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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1992-02-19, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19,1992. Prov. document angers Blyth councillors SHARP Members of Blyth council expressed vehement opposition to parts of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs' proposed conflict of inter est legislation. "Have members of council read this thoroughly," questioned Coun cillor Steve Sparling, referring to the document, adding vehement ly."It's preposterous. This is the Wild turkeys return to Huron In late December 1991, the Wingham District Office of the Ministry of Natural Resources released the first flock of wild turkeys into forested tracts of Huron County to initiate the Dis trict's reintroduction program. By the end of the winter it is anticipat ed that up to 40 birds may be cap tured from the wild in the Cambridge and Niagara areas and relocated to the Wingham District Wild turkeys are the largest game bird in North America, with males weighing up to 25 lbs. They are bronze in colour, and have irides cent plumage, a featherless neck Blyth Fire Dept, gets new radio system Thanks to a new $10,500 radio telephone system, volunteers of Blyth Fire Department no longer have to babysit the fire phone, 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day. The system was acquired at the end of last year. Fire Chief Paul Josling says that now when a call comes in it goes through a phone patch system, onto a radio, which he and another volunteer carry on their belt. The siren is set by punch ing a code on the radio's keyboard. Other departments having the telephone radio are Wingham, Brucefield and Huron Park. Clinton and Seaforth Fire Departments go through a central dispatch, Mr. Josling said, while Lucknow's fire calls are answered 24 hours a day through the nursing home. Heritage 72 Albert Street Council won't debate road rebate Continued from page 11 approximately $500. "I wasn't sure how to vote at the beginning, but there were a lot of reeves from municipalities with more at stake than Blyth in favour of it, so I had to go with it too," he said. Councillors agreed their partici pation at the meeting was unneces sary. SNOWMOBILES CAN’T SWIM... 1990's for heaven's sake." The specific part of the draft Councillor Sparling referred to states that municipal councillors, school trustees, public utility com missioners and police village trustees must within 60 days after the election disclose the existence of their assets, though not the value, list liabilities and income sources. This applies as well to and head, and an overall sleeker appearance than a domestic turkey. They are ground-dwelling birds for all their nesting and feeding activi ties, but roost in treetops at night. Wild turkeys were common in at least 15 countries of southern Ontario in pre-settlement times. Land clearing and unregulated hunting by settlers caused the species to decline in abundance through the 1800's. The last con firmed sighting of an Ontario wild turkey was in 1909. Similar declines were reported throughout most of the northeastern United States. Over the last 40 years there have been a variety of attempts to re populate wild turkey habitat. The initial projects involved the release of pen-reared game farm birds. Unfortunately these projects met with total failure because the progeny of these captive birds were not truly wild and flocks were unable to persist or expand in size. Trap and transfer projects were then attempted using birds from thriving wild flocks. This technique has been so successful that wild turkeys now populate most of their former North American range. The first reintroduction of wild turkeys into Ontario occurred in 1984. Over the next three years, birds were obtained from the states of Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Vermont and New Jersey. Subsequent capture, transfer and release projects within Ontario have now repopulated much of cen tral Ontario from Simcoe to Belleville and northwards to Geor gian Bay. The objectives of Ontario’s wild turkey program are threefold: to restore a part of our natural heritage, to provide unique recreational hunting and viewing opportunities, and to provide economic benefits from the resource. Wild turkeys are permanent resi dents of mature forested land. Much warier than deer, they require heavily forested land which is rela tively undisturbed by human activi ties. They prefer areas with heavy forest cover interspersed with grassed areas such as pasture land. They also require spring seeps or creeks in order to obtain a year- round supply of water. Turkeys will feed upon almost Week Remember fflljen 170 DINSLEY ST. W. BLYTH, ONT. NOM 1 HO (519) 523-9554 spouses, minor children and com panies controlled by any of them. Councillor John Elliott said that if this passes they will never again have anyone willing to run for office. "I know I'm done if this goes through," he said. Another clause that brought some heated comments from council states that if a person, believing they have reasonable grounds that anything that is small enough to swallow and slow enough to catch! Their spring and summer diet includes grass shoots, leaves, insects, snails and salamanders. The fall and winter diet consists of the nuts or fruit from beech, hickory, cherry, oak, dogwood, hawthorn, grape, and sumac; as well as the seeds of a great variety of weeds. Turkeys will also utilize waste grain from harvested field crops. Reports of turkeys causing crop damage are extremely rare and turkey damage is invariably mis taken as damage caused by other wildlife such as racoons, squirrels and deer. The greatest threat to the success of the reintroduction program is the existence of free-ranging game farm birds near release sites. These birds are identical in appearance to the truly wild birds and if the two should interbreed their offspring would be a less hardy strain of bird. All game farm birds must be held under a licence and kept penned at all times. It is illegal to release them into the wild. Unfortunately, there are about 20 free ranging groups of birds known to exist in the Wingham District. These birds will have originated on a game farm from which they escaped or were intentionally released. The Ministry would greatly appreciate the assistance of the public in reporting the sighting of any wild turkeys. If they are of game farm origin, efforts will be made to return them to confinement. If they are wild birds, this information will be of tremendous value in monitor ing the range expansion of the wild population. In other areas of Ontario, turkey populations have expanded so rapidly that they can withstand hunting pressure three or four years after the initial release of birds. This is possible because hens have clutches of about 12 eggs, and brood survival is usually much bet ter than other game birds. In Ontario, only males, which are usu- ally referred to as toms, can be hunted. With the assistance of the public in protecting these magnificent game birds, local residents will soon be able to enjoy seeing - and hearing - wild turkeys in their local woodlands. an elected official has contravened a conflict of interest rule they can apply to the commission. After receiving an application the com missioner can conduct an investiga tion which will permit "the right of access, at all reasonable hours, to all relevant books, papers, docu ments or things of the member and of a municipality or local board." "If this law passes the commis sion will have more power than the KGB," said Councillor Sparling. He then pointed out to council that the document says it will be an offense for any former member of a council or a local board to conduct business in the municipality for six months after they leave the posi tion. Reeve Dave Lee told council that the concern had been discussed at the ROMA convention. Municipal Affairs Minister Dave Cooke had told those in attendance that the documents had been distributed and that input to that point was mini mal. "However, we had heard of only six out of 600 delegates who had actually received the docu ment," said Reeve Lee. Blyth received the document at the begin ning of February. "It is obvious though the present conflict of interest isn't working," said Reeve Lee, adding the ministry wants comments regarding the doc ument to them by March 31 in time for spring legislation. Councillor Sparling said that a great deal of money had been spent "in cranking out this document." "And for what purpose? 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