The Citizen, 1996-07-10, Page 1Retirement Church
Vol. 12 No 28 Wednesday, July 10, 1996
70,2+50GST750
Dressed for the show
The Bluewater Kennel Club's annual dog show and obedience trials in Blyth are not just for
the seasoned competitor, but also a place for youngsters to try out their dog handling skills.
This young lady proudly put her standard poodle through the paces, July 4. The show was
a success, with more than 1,000 entrants over the three days. The daily Best of Shows
covered all breeds. They were a Mastiff, Afghan and Whippet and in the obedience trials: a
Siberian Husky and Border Collie. The Whippet was from Thamesville and the Collie from
Hamilton.
County gets highways
Sports
Tigers, Brewers
square-off this
weekend
See page 8
Husband, wife
take over local
pastoral charges
See page 15
5 local students
among Madill's
Ontario Scholars
See page 21
Entertainment
East meets west
during Blyth
Festival season
See page 23
IC • • Brussels seeks The North Huron
ittzen meeting of 5
Like it or not, Huron County will
have 70.6 more kilometres of coun-
ty highways to oversee when the
province transfers Highways 83, 84
and 87 to county jurisdiction April
1, 1997.
Warden Bill Clifford told Huron
County council, July 4, that the
county will get one year's mainte-
nance from the province plus some
money to upgrade the roads.
Sandra Lawson, acting county
engineer, explained the county will
get a one-time unconditional pay-
ment for 66 per cent of the identifi,
able needs of the roads, based on a
needs study of the highways, up to
$50,000 per two-lane kilometre. In
addition, since the additional high-
ways will boost the Huron County
road system by 12 per cent, the
province provides funding of
$5,000 per kilometre for every kilo-
Continued on page 9
The Village of Brussels will seek
another meeting of five north
Huron municipalities to discuss
where to go next in looking at
municipal restructuring.
Village councillors, at their July
2 meeting, expressed disappoint-
ment with the lack of information
at a county strategic planning meet-
ing held in Clinton, June 20 at
which they had hoped to get more
information about what was going
on. Given the circumstances, coun-
cillors felt another meeting of the
group of five (Blyth, East
Wawanosh, Hullett and Morris)
would be a good idea, though they
would like to see Grey Twp.
included in the next meeting.
Under Bill 26, the provincial
government has the power to dis-
solve municipal boundaries and
create larger municipal units but to
date has given no guidelines on
how large the municipalities must
be. Councillors, however, had a
copy of a speech by Al Leach, min-
ister of municipal affairs and hous-
ing, delivered to municipal leaders
in northwestern Ontario in May.
Leach said, "We have to get to that
hard work that needs to be done.
We have to restructure, restructure,
restructure. It's not just about
boundary readjustments. It implies
a whole new look at the core busi-
ness of local government — a
whole new outlook on its size,
shape and role — and how best to
deliver its services."
Leach, who also told municipal
leaders there were benefits to them
By Janice Becker
Not only did the cool, damp
spring wipe out large portions of
the winter wheat crop in many
fields, but that which was healthy
enough to grow through the stress
is now being infested with a toxin-
forming fungus.
Fusarium head blight may be
affecting as much as 20 per cent of
the crop, says Ralph deVries, crop
consultant with Howson and How-
son Ltd, Blyth.
The fungus developed in healthy
wheat when the heads emerged
during the hot, humid and wet
weather. The flowering wheat is
most susceptible to disease during a
five to 10 day period. Infection
may spread if high humidity,
warmth, rain or heavy dew follow.
The blight first started showing
in the Exeter area, says deVries, but
is advancing into local fields now.
Fusarium head blight not only
decreases the quality and quantity
of the crop, but produces a vomi-
toxin which is hazardous to humans
and animals. A high concentration
setting goals that would see them
count on absolutely no provincial
subsidies, said maintaining 815
municipalities in Ontario's current
fiscal climate is simply unrealistic.
"You really have two choices
when it comes to restructuring: one
is to do it yourself — develop your
own restructuring with majority
support of the municipalities affect-
ed . . . the other is to have it done
by a local restructuring commis-
sion. If the commission is appoint-
ed, it will develop and implement
its own proposal and you will pay
for it."
Councillor Ralph Watson said
the declaration was "a little bit of a
feeling that you're going to get
something shoved down your
throat, but we don't know what it
is".
Councillors made it quite clear
they would be unwilling partners in
any amalgamation. After exploring
the idea with the other municipali2
ties, "it seems quite clear that there
is no saving (to be obtained) at this
(municipal) level. The savings are
at the provincial level and in the
cuts in subsidies to the municipali-
ties," said Donna White, clerk-trea-
surer.
Councillors also expressed their
displeasure with a proposal which
would have seen the county
reduced to five municipalities.
Given their sense that something
must be done, but their bewilder-
ment as to what to do, councillors
agreed to suggest another meeting
of the municipalities in their area.
of infected wheat fed to swine will
cause feed refusal and vomiting.
Millers have a low tolerance to
the blight, deVries says, following
Canada Grain Commission stan-
dards of one per cent in Grade 1, 2
and 3. Higher percentages drop the
grade to feed or sample.
To help reduce the amount of
blight-infected wheat in the har-
vest, the Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs suggests
harvesting the crop early to stop the
spread of the disease.
Increasing the fan speed on the
combine may help as it will blow
the less-dense, infected kernels out
the back. A quick dry down will
stop the fungus from growing.
If unsure what to look for, since
the blight last hit the area in the
early 1980s, deVries says the ker-
nels will be white, but the whole
head will not necessarily be affect-
ed. Kernels may also not be pro-
duced as they should.
OMAFRA suggests a visit from a
crop insurance representative while
the heads are still green to permit a
proper estimate of loss.
Disease hits
wheat crop