HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-04-05, Page 35Wednesday, April 5, 2006
Exeter Times -Advocate
3a
Tug of war
pulling away
The 2005-06 South Huron Sabres Atom Rep team came home from the St. Catharine's tournament as silver
medallists. The local squad tied Parkhill 2-2, defeated Gravenhurst 8-1 and Wingham 3-2 to enter the gold
medal round against Parkhill. The team was tied 3-3 after regulation time and a 5 -minute sudden death over-
time period to head to the shoot-out round. The two teams had to go to nine shooters before being defeated
2-1. Outstanding effort by the whole team. Above back left: assistant coach Pat O'Connor, captain Zack
Bedard, assistant coach Chris Desjardine,Andrew Hodgert, assistant coach Bob Snell and Matthew Hagarty.
Middle Ieft:Tyler Overholt,Tyler Edginton, Derek Elliot, Drew Beckett (Pipes). Front left: Brock Horner, Joshua
Brintnell, Bret Pincombe, Ryan Hoffman, coach Dick Lord. Forefront left: goalies Cole Willemsen and Robert
Anderson. Missing:Taylar Lightfoot, assistant coach Kristyn Darling and Cameron Quick. (photo/submitted)
The roots of conservation — 1946-1950
BY Tim Cumming
ABCA COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
(Note: The following is the first of
12 columns in 2006 about the
Ausable Bayfield watershed's con-
servation pioneers, during the 60th
anniversary year recognizing the
formation of Ontario's first
Conservation Authority - the former
Ausable River Conservation
Authority, now the Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Authority - and the
creation of the Conservation
Authorities Act of 1946.)
EXETER — Anyone who has ever
experienced the damages
wrought by a flood has come
face to face with Mother
Nature.
It is hard to believe that only
60 years ago (nine years after
Thames River floods left
4,000 Southern Ontario resi-
dents homeless) this province
had not yet created an orga-
nized response to flooding on
a watershed basis.
We can be proud that local
conservation pioneers in the
Ausable Bayfield watershed led the
way in Ontario, envisioning the need
for a strategic response to the threat
of flooding.
If we had the benefit of the magic
Delorean car from "Back to the
Future" we could voyage back in
time to March 2, 1946 and a
McGillivray Township council meet-
ing (quoted from minutes by local
historian Andrew Dixon) that "it is
the belief of this council that the
ruthless ploughing of flooded grass-
land together with the uncontrolled
cutting of timber is creating a condi-
tion which is beyond the power of
this and other municipal councils to
control therefore this council
requests the minister to have a sur-
vey made of the Ausable River
Watershed to determine the conser-
vation measures necessary to ensure
proper land use of this area."
Later, on June 1, that council
called for "a meeting for the estab-
lishment of a Conservation Authority
for the watershed of the Ausable
River situated in the Counties of
Huron, Lambton and Middlesex."
The new Conservation Authorities
Act of 1946 was clear that new
Ontario CAs had to grow out of local
initiative with municipal leadership,
cost sharing and watershed -based
planning. Conservation Authorities
were to grow from the ground up,
not the top down. Watershed munic-
ipal leaders, veterans and
other partners showed
that local initiative on July
30, 1946 when they offi-
cially created the Ausable
River Conservation
Authority, the organiza-
tional ancestor of the
Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Authority
(ABCA).
The first five years of the
local Conservation
Authority's existence were
busy times.
One of the key events was the cre-
ation of the 1949 Conservation
Report by the Ontario Department of
Planning and Development. The
mammoth volume is impressive in
its scope and even today the report
is an important historical document.
By 1950 the local watershed
Conservation Authority had more
than 300 acres of conservation lands
under its protection.
The devastation witnessed last
year in New Orleans and area was a
reminder about the power of nature.
Although we can never completely
protect ourselves from all flooding
events it's reassuring to know the
pioneers of local conservation forged
ahead in the creation of a body with
progressive planning, watershed
Tim
Cum
ming
stewardship and a concern for water
quality.
When the Second World War
ended, our veterans returned home
and the courage and hard work they
devoted to winning the war they
turned to winning the conservation
battle.
We celebrate 2006 as a Year of
Conservation and today we say
thank you to our local conservation
pioneers and acknowledge the awe-
some debt we owe them for looking
to the future way back in 1946.
The Ausable Bayfield Conservation
Authority is joining with partner
schools, municipalities and individu-
als to create `Sixty Projects' and
`Sixty Classes' for Sixty Years, in
honour of the local pioneers of con-
servation who helped protect our
lives and property through flood
management and watershed stew-
ardship
Female charged
with impaired
SOUTH HURON — On April 1
Huron OPP received information
from the public of a vehicle driven
by an impaired driver. The officers
located and stopped the vehicle on
Airport Line in South Huron.
Officers spoke to the driver and
found that she had been drinking.
The driver was issued a lawful road-
side demand, registering a fail. The
driver was arrested and transported
to the Huron Detachment where
two breath samples were provided
and analyzed. A 48 -year-old female
of South Huron will attend Exeter
Provincial Court May 25. She was
issued a 90 day driving suspension
and will face one count of driving a
motor vehicle with more than 80mg
of alcohol.
From left, Bluewater Tug Of War member Darlene
O'Rourke helps out Meagan Wilson and Jennifer
Hippern against Marc Metzger and Matt Springall
during a tug of war workshop put on by the club
March 28 at Hansen's Community Room in Exeter.
(photo/Pat Bolen)
By Pat Bolen
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — Local elementary school students may
be pulling against each other soon if the goal of the
Bluewater Tug Of War club comes true.
Speaking at a tug of war workshop at Hansen's
Community Room March 28, club president Erich
Freiter said the club is looking to introduce the sport
to schools to broaden its base and build an infra-
structure that will enable it to grow.
The advantages of tug of war, according to Freiter
is that there is not a lot of cost or space required for
it, is safe to play and builds self confidence and disci-
pline.
Tug of war continues to grow in popularity and in
2002 was recognized by the Canadian Olympic
Committee.
It is an Olympic exhibition sport and Freiter said it
hopefully will be back in the Olympics as it was from
1900 to 1920.
Fifty countries are required for a sport to be in the
Olympics, with 34 now registered.
Freiter said the only requirements to join the
Bluewater team are fitness, team spirit and an abili-
ty to take part in two to three practices a week.
The sport can be played indoors or outdoors, said
Freiter although tug of war indoors "is a whole dif-
ferent game with all different muscles.
"It's hard to find a sport which takes so much team
work," said Freiter.
"It's a simple sport but within it there are lots of
rules."
Discussing the strategies of tug of war, Freiter said
there are techniques teams have to develop as to
whether they will be in an offensive or defensive
mode.
Coach Jim Connolly said at one time brute strength
was 80 per cent of tug of war matches, but now is no
more than 50 per cent with fitness and tactics play-
ing an important role.
The Bluewater team is again sponsoring the eighth
annual elementary boys and girls tug of war compe-
tition at the Hensall Spring Fair June 10 with the
deadline for registration May 6.
It is also hosting an international tournament June
17-18 in Grand Bend.
For more information on the competition or tug of
war, contact Freiter at 237-3351 or
freiters@hay.net.
Crash sends man
to hospital
HURON — A man
was taken to South
Huron Hospital after
a head-on collision
with a transport
truck at Dashwood
Road (Highway 83)
in South Huron
Monday.
Members of the
Huron OPP respond-
ed to the collision
shortly after 6:30
a.m.
A 2006 Peterbuilt
Tractor trailer dri-
ven by Derrick
Buehler of Drayton
was travelling west
on Dashwood Road.
The second vehicle,
a 2003 Volkswagen
was travelling east
when it drifted into
the westbound lane.
The driver of the
eastbound vehicle,
27 -year-old John
Drummond of
Dashwood was trans-
ported to hospital
with serious non -life
threatening injuries.
The investigation is
continuing