HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-01-17, Page 1The CitizenVolume 24 No. 3 Thursday, Jan. 17, 2008 $1.25 ($1.19 + 6c GST)Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Inside this week
Pg. 2
Pg. 6
Pg. 7
Pg. 8
Pg. 10
Skaters pass power
skating level
What will winter
mean to lake level?
When Jack Frost
took a holiday
Lightning strikes
for gold
Huron County
4-Hers get awards
Huron County has been branded.
After a year of working with
consultants, the committee unveiled
the new county logo and website at
the Jan. 9 meeting of county council.
The gallery filled as members of the
committee, the consultants and the
media arrived to join councillors for
a first peek and celebrate the
achievement.
A marketing tool that unifies the
county’s promotional materials and
services, the logo and website
demonstrate a professional attitide
for the county, according to planner
Carol Leeming, a place where people
live, work and enjoy life.
“Huron is telling the world that this
is a community for generations with
a bright and prosperous future.”
Moving towards a new identity for
the county began in 2006 with the
approval of a warden’s task force
report recommending improvements
to promotional material. That
December a public request for
proposals was issued to marketing
consultants for the development of a
distinct brand image and a strategy,
Leeming explained.
An agreement was eventually
signed with Two Blonde Chicks Inc.,
Kitchener, to begin work with a
branding committee, comprised of
representatives from several
departments.
The development goals went
beyond creating a brand to reflect the
many elements that comprise Huron,
said Leeming. They also sought to
create a unified image and review
how the county crest could be used.
A focus group was used to test the
new brand identity.
The work has proven “very
successful,” said Leeming. “I feel it’s
a distinctive and captivating brand.”
Huron’s new identity is in gold and
blue. It features waves representing
it’s presence as Ontario’s West Coast,
wheat, symbolic of its agriculture,
trees representing both nature and
community. It will be phased in over
the next 18 months and will be used
on promotional materials and on
stationary.
The coat of arms will continue to
be used for formal business.
“There is no denying its rich
heritage,” said Mike Pullen,
economic development officer.
In addition to the unveiling of the
brand, the county also launched its
new website. Web artist Marion
Doucette said the new design was
meant to offer more information,
increase efficiency and make the site
easier to nabigate.
“Launching this site is just the
beginning,” she said. “The corporate
web presence will continue to
County
unveils
new
identity
Huron East council decided who
would build their “Field of Dreams”
at their Jan. 8 meeting.
Council voted 9-3 to accept Smith
Construction’s tender of $1,963,122
for Seaforth’s new Family Health
Team building, referred to as mayor
Joe Seili’s “Field of Dreams” by
councillor Les Falconer at a
December council meeting.
Accepting the tender from Smith
Construction also came at the
recommendation of Marklevitz
Architects, who drew up the plans
for the building.
The Seaforth Development Trust
has already agreed to transfer
ownership of the land and property,
including the current Community
Care Access Centre, to the
municipality.
Now that the tender has been
accepted, clerk-administrator Jack
McLachlan is optimistic that
construction could begin before the
end of the month, he said, in a phone
interview after the Jan. 8 meeting.
Council, however, did not arrive at
this decision easily.
The new building has been a
controversial topic since it was
announced and as construction
nears, some councillors continue to
disagree with decisions that the
council has made.
At the Jan. 8 meeting, Falconer
told Seili that he was fed up with the
inadequate time he and council had
to make decisions on the building
with a projected pricetag of nearly
$2 million. McLachlan told Falconer
that if council took any more time on
the a motion to accept a contractor,
they would exceed the 60-day period
and would have to re-tender.
“I think this should be tabled until
the next meeting and re-tendered
then,” Falconer said. “I just think this
has been very poorly-run.”
Seili said that new developments
like new blueprints and new doctors
coming to Seaforth had been
presented to council with insufficient
time to prepare and make an
informed decision.
“I think at this point, it’s worth the
money to re-tender,” Falconer said.
Seili, who has been pushing this
project forward since the
groundbreaking in early 2007,
answered Falconer with one word.
“No,” Seili said, telling the
councillors, “You’ve had ample time
to come by the office and get the
figures and get your questions
answered.
“You want 100 per cent occupancy
on a building you haven’t built yet? I
don’t know what else you guys want
from us on this.”
Falconer reiterated that he felt he
was not getting adequate
information to make a decision on
the building. He said that he has
been finding out information about
the project from people on other
committees before it comes through
the municipality.
Seili, angered by the comment,
asked Falconer what he was driving
at.
“Are you saying that council has a
leak?” Seili asked.
Councillor Larry McGrath, who
has voiced his concerns about the
project since its inception, came to
Falconer’s aid, saying that he agrees
with him 100 per cent.
McGrath first voiced his concerns
when the funding for the building
came up. Council intended to fund
the construction with a debenture,
when McGrath tabled the idea of
paying for it out of reserves to save
paying the interest.
This is an idea that council
decided to use, but they have also
decided that whatever money is
borrowed from reserves gets paid
back at five per cent interest,
something McGrath thinks is
defeating the purpose.
Council intends to borrow $1
million from the municipality’s
With higher temperatures and
heavy rainfall in the area, the Huron
County Health Unit is reminding
people to take good care of their well
water.
Public health inspector Bob Worsell
said well owners should be testing
their water now. “Wells in low-lying,
flood-prone areas are at risk for
contamination from surface runoff,”
says Worsell. “We’ve had quite a bit
of runoff from rain and melting snow
in the past week”.
Dug wells, well pits and well
casings without a proper seal are most
at risk.
Well water that has an odour, is
discoloured or has an off taste should
not be consumed or used for food
preparation.
Even water that is clear and
odourless needs to be tested to ensure
it is safe.
Whenever people are unsure about
the safety of their well water, they
should boil the water for at least one
minute before using it for drinking
and food preparation. Or they can use
bottled water until a water test
confirms a safe water supply.
The health unit recommends
sampling wells at least three times per
year. Sample more often after heavy
rainfall and flooding. Only by regular
sampling for bacteria can the safety of
well water be ensured.
Water sample kits may be picked up
and dropped off at the Huron County
Health Unit near Clinton, South
Huron Hospital in Exeter, Seaforth
Hospital, Wingham Hospital, and the
Huron County Court House in
Goderich.
The tests are free but must be
dropped off within 24 hours of being
taken. Sample only cold water and
keep it in the refrigerator until ready
to drop it off. Transport the sample in
a cooler with an ice pack.
“Now’s a good time to learn about
your well and start regular sampling,”
says Worsell.
For a free copy of the kit Keeping
Your Well Water Safe to Drink or for
informations, contact a public health
inspector. Information is available on
the health unit website:
www.huroncounty.ca/health
Ta da!
It was a time for celebrating as Huron County warden John Bezaire had the honour of
unveiling the new brand for the county at the council meeting on Jan. 9. A full gallery was on
hand for the event, which also included the launch of the redesigned county website. (Bonnie
Gropp photo)
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
Huron East accepts tender
to build ‘Field of Dreams’
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 7 Continued on page 6
Monitor
wells