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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2012-10-31, Page 25Wednesda November 23, 2011 • Lakeshore Advance 5 community letter to the editor Bluewater should impose fee, says former council rep Ib the Editor; NextEra Energy has accepted the con- tracts offered by the Province to establish wind turbines in Bluewater, They are hold- ing their first public meeting in December for two projects that will total approxi- mately 77 wind turbines. Along with two BAT representatives, l requested that Blue - water Council pass a resolution/bylaw requiring an economic development con- tribution of $25,000 per turbine to offset any negative economic impacts in our community, Council passed the resolution (but did not pass a bylaw) on May 16, 2011, 1 believe that this contribution is essen- tial for our community to have access to funds that are dedicated to community capacity building. These types of activities are not a priority for this council's annual budget. Mr, Paul Klopp called this type of fee "hush" money and said there is no need for it because the municipality gets taxes from each turbine. This statement was made at the Ilensall all candidates sleeting when candidates were questioned by an audience nlenber regarding the pos- sibility of collecting fees such as the ones Imposed by Wolfe Island in Prince Edward County. Mr, Bill Dowson has said the resolution is unenforceable and he won't even try. This statement was made by the mayor at the council meeting where the resolution was passed. here are the facts: for each turbine, the Bluewater portion of the annual tax revenues will be around $341 - over 20 years that will add up to: $6,817. landowners with turbine installations will earn around $10,000 per year for each turbine on their properties - over 20 years that will add up to $200,000 each. It's no accident that 100 per cent of the Bluewater Councillors with farm property have declared a conflict. Are they in the process of signing agreements for one or more turbine installations? I luron County is not growing and revenue sources for com- munity betterment are not falling out of the sky. Other municipalities receive these pay- ments and We should too. loin me in asking Bluewater Council to put residents first and collect the turbine fee to establish a commu- nity development fund. Jim Fergusson RR1 Bayfield Environment Canada reports on a balmy October For the Lakeshore Advance Thanks to the warm conditions experienced across the province, the month of October 2011 was a record - breaker in some areas of Ontario, reports Environment (annda. In terms of precipitation, condi- tions were drier in northern Ontario and near normal to wet- ter -than -normal in southern Ontario. Mean temperature records were shattered in Chap- leau, Dryden and (,eraidton, with mean temperatures reaching higher -than -normal values by as much as 4.2 degrees Celsius. While not all locations met the threshold (2 degree above -normal mean temperatures) to be consid- ered warmer -than -normal, all sites had mean temperatures that exceeded the normal values for October. The most impressive departures from normal values were observed in northern Ontario, where differences of up to 4.3 degrees Celsius were reported and to many cases, it was the warmest October in over 40 years. The wanner temperatures and frost -free conditions extended the growing season for farmers, which compensated for the late spring planting. Meanwhile, backyard gardeners could enjoy their flowers and gardens for an extra month, Another highlight for October was the August -tike temperatures that prevailed during the 'thanks- giving weekend. Single -day records were broken across the province with temperatures reaching the mid -to -high twenties. The spectacular fall display disappeared the week following iSayit ain't so, Joe .. o Countryside countryside stood silently on the previous weekend and respected the serv- ice around the D -Day Sherman tank was obtuse, 1 guess poking the wasp's nest with a stick stil has the same result, Back to the first Joe and the quote. It Is from the story of a baseball hero, Shoeless Joe Jack- son, a left fielder for the Chicago White Sox who, along with seven of his teammates, was suspended for life, for his part in the throwing of the 1919 World Series. It goes like this. A young boy on seeing Joe leaving the Chicago court- house after his conviction, runs up and says the famous words, "Say it ain't so, Joe." Jackson's reply reportedly was, "1'nl afraid it Is, kid," Now folks can you imagine that hero and great pillar of soci- ety, Lord Black getting a similar reception when he was convicted in the great Windy city just a few years ago? And that I think goes to the heart of the issue that the occupiers have identified and have been very poor at articulating loud and clear. So many are treading water or barely so they use what's available, Today our heroes better have good PR because we have access to most everything. Even Conrad, with his penchant for libel suits, couldn't stop the tide of information about his affairs. Oh, how he tried. Shoeless Joe Jackson had no chance against the powers that be in 1920. There was money to be made, the fix was in and somebody had to John Russell Lakeshore Advance The old phrase, "Say It ain't so, Joe," has been running around In my head ever since Mayor Joe Fontana had the Occupy London folks run out of Victoria Park. To have it happen a couple of days before we celebrated our fallen heroes fight for our freedom to do moat things, especially assembly and free speech, was sad. To have it happen after the occupiers Thanksgiving, when high winds and precipitation set in. No monthly records were broken for rainfall or total precipitation amounts, however, it was the driest October that (ierilldtou, W8W8, Kapuskasing and Moosonee have seen in the last few years. On the other hand, some locations in northern Ontario, such as Iced lake, Timmins and Nic:kle Belt were wetter -than -normal. South- ern Ontario also experienced wetter -than -normal conditions. Since observations began in 1947, • pay. The little guy, even the hero and without a union, had no chance. Sounds suspiciously familiar. The facts that continue to be put out there about the difference between C.E.O. compensation and regular workers makes anyone pause. To see how it has changed so greatly during my working life makes one wonder what part of trickle down from the Thatcher -Reagan era didn't work. It obviously worked for those at the top who have access to the powers that he. It obviously continues to work so well that the powers that be can't stop denigrating unions and their awful clout because we all know it is the union's greed and their demands that brought down General October 2011 was the second wettest in Marton, with 167 millimetres of rain falling. 1t received the most rain since 1954, when 180.6 millimetres of rainfall fell that month. Month's highlights The first full month of fall was relatively quiet across the prov- ince. As happens normally (luring the month, the first snowfalls occurred in various locations across northern Ontario. One of the more notable amounts was five centimetres of snow falling in Red lake on Oct. 16. Motors. Really? Mayor Joe will continue on being the populist he always has been but 1 think we should take his parking spot away tap here. We will never stop people and their need to vent, discuss, argue and deliberate. We need to ensure that there are forums for that to he done constructively. When the powers that be continue to denigrate the forums and/or the organizations that encourage free and open debate or assembly, we should take notice. Let's not fall into the trap that some want us to and brand them all malcon- tents. Democracy is very rarely clean but endlessly fascinating. And that's how 1 see it this week.