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The Times Advocate, 2008-10-08, Page 22 Times—Advocate Wednesday, October 8, 2008 County responds — South Huron Mayor Ken Oke speaks at a press conference the county held last Thursday to respond to recent job losses in Huron.At right is Goderich Deputy Mayor John Grace. Despite the recent announcement of the closure of Volvo in Goderich and the closure of CanGro in Exeter, the coun- ty says 220 new jobs are anticipated to come to Huron as busi- nesses expand and new companies set up shop here. Huron Park's Goderich Aircraft is an example of a local business expanding. (photo/Scott Nixon) County reacts to job losses Continued from front page He said the problem is global. Oke said South Huron has taken a proactive look at its eco- nomic future by investing in its infrastructure and providing good water and sewers. "We are open for business," he said, and pointed towards the expansion of Huron Park's Goderich Aircraft as good news. Oke said the county has good economic development and the municipalities need to work together. Echoing Oke's thoughts that the Volvo closure affects the whole county, Bezaire noted only 20 per cent of the employ- ees actually live in Goderich. "This is a county issue," he said, calling for more support from the provincial and federal levels of government. Stratford mayor and chairper- son of the Southwest Economic Alliance (SWEA) Dan Mathieson said Southwestern Ontario con- tinues to suffer through manu- facturing losses, while the feds and province continue to ignore local communities. He said some of the goals of SWEA are to improve tourism, agriculture and infrastructure, noting municipalities have been renewing their infrastructure largely without partnerships with the federal and provincial governments. Huron County is one of the founding members of SWEA. Bezaire said the last couple of county wardens focused seri- ously on economic development. Looking at positive news, he said he hopes the planned ethanol plant for Hensall goes through and said a new plant should also be coming to Huron East. In an interview after the press conference, Oke admitted South Huron's economy is "strug- gling," but added the municipal- ity is in good shape with its renewed infrastructure and available land. "We're ready for any busi- ness," he said, adding the Goderich Aircraft expansion is "excellent news." "There is a light at the end of the tunnel," he said. Oke said he is concerned about the spin-off effects that occur due to Volvo's closure, explaining he's sure there must Bluewater receives fire service certificate By Pat Bolen TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF VARNA — The Municipality of Bluewater is on track with its fire prevention plan, according to a report presented to council Monday night by fire chief Dave Johnston. Johnston told council the municipality has received confirmation through the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal that Bluewater has achieved compliance with the fire protection and prevention act. The act states that each municipality shall establish a program which includes public education and cer- tain components of fire prevention. Johnston said a representative of the fire marshal's office will attend council Oct. 20 to present the municipality with a certificate of compliance. Asked by Coun. Jim Fergusson if the certificate would mean any funding for firefighting, Johnston replied that it has been stated by the fire marshal's office that funding won't be a problem when fire departments come up to an official standard. Johnston added that it has also been stated by the fire marshal's office that by 2015 all volunteer fire- fighters will have to be certified, which he said comes at a high cost and at a detriment to volunteer fire departments. Johnston said he is also looking at bringing a fire- works bylaw to council in the next few months that would require licenses to sell and set off fireworks since he described them as an inherent problem in the area. In other business, Coun. Kay Wise asked general manager of corporate services Terri Brandon about whether information would be going out to Hensall residents regarding payment options for the water pipeline. Chief Administrative Officer Lori Taylor said Bluewater has been working with B.M. Ross and the numbers should be going out this week. Farm safety Coun. Peter Walden said he has seen farm equip- ment moving quickly lately and while he understood the need to get crops off, he said he hopes farmers will be careful. Recommendations to SH council Continued from front page sider financial and in-kind support to Communities in Bloom; • establishing an annual volunteer recognition day; • new entrance signage throughout the municipali- ty; • making tree replacement a priority in the municipal budget. Receiving three blooms in the competition, judges awarded Exeter 718 points out of a possible 1,000. General comments on the evaluation form included, "Overall, the town of Exeter is very tidy and attractive. The Main Street floral dis- plays, including hanging baskets, overflowing barrels and the bridge display were stunning and made a great first impression for the judges' visit." One of the suggestions of the judges was that the entire municipality partici- pate in Communities in Bloom, including the Stephen and Usborne wards. Mayor Ken Oke said the committee has done "a great job" and he notices people picking up litter and taking pride in their community. "It's created awareness and it's contagious," Tgahrt said. Coun. Pete Armstrong said it's important to have the wards of Stephen and Usborne involved in Communities in Bloom if the committee ever wants to receive more than three blooms. Council will further discuss the committee's recommen- dations at a communications meeting. REGIONAL WRAP Volvo closing GODERICH — After over 125 years, the production of road making equip- ment in Goderich is coming to an end, said the Goderich Signal -Star. Volvo Construction Equipment announced on Sept. 30 that the produc- tion of grader manufacturing will move to Pennsylvania and Brazil next year. The closing means the loss of 500 jobs. Goderich is first GODERICH — Goderich has been named as one of Canada's prettiest towns, says the Goderich Signal -Star. The recognition was announced at the national Communities in Bloom awards ceremony in Lethbridge Sept. 20 with a group of town representatives in atten- dance. Goderich was named the winner in the 5,001 to 8,000 category with five blooms, the highest rating possible. be businesses in South Huron that supplied the plant. Bezaire told the Times - Advocate his first thought upon hearing news of the Volvo clo- sure was for the people who work there. "We all know someone who worked there," he said, adding he has friends who are employ- ees of the company. And while he hadn't seen the numbers yet, Bezaire said he knows of manu- facturers whose only customer was Volvo. On the other hand, Bezaire noted there is a shortage of skilled labour in the county and he's confident a lot of the Volvo employees will find work in Huron. He added the economy is cyclical. "We'll come back," Bezaire said. "I'm confident." A press release from the coun- ty noted, "In the foreseeable future, in excess of 220 new jobs are anticipated as a result of company expansions and new industries locating in Huron County that should pro- vide employment opportunities for displaced workers." PHOTO REPRINTS FROM THE PAPER OR SUPPLIED BY YOU. COST $5.00 $2.00 5X7 $6.00 $3.00 8X10 $10.00 $5.00 SIZE 4X6 PAPER TYPE GLOSSY (PHOTO PAPER) MATTE (REGULAR PAPER) GLOSSY (PHOTO PAPER) MATTE (REGULAR PAPER) GLOSSY (PHOTO PAPER) MATTE (REGULAR PAPER) 2 ■ For e-mail requests: editor@southhuron.com �I TIMES -ADVOCATE 424 MAIN ST., EXETER 235-1331 • ...for your s ' pport. Since December 2005, I've been at over 12,000 of your doors and have listened closely as you shared your vision for our communities and for Canada. You expect and deserve results. Dur- ing my career as Business Analyst with Wescast in Wingham and as Cost Analyst with Desire 2 Learn in Waterloo, I've learned that results matter! My family have been farmers and business owners in Huron County for over 150 years and they've passed down a strong work ethic and sense of community pride. This forms my vision for Huron -Bruce; to build a new relationship with Ottawa and to help build a stronger, safer, better Canada. Again, thank you for your support. On October 14th, please vote Ben Lobb - Conservative. sincerely, f For a ride to the polls please call 1-877-524-6560 BEN Lobb Authorized by Stephen Baker, Official Agent for Ben Lobb Conservative A stronger, safer, better Canada.