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The Times Advocate, 2006-09-13, Page 22 Exeter Times—Advocate Wednesday, September 6, 2006 McMaster enters municipal election By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF USBORNE — The Usborne ward has its first candidate for November's South Huron municipal election. Ranch House Inn owner Hugh McMaster has filed his nomination papers to repre- sent Usborne on the new council. As of Monday, he is the ward's lone candidate. This represents McMaster's first time running for council and it is a decision he has been mulling over for three or four months. In private business for the past 30 years, including the last 10 as owner of the Ranch House, McMaster wants to bring his business experience and knowledge to council. He said he can bring fresh ideas to council. McMaster, who was born and raised on a farm in Grey County, is also knowledge- able about agricultural issues and said he continues to keep track of commodity prices. j Hugh McMaster McMaster said the infrastructure work being done in South Huron over the past three to four years is a positive development and should continue. He is in favour of the pro- posed new Lake Huron water pipeline, which he says will help economic development in the area. McMaster also sees the recently -announced Hensall ethanol plant as a plus. In addition to wanting to see more co- operation between the rural and urban areas, McMaster wants to see South Huron attract new businesses and help retain young people. "We are losing too many young people and we have to encourage them to stay," he says. McMaster says the area has "the best farmland in Ontario" and the airport in Huron Park should be uti- lized as a plus. McMaster describes him- self as a positive person. "I believe things can be done," he says. A founder of the South Huron Chamber of Commerce as well as the Business Retention and Expansion Program getting underway, McMaster says, "We are losing too many young people and we have to encourage them to stay." HUGH MCMASTER MUNICIPAL ELECTION CANDIDATE USBORNE WARD "I think I can be a strong voice on coun- cil." He adds council has had some tough issues to deal with over the past few years and credits Mayor Rob Morley for running a good council. McMaster said tough issues like the privatization of Huron Park still need a lot of work but can be Lake Huron water pipeline project to go to tender Continued from front page allows the project to go to tender to find out a firm project price. Coun. George Robertson, who represents council on the Lake Huron water manage- ment board, has a meeting Sept. 14 and will know more about the project's timeline then. He said the project won't break ground before the spring. Council prefers a new pipeline as opposed to upgrading the well system because of the unknowns that come along with wells. New provincial guidelines are coming in for wells, operations manager Don Giberson explained, saying source water protection regulations will substantially increase operating costs for wells and would result in the municipality having to buy more property around its well sites. Coun. Ken Oke said with new provincial regulations, a well system would be "a con- stant money pit." He then made the motion to support a new pipeline, which council passed unanimously. The certificate of approval for Exeter's water system expires by the end of 2007 — by then, the municipality either needs to be on a new pipeline or have its well system upgraded to regulations. Baker's presentation Speaking about the new ethanol plant in Hensall, Baker said construction of the plant will result in 200 construction jobs for 18 months and 45 well -paying permanent jobs. He said there will also be "a few hundred" spinoff jobs created by the plant in sectors such as trucking businesses and fabrication shops. Also benefitting will be local hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants and service sector. "There is a lot of spinoff employment from this project," Baker said. The Municipality of Bluewater will benefit with the increased tax revenue created by the plant and farmers will benefit through increased corn prices, Baker added. He said GreenField will spend over $50 million annually in the area. The Hensall plant will be built with newer technology than GreenField's Chatham plant. While there is an odour created by the Chatham plant, Baker said there should be no odours associated with the Hensall plant because new technology burns off the odours. Also, 60-70 per cent of the plant will be indoors. Leftover grain created by the plant will be sold as a high protein animal feed. GreenField forecasts groundbreaking on the project to start in October, with comple- tion in spring 2008. GreenField, a privately -owned Canadian company is the country's largest ethanol and industrial alcohol company and Baker said the company has "aggressive expansion plans" to make it one of the top producers in North America. After last week's meeting, Baker was on his way to Quebec to meet bankers from Montreal and New York City to raise $470 million for the Hensall plant and a similar plant in Johnstown, Ont. Upon questioning from Coun. George Robertson, Baker said GreenField's plants are not unionized, but are employee -owned with good wages and low staff turnover. REGIONAL WRAP UP Clinton exhibit CLINTON — Clinton's `School on Wheels' encourages area residents to come and visit the school's new exhibit, a 43 -transparency selection of 1930s slides. The Clinton News -Record reports the school car was used by Clinton native Fred Sloman to educate children in Ontario's far north. The new exhibit features both the Sloman car and a Canadian Pacific Railway car. The slides depict various scenes includ- ing photos of children, horsedrawn carriages and a snowy northern town. There are other additions to the `School on Wheels,' including new railroad -style light- ing, new paint and a new flowerbed. Lottery winners GODERICH — John Davis and his adult children Calvin and Becky of Goderich are the area's newest millionaires. The Goderich Signal -Star reports the family will share more than $9 million after they won the Lotto 6/49. Project delayed GODERICH — Opposition from two First Nations bands recently sunk plans to christen and sink a 35 -foot dive boat and turn it into a tourist site. The Goderich Signal -Star reports the pro- ject to sink The Maitland Star in Lake Huron had government approvals for the Sept. 2 event, but received a letter Sept. 1 from a lawyer acting for Chippewas of Nawash and the Saugeen First Nation that threatened liti- gation if the sinking proceeded. The First Nations bands stated concerns about fish habitat, their commercial fishing and treaty rights. They also complained they weren't given enough time to research the project and should have been involved since the project's beginning stages. The sinking is to be a tourist attraction for divers and scuba clubs. Organizers vow the project will move for- ward. resolved. He said the $6.2 million Crediton/Centralia sewer project will be the new council's biggest challenge. McMaster and his wife Fran have lived in the area for 10 years. The couple has two grown children and one grandson. G.I.C.'s 441% ■ SCO Gaiser eale � Broker Inc. EXETER - 235-2420 GRAND BEND - 238-8484 CLINTON - 482-3401 advertisers. . pay hone We gladly accept payment for your account by Visa or Mastercard. call 519-235-1331 Sue Rollings today. I. TIMES ADVOCATE MUNICIPALITY OF BLUEWATER CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR WATER SUPPLY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HENSALL WATER WORKS NOTICE OF STUDY COMPLETION AND PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE The Municipality of Bluewater has conducted a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) to determine the best solution for a long term municipal water supply for the com- munity of Hensall. The project is needed to bring the existing municipal water system into compliance with new provincial regulations and to ensure an adequate municipal water supply for both existing and future development activities. As an outcome of the study, Council has chosen connection to the Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System (LHPWSS) as the best long term water supply for Hensall. The project will involve the construction of a transmission watermain to connect the Hensall Water Works to a supply main that will serve the community of Exeter. The project may also require the con- struction of a booster pumping station near the community centre and modifications to exist- ing pumping and storage facilities on York Street. A preferred route for the transmission main has been identified and is shown on the accompa- nying key plan. The route generally follows Airport Line from Huron Street in Exeter, to the Hensall-Zurich Road (County Road 84). It will begin at a booster pumping station to be con- structed at the intersection of Huron Street and Airport Line and terminate in the vicinity of the Hensall Community Centre. A Public Information Centre is planned for the purpose of providing further information to the public and receiving input from interested persons regarding the study and the proposed works. Date: Tues., Sept. 19, 2006 Time: 7 pm to 9 pm ( no presentation) Place: Hensall Community Centre All those with an interest in the project are urged to attend. The project is following the planning process set out for Schedule B activities under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) document. Schedule B projects are approved subject to a screening process which involves consultation with public and review agencies to ensure the project can be carried out in an environmentally -sound manner. The screening process has been completed for this project. There were no negative impacts identi- fied with the proposed works that could not be mitigated. A Screening Report has been pre- pared to document the study process. The report is available for review at the Bluewater Municipal Office, 14 Mill Street, Zurich, Ontario (during normal business hours) and the Hensall Library Branch. It is also posted on the municipal website: www.town.bluewater.on.ca. Subject to any comments received as a result of this Notice, and the receipt of necessary approvals, the project will proceed to the design and construction phases. For further informa- tion on this project, please contact the Project Engineer: B. M. Ross and Associates Limited, 62 North Street, Goderich, Ontario, N7A 2T4. Telephone (519) 524-2641. Fax (519) 524-4403. Attention: Steve Burns, P. Eng. (Email: sburns@bmross.net). If environmental concerns arise regarding this project, which cannot be resolved in discussion with the Municipality, a person or party may request that the Ministry of the Environment make an order that the pro- ject comply with Part II of the Environmental Assessment Act, which addresses individual environ- mental assessments. Requests must be received by the Minister, at the address below, within 30 calendar days of this Notice. A copy of the request must also be sent to the Project Engineer at the address above. If no such request is received by October 5, 2006, the project will proceed to construction as planned. Minister of the Environment 135 St. Clair Avenue, 10 th Floor Toronto, ON M4V 1 P5 This Notice Issued September 6, 2006 Janisse Zimmerman, Clerk -Administrator Municipality of Bluewater KEY sem. PLAN N.T.S. IukHEHSA Milli NEE■ An a.li. WLlt HURON ST WM LEXETER BM LEGEND • IS PREFERRED ROUTE POINT OF CONNECTION BOOSTER PUMPING STATION If environmental concerns arise regarding this project, which cannot be resolved in discussion with the Municipality, a person or party may request that the Ministry of the Environment make an order that the pro- ject comply with Part II of the Environmental Assessment Act, which addresses individual environ- mental assessments. Requests must be received by the Minister, at the address below, within 30 calendar days of this Notice. A copy of the request must also be sent to the Project Engineer at the address above. If no such request is received by October 5, 2006, the project will proceed to construction as planned. Minister of the Environment 135 St. Clair Avenue, 10 th Floor Toronto, ON M4V 1 P5 This Notice Issued September 6, 2006 Janisse Zimmerman, Clerk -Administrator Municipality of Bluewater