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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-12-04, Page 7Huron County planners arecontinuing their efforts to work withcitizens, community groups as well as municipal officials toward the new official plan and Sustainable Huron document. Two meetings were held last week in Goderich and Exeter with two to be held this week in Wingham and tonight (Dec. 4) in Seaforth. Huron County warden John Bezaire said that while this round of meetings will not be the last, they will offer an opportunity for the public to go over suggestions given by Huron County residents and ask more pointed questions. “We’re taking a really dry and painful exercise that’s mandated from the province and trying to liven it up,” he said. “This meeting is a good chance for us to build on what we’ve started and get a little feedback.” The process began earlier this year with over 50 public consultation meetings and over 550 comment cards returned to the county from residents. From those meetings and feedback, county planners have put together a draft of the Sustainable Huron Take Action Report. “We could have been done by now if we wanted to be. We could have sent the official plan off to the province and it would have met legislation,” Bezaire says. “However, we thought that if we had to do it anyway, why not make it meaningful and it’s been an experience so far.” Dr. Wayne Caldwell of the University of Guelph who alsoworks with the county and is a “life-long resident of Huron County”hosted last week’s Goderichpresentation, starting by assessingthe demographic of those in attendance. In a room of approximately 40 people, Caldwell found six farmers, six retirees and seven independent business owners. Caldwell also found that most were from Goderich and that five people had roots in the county of 100 years or more. He said the demographic at each of the meetings had been different every time and suggested that if residents want a true portrait of their county, to attend more than one meeting. Caldwell says, Huron County is the only area in Ontario that has brought its residents into the planning process with the planners and councillors. “This is a great two-way flow of information. The planners are working with the residents and the residents are working with the planners,” Caldwell said. “This is going to help us to make well- informed decisions and policies that are supportive for the future. It’s all about making sure the next generation has as much to work with as we had.” Caldwell began the presentation with a video made by several members of the Huron County planning department. The video outlined the areas of concern in the plan and in the sustainability report, of which there are 10. The areas of focus for the sustainability review are a diverse and prosperous economy,transportation options, agriculturalstrength and diversity, energyconservation and generation, livablecommunities, healthy naturalenvironment, population growth and diversity, vibrant downtowns, community needs and spirit and healthy active communities. The video was followed by several discussion sessions held at five different tables, each focusing on a different aspect of the official plan or sustainability report. Each table had a moderator from the planning department and topics discussed at the tables were presented at the end of the meeting. After the first round of discussion, Huron County director of planning and development Scott Tousaw presented the draft of the Sustainable Huron Take Action Report. The report, which is available on the county’s website, www.huroncounty.ca, outlines the 10 categories that are being focused on and a collection of information from both the county and from the residents. Each topic has been given a common vision for the future statement, a goal for which to strive. There are also indicators that will measure the progress and improvement, action residents can take, initiatives Huron County is already in the midst of undertaking and community suggestions taken straight from the first round of meetings. Tousaw reiterated that this stage of meetings is still only a step in the journey. Bezaire agreed, saying, “In the first round of meetings we bought the crayons and now we’re drawing the picture.”Bezaire also said the processshould be ongoing in order to staysustainable in the world.Lucknow-area farmer and NDPnational candidate in last October’s election Tony McQuail said he was eager to attend because sustainability has been one of his goals for decades now. “I’m very interested in sustainability and the future of the county. We have to decipher those who work in agriculture and local manufacturing from the problems of the speculative paper economy on Wall Street,” McQuail said. “When our economy depends on Wall Street, we’re vulnerable and then the real economy suffers.” McQuail said he thought the county’s decision to bring the public into the planning process was a “creative and thoughtful” one, saying that collaboration can be a powerful approach. “I was very delighted to see the county undertake this process and I’m very hopeful that we can engage the public in constructing a sustainable economy for the future,” he said. As the process continues, however, the key is to implementchanges and continue to gatherinformation, Bezaire says. Too manysustainability plans have beenabandoned or left unimplemented.“We should have a clear picture completely painted and ready to be submitted by the middle of next year, but if it ends, then we’ve done nothing. We need to be making 20- year decisions, not two-year decisions,” he said. “I hope the plan lives and breathes and stays open on the desk, not put back on the shelf.” THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2008. PAGE 7.Sustainable Huron meetings held last week Read a fund’s prospectus and consult your investment professional before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed; their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Investors will pay management fees and expenses, may pay commissions or trailing commissions and may experience a gain or loss. Reproduction in whole or in part by any means without the prior written consent of Fidelity Investments is forbidden. ©2008 FMR LLC. All rights reserved. Fidelity is a registered trademark of FMR LLC.511381.1.0 Sponsored in part by: Canada’s new Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) lets you grow your investments and withdraw your money absolutely tax-free! Fidelity offers a full range of TFSA-eligible mutual funds. 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