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TIMES -ADVOCATE
Exeter, Ontario, Canada
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
x.25 (includes GST)
South Huron District High School student Lindsay Allen was wrapped up
of SHDHS with some help from brother Kenny and Vicki Hartman.Allen e
beating her goal of raising $50 for the Heart and Stroke Hoops for Heart
for Heart contact the school at 235-0880. (photo/Pat Bolen)
in her charity work April 12 in front
nded up wrapped to the tree after
at the school.To donate to Hoops
Dowson running for third term
By Pat Bolen
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
VARNA — The mayoral race in
Bluewater is now a two -person
contest with Mayor Bill Dowson
announcing his intention to seek
another term.
Dowson said his second term
wasn't as tough as the first but one
change he would like to see is all
councillors elected at large.
"I don't think we would have as
many problems at the council
meetings if everyone was elected at
large. No matter what people say,
they seem to squeeze back into
turf -building. Everyone who comes
to a council meeting with a concern
or a request should have the ear of
everyone, and that is not always
there."
Dowson said the municipality
needs growth and is working with
the county to attract industry to the
area as a whole.
"If it comes to one, it will benefit
more of them, whether it is Huron
Park, Goderich or Hensall. It cre-
Bill Dowson
ates jobs and the
jobs will spread
out across the
country...we
shouldn't fight it
because another
municipality is
getting this and
we're not
because that
doesn't do well
and it doesn't do
well for industry
coming in, that they know that's
out there."
Dowson said there are few things
he would have liked to get done in
this term that remain left undone,
but water issues will remain a
major priority in the municipality,
especially in Bayfield.
"I'd like to see the whole town on
municipal water. I know some
don't, but if we're going to have the
business to grow, even there they
have to know it's municipal water
or they're (industry) going to shy
away from it, to a point.
"It's time. Some don't feel they
need it yet and they don't. But it's
time to move forward and get that
there if you want the industry to
come to your area."
Bayfield ward
The ward of Bayfield has one can-
didate declared to contest the posi-
tion held by Coun. Dave Johnston.
Tyler Hessel has been a Bayfield
resident for the past 25 years.
After attending Huron Centennial
Public and Central Huron
Secondary School, Hessel went to
Lakehead University in Thunder
Bay.
He worked in international mar-
keting and distribution with
Patagonia Australia Inc. before
returning back to the Bayfield area.
Hessel said he decided to run
again shortly after the Bayfield
byelection last fall and that water
and development are the biggest
issues in the community.
"I feel council has to be listening
to the voices of each community...it
should reflect the community and
See DOWSON page 2
Exeter Library
decision soon
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — The municipality's years -long effort to
receive compensation on the construction of the
Exeter branch library should finally be coming to an
end.
South Huron heads to a pre-trial in London
Thursday to present its case against bond company
Guarantee Company of North America.
As South Huron chief administrative officer Larry
Brown explained to the Times -Advocate last week, the
municipality is seeking compensation of over
$500,000 resulting from delays in the construction of
the new library at the corner of Main and Sanders
streets, which led to increased costs.
The two-storey, 5,600 sq. ft. library opened in
November 2002, a year and a half late, after original
contractor Pegdon Construction went into receiver-
ship during construction. Construction was halted in
April 2001, after which the library sat as an empty
shell through the next winter. Contractor Moffatt and
White finished the project.
The original contract price for the library was just
over $1.4 million, but
delays added another
$320,000 in costs. To
make up for the
shortfall, the munici-
pality had to take out
a $500,000 loan and
had other payments,
including renting the
former Canadian
Tire building on Main
Street to house the
library during the
delayed construction.
At the pre-trial con-
ference in London,
each side — South
Huron and Guarantee — will present its case in writ-
ing. (Guarantee is owned by Cowan Insurance, the
largest insurer of municipalities in Ontario. South
Huron is covered by Cowan's only competitor, Jardine
Lloyd Thompson.)
Brown said it's possible a financial settlement
between South Huron and Guarantee could be
reached during the pre-trial agreement; if not, the
matter will head to a trial.
One of the issues complicating the matter has been
the fact there were many subcontractors involved in
the construction of the library also seeking compensa-
tion. Those settlements have now all been reached,
including recently the most contentious, which was
the steel supplier company, Sass Manufacturing.
Brown said there are two portions to the municipali-
ty's claim. The first is the $320,000 in extra costs of
the construction of the library after Pegdon went into
receivership and the municipality had to re -tender the
work
"They really aren't disputing that," Brown says of
Guarantee.
What Guarantee is disputing is the municipality's
second claim — that of additional damages, including
those arising from construction delays, steel costs and
the cost of renting the former Canadian Tire building.
"We paid for all the construction out of pocket as it
went along," Brown said. "When we got to the end,
we were out of pocket over $500,000" because of the
additional expenses.
To cover that, the municipality had to take out a
loan from the bank. The municipality is claiming the
interest on that loan as part of the damages.
Brown said he's confident the process is finally com-
ing to an end.
"It's gone on way too long."
"We paid for all the
construction out of
pocket as it went along.
When we got to the
end, we were out of
pocket over $500,000"
— LARRY BROWN
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE
OFFICER
SOUTH HURON