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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1985-12-11, Page 1r' Imes ...- Advocate Serving South Huron, North Middlesex One Hundred and Thirteenth Year & North Lambton Since 1873 • EXETER, ONTARIO, December 11, 1985 Price Per Copy 50 Cents Hay getting. water line grant Hay township will be receiving a welcome Christmas present from the province, if an expected letter con- firms in writing the verbal promise of a grant toward the financing of a of Hay council that he had received water line along Highway 21. a telephone call from Jim Fitzgerald Reeve Lionel Wilder told the second in Jack Riddell's office promising a regular monthly December meeting grant, but Wilder could give no JUNIOR FARMERS OF THE YEAR --- Incoming South Huron Junior Farmers president Rob Essery presents Junior Farmer of the Year awards to Marg Pavkeje and Mark Ryan. T -A photo figures until receipt of the letter. Clerk Joan Ducharme received a call from the ministry of the environment the morning of the. council meeting stating a_ letter outlining details of the grant was being drafted that day. Wilder said if his hopes are realiz- ed, Hay.township council will proceed as planned with the project. Dashwood fire chief Jim Hoffman, deputy chief John Becker and village trustee Ken Rader attended the ses- sion to voice their concerns about the revising of boundaries by Stephen township since a draft agreement on a Stephen -Hay -Dashwood fire area board was signed recently. 'The altered boundaries would reduce assessment in the area covered by Stephen by $72,000, remove Khiva and Mount Carmel from Dashwood's jurisdiction, and enlarge the area of Crediton's respon- sibility. The change would reduce Stephen's share by about three percentage points. - Wilder told the delegates he had assumed no boundary changes when he signed the draft agreement in good faith, and noted that the changes would also affect the Exeter and Grand Bend fire areas. He said if the boundaries had remained where they have been, an agreement on forma- tion of the new fire area board could have been signed and registered by January 1, but that will be impossible with the changes Stephen has proposed. Wilder said the most important con- cern was serving the people in the af- fected area, and he felt those who disagree with the change should have a chance to voice their opinions. "Let's get back to the table and see what we're signing", he said. Hoffman said the uncertainty was causing confusion among those wondering which fire board to call in case of fire. Wilder told him that un- til the neW agreement is worked out. everything will stay the way it is at present. The Dashwood delegation re- quested that when the pew boundaties are drawn up, Dashwood's coverage be altered slightly to ensure that it begins and ends at the same points on the two sides of Highway 83 at their eastern and western limits. Despite Zurich's decision to await a final engineering study by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, Hay will go ahead as pro - Please turn to page 2 Santa parade has over 50 'entries Saturday's Santa Claus parade was again a fiuge successa'hd attracted hundreds of spectators who lined both sides of Main Street from Huron to Victoria. The parade sponsored by the Ex- eter Lions with assistance from the Exeter BIA attracted 53 entries. Two parade prizes were handed out. The best commercial float was entered by Jerry MacLean and Sons and the non-commercial award went to the Exeter figure skating club. The judges gave honourable mention to the Exeter fire depattment and the Exeter Lioness club for their Santa's Workshop entry. Mast of the boys and girls along the parade route followed Santa Claus to the South Huron Rec Centre and en- joyed a few moments on the lap of the jolly bearded fellow and relayed some of their wishes for gifts on December 25. At the Rec Centre many of the youngsters participated in a free skating session along with free soft drinks provided by Tuckey Beverages and potato chips through the courtesy of Frito Lay distributor Lloyd Moore. Three bands provided appropriate music along the parade route. They were the Mitchell Legion band, the newly formed South Huron District High School band and the Main Street Jug Band. The latter group of musi- cians also took part in Stst'day's San- ta's parade in Centralia. - Parade convener Glenn Kells said he was very pleasei9"'with the great response of floats and participants. He added, "I wish to thank Tuckey Beverages, Lloyd Moore, Darling's IGA for supplying meat for a recep- tion following the parade and the Times Advocate for sponsoring the Mitchell band." ' Usborne zone decision reserved Charging that Usbor Township council discriminated iainst him and failed to -approve his reasonable suggestions for h solution to his. pro- blem, property owner Bryan Tuckey took his appeal of the township's zon- ing bylaw before the Ontario Municipal Board at a hearing. Thursday. Tuckey, a professional planner with the Township of Westminster. ex • - plained that the Code of Practice regulations adopted under the Hensall firm wins awards Agripress Canada. Limited. based in Hensall, was, among the major award winners at the recent awards banquet staged by the Canadian Agricultural Marketing Association. Agripress won four. first place awards and six runners-up. out of the 21 categories. Using the theme "Going for (:old" this year's competition received an impressive 267 entries: up 30 percent over the inaugural competition held in Calgary last year. The competition was open to :ill agricultural advertising promotions produced during 1983 and used in the Canadian marketplace during the same year. Usborne zoning bylaw places severe restrictions on his plan to some day build on his 30 -acre parcel on conces- sion 3. part lot 26-2?. A nearby hog barn places restric- tions under the Code on the distance -from that barn that Tuckey could erect a house. As part of his appeal. Tuckey presented a proposed amending bylaw which would allow him to con- struct buildings anywhere on his pro- perty, while at the same time allow- ing the nearby hog operation to ex- pand if the owner so desired. Ile termed that bylaw "a logical. reasonable way" to proceed to ad- dress the problem and explained that from the outset in his deliberations with council, the only thing he asked for was reasonableness. "1'm not a numaered company from Berlin." he stated. explaining that he hoped some day to get out of the business of planning to become actively involved in farming with Tuckey Farms Ltd. The 30 -acre paitcel has been farmed in conjunc- tion with the latter firm and is in close proximity to other land owned and operated by his grandfather. father and brother. . ile told OMB hearing chairman P.M, Brooks. -who reserved his deci- sion, that his property had a "tremen- dous south -facing slope" where he planned to build an underground home. but the zoning bylaw would prevent him from doing so. The London resident said his situa- tion was similar to one where Usborne had granted spot zoning and that prompted his comment that he had been discriminated against. "1 find it quite irregular", he said in noting the other owners had been given special status and he had not been able to convince council to do likewise for him. "Consistency is im- portant in planning;" Tuckey continued. Saying tha(•the effect of the bylaw could result in him having to buy another farm on which to build or con- sider a lot in Exeter, he advised the hearing that the latter costwould be $18,000 to $24,000 and that was the ef- fect the bylaw had on his property. Goderich solicitor Dan Murphy. Q.C., representing Usborne, called county planner Patty MunIEittrick as his first witness to provide the OMB with an over -view of the township planning and the Tuckey matter. She explained that both the Huron County official plan and the (ownship plan had strong policies to protect agricultural land, identifying agriculture as major priority and pro- moting the long-term future and viability of agriculture. Agriculture uses are also to comp- ly with the Code of Practice, she ad- vised, to ensure compatibility and flexibility. Ms. Munkittrick explained that Tuckey had never given the township that eight years had elapsed between located in the zoning bylaw was im- any indication of when or where he would like. to build, but was seeking status zoning so he could build anywhere on his property. During his cross-examination, Tuckey said he found it "interesting" OOP i* t 1 the time of passing the township of- ficial plan and the zoning bylaw and appeared critical of that time.delay. - He also pointed out some incon- sistencies with her evidence, sug- gested the Code of Practice being H proper and said he couldn't find any evidence that a major review of the official plan had been unttertaken as is required every five years. Murphy, during his cross- Please turn to page 2 tit: iwiNts• ' i PARADE WINNING FLOAT Keith Selves as a Kirkton-Woodham Optimist club down talks to the youngsters on the Jerry MacLean and Son float, commercial winner in Saturday's Santa Claus parade. Lucan loses am. bulance service same to find his way around Biddulph Township. Randy McDonald, president of Thames Valley Ambulance Ltd.. said the shortage of staff has been an on going problem in London and�iu 's disappointed the ministry chose to move the Lucan ambulance instead of increasing staff. "The ministty has taken this step to ensure there is sufficient staff and vehicles available," said MacDonald. "I would like to see us with more staff and vehicles and in that regard I'm Please turn to page 2 "Basically the people in Luean are being treated as second-class citizens," claimed Lucan ambulance operator,Bill Haskell after being ad- vised Monday- that his lone am- bulance will be stationed outside University Hospital in London.2 - A shortage of ambulance atten- dants and vehicles in London has forc- ed the health ministry to call in the reinforcement from Lucan and leave residents in that area with slower service. The move leaves the Parkhill Am - PRINCE OF PEACE Large crowds attended the three weekendper- formances of the Cantata Prince of Peace of the Exeter Pentecostal Church. tn'the manger scene Beth Prouty is Mary. Matthew Erb is Joseph and Baby Wells is Jesus. T -A photo bulance Service with only one vehicle covering twice it's' area. said owner and operator Chuck Box. and residents in both Parkhill and Lucan will have at least five times the wait when they call for an ambulance. Deanna Zerebechi, regional manager of the ministry's emergen- cy health service in Southwestern On- tario, said the ministry has recogniz- ed a shortage of ambulance atten- dants and vehicles in London and a re- quest has been made for additional funds to add to the .service. In the meantime. Zerebechi said she decid- ed to move the Lucan ambulance to London to answer low priority calls, such as transfers from one hospital to another, and free the Thames Valley ambulances for emergency calls. "it doesn't jeopardize Lucan," said Zerebechi. "Lucan has a low call volume. This is an interim measure. We've gone through the normal pro- cess for more funds but it's' not a quick process. We have the obligation to provide ambulance service for the region and we're doing the best we can." Zerebechi said it's not unusual to draw on ambulance services from one area to cover another. The decision to formally move the Lucan ambulance was made to avoid having to request coverage on an "ad hoc basis.' Boit found out about the decision and his new coverage area Monday morning and rushed to find new head- quarters for the ambult(nce; in Ailsa Craig, between Parkhill and Lucan. "1t presents problems for people in bulance services of their own. will Parkhill and Lucan."said Box, now have to rely on either Parkhill or St. stationed at the Craigholme Nursing Mary's. Horne. "We're now in Ailsa Carig and "We had a serious car accident east have to go 10 miles i 16 kilomtres► to of Lucan about a week ago and if it • Parkhill and 10 miles to Lucan. It in- were to happen again in the same creases our area two times." Ile add- area. the delay would now be 20 ed that it will take at least 10 minutes minutes to a half hour," said Haskell. to reach residents in either communi- Ile added that residents of Lucan are ty when normally it took two. angry about the move and feel they For calls outside Lucan the wait are missing out on an essential may be longer. Residents of Denfield. service. Elginfield. Bryanston. llderton. Haskett said he is not familiar with Whalen Corners, and Clandeboye, London and is relying on maps to get communities that don't have am- around whilet'Box said he is doing the rs are heedingDryve new drinkingattack. Organisers of a recent hockey lour Wilf Berdan of Exeter Cab said his nalnent in the area indicated that bar business increased noticeably over sales were considerably lower than the past weekend and he had a• last year's event. despite the fact at- number of new patrons. tendance was about the same. ' Organizers ;of some festive events have offered bus service to patrons. The Exeter Lions will be providing bus service for their new New t'ear's eve dance. Exeter Inn owner Dave Urhn an- nouncep this week he would call a taxi Berdan said the increased penalties for any patrons and pay half the cab would probably be beneficial to his; fare for trips within an eight -mile business as more people than usual radius of Exeter. will be taking a taki. Most drivers in the Exeter area have apparently become wary in view. of the stricter penalties enacted last week for drinking and driving offences. So far. the Exeter ()PP have laid only one charge for impaired driving. That charge was laid against a motorist at 10:45 a.m.. Friday. Some licensed establishments and events in the area have already felt the pinch as customers have reduced their consumption considerably or stayer] away entirely. • He said some he picked up after a Christmas party at the rec centre in- dicated they had enlisted his services rather than drive themselves due to the increased -penalty for drinking and driving offences. I