The Citizen, 2011-11-17, Page 1CitizenTh
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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, November 17, 2011
Volume 27 No. 45
FAIR - Pg. 19Locals win big at Royal Winter Fair TRAILS - Pg. 24 Snowmobile clubimproves its trailsPOLITICS- Pg. 11New MPP Lisa Thompsonsworn into positionPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
County
awaits
decision
Hundreds turn out for Knights practice
A cool Remembrance Day
Despite the snow flying earlier in the day and the power going out in the village minutes before the ceremony began, Friday
played host to yet another beautiful Remembrance Day ceremony in Brussels. Hundreds were in attendance, yet overall volume
was hushed so everyone could hear despite the absence of a working amplification system due to the power outage. Standing
on guard during the entire ceremony was Brussels Cadet Branden Duiker Russel. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
A decision will be rendered by
Superior Court Justice Gorman
sometime this week as to the size of
Huron County Council after
arguments she heard in Goderich on
Nov. 9.
Glen Carey of Goderich,
representing Ashfield-Colborne-
Wawanosh, Bluewater, Goderich,
Howick and Morris-Turnberry and
Greg Stewart, also of Goderich,
representing Huron County, Huron
East, North Huron, Central Huron
and South Huron both pled their
cases at the Huron County Museum
on the Nov. 9 afternoon.
Gorman said she would bring a
decision back this week, but didn’t
specific exactly when.
In his closing argument Carey
made the case that a bylaw initially
passed in 1991 didn’t state that it
applied for just one term, council
had actually been operating
unvalidated from 2006 to 2010
because there wasn’t actually a new
bylaw made.
“Nothing suggests you have to
start with a new bylaw every time
you want to change [the size of
council],” Carey said. “This is
determined locally and that’s
important.”
Carey said the ‘representation by
population’ model would be
difficult to apply with the bylaw
because it has to be done at least a
year ahead of time, during which,
population can, and will, change.
Carey then said that if Bylaw 28
of 1999 continues to be valid, then
the striking committee bylaw of
2011 cannot be valid, because it
operates on the assumption that
Huron County Council has 20
members.
Stewart, however, said that when
council was initially increased from
18 councillors to 20 councillors, no
issues were raised, it was only after
the 2010 election that issues were
first raised.
Stewart said that reports of
reduced voter numbers suggested
that population had decreased in
certain municipalities, and only
then was the size of council
disputed.
Stewart said the bylaw is set to
take at least one year to be valid so
that voters know what they’re
voting for during an election. The
bylaw, Stewart said, was the only
democratic way to proceed.
If the bylaw wasn’t in place, or
worded the way it’s worded,
Stewart said, a council could be
Spectators and autograph-seekers
from across Huron County
descended on Blyth on Nov. 9 to try
and catch a glimpse of the OHL-
leading London Knights.
The Knights practised on Nov. 9 at
the Blyth and District Community
Centre and, afterwards, had
enthusiasts lined up throughout
the upstairs hall at the centre
waiting for their turn to get an
autograph.
“I was really happy with the way
things turned out,” orangizer Brent
Scrimgeour said. “We had a really
decent crowd. I think we ended up
with 300 to 400 people.”
Those 300-400 people raised a lot
of money, according to Scrimgeour,
through donations, a barbecue
and a silent auction. He said more
than $5,000 was raised to help
the Goderich and Area Disaster
Relief Fund as well as the
Blyth Brussels Minor Hockey
Association.
Scrimgeour said that the players
really liked the quality of the ice and
said they were very impressed with
how polite the youth of the area
were.
“The coaches were very happy,”
Scrimgeour said. “The players said
they would definitely be interested
in doing something like this again.”
Natalie Wakabayashi, the
marketing manager for the Knights,
said that from the team’s standpoint
things went well.
“It was great to see so many
people supporting the team and the
fundraising,” she said. “It was fun to
do and very successful.”
Wakabayashi stated that the
players enjoyed trying something
new.
“They said it was fun to play in an
‘old school’ arena,” she said. “A lot
of these guys grew up playing in city
arenas.
“We’re lucky to play in a centre as
beautiful as the John Labatt Centre,
but it was great to get back to
grassroots hockey.”
Local Atom players Ethan
Scrimgeour and Colin Howson were
both very excited to see the practice
and meet the players.
“It was cool,” Ethan said. “The
best part was getting the autographs.
I think I got the whole team except
three or four people to sign my
jersey.”
Ethan went on to say that the
signatures were a great addition to
the 2006/07 London Knights
signatures that were already on the
jersey.
“I don’t think I’ll be wearing the
jersey,” he said, adding he loved to
watch the drills the Knights did,
especially when they “stick”
handled with their feet.
Howson felt the same way.
“It was cool seeing how good they
could stick handle, zig zag and just
skate non-stop,” he said.
Howson got all his autographs on
a magazine that he plans on keeping
safe in his bedroom.
“It will stay with my hockey
stuff,” he said.
He also said that he learned a lot
from watching the Knights’ one-on-
one drills.
This was the second time the
Atom Rep team got to see the
Knights up close. During a trip put
on the by the Blyth Brussels Minor
Hockey Association the team got to
see the Knights’ dressing room.
“It was very cool,” Howson said.
“The design was good and it was
cool that you couldn’t step on the
Knight logo on the floor and that the
Knights all rub a wooden bear’s nose
before they go on the ice.”
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 18
By Denny Scott
The Citizen