The Times Advocate, 2008-03-05, Page 1616
Times -Advocate
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Medway Creek needs improvements
By Nina Van Lieshout
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
LUCAN BIDDULPH — A representative of the Upper
Thames River Conservation Authority attended the
Lucan Biddulph council meeting Feb. 19, focusing on
the Medway Creek Watershed Community Board
Watershed Strategy Development.
Medway Creek is one of 28 watersheds within the
Upper Thames River watershed.
Community partnership specialist Julie Welker is
hoping Lucan Biddulph will get involved with the pro-
ject by creating its own Technical Advisory committee.
Welker says she hopes the Lucan area can "recruit a
group of people" to assist in collecting data, preparing
draft reports and maps, to participate in public meet-
ings and complete surveys, finally implementing posi-
tive changes throughout the watershed.
"We're wanting to involve the community to carry on
the project. We really want to see it succeed," says
Welker.
Medway Creek received a D grade for its Forest
Conditions and a C grade for its Surface Water Quality
during its 2007 report card.
The watershed is 206 square km, with six per cent
in the Upper Thames River watershed. Lucan
Biddulph covers 38 square feet, while Middlesex
Centre covers 135 square feet.
Medway Creek in the upper reaches is very sparse in
forest cover. One suggestion is to plant more trees.
Connecting and widening the forest cover will protect
the creek and create an excellent wildlife corridor,
according to the Medway Creek Report Card.
Some suggestions to improve water quality are
planting buffers, encouraging drain maintenance,
identifying groundwater recharge and discharge
zones and encouraging the decommissioning of aban-
doned wells, according to the Ministry of the
Environment standards.
Welker says improvements for the Medway Creek
are possible, explaining that the Dingman Creek
improved significantly in five years from its 2001
report card from an overall C to B grade.
For more information on the Upper Thames River
Watershed visit www.thamesriver.on.ca
Arena update
The defibrillator which arrived at the Lucan
Memorial Community Centre last month is located in
the main lobby.
Arena manager Ken Needham says the reason for
that particular location is because it is a central spot in
the facility, and "it's always open."
Needham says it is not closer to the ice surface or
change rooms because those facilities are not used
year round.
"Sometimes the ice is not there," says Needham,
adding signs will be posted explaining where to find
the defibrillator.
Policing committee
Ward 3 Coun. Alex Westman says he's impressed
with the recent interest in the Policing
committee.Westman was also named as chairman of
the Policing committee, with Lucan's Ken Rees as vice-
chairman.
Westman says the committee plans to participate in
the Canada Day celebrations this year.
"We're geared up and excited," says Westman.
Summer Company accepting applications
HURON — Applications are now
being accepted for the 2008
Summer Company Program.
Run through the Huron Small
Business Enterprise Centre
(HSBEC), with sponsorship from the
Ministry of Small Business and
Entrepreneurship (MSBE), the
Summer Company program aims to
inspire more young people to
choose entrepreneurship as a
career and equip them with the
tools they need to succeed.
Designed for students aged 15-29
who are going back to school full
time, this program provides for up
to $1,500 toward start-up costs
and, upon successful completion of
the program requirements, the stu-
dent is eligible for an additional
award of up to $1,500.
Interested students need to sub-
mit a comprehensive business plan
with their application and partici-
pate in an interview process.
Training and mentorship will be
provided during the summer by a
volunteer group of Community
Mentors, along with Alison Lobb,
business consultant for the County
of Huron. The mentor will meet
with the young entrepreneurs on a
regular basis during the summer,
assisting them with the manage-
ment side of operating a business.
Application deadline for this pro-
gram is April 30.
HSBEC Business Plan
Competition
The annual HSBEC Business Plan
Competition is designed to encour-
age secondary school students to
learn more about entrepreneurship
through the creation of an effective
business plan. It encourages youth
to consider entrepreneurship as a
possible career option for the
future and give them practical
experience in what is required for a
start-up business. They should
have a better understanding of the
need for careful planning before
investing time and energy into a
business enterprise due to their
formation of a written plan.
The students do not have to run
the business, simply prepare and
submit a formal business plan. The
contest is open to all high school
students in Huron and Perth coun-
ties, and the plans can be devel-
oped as partnerships or sole pro-
prietorships. Last year 25 plans
were submitted. With five cash
prizes (ranging from $500 to $100)
this is an opportunity for all enter-
prising students! Application for
this year's competition will be
accepted until June 6.
For more information on both of
these programs, contact Lobb at
527.0305, ext. 35 or by e-mail at
alobb@huroncounty.ca
Kub Kar Rally
And they're off — The Kub Kar Rally hosted by the First Exeter Cub
Pack with the Exeter Scouts was at South Huron District High School
Saturday.There was 81 Kub Kars entered for the races from Exeter,
Lucan, Kirkton, Zurich, Clinton, Seaforth, Goderich and Ellice.
A large crowd of spectators were also attendance to watch the six run
off heats.The winners for Speed Placing are above from left Lucan's
Kurtis Fletcher, Clinton's Caleb Coultis and Goderich's Ryan
Roosemalen. Exeter's Carter McGregor placed second for Best Paint
Job. (photo/submitted)
New standards are being met
SOUTH HURON
— Some of council
spent a few days in
Toronto rubbing
shoulders with the
Provincial
Government last
week.
It was an inter-
esting week.
Premier McGuinty Ken Oke
announced an
increase in the
funding for the latest
infrastructure grants
(MIII) to the municipali-
ties from $300 million to
$450 million.
The requests from the
municipalities came in for
slightly over $900 million.
In reality there is only
half the money for the
needs at this time. If you
divide the $450 million
with the municipalities
involved, the request that
South Huron made was
bang on the money.
We have complied with
the intent of the grant and
should be one of the win-
ners.
Canadian Council of
Environment Ministers is
coming out with new
standards for sewage
effluent. Although this
one is too premature to
begin to panic yet, it does
sound like an expensive
proposition for municipal-
ities.
I am not sure how it
works, but it seems to me
that when a sewage treat-
ment facility gets over-
loaded, they are able to
dump effluent into the
rivers, lakes, and streams.
Better Farming maga-
zine would run a list of
the urban areas that are
doing the dumping and
the number of times that
year they have dumped.
It is called controlled
spills and uncontrolled
spills. You must register
with the Environment
when these spills take
place.
Mind you,
these spills don't
happen that
often, but seems
to occur more
with the bigger
centers.
Unfortunately
South Huron's
name has been
on the list.
In the past,
some storm sew-
ers were connected to the
sanitary sewers and in
some cases during some
heavy rains, the system
would get over taxed and
a spill would occur.
No longer can storm
sewers be connected to
the sanitary sewers and
for the last number of
years, the sanitary sewers
are sealed to keep out
infiltration, trying to mini-
mize the problem during
heavy rains.
South Huron has been
working to correct this
problem and I would
admit that we are not
there yet to be fully in
compliance.
The standards for
sewage effluent have
been set or will be set in
the near future and every
one in Ontario must be
compliant within ten
years or action will be
taken. The City of
Toronto announced that
they could not meet these
standards in ten years
and questioned how it
would be enforced. The
answer was financially.
I remember when the
drinking water standards
came out and it was said
that municipalities could-
n't meet these standards.
Fines were set in the
millions of dollars for
councils and in the thou-
sands for councilors to be
paid by the councilors
personally. Standards for
drinking water are being
met.
Easy stretching exercises
and solo Wednesdays
EXETER — Throughout the month of February,
keyboard musicians were Ruth Insley and Josie
Ryckman.
On Feb. 5, Marion Foster visited to speak on two
upcoming trips. Faye did a quiz on Town and
Country Support services. Liz Adams won the
50/50 draw. We sang Happy Birthday to Harry
Dougall. Marlene Mathers entertained us on Feb.
12, for our Valentine's program. Special prizes
were won by Edith Brintnell, Elsie Faulder,
Ghislaine Whydoogie and Audrey McDonald. On
Feb. 19, we heard speeches from Brett, Katie and
Brandon from the Exeter Public School. Shirley
Truemner won the 50/50 draw. Elinor Clarke
showed slides on Feb. 24.
Solo continues on Wednesdays at the Exeter
Lions Youth Centre at 1 p.m. Anyone interested
call Sandi at 519-235-0107.
Foot care appointments can be made by contact-
ing 235-0258. The next appointment dates will be
March 18 and again on April 1/15.
Exercise continues at the Lion's Youth Centre on
Wednesdays from 9 - 10. We are having exercise
classes from 11:15 - 11:45 every Tuesday just
before Diners. Anyone who would like to join us
for some easy stretching exercises, please feel free
to come along.
Our entertainment for the month of March will
be a sing song, penny sale, Murray Christie and
Mary F. Dow, Jim and Elaine Scott.
Crime of
the month
HURON — Huron County
Crime Stoppers and the Huron
County OPP are asking for help
in solving a break, enter and
theft Dec. 14, between mid-
night and 6 a.m.
A garage and a vehicle were
entered on Victoria Drive in
Centralia.
Stolen from the garage were
two sets of golf clubs, Cleveland
right-handed irons, an R5
Taylor Made driver, a #3 Big
Bertha Driver and a full set of
Pro Select ladies right-handed
woods and irons in a red and
black bag.
Stolen from the vehicle were
a Metabo electric hammer drill,
a Bosch battery drill and a per-
sonal ID. The owner's name
was engraved on the tools.
If you have any information
about this crime contact Crime
Stoppers at 1 -800 -222 -TIPS
(8477).
You will not have to reveal
your name or go to court and
could be eligible for a cash
reward of up to $2,000.