate Stratford Police as an
option.
At council's Nov. 1 meeting, Chief
Administrative Officer Brad Knight
first told council that a requirement
in the Police Services Act eliminates
Huron East being policed by
Stratford.
"The councils of two
municipalities may enter into an
agreement for the provision of police
services for one municipality by the
board of the other municipality, on
the conditions set out in the
agreement, if the municipality that is
to receive the police services is
contiguous to the municipality that is
to provide the police services or is
contiguous to any other municipality
that receives police services from
the same municipality," reads
Section 6.1 (1) of the Police
Services Act.
The "contiguous" requirement,
Knight said, eliminated any option
but the OPP for Huron East.
However, for information
purposes, Knight also included
figures for policing in Stratford,
saying that policing costs in
Stratford amounted to $794.02 per
household in 2015, while Huron
East, with the OPP, is facing per -
household costs of $386 in 2017.
Council did not pursue the
investigation any further.
Committee struck to handle BIA marketing concerns
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
The Blyth Business Improvement
Area (BIA) board has struck an
advertising committee to deal with
annual advertising opportunities in a
more timely manner.
The creation of the committee was
left to a steering committee and
presented at the BIA's Nov. 2
meeting. Several members of that
steering committee will be part of
the newly -struck advertising
committee.
In previous years, the BIA board
has expressed concerns that
decisions about advertising are being
made too quickly, oftentimes with
deadlines presented at a meeting and
needing to be dealt with prior to the
end of that same meeting.
The committee will include North
Huron Township Economic
Development Officer Connie
Goodall, BIA executive members
Gary van Leeuwen and Cat
O'Donnell and Tom Williscraft of
CKNX Radio.
***
The BIA has approved an
advertising package from CKNX for
its holiday season events.
Presented by Tom Williscraft of
CKNX, the package will cost
individual businesses $150 and the
BIA approximately $1,800.
The expense was included in the
BIA budget.
***
The Blyth 140th anniversary seed
money has been delivered to the
Blyth BIA.
The 140th anniversary committee
received $5,000 from North Huron
Council that has to be repaid after
the event. The BIA will hold the
funds for the 140th anniversary
committee.
The announcement of the funds
being delivered came through BIA
Treasurer Gary van Leeuwen's
report, during which he said the BIA
is "comfortable" financially.
"This is the first time I've been
very comfortable with where we're
at," he said. "We have money to
spend, but I suggest we do so
frugally."
***
The BIA's Lighting of the Lights is
set to take place Nov. 26 at 6:30 p.m.
at 432 Queen Street.
Sharon Davis is hosting the event
and originally requested $100 for the
event's decorations and supplies,
however it was pointed out that $500
was set aside for the event.
The surplus brought some
questions, such as why the BIA
didn't aim for a bigger event,
however it was pointed out that, with
Memorial Hall under construction,
hosting a larger event might be
difficult.
The BIA approved a motion to
grant Davis the $100.
***
Lissa Kolkman of the the Blyth
Friends of the Village gardening
group provided an update to the BIA
during its Nov. 2 meeting.
Kolkman said that tags or cards
are being designed for people who
wish to give special Blyth lilies
called the Belle of Blyth being sold
by the group. The cards would serve
as placeholders for Christmas gifts
until the lilies are ready next year.
North Huron BIA representative
Bill Knott asked Kolkman about the
gardening group's plans for a dog
park. Kolkman said it was a
discussion that was part of the
group's five-year plan.
Knott requested a slightly quicker
plan than that, saying he would like
to see it soon.
Kolkman said a survey would be
done soon determine the need for the
park.
***
The BIA's annual house -
decorating contest could be opening
up its categories next year.
When the event, which recognizes
the decorating skills of local families
with prizes donated by BIA
members, was discussed at the BIA's
Nov. 2 meeting, it was suggested
that a commercial category be
added.
Organizer Irene Kellins said there
wasn't time to find impartial judges
for this year's event, but said it could
be an idea for next year.
The competition is only for homes
in the village of Blyth and judging
will take place sometime in late
November or early December.
The BIA board approved research
for the purchase of one laptop to be
shared by the secretary and treasurer
of the organization.
The laptop will be purchased to
run accounting software for the
treasurer and for the secretary to take
notes at meetings.
The cost is set to come out of the
business expense line of the BIA's
annual budget, though a final
price won't be known until
proper research into the issue is
complete.
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