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The Huron Expositor, 1995-02-22, Page 1wEllxurpon •�it()it() 70 cents plus 5 cents G.S.T. (75 cents) SCHOOLS What could be more fun than a carnival? Dublin pulls out all the stops. see pages 5, 14. Briefly Seaforth says 'Yes' to OPP Seaforth Council ' made its approval of Ontario Provincial Police Service official on Feb. 14. Seaforth Council had already approved OPP service in prin- ciple but last Tuesday it went ahead and passed a formal resol- ution drafted by the OPP. Posts were erected to stop snowmobiles A local homeowner placed steel posts in front of their home in an effort to prevent snowmobilers from driving on the sidewalk, according to the minutes of Seaforth's Transpor- tation and Environment Commit- tee. No one should be permitted to place anything on town property without the town's permission, according to the minutes. Town sewage rate Sewer service charges for the Town of Seaforth in 1995 have increased from $121,126 to $140,483. The PUC monthly sewage rate will increase from $13.97 per month to $15.40, effective March 1. Hensall woman killed in collision A 43 -year-old Hensall woman is dead and a 37 -year-old Dashwood man remains under intensive care as a result of a car -van collision near Ingersoll last week. Two others were critically injured in the accident, which occurred on Highway 19 between Woodstock and Ingersoll around 6:40 a.m. Woodstock OPP report a north- bound vehicle driven by Gordon ' Hobson, 38, of Ingersoll was attempting to pass a transport truck when it collided with a southbound van, driven by Robert Reschke, 37, of Dashwood. Wendy Campbell, 42 of Exeter was pronounced dead at the scene. Funeral services for Campbell were held Saturday, February 18 in Exeter. She is survived by her husband Gary Campbell and children Tracy and Darren Moir of Hensall and Derek Campbell at home. Police said Monday that Reschke, who was listed in critical condition after the acci- dent, was still in the intensive care unit at Hamilton General Hospital. Heather Eifert, 43, of Huron Park, another passenger in the van is in Victoria Hospital in London, where her condition had been upgraded from critical to serious. Hobson was listed in critical condition in University Hospital. Woodstock OPP Constable Andy Doughty said police are still looking for witnesses to the accident, particularly the driver of the transport truck. Entertainment... page 14. Sports...page 9. Letters...page 4. "Your community newspaper since 7860...serving Seaforth, Dublin, Hensall, Walton, Brussels and surrounding communities." 1' The Huron Expositor, Seaforth, Ontario, February 22, 1995 This Space Could Be Yours Call Terri or Mary 527-0240 Investment and Tax Planning "Seaforth RRSP Specialists" 11:11r2vesimertGentre 96 Main St., Seaforth 527-0420 GREGOR CAMPBELI. PHOTO SHARP SHOOTER - Dublin -area native Rem Murray of MSU is one of U.S. college hockey's best players. Mike Watt of Egmondville and Ron Mason, who grew up in town, give the Spartans a distinctive Seaforth flavour in the hockey -mad East Lansing area of Michigan. See page 9 for details. What is it like to be a small-town doctor? A London,:' medical ;s _ student finds out . see sae three PUC names site of new water tower The Seaforth Public Utility Commission has decided it wants to put its proposed new water tower on Brantford Street near Sparling, and letters informing residents in the affected area of the decision have been sent. Manager Tom Phillips says this final phase of an environmental assessment involves a formal 30 - day notice period, but the site the commission prefers is zoned properly and can be tied into future options easier, if and when funding for construction becomes available. Public meetings came earlier in the screening process for three prospective sites: the Brantford Steet site on town property, at the Seaforth and District Community Centres and northeast of the Seaforth Medical Clinic Building. Among other things, the new tower would be bigger and provide greater and more uniform water pressure throughout Seaforth. Manager Phillips also told PUC commissioners at their Feb. 8 regular meeting Ontario Hydro has approved their capital works budget of $175,000 for 1995, $100,000 of which is earmarked for the Welsh Street transformer station upgrade. Commissioners were told earlier in the meeting that the preliminary engineering study to upgrade the Welsh station to 5 MVA cost $6,000, with the expected cost of new switching gear approximately $50,000. No report has yet been received on the PUC's other transformer stationed on Chalk Street which was damaged by vandals in late December. It is still in Burlington being accessed and an auxiliary unit on loan continues to provide power. The PUC manager spent considerable time at February's meeting updating commissioners on the Municipal Electrical Association's task force stance on restructuring electrical service in this province, which resolved the industry should not be privatized but Ontario Hydro split into three separate entities for generation, transmission and distribution. The Seaforth PUC has four votes on the issue at the MEA's annual meeting in Toronto Feb. 26 to 28. • The manager also kept commissioners abreast of an important retail rate study concerning the MEA and Ontario Hydro, and reported on various seminars, meetings and correspondence. Th. vocal PUC is also costing a fax machine on a trial basis, and has received a registered easement to allow for future water and power for Lot 1 at the Munn's Bush development. Seaforth Deputy -Reeve opposes landfill board decision Seaforth Deputy -Reeve Bill Teall said he was disappointed with a recent decision of the Mid -Huron Landfill Site board not to change engineers. The board re -appointed Conestoga Rovers as engineering firm despite the fact the local tender from B. M. Ross of Goderich was $2,900 less over three years. Teall said representatives from the municipalities of Clinton and Tuckersmith were not at the meet- ing when the decision was made. Stanley residents differ on development proposal 13Y TIM CUMMING Expositor Editor A proposed development in Stan- ley Township would ruin the rural character of the township and pro- vide menial jobs at best, some residents said on Wednesday even- ing. Supporters of the Stone Lea Hold- ings proposal, a large farm for horses combined with a residential development, said it offered Stanley the hope for a brighter future. They argued it would create much-needed jobs for the young people of Stan- ley. More than 120 people attended the public meeting at the Stanley Township Complex near Varna and many stood up to speak passionate- ly on opposing sides. Some opponents of the plan said that farming is a viable industry and a 100 -name petition was submitted in opposition. The development would create conflicts between the interests of the farm and non-farm residents, they told the meeting. Stanley Township resident Leisa Stephenson said the recreational development didn't fit an agricul- tural zoning. She also said the council should not make a decision without the completion of an envi- ronmental study. "How can you make an informed decision without the information necessary to make a decision?" asked Stephenson. She agreed that Stanley needed some kind of devel- opment but that the Stone Lea projcct wasn't the proper use of land. "Why should we take more agri- cultural land out of use for building lots?" she asked. "Our township has a distinct rural flavour, we would like to preserve this for future gen- erations." The jobs provided by Stone Lea would be tow -paying and 'menial', argued Abby Armstrong, who spoke against the development. Bev Hill, a lifelong Stanley resi- dent and participant in Stone Lea, said land is the main natural resource Stanley has to offer. "We are essentially a one -industry Liability costs increase town insurance rates The increasing cost of lawsuits is driving up the price of liability insurance for Seaforth. Seaforth Council was told on Feb. 14 its insurance costs would rise about 30 per cent, almost entirely because of liability costs. Last year's insurance costs have increased from $29,000 to about 540,548 this year. "What's driving the premium is the cost of the claims," said Randy Fisher, of Frank Cowan Company Ltd. at the Feb. 14 meeting of Seaforth Council. One of the issues which arose was Bill 163 which, in rart, con- cerns municipal conflict of interest. In the past insurance claims were paid for councillors whose conflict of interest was a "bona fide error in judgement" but that is changing. "The act has taken out the grey arca which used to be there," said Fisher. The premium for Seaforth includes the town's coverage for joint boards such as the arena and fire boards, for which the town receives contributions from other municipalities. town," he said. There are economic forces beyond the control of local people, argued Hill, and as the farm industry becomes more rationalized there will be even further reliance on off - farm income. "Hopefully some of that income can be generated through our com- munity." He said it is the developers' intent to complete the project with local ownership and control. It was bet- ter, Hill argued, for local people to develop the area. "It is not realistic to think we can build a wall around our river val- ley," he said. "We can't expect people to come here, spend their money and go home." The daughter of former Reeve Anson McKinley, Karen Ratcliffe, said she had been able to return to Stanley Township. She wanted future generations to also have the opportunity to return. Agencies give plan rocky ride The proposal for a commercial horse farm with accompanying residences in Stanley Township faced a rocky ride from government agencies. In a detailed four-page response the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food said the proposal violates several criteria of the Food Land Guidelines. The Ministry's concern was not with the creation of a horse farm but with the accompanying residen- tial buildings. If the developers want to create residences they should be located in an urban area, said Sharon Johnston, District Manger. "The residential development does not require a rural setting," she said in a letter. "Such a use can be more suitably accommodated in settle- ments areas such as the Village of Bayfield or the Town of Goderich." In the Ministry's response Johnston also said the separation distance between the proposed homes and livestock barns is less than what is required by the Agri- cultural Code of Practice. The Ausable-Bayfield Conserva- tion Authority said in its statements that the potential impact on the Bayfield River Valley would have to be studied prior to giving appro- val. "We feel that the information provided thus far addresses the market feasibility, jtot the environ- mental feasibility of the develop- ment," said Patrick Donnelly, Sen- ior Planner. The conservation agency requested more information and possibly more amendments to the plan before Stanley Council approves Official Plan and Zoning amendments to allow the develop- ment. Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) raised serious concerns that the development would threaten fish habitat and water quality. Other concerns included the potential of increased nitrate levels in receiving waters, reduction of available groundwater, disturbance of rare and endangered species and loss of hunting and fishing opportunities. An Environmental Impact Study should be completed before appro- val is given to the zoning and Offi- cial Plan amendments, said the MNR. "This application appears to be somewhat premature in nature with- out the sqpport of background envi- ronmental study to support the location and boundaries," the MNR's letter states. The Township of Goderich expressed concerns with the project pnor to the meeting. "This appears to be an attempt to allow for urban development on prime agricultural land," said Suzanne Vodden, Clerk -Treasurer, in a letter. The Huron County planning department says the residences and the farm would have to be legally tied together. "The Planning and Development Department is not fundamentally opposed to the proposed concept provided that it is strongly oriented to agriculture," said Scott Tousaw, Senior Planner. The planning department, how- ever, said six issues need to be addressed: 1. Compatibility with local com- munity. 2. Necessity for the large number of proposed on-site dwellings and phasing. 3. Market demand for such dwell- ings. 4. Legal connection between the houses and the horse farm. 5. Ability to be serviced by com- munal facilities. 6. Assessment of effects on the natural environment. The Huron County engineer expressed no objections in principle to the development. The Township of Hay expressed no objections to the proposal. There was also no objection from the Huron County Board of Education, the Huron County Highways Department and the Huron County Plumbing and Environment Depart- ment. see Seize, next page