The Citizen, 2010-10-07, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2010.
Letter
received
by Hoy
M-T council cautious of air park proposal
Community-based requests have
been denied for Education Ministry-
mandated reviews of school closure
decisions in both Huron East and
South Huron.
Assistant Deputy Minister Gabriel
Sekaly sent letters Sept. 22 to both
Doug Schade of Zurich and Charlie
Hoy of Brussels. Each man
organized a petition and
corresponding request for review of
decisions made in June by the Avon
Maitland District School Board.
In South Huron, the board plans to
close Zurich Public school and send
its students to either Hensall Public
School or a Grade 7-8 campus of
Exeter’s South Huron District High
School. Brussels Public School,
meanwhile, will be closed and
students will relocate to Grey
Central Public School in Ethel.
“Based on the Ministry’s review
of your Administrative Review
package, the Ministry has decided
not to appoint a facilitator in this
case,” Sekaly’s letter to Schade
states. And the assistant deputy
minister informs Hoy, “your
submission does not demonstrate
that the board’s process did not
follow its policy. Therefore, the
Ministry will not be appointing a
facilitator.”
The submissions from both Hoy
and Schade questioned the amount
of time and quality of information
given to board-mandated,
community-based Accommodation
Review Committees (ARCs),
leading up to the trustee decisions.
Hoy also argued Brussels should not
have been included in last year’s
ARC process, due to uncertainty
regarding the yet-to-be-solidified
plan to build a new elementary
school in Wingham.
A year ago, the Education
Ministry granted an Administrative
Review of the Wingham decision,
approved by the board in June, 2009.
However, the Review, conducted by
an independent expert, cleared the
board of inappropriate actions.
This time, by contrast, Sekaly
believed it was unnecessary to send
the information regarding either
Zurich or Brussels to a facilitator.
“The Ministry encourages the
Brussels Public School community
to remain involved as the (board)
develops and implements the
trustees’ decisions. Your continued
involvement can help to ensure that
the best outcomes are realized for
students,” his letter tells Hoy.
Similar advice is contained in the
letter to Schade.
A proposal that would turn theRichard LeVan Airport into a
development where flyers could
keep their airplane right near their
residence, was greeted cautiously by
Morris-Turnberry councillors, Sept.
21.
Pat Newson, director of recreation
and facilities for the Township of
North Huron, made a presentation to
Morris-Turnberry council on the
proposal that would increase use of
the airport and make it viable
financially, through letting flyers
build homes on the site. While theairport is owned by North Huron, itis located in Morris-Turnberry.Newson said her council had askedher to find out the feeling of Morris-
Turnberry council before proceeding
farther.
A consultant had given a
presentation earlier on the
possibility of developing the airport
as a unique fly/live community. It’s
important to find something to help
sustain the airport since Wescast, the
major client when the airport was
created, no longer has a company jet
flying in and out.
The air park could be a major
economic driving force, not justabout a few recreational flyers, shesaid. It would be a piece of theeconomic development puzzle forthe area.
With the closure of the popular
Buttonville airport north of Toronto,
there’s a shortage of space for
recreational flyers. Toronto is a short
flight away by air. (In fact the
consultant’s report said there are five
million people within one-hour
flight of the airport.)
“There are many obstacles,”
Newson said. “We need to realize we
have to work together to make it
happen.”
While councillors didn’t opposethe plan, they certainly sawobstacles to its success. MayorDorothy Kelly said she felt the firsthurdle would be talking to planners
to see if the land around the airport
could be developed for residential
use.
Nancy Michie, administrator
clerk-treasurer, said a compre-
hensive review of the need for more
housing would have to be completed
before land could designated for
housing under provincial guidelines.
Councillor Bill Thompson worried
about demand for the development.
“What do we have that would draw
people here?” he wondered. “I’d beafraid we could spend a whole lot ofdollars and it would end up being aflop.”Newson said it was similar to
golfers who like to live on a
golf course. There’s an appeal
to living near your plane and living
in a community where you can
sit around and talk with other
flyers.
Councillors agreed with Newson’s
summary of their concerns that they
would like to see a comprehensive
planning review done as well as an
indication of actual interest by
flyers.
By Keith RoulstonThe Citizen
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen