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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2006-09-28, Page 1A magical turn The damp cool weather didn't deter little ones from enjoying the midway at the Brussels Fall Fair, Sept. 20. Twin brothers Ben, left and Teddy Jacklin take a spin on one of the popular rides for little ones. (Vicky Bremner photo) Wet, cool weather doesn't dampen enthusiasm at fair NH NORTH HURCiN PUBLISHING COMPANY INC. Inside this week Pg 4 Trustees get 50% . u raise P pg. Q Lakers perform well 0 at tournament „, i Brussels Fall Fair g. Li results begin McGavins return Pg. 16 from ipm n ler, Still time to catch rg• k I `Heartstrings' The Citizen Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 22 No. 38 Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006 $1 (94c + 6c GST) Plant plans move ahead Plans for a new beef processing and packing plant near Brussels continue to move forward. The Project Steering Committee mef - recently to examine progress to date and determine-the next _steps needed to make the venture a reality. The committeeis made up of local industry, municipal and . economic development leaders from this Midwestern Ontario -community located in the heart of beef country. This. past year, it commissioned a series of reports looking at emerging export opportunities for Canadian beef. Results to date have been promising, with several "hotspots" identified, including Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Mexico. "The key to making this thing work," says Joe Seili, mayor of Huron East, "is to produce a high quality product that suits the exact specifications of what the market is looking for. Buyers in these countries want to know exactly where their meat is coming from - how the animal is. fed, how it is slaughtered, and the types of specialty cuts that can be made-to- order." Others agree. In August, trade representatives from Canada and Southeast Asia met in Hong Kong to discuss opportunities in Canada's agri-food sector as part of the Junior Team Canada Trade Mission. Front and centre during these discussions was the Brussels beef plant. "With so much attention given to the U.S. market during the BSE crisis, we forget that other regions of the -world are interested in what Canada has to offer," says Paul Nichol of the Huron Business Development Corporation, one of inc Trade Mission sponsors. "Hong Kong and Southeast Asia are among the fastest growing markets in the Continued on page 16 It was wet and cool for the 2006 Brussels Fall Fair but the weather didn't seem to dampen the spirits of those who attended. In a departure from tradition the opening ceremonies took place in the auditorium at the BMG Centre rather than on the arena floor. The change appeared to please the audience with a good crowd listening to the fiddle music after the, fair was formally opened by Alyssa Gowing, this year's Ambassador of the Fair. Students from Brussels and Grey Central schools arrived early the next day to take part in a special school program, which inc)pcled everything from . fire' safety to log sawing. The later proved to be very popular with students as they returned several times during the day to test their speed with the two- handed saw. Students were also introduced to the art of pumpkin bowling. This taught two lessons in physics - irregular shaped objects won't role straight no matter what you do, and rapidly decelerating a pumpkin onto a concrete floor produces a mess you have to clean up. Participants seemed to find both--lessons equally fascinating. The parade was held despite an intermittent rain, which as luck would have it' stopped about the same time the- parade finished. In keeping with tradition the parade moved off behind a Brussels firetruck closely followed by the Brussels Pipe Band, who were undeterred by the wet and cool weather. The Fair Ambassador a!so braved the weather skipping the usual chauffeured drive to ride her horse the length of the parade route. The new fair layout; which provided more space for several of the sections, proved its worth with entries up in several areas: Baking had more than 50 pies entered for judging and over 200 entries in all. Canning, crafts and photography also provided a strong showing with over 150 entries judged in each of the areas. Despite concerns that this year's Heavy hearts, sadness, anger and tears were the feelings among the more than 300 parishioners who packed the St. Augustine Catholic Church on Sunday, Sept. 24 for the final mass and closing ceremony. Bishop Ronald Fabbro, Father John Jasica, Father Paul Mooney and Deacon, Rev. Brian McDonald presided. Marie Boyle and family and the Stapleton Sisters provided the music. - weather might have caused gardens to, peak earlier than usual flowers, fruits and vegetables all had excellent showings with significant increases in participation. The Brussels Belgrave 4-H Beef Club was out in force and a number of younger participants worked on their showmanship with both calves and sheep during the Little Tykes portion of the program. "The enthusiasm, organization and large number of entries proves that the fair is a vibrant and important part of our community," said David Blaney, president of the Brussels Agricultural Society. "All of the volunteers should be congratulated for their dedication and hard work without which this fair could not take place." Commentator Teresa Hickey welcomed everyone. Corrine (Redmond) Cline gave a brief history of the church while a video presentation took place for all to, view. First reading was read by Rosemary (Foran) Martin and second reading by Dr. Ann Boyle. Neil Stapleton and Gordon Kinahan read the prayers of the faithful. Dave and Mike Franken collected The Brussels dam rejuvenation project, spearheaded by .the local Optimist Club has gotten a big boost lately with the announcement of Trillium grant funding. In addition to the Optimists, involvement in the project is coming from the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority, the Municipality of Huron East, the Brussels Lions Club, PUC Hydro Trust Fund, Brussels Horticultural Society, Majestic Women's Institute, the Knights of Columbus and a number of other interested groups. A joint submission was made to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for money to improve the safety, accessibility of park amenities, beautification of grounds and to encourage greater recreational use by local residents. A number of improvements are planned. Among them are the replacement of bridge rails and the installation of a concrete access rampt to the dam and boat launch. Paved walkways through the conservation area will be designed, the existing picnic shelter will be repaired and a new accessible washroom and picnic shelter area are to be built. Aesthetically, there will be a memorial butterfly garden developed and improvements to landscaped areas. The barriers around the park will also be improved. The total cost of the project is $119,970. The Trillium funding is $35,800. The total assigned funds is $86,800 with another $20,000 pledged. This leaves $13,170 to be. raised. Members of the community can contribute to the . project by purchasing a memorial name plaque to be displayed in the butterfly garden. The cost is $100. Donations can also be directed towards park equipment like picnic tables and benches. Contact Gerry Wheeler or Jeff Newell for more information. the offertory. Gift bearers were Mary Anne Boyle, Heather Boyle, Connie Black and Marian Hallahan. As the Mass came to an end, the congregation slowly walked outside, the doors were closed and a final blessing took place signifying the building was no longer a church. St. Augustine was a small parish in the country, but had a reputation of great community spirit. Many Continued on page 18 Brussels project gets Trillium funding Doors close on St. Augustine