HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2004-10-07, Page 1NH may
ban
pitbulls
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
NORTH HURON PUBLISHING COMPANY INC
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Volume 20 No. 39 Thursday, Oct. 7, 2004
$1 (93c + 7c GST)
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
When next season arrives, Blyth
Festival hopes to be welcoming
visitors to the village with flowers.
At the North Huron council
meeting, Monday night, Karen
Stewart, marketing director, and
Annie Sparling, board member.
explained the Festival's plan for a
landscape sign at the north-west
corner of London and Blyth Roads.
The words, Blyth Festival,
Canadian Theatre will be done in
220 winter gem boxwoods. "We
chose Canadian Theatre because we
wanted to capitalize on what makes
us different than other theatres," said
Sparling.
Between the two rows will be a
rock garden with assorted flowers
and ornamental grasses.
Sparling said each letter will be
four feet high and three feet wide.
The entire length of the sign is 68
feet.
"This is the way to highlight the
best. It is a sign that will do the
theatre justice. It's a way to advertise
the theatre and it beautifies the area."
Stewart said that the Festival
would pay for the four light fixtures,
but asked council to consider
covering the on-going cost of hydro.
As well they asked for use of the
property for the sign.
She explained that the Festival
will be fundraising for the project,
which is- budgetted, without the
lights at $13,082.40. Lights are
expected to cost an additional $400-
$500 each.
The Festival will also see to the
maintenance of the sign.
Stewart added that it is hoped the
area will be ready this spring to
welcome visitors to Blyth:
Sparling said the sign will be
visible in the winter. She noted as
well that the board "feels confident
Festival members will enjoy being
part of this project."
By Elyse DeBruyn
Citizen staff
Huron East council was under fire
from about 140 Grey ward residents
who expressed their concerns
regarding their place in the
municipality.
The meeting, held Sept. 28 at
Ethel Hall, saw angry and concerned
residents stating they felt neglected
by the municipality and treated
unfairly in comparison to other
wards in the municipality.
Although most residents, along
with Huron East council, thought de-
amalgamation is the absolute last
solution, some felt it would be the
answer to their problems.
Another concern addressed was
appropriate funding throughout the
municipality and whether Grey is
getting its fair share.
Mayor Joe Seili said since the
amalgamation three and a half years
ago, council has "treated everyone
fairly."
Deputy-mayor Bernie MacLellan
said anything that is left from the
reserves account is put into the trust
accounts, which is "always spent on
wards that the money was raised in."
He said only council . as a whole
can turn down a grant application
from a ward "if it looks to be unfair."
For example, having a program
such as ballet at an arena in one
township would be a "burden to the
rest of the taxpayers"- in the
remainder of the municipality since
they would have no use for it.
MacLellan also said that
community funding has been
"brutally hit in the last five years
because of government assessment."
"We have no say in whatever they
(government) do," he said.
Councillor Alvin McLellan said
people wondered if they were
making the right decision to
amalgamate and if it should even be
done.
"Although it's not perfect, we
have certainly done our best."
MacLellan said council is trying to
save money wherever they can for
example, with area fire. departments.
"Most fire departments in the area
use the equipment until the very
end," said MacLellan.
He pointed out that this year, Grey
Twp. got a pumper, but next year,
who knows where the equipment
funding might go and what it could
possibly be spent on,.
MacLellan also said council is on
a 24-hotr notice for drainage funds,
but Huron East is "not the only
municipality in the province trying
to get this grant."
"We're trying the best we can, but.
we aren't making any headway with
it."
Councillor Mark Beaven had three
concerns to address.
The first was economic
development. Citizens, he said, had
a number of "legitimate concerns" at
a previous meeting, asking why
Grey should pay for economic
develop officer, Ralph Laviolette.
"A year Cr so ago, we all wanted
the same thing, new business. So
why not get someone to attract new
business," said Beaven. "Attracting
new business is a small part of what
Ralph does and Grey Twp. benefits
from this."
His second concern was day care
in the municipality and wondered
should Grey taxpayers pay for
daycare in the south part of the
municipality when they don't use it.
"This is my number one concern.
It isn't fair," said Beaven. "I'm
opposed to the municipality running
and operating a day care. Tax dollars
are going -to the south part of the
municipality and we don't have one
(day care) here. I need your help to
convince council to change-that."
Finally, Beaven's third concern
was that Grey was losing its identity.
"I don't have the magic answer to
that. How do we make anew identity
for Huron East," said Beaven. "It's a
two way street that we have to
realize and accept the challenge. We
as residents of Grey need to accept
that challenge."
Ratepayer Dianne Diehl said, in
regards to Grey losing its identity,
"there isn't a damn thing on the
Huron East website about Grey."
Seili said the reason is because no
one from Grey Twp. submitted
anything for it.
Colleen Stewart pointed out that
on the Huron East brochure, there
are no roads on the map that lead to
Grey.
"We're not on the map," said
Diehl. "That's why we're here
tonight."
Beaven said that was something
he "didn't know about.
"That's why people here should
tell us now so that Alvin and I know
Continued on page 6
With the media reports of recent dog
attacks in the province, North Huron
council decided at its Monday night
meeting to take another look at its
animal control bylaw.
Clerk-administrator John Stewart
said reeve Doug Layton, who was
attending a conference Monday, had
asked him to put the topic on the
agenda. The question was whether
council wanted to pursue the banning
of certain breeds, most notably
pitbulls, in the township.
Currently there is a section in the
bylaw that deals with dogs deemed
vicious. "It's a very good section. But
the problem is for a dog to be declared
'vicious it gets first bite. If it's a serious
one, it's kind of closing the barn door
after the horse is out," said Stewart.
The cost to register a pitbull, at
$100, is higher than" for a normal dog.
Deputy-clerk Kathy Adams said that
presently there is one registerer pitbull
in North Huron. However, if a vet will
put his name on the line to say that a
dog is a Staffordshire terrier, which is
essentially a pitbull, then they pay the
normal fee.
Stewart noted that if a ban was put
in place, it would probably have to be
grandfathered, meaning that any
registered pitbull would be allowed to
remain.
Stating his conviction that he would
like to see a ban, he also said that if the
province is considering it, as the
media suggests, then a letter should be
sent to them supporting any move they
make to ban pitbulls.
"My greatest fear is you never know
when these dogs are going to turn, and
if it's a child then everyone's going to
ask why these dogs weren't banned,"
said MacGowan.
Stewart also expressed concern that
people may bring dogs into North
Huron if other municipalities start to
ban them and North Huron doesn't.
When a comment was made about
other breeds of dogs that have
attacked people or small animals,
councillor Jim Campbell noted that
these can be covered in the vicious
dog portion of the bylaw. Pitbulls are
different, he said, because the first bite
is the worst bite.
Adams stated that should council
consider a ban, animal control officer
Bob Trick has asked that Staffordshire
terriers be included.
MacGowan made a motion that the
letter be sent to the solicitor general.
As well council will look at the bylaw
at the next meeting as well as a draft
bylaw to ban pitbulls, currently being
done in Perth East.
Open Mon.
The Citizen's Blyth office will he
open on Thanksgiving Monday. The
Brussels office will be closed,
however, items can be slipped under
the door for pickup at noon.
Deadline for advertising and
editorial copy at Blyth will also be at
noon.
Horsing around
It was a perfect autumn day to take in the beauty of nature on Sunday at the Wawanosh
Nature Centre's annual Fall Colour Tour. Visitors could relax and enjoy the season's best while
taking a horse-drawn wagon ride around the property. There were also guided walks and
children's activities. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Grey residents want answers