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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-01-10, Page 1wei.poyit 'To•, 11/1Yrif ESTABLISHED Bin ija eatiminsoug g Inside this week Pg. 3 Pg. 6 Pg. 8 Pg. 10 Pg. 20 Listowel woman wins Cruiser County takes over housing Lightning plays Buffalo, Rochester Advertisers support safe snowmobiling (also page 11) Central Huron's new council holds first meeting Winter fun means business While many are less than impressed with the real winter being experienced this year, for many area businesses things are booming. Snowmobile dealers are reporting sell-out seasons for the first time in years and restaurants, hotels and gas stations are enjoying increased business as perfect conditions brings in riders from outside area, like these fellows, from left, Chris Weyers, Cole Smith, Mark Long and Shaun Beirnes, all of Atwood, who stopped in Brussels Sunday for a bite to eat. Snowmobilers boost economy e Citizen Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 17 No. 2 Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2001 75 Cents (70c + 5c GST) Who to call in new municipalities Ambulance transition suffers only few hiccups Aside from "a few hiccups", transition from provincial to county management of the ambulance services went smoothly, consultant Jon Hambides told Huron County council Jan. 4. Hambides said paramedics themselves and the county's transition team made the transfer, at 12:01 a.m. Jan. 1, a smooth one. County staff spent a lot of time getting new, temporary ambulance stations ready in time (in some cases just in time) and the paramedics just had to transfer the ambulances to their new quarters. The transition team has been visiting the paramedics regularly since then to monitor their needs, Hambides said. In fact he had dropped in at the new station between Clinton and Seaforth on his way to the meeting. Concerns of the paramedics about their new quarters are being dealt with, he said. At the temporary Clinton-Seaforth and Exeter sites, for instance, there were no shower facilities. Some attendants actually move into the station during on-call periods and like to have a shower. The owner of the Seaforth-Clinton location has offered use of a shower in the building next door while the Exeter Fire Department has offered its showers for paramedics there. There are also some complaints about the staff schedules. Currently the scheduling is set up using eight hour shifts and that makes it difficult for paramedics to get any weekends off, Hambides said. The crews have said they'd prefer to have longer shifts so days off are easier to work in. Bernie MacLellan, deputy-mayor of Huron East, said paramedics at the Seaforth-Clinton station had complained to him about there not being a ceiling in the crew quarters which allowed diesel fumes to enter from ambulances running in the bay Continued on page 6 to the Seaforth office can be made by phoning 1-888-868-7513. To contact the public works department, either the Brussels previous number of 887-6861 or the Grey works building at 887-6078 can be called. Water bills for Brussels residences can be paid at the former office on Jan.18 or 19. Bag tags can still be purchased in the village at Brussels Library, Oldfield Pro Hardware or Brussels Variety. and there is only a couple inches on the ground. Southern areas also have much less accumulation than this region. This has been the first decent season' (for equipment dealers) in four or five years, he added. Businesses along the trails are also benefitting from the snowy weather. Groomers have been on the trails almost 24 hours a day trying. to get the trails packed. Conditions in the last week or two have allowed groomers to compact the soft underlying snow. Peter Irwin, owner of the Blyth Inn said the the man doing the grooming was in at least twice a week for lunch, taking breaks from the trail work. "We have had substantially more riders," he said. "In the last couple years there have only been two or three weeks of snow. This year there has already been about six and we could get four more." This year has been really good. We are quite happy with the snowmobile business." Brussels Country Inn owner Shelley Campbell agrees that there has been a tremendous increase in the number of riders passing through the area and stopping off at local businesses. "It is good to see them out again," said Campbell, after more than four years with a lull in snowmobiler traffic. Bookings for the library basement or postings on the Optimist sign can be made through the library. For Grey ward residents, bag tags can be purchased at the Walton Country Store, Ethel Cafe and Molesworth Convenience as well as all Brussels locations. Tags and blue boxes can be picked up at the Grey works building when employees are there. Council meetings will be held every second and fourth Tuesday of the month, at the Seaforth offices, at Though not open on the weekends in January and February, Walton Inn owner Graeme Craig said they have had some busy days with snowmobilers. Establishments which offer gas as well as food are also seeing a rise in business. Eleanor Babcock of the Grandview Restaurant and Gas Bar in Blyth said they have been quite busy and the increased traffic has made a difference in the business during a time of year which can be slow. Those at Stickers Family Restaurant and Truck Stop in Auburn agreed that the increased number of riders on the trails has made for very busy times. They report lots of business for both the restaurant and gas bar. Sue McNeil, manager of JR's Gas Bar and Take Out in Brussels said with more scow comes more snowmobilers. "It has been very good for business." It is estimated that the snowmobiling industry draws about 25,000 tourists to Ontario each winter, resulting in an economic infusion of nearly $1 billion. Because of the income potential during a slower tourist season, the provincial government has committed $170 million over four years to promote Ontario. 7 p.m. For those in the North Huron municipality, the municipal office in Wingham can be reached by calling 357-3550. The Blyth and East Wawanosh offices will be staffed until at least the end of January. Employees can answer questions there or redirect concerns to the Wingham office. Inquiries regarding Blyth hydro can also be handled at the former Blyth municipal office until' the end of the month. Bag tags can be purchased at the same locations as previously as well as the Blyth and East Wawanosh municipal offices for the next few weeks. Council will be considering drop boxes in both wards for the payment of taxes or water bills. Council meetings will be held the first and third Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the Wingham council chambers. If the meeting falls on a holiday, it will be held the following Tuesday. In Central Huron, all business will take place at the Central Huron municipal office in Clinton. The phone number is 482-3997. Anyone wishing to deal with the protective services office, utility department, facilities department or roads department should go to the counter on the right in the office. General matters such as taxes will be handled at the centre counter. Hullett ward residents can purchase bag tags from Today's Variety or Corner Cafe in Londesboro or at Stickers Restaurant and Gas Bar in Auburn. Council will meet every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. Residents of Morris ward will see little changes with all municipal calls going to 887-6137, the former Morris Twp. building, now the offices for the Municipality of Morris-Turnberry. The former Turnberry Twp. office will be open Thursday mornings on a trial basis. Staff can be contacted at 357-2991. Bag tags can be picked up at many of the same locations as well as some new. Purchases can be made at Belgrave Variety, Bluevale Country Kitchen, Brian's Valumart, Brussels Variety, Diesel Car Diner, Green's Meat Market, Huron Bay Co-op in Belgrave, Royal T Gas Bar and Restaurant, Saddledome Restaurant in Belmore, Walton Country Store and Burk's K Foods as well as the municipal office and landfill site. Morris-Turnberry council mee- ings will be held every first and third Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Morris- Turnberry municipal office. The Municipality of Ashfield- Colborne-Wawanosh will provide all services from the Colborne ward office. Staff can be reached at 524- 4669. During the day, all calls should be answered by staff, but a voice mail system including extensions for specific personnel is available. There have been no changes to locations for bag tag purchases at this time. Council meetings will regularly be held on the first4ind third Tuesdays of the month, at 7:30 p.m., though this month's sessions will be Jan. 9 and 23. By Janice Becker Citizen staff With the amalgamated municipalities now settling into the new way of doing business, area residents should also familiarize themselves with new phone numbers, contacts and council meeting dates. The large municipality of Huron East has acquired a toll-free number for the many residents residing in the Brussels calling area. General calls By Janice Becker Citizen staff Tremendous amounts of snow in Huron County and area has resulted in booming business for those feeding the snowmobile industry. "These are the clearest floors I've seen in 15 years," proclaimed Brian Hoy of Lynn Hoy Enterprises in Wingham. "We have no 2001 sleds and only a few 2000 left." For Hoy and others in the business of selling snowmachines, the past four or five years have been very slow. However, this year's snowfall and consistently cold weather have brought many buyers to the shops. "The last two weeks have been good for both new and used sleds," said Hoy. "We have had to go to other dealers to fill orders. We didn't know what to expect of this winter so we were not prepared." And apparently many wishing to buy that machine are unwilling to wait while the minimal stocks on hand at most dealerships are replenished. "They don't want to wait. If we don't have what they want they are going somewhere else." Hoy also noted that much of this boom is restricted to the western part of Southwestern Ontario. He has travelled east to Hagersville on the Niagara Peninsula to pick up sleds