HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-07-15, Page 7�13I \*PtV100 .102-101912 F4Iiiii3i40 - N 4040
Goderich Signal -Star, ti 'ednesday, July 15, 2009 - Page 7
Photo s real as hung boots
To the Editor; fm
I would like to add a comment about the
Volvo boys.
First, by saying they did a good job. The
front page picture of a few weeks back of
some of the employees standing in front of
the last assembled machine, in reality
shows only a small handful of Volvo
employees.
1 submit a picture reflecting what the
real mood of the majority of the Volvo
boys is. The picture shows the response of
the first few men to be done early Thursday,
June 25 as they walked out of the Volvo
plant for the last time. By the end of the
day, the fence held 20 times as many
boots, hats and lunch bags, never to be
used again.
• I can assure everyone there were no
smiles, no thumbs up or waving arms or
victory signs from these boys. No cameras
to catch the real mood as "the best grader
builders in the world" walked out of the
workplace where they gave love, sweat
and pride for many ears and in return got
written off and traded in for what Volvo
hopes will get them a better deal.
Brenda Wylds
Goderich
Photo submitted
Ken Davidson snapped a quick photo as the last line of Volvo grader builders hung up their boots and headed home.
Assembly at the Maitland Road facility concluded Thursday, June 25.
Writer says Parsons may be extended to Mitchell Street
To the Editor;
As a result of an email, I went to the
Maitland Woods Urban Forest to docu-
ment the existence of the rare species
for the area blue-eyed grass. I continue
to add to my ever-increasing species
list of life that make up the fabric of
Maitland Woods Urban Forest and Part
4 a dedicated wetland..
Yes, the specie blue eyed grass is
present. Late one morning I was on the
east side around the area of. the open
land part 5 when I heard voices. There
were six people digging holes at the
edge of the tree line part 5, Parsons
Court extension.
Letters
opinion
I identified myself .and was
approached by the party chief and
made the usual introductions. We were
both doing investigative research, I
above grade and they below, on an
approved archeological dig. I allowed
that they were in the wrong spot as I
found evidence out in the field after
the land had been prepared for seed-.
ing. I asked who they were doing the
investigation for and they declined
comment.
I took a picture of the company van
and put things in perspective. They
were digging in the southwest corner
where no road or stormwater facility
was to go. The minister of the environ-
ment has issued a go ahead for ,the
extension of Parsons Court through the
fields and the sensitive wetlands that
has fresh water flowing through it. The
approval does not specify the length of
the road.
I find out the name of the company,
who hired the heritage consultants, but
also that Parsons Court may be extend-
ed right through Maitland Woods
Urban Forest to connect up with'
Mitchell Street. No need for more
approvals or environmental assess-
ments.
This information explains the letter I
recently received from a consulting
firm that the town staff has taken con-
trol of Parsons Court extension and the
stormwater facility project. The letter
stated that "all public concerns will be
directed to and taken care of by town
staff."
So there you have the latest.
Somebody's sites are not very secure.
Sincerely,
John Hazlitt
. Goderich
Lakeshore residents willing to work for improvements
To the Editor;
As the weather warms up and visitors
return to the beaches of Lake Huron
they do so with some unfortunate
news.
None of the beaches of Huron that
applied for Blue Flag status, two in
Goderich and the beach in Bayfield,
achieved that status. The 2008 water
quality testing results indicated they
exceeded the standard for e -coli con-
tamination too frequently.
These beaches failed to make stan-
dard even though there have been major
investments over a number of years to
eliminate urban sewage system dis-
charges in these communities.
Rigorous scientific DNA testing con-
ducted over a period of years for e -coli
contamination in the Eighteen Mile
Letters
opinion
River and adjacent waters of the lake at
Ashfield Park by the University of
Guelph and the provincial Ministry of
the Environment, has conclusively
determined that the major cause of said
pollution and accompanying pathogens
are largely a result of livestock waste
entering the natural watercourses. To
quote one scientist: "We don't need any
more studies. What we need now is
action!"
To that end, the Ashfield Colborne
Lakeshore Association, the Bluewater
Shoreline Residents' Association,
.Friends of the Bayfield River and the
Bayfield Ratepayers Association, have
banded together to invite the Lake
Huron shoreline municipal councils
and the Conservation Authorities to
meet with them to develop a joint strat-
egy to approach the appropriate provin-
cial cabinet ministers this fall to request
provincial investment in the 2010 and
2011 budgets to develop the on-farm
infrastructure needed to clean up our
beaches.
Lakeshore residents in cooperation
with the county and others have devel-
oped and implemented stewardship and
septic inspection programs for their
own facilities. It is now time to move
inland but we recognize that external
assistance is needed in order to enable
individual farm owners to make the
improvements needed. We are prepared
to work with them to gain this assis-
tance.-
Infrastructure
ssis-
tance.Infrastructure is more than roads and
bridges. In the face of climate change it
means investment in different on-farm
storm water management practices, for
instance, to protect everyone's interest
as just one example.
We have seen a lot of manufacturing
jobs leave Huron. Our two key remain-
ing core businesses are agriculture and
tourism and they have a common
investment need if either is to flourish
in the long term.
We look forward to working with
elected officials, locally and provin-
cially, and with affected local organiza-
tions and individuals to make that
investment a reality.
Sincerely
Mike McElhone ACLA