HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1989-12-20, Page 11Lnelmow Sentinel, Wednesday, December 209 1989—Page 11
ruce County Council
Beaver and wolf bounties
WALKRTON—Beaver and wolf boun-
ties will be back in Bruce County in the
new year, even though the Ministry of
Natural Resources (MNR) declared bora-
tes illegal and banned them in October.
The ministry railed municipalities can't
put bounties on wildlife, and ordered a
ban on the payments this fall.
But Bruce kept up a lobby for bounties
on nuisance beaver and wolf, saying
beaver destroy thousands of acres of
forest and farm land. No reason was
given for wanting to continue the wolf
bounty.
Now a recent change to the provincial
Game and Fish Act means Bruce can
resume paying bounties, as long as the
landowner gives written permission to a
licensed trapper to capture the problem -
causing animals. That permission has to
be filed with the county clerk for audit
by the MNR.
Councillors congratulated each other on
pushing through what they called a "long
overdue" change in the rules. The new
bounties will likely go into effect in the
new year.
Tourism promotion
four years to go. toward renovations at
the two county Domes for the aged.
Mit McIver, finance chairman, said
the homes in Wiarton and Walkerton
need overall upgrading of washrooms,
lounges and other areas. He admitted the
amount in the forecast might not be
enough to do the job. Earlier emotes
put the price tag for renovations at $11.2
million, with the county responsible for
$5.5 million of that total.
Stu Mowry, Kincardine reeve, spoke in
support of the need for renovations at the
homes.
"The seniors' study indicates these
figures, if anything, are low," he said.
"If you want to get depressed, just walk
through these homes to prove our seniors
need something. If you don't agree, you
really are the Scrooge of Christmas,"
Mowry told his fellow councillors at the
county council meeting in Walkerton on
Tuesday, Dec. 12.
Another reserve fund sets aside almost
$867,000 over three years for a new coun-
ty library headquarters, while $750,000
has been allotted for a new, 7,500 square
foot county office building in Wiarton.
That project has been on the books for
several years, and is tentatively set for
499o.
ack to Bruce
Unlike the reserve fund for the county
homes, the Wharton office has both op-
ponents and defennder s. on Andrews,
ruce Township reeve was amo those
who said they aren't against the building,
but they are against a building costing
three quarters of a million dollar& Others
argued the library headquarters and
Wiarton o nice would be combined to save
money.
Compared to capital spending in 1989,
the proposed forecast is up an average
19.5 per cent in each of the next five
years, but McIver said the impact on the
overall county levy will be 2.5 per cent
increase a year each year until 1994, bas-
ed on 1989 taxes.
Many councillors were cautious about
the big jump in capital spending.
"Education is up by double digits and
we have our municipal budgets to worry
about," said Weir Sheane, Kincardine
Township reeve. "I don't argue the need
for these projects, but can we afford it?"
Those worries and continued debate
over the Wiarton building led council to
delay the vote on the capital forecast un-
til January. In the meantime, reeves will
get their own municipalities to figure out
what its impact will be in local tax
dollars.
Mclver was unable to predict what the
levy increase will be with operation and
inflation costs added to the capital
forecast, but said the county is in good
financial shape as the 1989 year-end
approaches.
He described the capital list as "ag-
gressive" and "progressive," and said
with some tightening up en the operations
side, the county could expect a
"reasonable" mill rate increase for 1990.
Protests mounting
Letters protesting Bruce County's plan
to sell 3,100 acres of Bruce Peninsula
forest are mounting. But the county's
planning director says the federal govern-
ment, not the county, is to blame for the
situation.
So far, Bruce has received more than
280 letters protesting the plan to sell
county forests near Cameron Lake into
private hands. Don Scott, county planner,
admits the sale would have "serious im-
plications" for the Bruce Trail and the
Bruce National Park, but said the pro-
blem is with Public Works Canada. The
federal government wants the land to be
Turn to page 12 •
One of the first jobs Bruce County's
new agriculture and tourism coordinator
will have is explaining the county's stand
on tourist promotion.
Sally Wright was hired December 1
after Bruce County decided to pull its
funding from the Grey -Bruce Tourist
Association (GBTA) .
Wright said in addition to developing
long and short-term plans to promote
Bruce County, she has to put straight the
misconception that Bruce County is set-
ting up its own tourist association.
•I'm not setting up a tourist associa-
tion. The county has no intention what-
soever Of forming a tourist association.
The county wants to make sure it is here
to support the efforts of the tourist com-
mittees," Wright said.
There are now three tourist committees
serving different parts of Bruce County.
The GBTA serves as an umbrella group
for those committees 'and others in Grey
County and Owen Sound.
Wright supports the _GBTA, but said
Bruce had to establish its own coor-
dinator because of the funding and
'political problems that plagued that
group.
"Bruce has created this position to
assure the continuity of tourist promo-
tion."
Some councillors complained at county
council's meeting Tuesday, Dec. 12 of the
continued criticism they are getting from
tourist operators and the public for their
decision.
A letter from Mamie Cammidge, owner
of a tourist lodge in Southampton, said
the county should have opted for its own
coordinator and continued membership in
the GBTA. She accused council of acting
without first consulting tourist operators,
and said there would be less frustration
toward the county if council would ex-
plain its plans to the public.
John Gambel, Huron Township reeve,
agreed that the county has "taken a lot
of knocks for our decision."
"We should take the offensive now and
explain what we're doing and how the
new coordinator fits into the structure,"
Gambel said.
Brad Davis reeve of St. Edmunds
Township said the county "stabilized" its
own tourist promotion efforts by remov-
ing it from the uncertainty of a joint ven-
ture with Grey and Owen Sound.
"We don't have to worry if Grey is go-
ing to withhold funds or fire the director
or whatever," Davis said, referring to
past political and financial ,problems
faces by the GBTA. "It won't matter to
us when we have our own coordinator
and advisory committee and can carry
on the agenda."
Capital forecast
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