HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-06-21, Page 1The CitizenVolume 23 No. 25 Thursday, June 21, 2007 $1.25 ($1.18 + 7c GST)Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Inside this week
Pg. 6
Pg. 7
Pg. 8
Pg. 12
Pg. 14
Woman to explore
Brussels history
Youth park group
ready to party
Soccer teams have
good week
Morris-Turnberry to
help with repairs
Brussels firefighters
say thanks
Little Ainsleigh Bontaine didn’t
get the chance for a long life. But if
her uncle has anything to say about
it, she will make a difference in
those of others.
Brent Scrimgeour of
Londesborough, has organized the
first annual Ainsleigh Bontaine
Memorial Golf Tournament in
memory of his niece, who drowned
in a pool last August. Ainsleigh had
just turned three.
“This is my way of keeping
Ainsleigh’s memory alive,” said
Scrimgeour. “We can get together as
a family, share good memories and
raise money to donate to kids who
need help.”
The tournament, being held this
Sunday, June 24 at the Woodland
Links Golf Course in Clinton, is
raising funds for the Children’s
Health Foundation.
CHF raises and grants funds to
support specialized health care,
programs, education and equipment
at Children’s Hospital of Western
Ontario, as well as research into
causes and cure of children’s disease
at the Children’s Health Research
Institute.
“This was what Gerry and Heidi
(Ainsleigh’s parents) wanted,” said
Scrimgeour. “They don’t want others
to go through what they have. If
somehow, some way the money
made from this tournament can help
some little child make it when they
Peek-a-boo
Filling the role of Piglet, was little Lex Taylor, left, at this year’s Fun Fair at Grey Central Public
School. Rounding out the gang was Jennifer Cochrane, centre, as Tigger and Darlene Rains
as Winnie the Pooh. The Fun Fair featured an inflatable slide, a jumping castle, pony rides,
sumo wrestling suits and (grounded) plane rides, not to mention plenty of food and drink,
topped off by a silent auction. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Last Wednesday, improving Blyth
as a whole was the forefront at a
meeting held by North Huron’s
economic development officer Kerri
Herrfort.
Herrfort started the meeting by
assuring those present, that exciting
projects are in the works.
She discussed eight points that the
municipality is working on.
Calling Blyth a “diverse group of
talent”, Herrfort went through the
initiatives that are happening at the
municipal level.
There was the first impression
program, which would involve
forming a group for an exchange of
sorts, where a visiting group will
come through Blyth and give their
first impression of the village.
There was also website
improvements to
www.northhuron.ca and the
designing of a business map and
directory for the area.
Marketing and branding of the
municipality were also brought up
and it was pointed out that this is
something that Blyth does
particularly well. Using the stylized
“B” in Blyth’s logo helps people to
remember Blyth.
One topic of particular concern to
local business-owners was a facade
improvement plan. This is
something that could be put in place
later this year as a result of the
funding brought to Huron County by
Carol Mitchell in the amount of
$675,000.
However, while North Huron is
confident they’ll be on the receiving
end of some of these funds, Herrfort
isn’t making room on her plate just
yet, she stressed.
When the hope was mentioned by
Herrfort that with this funding,
North Huron might be able to match
every dollar spent on storefront
improvements to an extent, owners
began to inquire about applications
and rules. Herrfort stressed that the
meeting was simply the
announcement of a possible plan for
the funding.
There is a lot of work still to be
done before any cheques are handed
out, she added.
Herrfort said the small attendance
of less than 15 people did not
discourage her. Projects succeed on
the commitment of individuals,
quality not quantity, she said.
Herrfort told the residents that she
now has office hours in Blyth. She is
in the Community Centre office at
least once a week, usually
Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5p.m.
Rick Elliott from the Blyth Idea
Group gave a presentation as well.
He went over some successes
Blyth has had in the past. He
mentioned historic walking tours by
Brock and Janis Vodden, the Blyth
Inn and the Blyth’s branding.
John Roe, who owns the
barbershop on Blyth’s main street,
suggested that Blyth suffers from
“same-old disease”, in which the
village is doing the same-old things
in the same-old way.
Roe was sure to thank the town’s
predecessors, since he has only been
there for two years, for the great job
they did with the town; citing
Blyth’s status as Canada’s best small
town in 2002.
“We need a revitalization,
something appealing to the eye. You
only get one chance at a first
impression,” Roe said. “Any
business that isn’t growing, is dying,
but I really think that property is
undervalued here.”
Both Herrfort and Elliott agreed,
saying that Blyth is poised to benefit
from this funding because they have
their ducks in a row.
With an economic development
officer in place and most of its
homework done already, Blyth is
ahead of many other municipalities
in the area.
Herrfort said the funding is in
place for the next three years, so
perhaps, because Blyth is ready
perhaps whatever funding, if any,
North Huron gets would go to Blyth
in the first year, while Wingham and
Belgrave could benefit in the next
two.
Herrfort said that North Huron’s
official request would be just over
$34,000 for the first year.
The task force assembled to
appropriate the funds will be
meeting in July to finalize the
disbursement of the money.
Further details, like application
process, should be expected
then.
It’s tough to improve on second-
best in the province; there’s only
one way to do it.
And Grade 10 students in the
Huron-Perth Catholic District
School Board did just that in March,
2007, earning the top results in the
annual Ontario Secondary School
Literacy Test (OSSLT).
“We’re very, very pleased with
these results,” said Huron-Perth
education superintendent Dan Parr.
The standardized test is
administered annually on behalf of
the Education Quality and
Accountability Office (EQAO), and
successfully completing the test is a
requirement for graduation from
high school. Those who are not
successful may repeat the test in
Grade 11 or 12.
Or, especially in the case of
students who are unable to perform
under the pressurized environment
of a one-time test, graduation may
be granted if the student completes a
full-semester, full-credit literacy
course.
As has been the case consistently
over the past few years, both the
Huron-Perth Catholic and Avon
Maitland District School Board
achieved above the provincial
average on the 2007 OSSLT.
This year, the average success rate
among first-time writers across
Ontario was 84 per cent. The
province-topping rate among
Huron-Perth Catholic students was
91 per cent. Meanwhile, 84 per cent
of first-time writers were successful
in the Avon Maitland board.
John Herbert, Avon Maitland
assessment and evaluation
coordinator, said the board takes
Exciting projects in works for Blyth
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Event
honours
child
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
Continued on page 6
Top
marks
for
Gr. 10s
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen
Continued on page 10