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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, October 15, 2015
Volume 31 No. 40
FAIR - Pg. 10
Elementary School Fair
results are presented
ELECTION - Pg. 8
Candidates answer
‘Citizen’ questions
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0
INSIDE
THIS WEEK:
Board
endorses
the G2G
Crazy hair at a price
Crazy hair was welcome at Hullett Central Public School on
Friday, but only if students brought a school-snack item for
the Farm Credit Food Drive. The day was part of an entire
week of special days that students could participate in by
bringing food. With their treats and crazy hair are, from left: Paige
Ferguson, Elizabeth Howson, Amelia Greydanus, Connor Dale,
Emma Bernier, Caden Mason, Ryan Cowan, Cole Ferguson,
Owen Whyte, Rodney Ansley and Will Nesbit. (Denny Scott photo)
Board upset by drastic funding cut
Without any public consultation
on the issue, Morris-Turnberry
Council decided to cut the amount of
money given to the Belgrave
Community Centre Board by 75 per
cent, a decision the board isn’t
happy with according to a recent
letter to council.
The original decision, according
to Morris-Turnberry staff, was made
during a special meeting between
members of both Morris-Turnberry
and North Huron Councils. As part
of the cross-border servicing
agreement, Morris-Turnberry made
changes to the grants it gives to
North Huron in lieu of the services
some Morris-Turnberry residents
enjoy that are funded by North
Huron.
This meeting consisted of less
than half of each council, meaning it
was not open to the public.
The change itself was approved
after an in-camera session earlier
this year, as it was considered part of
the entire cross-border servicing
issue.
In previous years, since the
Belgrave Community Centre Board
took over the site, Morris-Turnberry
had given a $20,000 grant to the
organization, however this year, only
$5,000 was given.
A letter from the Belgrave
Community Centre Board stated that
members didn’t feel the decision
was right and that it wasn’t made
fairly.
The letter states that the board
didn’t agree with the decision but its
biggest concern was the “unilateral
way” that council came to the
decision.
“We are extremely dismayed that
neither the mayor, who is a former
Chairman of the Belgrave
Community Centre Board and a
charter member of our board, nor
any of his colleagues on council saw
fit or had the courage to come to us
to either explain their course of
action or to give us the opportunity
to have some input into the decision
making process,” the letter said. “In
the spirit of co-operation, we feel
that we deserved the respect to, at
the very least, be consulted about
what was being considered.”
The letter explains that the board
believes that there are as many, if not
more, users of the facility from
Morris-Turnberry as there are from
North Huron.
“The Morris-Turnberry Council
decision is a slap in the face to those
taxpayers in Morris that, over the
years, have worked very hard and
continue to work hard to keep the
community centre open and
operational,” the letter stated. “It is
our fervent hope that the council of
Morris-Turnberry will see fit to
reverse its decision on this matter
and will afford us the courtesy of
consulting on such matters in the
future.”
Unfortunately for the board,
Morris-Turnberry Council has no
intention off reversing or even
revisiting the issue.
“I’m taking the brunt of the
[response to the] action we’ve taken
here,” Mayor Paul Gowing said
during Morris-Turnberry Council’s
Oct. 8 meeting, when the letter was
discussed. “I don’t believe we
should change the action.”
Gowing said that the decision was
not a reflection on the board and
The newly-formed Huron County
Economic Development Board has
recommended the county endorse
the proposed Goderich-to-Guelph
Rail Trail.
In a report to Huron County
Council, presented at council’s Oct.
7 meeting, the board reviewed its
meeting with Chris Lee and Paul
VanderMolen, representatives of the
trail, and informed council that the
board had approved $20,000 in
support to the trail.
The grant, according to the report,
would go towards completion of
trail access points, information and
educational kiosks, a parking area, a
media campaign and a
crowdsourcing campaign that would
help launch the trail in Huron
County.
“Commentary from board
members indicated that this was a
great tourism opportunity that would
have positive ramifications county-
wide,” stated Economic
Development Manager Natasha
Fritzley in her report to council.
“Board members also emphasized
the need to track a number of
measurables related to the trail and
requested that Goderich-to-Guelph
Rail Trail Inc. provide full trail
metrics for an annual measurement
report.”
Fritzley added that a matrix,
including trackable metrics, must be
provided to the board by Nov. 14.
A motion that the county endorse
the trail was initially included in the
Oct. 7 meeting package, however,
Chief Administrative Officer Brenda
Orchard said that was done in error,
and the motion was changed to
reflect that council was receiving the
report, rather than endorsing the
trail.
Orchard reminded councillors that
a full staff report on the trail, its
ramifications and economic
development potential is still
forthcoming, likely to one of
council’s committee of the whole
meetings this month, meaning it
would be up for official council
approval in early November.
Council approved the motion to
receive the report.
Three first responders were
honoured by Huron County last
week for showing exemplary
dedication and courage in the face of
some of the community’s most
challenging professions.
Morris-Turnberry’s Lincoln
Dinning of the Ontario Provincial
Police (OPP) has been named the
county’s Police Officer of the Year,
while Joel Paakkunainen was named
Paramedic of the Year and Doug
Harkes of the Howick Fire
Department was named Fire Fighter
of the Year.
Warden Paul Gowing oversaw the
presentations, made at council’s Oct.
7 meeting, saying that all of this
year’s winners had displayed
incredible professionalism, courage
and personal sacrifice in order to
excel at their jobs and to be
nominated by their peers.
Bill Strong, representing the office
of Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb, said
he was honoured to be part of the
The Citizen
Celebrating 30 Years
1985~2015
Dinning named top officer
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 20
Continued on page 13