HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1994-07-06, Page 3•
Tourist info centre stays open
The doors of one of the busiest
tourist information centres in Bruce
and Grey will stay open, thanks to
a cash infusion from taxpayers.
The Grey -Bruce Tourist Associ-
ation (GBTA) information centre at
Springmount near Owen Sound was
preparing to shut its doors because
of lack of funding.
That closure would have come as
the peak summer tourist season is
hitting full stride.
It was averted when Bruce
County agreed to give an extra
$8,000 grant to that operation at its
meeting June 27.
Earlier, Grey County and Owen
Sound pledged $8,000 each, condi-
tional on Bruce County following
suit.
GBTA president Gary Levine said
the county and city grants that
finance the information centre have
fallen from $91,000 in 1990 to
$38,750 in 1994. It costs
$60-65,000 annually to operate the
Springmount Centre. Levine said
without emergency funding from
the counties and city the GBTA
would have had to face "hard deci-
sions" including deficit financing or
permanent closure of the centre and
sale of its assets. "They had us over
a barrel," said Bruce County
finance Chair Paul Eagleson after
he proposed making the grant.
"It's kind of damned if you do
and damned if you don't."
Eagleson's motion was condi-
tional on the information centre
staying open until at least Thanks-
giving.
Levine said even with the
one-time grant, the centre may have
to close for part of the winter or
shoulder season.
Ironically, county council learned
Monday that the area will host the
Ontario Federation of Snowmobile
Clubs annual convention in Febru-
ary. As many as 6,000
snowmobilers are expected to attend
that event. Bruce county's tourism
department plans to use the conven-
tion to promote the county's Bruce
and Saugeen River trails, cross
y • country skiing and rail -trail projects.
"Tourism is alive and well,"
Levine assured council. He said
none of the GBTA's marketing
efforts have lost money, traffic at
the information centre was up 11%
last year and phone inquiries were
up 38%. "This year could top that,'
he predicted.
Bruce Council, which has tourist
advisory committees in three areas
of the county and its • own tourism
co-ordinator, told Levine that the
$8,000 grant is a one-time only
donation, and that in 1995 the grant'
will drop back to $15,000.
s
Library headquarters narrowly
:approved by county council
Plans for a $750,000 Bruce
County Library headquarters in Port
Elgin took. a last minute stumble
but were narrowly approved at the
end of Bruce County Council's
June meeting.
The b$llaw allowing construction of
the building was up for final read-
ing following an in -camera session
when Amabel Reeve Bill Ferris
objected.
"In light of the closed session, we
should reconsider," Ferris said. "Are
we going to build a building we
don't need?"
Ferris didn't say what was dis-
cussed in 'the closed session, but
Port Elgin Reeve Ann MacKay's
response indicated the topic was the
county's problems establishing a
pay equityplan. "Pay ' equity
shouldn't have anything to do with
whether we run a library. We have
known pay equity was coming,"
MacKay said.
When the vote on the library
project was called, a . number of
councillors looked hesitant about
their decision. Warden Milt McIver
called the motion twice, then
declared it carried on his
tie -breaking vote.
That move was challenged by
Southampton reeve Elgin Shular.
Shular claimed Ministry of Munici-
pal Affairs advise that there is no
such thing as a tie vote.
McIver won council support when
he used the county's procedural
'bylaw as , the authority to rule
against Shular's challenge.
Later, McIver said the library head-
quarters has become an "emotional"
issue. Infrastructure funding is
expected to pay two-thirds of the
cost of the building, pending prov-
incial and federal approval. McIver
predicted 'the projecthas now
cleared its last hurdle from council
and will get underway this summer.
Meanwhile, library director,
Marzio Appolloni, who was
excluded from the. in -camera
session, suggested that some coun-
cillors are not happy about the cost
of pay equity legislation that has
been imposed by the province, and
might be "confusing" theissues of ,
the library headquarters and pay
equity for library staff.
Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, July 6, 1994 - Page 3
Welfare cases down
There were two good economic
indicators noted in reports presented
to Bruce county council's June 27
session.
Planning director Malcolm
McIntosh said the rate of decline in
planning applications has slowed
down. The number of applications
dropped from 692 in 1989 to 533 in
1991, then plunged to 376 in 1992.
Since then, the decline has been
much smaller.
Meanwhile, a substantial drop in
welfare cases in Bruce means the
welfare budget •has gone from a
deficit last year to a small surplus
in the first five months of 1994.
Social services commissioner
Dick Verrips told county council
that a gradual upswing in the econ-
omy is responsible for the
turn -around.
It is a little bit more optimistic
than my reports have been," Verrips
said of his update on welfare and
social service figures. Verrips also
said a new program to report and
investigate allegations of welfare
abuse has resulted in six fraud and
58 over payment investigations
since mid-March.
Looking ahead, 1'6 -rips said an
overhaul or replacement .of homes
for the aged in Walkerton and
Wiarton could be the next big pro-
ject on the books for Bruce county.
He wants council to begin dis-
cussing proposals that he can take
to the Ministry of Health for fund-
ing.
"We've 'done a lot of work in our
old buildings and we're quite proud
of what we've done," Verrips said,
"What we need now is a very
strong commitment from county
council that we will renovate or
rebuild our homes."
Verrips wants the county to set
financial goals and deadlines for
that project so he can negotiate with
the province.
Several .years ago, the county set
.up reserve funds for renovation or
replacement of the county homes,
but Verrips said those funds aren't
growing fast enough.
Combined Summer Service Schedule
Lucknow & South Kinloss Presbyterian ('hurc•hcs & Lucknow ()mull
JOINT SERVICES - beginning July 1'0, 1994
July 10 - 10:00 a.m. South Kinloss Presbyterian
-July 17 - 10:00 a.m. South Kinloss Presbyterian
July 24 - 10:00 a.m. Lucknow Presbyterian
July' 31 - '10:00 a.m, Lucknow Presbyterian,
"Kirkin O' Tartan Service"
August 7 - 10:00 a.m. - Lucknow United .
August 14 - 10:00 a.m. - Lut-know 1lnited
August 21 7 10:00 a.m. - Lr.rcktvow United
August 28 - 10:00 a.m. - Luc•know t1ni'ted
FOR PASTORAL CARE July Rev. Peggy Kinsman
August - Rev. Wm'. Bresnahar
•September 4t1•• Churches back to rt t,;ular Service
l_ _L L11_1 1 1 1 1 1 .1..1 11 .1 1 1.1 1 1 1 1 1
Beginning July 4th 1994.
Knechtel Knows...
•
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