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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2006-04-06, Page 1Business is sweet Where does the Easter bunny do his shoppping? Debbie Busby, owner of Sweets N' Treats in Wingham has expanded her business, opening a store on Blyth's main street this week just in time for Easter. The new business is located on the south-west corner of Queen and Dinsley Streets in the former municipal office. In addition to Busby's homemade chocolate, the Sweets N' Treats offers a huge variety of items from gourmet foods to homemade gelato. (Bonnie Gropp photo) Sweet stuff comes to main street NORTH HURON PUBLISHING COMPANY INC Inside this week Pg• 2 Legion honours Optimists 3Pg Blyth Legion marks • anniversary 12 Kids collect for Pg. food bank P g.15 Money for farm plans announced Pg. 24 Blyth log cabin gets new roof e Citizen Volume 22 No. 14 ~F erv ng and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, April 6, 2006 $1 (93c + 7c GST) Sale of building sparks rumours By Heather Crawford Citizen staff The recent purchase_ of a long derelict building in Eirtissels has townspeople abuzz. The building is best known as the old Export Packers building between King and Market Streets on Tumberry. Rumours have been circulating that the building may be used for the Brussels library which is currently located in the Carnegie building on the corner of Turnberry and Morris. Huron East council has been meeting with people in the 'community to discuss moving the library to a new building since late last year but have not yet announced any decisions on whether the library will remain in its current location or move to a new building. According to Huron East, there is no reason for the speculation that the Export Packers building will be the new location for the library. "Council hasn't made any commitments to the building," treasurer-finance manager Brad - Knight said. "The building was purchased by someone. I don't know who it is or what it was purchased for but Huron East doesn't have any involvement in it!' 5 charged Five Howick residents, including three young offenders have been charged following a break-in on McDonald Line, Morris-Turnberry. OPP were contacted at approximately 11 p.m. March 29 about a break-in in progress at a residence. Upon arriving, they saw several people fleeing the scene. The area was contained and the OPP canine unit was called in. An 18-year-old male, an 18-year-old female and three 16-year-olds have been charged with break and enter with intent and trespass at night. Schools get cash injection By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen As part of what local school board officials have described as a "very exciting" and "very busy" month of March for education in Ontario, school councils across Huron and Perth Counties have received a small across-the-board cash injection, and can apply for further funds. At a regular meeting Tuesday, March 28, Avon Maitland District School Board education director Geoff Williams delivered a report entitled Recent Ministry Announcements, in which. brief details were provided about the so- called Ontario Parent Involvement Policy. in keeping with the ruling Liberals' stated goal of getting parents more involved in the direction taken by schools, elementary school councils —which are made up of parents and school administrators, and act as a liaison between the school and the board — have been provided with $500 each. According to Williams, there are "not a lot of guidelines" about how that money must be spent. However, additional funds were also made available — in the case of the Avon Maitland board, it's $13,000 to be spread among 54 elementary schools — directed specifically at recruiting new school council members. Schools must apply to the school board for a share of that money. And finally, $8,000 is coming 'to the Avon Maitland board "for the development and operation of a Parent Involvement Council," which would bring together representatives from school councils across the district. "I give credit to the government for following through on their commitment to recognize school councils," Williams said in an interview following the meeting. "Because (school councils) do important work." Also including in the Recent Ministry Announcements report is the introduction of a new Teacher Induction Prograni. For teachers starting their careers next September, each Ontario school board will receive funds for a formalized process- of orienting and mentoring, as well as replacing a "teacher test" — introduced by the previous Conservative government — with two teacher appraisals in the first two years of employment. Under the French as a Second Language Renewal initiative, the Avon Maitland board will receive $70,000 for supporting ongoing core French programming. The report noted further French-targeted money is also coming, and a group known as Canadian Parents For French — which has lobbied in the past for expansion of Avon Maitland French immersion programming beyond its Continued on page 6 By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor Owning her own business has been a pretty sweet deal for Debbie Busby. From her kitchen to a factory and retail store in Wingham, and now to the main street of Blyth, Busby's homemade chocolate has transformed a sideline into a livelihood. Busby was working full time in 1996 when the desire to put a back deck on her home prompted her to ponder ways in- which she might be able to make up a little extra cash. Driving through Exeter and spying Sugar and Spice she was struck with an idea. "I thought chocolate might be the answer. I had never made it before but I played around with it and did some research." She first began creating her treats in her kitchen and enjOyed her first "outing" at Halloween. "There are a lot of kids on my street so I gave out chocolate suckers. They were, I guess, a big hit." Hand-painted novelties were her specialty and self-promotion was done at craft shows, and wholesaling through two grocery stores. Business grew to the point that Busby had to relocate the business to the basement of her home. At the same time she expanded her line to include gift baskets, barks, clusters, sponge toffee and peanut brittle. Her chocolates were eventually being sold - in a chain of grocery stores, 60 in total. In November 1999, Busby quit her job and Sweets N' Treats became her career. Its continued success prompted yet another change in January 2005, when she moved to a warehouse in Wingham, then in July opened a retail store at that location. Busby's success wasn't measured simply by the business's growth, but also by her peers. In 2004 and 2005 she was selected entrepreneur of the year. In February of this year, Busby said she was approched by North Huron reeve Doug Layton with the idea of expanding her business into another township ward, Blyth. Busby said with the theatre bringing - people to the town in summer, she thought it would be a good balance with her Wingham store. "It's quiet in Wingham during the summer and from all I hear that's not what it's going to be like here." With the theatre crowd in mind, Busby has brought in more grab and carry items, such as pop, ice-cream bars, slushies, ice caps and gelato, which she makes on the premises. "I was thinking of things people might want that's quick during intermission." The gelato is low fat, with most varieties made with water so there's zero per cent fat, while she uses homogenized milk for the rest giving the product asix per cent fat -content. Regular ice-cream is about 14 per cent. There will be up to eight flavours in stock, which customers can have in a regular cone or in one of Busby's homemade waffle cones. She will also offer tubs of take home gelato in the near future. In addition to the huge variety of candies, chocolates and novelties, Sweets N' Treats also offers an assortment of gourmet foods, from salad dressings, fruits and dips to pancake mixes, drink mixes, and honey. Busby said they do custom gift baskets requiring about two or three days notice for small orders. The business also caters to large functions such as fundraisers, corporate gifts, weddings, birthdays, etc. "If we don't have what you want we can bring it in and are open to suggestions." Busby said the ideas for her hand- painted chocolates come from "my head and from my wonderful staff. Between us we come up with ideas and create." She is pleased with the reception she has received thus far in Blyth. "People have stopped to chat. Everyone has just been so welcoming." Oh, and for the record if anyone is wondering, Busby did get her new deck. "I just don't have any time now 40,0. to sit on it."