The Citizen, 2019-09-26, Page 1 CitizenTh
e
$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, September 26, 2019
Volume 35 No. 36
FOOD BANK - Pg. 10
Food Bank Centre clears
up councillor’s questions
THROWBACK - Pg. 18
‘The Citizen’ looks back
with Throwback Thursday
SPORTS - Pg. 3
Local track and field athlete to
train with former Olympian
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:
Ec. Dev. Board defends coaching system, concierge
158th Brussels Fall Fair shows community’s best
After significant backlash to
numerous aspects of the proposed
Huron County Business
Development Coaching System,
members of the county’s Economic
Development Board worked to clear
the air.
At the Sept. 18 meeting of Huron
County Council, Board Chair John
Marshall, as well as several
members of the board, were in
attendance to speak to their
proposals and why they felt they
would work.
Marshall told council that the
board was not perfect and it had
made some recommendations that
were, in retrospect, heavy-handed.
The coaching system and a
number of other recommendations
from the board dated back to its
“Growing Success” report from
2018. The board, which is
comprised of private business
owners, arts and culture
representatives and politicians, was
formed several years ago to provide
a new perspective on economic
development and business
relationships in Huron County.
Director of Economic
Development Cody Joudry and
Economic Development Officer
Alexander Ripley presented the
coaching system to council on Sept.
4, but several councillors were taken
aback by lower-tier municipalities
having to sign a memorandum of
understanding in order to receive
economic development support from
the county. Bluewater Mayor Paul
Klopp, for one, said the approach
was exclusive and heavy-handed.
Marshall acknowledged those
concerns, saying that in the board’s
quest to ensure a consistent
approach across the county, a
memorandum of understanding may
have been overreaching, but there
did need to be consistency. The
board had conducted its own live
research, which Marshall said is
ongoing and bearing fruit, and
consistency was essential to
providing economic development
and business concierge services to
potential developers.
The objective of the Growing
Success program, he said, was to
answer three key questions: How is
economic development conducted
across the county? How does Huron
County compare to other similar
regions? How can economic
development activities/processes/
outcomes be improved county-
wide?
He told council that while 84 per
cent of those surveyed were satisfied
or very satisfied with Huron County
as a place to do business, that wasn’t
as high as it sounded compared to
neighbouring counties.
The report, he said, found six key
The Brussels Fall Fair is being
hailed as an unmitigated success,
according to organizers.
Brussels Agricultural Society
President Dorothy Cummings told
The Citizen that the 158th iteration
of the annual event was “one of the
best fairs ever.”
“Attendance on Tuesday night
was amazing,” she said in an e-mail
to The Citizen. “The pork chop
supper brought out many first-timers
to the fair.
Society Secretary Brian Schlosser
agreed, saying that the meal was
virtually sold out and, as a first-time
event, was very well-received.
Twenty-six young dignitaries,
including ambassadors from
neighbouring fairs and Queens of
the Furrow, took part in the cake-
decorating auction during the
opening ceremonies that raised
$1,000 for the society, Cummings
said, with Schlosser adding he hopes
the event becomes an annual
attraction for the fair.
Wednesday’s parade was well-
attended, Cummings said. Aside
from bringing children and a good
audience out for the day, Cummings
also said she and Joan Perrie
enjoyed riding in the parade on Don
McNeil’s famous jalopy which was
celebrating its 60th Brussels Fall
Fair parade.
The Belgrave/Brussels 4-H beef
show was very well attended,
Schlosser said, as attendance and
contestants were way up. Cummings
added that there were 26 entries in
total.
The sheep show and little folks
competition were also well attended
at the show ring, Cummings said.
The inflatable entertainment was
After being eliminated in the
semi-finals of the College Clean
Restoration/Colonial Square Inn and
Suites Pro Curling Series at the
Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon,
Team Cottrill, better known as
Shawn and Katie Cottrill of
Belgrave, is ranked second in
Canada.
The squad has 81.5 points, 24
points behind Jocelyn Peterman and
Brett Gallant, last year’s national
champions, and less than two points
above third-place duo Ashley Quick
and Mike Armstrong.
The Cottrils next take to the ice on
Sept. 29 in the Brampton Mixed
Doubles Curling Cup, but then have
a month away from professional
competition before the Palmerston
Mixed Doubles Cashpiel held Nov.
2-3.
On Friday, Oct. 4 the Cottrills will
be receiving the banner for their
2018-2019 provincial championship
at the Wingham Golf and Curling
Club. The event starts at 7 p.m.
For more information on the team
or for progress on their matches,
watch Team Cottrill on Facebook.
Cottrills now second in Canada
Parental guidance
Last week’s Brussels Fall Fair was another success in the
Brussels Agricultural Society’s 158-year history of hosting
the event. The weather was perfect and attendance was
robust, especially on Tuesday night when the fair officially
opened to the public. While numerous attractions were
added for younger fair attendees, like a climbing wall and a youth
FireFit course, the pedal tractor pull persisted as one of the main
attractions. Here, Josiah Hilt gives it a try while his mother Jillian
provides support only a mother can. Murray Hoover, right, kept
things straight and level on the tractor pull course. (Denny Scott photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
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