The Citizen, 2019-07-18, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2019.
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Scrimgeour family buys convenience store franchise
Brent and Janet Scrimgeour
recently decided to take over the
Express Mart franchise at the Blyth
Ultramar.
The property, gas pumps and
building that houses the franchise
were recently purchased by
Parkland Fuel Corporation and the
Scrimgeours were given the
opportunity to purchase the
franchise, a deal that was sealed on
July 3.
Brent explained that little will
change immediately as a result of
the move, though there are some
long-term changes on the horizon.
In the near future, Scrimgeour said
he will install a CIBC bank machine
at the location, giving Blyth its only
automatic teller machine backed by
a major financial institution. Beyond
that, however, he said to expect
business as usual.
“Nothing will really change. I’ll
look after the property and the
pumps like before,” he said. “We
will have the same staff and the
same hours and this will remain the
Blyth Ultramar.”
As far as the future is concerned,
the franchise will eventually be
changing over to an ‘On The Go’
convenience store, which he said is a
move in the right direction.
Scrimgeour said that, when the
opportunity was presented to his
family, he and Janet decided to jump
on it because they wanted to be a
part of the community and run a
business they can really call their
own.
“It’s a challenge we’re looking
forward to,” he said. “I’ve been part
of a family business, but I never
really owned one, so I want to do
that.”
He also said that having long-time
friend Bill McGrath operating the
Tim Hortons as his neighbour also
made him excited about the
opportunity.
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Keeping it local
Brent, above, and Janet Scrimgeour, not shown, recently purchased the Express Mart
franchise at the Blyth Ultramar. Aside from the installation of a CIBC automatic teller machine
(ATM) and a pending brand change, the changes should be minor said Scrimgeour, who
managed the franchise prior to buying it. (Denny Scott photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Incident leads to NH heat policy
North Huron Township Council
has fast-tracked the adoption of a
heat stress policy to protect its staff
from dangerous working conditions,
despite some concerns from
Councillor Chris Palmer.
During council’s Monday night
meeting, Clerk Carson Lamb
advised council that the township
should adopt the policy after a recent
heat stress-related incident with a
North Huron staff member.
Lamb drafted the policy based on
the Ministry of Labour standards as
well as practices from neighbouring
municipalities. He explained that it
identified the responsibilities of
supervisors, staff, as well as an
implementation schedule.
The policy states that when an
Environment Canada Humidex
advisory is issued, which happens
when air temperature exceeds 30°C
and the Humidex exceeds 40°C, the
plan will be implemented including
providing longer breaks, reviewing
work timelines to reschedule non-
essential works to cooler days and
providing suggested personal
protective equipment.
The policy includes a graduated
scale of how work can continue as
the Humidex value increases, as
well as signs and symptoms of heat
stress.
Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip asked
how such a practice could be
implemented if supervisors are
directing staff in multiple areas.
Lamb explained that the supervisors
are supposed to be proactive when
scheduling work and make sure they
can reach staff if necessary.
Director of Public Works Sean
McGhee said that many of the steps
being codified by the policy are
already being taken, including
proactive solutions like scheduling
work based on the forecast for the
day.
“Part of the lead hands’
responsibility is to schedule
according to the weather,” he said,
saying that staff watch The Weather
Network regularly to plan their days.
Councillor Chris Palmer felt that,
by pursuing this policy, council was
codifying what should be common
sense.
He first asked about the event that
inspired the policy, asking if the lead
hand was present or if the heat stress
incident was “self-inflicted, but
unintentional.”
He said that the Humidex rating is
not new, and that many occupations
work through it. He said staff should
be practicing common sense and
taking breaks.
Palmer was also staunchly against
having outdoor workers entering air
conditioned areas during work hours
as they would lose their acclimation
to the outdoor temperatures.
“That doesn’t make sense to me,”
he said. “I would strike that one.”
Palmer went on to say that, in
2019, heat stress was suddenly a
concern, saying that workers have
been dealing with it for years,
including in southern locales where
it’s worse and “they still get their
work done.”
“We need to protect our workers,”
he said. “The biggest thing I would
teach them is if they get hot, they
should take a break and use their
head. No one is going to get mad at
you.”
Finally, Palmer said if the policy
“makes everyone feel better” it
could be implemented.
Council approved the policy as
presented.
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Finding the right bead
The Huron Chapel Vacation Bible School’s annual bazaar
had plenty of activities for students, like the bead crafts
being toiled on by Eliza VanMaar, left, and Renee Adrien.
(Denny Scott photo)