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Restructuring
timetable tight
for municipalities
A blaze
While most municipalities in
Huron met the county’s target of
Sept. I for presenting amalgamation
proposals, the timetable remains
tight if the restructured municipali
ties are to be in place for the fall of
2000.
Because all the legal wording of
amalgamation proposals must be
approved by the Ministry of
Municipal Affairs and Housing, all
proposals should be to the Ministry
by Sept. 10, if the plans are to be
approved and returned in time for
county council approval in October,
Lynn Murray, clerk-administrator
told county council Sept. 2.
Some municipalities will not be
ready to have their plans submitted
by Sept. 10. Goderich Reeve John
Doherty noted that Goderich has
scheduled a public meeting for Sept.
15 and that negotiations are still
going on with Colbome Twp and
Goderich Twp. Goderich has yet to
decide if it will join with Colbome
or not and wants Goderich Twp. to
cede part of its developed territory
adjoining Goderich, to the town.
Meanwhile Brussels and Grey are
to meet with McKillop, Seaforth and
Tuckersmith on Sept. 15 to work on
a proposal to bring all five munici
palities together.
Murray said the Sept. 10 timeline
was set because the ministry’s
London office has agreed to set
aside its other work in that period in
order to go over the Huron amalga
mation proposals. Since there are
some proposals ready for submis
sion it will be possible for some
agreements to be later, but if they are
delayed too long, the county vote on
approval may be postponed to the
November meeting.
Grey Reeve Robin Dunbar, chair
of the strategic planning committee
sounded a warning that new
Municipal Affairs and Housing
Minister Steve Gilchrist is not as
flexible in restructuring as former
minister Al Leach. Speaking to the
Association of Municipalities of
Ontario (AMO) convention in
Toronto last week he announced
several areas will be forced to pro
ceed with amalgamation.
“We are going to be restructured,
period!’’ Dunbar said noting
Gilchrist has taken to himself all the
power of restructuring commission
ers in the past. Dunbar warned that if
Huron doesn’t move forward with
amalgamation the province will step
in and dictate the terms.
Blyth firefighters were called to the East Wawanosh Cone. 7 property of Keith Black, RR1,
Belgrave last Thursday at 6;30 p.m. to battle a blaze. The fire, believed to have started due
to a malfunction between the two electrical panels of a farm implement shed and seed clean
ing panel, resulted in a total loss, said Fire Chief Paul Josling. The estimate of damage was
$125,000. Firefighters remained at the scene until 9:30 that night. They were called into
action on two other occasions this past week, to a grass fire at Dick Snell’s in McKillop Twp.
around noon on Wednesday and to a medical emergency at the Blyth Festival.
Unchained pooch
costs couple $2,000
An Ethel-area couple was fined
$2,000 in Wingham’s provincial
offenses court, Aug. 26 for violating
a court order.
Just a week after an April 1 court
order stating Vera and Mike
Milinkovic must keep their rottweil
er tied or supervised, and enclosed
He was backed by Michael Power,
president of AMO, who reminded
councillors that Gilchrist had been
point man in the government’s push
ing through the amalgamation of
Toronto. Despite butting heads with
such formidable opponents as
Mississauga Mayor Hazel
McCallion and then-North York
Mayor Mel Lastman, “he never,
never agreed there was one comma
wrong in that bill”.
Meanwhile, councillors approved
a threshold of 4,000 electors for rep
resentation on council, defeating a
proposal from the strategic planning
committee that a 3,000-elector mark
be used. Using the 3,000 limit would
result in a county council of 23-27
councillors, depending on what fig
ures come out at the next enumera
tion. A 4,000-limit would result in a
council of 18-21 members.
Jack Coleman, reeve of Stanley
Twp., argued a council of 23-27
members would not be true amalga
mation since the current council has
26 members. By contrast, he said,
the new area of Hay, Stanley, Zurich,
Hensall and Bayfield will cut its
number of councillors from 25 to 10.
Using the 4,000 threshold, the
new municipality of Morris and
Tumberry would have one represen
tative as would Howick. Ashfield
and West Wawanosh would current
ly have one representative but with
3,968 electors are very close to
crossing the 4,000 line and having a
second.
The new municipality of East
Wawanosh, Blyth and Wingham
would have two representatives
(barely, with 4,108 electors) as
would Grey, Brussels, McKillop,
Seaforth and Tuckersmith and
Hullett, Goderich Twp. and Clinton.
Colbome currently stands alone and
would have one representative but
may amalgamate with Goderich.
During question period, Goderich
Mayor Deb Shewfelt asked if coun
cil had brought in outside advisors
on the size of county council. He
noted Bruce County has only nine
councillors while Huron will still
have 18-21.
Coleman said in conversation with
the Bruce County warden he learned
that the reduction to nine councillors
made it almost a full-time job.
Council approved the first of the
amalgamation proposals which
involves Exeter along with Stephen
and Usborne Twps.
on their property, a neighbour dis
covered the dog running loose in the
backyard. There was no supervision
and the gate was open.
Police were called and charges
were laid under the Dog Owner’s
Liability Act.