The Citizen, 2008-12-04, Page 1The Huron OPP are participating in
the province-wide 2008 Festive RIDE
Campaign. Until Jan. 2 officers will
be conducting additional RIDE
checkpoints during the holiday
season to stop impaired drivers.
Throughout the year, officers in
Huron County utilize random RIDE
checkpoints to assist in locating
impaired drivers. To date in 2008 they
have set up over 380 checkpoints
within the county. A total of 119
drivers have been charged with
impaired driving since Jan. 1, 2008
and another 140 drivers have had their
licences suspended for 12 hours as a
result of alcohol consumption.
During the festive season more
RIDE checkpoints will be established
due to additional provincial funding.
“The festive season is traditionally
a time for family and friends to share
joy and goodwill,” said Const. Joanna
Van Mierlo. It is also a time for office
and house parties where alcohol is
served. Persons may indulge in
intoxicating substances that impair
their ability to operate a motor
vehicle, snowmobile or ATV.”
On average during the festive
season, four persons are killed each
day in Canada as a result of an
impaired driver. (Source: MADD
Canada). “Don’t let this joyous time
be torn apart by a tragedy.”
Van Mierlo said if you intend to be
drinking at any time, plan ahead.
Arrange for a designated driver, taxi,
public transit or stay overnight. Party
hosts: make every effort to ensure that
no guests leave your party and drive
while impaired. You can be held
liable civilly if an impaired guest
injures or kills someone (including
themselves) after leaving your event.
If anyone sees a person who may be
driving impaired, call 9-1-1
immediately.
Jolly Old St. Nick
After 11 months of waiting, Christmas is nearly here as Santa Claus paid a visit to Brussels on
Saturday night for the annual Santa Claus Parade. After the long circuit down Sports Drive and
back up Turnberry Street, Santa with Mrs. Claus at his side, settled into the Brussels, Morris
and Grey Community Centre to visit with a line of children stretching from one end of the
centre to the other. There was also face-painting, food and free skating to occupy everyone in
attendance. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Festive RIDE campaign begins
The search for a medical officer of
health is on-going for Huron and it
appears success won’t come
cheaply.
Chair of the health, ambulance
and social services committee,
Goderich councillor John Grace,
asked at the Nov. 26 meeting of
county council for a progress report.
The new health unit director Omid
Pour-ahmadi said he has met with
several physicians and has had
discussions about salary range.
“I am hopeful and waiting for
response,” he said, adding that he
has also spoken with local
physicians to see if they might be
interested in the position.
In response to a question from
Grace about this being a province-
wide concern, Pour-ahmadi said that
it was true there were shortages in
Ontario for medical officers of
health. “However, we are looking at
increasing salaries so maybe that
will help.”
Warden John Bezaire of Central
Huron said he had spoken with a
doctor from outside the area. “There
are six doctors (there). They split a
million dollars to cover the ER, then
there is the money from their regular
practices. That’s what doctors are
walking away from to be medical
officers of health. So when you see
the salaries try not to have a stroke.”
A motion was approved that the
board of health will pay for any
costs incurred in the recruitment of
the medical officer of health.
The board has requested a one-
month extension to Jan. 31 from the
Middlesex-London Health Unit for
short-term coverage for an acting
medical officer of health.
Pour-ahmadi will prepare a “fall
back” plan to be in place effective
February for a medical officer of
health. The report, including a
recommended salary range will be
brought to the board.
With a government-imposed
deadline extended by five days,
labour administrators at the Avon
Maitland District School Board are
in a waiting mode while contract
negotiations with teachers at the
provincial level finally move
forward.
“We’re worried. But we’re in a
powerless position at this time,”
explained board chair Meg Westley,
when asked about the fact that – as of
last Tuesday – neither the Elementary
Teachers Federation of Ontario
(ETFO) nor the Ontario Secondary
School Teachers Federation (OSSTF)
had complied with an Education
Ministry demand to agree on so-
called “provincial discussion tables”
(PDTs) for new four-year, board-by-
board deals.
Education Minister Kathleen
Wynne had asked the teachers’
unions to comply by Nov. 30; if not,
the government would not make
available adequate funds for boards
to provide three per cent salary
increases over each of the four years.
Unions representing Catholic
teachers complied with the deadline;
as a result, Catholic boards –
including the Huron-Perth Catholic
District School Board – have signed
new teacher contracts.
On Friday, Nov. 28, negotiators for
the Ontario Secondary School
Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF)
tentatively agreed to a PDT, pending
ratification yesterday (Tuesday, Dec.
2) by the provincial union’s full
leadership group.
Also at the table were
representatives of the Education
Ministry and the Ontario Public
School Boards Association.
The Elementary Teachers’
Federation of Ontario (ETFO),
meanwhile, had abandoned
discussions altogether until an 11th-
hour return to talks on Sunday, Nov.
30. In returning to the table, ETFO
requested an extension of the
government deadline to this Friday,
and a news blackout on all
developments.
Key issues for ETFO include
increased demands for student
supervision and the lack of wage
parity between elementary and
secondary teachers.
In the absence of the provincial
frameworks,Westley said, it has been
impossible to undertake serious
negotiations at the local level.
“It all starts at the provincial
level,” she commented. “Until they
go and figure that out, we don’t have
anything.”
Contacted on Monday, Avon
Maitland communications manager
Steve Howe said that, despite the
recent developments at the provincial
level, there can still be no movement
locally until the PDTs are signed.
At the board’s regular meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 25, tentative
agreements were approved with three
other labour groups: custodians and
maintenance workers (represented by
the Canadian Auto Workers);
principals and vice-principals; and
non-union administrative employees.
Earlier this fall, the board also agreed
to terms with educational assistants
and support workers.
Contracts with all labour groups
expired Aug. 31. So far, neither
ETFO nor OSSTF has threatened
labour action.
Shortage an issue
in search for MOH
CitizenTh
e
$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008
Volume 24 No. 48NEWS- Pg. 7First Sustainable Huronmeetings held FARMING- Pg. 23 Locals bring home Royal awardsCOMMUNITY- Pg. 3Blyth Lions donate tofire departmentPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 PAP Registration No. 09244 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
AMDSB still waiting
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen