HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-01-11, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018. PAGE 11.
County approves agri-marketing work plan
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Huron County is planning its agri-
food economic development strategy
well into the next two years.
At the final Huron County Council
meeting of 2017, Director of
Economic Development Cody
Joudry presented his department's
work plan. Some initiatives are
already underway, but others will
stretch into 2020.
The plan dates back to the
department's 2016-2020 plan, in
which both the agriculture and agri-
food sectors were identified as key
growth sectors. Then, in January,
2017, during a strategic plan review
and action plan meeting, the Huron
County Economic Development
Board placed a high emphasis on
agriculture and agri-food.
The work plan had since been
presented to a number of groups, as
well as to the Huron County
Economic Development Board twice
before being presented to Huron
County Council.
Joudry told councillors that there
The big game
The Blyth Brussels Junior Initiation team was on the ice on Saturday morning in Blyth, taking
on a team from Wingham. While the youngsters opted not to keep score for the game, plenty
of fun was had and skills were advanced at this early stage in their hockey careers. (Quinn Talbot
photo)
Newson proposes upgrades
Continued from page 10
McGhee expects to bring
information back to council
regarding the stability of the
structure.
McGhee also suggested
purchasing software to help with the
organization of the cemeteries in the
municipality. He estimated the cost
of the software, hardware and an
educated individual to set up the
program at $50,091.
FACILITIES
Director of Recreation and
Facilities Pat Newson explained
several large expenses in the budget
as well including the repair of the
Wingham Child Care Centre roof
which was expected to cost
approximately $170,000. However
that cost may not appear in the 2018
budget.
"We're not just replacing the roof,
but... fixing its support structure,"
she said. "We have to open up the
ceiling in the gym."
Newson explained $25,000 was in
the budget to be raised by taxation
for the engineer's report so the
project could be tendered for 2019.
Newson also reported that the
Blyth Greenway Trail's bridge, a
structure used primarily by
snowmobilers, needed to be
addressed.
She reported it would cost
$38,000 to fix the bridge if the
municipality had to cover it. Later in
the meeting, she explained council
may wish to consider other options
for the structure, stating that it was
not owned by the municipality, but
on land the municipality rented.
Council decided to remove the
cost from the budget and directed
Newson to contact the Goderich-to-
Guelph (G2G) Rail Trail Committee
and local snowmobile club to
determine if they had an interest in
restoring and maintaining the
structure.
Another facility cost that inspired
some discussion was the
replacement of one of two
17 -year-old treadmills at the
North Huron Wescast Complex
at a cost of $10,000 for the unit.
Newson explained the units are
industrial -grade and designed to last,
but she didn't anticipate they had
much left to give. While the cost did
generate some questions, the fact
that it was being raised by taxation
and not taken out of reserves had
Councillor Trevor Seip questioning
the cost.
Newson said there is enough in
reserves to cover the cost, but she
anticipated using the funds in
reserve to replace the other treadmill
if it broke down.
"Ever year, we put $5,000 to
$10,000 in the reserves and take it
out when needed," Newson said,
adding the $10,000 would bypass
the reserve fund.
Seip had a problem with the optics
of the situation, however.
"We're looking at a 14.71 per cent
increase in taxation," he said. "If we
have money in reserves, that's why
it's there. I know our reserves are
low, but we shouldn't keep racking
Continued on page 12
are 21 aspects of the plan that the
department will be focusing on in
the next three years. Some have
already begun in the first quarter of
2018 and are slated to be completed
within that same quarter, whereas
others will start in 2019 and some
will run the entire three years.
The agri-food sector profile and
financing for new farmers resource
piece of the puzzle are already
underway and will only run until the
end of the year's first quarter.
Also underway are the agri-
business co-operative creation tool
(ending second quarter, 2018), the
Huron County Agri -Food
Leadership Council (running
through 2020), Farm Tours 2018
(running through 2018), the
Community Prospects package
(running through 2020) and New
Products Business Case
Development (running through
2018).
Both the Culinary Tourism
Readiness Initiative and the support
of agricultural organizations are
aspects of the project that are already
underway and will continue through
2020.
Agri -Food Supply Chain
networking will begin in the second
quarter of each of the next three
years, running through to the end of
each respective year.
Beginning later in the process is
the Agri -Food Products Transport
Mixer, which is expected to be rolled
out in the second quarter of 2019.
The 2019 installment of the Farm
Tours program will run throughout
the entirety of 2019, while the New
Markets and Leads Identification
Initiative will begin in the fourth
quarter of 2018 and run for 12
months through to the end of the
third quarter of 2019.
The Innovation in Agri -Sector
Conference part of the plan will run
for 2019 and 2020, while the New
Agriculture Entrant Committee will
run for all of 2019.
The School Farm Job Talk is slated
Are you
tired of
getting a
second-han
newspaper
to take place in quarters four of 2018
and one of 2019, and again in
quarters four of 2019 and one of
2020.
The department is hoping to
develop the Agri -Food Expert
Advisory Directory from the
beginning of the first quarter of 2019
through to the end of the first quarter
of 2020.
Version 2.0 of the #HCProud
campaign will be rolled out from the
second quarter of 2019 through to
the end of the second quarter of 2020
and the 2020 installment of the Farm
Tours program will take place
throughout the entire year.
Both the Win This Space —
Country Style, an agricultural
version of the successful Huron East
entrepreneur initiative, and the
Agriculture Mentor-Mentee
Succession program will run for all
of 2019 and 2020.
The program, Joudry said, will be
operating with four key goals:
Support, awareness, startups and
development.
Under awareness, the agri-food
sector profile will be based on the
2016 census and will foster feelings
of pride in the community, he said,
while also being honest about the
challenges facing the sector in
Huron County.
The Farm Tours program in 2018,
2019 and 2020 will be done in
collaboration with Middlesex
County and will involve politicians
and management and work to
encourage dialogue and
relationships between these
decision -makers and the farmers
themselves.
The School Farm Job Talk will
seek to educate area students on
opportunities within the sector,
while dispelling myths.
The second iteration of the
#HCProud campaign will also be
part of the awareness portion of the
project, which will celebrate
successes within the sector and
Continued on page 12
Be first in line
and get your own
subscription!
One year subscription to
The Citizen
$3800
only
Enclosed is $38.00 for a 1 -year subscription
Name
Address
Town Postal Code
On-line subscriptions available too at www.northhuron.on.ca
Mail cheque & coupon to:
P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152,
Blyth, ON NOM 1H0 Brussels, ON NOG 1H0
•