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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-01-05, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012. The Blyth Bantam Rep Bulldogs were champions of the Bantam C Silver Stick Tournament in Kincardine, defeating Seaforth in the final to win the tournament. The Blyth Festival posted a small deficit for the 2010 season, falling just over $31,000 short of expectations. Blyth-area native Mark Nonkes was featured in a photography exhibit at the Goderich Co-op Gallery. The pictures featured natives of Namibia the recipients of the area’s Bicycles for Humanity projects that collected over 800 bikes and shipped them to the country. The Huron Business Development Corporation was granted $1.1 million in funds to be loaned out by the federal government’s Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. “That’s a lot of money, even for us,” said the corporation’s economic development manager Paul Nichol. Huron East Clerk-Administrator Jack McLachlan officially announced that he would be retiring later that year, giving six months notice. McLachlan had been with Huron East since amalgamation and with Tuckersmith Township for decades before that. Greg Dodds, a Belgrave-area hockey player, participated in a prospects game held in Guelph, hoping to catch the eye of a scout or two. The Blyth and Brussels Hockey Associations voted to amalgamate and become the Blyth Brussels Hockey Association. More than 80 per cent of the Brussels association’s members cast votes and 99 per cent of the votes cast called for the associations to join forces and amalgamate, while in Blyth 75 per cent of members cast a vote with 78 per cent of the votes cast calling for amalgamation. The Vodden Consent, a controversial severance application in Central Huron, continued to divide representatives around the Huron County Council table, as many saw it as a larger issue attacking the rural way of life, but leading to population decline throughout the county. Longtime Blyth Fire Chief Paul Josling officially hung up his bunker suit, retiring from firefighting after 36 years. Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan proposed a smaller-look council in Huron East in addition to complete eradication of the ward system. He said the wards were useful training wheels in the early days after amalgamation that were no longer necessary. A fire agreement with North Huron made its way back to Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW) Council. Council members wanted to re-evaluate the proposal they turned down months earlier. Official closure dates for Blyth, Brussels and East Wawanosh Public Schools were set by the Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB). Students, depending on their ages, from the three schools would be moved into two centres at Turnberry Central and Wingham Public Schools in September, 2012, if the new school near F.E. Madill Secondary School is not yet completed. Residents of Auburn began consideration of a zoning petition to gauge residents’ interest in being rezoned so the entire village would be located in one municipality. Which municipality it would be located in, however, was yet to be determined. For the second time of the winter season, delivery of The Citizen was delayed due to extreme snow conditions. The Brussels Agricultural Society held its 150th annual meeting at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. Remunerations came in under budget at Morris-Turnberry Council. The year’s remunerations came in just over $97,000, over 15 per cent lower than the $115,000 budgetted for the year. Brussels reggae musician Lyndon John X was nominated for a Juno award for his second full-length album Brighter Days. John X’s first album Two Chord Skankin’was also nominated for the best reggae album Juno years earlier. Central Huron Council officially enlisted the help of the YMCA for its soon-to-be-built community centre. In light of it being the backdrop for two memorable losses, County Road 12 was to be dedicated as Police Memorial Road. OPP Staff Sergeant Shawn Johnson said the dedication was important to “ensure the lives and sacrifices of [officers who lost their lives in the line of duty] are never forgotten.” Huron East Council decided not to change its current system, leaving the ward system as it had been since amalgamation and not reducing thenumber of representatives oncouncil. North Huron Council voted to not take part in a wind turbine study being proposed by Huron County. Since wind turbines had not been proposed in the township, council felt it was unnecessary for North Huron to take part. Hospitals in Wingham and Listowel ranked above the provincial average in patient satisfaction according to the website www.myhospitalcare.ca Both the hospitals had scored above provincial averages in 2008, 2009 and 2010, as well as 2011. Central Huron Council began its consideration of a new contract with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). The new contract would beef up the municipality’s OPP coverage and would give the officers more power to enforce municipal bylaws. The debate over fire coverage in Auburn continued with ACW Council being back at square one, faced with a coverage agreement from North Huron to consider. World-renowned livestock behaviour expert Temple Grandin was in Ethel for a seminar where she discussed animal handling techniques to over a dozen farmers in attendance. Raymond Walter and KennethRea, two volunteer Listowelfirefighters, perished in a fire at anarea business when the building collapsed while they were inside. Local firefighters were also mourning. Fire Department of North Huron Chief John Black said “This is a somber reminder of what can happen to firefighters.” A non-confidence vote passed on March 25 ordering that a federal election take place throughout Canada on May 2, putting local candidates like Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb into election mode once again. Huron East Treasurer Brad Knight suggested a six per cent tax increase averaged out over the municipality’s five wards, but then lowered that suggestion to a three or four per cent increase. A comprehensive Risk Management Program (RMP) was announced to be included as part of the 2011 provincial budget under a Liberal government. The official announcement was made by Huron-Bruce MPP and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Carol Mitchell at a farm in ACW. Mitchell called the 2011 budget “The Farm Budget” saying that $150 Conservatives take Huron-Bruce in 2011 Brussels celebrates year’s end Brussels and area youth celebrated the end of what was confirmed in 2010 to be the second-last year for Brussels Public School with a huge summer party on June 30. Amanda Morrison, shown here taking the plunge at the Brussels Public Pool, was one of many students who took part in games both on land and in water, and was wet for most of the day. (File photo) We’re blue The Conservative Party of Canada took a huge victory over Liberal and NDP candidates and parties during the federal election held in May. The Conservatives took 167 seats in the House of Commons including one for the Huron-Bruce riding which was held by Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb, shown here with his wife Andrea embracing supporters. Lobb beat his closest competitor, Grant Robertson of the NDP, by more than 15,000 votes. (File photo) January 2011 February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 Continued on page 13