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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1999-04-07, Page 1Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth, Ontario A 34 -year-old Brussels man was killed Monday morning Conveyor in an industrial accident. transport truck at William Phillips was loading salt into a Smith Packaging when his clothing became entangled in a accident conveyor belt. He was dragged into the belt where his upper body was,cshed.. - Police, the Seaforth and District Fire Department and Seaforth Clinton Ambulance Service were called to the scene at 8:15 a.m. but there was. nothing they could do to save Phillips. • . 13russels Police were there for most of the morning and are assisting the Ministry of Labour in its investigation. Dr. Ken Rodney, coronor.for Seaforth, was called and pronounced Phillips dead at the scene. An autopsy was being conducted yesterday, April 6, and Rodney will determine whether or not an inquest will be held. man :Ambulance tour raises concern about - ion of service share from 0 to 50 per cern of ambulance service costs "may be just smoke and mirrors for the election." "i've heard that municipalities are afraid the money they're getting for ambulance • services are just coming outof other grants they're getting from the province. We've had nothing but health care cuts from this government until the eve of the election. Now a fraction of the money that was taken out• the system- is being put back -in," he said. Nobody likesParamedics on the ambulance tour said they it and most support the second option; people are which was adopted by Durham really shocked Region. of local governments abou it' runningthe service themselves because they said the other two. --Durham region options allow ambulance paramedic Mike services to be profit -driven. • Dick during "On January 1, 2000, if municipalities. decide to BY SUSAN HUNDERTMARK Expositor Staff Even the painter hired to paint an American flag and credit card logos on an ambulance found them distasteful. said Ontario health. care coordinator' for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Joe Natasic. He was part of the Canadian Union of Public Employe'es'. (CUPE) province -wide ambulance tour that stopped in Seaforth' last week with an Americanized ambulance to protest the privatization of Ontario's health Dare system. , "The-g'uy told us, 'You don't want ,to put those credit' card logos where everyone can see them. Ambulances are supposed to be about helping people:' He got the point," said Natasic. . April 7, 1999 — $1.00 includes GST Natasic and the two ambulance tour contract out for ambulance paramedics driving the services; it becomes a for ambulance across the province said they haven't encountered , profit system and private . operators that are now agents of the crown anyone but private ambulance operators supporting the privatization of ambulance because the province now owns the system, become private businesses. Whatever they services in Ontario. can run it for Tess than the tender is. their "Nobody likes it and most people are really 'profit. And. I don't think anyone is being kind of shocked about it," said Durham fooled into thinking that a private company Region paramedic Mike Dick. doesn't want to make a profit," said Natasic. Recent changes to the Ambulance Act have, Dick said Durham and York Regions chose given upper tier municipalities, such as to run the ambulance services themselves Huron County Council, responsibility for because they discovered a publicly -run land ambulance services. Huron County system will cost $3 millionless a year to run - Council mustchoose-between"three•options - :and plan to use the money they Will save to retaining current ambulance providers,: buy two new ambulances and to upgrade 65 running the' ambulance service itself or per cent of their paramedics' qualifications tendering for ambulance services., ' from level one to level two: Dick said pre-election government Dick pointed to a consultants' report by the announcements extending the municipalities' IBI Group. which Durham Region employed deadline from September 30, 1999 to January (,and which Huron County along with 10 1, 2001 and increasing the province's funding , CONTINUED on Page 5 • Two -and -a -half -year-old Courtney Fenny, of Seaforth, hops with her bunny at the Muscular Dystrophy Association Hop-a-thon held Saturday by the Seaforth Co-operative Children's Centre at the Seaforth Firehall. HUNDERTMARK PHOTO Drought effects remain as little snow fell • BY CARL STAVROS Clinton News -Record Staff It is said • .that April showers bring May flowers — but that is not all they bring. For local farmers, the rains bring conditions necessary to sustain their livelihood. ' Recently, there has been some concern expressed by area experts regarding the moisture content in the soil due to the dry summer last year and the below average . amount of snowfall this'past winter. ' ' "it is certainly dry for this time of year," stated Rob Templeman, Crop Specialist at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural • Affairs in Stratford. "I wouldn't be- concerned except that.* was so dry last • year." Ron Hopper, of W.D. Hopperand Sons Water Well Drilling; agrees with Templeman the current levels are considerably lower than usual. "In general terms ... we are 50 per cent -(below normal)," said Hopper, taking into account variables such as location and depth. Hopper indicated that he is keeping a close eye on the levels and. 'even though they are low enough .to cause some concern, the levels are not as bad as they were last year The water levels of interest, according - to Templeman, are those m the "sub -soil" area. He explained that although it is necessary for the topsoil to contain moisture,. "sub -soil moisture is what we need to have" to allow the crops to CONTINUED on Page 5 Thailand and Canada exchange program returning to Seaforth • BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor The Canada World Youth Exchange program will be back in : Seaforth this summer, bringing together ninepairs of young people from Thailand and Canada to (earn about agriculture in Huron County. "There's been a great response from everyone I talked.to here," said Beth__ Pritchard. acting program officer for Canada- World Youth. the organization that has set up the exchange program. ' She was in Seaforth last week to make contact with the families and agencies that were involved last year. Two students, one from Canada and one from Thailand, live with a. host fatming family. They participate in family activities to allow dr -young An ecumenical service of witness, prayer and meditation on the Death of Jesus was held Good Friday and included carrying a cross between all the churches involved. HILGENDORFF PHOTO people to learn about that part of life while, at the same time, they work in area farming operations or agricultural related industries to learn about agricultural work as well. , Last year; they worked'; with the Seaforth Agricultural Society on community projects and learned from speakers about issues such as farm safety. They also performed a cultural- show— -at----the -- Seaforth Fall Fair. The same can be expected this year when they arrive in mid-July and stay for about 12 weeks. After that, a similar program takes place in Thailand and the pairs travel ""tide with the emphasis on Canadians learning about Thailand culture. • While some host families from last year will be • welcome to take part in the -pre gra ea -a g Mal -444A t A a Fd said they are looking for new families as well so local people can also benefit from learning about Thailand culture and the culture of other parts of Canada, since many of the Canadian participants come from across the country. Canada World Youth is a non-profit organization that develops non -formal educational experiences for youth and has set Up programs for more- than 14,000 youth since 1971. It has partnered Canada with Asia, Africa, Latin America . and the Caribbean:" -. Last year was Seaforth's first time in the program Traditionally; it -returns to successful communities for a second, final year. Families or .agricultural . agencies interested in taking part in this summer's program can contact Delia Pettit at 416-596-9702 ext 15 Business retention committee will outline findings that point to motel, labour force needs in Seaforth BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor A bed and breakfast. small motel and a place for fine dining are just a few of the items identified as needs for Seaforth. • They were identified through the results of a detailed survey conducted by the Business Retention and Expansion Committee last year. More than 50 volunteers from the community interviewed many area businesses including some from the agricultural sector to help identify issues and needs relating to improving the local business - community. The committee plans to present its findings from the survey at a public meeting on April 12, after spending time this winter studying the results and identifying the issues raised within. Another of those issues was a concern there is not enough people for skilled labour positions in Seaforth Gwen Devereaux, a member of the committee,spoke about the program at the March 31 Huron Tourism Association Brochure Swap at the Seaforth and District Community Centres. Seaforth was one of seven pilot projects for the Business Retention and Expansion Committee program' esitablished through the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The committee now stands at a cross roads where, sometime after revealing the survey results next week, it will have to decide what direction it will take. "There is certainly expectation that we become a chamber of commerce," said Devereaux at the swap. She said they could also become a type of community enhancement committee. But she said that could pose funding problems because the government's focus is on job creation and they might not interpret that type of committee as serving that role. - The committee has already taken on smaller challenges identified through the surveys including adding a handi- capped parking space in front of the town's optometrist and chiropractor locations on Main Street. ', Devet'eaux also mentioned that through the survey. a manufacturing business is facing a situation where it may have to relocate. She said the committee began working with that business, whose identity is protected by the anonymity of the survey, immediately . and have brought government agencies on board as well. She said they are currently forming subcommittees and are looking into funding and creating a promotional brochure for the town. CONTINUED on Page 5