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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2002-06-19, Page 1Wednesday, June 19, 2002 75 Cents (70c + 5c GST) Volume 18 No. 24 Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Inside this week P a Blyth Library gets tio" special gift pci 7 Auburn Lions L e celebrate 25th 11 Skating Club gives rg.7 big donation Mustangs to play Pg. 10 Soottish rugby team Dn. 1/ NHL great makes 18 " stop in Brussels Huron wells okay e Citizen By David Blaney Citizen staff The Huron County Health Unit reported on Monday afternoon that they had retested 31 water systems in the county and had found no bacterial contamination. Three -campground or trailor park systems, 10 school-based systems and 18 municipal systems were retested by the unit. The health unit's actions were made necessary when six Huron County communities discovered last Wednesday night that the lab responsible for testing their drinking water may not have completed the tests properly. Officials from Bluewater, Central Huron, Goderich, Huron East, Morris- Turnberry and South Huron were informed by the environment ministry that testing problems had been discovered at MDS Labs of London. Warnings were issued to over 65 municipalities in Ontario by the Ministry of Environment and Energy. A memo from Assistant Deputy Minister Joan Andrew said, "Its (MDS) practices were found not to be done in accordance with its standard accredited methods." She said later in the memo that the laboratory may not have adhered to the immediate reporting obligations contained in government regulations when adverse tests are discovered. Communities in Huron County were subsequently contacted by the Huron County Health Unit. The health unit conducted tests Thursday and again on Friday at their own labs .to assure themselves of the water quality for-much of Huron County's population. Mayor Lin Sterner of Huron East said she received a call from the health unit Wednesday night about 9 p.m. which first alerted her to the problem. American Water Services (AWS) which operates the municipal water and sewage systems Continued on page 6 By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen "I'm not saying that we should pass a deficit budget," Meg Westley told her counterparts on the Avon Maitland District School Board at a regular meeting Tuesday, June 11. The topic of a deficit budget took centre stage, however, as trustees voted 6-3 against what Westley herself admitted was a watered- down motion she brought forward under "New Business." The Stratford representative sought approval for a motion calling on the board to "refuse to approve a 2002-03 budget unless it includes coverage of services and resources deemed necessary to the provision of quality education for our students." Vice-chair Rod Brown, another Stratford trustee, urged Westley to also include recommendations from an earlier draft of her motion, which she had shown to Brown prior to the meeting. That draft wasn't made available to the media, but Brown suggested it included calls for a "double budget." This would, most likely, be similar to the so-called "needs-based" document Westley lobbied for a year ago. At the, time, she urged administration to create two budgets for possible approval — one providing everything board members thought necessary 'but showing a deficit, and one balanced budget stressing where cuts had to be made. Westley responded that she decided the more specific portions of her motion could wait until after the board gets closer to approving next year's budget, probably later this month but possibly in July. She wanted to have the preliminary portion approved, however, because she wanted to establish "a point of principal" from which trustees could approach the budget development process. Several trustees were uncomfortable with the motion. Not surprisingly, considering his ongoing crusade to save Seaforth District High School from closure, East/Central Huron representative Charles Smith noted it included no limit on school closures. But Smith also objected to the motion's potential to "herd my future voting" by preventing trustees from voting to cut certain expenditures. Wendy Anderson (East Perth), Butch Desjardine (Northwest Huron) and Don Brillinger (North Perth) were more specific about the potential of the motion to force trustees into further commitments. All suggested it could lead directly into the passage of a deficit budget, something the provincial government has said is not only illegal but also could lead to the removal of trustees and appointment of a government-approved board. Past-chair Anderson• said, "It would be imprudent at this point to make this kind of motion." She then referred to statements by noted human rights lawyer Clayton Ruby, who recently informed trustees of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) that they can not, by law, be removed by the government. Three TDSB trustees have since decided to sue the government for preventing them from carrying out their duties. And the board has stated it will pass a deficit. "If trustees think that, by passing a deficit budget, you're going to put control of the board back in local hands, I don't believe they're right," Anderson said. "You're not going to be increasing your control; you're going to decrease it." Westley admitted she was "motivated by the actions of the Toronto District School Board, which is digging in its heels." She also mentioned similar efforts by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Brillinger was particularly disappointed with what he described as a comparison between Avon Maitland and boards in Toronto and Ottawa. He suggested the large urban boards were, at one point a few years ago, receiving between $300 and $400 more per student than some rural counterparts. And he noted that one issue raised recently by the TDSB has been the potential loss of in-school swimming pools. "Yeah, Toronto's upset because (funding cutbacks) are going to be taking away the caviar. (But) we can't be comparing ourselves to them," Brillinger said. Then, referring to the fact this is the Ottawa-Carleton board's second consecutive year threatening to pass a deficit budget. he commented that Avon Maitland trustees should let the larger board test the government's resolve on following through on its threats. "Let Goliath get kicked• in the shins before poor little David takes a beating on the head." Desjardine, meanwhile, pointed out that the government has made several concessions since Ernie Eves replaced Mike Harris as -premier. He suggested adopting more confrontational tactics, such as defying the government's prohibition of deficits, might jeopardize any further concessions. ."If we keep hounding the government, I don't know how much longer they're going to listen," he cautioned. "We have hounded them a certain amount and they've come through with a certain amount for us. It's not enough yet, maybe, but they have come through with something." Speaking in response, Westley reiterated that she wasn't calling for the passage of a deficit budget. "I'm just saying that there are certain things we value and that -we won't pass a balanced budget unless we really do feel that it does these things," she argued. Only Brown and West/South Perth representative Carol Bennewies voted with Westley. Earlier in the meeting. however, trustees unanimously supported two budget-related recommendations brought forward from the policy committee. One was a clarification about when fees can be charged to students, inspired by the public relations disaster suffered earlier this year by the Thames Valley District School Board, after it was revealed students had been charged fees not,,ria..., approved by the province's Education Act. Continued on page 6 A day for the fishes Weather was considerably less than sunny for the Blyth young anglers like, Shea McLean (peeking out from the Legion fishing derby at Radford's pond on Sunday. umbrella) and Meagan and Alix Sholdice, sharing an However, the rain and cold didn't deter the enthusiasm of umbrella for two. (Vicky Bremner photo) Deficit budget big topic for trustees