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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-04-16, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015. PAGE 19. Vibrancy fund enables purchase of new fire truck Huron East’s community vibrancy fund agreement with NextEra Energy Canada has enabled the purchase of a new rescue truck for the Huron East Fire Department’s Seaforth station. In an announcement at the Seaforth Fire Hall on April 7, the purchase was announced and the truck was revealed to the public with representatives from Huron East, West Perth, the Huron East Fire Department and Varna Wind, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, all on hand. The truck, built by Dependable Emergency Vehicles in Brampton, cost $270,000. Huron East is responsible for 93.4 per cent of the cost, while West Perth will pay the balance. NextEra will help to fund the truck over a five-year period. At the announcement, Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan said that as years go on, municipal partnerships are becoming more and more important and that Huron East’s relationship with NextEra is one of its most important. Derek Dudek, NextEra’s community and municipal engagement specialist said that he hopes the assistance provided in purchasing a new fire truck is just the first of a long line of ways the company can help the community. “We look forward to being a long- term community partner with Huron East and we’re excited about these opportunities,” he said. In a press release issued at the event, MacLellan agreed, saying that the truck could be the first of many projects on which the municipality and NextEra can work together. “The Municipality of Huron East is involved in three wind projects and each project is unique. We are pleased that we have been able to work together with NextEra Energy and its subcontractors,” he said. “Today’s announcement, and the plan to fund this rescue vehicle over several years, was timely in that council was commencing budget talks later in the evening and this type of commitment allows council to consider other projects.” The NextEra community vibrancy fund agreement provides Huron East with $5,000 per kilometre, per year based on a wind turbine transmission line within the Centennial and Hensall Road allowances. The entire Huron East transmission line route is 15 kilometres, 10 of which are actually within the road allowance. The 20-year agreement will pay Huron East close to $50,000 per year for the next 20 years. Council approved the community vibrancy fund with NextEra Energy at its Dec. 17, 2013 meeting. At the same meeting, council turned down a community vibrancy fund with St. Columban Energy that would have paid the municipality $3,500 per megawatt-hour, per year. With 33 megawatt-hours planned for the St. Columban wind project, that fund would have paid the municipality $115,000 per year for the next 20 years for a total of $2.3 million over that time period. NEWS FROM WALTON A new partnership Huron East recently purchased a new rescue truck for the Seaforth station of the Huron East Fire Department thanks to a community vibrancy fund established with NextEra Energy for its wind energy project. The truck was revealed earlier this month at the station just before Huron East Council’s first meeting in April. From left: Seaforth Fire Chief Tom Phillips, Derek Dudek of NextEra, Huron East Fire Chief and CEMC Marty Bedard, Julie Rice of NextEra, Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan and Doug McIntosh of NextEra. (Shawn Loughlin photo) Spring, Easter marks new family members, visits Finally! It has felt like spring for at least a couple of days. The warmer weather has managed to melt away most of the snow and snowdrops and crocus have peeked through many of the lawns and gardens. I did see many folks out raking lawns on my travels this weekend, picking up limbs or just enjoying being outside barbecuing. I did see tundra swans out in the fields on the way home from Kincardine on the weekend and there seems to be more and more pairs of Canadian geese looking for a place to nest for the spring. Hopefully, the warmer weather will stay around. What better way to welcome spring, but with the birth of a new child? Mike and Nicole Noble welcomed Jacoby to their family last week. He will be welcomed by big brother Beckett and grandparents Murray and Ruth Lowe. Congratulations to the Noble family. A great way to spend Easter is by having far away family home to visit. Jim and Linda McDonald were pleased to have son Andrew home from Edmonton for a week’s holiday. He was able to see many of the relatives over Easter and then his old friends as well. He has returned home after his busy week around Walton and Seaforth. It was also nice to see Eric and Sherry (Hoegy) Delay home over Easter. They would enjoy having a visit with Barry and Karen Hoegy and the rest of the family members. Congratulations to both Neil and Doris Williamson on their retirement. Doris retired from working at Barmy Tech and Neil after 33 years of working at McGavin’s. This is the first week of them both being home, so maybe I will guess they are sleeping in! Don’t call too early. Our condolences to the members of the Heibein family on the passing of Lloyd Heibein. He will be sadly missed by his children Janet, Wendy and Jeff and their families. Lloyd lived most of his life in Brussels until retiring to Listowel. He will be missed by all. Returning from a great trip to the west coast is my friend Aggie Ten Pas. Aggie and her trusty companion, Peanut, flew from Toronto on March 11 to Vancouver to visit with daughter Linda and boys, Kirk and Nick. They live in Chilliwack, B.C. She reports that it is certainly spring out there as the tulips, daffodils and flowering trees etc. were all out in bloom and “spring” was in the air. Aggie was kept busy helping Linda move to a new condo and getting everything in order. Aggie was invited out for supper with friends that she has made through the years out there. They went sightseeing to Westminster Abbey Church in Mission, B.C., a beautiful church that is open to the public, on the day before Good Friday. They took the sky train to Crosstown, where they enjoyed a delicious brunch at the famous restaurant Chambar. It was Good Friday when Aggie and Peanut made the flight from Abbottsford to Calgary to London. It was a night flight and at 6:30 in the morning, Henk and brother-in-law Reid, picked her and Peanut up from the airport. Aggie reports Peanut was a super little guy, getting along with Linda’s dogs and flying. They are both glad to be home and back into routine! We are glad to hear Shirley Wheeler is feeling better and home from the hospital after a short stay. We hope Bill Stephenson is coping well with his stay in hospital at this time. Our sympathies are extended to Betty and Jim Ryan on the passing of her sister Madeline McKinnon. Flu is still running rampant among many folks. There seem to be a few students missing from the bus ride everyday. Some folks report having it for just a day or so and others have been sick on and off for weeks. Hopefully the spring weather will chase the “flu” away. The McKillop ladies gathered last week for the monthly get together at the Walton Inn. The birthday girl was Marlene Glanville, and she got to enjoy her birthday while working at the inn! Joining for the morning get-together were Karen Braecker, Yolanda Gubelmann, Jennifer Vellinga and Jeanette Robinson. Karen and John had just returned from a surprise trip to Thunder Bay to visit with daughter Holly, who is at school there. It was a complete surprise to Holly. They spent the weekend visiting, taking a shopping trip across the border and she reports they have less snow than we do. Graeme Craig was a busy man on the weekend at Duff’s United Church. Graeme and Helen were the greeters for the morning, Graeme led the service and then he was to take the offering as well. Graeme was called upon this week to lead the congregation in their gathering before God. His reflection was entitled “ Riding the Wave” and this phrase “You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment” by Henry David Thoreau graced the bulletin. Bruce Whitmore will be the guest speaker this Sunday. Announcements included the upcoming UCW meeting on May 6 will feature guest speaker Jennie Schimanski, reiki master and meditation guide. Meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and remember your food bank donation and your toonies for friendship. A reminder that it is Melville Presbyterian Church 100th anniversary this Sunday at 2 p.m Guest speaker is Carolyn McAvoy, former minister of Melville. Celebrating birthdays this past week include Heather Blake Dunbar, Bonnie Hastings, Shannon Craig Soontiens, Cole Zwep, Doug Mitchell, Katheryn Emmrich Johnson, Jack Ryan, Neil Williamson, Trevor Sutcliffe, Mitch Blake, Theresa Pryce, Tom Warwick and Murray Pepper. Happy birthday to all. By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570 PEOPLE AROUND WALTON Continued from page 12 with The Citizen. The celebration will begin at 7 p.m. on May 2 with an evening of music at the north-end Brussels church. Performing will be the New Freedom Quartet. Refreshments at the church will follow. On Sunday, the worship service will begin at 10 a.m. and will feature special music from The Hiller family and a special journey through the past celebrating the church’s 35-year history through photographs and memories. Gazley is still adjusting to life at the head of a Brussels church, but says he has really embraced the community and that it’s good to be part of a church that is so involved in its home community. “So many people are welcome [at the church],” Gazley said. “This church has made quite an impact on the community over the years.” The church started 35 years ago when five families from the Listowel Mennonite Church planted a new church in Brussels – the Baans, the Garlands, the Martins, the Hemingways and the Widemans. The congregation’s first service was then held in February of 1981 at the Brussels Library. The first service was presided over by Brian Laverty, the pastor of the Listowel church, before Doug Zehr was hired as the congregation’s first full-time pastor. The church moved to what is now its current location later that year, hosting its first service in the new building in June of 1981. For more information on the church or the 35th anniversary celebration, visit the Brussels Mennonite Fellowship website at www.bmfchurch.com. Concert, special Sunday service mark anniversary of Fellowship By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen