The Citizen, 2010-06-03, Page 1Over 100 concerned citizens of the
different areas potentially affected
by changes in area fire coverage
descended on the Central Huron
municipal office steps Monday
morning, megaphone in hand, taking
their cause to the streets.
A flyer, which had been circulated
throughout the community last
week, was called an open letter to
area citizens and listed the concerns
of many community members who
have been vocal throughout the
process, including at a special
Central Huron council meeting in
Londesborough.
Spearheading the effort were
Blyth’s Rick Elliott and Auburn’s
Jacqui Laporte, who were among the
speakers projecting their voices onto
traffic moving north and south on
London Road, the concerned
citizens who gathered as well as
Central Huron Councillor Brian
Barnim and Chief Administrative
Officer Kevin McLlwain, who
greeted the citizens. Each took a turn
on the microphone to speak their
piece and defend their positions.
McLlwain said that safety was the
number one concern of the
municipality and its council, but also
said that he found North Huron’s fire
budget “very concerning”.
“We’re just looking for
justification on North Huron’s
costs,” he said, adding that the
Central Huron Fire Department is
fully compliant with provincial
regulations, but at a much lower
cost.
Some residents, however, saw it
quite differently, said Blyth-area
resident John Elliott, who called the
back and forth between the two
municipal councils “two kids
playing in a sandbox,” to which
another citizen added, “but you’re
playing with our lives.”
Laporte said she felt citizens
taking a stand in such a public forum
was a necessity in such a dire
situation, saying “it’s important that
we show Central Huron that we
care.”
Laporte cited the independent
report received by both
municipalities, in which a
recommendation was made that
“essentially” coverage stay the way
it is, with the closest fire department
responding when there is a call.
“An independent expert made this
recommendation to Central Huron,”
she said. “And when an independent
expert makes a recommendation,
that recommendation should be
followed.”
Another citizen called the current
state of affairs a “sad situation” that
could have been averted if only a
public meeting had been called
earlier, when Central Huron’s
concerns had first been piqued.
Concerns were also raised about
the recently constructed Regional
Equine and Agricultural Centre of
Huron (REACH), the new fire hall
being built in the north end of
Clinton and a new arena being
proposed for the town, all multi-
million dollar projects.
Rick Elliott said that he and his
fellow citizens had never mentioned
the issue of cost to either
municipality, saying its core values
have always been, and remain, that
the closest fire department should
respond in the case of an emergency,
that medical first response should be
a part of that service and that the
area’s firefighters be adequately
trained. Three core values of safety
for the area that could be maintained
for a small percentage points of
deviation in a large, municipal
budget, he said.
When more information was
requested on the years of training the
Blyth Fire Department had received,
however, Central Huron didn’t
receive the records they had asked
for, McLlwain said, adding that they
couldn’t be found at the time, saying
Tentative fire coverage agreement reached
After months of communication
and debating, councils from Central
Huron and North Huron have come
to a tentative agreement regarding
fire coverage in northern Central
Huron that would operate on a
graduated scale, eventually working
up to a cost of $98,000 in 2012.
The two councils tentatively agreed
to the system on Monday night, just
hours before the current agreement
was said to expire, with Central
Huron paying North Huron a pro-
rated $90,000 for the first year
($45,000 for the remaining six
months of 2010), $95,000 for 2011
and $98,000 for 2012. The contract
will last for two and a half years,
starting in July 2010, and expiring at
the end of December 2012.
Clauses will also be included in the
agreement that will give Central
Huron the chance to cancel the
agreement at any time, given that
they provide 90 days notice, and
allowing North Huron to negotiate
services like fire prevention
education services and fire checks
prior to each calendar year.
The agreement still needs to be
ratified and passed by both councils,
but the majority of councillors were
in attendance at the meeting, and
agreed on Monday night.
The councils called the emergency
meeting in tandem on Monday
morning to discuss the growing
tensions that had been created as a
result of fire coverage decisions. The
catalyst for the meeting was a group
of residents demonstrating outside of
Central Huron’s council chambers
earlier in the day, spurring both
councils into action.
The residents, informed through a
consultant report that Central Huron
council had not intended to disclose
to the public until it had been ratified,
called for change, and both councils
endeavored to make the change
happen.
Central Huron council started the
bargaining by declaring that they
were “disgusted” and “disappointed”
by North Huron’s choice to release
the consultant’s report, despite a
“gentleman’s agreement” not to.
“We sat in that sub-committee
meeting and agreed to not release
[the consultant’s findings] until both
councils had viewed it, ratified it and
agreed upon it,” Central Huron Reeve
Bert Dykstra said.
Councillor Tim Coyler of Central
Huron agreed with Dykstra’s
comments, emphatically stating that
he was “disgusted’ by the choice of
North Huron, while slamming his fist
on the table.
Both councils agreed that the
numbers in the report were based on
averages that were flawed, however,
North Huron council as a whole
decided to release the information
after the sub-committee meeting,
Citizens rally for change in Clinton
CitizenTh
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Volume 26 No. 22COVERAGE- Pg. 6Trustee encouragesparents to run for board CADETS - Pg. 2 Brussels Cadets holdannual inspectionSPORTS- Pg. 8Londesborough-area teengets drafted into OHLPublications 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:
Taking it to the streets
Over 100 citizens affected by the potential change in fire coverage congregated in front of the Central Huron municipal office
Monday morning to have their voices heard. Leading the charge was Blyth’s Rick Elliott, who was one of the event’s organizers
and the first to speak. An emergency meeting held Monday evening between Central Huron and North Huron councils came as
a direct result of the pressure applied by these citizens. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 20Continued on page 20
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen