HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-6-28, Page 10PAGE 10.THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018.
The breakfast club
Blyth's John and Sheron Stadelmann, third and fourth from the left, respectively, make a habit
of attending many of the breakfast events in the area. The two explained, just before lining up
at the Firefighter's breakfast hosted by the Grey Fire Department on Sunday, that they see it
as a great way to give to various community efforts while getting to know their neighbours from
surrounding villages. The Stadelmanns were joined by Herman and Marlene Mooy of Blyth on
Sunday and are shown being served by Sarah Alexander and Mark Gillis. (Denny Scott photo)
NH adopts new road standards
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
North Huron Township Council
has adopted new minimum
standards for roads in new
developments in the municipality.
Presented by Director of Public
Works Sean McGhee and Bruce
Potter of BM Ross Engineering at
council's June 18 meeting, the new
standards are divided into urban and
suburban variants, designed to
make sure the municipality has
sufficient road space, sidewalks
and road allowances in new
developments.
The urban standard includes
requirements for road construction,
space for burying utilities, sidewalks
on both sides of the streets and
sufficient space for street lights.
The suburban standard includes
similar codes, but doesn't require
sidewalks or catch basins.
Deputy -Reeve James Campbell
commented that while the proposed
cross-sections included sidewalks on
both sides of the road, many of the
examples had sidewalks on one side.
Potter stated that many
municipalities don't require
sidewalks on both sides of the road,
however municipalities he has
worked with have requested it.
Both Campbell and Councillor
Brock Vodden said that sidewalks
were important, with Vodden saying
council had been remiss in not
implementing this earlier.
McGhee said that sidewalks in the
plan were important because
installing them after the fact could
be difficult due to existing land uses
and buried utilities.
Council accepted the report from
Potter and McGhee and
implemented the new standards.
BLYTH DEVELOPMENT
Shortly after discussing the
standards and passing them, council
heard from GM BluePlan and GJAJ
Holdings Ltd., the developer
responsible for the proposed
subdivision at the north end of
Blyth.
Developer representative Gerry
Rutledge had submitted a letter
requesting deviation from the
standards for the area, saying that,
with the new road standards, it
would make it difficult for the
development to break even, let alone
turn a profit.
He explained that the primary
reason for the development was to
allow him to build a retirement home
and rental spaces for seniors, and
that having to meet these new
standards would be financially
impossible.
Among the changes requested
were to have eight -metre -wide roads
instead of the required 8.5 -metre
standard, clarification on road
subdrains, not implementing curbs
and roadside gutters contrary to
requirements, omitting sidewalks
from the development entirely and
other technical changes.
Citing his experience at his
mother-in-law's home in Goderich,
Campbell said sidewalks are
crucial in retirement communities.
"[She lives] in an elderly
residential area with a sidewalk on
one side of the street," he said. "It
amazes me how many seniors are on
that sidewalk at all times of the day."
He said seniors need to get outside
of the house, adding that a sidewalk,
somewhere in the development, not
necessarily for the entire length of
the road, might be feasible.
Reeve Neil Vincent said that with
the light use that may be considered
for the area, a narrower road might
be feasible.
Staff were tasked with evaluating
the requests by Rutledge and GM
BluePlan and returning to council
with a report in the near future.
Blyth Festival alumni
claim Dora Awards
The Dora Mayor Moore Awards
were handed out on Monday night
and a number of Blyth Festival
alumni were honoured for their
efforts on the Toronto stage scene.
The awards, handed out by the
Toronto Alliance for the Performing
Arts (TAPA) recognize the greatest
achievements in Toronto theatre for
the past season. When the nominees
were announced in late May, Blyth
Festival audience members will
have noticed a number of familiar
faces among those listed.
Jerusalem cleaned up with several
awards, including outstanding
production, outstanding direction,
outstanding male performance
and outstanding ensemble cast,
which included Michael Spencer -
Davis, who was last in Blyth
playing Al Capone in The Lonely
Diner: Al Capone in Euphemia
Township.
Ken MacKenzie won for his
outstanding costume design for
Animal Farm at Soulpepper Theatre
Company. He beat out fellow
Festival familiar faces Melanie
McNeill and Gillian Gallow in that
category.
MacKenzie was also honoured in
the independent theatre division for
his outstanding lighting design on
the production of Flashing Lights
for Ahuri Theatre and Bad New
Days.
Life After was honoured as the
outstanding production in the
musical theatre division. Co-
produced by The Musical Stage
Company, Canadian Stage and
Yonge Street Theatricals, Life After
was written by Britta Johnson,
whose first main stage play was
Crocodile Tears for the Festival's
Young Company. The Young
Company show was the first to be
produced two years in a row and
make it to the Memorial Hall
stage.
Life After also won for its
outstanding female performance, its
ensemble cast and outstanding
musical direction, while Johnson
won for penning the year's
outstanding new musical/opera in
the Toronto theatre community.
Jamie Robinson won in the theatre
for young audiences division in the
outstanding individual performance
category for his work in Risky Phil
for the Young People's Theatre.
Robinson has worked for the
Festival for a number of years,
acting in Beyond The Farm Show
and directing the Young Company
recently.
Christopher Allen was also
honoured in the theatre for young
audiences division for his work as
part of the ensemble cast in Selfie,
produced by the Young People's
Theatre.
For a full list of winners, visit the
TAPA website at tapa.ca.
Steffler Foundation
to host Music Fest
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
On July 21, the Tanner Steffler
Foundation will be hosting the Six -
String Summerfest and Six -String
Music Fest in Seaforth, all to raise
money for the newly -founded
foundation.
The event was created by John and
Heather Steffler, Tanner's parents
who thought the festival would help
keep the young man's love of music
alive.
"Tanner loved music and it was
the way he related to everything in
his life," said organizer Melody
Hodgson.
The day begins with the free Six -
String Summerfest, that will be a
family -friendly event at the Seaforth
Agriplex from 12-4 p.m. that day.
The Summerfest will include local
musical talent, a climbing wall,
bouncy castles, a water lagoon, axe
throwing, an obstacle course, food
trucks and more.
Hodgson said it was Heather who
suggested beginning the day with a
special festival for the younger
generation. Funding for the festival
has been provided by TD Bank, the
Seaforth BIA and the Seaforth
Community Trust, which has helped
to expand the next event, the Six -
String Music Fest, which starts at 4
p.m. and runs until 1 a.m. the next
morning.
At the Music Fest, local youth
musical talent will again kick off the
festival, followed by Ray Lyell and
the Storm at 9 p.m. followed by a
live auction and then a performance
by the Practically Hip, Canada's top
Tragically Hip tribute act, beginning
at 11 p.m.
Throughout the day there will be a
silent auction, in addition to the live
auction that will take place that
night.
Tickets for the show are $30 each
and are available at various
locations, such as Local Organics
Health Food and Wellness Centre,
Blooms n' Rooms and Marita's
Fashion Boutique, all in Seaforth,
and at ticketscene.ca
Hodgson said the event is an
ambitious one and she hopes it will
engage the community and raise
plenty of money for the foundation
so it can continue towards its goal of
placing a mental health and wellness
coach in every Huron County
high school sooner, rather than
later.
She said that the community has
really rallied around not only the
foundation, but around the Stefflers
as a family, which has been very
inspiring to see.
Hodgson said that with Seaforth
not really having a marquee event
that brings residents back to the
town year after year like Strawberry
Summerfest in Lucknow or
Baconfest in Lucan, she hopes that
the Six -String Music Fest could
maybe be that event for Seaforth.
For more information on the
event, find it on Facebook or visit
tannerstefflerfoundation.com.
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