HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-05-03, Page 111
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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 1995. PAGE 11.
Our thanks
Judy and David Glen were honoured at the Maitland Conservation Foundation banquet and
fundraising auction on Friday night for their contributions to the foundation. For the past two
years the Glens have donated five cents from every jar of the Glen Farms specialty jam to
the Foundation for a total of $868.15. Also honoured were the Lions Club of Goderich for a
$6,000 donation. County continues
Morris Tract study County supports MP's stand
Health Unit staff will
enforce tobacco act
There will now be Health Unit bers had tried to educate businesses
staff to put teeth in the enforcement about their responsibilities about
of the Tobacco Control Act in prohibiting smoking in public
Huron County Board of Health has places and not selling cigarettes to
decided. minors but they had people chal-
lenging them with "so what are you
going to do if I don't (go along)".
"It wasn't fair to our staff," he said.
Meanwhile there is a quandary
about what to do with smoking by
residents at Huronlea and Huron-
view. Under the act smoking is not
allowed in the building unless there
is a vented smoking lounge.
Presently there is no vented portion
of the building for residehts' use.
Usborne Reeve Pat Down felt
some solution has to be found for
residents. "This is their home," she
said of the seniors. "We're caring
for them as if this were their home"
The enforcement program is 100 so they should be allowed to smoke
per cent funded by the province, as if they were in their own home.
said Bill Clifford, reeve of At their advanced age it isn't going
Goderich and chair of the Health to do a lot of good to force people
and Seniors committee. Staff mem- to stop smoking, she said.
•
The report of the April 10 meet-
ing, presented to county council
April 27, authorized the health unit
staff to "deal with all aspects of the
Act." The board turned down a sec-
ond option which would have
instructed staff to continue to
emphasize educating the public
about the dangers of smoking. Last
year the board had turned down a
grant of $25,000 from the provin-
cial government to enforce the leg-
islation, finally accepting the grant
but for education only, not enforce-
ment.
Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle
won the support for his opposition
to the government's gun control
plans at the April 27 meeting of
Huron County council.
West Wawanosh Reeve Bob Hal-
lam brought a petition to council
saying the government should be
emphasizing "crime control" and
tougher sentencing and abandoning
its efforts for tougher gun control.
But not all councillors agreed with
the petition.
"I don't believe it is a matter that
should be addressed by this coun-
cil," said Goderich Reeve Bill Clif-
ford. "I think we are stepping into
deep water here."
But Mason Bailey, reeve of
Blyth, felt the council should speak
out. "In view of the fact our MP
went well out of his way to risk his
career to oppose gun control we
should support him," he said.
Pat Down, reeve of Usborne, felt
the council should do more than
just oppose the legislation. "We
should be sending constructive
changes not just opposition. The
majority of people in Canada are
urban and they are afraid."
But Reeve Hallam argued that
there is already tight gun control
and all hand guns must be regis-
tered. The criminal element will
smuggle guns and take other
actions to make sure they have a
"clean" (unregistered) gun to com-
mit a crime, he said.
Councillors supported his motion
to protest gun control.
The worth of the controversial
Morris Tract both as a piece of real
estate and as an ecological haven
will be evaluated in two studies
requested by the the Agriculture
and Public Works committee of
Huron County council.
A real estate appraiser, with the
assistance of a timber valuator, will
be asked to determine the value of
the tract while Ministry of Natural
Resources will co-ordinate an eco-
logical inventory with the assis-
tance of volunteers from naturalist
groups. Earlier the county had pro-
posed a selective logging of the
woodlot which it owns but this
brought a storm of protest from nat-
uralists, hikers and snowmobilers
who use trails in the site. Oppo-
nents claimed any logging or the
site would endanger rare plant
species.
Bob Hallam, reeve of West
Wawanosh questioned the reason
for the real estate evaluation. "Is it
for sale or are we just going to
spend money just to find out what
it's worth," he wondered.
Norman Fairies, reeve of Howick
and chair of the committee
explained the cost of the evaluation
still isn't known.
Brussels donates to park project
Brussels village councillors voted
Monday night to give up to $7,000
toward the development of park-
land behind the Brussels, Morris
and Grey Community Centre if cer-
tain conditions are met.
The donation is for the first phase
of the development of seven acres
of land purchased several years ago
by the village and the Brussels
Agricultural Society. This portion
of the project will see the land
drained, levelled and planted in
grass seed. Eventually it is hoped a
soccer field and ball diamond will
When Brussels village council-
lors opened tenders for street
paving Monday night, the lowest
tender was $4,000 more than bud-
geted but councillors decided to go
ahead with the work anyway.
The tenders are for the paving of
one block each on Thomas,
Alexander and Flora Sts. plus an
intersection on Flora St. The lowest
of the tenders, from Lavis Contract-
ing in Clinton, was for $38,450,
Village councillors Monday night
decided to recommend to the board
of the Brussels Medical-Dental
building that a study be made into
providing handicapped access to
the building.
The decision was prompted by a
letter from Janis Bray who
expressed displeasure at the fact the
board had redecorated the building
be built on the land.
While there was support for the
project there was concern the job
be done properly the first time.
Councillor Joe Seili said he had
been told that the drainage planned
wasn't sufficient for a ball dia-
mond. The drainage tiles needed to
be closer together, he said.
Councillor Greg Wilson, who sits
on the committee planning the
development, said council should
support the project since it has
enough money sitting in an account
from the sale of the old tennis court
$4,000 more than was in the bud-
get.
Council got some relief, howev-
er, when they opened the tenders
for sidewalk work and found the
lowest of six tenders was less than
had been budgeted: $7,101 from
Bill Scott Construction.
Councillors considered for some
time before deciding to go ahead
with the work. The savings on the
sidewalk will partially offset the
while overlooking the need for
access for handicapped people.
"It's going to have to happen,"
said Reeve Gordon Workman of
the need for access.
"It's one thing to not be able to
get into the library but if you can't
get into the doctor's office to get
help it's bad," said Councillor Greg
Wilson. He pointed out, however,
on Elizabeth St. "It's for the good
of the village whether the ball park
is ever built or not," he said.
"We've spent $33,000 already" (in
buying the land.
"I'm in favour of developing the
land if it's done properly; as long as
it's not dug up again in a couple of
years," Councillor Seili said.
Councillors' agreed to give up to
$7,000 from the tennis court
reserve for the project providing
the drainage plan meets approval
and the development committee
presents an invoice for the work
done.
overrun on the paving. Councillors
could have dropped one block from
the schedule but all streets need
work badly and dropping a block
would then bring the work consid-
erably under budget. "It is pretty
hard to hit it right on the head,"
said Councillor Greg Wilson, chair
of the roads committee, of the bud-
geting process. "I think we should
go ahead."
Councillors agreed.
that it may be difficult for the board
to find the money, at least in their
current budget, to do the work.
As well as writing to the centre's
board, council asked that a letter be
sent to Mrs. Bray thanking her for
bringing the matter to their atten-
tion and saying she may be contact-
ed for advice on making the
building more accessible.
High tenders don't stall paving
Brussels to get access study