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The Citizen, 2010-10-21, Page 1CitizenTh e $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, October 21, 2010 Volume 26 No. 41ELECTION- Pg. 9Full guide to localmunicipal candidates CAR CARE - Pg. 15 Prepare your vehicle for the winter monthsCANDIDATES- Pg. 7Hullett residents shareconcerns in LondesboroughPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:C e l e b r a t i n g 25 YearsTheCitizen1985-2010 A scary stroll It’s that time of year again, where Blyth’s Greenway Trail is transformed from a beautiful stretch for a relaxing stroll into a frightening gauntlet of horror for the annual Blyth Witches Walk. The walk began just after dark on Saturday and wrapped up around 9:30 p.m. On a slightly less-scary note, refreshments at the event were provided by the Blyth division of the North Huron Fire Department and proceeds from the event will eventually go to community betterment. (Vicky Bremner photo) Economics vital in Brussels Taxes top issue in North Huron People question M-T remuneration Developing a thriving business sector to share the tax burden for homeowners was a common theme among candidates for North Huron council speaking at an all-candidates meeting in Wingham, Oct. 13. In answer to the question of what is the most important issue in the Oct. 25 election, all but one of the 11 candidates for council named economic development as part of their answer. All the Blyth and East Wawanosh candidates listed promoting development as top priority. East Wawanosh candidate James Woodley, who operates Thunder Road Racing in Wingham, said he has people coming into his store regularly looking for jobs. More businesses are needed to provide employment for our young people and to increase the tax base, he said. “I know how to entice business to be part of the community,” Woodley said. “I can go to conferences and sell Wingham.” Candidate Ray Hallahan said to make North Huron attractive for businesses to relocate to create growth and jobs, it was important to have reasonable taxes while maintaining the level of service. People from all the wards need to bring their best ideas together to create a plan for growth, he said. Jim Snyder, a candidate for council, who has run a business in Wingham for 30 years, said the municipality needed to create a plan for growth. North Huron needs to go out and talk to businesses and tell them about the great attributes the municipality has, he said. Jim Campbell, the lone incumbent running for office in East Wawanosh, said council had spent a lot of time talking about the problem of economic development. It’s important that East Wawanosh, Blyth and Wingham communicate and work together for one common goal. Blyth incumbent David Riach hit on the same topic of promoting North Huron as a total community. Brock Vodden, also an incumbent in Blyth, said the community needs to be reinvented for the needs of the 21st century. Even if you could go back to the days when main streets thrived and provided lots of jobs, the underlying conditions that have seen that business community decline, would soon repeat the process. The closure of the Blyth Public School would be a challenge to economic development in Blyth Ward, Vodden said, but the Emergency Services Training Centre has the possibility to give the community a boost. Council is looking for ways to use the Blyth Campgrounds to increase economic benefits and the Blyth Festival and Memorial Hall have the potential to host more year-round activities. Bill Knott, a new candidate, echoed that idea saying “We have to take a look at what’s happening today.” He used the example of the potential of new uses for the Blyth Public School when it closes. But new businesses have to be complementary to businesses that already exist. He said the area has to learn how to market its assets better but, “we cannot sell ourselves to the world until we sell ourselves to ourselves.” “We need to plan hard for the future and plan fast because time is running out,” Knott warned. Archie MacGowan, an incumbent councillor from Wingham Ward, said council has been working with groups like the Blyth Idea Group to Morris-Turnberry residents made their voices heard at a recent all candidates meeting and many residents aren’t happy with how council is built, voted for and remunerated. Candidates introduced themselves, their causes and their histories before entertaining questions from the gallery, and there seemed to be several recurring topics, including council makeup, the ward system, councillor remuneration, fire protection options, inter-township relationships and, possibly the most popular subject, the $5 landfill dumping fee. Morris Ward is contested by four candidates vying for three spots. Neil Warwick, a challenger for the Morris Ward, introduced himself as as a candidate with experience under his belt. Having lived in Morris- Turnberry all his life, he cited the experience he had from being on council for three previous terms, and that he was committed to the area, having just opened a new business. His key points were that M-T is a great place to live, and that he wants At the Oct. 12 all-candidates meeting in Brussels, prospective representatives were asked questions on many topics, but a common thread was how far would the candidates be willing to take the concerns of their citizens. The meeting, chaired by Brussels resident Jim Prior, featured several questions from members of Huron East Against Turbines (HEAT), questions about the Brussels Library and the future of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. Vying for two Brussels Ward Councillor seats were incumbents Frank Stretton and David Blaney, and current Huron East Mayor Joe Seili who has decided to step down from his mayoral chair and run for councillor in his home ward. Stretton said that for the past two years, the municipality has taken positive steps, but that there is still much more work that needs to be done. He said that going forward, healthcare, the Brussels Library, wind turbines and economic development are going to be major issues. He said that with cutbacks from the upper tiers of government, are going to make the budget process increasingly difficult in the next four-year term. Stretton also said that in Brussels, two vital entities are going to need updating very soon. The water distribution system is now 60 years old and in need to repair, he said, and the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre, where the meeting was held, is now 30 years old and will also need an update and an expansion very soon. Incumbent Blaney said that Brussels is in the midst of facing “extremely difficult financial times”, saying that economic development going forward will be more important than ever. He said that while Huron East has been a good example of financial management, those good practices will have to continue as they become increasingly important. He said that with funding decreasing from the upper tiers of government, the municipality can’t “suffer in silence”. He didn’t expect that the people of Brussels would suffer in silence, however, citing examples like the Brussels Lions pool and the Brussels Optimists Ball Park as examples of the community banding together when there is a task to be completed. He said that Huron East has very little control over what has happened with Brussels Public School, but that, the school site holds a lot of potential for economic development and growth and that is a priority of his in his next term, should he be elected. Blaney said that while industry is important, it’s small businesses that Huron East should work at attracting rather than big industrial-sized By Keith Roulston The Citizen By Denny Scott The Citizen Continued on page 35 Continued on page 25 By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Continued on page 33