HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-04-01, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2010. PAGE 19. Huron County’s economy ispulling itself out of recession, onebusiness at a time, according to RickHundey, President of the HuronBusiness Development Corporation. Last fall, the HBDC was asked toparticipate in the Government of
Canada’s Economic Action Plan by
targetting federal investments in
local business and economic
development. Since that time, the
HBDC has put more than $450,000
to work in the Huron economy in
support of economic renewal
projects.
“These initiatives are creative and
exciting, and show off Huron
County’s true entrepreneurial
nature” says Paul Nichol, Economic
Development Manager for the
HBDC. “For the past six months, wehave helped local companiesdiversify into new product lines; wehave sponsored specializedworkforce training to take advantageof emerging opportunities, and wehave helped many community
projects become a reality.”
When asked which initiatives
show the most promise, Nichol says
it’s hard to pick the best from a
number of good projects. However,
he does admit “There are several far-
reaching initiatives, like the launch
of a ‘Shop-in-Huron Buy Local
Campaign’, the creation of a new
artisanal cheese industry and the
development of entrepreneurial
training programs for value-added
food processing that should continue
to benefit the local economy foryears to come.”Funding was provided to theHuron Business DevelopmentCorporation from FedDev Ontario’sCommunity Adjustment Fund. Atotal of 56 individual economic
renewal projects were launched
throughout Huron County prior to
the end of funding on March 31. As
a result, 102 Huron County
businesses have found ways to
weather the economic storm, while
311 jobs have been created and
maintained for the Huron County
workforce.
“That’s a cost of only $1,447 to
the Federal Government for every
job”, says Hundey. “We think that’s
a pretty good bang for the buck.”
From my window one day last
week I noticed about six robins on
the back lawn. One of them actually
was struggling to pull a worm from
the grass. So, obviously the warming
temperatures again this March have
begun to thaw the ground. The
Native Americans who watched this
each year named the full moon in
March the Full Worm Moon. March
30 was the full moon for March.
More northern tribes, who were
listening to the skies and heard the
cawing of the crows, called it the
Full Crow Moon. Others referred to
it as the Full Crust Moon because
temperatures in March cause the
snow cover to thaw by day and
freeze, or crust by night. The name,
the Full Sap Moon, comes from the
making of maple syrup during this
month in particular.
This last full moon of the winter
season was known to settlers as the
Lenten Moon.
Sympathy is extended to Brian
Pickard on the sudden death of his
mother, Ruby Pickard, of Clinton on
March 13. Be sure to keep Brian and
his father in your thoughts and
prayers as they come to terms with
their loss.
Hullett Central Public School
invites the community to drop by theschool on Friday, April 16 for theirseventh carnival and auction night.
These are always fun evenings for all
ages and the monies raised are used
to upgrade school technology and
boost academic, athletic, French and
music programs. This year’s theme
is “Down on the Farm”. Get in touch
with a Hullett student or call the
office to see how you might donate,
help or enjoy the event.
The Londesborough Lions Club
hopes you will keep May 1 open on
your calendar. They will host a fish
fry that day from 4:30 - 7 p.m. at the
Londesborough Community Hall.
Tickets are available from club
members and at the post office in
Londesborough. They are $12 apiece
and preschoolers eat for free.
Proceeds from this event will be
donated to the Clinton Salvation
Army Fire Relief Fund.
Londesborough United invites
everyone to wear a hat to the
morning service on Easter Sunday.
So check out your closets and see
what kind of chapeau you could
wear.
Speaking of checking into your
closets, etc. don’t stop when you find
a hat. Londesborough United plans
to hold a yard or basement sale again
and will be looking for donations
from you. A bake sale is also being
planned for the same day. No date
has been announced yet but I’ll keep
you informed and you can get
sorting.
Barb Bosman has called a choir
practice for the ladies’choir on April
1 at 7 p.m. The regular senior choir
will gather for practice, in their hats,
at 10 a.m. on Easter Sunday.
Hullett Centralplans carnival
By BRENDA
RADFORD
Call
523-4296
PEOPLE AROUND LONDESBORO
The five-year review of Huron
County’s official plan was presented
to councillors at the March 10
committee of the whole meeting for
review, leaving councillors with
some questions.
One of the main issues was the
condition that would allow a residence
severed from farmland after 10 years.
In the official plan presented to
councillors, a residence would have to
be established for 25 years before it
could be severed from farmland.
Several councillors were confused by
the inclusion of the 25-year number
and thought they had come to a
consensus that it would be 10 years.
Initially, the timeframe was set as a
specific date in 1973. If the house was
newer than that, it couldn’t be severed.
The first change to that clause came
from Huron East, which felt the time
was outdated and made an amendment
to help one of its residents.
Several councillors also took offense
to the report being walked in that
morning and not being available to
councillors prior to the meeting,
despite the fact that the draft plan
remained unchanged from when it was
first presented to Huron County
council and adopted.
The planners said the planning
department thought it could present
the draft plan to council, give
councillors one month to review the
plan and digest it and then bring it
back in April for final approval.
Councillor Joe Seili said he felt 10
years for the severance from farmland
would be more appropriate and that the
clause, before it had been changed, had
caused more problems throughout the
county than it should have.
“If we’d have done this years ago,
we wouldn’t have the school closures
that we have now,” Seili said.
Huron County planner Scott
Tousaw, however, said the 25-year
number was something that came out
of lengthy consultation with the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture.
Councillor John Bezaire, however,
who said he had attended numerous
public consultation sessions
throughout the process, said
councillors have had ample time to
review the draft plan.
“We’re at the 11th hour here,”
Bezaire said. “This has taken years of
work by our staff with exhaustive
public consultation.”
It was decided that the severance
number should be changed from 25
years back to 10 years as councillors
had previously discussed.
The draft plan, however, was
approved by the committee of the
whole and will return to Huron County
council in April for final discussion
and approval.
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
County councillors
question proposed
official plan review
Get breaking farm news
on the Rural Voice
section of our
website at
www.northhuron.on.ca
331 jobs created by grants