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The Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-08-12, Page 8Volunteers needed for annual Health and Harvest Festival Denny Scott signal -star staff The Goderich BIA is gearing up for its annual Health and Harvest Festival, and they are looking for volunteers. This year's festival, on Satur- day, September 19, has a theme of Multiculturalism, which provides ample opportunities for outside vendors, according to organiser Laura Wright. "We're hoping to get foods from outside of the area to demonstrate different cultures," Wright said. ` let people know what kind of (Mier tastes are out there" Wright said that with such a large un- dertaking, Page A8 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, August 12, 2009 WAWANOSH BY MOONLIGHT Join us for an evening hike at the Wawanosh Nature Centre • Wednesday, August 19 • 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. • Free Admission Please bring a flashlight Children must be accompanied by an adult. Wawanosh is located north of Auburn, east of County Rd. 22 For information visit www.mvca.on.ca or call the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority at 519 335-3557. AREFiILLYCOID R>ALLFACT N JOINTPRONPERTY OWNERSHI In recent years, Ca poses. In particular, it has wnership arrangement , Y: t f : t I, f ownership is not available iii Quebe state ote that t is sere are a variety of reasons for doing' • °Avoiding probate fees, which are levied by provincial governments on the assets of an estate; • Maintaining privacy, because assets passing as a right of survivorship will not become part of a public record, which is the case with assets in an estate; • Simplifying the estate plan, as assets that pass directly to the survivor are hot considered part of the estate; and, • Controlling estate expenses because many estate charges are levie• d on the assets passing through the estate. Along with these advantages, however there are also some potential risks that should be consid- ered as well. A key issue relates to whether the asset passing under the right of survivorship is to be considered part of the parent's estate when it is divided. For example, a parent might place a bond portfolio worth $60,000 into joint title with his son, while leaving a $100,000 stock portfolio in his estate, which is•to be divided equally among his four children. Should the son inherit $85,000 (bond portfolio of $60,000 plus $25,000 representing one- quarter share of stock portfolio) or $40,000 (one quarter of bond fund plus one quarter of stock portfolio)? According to recent Supreme Court decisions, it would appear that the simple existence of joint title assets passing from a parent to a child is no longer sufficient to ensure the right of survivor- ship. As a result, there is no guarantee the son will inherit the $85,000. Ultimately, the courts have maintained that evidence of the deceased's intention is of primary importance. There are also some other legal risks to consider with joint ownership. For instance: • A transfer of property into joint ownership generally means not only a loss of sole control over the property, but sometimes also the inability to make decisions relating to the property without the consent of the joint owner. • Assets held in a joint account may form part of creditor proceedings if one of the joint ac- count holders becomes insolvent or declares bankruptcy. • As illustrated above, there is the potential for conflict following the death of a parent. For example, if only one child is registered as a joint owner, there could be a dispute with other siblings or family members who believe they too should have a claim on the proceeds of the jointly held account. • If the account was transferred to a married adult child, and that person's marriage breaks down, the account may also be open to division with the spouse. Another important point to note is that a transfer to an adult child may trigger a capital gain/loss through the deemed disposition oftproportionate interest in the account, This could be particu- larly problematic if the property has apiated significantly. And some people find they have no cash available to pay for the tax that may be due on the disposition. In short, the issues surrounding joint accounts are extremely complex, from both taxation and perspectives. Anyone contemplating a change in ownership - either between spouses or an tsfer - should first seek legal and tax advice*, including input on alternative wardJo Erin I2n manacti 19-5 good help can be hard to find, and she is actively seeking both partici- pants and volunteers. The festival has been running for seven years, and making each year a new and unique experience for participants presents a new and unique challenge for organizers, Wright said. "I know that last year they had a scavenger hunt that led them to dif- ferent BIA member stores," Wright said. "So this year we're going to go with a quiz, where participants learn about the unique businesses Goderich has to offer." The event will feature fun for all ages with a children's station being run by local dance studios like Casablanca and Contemporary Steps. New additions this year include a car seat check, Fair Trade informa- tion, a skin health -check with an Ultra -Violet camera, and an elec- tronic waste [e -waste] depot "The [e -waste] depot is a new idea to help businesses get rid_ of old computers and technology an environmentally safe way," Wright said. "And the UV camera is really interesting, they take a picture and it highlights which areas of the skin have been damaged or affected by UV rays the most." Groups attending come from all sectors, including the Huron Coun- ty Health Unit, Abundant Health, Sound Therapy, St. John's Ambu- lance, The Alzheimer's Society, Alexandra and Marine General Hospital, and local farms. For more information, or to vol- unteer, visit the Goderich BIA web site at www.goderich.ca/bia/, or call 519-440-0871. Goderich says Count Me In to electricity conservation challenge Denny Scott signal -star staff It's time to tune in, tune out and ultimate- ly turn off Goderich! This year's Count Me In challenge has been issued to communi- ties across Ontario, and town council is an- swering the energy conservation call. A joint effort by the Ontario Power As- sociation, the Association of Municipali- ties of Ontario, the Independent Electricity System Operators, the Electricity Distrib- utors Association, and the City of Wood- stock, the event challenges participants to turn off as much power as possible on Au- gust 14, in hopes that they will do it every other day of the year. Goderich's environmental services tech- nologist Jennette Walker says there are many ways people can participate, but the important thing is they record their partici- pation. "There's two different prizes; one is the highest reduction percentage in a centre's Contemporary Steps Academy of Dance East St., Goderich 524-2226 mapril@rogers.com est.1996 Now accepting registrations for our fall programming. • Me & My Parent (ages 2 and 3) • Highland Dancing (ages 3 and up) • Ballet (ages 4 and up) • Contemporary (ages 9 and up) • Jazz (ages 5 and up) • Tap (ages 5 and up) • Hip Hop (ages 10 and up) Special combo classes available in ballet and jazz for ages 5 to 8 - one price to enjoy both types of dance. Beginner to advanced levels available. category," she said. "And the second is the number of participants that register." Individuals can register by going online to the Count me In Ontario Challenge at // www.countmeinontario.ca/, or by visiting town hall. The town has been busy hanging post- ers with lots of great ideas about how to save power. Walker pointed out some of the highlights. "Turning off lights, be it in a house or in an empty meeting room is one easy way, Getting rid of energy -guzzling appliances like old refrigerators, shutting off monitors when not using them, and computers when possible is great as well," she said. "Pools are also a big source of electrical usage, and by putting pumps on a timer, it can save electricity and money." Other suggestions Walker gives is to keep blinds closed to keep heat down, turning air conditioners off, using non- electrical means of entertainment and liv- ing, like barbecue, or outdoors activities, or by using one of Goderich's greatest re- sources; the beach. "We have a perfect site for people to have fun without using power," Walker said. "With the summer we've had, the beach hasn't been used as much as it has in past years, but its a perfect spot to go to save energy." Walker also reminds the community that the town will be participating, shutting off any unnecessary lights and appliances, however all town offices will be open. The challenge is held on the date of the North American blackout of 2003, which affected an estimated 55 million people throughout Ontario and Northeastern and Midwestern United States. At the time it occurred, it was one of the most wide- spread electrical blackout in history.