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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-10-25, Page 1CitizenTh e $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, October 25, 2012 Volume 28 No. 42 MADILL - Pg. 28Awards handed out atcommencement AGRICULTURE - Pg. 32Huron County Federationof Agriculture meetsCARCARE- Pg. 13A guide to caring for yourvehicle in the fall/winterPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK: Thompson ‘frustrated’ by McGuinty resignation Parking concerns persist in Blyth Made-up for Halloween The 10th annual Blyth Witches Walk was held at the Blyth Greenway Trail on Saturday and there were several different scenarios playing out along the walk, including several young girls (with interesting make-up jobs) toiling away in jail. Serving their time are, along with a friend, from left: Monique Sluys, Amber Tugwell, Allison Rawlings and Shelby VanWanderen. (Jim Brown photo) The best way Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson can describe her feelings towards the sudden resignation of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is that she’s “disappointed”. In an interview with The Citizen, Thompson said that not only is she frustrated with the sudden resignation, but that the prorogation of the provincial caucus is a decision that affects hundreds of initiatives being presented throughout the province. “It’s a cheap, selfish way to avoid future scandal,” Thompson said about McGuinty’s resignation. “I’m disgusted. It’s a very easy way out while locking the doors behind him.” Thompson said that with the prorogation of the caucus, any motion that had been floored since government reconvened earlier this year is now “dead in the water” including the four motions she tabled in September regarding the Green Energy Act and specifically wind turbines. Thompson is also frustrated, she said, with the condition attached to the prorogation by the Liberal Party, saying that any cabinet minister wishing to run for the party’s leadership role would have to resign from his or her cabinet position. This, Thompson says, erases hundreds of conversations and progress that had been made through MPPs discussing issues with cabinet ministers if they wish to run for the party’s leadership. Thompson says she’s worried about the kinds of meetings other parties could be having during the prorogation, saying that she and members of her party can only react once the caucus is brought back from the break. When she first heard the news, Thompson said, she “felt sorry for Ontario taxpayers” saying McGuinty’s decision doesn’t put them first, which should always be the goal of a government in power. Thompson said she was very proud to be a member of the Conservative Party after the prorogation, as the party’s leader Tim Hudak immediately sent a letter requesting that McGuinty’s decision be reversed, allowing politicians to continue doing their job, despite what McGuinty wanted to do. Thompson said there was “so much good work” being done in many fields, including ongoing negotiations with teachers and doctors, that will all have to be scrapped and begin again when the legislature is brought back into session. Thompson says that despite the prorogation, she and members of her party are keeping up with day-to-day activities as best as they can. “It’s business as usual, but [Hudak] didn’t even need to say it,” Thompson said. “This makes me want to work harder. There are some issues that can’t wait until next spring.” Thompson says there will be no change in the service being provided at her Blyth and Kincardine offices and she’ll continue meeting with people from the riding and bringing their concerns up the political ladder. Another one of the major issues Thompson has been working on, and will continue to work on, she says, is the horse racing industry, which is a major factor for Huron and Bruce Counties. For the moment, however, Thompson is still wrestling with the idea that McGuinty would leave taxpayers in a lurch with issues still to be discussed. “It’s shameful, it’s absolutely disgusting and it’s selfish,” Thompson said. Morris-Turnberry councillors want it known they are not in favour of the plan to have 15 councillors at Huron County council. At their Oct. 16 meeting, councillors approved a motion to send a letter to the County to say Morris-Turnberry is not in favour of the restructuring plan that was adopted by the county at its October meeting. Nancy Michie, administrator clerk-treasurer, explained that the County had sent a letter to council in August asking for its support for, or opposition to, the bylaw to have a 15-member county council. Morris- Turnberry had sent a letter saying it preferred the recommendation made in the report of George B. Cuff and Associates Ltd. to downsize council to just nine members. Morris-Turnberry expected further communication but with a majority of municipalities supporting the 15- councillor size, the county went ahead approving the bylaw. It was stated at County Council that Morris-Turnberry had not replied. “We were dumbfounded,” said Mayor Paul Gowing when reading that his council had not replied. “We never got clarification so we never had a response,” said Councillor Neil Warwick who made the motion to send the letter. Gowing said the decision has been made and the letter won’t have any effect on that, but it will put it on the record that Morris-Turnberry is opposed to the 15-member council. Councillors also approved a motion to also tell the county supports the Cuff Report recommendation. North Huron Deputy-Reeve and Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA) council representative David Riach brought forward some concerns that Blyth businesses have with a two-hour parking limit that was imposed throughout North Huron. “The background is that a lot of the theatre productions start and end in the period the bylaw affects and run two to two and a half hours in length,” Riach explained on behalf of the BIA. “This bylaw will leave a feeling of haste and worry about getting parking tickets for the theatre patrons. The BBIA has requested that the two-hour signs be taken down to extend parking.” Councillor Archie MacGowan said he understood where the concern was coming from. “It’s easy to understand where the [Blyth Festival] Theatre is coming from,” he said. “This was an oversight on council’s behalf. We have, however, had complaints about existing businesses having people parking in front of them for some time.” Councillor Brock Vodden said that he didn’t see the reason for the bylaw to begin with. “For well over 100 years we’ve gone without parking signs and my preference would be to take them down and forget about them,” he said. “If it’s a problem with employees parking in front of businesses, I think we can deal with that by speaking to them. I don’t see that issue being a parking problem. The spaces that are marked out have stopped people from getting jammed in and the two-hour limit is irrelevant to that.” Councillor Bernie Bailey, however, was concerned about previous complaints council had fielded about the parking problems. “I have the same concerns as councillor MacGowan, employees sitting in front of businesses can be a problem,” he said. “I just don’t want this to become another version of the Greenway Trail with the ATVs, having one group say they want it, then a week later hearing from another that don’t then flip-flopping again the next week.” Bailey said that taking the signs down or reworking the bylaw would be an issue that should be brought up at an upcoming meeting between North Huron Council and Blyth businesses that will focus on the Blyth Business Retention and Expansion report presented to council and the BIA in September. By Denny Scott The Citizen By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen By Keith Roulston The Citizen M-T upset over vote exclusion