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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-05-16, Page 1CitizenTh e $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, May 16, 2019 Volume 35 No. 20 PARKING - Pg. 6 Council requests report on Brussels parking MARKET - Pg. 13 Blyth Outdoor Market to succeed Artisan Market RETIREMENT - Pg. 2 Huron County native retires from life as national biathlete Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0 INSIDE THIS WEEK: Health care downloading concerns county Hutton Heights may cost $5.4 mil. The downloading of health care services from the provincial government to Huron County has a number of councillors concerned, though right now they have to play the waiting game. Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan discussed the issue at Huron East Council’s May 7 meeting. It was also raised by Central Huron Deputy-Mayor Dave Jewitt at the May 8 meeting of Huron County Council. MacLellan told Huron East Council that while many details are still unknown, the provincial government’s health care downloading will cost the Huron County Health Unit nearly $625,000 this year alone with further costs surely to follow. In the provincial budget, Premier Doug Ford and his government are attempting to save $200 million per year by amalgamating local boards of health. However, the move has come under fire by several mayors of Ontario’s biggest cities as simply shifting the cost burden to municipal taxpayers, as well as the blame if services are eventually cut. According to The Hamilton Spectator, by 2021 the province’s contribution to newly-amalgamated health boards representing more than one million people will drop from 75 per cent to 60 per cent, while boards representing fewer than one million people would only drop to a 70 per cent provincial contribution. While the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has said that the changes will modernize and streamline the role of public health units, critics have said it’s a clear-cut case of downloading and, when municipalities can’t pick up the funding slack, services will have to be cut. At Huron County Council’s May 8 meeting, Jewitt said that those at the Huron County Health Unit, which is set to amalgamate with the Perth District Health Unit effective Jan. 1, 2020, are still waiting on further details about how this downloading, and potential further cuts, will affect health care in the community. Last week, North Huron Council took the first steps towards either developing, or making available for development, land owned by North Huron in Hutton Heights, just south of Wingham. After more than 10 years of owning the property and not acting on it, North Huron Council wants to push forward with development of the land to increase the municipality’s tax base. Council enlisted Huron County staff and engineering firm B.M. Ross to proceed with the project. and an initial review and recommendations were presented during council’s May 6 meeting by Bruce Potter of B.M. Ross. The land in question is a 35-acre lot, 15.5 acres of which are zoned for future development. Seven acres zoned open space and nine acres are zoned natural environment. The lot is located at the corners of Lloyd and Crawford Streets. Potter explained that the water for the property will need to be run under the flood plain, extending from the intersections of County Roads 4 and 86, while the sanitary sewer will be run up Lloyd Street to the municipality’s current wastewater system, just west of Hutton Heights. Potter then walked council through the process of creating the draft plan approval for the site, which includes satisfying all agencies like the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Huron County Health Unit and the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority. The process will also require creating engineering documents and then signing or registering a subdivision agreement, either by having North Huron sign an agreement with itself or with a subsequent purchaser. He then presented forecasted costs for the property based on an 80-unit subdivision, which is on the low side of the between 72 and 118 possible lots that could be created. Potter also explained that other properties not owned by North Huron would benefit from running the water and sewer lines which could result in 35 more residential units being created in the subdivision. Startup costs for the project include $155,000 for the land, which was already paid by North Huron, Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company has been honoured for its efforts with its Doc Perdue’s Bobcat beer, winning a silver medal at this year’s Canadian Brewing Awards. The awards, which were held this year at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, honoured Canadian brewing innovation and excellence on May 2-4 with representation from over 700 craft breweries from every province and territory in Canada. Dozens of breweries and their beers were awarded in categories determined by style of beer. Doc’s Perdue’s Bobcat, a west coast red ale, was honoured with a silver medal in the North American-style amber/red ale category, coming up just short of Red Line IPA from Torque Brewing Inc. in Manitoba. This is the second time Cowbell’s Doc Perdue’s Bobcat has been honoured in the North American- style amber/red ale category, winning silver in 2017, Cowbell’s first full year producing beer. For a full list of winners, visit canadianbrewingawards.com. Cowbell honoured nationally A new addition? As Meeting Place Organic Farm near St. Augustine held its annual spring open house on Saturday, there was no doubt that some who attended fell in love with the animals they met along the way. Here, Ashley Irwin of Lucknow and little Eva Sparks get up close and personal with a goat at the well-known farm, though one of the young women certainly seems to be a little more interested in the livestock meeting than the other. (Mark Nonkes photo) By Denny Scott The Citizen Continued on page 11 By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen