HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-10-13, Page 1See page 7 See page 8
The North Huron
itizen
Vol. 9 No.41
Wednesday, October 13, 1993 600 GST Included
Face off
Area hockey enthusiasts were gearing up for the season
this past week at the second Brussels Bulls hockey school.
Over the five days, close to 70 youngsters were put
through the paces by Bulls players and coaching staff
teaching them some fundamental tips of the game. Here,
Number 10 Peter Ryter, left, with some deft stickhandling
shows Derrick Knight how much fun the game can be.
Minister calls joint meeting 'historic'
Community
7 Brussels students
receive
Menzies Endowment
See page 2
Government
Candidates share
views at
FOA meeting
Learning
Secondary students
tell their feelings
on politics, future
Entertainment
Walt Wingfield
brings his 'Letter'
to Blyth
See page 23
County feels layoffs
won't hurt service
Despite concerns of some county
councillors, the layoffs at Huronlea
and Huronview shouldn't mean
reduced service, Huron County
council was assured Thursday.
Bob Hallam, reeve of West
Wawanosh criticized the Septem-
ber layoff of 27 employees at the
two homes charging that there
should have been more cutbacks at
the administrative level instead of
at the staff level where care to the
aged would be most effected.
Brian McBurney, reeve of Turn-
berry, said he had received 30 let-
ters from staff and others,
concerned about reduction in ser-
vice to the residents. He was upset
that council was not consulted on
the layoffs and wondered if other
alternatives from work-sharing to
early retirement, were looked at. "I
don't think it's the way to handle
employees in 1993."
Lyn Murray, county clerk-admin-
istrator, explained that officials
from the home had met individual-
ly with non-union employees to
explain the situation but under the
union agreement, weren't allowed
to meet individually with unionized
workers. She said she didn't recom-
mend early retirement be looked at
because it wouldn't save the money
the county needs to cut from the
budget because of government cut-
backs under Bill 101. That bill
reduces the staff-to-resident ratios.
at municipally operated homes for
the aged to the same level AS pri-
vate homes.
Warden Tom Tomes, in his open-
ing address at the session in
Goderich Thursday, said the county
learned on Aug. 19 that the funding
formula was to be changed, under
changes in the Long Term Care
Act, retroactive to July 1. If the
county had carried on at its regular
staff level, it would have meant a
$400,000 shortfall in the 1993 bud-
get, and at least twice that in 1994.
"For many years, many of us on
County Council have been asking
why there was so much more staff
at the municipal homes than there
was in private homes. I guess
someone heard because now the
county homes will be staffed at the
private home level," he said.
Dave Gower, deputy-reeve of
Goderich Township was worried
that the impression was being left
that care was being downgraded.
"Somebody needs to stand up and
say that care is still at the highest
level," he said.
Wayne Lester, administrator of
the homes for the aged, said the
new legislation called for fewer
hours of care per patient per day
Accident in Grey
Two Ethel-area men escaped
injury following an accident in
Grey Twp., late Saturday after-
noon.
A spokesperson from the Wing-
ham OPP said the accident
occurred when a 1981 Ford pick-up
driven by 64-year-old John Bishop
of RR1, Ethel turned west out of a
laneway onto Conc. 7/8.
A northbound vehicle driven by
Leslie Stafford, 34, also of RR1,
Ethel, swerved to avoid the Bishop
truck. His 1985 Ford LTD went
into a skid and entered the ditch,
the spokesperson said.
but this is the same level of care
private operators have given for
years. "If council chooses to main-
tain service at the same level as
before it will be at the expense of
Huron County, not the province."
By Don Jackson
The Huron County Board of
Education (HCBE) and the Huron-
Perth Roman Catholic Separate
School Board (HPCRCSSB) held
their first ever joint meeting to
bring their concerns before Mike
Farnan, minister without portfolio
with responsibilities in education
and training. The two boards gave a
joint presentation outlining some of
the concerns regarding education in
this area. This document set out
four areas, education finance
reform, the role of the parent and
community and advisory functions,
policy and program implementation
requirements and approaches to
shared services.
Each of these areas was listed as
the heading for a brief written
presentation outlining specific
concerns in these general areas. At
the end of the presentation, HCBE
Vice-Chair Graeme Craig gave a
summary of the points brought up
during the presentation. "In
summary our key points are as
follows:
"1. that significant education
finance reform is required within
the lifetime of this government to
re-introduce systems of fairness
and equity in the distribution of
available resources;
"2. that invitations to involve
parents and community in an
advisory fashion be focused on
nurturing the local school and that a
provincial review be undertaken to
the role of local trustee and the
functions of the local school
boards.
"3. that policy and program
implementation requirements
consider the unique needs of rural
Ontario boards and permit the
development of creative, local
solutions where applicable; and,
"4. that the sharing of services
amongst local school boards,
municipalities and agencies of the
provincial government be
encouraged with tangible support
from the various ministries touched
by such partnership efforts."
Mr. Farnan opened his response
to the boards' concerns by first
praising their initiative in coming
together for their first joint
meeting. "I consider it an historic
occasion to have both school
boards together."
In addressing the concerns of
The decision not to hire a part-
time pastor to co-ordinate pastoral
care at Huronview and Huronlea
was protested by representatives of
ministerial associations at Huron
County council on Thursday.
Rev. J. Tweddle of Clinton, rep-
resenting various ministerial asso-
ciations, told councillors that the
decision not to fill the vacancy of
the chaplaincy co-ordinator follow-
ing the retirement of Rev. Peggy
Campbell, the previous part-time
co-ordinator, endangered the level
of spiritual care for the residents of
the two homes. There had been
4,000 volunteer hours given to resi-
dents by pastors and lay volunteers,
finance and fairness he said, ''One
could argue that in Ontario we
spend very generously on
education," but he added, "there is
a new economy.
Continued on page 11
he said, and that work had been co-
ordinated by Rev. Campbell. She
received a $15,000 salary for the
work. While some of the co-ordina-
tion can be done by other staff, the
lack of a qualified pastor on staff
would endanger the program, he
said. He asked for a meeting
between the homes' board of man-
agement and the pastoral care
committee at the homes.
Council eventually supported a
motion to have the meeting take
place but various councillors
expressed doubt the outcome would
change. Robert Fisher, reeve of
Zurich, pointed out that there is a
Continued on page 11
Pastors protest loss of homes'
pastoral care co-ordinator