The Citizen, 2010-10-07, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2010.
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with the North Huron process, where
he was in favour of the closure of the
four schools, and the construction of
a large school to accommodate all of
those students. One thing, however,
that he was not in favour of, and still
isn’t, is sending the Grade 7 and 8
students to a secondary school
setting.
“I can see the advantages to it,”
Hunking said. “But I still have a
hard time with it from a social
aspect.”
The issues, however, stem much
further than school closures and the
Accommodation Review process,
both local candidates list the
curriculum going forward as one of
the most important issues in this
election.
“I’ve always been a strong believer
in a basic education,” McLellan said.
“Reading, writing, communication
and basic math. If you don’t have
those, you can really be
handicapped, but if you have them,
the sky’s the limit. You can go
anywhere you want to go.”
McLellan says she knows that she
can’t “change the world” when it
comes to a position on the board of
trustees.
“The problem isn’t with the
board,” McLellan said. “The board’s
hands are tied by provincial
legislation a lot of the time.”
And while there may be
frustrating times, should she be
elected, especially with so many
decisions being mandated by the
provincial government, she says,
that’s no excuse not to try.
“If you just throw your hands up
and say, ‘it’s never going to change’
then it won’t,” she said. “That’s not a
reason not to try.”
Hunking says he wants to see
more interest taken by local parents
and that if he can help to educate
local parents, even if he is not
elected, he will have felt that he has
done his job.
Hunking says he is frustrated with
the “Toronto approach” that is being
taken to rural and small school
boards, saying that the tactics aren’t
transferable to a smaller school
system.
Incumbent trustee Laurie says that
the reasoning behind her decision to
run again was so that she could see
the transition process through as
local schools close and give way to
new ones.
“I just want to see it through,” she
said. “I want it to happen as
promised, so that it will end up being
better for our students.”
She said that despite the fact that
the term is coming to an end, it
would be a tough time to leave her
seat, with so many of the local
projects in transition.
North Huron councillorswelcomed John Challinor II, the
director of corporate affairs for
Nestlé Waters to their Sept. 20
meeting.
Challinor was there to discuss a
proposal that had been presented to
council to remove bottled water
from North Huron Township
facilities.
Challinor opened by stating that
he was representing his company on
a point of principle and not as a
company that could stand to lose
money over the decision. He stated
that the decision to remove bottled
water is a controversial one, and one
that could have unforeseen
consequences.
“First and foremost, we’re here on
a point of principle, we don’t sell our
products in vending machines, we
typically sell our products in retail
outlets like grocery stores,” he said.
“However, we are firmly opposed to
banning the sale of bottled water in
any municipal facility where there is
regular public access.”
Challinor offered suggestions ofhow the township can fight wasteand encourage healthy living, thenstated that banning bottled waterwould not help reduce waste
significantly, and would encourage
less healthy lifestyles.
“Bans on bottled water send the
wrong message to consumers about
the health and wellness attributes of
water - bottled or otherwise,” he
said. “Banning bottled water will not
result in increased consumption of
tap water, nor will it reduce the
amount of plastic beverage bottle
litter in facilities where it is being
enacted.
“All banning bottled water does is
replace one piece of plastic with
another piece of plastic, as most
residents and staff will simply opt
for another beverage in a plastic
container,” Challinor added.
He then quoted a Vancouver City
staff report that stated “The
availability of bottled water in civic
facilities is limited and represents
only a tiny fraction of the market. It
is unlikely that its elimination will
have a significant impact in terms of
reducing solid waste and greenhouse
gases.”Challinor stated that, by removingwater from their vending machines,the township would be encouragingpeople to drink higher-caloric
drinks, denying people with immune
deficiencies water that has
guaranteed ingredients, and denying
staff and visitors the right to say
they prefer the taste of bottled
water.
“We’re not saying that people
shouldn’t drink potable water. Quite
the contrary, if potable water is
available, it should be used,” he said.
“However, it is everyone's right to
choose whether they want bottled
water or tap water.”
Challinor then fielded questions
from councillors, assuring them that
the bottles were not made of
carcinogens, that their water had a
shelf-life that was strictly adhered
to, and that the majority of water
bottles do make their way to
recycling plants, and not to landfills.
Reeve Neil Vincent stated that
Challinor had given council many
things to think about, and that they
would discuss the proposal at a later
date.
Nestlé Waters visits NH
Reviews lead to interest
in local trustee seats
Concentrate
It wasn’t all hard work on Friday, as Kaleb Roth
demonstrates, there was time for fun and games as well, as
parents and students gathered at Grey Central Public
School on a day off to help spruce up the school. Brush was
collected, soccer posts were painted and paths were
cleared, but Roth took some time out to paint a footprint
sculpture. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
B ea t th e
BluesBlues
Not feeling like your usual self and wonder what’s wrong?
Do you lack energy, crave comfort foods and feel sad during the winter season?
The Huron community Family Health Team is hosting an information session to help people learn
about Seasonal Affective Disorder and Light Therapy.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Dr. Robert Shepherd — Psychologist
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Light Therapy
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: Huron East Health Centre
- 32B-1 Centennial Drive, Seaforth, ON
(Beside the Community Care Access Centre)
Everyone is welcome ~ Light refreshments served.
Please call Joan Spittal 519-600-2273 x207
for further information.
By Denny ScottThe Citizen