HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times-Advocate, 2002-11-13, Page 13Council disregarding
wishes of local residents
Dear Editor:
It would appear that town council (the
Corporation of the Municipality of South Huron), in
its infinite wisdom, has fallen prey to the lure of
the commercial dollar and chosen to disregard the
wishes of local residents, its own zoning and offi-
cial plan policies, local planning consultant recom-
mendations, the safety and welfare of our children,
the solemnity and peacefulness of its residential
neighbourhoods, and, for all I know, maybe its own
lawyers.
For the many residents of this municipality who
are not up to date on the latest happening in the
pursuit of progress, town council at a special meet-
ing Oct. 17 (no decision was made at the open
meeting Oct. 15, when the documentation was pre-
sented, and to which the writer to his knowledge
was not made aware of) decided “to go ahead with
the Queen’s Park parking lot”. This project involves
tearing up green space on the east side of
McConnell Street north of Alexander Street which
abuts and is part of Queen’s Park (ostensibly land
donated to the town for use as a park). Queen’s
Park has a ball diamond best suited for “tee-ball”
sized players and a child’s play area close to
McConnell Street. This green space will be torn up
and replaced with a graveled surface to create 10
angular parking spaces. “The purpose of expand-
ing off-street parking at Queen’s Park is to provide
space for patrons of the ball diamond and to allevi-
ate on-street parking problems...The cost of the
new parking area, as well as improvements to
Queen’s Park is being paid for by Tim Hortons”
(Mr. Larry Brown, Sept. 18). The rest of the busi-
ness community take note - would it not be nice if
the town provided parking space for your employ-
ees and the only cost would be the initial cost of
installation - no taxes, maintenance, snow-plowing,
legal liability? All you really need is a parking
problem, a park, and a few dollars.
In a survey of area residents, 87.5 per cent
agreed in a petition that they:
1. Object to businesses using McConnell St. and
or Queen’s Park as a parking area for their
employees and customers.
2. Propose a bylaw be placed for McConnell St.
between Alexander and Thames St. to identify
street as a “no truck route” zone.
3. Object to construction of parking facilities in
Queen’s Park.
It appears democracy rules only when it agrees
with the rulers. My most gracious thanks to all of
you, the neighbours, who supported the cause and
gave the encouragement and energy to go beyond
the initial, but fruitless attempts at early interven-
tion directly with the parties concerned. If not for
your support, the writer might well have surren-
dered at the first rebuffs and non-responsive atti-
tudes that were received.
The town zoning by-law (S.3.14.8 b) states that
required commercial parking that cannot be pro-
vided on the same lot, may be located within 150 m
in the same zone. The official plan places an oblig-
ation on the municipality to locate business park-
ing in the same zone and not in a residential or
open space area.
And, the writer supposes that since the local
planning consultant engaged to review the propos-
al was not more than 25 miles from home, it is not
considered “an expert opinion.”
The writer realizes all of us have the obligation
and the responsibility to supervise, oversee, and
anticipate the spontaneous reactions and quick
movements of our young. When we attend a child’s
playground or lounge in a park setting that is
encroached upon by highway commercial activity,
evidently it becomes increasingly necessary to
maintain the same diligence and vigilance that we
may be expected when crossing the busiest thor-
oughfares. Open space and residential areas are
not meant for humongous trucks barreling around
street corners, sliding through, spewing hydrocar-
bons, and (thank you Mayor Morley for pointing
this out) “noisy trucks” disturbing the quality of life
our residential areas wish to enjoy, be it day-time
or evening.
And, as for turn McConnell into a permanent ‘no
truck’ zone, then every street in Exeter would
demand the same treatment. “Then we might as
well shut down the down,” Coun. Pete Armstrong
said. (Exeter Times-Advocate, Oct. 30) The council-
lor should visit the many thriving municipalities
that have all-inclusive ‘No Truck’ zones in their
residential areas. Is it possibly because their lead-
ers give a little more than lip service to their zon-
ing bylaws and official plans? And, please note,
municipal staff can provide council with the neces-
sary documentation to show that there is clarity in
properly worded “No Truck zone’ bylaws to differ-
entiate between “furniture moving vans” and tran-
sient traffic.
Unless there is a motion to reconsider at the next
council meeting made by a councillor voting in
favour of the proposal, this is a “done deal”. In
today’s world, one of the key phrases that often
arises is “due diligence”. The first accident or
fatality may answer the question, and, I would
expect at a cost far higher than 10 parking spaces.
The writer was asked by Coun. Ken Oke if there
would be an objection “to the proposed Queen’s
Park parking lot if it was just for people who use
the park”. In truth, the writer would prefer to not
see the parking lot created for any purpose - there
already exists parallel parking on the park side of
the street for a half dozen cars for park partici-
pants. Historically, the writer’s recollection is that
these spaces have not been used by the majority of
park users, and, unless the driving age is signifi-
cantly reduced, there is little to suggest that the
future will be much different. (My understanding of
the proposed parking arrangement would elimi-
nate these spaces.)
However, as a parking note, the writer suggests
that the town could demonstrate their true intent
for this parking lot by simply posting and enforcing
a “Parking for Park Use Only” sign.
Winter and winter weather will be soon upon us;
but, next spring, the writer invites the residents of
South Huron to “take a stroll” to Queen’s park and
see the results of council’s actions. It may be a har-
binger of things to come for you, too. And maybe
an update come election time would not be a bad
idea either!
LUCIO ODORICO
Resident of McConnell Avenue
Interested in geneology?
Dear Editor:
My grandfather lists his birthplace as Exeter,
Ontario. His name was John William Pomeroy and
he was born June 24, 1877.
Would you be so kind as to give this message to
someone in your fine city who is interested in gene-
ology? Perhaps I could then correspond and find
out more about my ancestor. I am writing to you
because of the wonderful response and information
I got from your nearby editor Bill Gladings over in
Tavistock.
Thank you for any help you might render.
DICK KLOUBEC,
Fargo, N.D., U.S.A.
6 Wednesday, November 13, 2002Exeter Times–Advocate
Opinion&Forum &News
Panther Profile
EXETER — A Pops Concert will be put on by
SHDHS’s Senior and Intermediate Concert bands as
well as the Red Jazz and Black Jazz bands Nov. 17.
A free-will offering will support the music
department. The concert will be in the large gym at
2 p.m. All are welcome to attend this entertaining
performance. An arts program called “Shakespeare
on Wheels” will be taking place for selected Music,
Drama, and Visual Art students
Nov. 19-20 in Stratford.
On Nov. 21 at 9 a.m., there will
be a drug awareness assembly in
the large gym of SHDHS. The pro-
gram is entitled “Know the
Score”. Parents and members of
the community are welcome to
attend to hear Julian Madigan
speak on the issue of drug abuse.
There will also be a presentation
just for parents with the speaker
Nov. 20 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at
the Clinton Town Hall. Phone
482-3416 to register.
This month, students planning to apply to univer-
sity or college this year will be doing an on-line
applications tutorial.
Graduation Photo Week is Nov. 25-29. Further
information and sign-up sheets are in the main
office.
SHDHS will host the South Region Volleyball
tournament for Elementary schools Fri., Nov. 15.
Students who had picture retakes done can pick
up their picture package in the office. Student
Cards may be picked up in the office as well.
Coming events:
Nov. 13 — Girls Basketball - Huron Final
— CIP/VIP Day in Kitchener
at Conestoga College
Nov. 15 — Boys Volleyball: WOSSAA
— Girls Basketball: Huron-Perth Final
— University presentation: Laurentian 9 a.m.
— SHDHS host South Region Volleyball
tournament
Nov. 17 — Pops Concert - large gym at 2 p.m.
Nov. 19 — Student Health Clinic - 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Nov. 19-20 — Shakespeare on Wheels
in Stratford
Nov. 20 — College Presentation: Canadian Forces
at 10:20 a.m.
Nov. 21— Drug Awareness Assembly
9-10:15 a.m. in large gym
Nov. 25 to 29 — Grad Photo Week
Teen corner
Don't Drop the Torch
Personally, I think Remembrance Day hit
home more than ever for a lot of people this
year. This year, more than ever, we have a
little something to relate to. As the war
machine begins to gather strength again in
our own society, we are beginning to taste a
little bit of that fear, resurfacing a little more
than a decade after we had thought, in the
Western world, to have put it to rest.
As teenagers growing up in a relatively
peaceful society, it is impossible to grasp
what veterans of all those wars remember.
We do not fear real crisis, having our family
broken by having our loved ones killed in
battle. We do not fear that siren, the one
that goes off while you are at school and you
all instinctively have to dive under your
desks in order to survive an impending blast.
We don't know what it's like
to be sitting hundreds of miles
away from home, looking at
pictures of our loved ones and
fearing that those pictures will
be the last time we ever see
them. We can't see our ene-
mies shooting at us. We don't
hear the sounds of the bombs
dropping, see the eerie glow of
blasts on the horizon, hear the
screams, or know what it's
like to be willing to die for the
sake of someone else's future,
for our country's future, or for freedom.
We don't fear these things, because those
veterans fought fear for us. They stared Fear
itself in its ugly face and told it that it would
never win. The courage of all of the soldiers,
fighting in all of the wars, were stronger than
Fear itself.
Unfortunately, it seems that Fear didn't
give up, but rather skulked away and mor-
phed into a new form. Its strength has
diminished, its effect is not immediate, but it
still lurks in the shadows of the hearts of
men. It has become hate. It lurks behind
every gun, every terrorist attack, every act of
violence due to racism, sexism, any "ism". It
lurks in our schools, on our streets. We run
into it every day, see it on the news, hear
people talk about it at school, and it confuses
us, forcing us to take sides, to hate others. It
happens to all of us, each and every one of
us. Even those we look up to.
No, thanks to our heroes, Fear does not
stalk us in the form of death, and we have a
much better world to live in. However, the
torch is passed on to us. It is now our fight,
and there is no age limit for enlistment. It
shouldn't be each other that we are fighting.
Our real enemy has always been Fear. Fear
governed every conflict that has occurred in
history. The fear of anyone different, the
fear of conquest, the fear of losing power,
and the fear both sides always had for each
other. They were all there. The battle still
rages in many forms within each and every
person inhabiting the planet. When will you
stand up and fight?
JENN
BAKER
TEEN CORNER
BETH
HUNDEY
PANTHER
PROFILE
Editorial/opinion pages 11/12/02 10:46 AM Page 3