The Citizen, 2008-12-11, Page 6North Huron council
approved its comprehensive
zoning bylaw at the Dec. 1
meeting.
“Sandra (Weber, county
planner) and I have been
working on this. It’s taken a
long time to put together,”
said clerk-administrator Kriss
Snell.
The purpose of the new
bylaw is to meld the zoning
requirements of the three
wards. “It is consistent for the
entire municipality,” said
Snell. “The differences in
Blyth and Wingham were
often minor, but they were
still different.”
While there have been no
really drastic changes, Snell
said the bylaw should work
better for staff and the public.
In addition to melding the
ward’s zoning requirements,
the bylaw has also been
updated. “It hasn’t been done
for Wingham for probably 20
years. Blyth’s last time was
1992 so it was getting to be a
fair age too,” said Snell.
Mapping has been the
biggest change, he said. The
township has gone to GIS
(geographic information
system) and when the county
gets its system running,
residents will be able to look
at the zoning on the property.
“Anyone asking for the
information used to have to
pay for a copy of the bylaw.
On GIS with an aerial photo
they will get a better feel for
their own property,” said
Snell.
“And it will be free.”
PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2008.
THE EDITOR,
Do it for the person who
went that extra mile for you.
Each year, Alzheimer’s
disease and related disorders
claim the memories and lives
of thousands of Canadians.
This January you can help the
Alzheimer Society of Huron
County get a step closer to
better care in your
community.
Step up to the challenge and
join the Alzheimer Society of
Huron County on Jan. 24 for
the 2009 Manulife Walk for
Memories.
Pledge sheets are now
available for the 14th annual
Indoor Manulife Walk for
Memories. A walks will be
held in Wingham, Clinton,
Seaforth, Exeter and
Goderich.
For more information or to
register for an event near you,
please visit
www.walkformemories.ca or
call me at 482-1482 or 1-800-
561-5012.
Theresa Wilson
Events Co-ordinator.
South Huron reeve named new county warden
N. Huron approves
new zoning bylaw
Ken Oke of South Huron isHuron County’s new warden.Oke defeated incumbentwarden John Bezaire of
Central Huron by secret ballot
at a meeting held in Goderich
Dec. 3.
Shortly after he was given
the chain of office, key of
office, gavel and warden’s pin
by outgoing warden Bezaire.
Oke listed the re-
strengthening of the Huron
County Health Unit as his first
priority in what he said would
be an interesting year ahead.
He also said he is bringing
stimulation of the local
economy, the restructuring of
county council as well as a
review of economic
development to the forefront
in 2009.
It had already been
determined, Oke said, after a
meeting as to whether
economic development was
still valid and if it should
continue or not, that this
would be an issue the 2009
warden would have to
address.
He also said county council
needs to be more discerning
when it comes to donations
and contributions. He saidthat donating to all of thecharities that ask, results inmore charities asking thefollowing year, resulting in anongoing trend that could endup costing the county a lot of
money.
Oke emphasized his idea of
teamwork and how important
it is going to be in Huron
County going ahead in 2009.
“This isn’t going to be all
about Ken Oke, it’s going to
be about Huron County,” he
said. “It’s going to be about a
team and it will take the
whole team, working together
to make 2009 a successful
year.”
Nominating Oke for warden
was North Huron’s deputy-
reeve Murray Scott. Scott
says he’s going to be quite
happy working with Oke,
calling him very sincere,
saying that he thinks Oke will
put a lot of thought into the
job.
Oke proved this when he
spoke prior to the election,
saying that over the years he
has been a member of over 30
councils and committees with
over 18 years in politics and
said he had been planning for
a 2009 bid for the warden’s
chair for years.
“I wanted to make sure mylife was in order, so I couldgive the position the attentionit deserves and requires,” hesaid.Scott says he expects greatdebates over the next year,
saying Oke is on the right
track with the priorities he
mentioned shortly after being
elected.
“I also think this is a period
where we need to put a lid on
the way we spend our money,”
he said. “Regardless, we’re
going to have some very hard
economic decisions ahead.”
Scott also agreed with
Oke’s intentions to revisit the
possible restructuring of
county council, saying a
review could help improve the
efficiency of how council is
run.
Oke’s opponent, Bezaire,
was chasing a second term,
saying it can be difficult to
bring about change and
establish the relationships
necessary to govern a county
in one term.
Bezaire urged councillors to
not be “shackled by tradition”
when casting their votes,
saying “We are supposed to
be doing what is right for the
people we are here to serve. It
should be with them in our
hearts and our minds that wemake this decision and dowhat’s best for them.”Bezaire took nothing awayfrom Oke, saying heenvisioned the jobs beingdone by both men in 2009 as
being productive and
important, but different. He
likened the scenario to his two
grandfathers, saying one was
a tomato farmer who shipped
products to Heinz and the
other fought in the Second
World War.
Both men, he said,
contributed to the fabric of
society and to the betterment
of the country, but in two very
different ways.
“At county council, any one
of us could be warden and any
one of us could do it well,” he
said.
Bezaire admitted that
everything hadn’t gone as
smoothly during his term as
he might have liked and said
more tough choices would
have been awaiting him on a
second term. Now, he’ll face
these choices as a councillor.
“I know I can bring a
different flavour to this
position,” Oke said. “I know I
can be the warden the people
of Huron County can be
proud of.”
Continued from page 1
ETFO proposal would have
fallen in line with government
funding commitments.
In failing to meet the
Education Ministry deadline,
ETFO forgoes a government
commitment for annual three
per cent salary increases over
four years.
Instead, according to
earlier statements by
Education Minister Kathleen
Wynne, school boards will
only be granted enough
money for two per cent salary
increases over two years.
And in the absence of a
provincial-level agreement,
it’s now up to each board to
negotiate two-year deals with
the local chapters of the
ETFO union.
“If (the Education
Ministry) sticks to its original
statements, it will be a two-
year deal,” explained Jim
Sheppard, human resources
superintendent for the Avon
Maitland District School
Board.
Sheppard says the board
has already had several
meetings with local ETFO
representatives, and will now
move to set up new meeting
dates as soon as possible.
On the secondary school
side, negotiation dates have
already been set between the
board and local OSSTF
representatives. With a
provincial-level deal signed
just prior to the Nov. 30
deadline, Sheppard says he
hopes to have a four-year deal
with the local OSSTF by the
end of January.
The big job
With a challenging year ahead, South Huron’s
Ken Oke was elected as Huron County warden
by county council last week over incumbent
John Bezaire of Central Huron. Oke said his
first priority is to focus on the Huron County
Health Unit. Stimulating the local economy, the
possible restructuring of county council and a
review of Huron’s economic development were
also items he listed as priorities for the coming
year. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Notice to Hog Producers
Application deadline is December 31, 2008.
For more information or for an application form,
call 1-800-667-8567 or visit www.agr.gc.ca/cdhi
The Circovirus Inoculation Program provides eligible hog producers with financial assistance to
offset costs related to testing, diagnosis and treatment of hog herds for Porcine Circovirus Associated
Diseases (PCVAD2).
Diagnostic testing/clinical diagnosis
• Hog owners or herd managers whose herd(s) have had a certified diagnostic test for PCVAD2 since
March 1, 2006, can receive up to $150 per test, up to $2,000 per fiscal year, and up to $4,000 for the
duration of the program.
• In the absence of a certified diagnostic test, a clinical diagnosis must have been performed by a
veterinarian between March 1, 2006, and November 15, 2007.
Vaccination
Hog owners or herd managers whose animals were part of a herd that tested positive for PCVAD2 can
receive up to $1 per piglet and up to $7 per gilt, sow, or boar.
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen
Events co-ordinator offers reminder
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
Board must negotiate now