HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-04-04, Page 1CitizenTh
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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, April 4, 2013
Volume 29 No. 14
BIA - Pg. 6Dates for 2013Buskerfest are discussed PURCHASE - Pg. 20 Sparling’s Propane boughtby Calgary companyART- Pg. 2Cardiff exhibits at ArtGallery of OntarioPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
103 on board’s sunshine list
Runners needed
for Mounsey event
Wynne speaks, handles protestors in Clinton
Meet and greet
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, centre, attended a summit on agri-food at the Regional
Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron on March 26, organized by, left, Judy Crawford and,
right, Deb Austin. Wynne spoke on the future of agri-food and its spin-off industries. Videos of
Wynne’s speech, as well as of the protestors who greeted Wynne in Clinton, are available on
The Citizen’s website at www.northhuron.on.ca (Denny Scott photo)
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne
visited the Regional Equine and
Agricultural Centre of Huron
(REACH) in Clinton and her
message was one of growth and
prosperity for the agri-food industry
as a means of growing Ontario.
Wynne was the keynote speaker
on Tuesday, March 26 at the Huron
County and Ontario Chamber of
Commerce-sponsored Ontario
Economic Summit for the Ontario
Agri-Food Sector and, during her
15-minute-long speech, she
addressed many issues.
Most predominantly, however, she
spoke about the future of the agri-
food sector and how important it is
not only to areas like Huron County
but also to the province.
“I am so pleased to be here, it’s
fabulous this conversation is
happening,” she said when she took
to the podium, saying that the agri-
food sector is key to the future of the
province. “The Ontario Chamber of
Commerce appreciates the huge
contribution the agri-food sector
makes to our economy.”
Video of Wynne’s speech is
available on The Citizen’s website at
www.northhuron.on.ca
She said that regardless of
whether agri-food is the first or
second greatest generator of income
in the province was inconsequential.
What matters is that it is of
paramount importance to her and
the government.
“That’s why I’m here and that’s
why I’m the Minister of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs, because I
really believe it’s key for us to shine
a light on the importance of this
sector on the economy,” she said.
“It’s not really something that the
general population understands. The
agri-food industry is so important to
the economy of the province.”
She said that one of her goals is to
let everyone in the province know
how important agriculture is to the
backbone of Ontario. The message
wasn’t intended just for members of
the government, but for the general
public as well.
“I want everyone across the
province to understand that
agriculture is not just a part of who
we are, it’s not just our roots, it’s
vital to how we’re going to build the
economy going forward,” she said.
Earlier in the day, Wynne had
visited the Conlin farms, run by
Mike and Jen Conlin, near Lucan to
announce that the provincial
government was making a large
investment in the Ontario
corn-fed beef industry by helping
the Ontario Cattle Feeder’s
Association back their risk
management plan.
“The government is investing $10
million to help stabilize pricing and
help stimulate growth,” she said
during her speech. “It’s another one
of the kind of risk management
programs that we think can provide
stability to the businesses going
forward.”
That stability is important,
according to Wynne, because she
wants farms like the Conlins’ to be
around for years to come.
She explained that the farm had
been in the Conlin family for four
generations and that making sure it
stayed that way was her goal.
“I want to be sure that the right
conditions are in place, so that [the
Conlin’s children] have the right
situation for them to continue
farming,” she said. “I think that’s the
role of government in this
partnership: to make sure those
conditions can be in place.”
Risk management is important in
the agriculture sector because of the
inherent risks that come with
farming, according to Wynne.
“We know that farmers, like
economies, are affected by things
that are outside of their control,” she
said. “Whether they’re market
related, the weather, drought,
flooding, pests, whatever the
problem is, the agri-food sector can
be hit by those events so we want to
make sure that the tools are in place
so they can manage those risks just
Over 100 employees of the Avon
Maitland District School Board
(AMDSB) were included on the
province’s annual disclosure list of
public sector employees making
over $100,000 in 2012.
The province’s annual “sunshine
list” grew by 11 per cent this year,
and by 39 per cent since 2009. This
year’s list, focusing on 2012
earnings, includes over 88,000
people.
The AMDSB’s list ranges from the
director of education and secretary
of the school board to
superintendents, to principals and
vice-principals down to elementary
school teachers.
A link to the province’s complete
list can be found on The Citizen’s
website at www.northhuron.
on.ca
The AMDSB has 103 names on
the list, while the Huron-Perth
Catholic District School Board
(HPCDSB) has 34 names on its
sunshine list.
Making the most on the AMDSB
list are: Director of
Education/Secretary of the AMDSB
Ted Doherty, $192,000;
Superintendents Mike Ash, Janet
Baird-Jackson and Jodie Baker all
made $153,558 each while
Superintendent Kimberley Black
made $153,003.17 and
Superintendent Peggy Blair made
$146,849.04.
Locally, F.E. Madill Secondary
School Principal Kendra Brohman
made $140,895.22, Hullett Central
Public School Principal Shawn Allen
made $115,078.09, North Woods
Elementary School Principal Wendy
Armstrong-Gibson made
$115,318.08, former Hullett Central
Public School Principal Joy
Antoniuk made $116,422.08 as an
elementary school principal, former
Brussels Public School Principal
John Carr made $116,434.08 as an
elementary school principal,
Maitland River Elementary School
Principal Alice McDowell made
$116,422.08, Maitland River
Elementary School Vice-Principal
Suzanne Irwin made $115,318.08,
Central Huron Secondary School
Principal George McEwan made
$123,421.20, Listowel District
Secondary School Principal Diane
Homewood made $123,421.20, F.E.
Madill Secondary School Vice-
Principal Debbie Green made
$109,226.16 and fellow F.E.
Madill Secondary School Vice-
Principal Janice Shore made
$119,894.61.
Headlining the HPCDSB’s list is
Director of Education Martha
Dutrizac who made $188,282.50,
Superintendents of Education Daniel
Parr and Joann MacGregor who
made $157,629.16 each and
Superintendent of Business Gerry
Thuss who made $157,629.15.
The County of Huron’s list,
released late last month, included 14
names, with salaries paid out
spanning between $102,391 and
$307,466
The fourth annual Run Around
The Square to benefit the Dave
Mounsey Memorial Fund is set to
take place on Mother’s Day and
organizers are looking for
participants, as well as volunteers.
The event, which has grown in
size every year, is open now, until
May 1, for registration at
www.runaroundthesquare.ca and
can only be done ahead of time and
online.
In a recent interview with The
Citizen, organizer Liz Black-Brown
said that the event has always been a
success and there’s no reason to
think this year will be any different.
Registration for the five-kilometre
run is $35 and for the 10-kilometre
run is $40.
And since the event is on Mother’s
Day, Sunday, May 12, there will be a
full breakfast for all volunteers
where they are able to bring their
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 14
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 8