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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-05-30, Page 3THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2019. PAGE 3. May 26 to June 1 is National AccessAbility Week, a week to promote improved community access for people with disabilities. This week was inspired by Rick Hansen in 1987 with his Man in Motion World Tour - it has been 32 years since Rick rolled around the world! Now, as a part of the Rick Hansen Foundation, I am so excited to help launch new awareness campaign called ‘Everyone Everywhere’. Together, we are going to raise awareness of the critical need to improve physical accessibility for Canadians of all abilities. To quote Rick Hansen: “Accessibility is a basic human right. Currently one in five Canadians have a disability. And despite the growing number of seniors and people with both temporary and permanent disabilities, Canada is still not accessible for all. I hope this campaign sparks a national conversation on how we can work together to make Canada truly inclusive.” What Rick Hansen says is true: Canada is not accessible to all, but in our towns we are starting to see a shift in attitudes. Businesses and individuals are starting to see that “Everyone Everywhere” makes sense. So let’s pause for a minute and celebrate all of the good things that are happening in our area, achievements that show that the citizens of Blyth, and the rest of Huron, want to make a difference! The County of Huron has concluded that a safe pedestrian crossing will be installed on the main street of Blyth! What a difference that will make! And not just for the people who live here, but also for those attending the Blyth Festival and summer tourists. In Clinton, there will be an accessible playground installed beside the racetrack. The Huron County Courthouse is renovating to install a universal washroom and the Town of Goderich will be rolling out the MobiMats on the beach again this summer. The Rutledge subdivision at the north end of Blyth is building with access in mind. The development, geared toward seniors, has no-step wide entryways, open-plan kitchen and living spaces and washrooms with a large turning radius. These new homes will be the first in the area for sale or rent that are built to be both visitable for guests and accessible for the occupants. So exciting! And let’s look at downtown Blyth. Thanks to DEAMS Holdings, Orr Insurance is now in a completely accessible office. The Howard Building (north of the theatre) is coming along quite nicely. If you look closely you’ll see that the steps that used to be out front have been removed and replaced with properly sloped ramps leading up to a wide door with an automatic opener. When you look inside you will see a big bright space that will be ready for Pick-A-Posie’s costumes, fabric and sewing. There is also an accessible washroom in the back. The renovations completed at Memorial Hall allow everyone access to the fabulous productions put on at the Blyth Festival every summer. The Hotel Lux is busy (in the former North Huron Publishing building) creating an accessible storefront and a hotel suite! I can’t wait to be able to tell people of all abilities that they can come and stay in Blyth! This will be the first fully- accessible overnight accommodations in all of Huron County! Looking for somewhere accessible to eat? Look no farther than the across the street the Queens Bakery with a no-step entry and two accessible washrooms. And of course let’s not forget Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company. Not only is the brewery and restaurant completely accessible, they have also renovated their new office space in the old Emergency Services Training Centre building for staff of all abilities. The other fabulous asset we have to celebrate in Huron County is the Guelph-to-Guelph Rail Trail (G2G). With accessible parking in Walton, Blyth and Goderich and a hard- packed surface for many kilometres, the G2G is a great way for people to access the outdoors. I apologize for all of the exclamation marks that I have used in this column, but with so much to celebrate how “Everyone Everywhere” is already starting to happen in our area, why not? While National AccessAbility week is a new campaign to raise awareness of the critical need to improve physical accessibility for Canadians of all abilities, realize that we are making it happen, right here at home. We still have a lot to do, but in Huron we have the vision that “Everyone Everywhere” can be a reality. To learn more about the Everyone Everywhere campaign, visit: RickHansen.com/Everyone Everywhere. #EveryoneEvery where #huroncountyproud Julie Sawchuk is a Rick Hansen Ambassador and RHFAC Strategist. To contact her for help making your spaces accessible visit www.juliesawchuk.ca. It was another week of getting very little work done on the land. A couple of days and the farmers were hard at it, putting in long hours before another bout of rain hit and put everyone on hold again. The heavy rain on Saturday may take a little longer to dry before it is fit enough to hit the fields again. Our sympathies are extended to the Wilbee, Dennis and Pearson families on the passing of Ken Wilbee. He will be remembered by wife Isabel and children June, Ruth and Bruce. Ken was a resident at Huronlea. He will be remembered for his many years of playing in the Ken Wilbee Band , including 25 years at the Parkview Gardens. Our condolences to all. It was birthday time again with the McDonalds, as our youngest grandson turned one year old. Nate is the son of Scott and Alicia and the party was held over the lunch hours on Saturday. It was a lively household again with the six kids enjoying lunch and playing. Welcome to Neil Turnbull as he is here from Calgary for a couple of weeks. He attended the funeral of Ken Wilbee when he first arrived. He comes to check out his property, relatives and friends. Congratulations to Adam and Krista (Shortreed) Verkley on the birth of a daughter. Macie Rose arrived to the delight of her big brothers Cooper and Griffin. She arrived just a few minutes early to be able to share her birthday with Grama Val Shortreed who celebrates on the 20th of May. Congratulations to all. Congratulations to Justin and Melinda Baarda of Sawmill Road on the arrival of a beautiful little girl. Rosemary blessed their lives on May 23 and all are doing well. Our sympathies are extended to Paul and Carolyn Somerville on the passing of their sister-in-law Carol Somerville, wife of the late Tom Somerville. Our condolences to the families. The Brussels birthday girls gathered again to celebrate the May birthdays. The birthday girls included Esther McCutcheon, Rene Richmond and Isabelle Wheeler. Helping them celebrate and enjoy a great dinner were Cora Alcock, Joan Bernard, Alice Marks, Lois McCutcheon, Sandra Clark, Audrey Cardiff, Betty McCutcheon, Bev Palmer, Laura Barbour, Jane Hall, Betty Campbell, Merle Cousins, Dale Chesher, Nora Stephenson, Marcy Bremner, Jean Davidson and Betty Cardiff. Happy birthday ladies! Celebrating birthdays this past week include Owen Jarosz, Teegan McGavin, Kaleb Wilts, Sharon Dalton, Scott McDonald, David Perrie, Rachel Grosvenor, Deanna Searle, Miles Linton, Jolene McNichol, Rod Fritz, Thea Rijkhoff, Nate McDonald, Marisa Curreri, Krysta Clarke and Geri-Lee Godkin. Happy birthday to all. 401 Albert Street, Box 340, Brussels, ON N0G 1H0 Phone: 519-887-6336 ~ Fax: 519-887-6438 email: riversidefuneralhome@hotmail.com www.riversidefuneralhome.ca Nominate someone you know who doesn’t have a subscription to The Citizen but should! Promoting our Community CitizenTh e $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, December 13, 2018 Volume 34 No. 49 RESPONSE - Pg. 3 Morris-Turnberry Mayor calls for autonomy CONCERT- Pg. 6 Brussels Ministerial comes together for show FUNDING- Pg. 2 Education Minister in Blyth to hand out grants 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: Seaforth’s Fisher elected Huron East Deputy-Mayor 4-H Clubs awarded Seaforth Councillor Bob Fisher isHuron East’s new deputy-mayor,besting two others who put theirnames forward at the inaugural meeting of Huron East Council on Dec. 4. Fisher, Tuckersmith Councillor Ray Chartrand and Grey Councillor Alvin McLellan all let their names stand for the municipality’s second- in-command position. This came after Huron East eliminated the at-large deputy-mayor position,reducing the size of council from 12members to 11 just ahead ofOctober’s election.It was Fisher who nominatedChartrand for the position.Chartrand then paid the favour backby nominating Fisher. FormerDeputy-Mayor Joe Steffler nominated McLellan for the position. Fisher told his fellow councillors that he has lived in the community for over 40 years. In addition, he hasbeen a councillor for 12 years andspent nearly 40 years in business, allexperience he felt would aid in beingthe deputy-mayor.Fisher also listed a number ofprojects he’d like to see undertakenor continued both in Huron East andin Huron County.In Huron East, Fisher said he wanted to see the municipality’s community centres better utilized and to promote a harmonious relationship between residents of all of Huron East’s five wards.At the county level, Fisher said hewanted to see a greater focus ontourism, saying that Huron Countycould easily be the Prince EdwardCounty of southwestern Ontario. Healso said that while the county’saccessibility advisory committee hasdone a lot of great work, there is stillmore to be done. Fisher also said that, as someone who is legally blind, he also hoped that being named deputy-mayor would inspire others with disabilities saying that if they “get [their] ass offthe couch and do something” like hehas they can accomplish anything.McLellan said that his decades ofexperience as a councillor and onnumerous boards and committeeswould make him an ideal choice forthe deputy-mayor position.He said that being self-employedwould ensure that he wouldn’t miss any meetings, adding that he hates to miss any council meetings. He said he had been asked if he The Huron County 4-H Leaders’ Association Awards Program was recently held at the Seaforth Agriplex, recognizing 4-H members for their efforts throughout the year. COUNTY AWARDSLoretta Higgins won the MurrayCardiff Award for Top All-RoundMember.The Don Pullen Award for highestoverall score in the county went toEvy Verschaeve. She also won theDedication Award for dedication tothe club. The Warden’s NoviceAward for first year competitivemember with the highest score wentto Emily Datema. The Ben Lobb Award for the junior member with the top essay went to Kayla Drennan. Emily Franken won the Ontario Plowmen’s Association Award for outstanding agricultural 4-H member as well as the Longstanding Graduating Member Award. She also received her graduation seal.The Citizen-Rural Voice Awardsfor press reporter book competitionawards went to Dugald McIntosh(first) and Mercedes Prout (second).The Huron County 4-H Leaders’Association Award for clubsecretary book competition wereawarded to Emily Bieman (first) andKayla Drennan (second).The winning team for the countyGo for the Gold Competition was the South Huron Sheep Club Team which consisted of Amanda Bos, Rachel Gras, Grace Hallahan and Evy Verschaeve. The Top Gate Sign Award for the White Christmas The snow was falling on Friday night as Clinton held the final Santa Claus parade of the Huron County season, bringing residents and visitors out to the town to help celebrate the holiday season. One of the main attractions of the parade every year is the Clinton Pipe Band, seen here appealing to the ears of all in attendance. (Nick Vinnicombe photo)Continued on page 12 REALIZE YOUR DREAM IN IT TO WIN IT: brought to you by the Libro Prosperity Fund, Wingham BIA, North Huron Economic Development Committee, Huron County Economic Development and Community Futures Huron. Enter the In It to Win It contest to Win! $10,000 Prize Package. Receive invaluable (mandatory) business training to give you a good foundation in your dream to expand an existing business or establish a new business on Main Street in Wingham. Full details at www.northhuron.ca Contest opens December 12Applications will be accepted until January 25th, 2019 at 4:30 pm Forms are available online or at theTownship of North Huron office at 275 Josephine Street in Wingham Email: inittowinit@northhuron.ca or call the Project Co-ordinator at 519-441-7629. Continued on page 15 By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen May winner of a 1 year subscription to The Citizen is Jim & Kathy Bridge, Brussels (nominated by Gord Mitchell). Riverside Funeral Home will sponsor one new subscription per month. Call, email or fax your submission to Riverside Funeral Home - include person’s name, complete mailing address and your name and number. It opens the eye of the mind! (Joseph Alleine, “An Alarm to the Unconverted” 1671) Conversion is a deep work, a heart work. It makes a new man in a new world! It extends to the whole man--to the mind, to the affections, to the motions of the whole life. Conversion turns the balance of the judgment,so that God and His glory outweigh all carnal and worldly interests. It opens the eye of the mind,and makes the scales of its native ignorance fall off, and turns men from darkness to light. The man who before saw no danger in his condition, now concludes himself lost and forever undone--except renewed by divine grace. He who formerly thought there was little hurt in sin, now comes to see it to be the chief of evils! He sees the stupidity, the deformity and the filthiness of sin; so that he is affrighted by it, loathes it, dreads it, flees from it, and even abhors himself for it! Romans 7:15; Job 42:6; Ezekiel 36:31. He who could see sin in himself, and could find no matter for confession--now sees the rottenness of his heart and the desperate and deep pollution of his whole nature. He cries, “Unclean! Unclean! Lord, purge me with hyssop, wash me thoroughly, create in me a clean heart!”He sees himself altogether filthy, corrupt in both root and branch. He writes ‘unclean’ upon all his supposed virtues and good works. He discovers the filthy corners that he was never aware of, and sees the blasphemy, and murder, and adultery that is in his heart, of which before he was ignorant. Hitherto he saw no form nor loveliness in Christ,no beauty that he should desire Him; but now he finds that Jesus is the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of great price for which he is willing to sell all to obtain. A Grace Gem Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church, Listowel, ON 519-291-1956 NEWS FROM WALTON By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570 PEOPLE AROUND WALTON Local families welcome babies Hansen inspires AccessAbility By Julie Sawchuk Beach fun for everyone Local Rick Hansen AmbassadorJulie Sawchuk is highlighting some of the developers and organizations making development a priority in Huron County including a pending pedestrian crosswalk in Blyth and MobiMats being installed on the beaches in Goderich. The mats make the beach, shown above, more accessible for everyone. (Submitted photo)