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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1984-12-26, Page 194 01 OrODERICIi SIGNAUSTAR, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26;19164, -PAGE 16 i. - Area schools hold Christmas concerts m A captivating concert. These kindergarten students of Robertson Memorial Public School are captivated by the skits and plays unfolding on the stage during the school's dress rehearsal Tuesday. (photo by Dave Sykes) Some of the Grade 2 students from Colborne Central School are at the school's. annual Christmas concert held last Wednesday shown in a scene from `Santa and the Robot' which was performed evening. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) Some of the Grade 1 students at (borne Central School are shown performing in a song - skit at the school's annual Chris nas concert held ha—Wednesday evening. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) r This group of shepherds encountered some angels during an acting out of the nativty scene, at the St. Marys School Christmas concert. Rafts) The skit was done by a group of Grade 5 and 6 students and was backed up by a chorus and some special effects. (photo by Patrick Farmer By James el HULLETT TWP. - Alt ough me Ontario Hydro official agreed he � eeting was prematuree,,-- represer_tati es `of the provin- cial co ration atten ed a meeting of the Huron County chapter of the Federation of Agriculture to answer questions about a pro- posed hydro power line through the county. The meeting took place at Hullett Central School in Londesboro on Dec. 13. The meeting, suggested as premature because Hydro has not yet fully defined its requirements, was primarily a chance for both Ontario Hydro and the Foodland Hydro Committee to air their points of view and provide a short summary of the events to date. Dave Abbott Public Involvement Chair- man for the present study began, saying that in 1981, Hydro decided to develop power lines to fully utilize the power generated at the Bruce Nuclear Power Development (BNPD), and plan for the time the second Bruce plant comes into operation, scheduled for 1987. After Hydro had waited for years for the Royal Commission of Electric Power to complete its findings, the huge power cor- poration approached a hearing established to consider power line routes with six plans, "all of them_acceptable to Hydro," said Mr. Abbott. Because of the efforts of representative Tony McQuail, concerned farmers and the Huron Federation of Agriculture, the hear- ing officers recognized that Hydro's favoured power line route, from the BNPD to London, interfered with prime agricultural land..wlch the royal commis- nd Hydro discuss route 1 n supported was overturned in sion had cautioned against. An alternate route, incidentally selected by the Federation as the best route, from the Bruce plant to Essa near Barrie was chosen as the course offering the least interference with this area's pl ime agricultural land. The corridor designated N3 was chosen and Ontario Hydro developed'tne plan to the point of actually deciding the general area to place the towers. At that time, cottagers and farmers in the Bruce area formed a group to fight Hydro's plans called the Cen- tral Ontario_Coalition, which contended that both seasonal and permanent residents did not receive proper notice of the provincial company's intentions. The issue was taken to court. "This.,§o-called la k of notice w K eview- ed and the three j dges decide •=' > e move should be quashe ' said Mr. Abbott. "Now we're dog it again. A study of the best possible ro to from Bruce t London will engble us to go back to a hexing and have in-depth information on various routes," said the Hydro official. He also stressed that although Ontario Hydrowas investigating the direct Bruce to London course, this study would not necessarily mean thax route would be especially pushed as the most favourable. Tony McQuail a '-`Furnberry Township farmer and a member of the Federation said the process was now primarily a political one. After working at he hearings to point out that Hydro's faired route would com- plicate Earn -di -1g operations wac4P valuable land. P hearinp decision the Federation court. I Mr. McQuail suggested that because many of the cottagers in the regi i of the proposed line are lawyers, stock rokers and other influential people, the pr incial government did not defend its hear' g's fin- dings. "As a re he court ov urned the hearing's recomme ation on the grounds of notice." And at this time, said Mr. McQuail, "It's going to be in limbo for awhile," because it is a."political hot potato." He said that with a provincial election in the near future, the hearing framework Ontario Hydro needs from the provincial government to make progress on the project will not be developed until after the next government is elected. The Turnberry Township farmer also said that when the next hearings are conducted, every farmer with a point to make should try to attend and express their concern with the Brpce to London route. Hydro officials were not able to answer many specific questions farmers had con- cerning the routes because of the lack of a hearing framework, but the question of compensation was investigated. A booklet outlining the many various types of compen- sation available was distributed. As one farmer said, "I don't think we'll be able to stop the line so I'm just going to go for the money." Dave Abbott and the other Hydro officials - offered to attend another Federation meeting in March when the route corridors should be nares' down. No Christmas concert is complete without Mary and Joesph. These two youngsters sang Away in a Manager and joined the rest of the Hohmesville Kindergarten class in choral readings. ( Anne Narejiro pbo o) _:r