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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-04-29, Page 17Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - Page A17 Time is nigh for Christian Heritage seat Cheryl Heath sun media Jim Hnatiuk believes the House of Commons has room for the Christian Heritage Party. The Nova Scotia -based leader of the party, which was fomied.in 1986, is on a cross-country informational tour, designed to promote how the CHP has a place in the Gov- ernment of Canada. Though the CHP has yet to run a candidate that wins a riding, Hnatiuk believes the time is nigh. Pointing to the CHP's strong pro-life and anti -big gov- ernment stance, Hnatiuk says his party is different than any other. And more importantly, he says, the CHP allows its can- didates to openly espouse their beliefs while other main- stream parties shy away from the practice. "We call ourselves the right conservatives because the Conservatives are beginning to move left in order to win a majority government," he says. Pressure to toe the party line is another reason Hnatiuk believes in the CHR He points to government subsidies for political parties that meet set criteria as an example of an imbalance in the nation's political structure. "The difficulty is larger political parties have political subsidies," he says, noting parties must capture two per cent of the popular vote while fielding 308 candidates in order to qualify, which is a difficult feat for new and fledg- ling parties. "Where is the' fairness?" asks Hnatiuk, suggesting the time has come to do away with the subsidies. Hnatiuk first became involved in the CHP around 2000, when he found himself becoming more interested in poli- tics and how government works. A former naval -electron- ics technician, Hnatiuk, the father of two adult children, grandfather of three, and husband' of 35 years to wife, El- len, pondered creating his own faith -based political party. Then he came across the CHP on the Internet. "The more I looked and talked to people, the more I wanted to know," he says. Since then, Hnatiuk became an active member and in 2008, was elected as party leader. That reality is a full-time job for Hnatiuk who has been touring various parts of the nation in his quest to boost support for the CHP. "There are good men and women who want to speak their convictions but they don't have a party to back them," he says. He notes public support for the CHP was overwhelming initially but the Reform Party, which was created around the same time, drew in many of those supporters. One of the CHP's pillars that he truly appreciates is its commitment to family, including a policy that would see See HNATIUK, Page 36 ACW Township approves budget Denny Scott signal -star staff Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Township Council approved their operating budget for the following year, and the price -tag for keeping the area afloat is $2,610,175, Notable expenditures are mostly building and road repairs for the township. Council approved roadwork that will see many roads repaved or resurfaced, as well as repairing or replacing many bridges. They passed the entire budget during a regular council meeting on April 21. Lanesville Line, Maryanne Street and Henry Street in St. Helens, Belfast Road Partial, Horizon View Road and Brindley's Beach Road are all slated to see reconstruc- tion this year, with a price tag of $375,000 for the entire package. Huron Sands Road will be repaved with a final estimate of $125,000; and Zion Road, between Highway 21 and Kintail line will be resurfaced, costing $210,000. Big ticket items for the township include a tandem truck with plow equipment, which has had $220,000 budgeted for it, as well as a tractor with loader and roadside disc mower, coming in at $85,000 and $15,000 respectively. Council passed a resolution to puri ,lase the tandem truck during their last meeting. Drainage, a hot -topic issue during recent council meetings, has also been forecasted for the coming year. The Port Albert Drain- age system will be reviewed for future ac- tion at a cost of $30,000. Maitlandview and Century Heights, two areas plagued by leaky basements due to rising water levels, will'see extensions added to their storm sewers to help alleviate some of the flooding problems. The extension will cost $30,000 as well. Adminstrator/Clerk-Treasurer Mark Becker explained that, due to increased land assessments in the area, ACW only raised their tax levy one percent from 2008. The tax levy is the amount of money the town- ship needs to collect, not the amount of taxa- tion on individual residents. Council needed to raise an additional $25,845 to meet their new levy. Becker explained that an average home, assessed at $100,000 in 2008, would experi- ence a near ten -percent increase in property value, and be assessed at $110,000 in 2009. The amount of taxes paid to the township for that home would be approximately. $449 in 2008, and $462 in x.009, an increase of $13 dollars. Tax rates and assessments have an inverse correlation; when assessments get higher, taxes will level out or drop, as the local gov- ernment will be recieving more due to the assessments. If assessments get lower, gov- ernments need to raise taxes to make up for the change. Other big-ticket items for the budget in- clude the replacement of the bridge on River Mill Line, costing an estimated $306,900, and a scale and building for the landfill de- partment ($120,000). Photo by Cheryl Heath Jim Hnatiuk, leader of the Christian Heritage Party, was in Huron County last week as part of a cross-coun- try tour. LUBE - OIL - FILTER All Gas Powered Cars and Light Trucks 3300 Plus Tax Includes: EHE (Environmental handling charge), up to 5L of oil, Fluid Top Ups, Exterior Car Wash. No Disposal Fees. Shuttle Service, McGEE Motors Ltd. 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Tobe eligible for the eco Energy rebates you must first get an Energy audit completed on your home by a Natural Resources Canada energy advisor. The advisor does a test on the house and does the paperwork to record your eligibility for the rebates. More information is at http://oee.nrc an.gc.ca/residential j pe sonal/grants.cfm?attr=4" It's not Complicated and they are giving away sortie big bucks. The province is now matching these amounts dollar for dollar. For instance; even if you already have: igh efficiency furnace, and you t eco it with one t. at is more efficient arid` fas.a'brushless DC motor forart; installed price of about $3300.00, you back $1300.00. You can also get rioney back for upgrading too more efficientair oncitioner, or upgrading windows, in tiori~.low flush bets and more. Of course, if your old furnace isf't i ugh efficiency, you get even more money, he best patt is that sortie of thesesame upgrades qualify for more rtes bn top of th0Seof the eco energy program. These ones are eat ase they 't require an energy audit. e've Got the Answer.-- The Cool Savings rebate applies to upgrading furnaces and air conditioners through participating contractors until December 31, 2009. You can get up to $5.54.00. More information is available at http://everykto wattcounts ca/residentiat/coolsavings/ York has rebates up to $1700.00 on Furnaces, Air condi- tioners and Heat Pumps until June 15, 2009. The Home Renovation Tax Credit applies to qualifying upgrades done to your house before Feb 1, 2010. More information is at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca%hrt% A tax credit of up to $1350.00 is available. Smart homeowners are currently acting on these incen- tives while the programs are still in effect. There are already people in the Clinton area that have: received several thousand dollars in combined rebates. lfyour furnace is 15. years old and your' central air is 10 years old or older. you snould be thinking of upgrading this year. There are furnaces and air conditioners: now that can eventually pay for themselves in electricity savings alone. The rebates just make it easier.•l'II;give you one more tip tk�an;energy audit now. lrs a busy year for the energy advisors and you need to get on their list. There are local Energy advisors available: Call us for names if you like. And don't wait for the furnace to comic out. The old equipmentYls to be in place forth en-` ergy audit, The best way to s�°rs by calling US. Ill show you what you qualify for, give►youa free quote and you can then decide if an.upgrade would be in your favour. Cali .Jeff at Wise Energy ryl t£