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Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Exeter Times -Advocate
3
Small communities want more funds
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — Ontario's small communities are working
together to lobby the federal and provincial govern-
ments for sustainable long-term funding for big-ticket
items such as water and sewer projects.
Politicians and municipal staff representing over a
dozen rural municipalities met in Exeter's Olde Town
Hall last Friday to organize themselves and develop a
plan of action. The group had earlier met in Teeswater
in the Municipality of South Bruce June 9.
The municipalities have come together because of the
initiative of South Bruce Mayor Ralph Kreutzwiser, who
said his municipality has been trying to get a $21 million
sewer project for 1,000 households in
Teeswater/Formosa for 10 years. Kreutzwiser said
South Bruce has spent about $300,000 on studies, but
has been unable to get grants. As a result of his frustra-
tion, South Bruce wanted to see if municipalities across
the province are having the same difficulties.
According to Kreutzwiser, they are, and readers of the
Times -Advocate are aware of the controversy surround-
ing the approximately $6 million Crediton/Centralia
sewer project which could cost property owners
$20,000 each as a result of South Huron being turned
down twice for a Canada -Ontario Municipal Rural
Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) grant. Kreutzwiser said
small municipalities in Ontario have major concerns
about the environment but can't afford new systems.
"We need to keep our hamlets and villages going," he
said, explaining that E. coli numbers in his municipality
are high and he's worried about the aquifer being pol-
luted.
Calling themselves 'Fair Funding for Small
Communities of Ontario', the group of municipalities is
hoping to have meetings with the ministers of the envi-
ronment, infrastructure, finance and agriculture and
food and lobby for long-term and sustainable funding
for small communities. If those meetings aren't possible
(due to the summer break), the group hopes to meet
with the ministers at the Association of Municipalities of
Ontario (AMO) meeting in August.
The group also decided on a committee to head the
proceedings: Kreutzwiser will chair the committee, with
South Huron Coun. Ken Oke as vice -chairperson. Other
members of the committee are Wellesley Township
Coun. Ron Hackett, Town of Minto Mayor Dave Burns,
Township of Wilmot chief administrative officer Grant
Whittington, Township of Lanark Highlands Mayor
Larry McDermott and Crediton's Dianne Faubert, who
will represent the public.
While sustainable, long-term funding for water and
sewer projects is the group's number one priority, there
are other concerns.
South Huron chief administrative officer Larry Brown
said the application for grant programs has to be more
transparent and municipalities should be able to see if
their respective projects are viable for grants and how
the applications will be evaluated. He said municipalities
have wasted "all kinds of money" applying for grants.
Kreutzwiser agreed the grant application process
needs to be streamlined.
Wellesley Township Mayor Ross Kelterborn said there
should be specific grant programs for projects such as
bridges, like there used to be. The group also doesn't
want to compete with urban centres for grants.
Burns, calling the COMRIF grant process as "seriously
flawed," said the government doesn't put a high priority
on making small town Ontario viable. He said small
towns are held to large city standards, but don't have
the assessment base to support those standards.
Burns said municipalities have to ensure their own
water and sewage systems are self -financed once they
`Rural Roots' at Queensway
`Rural Roots', consisting of
Doug Oesch, left, Martin
Gelinas and Jeff Millar
entertained Queensway
Retirement Residence and
Nursing Home Sunday
afternoon during the
home's annual Strawberry
Social fundraiser. Proceeds
from the afternoon will be
donated to the Perth -
Huron VON Palliative
Care Program.About
$300 was raised.
(photo/Scott Nixon)
are up and running. He spoke of his own municipality's
difficulties in setting rates and the financial shortfalls
they have experienced.
"Allegedly now we have a system that is self financing,
except for a few million here or there," he said.
Arran Elderslie clerk/chief administrative officer Joan
Albright pointed out that small communities are neces-
sary for many urbanites who retire and vacation in the
rural areas.
McDermott said he will work on organizing the east-
ern Ontario municipalities in a similar fashion. He told
the T -A after the meeting that concerns in that part of
the province are similar to those in southwestern
Ontario.
"It was like I hadn't left home," he said. "The story is
very, very similar." He said municipalities put a lot of
effort into applying for COMRIF grants and had a low
success rate.
McDermott described the municipalities' efforts to
band together and lobby the provincial and federal gov-
ernments for more cash "absolutely terrific."
He said small communities produce most of Canada's
exports and resources.
"We are the fuel that fuels the urban economic
engine," McDermott said, adding that if the partnership
between the rural and urban sectors is lost, "Canada
suffers."
Kreutzwiser pointed out the federal government is
"raking in" billions of surpluses and need to start shar-
ing it.
He encouraged the municipalities to speak to their
MPs and MPPs.
The group will seek resolutions from each involved
municipal council supporting their initiatives.
$4>
MUNICIPALITY OF
BLUEWATER
BAYFIELD - HAY - HENSALL - STANLEY - ZURICH
2001
NOTICE OF OPEN HOUSE
with the
Municipal Property
Assessment Corporation
at The Bayfield Complex
Tues., July 4, 2006 Noon - 8 pm