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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-01-28, Page 1A Scottish tradition The Burns supper and ceilidh, presented by Melville Presbyterian Church at the Brussels Legion on Saturday, began with the traditional piping in the haggis. Kasey King did the honours, while Joan Perrie was among the pipe band members leading the way. The event is held to celebrate Scottish poet, Robbie Burns, born Jan. 25, 1759 (Vicky Bremner photo) If the appeal to the Farm Products Appeal Tribunal is lost (the result of the November appeal hearing is expected in late January) new agriculture minister Carol Mitchell can expect to get a direct appeal to retain Ontario Pork’s single desk marketing of pork in Ontario. At the Jan. 20 annual meeting of the Huron County Pork Producers’ Association (HCPPA), president Grant Love said that if the appeal, initiated by Huron producers, is unsuccessful, then Huron will support a Perth County appeal directly to the minister to overturn the original decision of the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission which required Ontario Pork to relinquish its sole right to sell hogs. Under that scenario, the marketing board would set up a voluntary sales arm that could sell pigs for producers, for a fee, but those producers dealing directly with packers would not have to pay a marketing fee. The HCPPA financial statement tabled at the meeting in Seaforth, showed the group had spent $21,784 in legal fees for the appeal. Ontario Pork chair Wilma Jeffrey said she hoped the tribunal decision would bring certainty to the situation so the board could go confidently forward in designing a new plan. “No matter the outcome, Ontario Pork will be offering marketing services of some kind,” she said. Later she suggested that the difference between Huron’s position and the board’s 2008 strategic plan was a matter of degrees. That plan recognized reality that some producers were already selling directly to packers despite the requirement under Regulation 419 meant that all settlement go through Ontario Pork. “The proposal would formalize what was already happening,” she said. In effect the board’s new separate sales arm would sell the pigs that are now going through the pool and pool-plus programs. The Ontario Pork position is that it would maintain authority but give a blanket exemption allowing people to sell directly. Huron’s position was, as she understood it, people would have to apply for the right to sell outside the board’s marketing system. She foresees Regulation 419 being rewritten to allow Ontario Pork to license producers of weaner pigs, for the first time bringing them under the board’s umbrella. In her report, Amy Cronin, Huron County’s director on the Ontario Pork producers vow to keep fight going The North Perth- Huron East Accommodation Review Committee was left without a clear direction on how to proceed following their recent meeting in Wallace. Concerned parents and residents packed the Wallace Public School gymnasium for the third official ARC meeting Wednesday night, Jan. 20. Committee chair and Avon Maitland District School Board superintendent Mike Ash opened the meeting with a report back on the date extension by the trustees to March 3, which Ash said is the latest possible date to complete the review process. Josh Alexander was part of a presentation to highlight what Wallace Public School offers to the community of North Perth. Alexander pointed out that Wallace has one of the lowest operating costs of all the schools being reviewed, with increased kindergarten enrollment projected for next year, and Education Quality and Accountability Office standards for Wallace are in most cases better than the board in all categories. The group of presenters included other Wallace parents like Melissa Craig, who said that the school shares a special relationship with the rest of the community, and the area is attracting a number of young families who want to see their children attend Wallace Public School. “I feel very strong that this quality of education and community services could not be duplicated anywhere else,” Craig said. The presentation was wrapped up by Pastor Kurt Reinhart, who likened the rise of big box stores to big box schools as smaller community schools face closure. With each school fighting to stay open, Reinhart said it’s tearing the community apart in competition. “What little insight I have had into this whole ARC process has distressed me to no end,” he said. “It saddens me to see one community pitted against another in a survival of the fittest mentality.” Although speaking in support of Wallace, Reinhart said that he was not in favour of any other schools closing due to their great value to each of the communities affected. “Perhaps, what we all need to do is the next time that we are in that big box store reaching out for that great deal on the shelf, we need to think about this issue and ask ourselves if it really is such a great deal after all,” he said to applause from the crowd. North Perth councillor Paul Horn compared the community to a table with four legs, saying that by removing one of those legs and closing a school, the rest falls. Options for the ARC’s consideration were brought forward from the committee, including North Perth councillor Jeff Bannerman. Bannerman stated that his is a two- fold option that would maintain Brussels Public School and close Grey Central, sending additional students to Brussels and Elma Public School. By putting Elma over capacity, Bannerman said the balance of the students could be sent to Wallace Public. “There’s no sense in adding students to Listowel when there’s enough capacity here in Wallace,” he said. Bannerman’s suggestion would also review the borders between Listowel District Secondary School and F.E. Madill in Wingham to alleviate the full classes at Listowel’s high school. Grey community representative Armand Roth objected to the idea of closing Grey, suggesting that moving Grade 7 and 8 from Brussels to Grey would not only free up space for all- day kindergarten at Brussels, but bring Grey to capacity. “I think that would achieve something for Brussels and something for Grey,” he said. Brussels representative Jim Prior said he was opposed to any option that would involve Grade 7 and 8 students moving from Brussels, and Charlie Hoy, also of Brussels, noted that each community is going to put forth ideas to save their school. “For us to come to a compromise on something is, I think, unrealistic,” Hoy said. Grey representative Pam McLellan said that Huron East has already lost four schools in the last 10 years and it was time to look at other options, leading into an option from Prior. Prior recommended closing Wallace school and dividing the students among the other schools under review, as well as Howick. Wallace committee member Bernice Weber-Passchier responded that there’s not enough room in the community to take all of the students from Wallace, and that it will likely leave them in the same situation. “All of us will be going through the review process again in the next two to three years, and I won’t be on that committee after this,” she said. Bannerman also commented that extending the borders to Teviotdale would mean students riding the bus longer than the hour or less mandate of the school board to get to the nearest school. Weber-Passchier’s proposed option from Wallace was to not close any schools, and instead change the borders between Listowel and Wallace. With room for over 330 students at Wallace, Weber-Passchier said the school could handle the overflow of students from Listowel’s schools. When asked if the option was realistic, Ash said it would still be up to the trustees to make a decision. “If the committee comes forward with a status quo option, it would fall on the trustees and the board to rely on the information they’ve heard at these meetings,” Ash said. McLellan brought forward several options that she had received from residents, two of which involved closing Wallace Public School and another closing Brussels school. McLellan commented that Wallace remains a candidate for closure due to its low enrollment and it would eliminate the most number of vacant seats. The next meeting for the ARC will be held at Eastdale Public School on Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. CitizenTh e $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010 Volume 26 No. 4NEWS- Pg. 6M-T gets communityfire safety officer RECOGNITION - Pg. 10 Award for BrusselsAgricultural SocietyGOODWORKS- Pg. 3Fundraiser for Haitianorphanage plannedPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 PAP Registration No. 09244 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK: No direction for ARC after Wallace meeting By Andrew Smith Listowel Banner By Keith Roulston The Citizen Continued on page 11