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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-09-28, Page 27101 Signal Star • Wednesday, September 28, 2011 unty department reflects on twister's aftermath THANK YOU! Maitland Valley Marina & Trailer Park and Maitland Inlet Marina eaters and residents for donating almost )00 to the United Way Goderich Relief Fund. titland Valley will match this with a $2,000 nation to the Torn of Goderich Relief Fund (matched 2:1 by the province) Thank you from the Peever family for upporting our Prettiest Town in Canada! RBC Royal Bank" 13( You mean a lot to us. For over t00 years, RBC Royal Bank has been proud to call Goderich home. the Goderich Branch is now open for regular business hours and RBC would like to thank our employees, clients and community members for their support. A special thank you to McGee Motors, Cherry Bus Lines and BI's BBQ for your partnership in helping us provide our. clients and the community with a temporary ATM, shuttle service to our branch in Clinton and community BBQ. RBC remains committed to Goderich and we look forward to rebuilding our community with you. Advice you can bank on - fanning services and investment advice are provided Royal Mutual Funds Inc. I, RBCAsset Management Inc. Royal Bank of Canada, l Trust Corporation e Royal Trust Company and Philos Hager & North Investment Management Ltd. e corporate entities which are affiliated. RMF1 is licensed as a financial services province of Quebec. ` Registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. R8C and Royal Bank ate marks of Royal Rank of Canada. Trademarks of 1 Bank of Canada. 11988 (04/2010) 1-luron County's housing man- ager took to her bicycle shortly after an F3 tornado slammed into Goderich on Aug. 21. Barb Hall, who presented her debriefing at Huron County's Sept.. 21 committee -of -the -whole session in Clinton, says that was her first step as part of the coun- ty's social services team that had to discern if the twister had dis- placed the county's social services clients. What Hall found was that though Goderich's West Street was hard hit, the county's 54 -unit apartment building, at the corner of West and Waterloo streets, was spared. "We were so fortunate,' says Hall in noting that the building suffered only minor roof damage. Still, she says, the residents were without hydro for about five days so social services workers were kept busy supplying the building's residents with meals and security service. Her further travels revealed all of the county's social housing sites were spared structural damage. "There was no visible structural damage to. social housing units or family units," says Hall, who notes the county's construction tech- nologist, who was also on the job that day, reported the county. registry's roof was destroyed and the courthouse sustained damage. Michele. Gaynor, also of social services, told county council the area's community service groups deserve a great deal of praise for banding together in the hours fol- lowing the storm. "We all blended together at the Knights of Columbus and I think we did an amazing job," says Gaynor, adding the 211 informa- tion service proved to be instru- mental in getting the word out about pertinent services. According to the statistics com- piled by -Huron: County's social services department, 110 people called the Red Cross to report they'd been displaced by the tor- nado, though it is knownthat more were impacted. "In a rural area, we are lucky in that we have friends and family to help,," says Gaynor, adding at one point there was a concern that people would have to be evacu- ated to North Huron, but in the end that move proved unnecessary. Gaynor says other stats show there were 87 inquires with regard to missing loved ones and 357 calls to Victim Services for emo- tional support. Other organizations that helped included the Salvation Army, which "more than pulled their weight," the Ontario Society for Prevention of Cruelty towards Animals (OSPCA), and the coun- ty's planning and IT departments. 'At the end of the day, we learned social media is pretty much necessity tounderstand says Gaynor, noting sites like Face - book were successful in getting information out in the hours and days after the tornado. While there is yet to be an esti- mate made on the total financial and jobs loss in relation to the tor- nado, Gaynor says it is something that it will impact the local econ- omy for many years to come. "There is a financial loss through loss of employment that will impact Ontario Works," she notes by way of example. "It's going to be an interesting ride over the next couple of years.." In commendingthe involved parties on a job well done, Goderich Mayor Deb Shewfelt says he was awed by the way vari- ous groups came together to help people in their hour of need. 'It was amazing how social services, the Red Cross, the Salva- tion Army, Victims Services, and the OSPCA all worked as one, says Shewfelt. "It was great work and it made our lives a lot easier" County eyes Maple Tree project Cheryl Hearth OMI Agency The County of Huron is a step closer to seeing construc- tion completed, on the9long awaited and sometimes con- troversial Maple Tree housing project in Goderich. Barb Hall, county housing manager, :reported an addi- tional $900,000 will be required before the residence will be ready for occupancy at Huron County's Sept. 21 committee - of -the -whole session held in Clinton. While the news of the addi- tional cost wasn't necessarily welcome given the county originally rejected the project's application but the Province of Ontario later committed to it county councillorsagreed it is best to move forward given housing is an obvious need in Goderich following the destruction of at least 20 houses in the Aug. 21 tomado. Hall notes the $900,0000 is not totally up to the county to find given both the province Goderich Township Families 2010 Book is ready for proof reading. October 6th loam -bpm Holmesville Community Centre Books can be reserved that day. Contact for info: Alison Lobb alison.lobb@tcr..on.ca and county committed $350,000 apiece to the Maple Treeback in March. "There is a $200,000 shortfall that we can identify," says Hall, adding a hefty per- centage of that shortfall can likely be accessed through another government grant that will require some finessing given the funds in question are left over from a planned social housing project in Clinton, whichwas sidelined by a January 2010 blaze that destroyed the units. "If we don't finish this up, .it will defi- nitely be back to the county anyway," says Coun. Bf Siemon (Huron East). Meanwhile, Coun. John Grace (Goderich) praised countystaff for mak- ing aking the best out of a difficult situation. "This is probably the best scenario we're going to see. The staff have worked very diligently " says Grace. "We've tried to work it umpteen different ways. We need to move on. Get it done. The demand is there" In reflecting on the first months of the Maple Tree project, County Warden Neil Vincent (North Huron) says the project, which was originally slated to be operated by non-profit groups in the area, was started by "well meaning" volunteers but its financial requirements grew beyond what was anticipated. "I applaud the staff' for working on something that is our best bet to get it done; says Vincent.