HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-10-18, Page 1The CitizenVolume 23 No. 41 Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007 $1.25 ($1.18 + 7c GST)Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Inside this week
Pg. 2
Pg. 6
Pg. 8
Pg. 10
Pg. 13
Students collect for
Food Bank
Events mark Fire
Prevention Week
Blyth broomball
team A champs
Friends out to
re-open bridge
Home improvement
section begins
The Blyth Horticultural Society
will be holding a membership/
donation drive on Friday, Oct. 19
from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at
Scrimgeours Food Market in Blyth.
Spokesperson Anne Elliott said
active membership has been decling
and it is increasingly difficult to find
people to help. The Society is
responsible for planting and
maintaining a number of projects
within the village: the south-end
entrance sign flowerbed, the
horticultural park on Dinsley Street,
the individual planter boxes on main
street, the butterfly garden on the
Greenway Trail, the cemetery
flowerbeds, the pumphouse
flowerbeds and the municipal parking
lot planters.
In these busy times many people
are reluctant to join an organization.
The Blyth Horticultural Society has
one annual meeting a year in
November, when members and the
general public are invited to attend a
short meeting, enjoy discussion,
entertainment and refreshments.
In June, they gather on
approximately three evenings to plant
the gardens in the village. Some
members volunteer to weed the
plantings which takes approximately
one evening a month over the course
of the summer.
Many people may feel they need to
be an expert gardener to join.
However, Elliott said, “Gardening
experience is not a prerequisite of
becoming a member. Horticultural
members are eager to share their own
gardening knowledge to new
members.”
Membership costs $2. Purchasing a
membership does not mean that a
person has to become an active
member. The fee can be considered a
donation.
“Membership is an important part
of the Society as it dictates what
grant funds are available through
the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs,” said
Elliott.
The Society also receives funding
from the Twp. of North Huron.
“However,” said Elliott, “this funding
does not cover the entire cost of
maintaining and planting the gardens.
Membership and donations are
essential.”
Volunteers, of course, are equally
essential. “If there are not the people
to do the planting, the flowers won’t
be planted,” said Elliott. “New
members are greatly needed.”
The annual meeting this year is
Nov. 5 at Blyth Memorial Hall
beginning at 7 p.m. Along with a
short business meeting, there will be
an open session for attendees to share
their gardening experiences of the
past year along with any pictures they
may have.
“This will be a great opportunity
for fellow gardeners to share their
knowledge,” said Elliott.
Entertainment and refreshments
will be provided. Memberships will
also be available that evening as well,
for those who miss the drive on
Friday.
Contact Elliott at 519-523-9725 for
more information.
Soc. needs
members
The Liberal party made history
last week, earning a back-to-back
majority for the first time in 70
years. And right in the thick of things
was re-elected Huron-Bruce MPP
Carol Mitchell.
Mitchell received over 20,000
votes, earning 46 per cent of the vote
and just under 7,000 more votes than
Rob Morley, the Conservative
candidate who received the second-
most votes in the riding.
Shortly after being declared, just
after 10 p.m. on Oct. 10, Mitchell
graced Clinton Town Hall, where
supporters were watching the
televised results and had drinks on
ice, ready to celebrate.
Mitchell, who arrived with her
family, received congratulations
from supporters all around the room
after a long day of putting the final
touches on her campaign.
Mitchell credits her win to hard
work, saying there is still a lot to be
done, but that the voters liked what
direction she is going in.
“We’ve turned a critical page and I
think the people saw that this year,”
she said.
One of the main issues in this
election was the one raised by John
Tory, the Conservative leader,
regarding funding for faith-based
schools. It has been called a huge
mis-step.
In addition, Mitchell also said the
privatization of health care was
another mis-step by the
Conservatives. She also called
Tory’s platform muddled and
confusing.
“His platform wasn’t clear, he
couldn’t explain it to people,” she
said. “While ours was an extension
of the work we’ve already done.”
Mitchell says this wasn’t just her
platform, but that the Liberal Party
tried to stay positive and not focus
on one area of the province over
another.
“I’m just saying what I heard, and
the [funding for private schools]
issue was huge. Voters felt it was
very Toronto-centric and it would
have hurt our schools even more than
it would have in the large urban
centres,” Mitchell said.
“However, the issue that didn’t get
talked about was the private health
care part of their platform. I think it
would have been if the school issue
hadn’t been on the table.”
In regards to the referendum,
Mitchell was opposed to MMP, and
that too, was the way the people of
south-western Ontario voted.
The existing system was favoured
by nearly 18,000, with the current
voting system receiving 30,000 votes
and the new MMP system receiving
just 12,000 in Huron-Bruce.
In the end, the Liberals won 71
seats, while the Conservatives won
26 and the NDP won 10.
Locally, NDP candidate Paul
Klopp, a former MPP, received
Four more years
An elated Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell climbed the stairs of Clinton Town Hall to a room
full of her supporters just minutes after being officially declared the winner in the Oct. 10
provincial election, retaining her position by a convincing margin. Mitchell proved to be a large
part of the second straight majority government earned by the Liberals, something that hadn’t
happened in 70 years. Mitchell credits the win to hard work and says that there will be plenty
more of it in the coming term. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Local vet
to sit
on NH
council
MPP back for second term
A face familiar to many residents
of Blyth and East Wawanosh is the
new Wingham ward councillor at
the North Huron table.
In a closed session during
Monday night’s meeting, council
made the decision to appoint Alma
Conn, a former veterinarian in
Blyth, to the position.
Five applicants, Conn, Joan van
der Meer, Annette Lindsay, Ken
MacKenzie and Al Harrison had
been interviewed.
Council had until Oct. 26 to come
to a decision.
In announcing the name of the
new councillor, reeve Neil Vincent
said that there had been a fair bit of
discussion by councillors before
making up their mind. “I feel we
were lucky to have had five quality
candidates.”
“I am pleased to have been
chosen,” said Conn. “It’s different
being appointed by council rather
than elected. Council obviously had
confidence in me and I hope to earn
their respect.”
Conn is a resident of Wingham
and a graduate of the University of
Guelph. She was a veterinarian with
Blyth Vet Services for some 25
years.
Though officially retired
she assists other practices as a
locum.
Conn said her decision to run was
based on a desire to give back to the
community. Her father was on
Kinloss council and she served on
the Bruce County board of
education.
Today she is a councillor
for College of Veterinarians of
Ontario.
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 6
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen