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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2011-02-03, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2011. Huron Hospice is looking for volunteers Beef Producer president clarifies remarks Size of council remains hot topic in Huron County hortly after convening for the first Committee of the Whole meeting of 2011, Huron County Council went into closed session to discuss the legal opinion that led to no change in council’s composition. At the Jan. 12 meeting of council, several councillors, spearheaded by Ashfield- Colborne- Wawanosh Reeve Ben Van Diepenbeek, questioned the logic behind the interpretation of a bylaw governing the composition of Huron County Council by Huron County staff and its solicitor Greg Stewart. While Huron County chief administrative officer Larry Adams said he had consulted Stewart in the matter, some councillors wanted to hear for themselves, and even after the lengthy closed session, remained unconvinced. Councillor Deb Shewfelt said he felt the closed session made it appear to the public that council was trying to hide something, setting smoke screens on the issue. “I don’t see how it can be changed,” he said. “It received the triple majority. If we want to change it in the future, we can, but we should live up to it now.” Van Diepenbeek, however, said that the current bylaw, drafted in 1999, says nothing about governing an increase or decrease in the size of Huron County Council, but clearly outlines the threshold. “Each municipality gets its head of council, then at 4,001 [citizens in the municipality] you get another and at 8,001 you get another,” he said. “Once you hit the threshold, you get that extra man and four municipalities didn’t hit that threshold.” “It seems pretty plain to me.” Councillor George Robertson of South Huron was quick to defend Adams and the rest of the Huron County staff. He said that the problem doesn’t lie with the lower tier municipalities, but with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) who botched the voter lists when setting up a new requirement that citizens have to confirm their citizenship as Canadian, despite having lived in the country, in many cases, their entire lives. He said he didn’t understand why municipalities who would meet the threshold, had the MPAC numbers had been accurate, should be punished by having one of their representatives removed from the Huron County Council table. “There were 803 unconfirmed voters in South Huron,” he said. “So why should we be denied a THE EDITOR, Caring for loved ones struggling with a life-limiting illness – in a home setting, hospital or long-term care facility – can be an exhausting task for the family. Huron Hospice Volunteer Service offers trained and experienced volunteers to help support families through this important part of the journey. For the volunteer, it is an honour to be invited to walk on the threshold of ‘holy ground’ with someone and can be a very rewarding experience for both the client and volunteer. Volunteers are the backbone of Huron Hospice. Without the generous gifts of time and experience we could not serve Huron County as we do. We often hear our volunteers say “I think I received more than I gave”. Our society does not like to talk about death and dying; however, when someone is nearing the end of life, that is what is of utmost importance to the person leaving. According to Dr. Michael Downing of Victoria Hospice, clients who are on the threshold of dying have five needs: safety, comfort, respect, support and ability to tell their story. Volunteers provide this opportunity. Grief and bereavement support is also available to help someone work through the multitude of feelings experienced when facing a loss. As government funds decrease, more responsibility is left for the families to carry. Huron Hospice has no fee for service. We depend on funding through the Perth/Huron United Way, through the LHINs (Local Health Integrated Network) and largely through our community support endeavours, such as Hike for Hospice – coming up Sunday, May 1. Everyone hopes they can make a difference in someone’s life at some time. Huron Hospice Volunteer Service is offering a volunteer training beginning Thursday, March 24, 6 - 9 p.m. to Thursday, May 12. This 30- hour course is accredited with the Hospice Association of Ontario. The cost is $20. We welcome people from all the communities in Huron County to join us – take the training and then become part of a team of people who make a difference. For more information about hospice, about the training and the expectations of a hospice volunteer we invite you to call 519-527-0655 or 519-357-2720 and look on our website at www.huronhospice.ca Kathy Procter, Manager of Volunteers and Programs Huron Hospice. THE EDITOR, I’m writing this letter in response to the articles published in The Citizen and Wingham Advance Times regarding the Huron County Beef Producers Annual General Meeting held Jan. 12 at the Brussels Legion. It was stated in these newspapers that the state of the Ontario Beef Industry or Canadian Beef Industry for that matter was making good profits and that the business was merely flawless. Those statements were misinterpreted and I apologize for the statements coming across the wrong way. The reality of the business is that it hasn’t been the same since 2003 when BSE paralyzed the industry with many producers seeing their years of hard-earned equity flushed down the tubes. There were cycles to the business before that regulated the industry, now post-BSE and the state of the global economy has made the business very unpredictable. There are also many variables being faced such as high grain cost, the inflated Canadian dollar and higher yardage cost such as fuel and repairs. It’s been eight years since BSE and the last half of 2010 has showed improvement throughout the industry, thus being the first time since 2003. All the factors contributing to the improvement is low corn numbers across North America, the lowest since 1976, and many exiting producers in the last eight years. But the improvement in 2010 doesn’t make up for the last eight years of closer to no profits in the industry, and that is in all sectors of the industry from cow-calf, background and feedlot. This industry is my and my family’s livelihood, as well as many others in this county and country and there is no doubt in my mind that these strong-willed individuals are finding it hard in this business environment. As far as I am concerned, the industry has been forgotten as far as financial assistance provincially and federally, but it comes down to efficient operators who succeed. In closing, in the future if there are any comments or concerns related to the Huron County Beef Producers please relay the message to myself or any director. I look forward to seeing all at the Annual General Meeting next January. Matt McCall, President Huron County Beef Producers. THE EDITOR, In November of 1939, my late father’s garage in Londesborough burned to the ground. The fire also destroyed a storage building and McCool’s General Store. I am looking for any photo of the fire and its aftermath. Please contact Douglas Wells, 50 Wimbledon Rd., Guelph, ON, N1H 7N1 if you have any information. Douglas Wells. See where your love of video games can take you. ontario.ca/myfuture With a range of grants, scholarships and loans, starting college or university may be easier than you think. Turn your passion into a career. Letters to the Editor Man investigates 1939 garage fire See histories and historic photographs on the Huron History section of our website www.northhuron.on.ca By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Continued on page 20