HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-09-13, Page 10Taking it back
Participants in the fifth annual Women's Take Back the
Night March met in Goderich, Sept. 6. The event, which
was also held in conjunction with the International Day of
Women's Equality, is designed to raise awareness and
encourage women to organize, speak out and fight back
against all forms of abuse. (Advance Time photo)
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PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1995.
Twister twists positions on Morris Tract debate
When a violent July 13 wind-
storm swept through the Morris
Tract near Goderich, more than the
trees got twisted.
After months of berating Huron
County council for considering log-
ging in the county-owned wood,
the Friends of the Morris Tract now
want the county to take immediate
action to salvage the trees damaged
by the storm and re-open the walk-
ing and snowmobile trails through
the property which have been
closed because of safety concerns.
Meanwhile county council,
involved in appraisal of the mature
timber value and an ecological
inventory of the tract studies under-
taken after the Friends protests over
a proposal for selective logging, is
in no hurry to reopen the public
trails. A motion passed at the Aug.
8 meeting of the Agriculture and
Public Works committee and
approved by county council Thurs-
day, calls for the trails to remain
closed while the studies continue.
The Friends, an umbrella group for
such groups as the Menesetung
Bridge Association, the Huron
County Medical Society, the Mait-
land Trail Association, the Huron
Fringe Naturalists, the Colborne
Continued from page 1
sites."
But while several other council-
lors supported the idea of incinera-
tion, Davidson warned that isn't an
easy solution. The criteria for siting
an incinerator are very different
than those for a landfill, he said,
and while incineration may be a
popular idea now, when an inciner-
ation location is proposed there is
generally as much adverse public
reaction as for a landfill. Also, he
said, if the county starts looking at
incineration, the Ashfield site could
be on hold for years, continuing the
disruption in the lives of area resi-
dents.
Bailey, who has been arguing for
Blyth council
declares
Legion Week
Continued from page 3
Wingham regarding the airport pro-
ject.
The week of Sept. 17 to 23 was
declared Legion Week.
The Lions Walk-a-Dog-athon
received a $25 donation from coun-
cil, on behalf of June Foran.
Wayne Rouse expressed concern
that the hydro lines for the sewage
treatment plant located in the
Gypsy Lane road allowance, were
buried only 18 inches to 24 inches
deep.
Heavy rains had cut into the land
which is farmed by Murray Siertse-
ma, and there were concerns farm
machinery could damage the cable,
possible causing property damage
or personal injury.
After suggestions from council-
lors that the land should be seeded
with grass, the final decision was
sent to the road committee.
C.***
Blyth Public Works now has a
beeper number for emergency
requests. It is 1-416-553-4081. This
is not a long distance call.
Snowmobile Club and citizens at
large, wrote a letter to council Aug.
31 calling for immediate action to
Friends want
immediate
action
cut downed timber and "include
rehabilitation of the two major
trails only (walking and snowmo-
bile)."
The July storm, which also did
heavy damage in the Town of
Goderich, damaged more than 500
trees, said R. W. Bennett, area
supervisor with the Wingham
Office of the Ministry of Natural
Resources. Bennett estimated the
value of the damaged timber at
$40,000 or more and urged the
county, in a letter dated Aug. 15, to
put a plan in place quickly to har-
vest this timber this fall before
heavy snowfall begins. He warned
that the value of the saw logs
would decline next spring and sum-
mer when warmer weather causes
staining of the wood.
a second look at alternatives since
he took his seat on council last
December, said that while he was
encouraged that there had been a
change of attitude by councillors he
hoped they wouldn't zero in on
incineration as the only alternative
to landfill. With the growing value
of recyclables, he said, there are
private companies interested in get-
ting garbage and the best alterna-
tive may be having one of these
emerging companies take the coun-
ty's garbage.
Meanwhile Pamela VanDyke,
impact committee chair of the Con-
cerned Citizens read a letter to
councillors denouncing the prelimi-
nary impact study being conducted
by Keir Consultants Inc. Only 10
families, residents located within
1,000 metres of the proposed site
were included in the questionnaire.
People were allowed to study the
questions in advance, and some of
the questions were very personal,
VanDyke argued. Most residents
refused to co-operate in answering
the questionnaire under the circum-
stances, she said.
Craig Metzger, master plan study
co-ordinator said this was the first
of a number of studies and would
be used primarily to discover how
large a community was involved.
The survey was to determine where
people shopped, where they went to
church and where children went to
school so the size of the affected
community could be judged.
But council is in no hurry to act,
despite the urging of West
Wawanosh Reeve Bob Hallam who
said the salvaging of the lumber
should be undertaken before the
snows settle in this winter both for
ease of the harvest and to lessen
environmental damage. "I believe
we should get on with it," he said
and suggested council should aban-
don the studies and mark the timber
and get bids on its removal.
In an interview later, Norm Fair-
les, reeve of Howick and chair of
the Agriculture and Public Works
committee said the timber and real
estate evaluation will likely be
completed by the end of September
and the ecological inventory in
October. Council authorized the
hiring of Karl A. Douglas for about
$3,000 to value the timber.
Councillors were more concerned
with increasing security to make
sure the ban on public use of the
tract is observed. An unknown tres-
passer had been into the tract, said
Fairles, and cut five-foot pieces out
of some trees that were laying
across the trail, severely damaging
their timber value. Some of the
trees were of veneer quality and
Already, he said, the consultants
had decided that there would have
to be 100 families involved in the
coming surveys instead of the 50
that had originally been estimated.
Brian McBurney, reeve of Turn-
berry, felt the one kilometre radius
of the site was too small but Met-
zger said originally the master plan
study criteria called for only 500
metres but only one household
would have been included so the
area was doubled. Coming studies
would include a wider area, he said.
VanDyke illustrated the stress
area residents have suffered when
she said there is great fear, uncer-
tainty and anger in the community.
She related how her young daugh-
ter had come to her crying wonder-
ing if they would have to leave
their home. "When there are fair
alternatives to a landfill site, isn't it
just common sense to choose one
of them?" she asked.
Meanwhile one farmer living in
the area claims he is already affect-
ed by the site. Ted Vandervelde
told the Planning and Development
committee Aug. 14 that he wanted
to sell his farm because of his
health but no one wanted to buy it
because of the possibility of the
dump nearby. He has requested that
the county compensate him for any
reduction in the final selling price.
The county has a program in place
to compensate for hardships such
as this and Vandervelde was invit-
ed to submit a written request.
now that value will be lost.
"It's dangerous," said Brian
McBurney, reeve of Turnberry
about the tract. Not only are there
trees down but there are damaged
trees leaning across the trail. ''It's
just a hell of a mess." He urged the
Friends to pass the word not to use
. the trails.
Jack Coleman, reeve of Stanley
wanted compensation for the dam-
age done by the unknown trespass-
er. The value of the timber ruined
should be evaluated, he said, so that
if the culprit is found the loss can
be recovered.
Davidson warns councillors
incineration not easy solution
rr JOHN McKERCHER
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