The Citizen, 2013-09-26, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013.Morris-Turnberry looks to demolish school
Council tables 14/19 funding
The debate about whether or not
to use 3D modelling provided by the
Wingham-based Huron Geomatics
firm in the proposed renovations at
the Blyth Memorial Hall will
continue for at least another two
weeks as North Huron council
deferred the issue again.
The modelling, which, for
approximately $13,000 will provide
three-dimensional plans that can be
used not only for planning and
implementing upgrades but also
be used to provide a digital 3D tour
of the site, was considered by
council several weeks ago, but was
deferred until more technical
information was made available to
staff to make a better
recommendation.
Staff had recommended approving
the expenditure, however council
wanted to see different methods of
payment including, most
prominently, entering into some
kind of cost-sharing agreement with
the 14/19 campaign, a volunteer-
lead initiative designed to upgrade
Memorial Hall, create a centre for
the arts in Blyth including a state-of-
the-art theatre at the site of the
former Blyth Public School and
create an endowment fund to help
run the program.
Chief Administrative Officer Gary
Long explained that Thor Dingman,
the architect who specializes in
restoring heritage building thatthe
municipality had hired to assess the
building, would not produce work
that was identical to the scan, but
work that could be used in a
complimentary manner.
“The 3D scan can be used to
create information for CAD
[computer-assisted design] working
and also for the 3D tour to help with
marketing and fundraising,” Long
said. “It would help a new architect
to design the upgrades for the
building along with Dingman’s
review.
“I’m recommending that Huron
Geomatics be retained on behalf of
Campaign 14/19 to produce the data
set with the laser scan, but that any
costs over and above that be covered
by the 14/19 committee,” Long said.
Council, however, didn’t see it
that way.
Councillor Archie MacGowan
said he was happy to use Huron
Geomatics and that the company,
which is from Wingham, uses “neat
technology that would provide many
benefits”, however he felt it would
be better to split the $13,000. He
was also concerned as to how this
would remain on budget.
Long said he had discussed the
idea with the committee and he had
been told the committee doesn’t
actually have any financial resources
at this point.
“At this time, the committee
doesn’t have funds, they have
pledges,” he pointed out.
Councillor Brock Vodden said that
he foresaw another issue with the
idea in that, if the committee has no
financial backing right now, the
drawings wouldn’t be able to be
created.
Long explained he felt the data set
would not be required for several
months, during which time the
committee would be looking to
create that financial back-up.
“The first thing we need to do is
have Dingman complete the
assessment,” Long said. “It might
take a month or two, but the laser
scans wouldn’t be required until
after that.”
Director of Facilities and
Recreation Pat Newson stated the
initial drawings and intake would
take three to four weeks and a
technical report would follow
Morris-Turnberry Council found
itself looking at a broad range of
prices for the destruction of the
former Turnberry Public School at
its Sept. 17 meeting.
The building, which the
municipality purchased after it was
closed earlier this year, was found to
have some potentially serious issues
in regards to demolition.
A request for proposals was put
out including the removal of
hazardous material including
asbestos and oil if found, the
removal of the underground oil
storage tank, the decommissioning
of existing water wells and the
demolition of the building itself, to
be completed on Nov. 30. Seven
businesses responded with prices
ranging from $76,988 including
taxes to $357,750.09.
Council decided to accept the
Salandria Limited proposal in theamount of $76,988, however onething all the companies didn’t
include in their price-points, as it
wasn’t requested by Morris-
Turnberry, is the tipping fees
for the waste from the building,
the storage tank and any
contaminated ground from around
the tank.
Administrator-Clerk Nancy
Michie explained these costs could
run as much as $100,000, but would
be the same for each company as it
would be going into Morris-
Turnberry’s own landfill site.
On top of that, if the soil is
deemed to be contaminated by the
Ministry of the Environment, it
will have to be moved to another site
at an estimated cost of upwards
of $50,000. Despite these
possible additions, Salandria’s
quote stands as the least expensive.
Mayor Paul Gowing said he was
surprised at some of the higher
prices as the lower ones were whatwas originally estimated.While council did proceed with
Salandria Ltd., and Michie assured
them the company had received
glowing recommendations from
other organizations that had
employed the company.
Councillor Neil Warwick,
however, was frustrated with what
was going on.
“With the landfill credit and
$50,000 for the oil tank if it needs to
be moved, we’re looking at
approximately $226,000,” he said.
“With the price of the school, we’re
getting close to $500,000 for the
entire operation.”
Gowing explained that, now that
they knew there were environmental
issues with the building and site,
they had to deal with them as there
might be a “moral obligation now
that [council] knows that hazardous
material is there.”
While Warwick didn’t disagree
with the assessment, he wonderedwhy the school board, the previous owner, hadn’t divulged that
same information to Morris-
Turnberry.
“I think we need to have a
discussion in closed session about
the previous owner not providing uswith that information,” he said.Council approved the suggested
motion from staff to accept the quote
from Salandria Ltd. contingent on
the acceptance of the company’s
work plan.
THE EDITOR,
On Thursday, Sept. 5 my husband
and I had the pleasure of attending
the Huron Pioneer Thresher and
Hobby Association annual reunion.
The main reason for our visit was to
present the association with the
original Sloan family farm bell.
It has been in our family since the
mid-1800s, first at the farm of my
great-grandparents, Andrew and
Janet Sloan (just down Hwy. 4),
where their daughter Margaret (my
grandmother) used to ring it to call
the workers for dinner. Then her son
Leighton (my father) acquired it,
had it transported and erected at his
summer home just north of
Goderich behind the Sky Harbour
Airport in 1962. When he sold his
property, we acquired the bell, had it
transported and erected at our
summer home near Timmins. When
we sold our cottage this past year
the question was, “what to do with
the bell?”
Luckily, we had met Brock and
Janis Vodden who were very
interested and excited about our
story. Being long-time residents of
Blyth, and your local historians,
Janis knew who to contact. The
president of the association, Tom
Dickson, and his committee were
also very interested and if we could
bring the bell to Blyth for their
reunion, they would be very happy
to accept it and in time it will be
erected at their site. This Sloan farm
bell has had a long journey over the
years and now has returned to Blyth
where it started so long ago.
We thank The Citizen for covering
the event and we also were so
warmly welcomed by everyone we
met. It is easy to see why the
Thresher Reunion has been so
successful for 52 years.
Sincerely, Janet Clemence.
31. In an ageless way
33. A person in religious orders
34. Pa's partner
35. Two considered as a unit
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39. Duple time dance
40. Greek myth's 1st woman
42. Word element meaning right
43. Point that is one point E of SE
44. Common teen skin disease
46. 4th Caliph of Islam
47. Oblong cream puff
49. Phoned
50. Very low frequency
51. Guild Wars creatures
52. Cozy
53. Hooray!
54. Work units
55. Soft-finned fishes
29. 42nd state
30. One who distributes alms
31. 20th C. playwright T.S.
32. Smallest state
33. Turn into lime
35. Spanish seafood dish
36. Language synonym Bura
37. Large-grained or rough to the touch
38. Understood by only a few
39. Thickened meat juices
40. Anjou and bartlett
41. Declare invalid
43. Molten metals surface scum
45. Bird reproductive bodies
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1. Cape near Lisbon
5. Chew the fat
9. Time of the 90th meridian
12. 1982 planned city in Israel
13. Vehicle carrying passengers
14. Expression of surprise
15. Long range nuclear weapon
16. 2nd largest Muslim denomination
17. Mad Men's Draper
18. Spanish artist Salvador
19. S.F. murdered mayor
20. Baby talk fathers
22. Religious discourse
24. Poet Dickinson
25. Emblem stamps
26. Competes
27. 40th state
28. Expects
CLUES DOWN
1. Foray
2 Killer whales
3. Television systems
4. Marvel at
5. Connected spirals
6. Moroccan outer garment
7. Play a role
8. ____ Daniel Webster
9. Golf attendants
10. Large school of fish
11. Tanacetum vulgare
13. Lower jaw fronts
16. Burn without a flame
21. Cordiality
23. PBS drama theate
28. Mandela's party
The Citizen Crossword
Sewing Services
Stitches with a Twist
519-523-9449
Blyth, Ont.
Letter to the Editor
Visitor enjoys
Thresher Reunion
By Denny ScottThe Citizen
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 27