HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-02-15, Page 1INSIDE
THIS WEEK:
SPORTS - Pg. 8
Blyth Bantam Girls bring
home broomball gold
EXPANSION - Pg. 11
New Brussels business
already looks to expand
OLYMPICS - Pg. 12
Blyth couple travels to
Olympics to watch son
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Volume 34 No. 7
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Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, February 15, 2018
vtA\�� Budget
process
begins
Crunch time
As hockey seasons throughout the community begin to
enter the playoffs for some and end for others, the Blyth
Brussels Novice Local League Burgundy Crusaders were
in action on Saturday against the Ripley Wolves. The locals
were able to tackle an early deficit after their opponents scored
within the first 10 seconds of the game, but in the end Ripley
proved to be too much, winning the game by a score of 3-2.
(Shawn Loughlin photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Huron East Council is set to begin
its annual budget process with a
proposed six per cent increase to the
general municipal levy as a starting
point.
Treasurer Paula Michiels laid out
the schedule for council at its Feb. 6
meeting. She plans to present the
first draft of the budget at council's
next meeting, set for Feb. 20.
Council will then work through
subsequent drafts of the budget
throughout March ahead of final
consideration of the budget at
council's April 3 meeting.
Michiels told councillors that the
municipality is already facing an
uphill battle as a result of decreased
money from the Ontario Municipal
Partnership Fund (OMPF).
However, with increased dollars
from the Ontario Community
Infrastructure Fund (OCIF), the
deficit with which Huron East finds
itself has been reduced to just under
$150,000.
In order to cover just this shortfall,
Huron East Council would have to
raise the general municipal levy by
3.6 per cent. She has proposed a six
per cent increase to the municipal
levy that would help cover those
funding decreases and aid the
budget towards inflationary
increases in utilities paid by Huron
East, as well as annual increases to
wages and benefits.
Michiels did caution council
about how early it is in the budget
Continued on page 15
Brussels Leo Club to mark five-year anniversary
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
This Monday, the Brussels Leo
Club will be marking its fifth
anniversary with a special open
house to celebrate the club's
accomplishments since its inception
in 2013.
The club is hosting a special
come -and -go anniversary
celebration on Monday, Feb. 19
from 1-3 p.m. at the Brussels Four
Winds Barn.
Kathy Nichol, a Lions Club
member who has been instrumental
in the mentorship of the club in
recent years, said that the Leos have
accomplished so much in the last
five years and that should be
celebrated.
In the May 9, 2013 issue of The
Citizen, Brussels Lions Club then -
President Paul Mutter said that
nearly 20 young people had
expressed interest in joining the
club. He anticipated it would be up
and running by the end of June.
Mutter said the response to the
Leo Club within the club had been
"overwhelming" and he eagerly
anticipated its formation.
The club took its next step on May
12 when Lions Brian Keller, Greg
Ducharme, Tim Prior, Gary
McCutcheon, Kathy Nichol and Paul
Nichol all formed the Leo Club
Advisory Committee to help the
burgeoning club along in its early
days.
The club officially received its
charter that September and was in
action soon thereafter. Members of
the club held a fundraising barbecue
at the final Brussels Farmers' Market
of the year the following month and
spearheaded a food drive in late
October.
They held a road hockey
tournament in February, 2014 and
made their first donation back into
the community that April. The club
pledged $550 to the Brussels Library
Fund, which aided in the renovation
and expansion of the village's
historic library.
In October, 2014, the club was
approved for its first-ever grant
when it received $7,500 from the
Libro Credit Union. That money
would eventually go towards the
rehabilitation of the Brussels Sports
Pad beside the Brussels, Morris and
Grey Community Centre, the club's
first major community project.
The grant would prove to be a
launching pad for the project, as
members were working in the
community for months to raise the
Continued on page 9
BIA to look to Blyth's future
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
After the Blyth Business
Improvement Area's (BIA) annual
general meeting on Feb. 22, a special
facilitated conversation will be held
regarding the future of the
community.
The discussion starts at 7:45 p.m.
at Blyth Memorial Hall. Organizers
have cited the closure of Blyth
Public School several years ago and
the recent announcement that the
CIBC will close its Blyth branch as
motivation for the meeting.
BIA Chair Karen Stewart said the
event is being held by the BIA to
give everyone a chance to speak.
She said the event will be limited
to an hour and a half, question time
included, so that members of the
community can share their concerns
in an open forum.
The BIA's annual general meeting
is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and
will include discussions regarding
the budget for the coming year as
well as an opportunity for
nominations for and election of the
board of management.
For more information, contact
Stewart at karen@blyth1419.ca