HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-02-28, Page 2Page 2 February 28, 2007 • The Huron Expositor
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I Canadian Food
Inspection Agency
Agence canadienne
d'inspection des aliments
PUBLIC NOTICE
NEW REGULATIONS FOR
HANDLING, TRANSPORTING
AND DIS SING OF CATTLE
CARCASSES AND TISSUES
The Canadian Food Inspection
Agency (CFIA) is enhancing
regulations to help eliminate
bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE), or mad cow disease,
from Canada.
Beginning July 12, 2007, there are new require-
ments for cattle producers; slaughterhouses;
feed, pet food and fertilizer manufacturers;
waste management facilities and others who
handle, transport or dispose of cattle remains.
Everyone involved must be prepared.
Visit www.inspection.gc.ca/bse or call
1-800-442-2342 to learn more.
Canada
News
Council considers building own
FHT facility as negotiations stall
From Page 1
keep all negotiations private.
We've been operating under a gag
order," said Seili.
Seili said the town is negotiat-
ing with the hospital trust for a
facility for the FHT because the
trust refused to negotiate with
the FHT board. He said that the
FHT board asked for a negotiator
to represent them and appointed
MacLellan.
"Because he was neutral and
not a member of the FHT board,
they appointed him," said Seili.
Streutker, however, disagreed
that the FHT board appointed
MacLellan to be its negotiator.
Streutker added that the town
received an offer from the hospi-
tal trust in late January offering an agree-
ment in which the town could manage the
clinic and use it for the FHT but the trust
would retain ownership.
"We got the offer we wanted but the town
all of a sudden wanted the building," he said.
Huron East donated $50,000 towards the
Seaforth medical clinic in 2004 and 2005 with
the understanding, Seili said, that council
would be advised about how the money was
spent. He said council refused to pay the
$50,000 in 2006 when it was dis-
satisfied about the lack of infor-
mation it got about how money is
spent at the clinic.
"We wanted accountability for
the money and we didn't get it,"
he said.
If the FHT moves into the med-
ical clinic, Seili said it's impor-
tant the town owns the building.
"The clinic is a community
building that is still in the hands
of the Alliance. It is a community
building and we can't keep buy-
ing it back," he said.
MacLellan said the town nego-
tiated a deal with the hospital
trust that the town would lease
the clinic for $1 for a 99 -year
term - a deal which wag supposed
to be signed by midnight last Friday.
However, MacLellan said the four members
of the hospital trust said they didn't have the
legal authority to sign the agreement without
the okay of the Alliance.
"They felt they no longer hand the authority
and had to turn it over to the Alliance. That
means the trust is nothing more than a figure
head. If they need the Alliance's approval,
why does the trust exist?" asked MacLellan.
Huron East Mayor
Joe Seili
MacLellan and Seili said that
if they can't reach an agreement
with the hospital trust within
the next week, it's likely they'll
move towards building a sepa-
rate building for the FHT.
"I would still negotiate with
the trust but they have to come
to council to do it," said Seili.
Hospital trust chair Dick
Burgess said he would not talk
about the negotiations.
"I don't believe the media if the
proper place to negotiate
issues," he said during a phone
interview.
However, Burgess said the
trust, created in June 2003 for
the benefit of the Seaforth hospi-
tal and its users to manage the
66 acres of land and the clinic, does not have
the power to lease or give away any assets
and cannot alter the deed or trust documents.
"No one has the power to do that as long as
the trust remains in existence," he said.
The only group the trust is required to
report to is the Seaforth hospital foundation,
whose purpose is to support the Seaforth hos-
pital, which is a member of the Huron -Perth
Healthcare Alliance.
When asked if the trust answers to the
Alliance, Burgess said, "the trust is a body
within itself."
MacLellan said the town got a
legal opinion on whether or not
the hospital trust could sell or
lease its assets and was told it
could - an assessment he said
the trust's lawyer acknowledged
could be done.
"They had no argument finally
that they could lease the build-
ing .and gave us verbal
approval," he said, adding the
opinion changed when it came
time to sign the agreement.
Burgess said the trust is cur-
rently providing space to the
FHT with a suite that was used
by the nurse practitioner before
she went on maternity leave and
now is being used by the FHT's social worker.
"We will do everything we can to accommo-
date the FHT but selling or }easing the clinic
is not within our power. The correct informa-
tion has already been communicated to them
(Seili and MacLellan)," said Burgess.
When asked to comment on the town's pos-
sible decision to build a building of their own
to house the FHT instead of using the clinic,
Burgess said, "I wish them well."
Hospital
Dick B
trust chair
urgess
Council receives corporate challenge
Huron East council is try-
ing to find enough members
to field a team for the
Vanastra Recreation Centre
Corporate Challenge on
March 8.
"I can't do it but I sure
would like to see council par-
ticipate," said Mayor Joe
Seili, who suggested that two
councillors and two staff
members form a team.
Council members were
called the Gabbers and Pencil
Pushers by their challengers
the VRC staff, Water Gotta
Be's.
The annual corporate chal-
lenge is a fundraiser for each
of the teams that participates
with the winner earning half
of the total team pledges, the
second place team earning 30
per cent and the third place
team earning 20 per cent.
The challenge goes from 7-
8:30 p.m. March 8 and teams
must be registered by March
2.
By Susan Hundertmark