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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1995-04-12, Page 10,WT1Huron XpOS lt 7(, cents plus 5 cents G.S.T. (75 cents) The Huron Expositor, Seaforth, Ontario, April 12, 1995 527-0430 The OBVIOUS Alternative 1: r•E.�i, :f�� Independent Member Broker I ' s: : AN, ::z< POLITICS New legislation has different rules for municipal and provincia 1 politicians. see page two. This space could be yours! Call 527-0240 Briefly Hydro station now operated from London The Ontario Hydro sub -station just east of Seaforth is now controlled out of London. Except it's now called Heartland Hydro. It's all part of an ongoing restructuring of the major Ontario utility, according to John McLean, customer operations manager at the Clinton -area office. Heartland Hydro now deals strictly with retail concerns with offices at Clinton, Aylmer, Beachville, Guelph, Listowel and Walkerton. The utility also has grid and generation branches, all autonomous, under a restructuring that began in the summer of 1993. McLean says the restructuring is still going on, and since it began two years ago the utility has let 10,000 staff go in the province. There are still two operators at the switching station near Seaforth, but as of March they take their orders from the Buchanan station in London. So if Seaforth Public Utility Commission manager Tom Phillips now needs some manner of technical assistance he now phones Buchanan in London direct, rather than out to the local sub -station. Photo by local woman wins prize An Egmondville woman was winner of a photo contest spon- sored by Ontario's independent telephone companies. Beuy MacLean won $500 for the photo of her picturesque grounds which are well-known in Egmondville. The photo will now be used on the cover of a 1995-'96 telephone directory which is used by many indepen- dent telephone systems through- out Ontario. The picture was submitted through the Tuckersmith Communications Co-operative Ltd. The picture was one of five selected by the Board of the Ontario Telephone Association. The individual companies of the Ontario Telephone Association then voted at the fall members' meeting. Betty MacLean's photo turned out to be the winner. Trailer, lumber are stolen from site in McKillop Township On April 5 on County Road 25, McKillop Township, a blue homemade single-axel trailer containing an assortment of lumber was stolen from private property. INDEX Entertainment... page 18. Sports...page 9. Rec Preview...page 18. "Your community newspaper since 1860...servfng Seaforth, Dublin, Hell, Walton, • Brussels and surrounding ottrinunitke." GREGOR CAMPBELL PHOTO SINGING UP A STORM - Seaforth's Harmony Hi-Lites w e in fine form Saturday as they belted out some popular tunes in both shows as one of the acts in the 13th Annual Barbershop Show of he Seaforth Harmony Kings at the local community centre. Maverick Grit Mf eiftains defiant by MARK CRIPPS Huron -Bruce MP Paul Steckle said be won't change his mind on the Liberal government's proposed gun legislation, despite being turfed from his standing committee as punishment for his stance against the bill. "I wouldn't reverse my position," said Steckle last Friday, just a day after receiving a call from Liberal Party Whip Don Doudria, informing him he had been removed from his committee. "Knowing what I know now, I would do exactly the same thing again. I made a commitment a long time ago. I made it to the constitu- ents. I had no choice. you either remian credible or you don't". "This is legislation that involves the intrusion into people's private lives," said Steckle. "There is also a cost being assessed onto people who are not the villains in our society. We're saying to these people, we need to do this because it is going to guarantee people's safty on the streets. Give me a break. Are we going to go around and collect all the baseball bats in town?" Despite the punishment adminis- tered by his party, Steckle remained philosphical about the issue. "I still have friends on the agri- culture committee, and I've been invited to attend all of the meet- ings," said Steckle. "I just won't sit up as close to the table anymore. I don't think things are going to change very much. I'll have all information that gets to the table. "I'll be here to represent Huron - Bruce and if I find I'm being shortchanged because of what has happened, then it will become a public issue. "Dare anyone to try that non- didn't do that. It is not just the gun in the central depository if that sense. I'm sure my party doesn't issue. It could be any issue. meant it would in everyone's best want that to happen. "I've become very cynical about interest. When asked whether the Liberal's this thing. It's almost to the point Mr. Rock talks about the Police were breaking their Red Book elec- where it's a big joke." Chiefs of Candda. Talk to them. tion promise to allow members "If anyone can show me on Ask them if this is the answer. Of more free votes on issues, Steckle record where this has worked in course they will say it doseh't solve said, "The party promised us there any jurisdiction in the world, where the problem. would be some opportunity to be a it has done what they say it will do, "They (proponents of the gun part of the process and develop a I'd be the first to support it," he legislation) don't tell us that of the good sound legislation, and also said. "Anyone with a mind to 1,300 people that die at the end of give us free votes. believe that I don't want safe a gun annually, 1,100 kill them - "We had an opportunity to make streets; Of course I want safe selves. On the same note, 2,700 this truly a liberal document and we streets. I would even put my guns people die because of drunk drivers. Township to pass law on strippers BY PAUL BANKS The Township of Tuckersmith will be considering a zoning bylaw that will ban adult enter- tainment establishments. Council would actually be amending an existing bylaw, under Section 34 of the Planning Act. The amendment reads: "The bylaw would add a definition of an adult live entertainment parlour and a provision to prohibit adult live entertainment parlours within the Township of Tuckersmith." As it stands now, it would read: "Adult live entertainment shall mean a building used for the purpose of a live performance, exhibition or activity designed to appeal to erotic or sexual appetite or inclinations...of which a princi- pal feature of characteristic is the nudity or partial. nudity of any person..." The amendment goes on to stipulate go-go dancers, wet cloth- ing contests and best body parts contests as part of the prohibited acts. Council will hold a public meet- ing on May 2 at the council cham- bers in Vanastra "where any per- son may attend the public meeting and/or make written or verbal representation either in support of or in opposition to the proposed amendment," a notice from the municipality reads. Tuckersmith Reeve Bill Camochan said the bylaw is a result of concerns from the com- munity and council but pointed out that "every bylaw is a concern of council." However, he would not specifically say what the con- cerns of the -constituents were or whether they exclusively dealt with Tops, the only adult entertaiment club in the township, located in Vanastra. "You'll have to ask them," Carnochan said. Tops owner Nick Pelakis said the bylaw amendment was news to him when contacted by the News -Record Tuesday. He said that since receiving his permit for adult entertainment on June 28, 1994 he personally has received only a few complaints. "A few ladies called here when we first opened, complaining that their husbands were here. That's not my problem," he said. Pelakis added that he didn't understand the difference between men auending his establishment and other local bars. Pelakis also expressed dismay at the fact that when he applied for the live adult entertainment per- mit, no one told him of any prob- lems that might arise: "I asked what I needed and it was signed. I got the license for this. I don't know why people are fighting it now," said Pelakis. He also alluded to the financial aspects of this matter: "If they pay me $410,000, I'll close my doors tomorrow and walk out the door." He stated this issue could even involve the banks, since the prop- erty is mortgaged with them. However, Carnochan said the amendment is not specifically attacking Tops Night Club. Yet he would not confirm whether any zoning changes would require existing establishments, under the new definition, to close or cease adult live performances. "If it doesn't say it in the bylaw, they don't have to cease to exist," he said. There is no mention or pro- visions regarding already -estab- lished businesses in the amend- ment. PAUL STECKLE, MP for Huron -Bruce, loses agriculture committee position due to his opposition to Liberal gun law. Steckle loses agriculture job after gun stance Huron -Bruce MP Paul Steckle stood firm, and put his opposition on record, by breaking Liberal party ranks and voting against the federal government's gun control legislation in Ottawa last Wednesday. For broaching caucus discipline he was removed from the standing committee on agriculture on Thursday, standard procedure in party politics. "Despite the circumstances I remain a stanch Liberal," Steckle said in a press release Friday. "The Prime Minister has the right to act as he sees fit and I naturally accept his decision." The bill was still approved in principle, easily passing second reading in the House of Commons, • and went to committee for study. Tough gun registration provisions are part of Justice Minister Allan Rock's legislation. A gun owner who does not register the firearm could be charged with a criminal offence and sentenced to 10 years in prison. There has been some talk of amending this portion of the bill. It also includes tougher penalties for the criminal use of firearms and includes measures to fight weapon smuggling. Steckle said he was elected to be the voice of his constituents in his press release Friday, and "when it became clear that the majority of constituents wanted their views on the proposed gun legislation carried to Government it was my duty, as theirelected representative, to do so." The local MP says his only regret is that he won't be able to continue bringing his years of experience to the agriculture committee. "However I will continue to work, and work hard, for my constituents, my country and my party," his statement concluded. Only three of the majority Liberals voted against the bill, others abstained, and it passed 173 in favour to 53 against. Liberal MPs Rex Crawford and Benoit Serre were respectively removed from the standing committees on public accounts and natural resources for also voting against their party's wishes. Disbandment hearingstep next in move to OPP community's needs and what has gone before. It also makes sure that suitable agreements have been reached between the municipality and members of its police association, particularly those that may be terminated, for instance civilian/dispatcher Pam Soontiens in the Seaforth Police Association"s case. If settlement proves difficult the commission arbitrates or in other instances can order arbitration. Every community is different so The definition of "adequacy" varies for the commission, says Hampson, who notes it has been busy lately scheduling or attending hearings in Petrolia, Kirkland Lake and Fort BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff The disbandment hearing being held in Seaforth later this month is an essential step in the transition from local to Ontario Provincial Police service. It is being held by the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Service which is a "quasi-judicial" body directly responsible to Ontario's Solicitor General, says senior advisor Gordon Hampson. The commission succeeded the Ontario Police Commission in January 1991, and is a necessity under Section 40 of the Police Act. The recently appointed Chair. of the civilian commission is a government lawyer, Murray Chitra. He is its only full-time member, and about a half-dozen others are part-time commissioners. Chair Chitra and Robert Saracino, former mayor of Port Colborne, will constitute the commission for the Seaforth hearing. It is not the commission's role to determine whether a community should go OPP or stay local, says Hampson. That decision is the responsibility of Council and the Seaforth Police Services Board. The commission focuses on the "adequacy" of the proposed policing, compared to a Frances. The commission examines such factors as the number of officers and thgir workload to ensure a community is not getting a "watered down version of policing," says the senior advisor. What normally happens at these hearings is a municipality and possibly its police services board put forward their proposal, while representatives of the OPP and local police association are also there to respond to questions or present their positions. Hampson says a disbandment hearing is also an opportunity for taxpayers or other citizens and groups, for instance a chamber of commerce, to have their views or opinions taken into consideration. If the process goes smoothly it generally doesn't take too long for a commission to grant its consent, perhaps "by the end of May" for a hearing at the end of April, says Hampson. Should consent be granted, he adds, the next step in the transition would be for Seaforth to enter into a formal contract with the OPP. Seaforth's disbandment hearing is in the council chambers at Town Hall on Wed., April 26, starting at 7:30 p.m.