HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-03-16, Page 1Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel,
Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships.
NO. 4 VOL. 11 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1988.45 CENTS
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Councils approve Blyth Rec. pact
A young screech owl has been the centre of atten tion for the students at
East Wawanosh Public School for the past few weeks, where it was
taken to recover after being discovered malnourished and dehydrated
by Les Thompson at the East Wawanosh landfill site. Teacher Al
Harrison volunteered the services of his Grade 6-7 class to assist in the
little bird’s recovery, which was accomplished with the help of Dr. S.G.
Leedham of the Wingham Veterinary Clinic and of Lyn Hunter of
Sleepy Hollow Rabbitry near Whitechurch. Students Ann Gamiss and
Brad Robinson bid farewell to their new friend, who is to be released
back to the wild later this week.
Representatives of all munici
palities supporting the Blyth and
District Community Centre Board
agreed Monday night to approve
signing of the joint agreement to
support the board.
Work to develop a formal
document to set up a joint board to
manage the community centre and
arena began nearly a year ago and
problems of which municipalities
should pay how much support had
seemed to be solved following a
meeting on Nov. 27 at which
concerns had been expressed
about the cost of running the Blyth
facility compared to other neigh
bouring facilities, the lack of
volunteer support in fundraising
and the percentages of use assign
ed to each community.
A subsequent survey of users of
the facility showed that 31 per cent
ofthe userscamefrom Blyth, 24
per cent from Hullett, 20 per cent
from East Wawanosh, 18 per cent
from Morris and seven per cent
from West Wawanosh. This was
proposed as the breakdown for
support of the community centre.
But Hullett township, later
supported by East Wawanosh had
since proposed that Blyth pick up
an additional 10 per cent of the cost
of running the facility because it
gained most from the arena with
rural people coming to the village
and shopping in local stores while
youngsters used the arena. Coun
cillor Bob Szusz of Hullett asked
early in Monday’s meeting what
Blyth’s position was on the re
quest.
Councillor Bill Howson of Blyth,
chairing the meeting, said his
council couldn’t see any reason
why it should be responsible for an
extra 10 per cent. Blyth councillors
feel that Blyth is already contribut
ing extras such as snow removal
and in using its grant money (from
the Ontario Neighbourhood Im
provement Program) to buy equip
ment to eliminate condensation
problems when that money could
have been used elsewhere in the
community. As for the benefits to
local businesses, he said, those
benefits go both ways.
East Wawanosh Reeve Ernie
Snell said that with programs like
the recently adopted county re
assessment program, rural muni
cipalities are having to carry a
heavier and heavier part of the load
to support services. Councillor
Howson said that the reassess
ment didn’t seem to be hitting
Stars to perform in Brussels
International figure skating
pairs champions Kevin Wheeler
and Michelle Menzies and national
dance stars Peter MacDonald and
Kerrie Shepherd will be the guest
skaters at the Brussels Figure
Skating Club’s upcoming carnival,
Toys on Ice.
Helen Craig, Club president,
confirmed Friday that the young
stars, all of whom have become
local heroes as a result of their
successes in national - and in the
case of Mr. Wheeler and Miss
Menzies, international - figure
skating competition over the past
several years, will skate at the
March 26 event. In both cases,
permission to skate in Brussels had
farms as much as it was hitting
rural residential taxpayers.
Morris Reeve Doug Fraser
wondered how much benefit Blyth
got from events like the Huron
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to be given by the skaters’ training
facilities, Mrs. Craig said.
Mr. Wheeler and Miss Menzies
have just returned from Calgary
where they skated at the closing
ceremonies of the Winter Olym
pics, after narrowly missing a
berth on the Canadian Olympic
team by placing fifth overall at the
Canadian National Figure Skating
Championships in Victoria, B.C. in
January, where they won a silver
medal in Fours competition.
Last summer the pair took gold
medals in international competi
tions in both France and Germany,
and in 1986 won a silver medal at
St. Ibels Great Britain, skating
against senior pairs although they
Hwy. 4
construction
set for 89-90
Reconstruction of Highway 4
between Blyth and Wingham will
begin in 1989 and continue over a
two-year period, Blyth village
council was told in a letter from
Huron M.P.P. Jack Riddell at its
March 8 meeting.
Construction will commence at
the north end of the area from
Belgrave to Wingham in 1989-90
with the stretch from Belgrave to
the north outskirts of Blyth being
completed in 1990-91.
Reeve Albert Wasson said the
letter came out of a conversation he
had had with Mr. Riddell and his
executive assistant Jim Fitzgerald
at the recent Members of Parlia
ment dinner of the Huron County
Federation of Agriculture. Mr.
Riddell had helped set up a
meeting during the summer with
Ed Fulton, Minister of Transport,
in Blyth to discuss the problems
with the highway.
ReeveWasson.whohadbeen
instrumental in leading a battle to
have the highway upgraded in
stead of just resurfaced as the MTC
officials originally planned, said he
would like to see a motion sent to
Mr. Riddell expressing the coun
cil’s thanks for the attention the
matter had been given. “We can
be pleased that some of our efforts
as far as Highway 4 north and main
street are bringing results, ’ ’ he
said. Council passed the motion of
thanks.
Mr. Riddell’s letter said that the
extra engineering the reconstruc
tion project would require longer
time in planning meaning the
project wouldn’t be able to be
started until 1990.
Meanwhile Clerk Treasurer
Helen Grubb said from talking to
an MTC official she understood
there was talk of replacing the
bridge over Blyth Creek in Blyth
and debate as to whether a
two-lane or three-lane bridge
should be built which would have
an effect on the reconstruction
plans for Blyth’s main street.
Council had its engineer, Maitland
Engineering, submit proposals to
the MTC for the rebuilding of main
street when the highway recon
struction is undertaken.
In shorter-term street planning,
Reeve Wasson explained that an
MTC official had been to Blyth to
investigate the village’s request
for supplementary funding for
reconstruction of King St. West,
between Queen and Gypsy Lane
andfoundthatall the work planned
would qualify for subsidy except
for the sidewalk from the alleyway
behind the Radford Construction
building to Gypsy Lane. This did
not, however, mean the additional
subsidy would be available be
cause other municipalities are also
asking for additional funding.
were still junior competitors at the
time. They also took a bronze
medal at the Canadian National
Championships in Ottawa in 1987,
and a bronze medal at the
Canadian Nationals in 1986.
Mr. MacDonald and Miss Shep
herd have been skating as a dance
pair for the past four years, taking
the gold medal in the Novice
division at both the 1988 Sectional
and Divisional Championships,
and placing fourth overall in the
National Championships after tak
ing first place in their variation
dance. They will compete at the
Junior level in 1988-89, and hope to
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