The Citizen, 2004-06-10, Page 1wq/c.opourro
e
• ESTA Self f
roaretwasimmat e Citizen
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 20 No. 23
Thursday, June 10, 2004
$1 (93c + 7c GST)
Race on
in Blyth
Inside this week
Jump for the heart
Backwards, forwards, arms crossed and doubles are just some of the many creative ways
students at Brussels Public School made skipping that much fun during the Jump Rope for
Heart campaign in connection with the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The students raised
$2,855.62 by collecting sponsors throughout the community. At front: Jamee Johnston and Tori
Kellington show off their skipping talent while doing a two person jump with one rope. (Elyse
DeBruyn photo)
County
outraged
by story
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
At its meeting Thursday,- county
council took strong exception to a
story -by Lawrence Solomon in The
National Post.
The story which comments on a
small section of a 2002 panel report
on the role of government .in Ontario,
calls for "unsustainable rural areas in
Canada's heartland" to be "taken off
life support and allowed to die a
natural death."
While the panel was appointed to
examine emerging challenges likely
to confront the province over the next
decade, and the report was approved
by the government in principle,
information from the Ontario
Property and Environmental Alliance
said, that judging from Solomon's
essay "continued existence of rural
Ontario as presently structured may
be very much at risk."
A resolution from Grey County
asking that the concerns of such
negative comments being printed be
made public was presented for
council's consideration.
However Central Huron councillor
Bert Dykstra said he felt he wanted to
take it a step further. "This was a
government panel paid by our tax
dollars: We need to write a letter of
objection to The Post. I don't think it
would hurt to let them know. We also
should tell our MPP."
Warden Bill Dowson said he was
"disgusted", while Goderich
councillor Deb Shewfelt said he had
been shocked at a recent meeting in
Edmonton regarding the attitude to
rural areas. "It was almost sickening
to hear everything about the six major
cities. I will give the prime minister
his due in that he mentioned several
times about the areas outside those
cities. But I would even suggest we
build a fence around those cities and
not send them food."
Councillor Joe Seili, of Huron East,
said it's time to fight back. "They've
been robbing our resources for years.
Maybe it's time to pay the bill then
farmers don't need the subsidies."
A dozen folks from. Brussels have
a vision that will transform the
neglected Logan's Mill into a
magnet for residents and tourists.
When they look at the mill, now
overrun by carpenter ants with floors
no longer safe for human passage,
they see a renovated building where
the community can celebrate its rich
arts and culture, wander through a
museum dedicated to local history,
and perhaps pass time in a coffee
shop that could form part of the
waterfront structure.
"We could have quite a tourist
attraction if we put our heart into it,"
said Debbie Seili, member of the
Huron East Business GrOwth and
Economic Development Committee,
which hosted the public meeting on
Friday evening to gather interest for
a steering committee. -
Five people volunteered to sit
on the committee that will create
a vision for the mill, while
seven people volunteered for
Working committees that will focus
efforts on specific aspects of the
project, such as finances or
fundraising.
Logan's mill was originally a
three-storey structure, which was
rebuilt in its present form after a fire
in 1911. It operated until 1967 when
it was closed because its aging
equipment and small size made it
unprofitable.
It is now owned by the Maitland
Valley Conservation Authority,
which is supportive of a long-term
lease for a community-based
project.
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
It's a race in Blyth.
At the North Huron council
meeting on Monday night,
councillors rescinded a motion to fill
the vacant Blyth Ward seat on
council by appointment after hearing
presentations from six candidates.
Speaking at the meeting, which
was held in Blyth, were Gerald Kerr,
a former councillor; Helen Grubb, a
former clerk-administrator; George
Reinink, a former PUC
commissioner; Dave Pattison; Doug
Scrimgeour, a former councillor and
Edgar Daer. John Cronyn, who had
also submitted his name, was not
present.
Each explained their reasons for
seeking the position of councillor,
vacated by Ralph DeVries for
professional reasons.
Following the comments, reeve
Doug Layton said there were three
options for council - to choose one
of the candidates, to defer their
decision or to call for a bi-election in
the Ward of Blyth.
Clerk-administrator John Stewart
said that to call an election, council
would have to rescind their earlier
motion, then pass another. Due to
provincial legislation the soonest the
election could be held would be
Aug. 30.
Cost would be about $500 for
advertising and $500 in office time.
The current nominations would
stand unless someone withdraws.
Councillor Murray Nesbitt made
the motion stating he felt, that the
number of candidates warrants a bi-
election. It was seconded by
councillor Arnold Taylor, who stated
it was "only fair to ask the people of
the Blyth ward to make a choice."
Deputy-reeve Murray Scott said
that "by and large I endorse that
statement and firmly believe the
people of Blyth should have the
opportunity to choose their
councillors."
When the motion passed Layton
urged all the candidates to "stay on
board with this."
Pattison applauded council's
decision saying "I think you did the
right thing."
Those eligible to vote must be a
residents of Blyth, landowners or
spouses of a landowners.
"A community that has this kind
of centre begins to gather people it
did not have before," said Ralph
Laviolette, Huron East business
growth and economic development
officer and representative of the
Huron East Chamber of Com-
merce.
Anyone interested in becoming
part of a project to restore Logan's
Mill is invited to contact Laviolette
at (519) 527-0305 or e-mail
edo@huroneast.com
Pg. 3
Pg. 7 Optimists donate to
Brussels Fall Fair
First Kindermusik
grads
P g. 2 New benches for
Blyth's main street
Pg
. 1 A Handling today's
-1--1 stress
Locals lose hair for Pg " a cause
Residents rally to revive Logan mill