HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-03-29, Page 15THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012. PAGE 15.
Huron East Mayor Bernie
MacLellan says he will initiate an
investigation with the Ombudsman
of Ontario over a closed session
council had earlier this year
in regards to a wind turbine
bylaw.
MacLellan addressed the issue at
the March 20 meeting after a letter
was received from members of
Huron East Against Turbines
(HEAT) inferring that council dealt
with correspondence referring to the
issue incorrectly.
MacLellan told council that he
would be initiating the investigation
independent of council and that it
was not an issue to be voted on. An
investigation by the Ombudsman
can be requested by any citizen and
once the request has been filed, an
investigation has to be carried
out.
MacLellan said it was “the only
way” to close the book on the bylaw
council had been investigating to
protect the health and safety of
Huron East residents against the
perceived adverse health effects
regarding wind turbines.
The questions from HEAT came
in regards to council discussing
correspondence from London
lawyer Fred Tranquilli in closed
session. These were discussions that
members of HEAT feel should have
been discussed in open session,
despite council making
correspondence available to the
public after the final decision was
made earlier this month.
MacLellan said a review by the
Ombudsman wouldn’t cost the
municipality anything, but that it
would clear up whether council
conducted itself correctly in the
matter, which MacLellan said he
believes council has.
Several councillors were in favour
of what MacLellan had set out to do,
saying that council had done nothing
wrong and such an investigation
would prove just that to anyone who
thought otherwise.
“I don’t like accusations that are
false,” said Councillor Andy
Flowers.
MacLellan said that going through
the Ombudsman would ensure an
unbiased third-party review of
council’s actions and would provide
an accurate interpretation of the
events surrounding the bylaw.
MacLellan said council has gone
through the process before when an
investigation was called by a citizen
in regards to closed session
discussions surrounding the Seaforth
Arena Board.
MacLellan offered no timeline as
to when the investigation might
begin.
Total receipts for Brussels
Livestock for the week ending
March 23 were 2,244 cattle, 1,273
lambs and goats. On Tuesday fed
steers and heifers sold slightly under
pressure. Choice steers and heifers
sold $120 to $127 with top sales of
$133.50. Second cut sold $115 to
$119. Cows sold steady. On
Thursday veal sold steady. Lambs
sold on a very strong active trade
at prices $10 to $15 higher.
Sheep sold steady and goats
sold on a good active trade at higher
prices. On Friday calves
and yearlings sold on a steady
market.
There were 149 fed steers on offer.
Jim Howatt of Londesborough,
consigned 25 steers averaging 1,483
lbs. selling for an average of $126.53
with one limousin steer weighing
1,510 lbs. selling to Horizon Meat
Packers for $130. Niel Edgar of
Wingham, consigned 22 steers
averaging 1,275 lbs. selling for an
average of $115.48 with two
limousin steers averaging 1,385 lbs.
selling to Horizon Meat Packers for
$125. Murray Wagg of Mitchell,
consigned 15 steers averaging 1,534
lbs. selling for an average of $120.67
with one black steer weighing 1,550
lbs. selling to Horizon Meat Packers
for $124.75. Martin Metske of
Lucknow, consigned three charolais
steers averaging 1,432 lbs. selling to
Ryding Regency for $121.25.
Rebecca McCarthy of Dublin,
consigned one limousin steer
weighing 1,525 lbs. selling to St.
Helen’s Meat Packers for $121.
Kevin Wagg of Mitchell, consigned
15 steers averaging 1,546 lbs.
selling for an average of
$120.25 with six black steers
averaging 1,548 lbs. selling for
$120.25.
There were 145 fed heifers on
offer. M-R Farms of Exeter,
consigned six heifers averaging
1,386 lbs. selling for an average of
$124.99 with one roan heifer
weighing 1,325 lbs. selling to
Horizon Meat Packers for $133.50.
Don Wilhelm of Stratford,
consigned three heifers averaging
1,303 lbs. selling for an average of
$117.14 with two cross-bred heifers
averaging 1,328 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $120.75. Hank
W. Huigenbos of Wingham,
consigned 11 heifers averaging
1,202 lbs. selling for an average of
$118.01 with one charolais heifer
weighing 1,395 lbs. selling for
$120.50.
There were 240 cows on offer.
Export types sold $73.50 to $83 with
sales to $85.50; beef cows, $74.50 to
$87 with sales to $99; D1 and D2,
$57 to $64; D3, $52 to $57; D4, $37
to $47. Bruce Pewtress of Wingham,
consigned two cows averaging 1,188
lbs. selling for an average of $83.19
with one rwf cow weighing 1,245
lbs. selling for $87. Gary Burgess of
Harriston, consigned five cows
averaging 1,285 lbs. selling for an
average of $82.40 with one gold cow
weighing 1,320 lbs. selling for
$85.50. Ron Kreis of St. Pauls,
consigned three cows averaging
1,293 lbs. selling for an average of
$83.22 with one charolais cow
weighing 1,360 lbs. selling for
$85.
There were nine bulls selling $85
to $89.50 to $96. Wayne Redmond
of Auburn, consigned one red bull
weighing 2,430 lbs. selling for $93.
Ilene Annett of Tupperville,
consigned one black bull weighing
1,855 lbs. selling for $88.
There were 140 head of veal on
offer. Beef sold $130 to $170 with
sales to $174.50; good holstein, $95
to $105 with sales to $109; medium
holstein, $85 to $95; heavy holstein,
$90 to $100 with sales to $102.
Lamar Frey of Listowel, consigned
10 veal averaging 762 lbs. selling for
an average of $161.58 with two
blonde heifers averaging 750 lbs.
selling for $174.50. Mosie J. Shetler
of Lucknow, consigned five veal
averaging 694 lbs. selling for an
average of $137.16 with two
limousin steers averaging 378 lbs.
selling for $141. Kimberly White of
Mount Forest, consigned four veal
averaging 805 lbs. selling for an
average of $116.31 with one
limousin steer weighing 855 lbs.
selling for $131.
Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $280 to
$335; 50 - 64 lbs., $295 to $335; 65
- 79 lbs., $216 to $310; 80 - 94 lbs.,
$215 to $256; 95 - 109 lbs., $188 to
$249; 110 lbs. and over, $171 to
$217.
Sheep sold $60 to $90 with sales
to $118.
Goats: kids sold $75 to $135 to
$150 per head; nannies, $50 to $100
per head; billies, $150 to $250 with
sales to $300 per head.
Top quality stocker steers under
400 lbs. sold $115 to $207; 400 -
499 lbs., $109 to $193; 500 - 599
lbs., $100 to $184.50; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$132 to $172.50; 700 - 799 lbs.,
$135 to $160.25; 800 - 899 lbs.,
$130 to $148.50; 900 - 999 lbs.,
$125 to $148.50; 1,000 lbs., and
over, $124 to $134.
Top quality stocker heifers under
300 lbs. sold $147 to $193; 300 -
399 lbs., $140 to $176; 400 - 499
lbs., $152 to $179; 500 - 599 lbs.,
$113 to $168; 600 - 699 lbs., $135 to
$159.50; 700 - 799 lbs., $127 to
$150.50; 800 - 899 lbs., $128 to
$136.25; 900 lbs. and over, $125.25
to $133.
Huron County Director of
Planning and Development Scott
Tousaw said that while the county’s
population has been on the decline
recently, the news isn’t as bad as it
sounds.
Tousaw told council at the March
14 Committee of the Whole meeting
that Huron County’s population has
declined by 225 people between
2006 and 2011, which is a total
decline of 0.4 per cent. Tousaw
explained to councillors that the 0.4
per cent is a net figure. Populations
in Morris-Turnberry and Ashfield-
Colborne- Wawanosh have
increased during the 2006-2011
period.
Tousaw’s report stated that the
decline could be attributed to several
factors, but that the main reasons are
a demographic change (fewer
people in the family-raising years,
having fewer children) and
economic change (including
agricultural consolidation and the
decline of the manufacturing sector
in North America).
The ‘good’ news, however, is that
of the six counties across
southwestern Ontario that lost
population over the same time
period and Huron is losing people at
the slowest rate by far.
Over the course of 2006-2011
Chatham-Kent lost 4.2 per cent of its
population, Kawartha Lakes lost 1.8
per cent, Lambton lost 1.6 per cent,
Essex lost 1.2 per cent and Prince
Edward lost 0.9 per cent.
With the exception of Lambton
County, Tousaw said, Huron’s
neighbouring counties have seen
their population increase between
2006 and 2011, which could also be
considered slightly encouraging.
Middlesex saw a four per cent
increase to its population, while
Bruce County saw a 1.2 per cent
increase and Perth had a one per
cent increase. Grey had a minimal
increase of 0.2 per cent.
Tousaw also said that several
cities and districts across northern
Ontario saw decline to their
population. However, from 2006 to
2011, Ontario’s population grew by
5.7 per cent.
Tousaw said he got his figures for
the report from Statistics Canada.
North Huron Township Council
addressed the issues of farm-land
severances during the March 19
meeting and stated it would be a
major concern during the township’s
upcoming five-year review.
Councillor Ray Hallahan stated
that he had two ratepayers address
him regarding the issue and he stated
North Huron needs to consider their
options.
Reeve Neil Vincent stated that it
would be addressed at during two
upcoming meetings on April 13 and
24.
However the plan will take some
time to address according to Vincent.
“From our meetings to having the
official plan prepared to getting
everything completed, it could take
awhile,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that
anyone hoping to sell a severed farm
house could figure on putting a sale
agreement together this year.
“If it passes here and at the county
level, I would see next year as a
possibility,” he said. “When we’re
just starting on the review of the
official municipal plan, I could see it
taking a year to get everything
ratified.”
Councillor Brock Vodden said he
didn’t like the fact that there wasn’t
anything council could do now,
except to wait.
“When we move into the five year
review, this could be among the
things we want to change,” Vincent
said. “It’s something on the table that
has to be discussed. The nature of
how the community is moving and
the number of houses we’re losing is
going to force us to seriously look at
it if we want to try and maintain
some of our population statistics.”
Vodden said that, if this is a
concern to be looked at, councillors
should start taking information from
people who would benefit from a
decision to allow these severances
and determine how it might affect
the population which would translate
into how it will affect taxes.
Vincent agreed, stating that he had
seven or eight people approach him.
Councillor James Campbell stated
that people address this topic with
him as well.
Mayor to call investigation on own council
North Huron to address severances in review
Population figures clarified by planner
TUESDAYS
9:00 a.m.
Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows
THURSDAYS
8:00 a.m.Drop Calves
10:00 a.m.Veal
11:30 a.m. Lambs, Goats & Sheep
FRIDAYS
10:00 a.m. Stockers
Call us 519-887-6461
Visit our webpage at:
www.brusselslivestock.ca
email us at:
info@brusselslivestock.ca
BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK
Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.
UPCOMING SALES
2012 Special Spring Sales
Easter Lamb & Goat Sale
Thurs., March 29
starting at 11:30 a.m.
Stocker Sale in lieu of Good Friday
Sat., April 7
Sale starting at 10:00 a.m.
Vaccinated Calves & Yearlings
Mon., April 2 & 23
Sale starting at 10:00 a.m.
AgricultureBrussels Livestock report
Fed steers, heifers sell under pressure
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Get breaking farm news
on the Rural Voice
section of our
website at
www.northhuron.on.ca