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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-03-27, Page 6FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA "SMALL WEEKS"- A SUCCESSFUL PILOT PROJECT Now a permanent feature of Employment Insurance (El) The Government of Canada has taken an approach to small weeks of work that will especially benefit people who work part-time or have temporary work; this may result in increased El payments to claimants. Small week of work — earnings of less than si5o Regular week of work— earnings of more than $1.5o Sometimes the amount you earn can vary from one week to another. For example, one week you may earn $220, the next week s80. This lesser week of work can lower your El benefit rate. When you qualify for .El and we calculate your benefit rate, we will, where possible, ignore the small weeks completely or take only the best of your small weeks and add them to your regular weeks. This will result in your benefit payment being higher than you would otherwise have received. IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER: • All insurable hours will still be used for eligibility purposes even if they are not used to calculate your benefit rate; • El claimants must-continue to report all earnings while receiving El benefits; • Earnings allowed while on claim are still sso per week or 25% of your weekly benefit rate (whichever is higher); • Employers must continue to remit El premiums on every dollar paid and complete Records of Employment as usual. for information on Small Weeks e 1 800 0-Canada (1 Boo 622-6232) TTY/TDD devices: 1800 465-7735 • www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/ei Human Ravourcaa Dloveloppsmant dad Devolopment Canada remain:es hunalno, Canada Canada PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2002. On the road As of Monday March 25, Road Watch Huron was up and running. The program is intended to allow citizens to aid the OPP in promoting road safety by reporting incidents of unsafe driving. Cutting a cake, not a ribbon, to get things underway were, from left: Linda Stobo, Huron County Health Unit, project co-ordinator; Sandra Lawson, county engineer for Huron; and, Marguerite Thomas, chairperson, Road Watch Huron. (David Blaney photo) HU director stresses grog. about working together NH wants slogan Continued from page 1 The third time a vehicle is reported the owner will receive a visit from an OPP officer. All incidents will be plotted to try to identify traffic 'hot spots' for further enforcement. Penny Nelligan, director of the Huron County Health Unit stressed the community nature of the initiative saying, "The program exemplifies what can be achieved when a community comes together to address a situation." This theme was also stressed by Huron County Warden Ben Van Diepenbeek who said the program was an "example of Huron County families working. together to say that dangerous driving is not acceptable." Marguerite Thomas, chairperson of the Huron program.said that they hope to get people thinking about how Continued from page 1 $62,000 over the 2001 expenses. A large increase in insurance premiums accounts for $27,000 of the higher figure. Compulsory contributions to the government employees pension plan will add over $6,000. An increase in the advertising budget to retlect the difficulty of communicating with ratepayers in the expanded municipality will add another $5,000 according to Knight's estimates. The figures presented in the initial draft budget are staff they are driving and modify unacceptable habits. She said that •85 per cent of accidents are caused by people taking undue risks. Both OPP Unit Commander Gary Martin and Sr. Const. Don Shropshall cited speed as a major factor in the number and severity of accidents in Huron County. There were 1,249 motor vehicle collisions in 2000, a 47 per cent increase over the previous year. Shropshall acknowledged the program could not stop speeding. He suggested, however, that a reduction of the speed at which people travell would have a significant effect on reducing the severity of accidents. The confidential drop boxes and reporting forms are available at several locations in Brussels and Blyth. estimates. Council will be reviewing each area and budget figures may change as councillors determine municipal priorities for the coming year. Council has informally adopted a goal of restricting increases to 2.5 to three per cent in this budget. There have been discussions however of a slightly larger increase to allow the municipality to start to accumulate capital reserves. ci Please Recycle 4Nic 411 This Newspaper Continued from page 3 but it's a little too late." Clerk-Administrator John Stewart was authorized to reply in writing to Gibbons's concerns. *** It is hoped that a decision on the OPP prififoosal for the municipality will be received within two weeks. *** A tender from Frontline Environmental, the lowest of two, in the amount of$98,084 plus GST was accepted for a hydrogeologic study of the Wingham and Blyth wells. *** Council supported a resolution from Huron East asking county council to act on the recommendations contained in the Hugh Thomas Report. A resolution from Stratford asking the province to enact legislation requiring producers to reduce the packaging of goods at the source of their distribution and retailers to take back packaging materials was also endorsed. Support was given as well to a resolution from the City of Brantford asking the Ministry of Health and Long- Term Care to develop mechanisms to allow nurse practitioners to practise as members of an interdisciplinary team or independently to the full extent of their licence and scope of practice. A resolution from the County of Brant received council's endorsement. This one is asking the Ministry of the Environment to reconsider the proposed legislation to recongize that unusual circumstances will occur and that a framewdrk be provided which allows for the extension of deadlines, operating conditions, etc. without fear of monetary penalties when these matters are of a non-critical nature. *** The economic development committee is currently working on identifying the strengths of North Huron, on what the municipality has to offer. They are also publishing a brochure. The committee is sponsoring a slogan contest for North Huron. Two for one Christina Eckert's colour poster was awarded a first at both Zone and District in the Legion's Remembrance Day poster competition for Grades 1-3. Crystal Taylor, Blyth Legion president and youth education chair was pleased that two local students received awards in the new category as she had pushed hard for its inclusion. (Bonnie Gropp photo) Insurance a big increase IS,',.•!rat.,tit'or, 111.14:1rztv.+;5