HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-5-31, Page 11The community on display
The Blyth Festival Art Gallery opened its second show of the season on Saturday with the
annual Community Show in the Bainton Gallery. The show welcomes members of the
community to show their work in the gallery, also making it available to potential buyers during
the show's run. The gallery's Vicki McKague, right, spoke at Saturday night's opening
reception, welcoming both members of the public and artists. The show features work from
gallery alumni such as Kelly Stevenson, Greg Sherwood, Michelle Zarytshansky and gallery
co-founder Ron Walker to name a few. The display runs until June 16 when it makes way for
the first of the gallery's three professional shows this season. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Federation hosts first meeting
Continued from page 10
well and they aren't in a "big hurry"
to fix the problem. Ontarians pay the
second-highest rates for their
communications in the world and
she said there's no excuse for that.
When asked about the mental
health crisis in Ontario, Johnstone
said that mental health is very
important in the NDP platform and
that under the party the province
would see the hiring of 1,200 new
mental health workers.
Thompson said that the PC Party
has already committed to investing
nearly $4 billion into mental health
in Ontario (with the help of the
federal government) and it's
something that she and the party
take very seriously.
She said that drastic cuts under
former Premier Bob Rae and the
NDP drastically hampered the
mental health infrastructure in the
province years ago and that
improving access to services in
Huron -Bruce is essential.
Matheson agreed, saying that
mental health workers need to be
placed in elementary schools and
secondary schools throughout the
province and that access throughout
Huron -Bruce needed to be
improved.
Not only did he want to see
existing services in areas like
Goderich and Owen Sound
expanded, but he hoped that mental
health services could also be
provided in smaller area hospitals
throughout Huron County, not just
in Goderich.
Stephens disagreed, saying that a
drastic increase in mental health
issues in recent years could be traced
back to what's being taught in
schools and anxiety in children.
"We are creating mental health
problems in this province, this is not
natural," he said, adding that many
students are having to "walk on
eggshells" in today's society.
He said the idea that there should
be a mental health worker in every
school shows how far the province
has gone "in the wrong way".
In regards to the energy situation
in Ontario, Thompson said the PC
Party would return Hydro One
dividends to the taxpayers, whereas
right now they go into the Liberal
government's "black hole".
Matheson, however, said that the
Liberal government has a plan for
energy in the province and the
province needs to stay on course in
order to invest money in
infrastructure where possible.
Johnstone said that the NDP
would end time -of -day rates, which
have yet to alter consumption rates,
and buy back Hydro One shares.
When the floor was opened up to
questions, one resident asked about
the closure of schools in rural
communities.
Thompson said that the closure of
schools under the Liberals has been
a "travesty" and that the PC Party
would immediately impose a
moratorium on school closures.
Matheson said that there is already
a moratorium in place thanks to the
Liberals and that school closures are
a "tough issue".
As a teacher, Matheson said that
he had experienced school closures
when his school was slated for
closure by Johnstone's school board.
Johnstone countered by saying
that the school is still open and
operational. However, as a school
board representative, Johnstone said
that she has seen first-hand that
funding for schools was supposed to
increase in 2003 and it didn't and
hasn't since.
Johnstone said that Ontario does
have a revenue problem and that the
NDP would aim to tax high -earning
individuals and companies in order
to help fund some of its
programming.
Thompson said that her party's
path to prosperity was "not new" but
it was accountability, which she said
hasn't been present at Queen's Park
over the last 15 years under the
Liberal Party. Without all of the
wasted money, she said, Ontario
could grow under the PCs.
Matheson said that jobs have been
lost and the province isn't better for
it, but that the Liberal Party is
emphasizing care over cuts so voters
needed to keep caring for their
neighbours, which is the
government's job in mind.
The 42nd Ontario general election
is scheduled for Thursday, June 7.
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018. PAGE 11.
NH to curb parking
at Blyth intersection
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
North Huron Council has taken
the next step towards creating a no -
parking zone around the intersection
of County Roads 4 and 25, however,
some members felt it didn't go far
enough.
Huron County, North Huron and
Central Huron staff proposed no -
parking zone on all four approaches
to the intersection, according to
North Huron Clerk Richard Al.
For North Huron's purpose, the
four no -parking zones would be
alongside the northern shoulder of
County Road 25 and the eastern and
western shoulders of County Road 4
north of the intersection.
At council's May 22 meeting, Al
explained that, on County Road 25,
the no -parking zone would extend
70 metres west and 90 metres east
from the intersection. From
Highway 4, the closure zone would
extend 150 metres north from the
intersection on both sides of the
zone.
Councillor Bill Knott moved to
accept the report and proceed with
work to establish the no -parking
zones, however, he wondered if the
zones should be extended.
"Looking at the picture here, I was
wondering if [the no -parking zone]
on the west side of Queen Street,
coming north, should extend just
past Sunward Drive," Knott said,
explaining he was concerned about
sight lines for people turning off of
Sunward Drive.
Knott said a similar extension on
the north side of County Road 25
west of the intersection should also
be considered, prohibiting parking
where it would block drivers'
sightlines from Sunward Drive to
the west.
Al said he could make that part of
the future discussions on the issue.
Knott also asked if North Huron
could request a site -plan change to
the Tim Hortons/Ultramar parking
lot to amend an issue which he was
surprised the Huron County
Planning Department had approved.
Between the two driveways of the
gas station/restaurant is a
mountable, raised curb which Knott
said has been used for parking.
Reeve Neil Vincent said that was
part of the site plan for the
development "from the start", and
Knott said it was a hazard because
those parked in the spot in question
blocked sight lines of vehicles
leaving the development.
Huron County Planner Laura
Simpson said the change would have
to be approved by Central Huron
Council unless it was considered
minor in scope.
Vincent, when asked by Knott
how to proceed, said the best way to
handle the issue would be to draft a
letter stating council's concerns and
ask if Central Huron Council could
consider a change.
Discourse then turned to
enforcement of the issue, which had
two council members worried that
the bylaw was an exercise in futility.
As Ontario Provincial Police do
not enforce bylaws under North
Huron's contract with the
organization, it would fall to bylaw
enforcement officers within the
municipality to handle the issue.
Bylaw Enforcement Officer and
Chief Building Official Kirk
Livingston said that staff could have
a heavy presence in the area and
warn people after signage was in
place, but said there isn't staff
available to police the area.
This prompted council members
Trevor Seip and James Campbell to
question the bylaw, however it was
explained by outgoing Director of
Recreation and Facilities Pat
Newson that the bylaw would allow
parking rules to be enforced by
contract security forces approved by
the municipality for special events.
Seip then suggested that the bylaw
should be tied to events instead of
something the municipality couldn't
enforce during other times.
Al said there are no -parking zones
in the municipality that staff respond
to if someone calls, and said this
would be no different. He did,
however, note that by the time staff
gets to the intersection, literally the
southern -most point in the
municipality, the offending vehicle
could be gone.
Vincent, however, said that if it
proves a problem, inexpensive
technology can be used to monitor
the area and aid in enforcement.
Council approved having Al
prepare an amendment to the traffic
bylaw incorporating the no parking
zones to be approved by council.
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