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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, November 11, 2010
Volume 26 No. 44
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INSIDE THIS WEEK:C e l e b r a t i n g 25 YearsTheCitizen1985-2010
North Huron’s
election practices
criticized by some
Time to remember
As the leaves fall and the weather turns cool, it is time again for Remembrance Day. Members
of the Blyth Legion were at the Blyth Community Church of God on Sunday for their annual
Legion church service. Members marched into the church shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Sunday
and congregated outside again after the service. Both the Blyth and Brussels Legions have
spent the last few weeks working hard on their poppy campaigns and preparation for today’s
Remembrance Day services. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Blyth’s Memorial Hall, home to
the Blyth Festival, is in need of some
extensive electrical repairs, and
North Huron Township Council is
fast-tracking the funds needed.
An initial assessment of the
problems estimates that all the
repairs may cost between $10,000
and $20,000.
Councillors originally discussed
the issue at their Nov. 1 regular
meeting and were informed by Chief
Administrative Officer Gary Long
that a reserve fund had been set up
for facility emergencies and that
they had approximately $14,600 set
aside.
Councilor Archie MacGowan
wanted better information before he
signed off on the plans.
“If this is all high-level risk, I’m
right there with it,” he said. “But if
there are half a dozen high risk and
several low risk problems we can
make our decision accordingly.”
MacGowan stated that anything
that could pose a risk to person or
property should be repaired
immediately.
At their Committee of the Whole
(COW) meeting on Nov. 8 Pat
Newson, Director of Facilities and
Recreation explained that nearly all
of the items on the two-page list she
had provided to council were
necessary repairs to bring the
building up to code, and most of it
would need to be done at the same
time.
“Any changes we make will have
to be evaluated by the electrical
authority,” she said. “They will
come in and inspect it, and probably
do the same building at the same
time, so we want it all done.”
Councillors asked about getting
quotes, but Newson explained it
would be a very difficult job to put to
vendors.
“This isn’t like buying a big piece
of machinery, we’re going to tear it
apart and repair it,” she said. “If we
want to know how much it’s going to
cost, we’re going to have to tear it
apart to find out anyways.”
Newson explained that, since
electrical work is often required, the
township keeps two electrical
companies on retainer for this kind
of work and tenders the opportunity
once every two years.
The COW recommended that
council adopt a bylaw allowing the
work to begin with the $14,600 that
has been set aside.
Council also discussed a yearly
commitment to the Blyth Festival
and decided to donate $20,000 to the
Festival (beyond the repair costs).
Bill Knott, an unsuccessful
candidate for North Huron’s Blyth
Ward, thinks that the recent
municipal election wasn’t run
appropriately.
Knott addressed North Huron
council during their recent council
meeting and stated that many voters
came to him wanting to know where
and when they could cast their
ballot.
According to the provincial
Election Act, notice of election
requires that the returning officer
will post notice of the election
outlining “the days and times fixed
for holding the advanced polls and
the general poll.”
Knott stated that there was
insufficient advertising and that this
constituted a failure on the part of
the township to meet their
requirements.
While the Municipal Elections Act
does not dictate a need for
advertisements in a local newspaper,
it does require that notice shall
be posted throughout electoral
districts.
Knott wasn’t the only individual
concerned about the voting and
notification practices, however, as
citizen-at-large Greg Sarachman
was also at the meeting and
stated that, whether the letter of
the law had been followed our
not, the council should have done
better.
“We advertise Bingo and
Breakfasts far more effectively than
the democratic process,” Sarachman
said.
He went on to state that he was
frustrated at the low voter turnout
(36 per cent) in North Huron.
“I don’t know if that’s because of
ineffective communication, poor
distribution of information or voter
apathy,” he said. “But I can’t believe
that in a town like Blyth, people are
that apathetic.”
Sarachman passed around a
picture of the voter station at Blyth’s
Memorial Hall that had been posted
over a no-parking sign, causing the
provincially-issued sign to read “NO
VOTE”.
He commented that his wife had
said that the voters information
looked like it was in some third
world country.
Councillor David Riach stated that
he agreed with most of the
comments made by both Sarachman
and Knott, but that some of the voter
apathy can be attributed to a certain
age group.
“When I was campaigning in
Blyth, the majority of people under
the age of 40 I talked to didn’t know
or didn’t care about the election,” he
said. “When I was knocking on
doors, I encouraged a lot of people
to vote... [but] it is something that
residents have to take responsibility
to do.”
The confusion wasn’t just with
where and when to vote, but who
could vote in the first place.
Robert Stevenson, a resident of
Blyth who rents, was under the
impression that he couldn’t vote
because he was a renter, and didn’t
own land.
Stevenson was accustomed to
Howick Township’s practice of
mailing voter information to eligible
electors in the township.
Because he didn’t receive his voter
information from North Huron, and
because he saw no advertising for
the polls, he didn’t believe that he
was entitled to his part in the
democratic process.
Reeve Neil Vincent, who was
acclaimed for this election, stated
that some of the responsibility can
be shouldered by candidates.
“My campaign ads from four
years ago listed time and place for
early polls, actual polls and offered
rides,” he said. “But this was a
very different election from last
time.”
Vincent stated that he understood
the concerns of Sarachman and
Knott and the residents who had
contacted them, but that council was
not able to do a great deal to address
them.
“A sitting council is very limited
in what it can do,” he said, citing the
Elections Act as the guidelines they
follow.
“Admittedly, there were places
where things fell through the cracks
this time,” he said. “We didn’t get
enough notice in the papers or
posters up, but staff have to follow
the [Elections] Act very closely, or
they can be seen as playing
favourites.
“Sometimes following those rules
can make it seem like they aren’t
doing much,” Vincent said.
He went on to say that things
could be done differently in the
future.
“I honestly believe that we can put
a checklist together for things that
we can do for four years from now,”
he said. “I’m sorry that everybody
didn’t follow up [the electoral
process] a little more, but I have a
problem with blaming it on staff. I
feel my staff did everything that was
required.”
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Repairs recommended for Hall
By Denny Scott
The Citizen