HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-01-31, Page 1CitizenTh
e
$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, January 31, 2013
Volume 29 No. 5
MEETING - Pg. 15Agricultural Society hostsannual meeting HALL - Pg. 16Council has questionsover Foresters HallFAIR- Pg. 7Elementary School Fairlooking for volunteersPublications Mail Agreement No. 4005014 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
In the early morning hours of
Wednesday, Jan. 23, a devastating
fire tore through MDL Doors in
Brussels leaving next to nothing
behind.
According to Huron East Fire
Chief Marty Bedard, the first call
was made to the Grey Fire
Department at 2:33 a.m. Soon after,
at 2:37 a.m., the Brussels Fire
Department was also dispatched,
followed minutes later by the North
Huron and Seaforth Fire
Departments.
By the time first responders were
on the scene, Bedard said, the
building was completely engulfed in
flames. The first unit was on the
scene of the fire at 2:45 a.m., just
over 10 minutes after being
dispatched.
With the building completely
ablaze, Bedard said, it was unsafe to
enter, so the firefighters engaged in
what Bedard calls an “exterior
attack” where firefighters simply
tried to put as much water on the fire
as possible while remaining outside
of the building.
Bedard said that when he arrived,
the computer office area at the front
of the building was beginning to be
breached, showing just how far the
blaze had reached in a short amount
of time.
He said firefighters remained on
the scene attempting to keep the fire
under control until 10:30 a.m. when
the fire was conquered. Firefighters
remained on the scene, however,
until 5 p.m.
Because of the steel structure of
the building, Bedard said, when the
fire engulfed the structure,
everything collapsed into the
building. Firefighters remained on
scene, he said, because as steel
panels were removed, small fires
continuing to smoulder needed to be
extinguished quickly to ensure there
was no further spread.
“There were pockets of fire
trapped under the steel,” Bedard
said. “It was very difficult.”
When asked, Bedard said of the
MDL Doors building, “there’s
nothing left”.
He said that while a full inventory
has yet to be completed, as MDL has
a second facility that houses
materials that was not damaged by
the fire, damage is estimated to be in
the multi-millions.
Bedard said an investigator from
the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office
was on the scene of the fire by noon
on Wednesday. The investigation
officially began on Thursday
morning and continued throughout
the course of the week, however,
Bedard said, in fires as devastating
as the MDL Doors fire, it could take
months to determine the cause.
“It’s really hard to determine due
to the extensive damage,” Bedard
said. “They just pick through
what they can after the fact and it’s
kind of a process-of-elimination
investigation.”
Bedard said that the Technical
Standards and Safety Authority
Central Huron Animal Control
Officer Bob Trick says there
continues to be a large build-up of
coyotes in the former Hullett
Township after he saw extremely
heightened numbers in 2012 as well.
Reporting at Central Huron
Council’s Jan. 24 Committee of the
Whole meeting, Trick, who serves as
an animal control officer for several
other local municipalities, told
council that the Hullett Ward of
Central Huron has become a cause
for heightened concern when it
comes to coyotes.
He says that the main
concentration of the animals seems
to be around the Hullett Provincial
Wildlife Area.
Trick told councillors that 65
coyotes were killed for
compensation in 2012, meaning that
The Huron County OPP
Detachment had officers patrolling
snowmobile trails for the first time
this year over the weekend in Huron
County. Officers reported three
Reduce Impaired Driving
Everywhere (R.I.D.E.) checkpoints
were set up at strategic locations.
Officers checked over 200 snow
machine operators at these
checkpoints. While the majority of
the operators were following the
rules, officers did identify some
offences. Three operators failed to
have current trail permits, three
operators failed to have insurance
cards, one operator failed to wear a
helmet and one driver was found to
be driving while disqualified. On a
positive note, no alcohol related
offences were observed.
Huron OPP officers are also
investigating a single machine
snowmobile collision that occurred
on Sunday, Jan. 27 shortly after 1
p.m. A 24-year-old male driver from
Central Huron sustained non-life
threatening injuries while operating
on a trail near Clinton.
Snowmobiling is one of the joys
of a Canadian winter; however, not
taking the necessary precautions can
quickly result in tragedy. Huron
OPP will continue their snow
machine patrols throughout the
season and would like to remind
riders of these important tips that
will help make your ride safe.
• Obey speed limits and road/trail
signs and always drive within your
ability. The maximum trail speed is
50 km/hour.
• Reduce your speed when
driving at night and watch for
fences, guide wires and other objects
that can be difficult to spot at night.
• Avoid driving on frozen lakes,
ponds and rivers. If it can’t be
avoided, check ice conditions
beforehand. Wear a buoyant
snowmobile suit and carry ice picks.
• Tell somebody you are going out
for a ride. Tell them your route,
description of your snowmobile and
your expected time of return.
• Avoid travelling alone. Always
be prepared for the unexpected.
Carry a charged cell phone if
possible.
• Never drive while intoxicated.
Alcohol, illegal drugs and even
some prescription drugs can slow
down your reaction time and affect
your ability to make good decisions.
• Never ride on private property
without the permission of the
landowner.
• Carry a winter safety survival kit.
Carry a throw rope, ice picks, first
aid kit, waterproof matches with fire
starter, whistle, energy bars, water,
survival blankets, a knife or multi-
tool and nylon rope.
• If convicted of impaired driving
on a snow machine, you will lose
your driving privileges for all types
of vehicles, including motor
vehicles.
• Snowmobile operators are
obligated to carry documents with
them when operating a motorized
snow vehicle. A driver’s licence or
motorized snow vehicle operator’s
license, vehicle registration
and proof of insurance must be
provided upon demand of a police
officer.
• Remember, if you ride on trails
operated by the Ontario Federation
of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) and
you fail to have a valid trail permit
you are subject to a $240 fine.
The Huron County OPP
Detachment wishes all snowmobile
enthusiasts a safe and enjoyable
2013 season. For further information
on safe snowmobiling and where to
ride, contact the Ontario Federation
of Snowmobile Clubs at
www.ofsc.on.ca
Early morning fire devastates MDL Doors
Coyote population
on the rise in Hullett
OPP conducts checks as trails open briefly
Trail enforcement
While this scene may look worse than it is, with local snowmobile trails opening on Friday,
police were out in full force over the weekend ensuring that riders were equipped with the
proper documentation, permits and insurance, as these riders were. Unfortunately, not all
riders were hitting the trails as compliant as this pair near the Blyth Greenway Trail, according
to the OPP. (Vicky Bremner photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 6
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 18