Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1994-11-23, Page 23To the voters of Exeter 1 thank you for your support Robert Drummond CnMMl1N1TY Times -Advocate, November 23, 1994 Page 23 New board selected for Tuckersmith Telephone The Kippen-based telephone system is going co-operative By Tim Cumming Huron Expositor The new General Manager of Tuckersmith Municipal Telephone System is part of a three-person management team recently approved by the phone company commissioners. As new General Manager, Sharon Chuter will be part of the company's transformation from a municipal system with the township as trustee to a cooperative company owned by telephone users. Tuckersmith Township has approved a transfer of assets to the co-operative. Official approval is still required by the Ontario Tele- phone Services Commission but that approval is expected by Jan- uary of 1995. Everyone who receives telephone service from the Tuckersmith phone system will be a member of the co- op and have a vote and be eligible to stand for election as director. Directors can serve a maximum of three three-year terms and terms are staggered. The co-operative's Board of Directors has the option of pay- ing back dividends to customers (based on individual use of the phone service) if there is a profit. , The new management team of the phone company consists of Chuter, internal plant manager Ken Steckle and outside plant manager Rob Van Aaken. The phone system also employs two part-time people as well as full-time staff members Linda Middegaal and Murray McKenzie, who has been with the company for more than 40 years. Chuter started with the company as a secretary about 21 years ago and for the past 12 years has served as Plant Superintendent. She is currently taking a management course to help prepare for her new position. She is married to Eric Chuter, a mink rancher. The family runs Cedarwood Fur Farm at RR 1 Varna. They have three children. There are issues of change in telephone technology as wireless technology is expanded and the 'information highway' is paved into rural Ontario. The former Plant Superintendent doesn't see management inexperi- ence as a big issue as she prepares to assume the job of General Man- ager. She says the small telephone companies will face technological and other changes with a unified effort through the Ontario Tele- phone Association (OTA) and by sharing information. "We have a strong Ontario Tele- phone Association," she said in an interview on Monday. "They keep everybody up to date as to what is happening." The new phone manager says she doesn't see big changes taking place with the way the Tuckersmith phone system is run. "We're here to give the best service possible to our customers," sh; said. "That's not going to change." The first Board of Directors of the new co-operative will be com- posed of current commissioners Ross McBeath, Ken Ro*erson, Tony Hutchings, Gilbert VanSteelandt and Bob Fotheringham as well as new mem- ber Don Lindsay. The co- operative's first annual meeting will be held in the spring of 1996. One of the recent changes affec- ting small telephone systems was a Supreme Court ruling which placed them under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Radio -television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The Ontario Telephone Services Commission still has some • Letters to the editor powers but its role in the regulation of phone companies is diminishing. The future of Tuckersmith Tele- phone System will. be affected by decisions of the CRTC and whether they will offer some protection to the small phone companies. The CRTC could also affect local phone users if it requests that small phone companies raise local phone rates. The CRTC has prepared a study on the small independent telephone companies, said Chuter, but its contents have not yet been released. The decision to appoint the new General Manager was made unani- mously by the phone company's five commissioners. (Former phone commissioner Bob Cooper resigned over differences with, the phone company when the former General Manager left). The Tuckersmith Municipal Tele- phone System originated in 1909 when a group of subscribers from the Tuckersmith area joined to finance the system along with a debenture issued by Tuckersmith Township. There are currently 2,700 phone Municipalities on guard ... perhaps Hay township could exert its energies to fighting Bill #163 that our Ontario N.D.P. governnment is planning to ram through.... Dear Editor: Hey, Hay township municipality such as Hensall or bordering towns such as Exeter be on your guard! These municipalities should be very vigilant as to how they conduct business in regards to their zoning bylaws. Apparently the councillors of Zurich have been very lax in this regard, perhaps even il- legal and have suffered the wrath of the residents of Hay Township Association, whoever they are? Perhaps the forementioned towns also wish to share in the Canada Ontario Infrastructure Program, they stand the risk of losing this grant if they do not adhere to their Zoning Bylaws. Before proceeding it would be wise for them to check with the residents of Hay Township Association. In closing and on a more serious issue which should concern all township residents, perhaps the Hay Association could exert its energies to fighting Bill #163 that our Ontario N.D.P. government is planning to ram through, which would give them the right to seize farm land, the bureaucrats deem wet land, without compensation and declare them public lands. Sincerely, Leonard Lovell lines served by the phone system, which has assets of more than $3 million. In the spring of 1995 the phone system will be upgrading their switches to prepare for Call Man- agement Service features including call display and automatic recall (both of which are expected to be available in the beginning of 1996). Already the Tuckersmith phone system, which is totally digital, has more features such as call for- warding and speed dialing, than some neighbouring areas served by Bell. The phone system is mailing out a package to all phone customers including the bylaw, articles and 'offering statement' concerning the •co-operative and also a financial statement for the phone system. Lucan Ratepayers THANK YOU for your support on Nov. 14 I will continue to work hard to earn the trust you have placed in me. Special thanks to those who actively supported my re-election campaign Rob Brady Councillor Thank yoi14 To the 1144 voters who voted in the Stephen Township election. A very much appreciated THANK YOU to those 711 voters who voted for me, electing me to be your councillor for the next three years. To the approximately 3650 voters in Stephen Township, I will try and represent and help you with your concerns and questions for the next three years. For any concerns, comments, or questions please phone me at 237-3694 . Harvey Patz Ontario Telephone Service Commission Commission ontarienne des services telephoniques NOTICE OF APPLICATION CONCERNING THE HAY MUNICIPAL TELEPHONE SYSTEM TAKE NOTICE that an application dated November 15, 1994 has been filed with the Ontario Telephone Service Commission (the "Commission") seeking its approval, pursuant to subsection 47(6) of the Telephone Act (Ontario) for the disposition of the whole of the Hay Municipal Telephone System (the "System") to Hay Communications Co-operative Limited (the "Cooperative"), a co-operative corporation incorporated under the provisions of the Co- operative Corporations Act (Ontario). The application is made on behalf of the Co-operative and the Corporation of the Township of Hay, the trustee of the assets of the System (the "Trustee"). The application seeks the approval of the Commission to the transfer of the undertaking and all of the property and assets' of the System from the Trustee to the Co-operative in order to convert the System into a co-operative owned telephone system. The members of the Co- operative will be all of the customers of the System except for those persons who decline to become members,. Materials related to becoming a member of the Co-operative and to this application have been mailed to each of the customers of the System. Subsection 47(6) of the Telephone Act empowers the council of the Trustee to authorize the sale or disposition of the whole of the System without convening a meeting of the subscribers of the System where, from absence or loss of records or other cause, the subscribers are unable to be ascertained, subject to the approval of the Commission as provided for in that subsection. The council of the Trustee passed a by-law on November 3, 1994 approving of the disposition of the whole of the system to the Co-operative and a purchase agreement has been signed. The closing of that transaction is subject to the approval of the Commission. The Trustee is currently responsible for debentures in respect of the System. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, the Co-operative will arrange for a letter of credit from a Schedule A Chartered Bank In favour of the Trustee to satisfy any ottllgations under the debentures on an ongoing basis until payment In full of the debentures. Any customers of the System interested in making any submissions to the Commission concerning this application should make their submissions in writing to be received by the Commission no later than January 3, 1995, at the address as follows: Ontario Telephone Service Commission 56 Wellesley Street West 5th Floor Toronto, Ontario M7A 2E7 Attention: Secretary/Registrar c/o Nell J. McCallum, Counsel Fax No. (416) 326-1021 The Commission, In its discretion, may proceed with a decision on the application without the holding of a public hearing. If you do not make any written submissions to the Commission by the date specified, the Commission may proceed to a decision without your submissions and you will not be entitled to further notice of these proceedings. Copies of the application and related material forwarded to the Commission are available for Inspection at the offices of the System. Copies of the application may be requested by witting or telephoning to the solicitors filing the application on behalf of the Applicants: BLAKE, CASSELS & GRAYDON Barristers and Solicitors P.O. Box 25, Commerce Court West Toronto, Ontario M51 1A9 Attention: Ben A. Jetten Secretary's Phone (416) 863-2939 Fax: (416) 863-4261. Ontario Telephone Service Commission Commission ontarienne des services telephoniques NOTICE OF APPLICATION CONCERNING THE TUCKERSMITH MUNICIPAL TELEPHONE SYSTEM TAKE NOTICE that an application dated November 15, 1994 has been filed with the Ontario Telephone Service Commission (the "Commission") seeking its approval, pursuant to subsection 47(6) of the Telephone Act (Ontario) for the disposition of the whole of the Tuckersmith Municipal Telephone System (the "System") to Tuckersmith Communications Co- operative Limited (the "Co-operative"), a co-operative corporation incorporated under the provisions of the Co-operative Corporations Act (Ontario). The application is made on behalf of the Co-operative and the Corporation of the Township of Tuckersmith, the trustee of the assets of the System (the "Trustee"). The application seeks the approval of the Commission to the transfer of the undertaking and all of the property and assets of the System from the Trustee to the Co-operative in order to convert the System into a co-operative owned telephone system. The members of the Co- operative will be all of the customers of the System except for those persons who decline to become members. Materials related to becoming a member of the Co-operative and to this application have been mailed to each of the customers of the System. Subsection 47(6) of the Telephone Act empowers the council of the Trustee to authorize the sale or disposition of the whole of the System without convening a meeting of the subscribers of the System where, from absence or loss of records or other cause, the subscribers are unable to be ascertained, subject to the approval of the Commission as provided for in that subsection. The council of the Trustee passed a by-law on November 3, 1994 approving of the disposition of the whole of the system to the Co-operative and a purchase agreement has been signed. The closing of that transaction is subject to the approval of the Commission. The Trustee is currently responsible for debentures in respect of the System. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, the Co-operative will arrange for a letter of credit from a Schedule A Chartered Bank in favour of the Trustee to satisfy any obligations under the debentures on an ongoing basis until payment in full of the debentures. Any customers of the System interested in making any submissions to the Commission concerning this application should make their submissions In writing to be received by the Commission no later than January 3, 1995, at the address as follows: Ontario Telephone Service Commission 56 Wellesley Street West 5th Floor Toronto, Ontario M7A 2E7 Attention: Secretary/Registrar c/o Nell J. McCallum, Counsel Fax No. (416) 326-1021 The Commission, in its discretion, may proceed with a decision on the application without the holding of a public hearing. If you do not make any written submissions to the Commission by the date specified, the Commission may proceed to a decision without your submissions and you will not be entitled to further notice of these proceed'ngs. Copies of the application and related material forwarded to the Commission are available for Inspection at the offices of the System. Copies of the application may be requested by wilting or telephoning to the solicitors filing the application on behalf of the Applicants: BLAKE, CASSELS & GRAYDON Barristers and Solicitors P.O. Box 25, Commerce Court West Tbronto, Ontario M5L 1A9 Attention: Ben A. Jetten Secretary's Phone (416) 863-2939 Fax: (416) 863.4261. • a 4