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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2015-04-22, Page 22 News Record • Wednesday, April 22, 2015 MP Ben Lobb announces funding for Bayfield Harbour improvements PC leadership hopeful Elliott talks economic development in Huron County Laura Broadley Clinton News Record MP for Huron -Bruce, Ben Lobb, announced last Thursday the Government of Canada's plan to provide funding to improve the Bayfield Harbour. The announcement comes from long-standing safety issues with the north pier. The harbour produces over $1 million in revenue from commercial fishing as well as tourism opportuni- ties for Bluewater County, said Lobb. Mayor of Bluewater, Tyler Hessel, thinks the govern- ment had a responsibility to act to protect the com- munity. "There's a very sharp angle that is budding the southerly wall of the north pier. Underneath that there is a cavity of empty area. From our end it's a major safety issue." The changes will be made to the north pier entrance and the Fisherman's Wharf. The first project will begin this year on the north pier Laura Broadley Clinton News Record Mayor of Bluewater, Tyler Hessel and MP for Huron -Bruce, Ben Lobb on hand to announce funding to repair the Bayfield Harbour. and includes covering the Next year work will begin estimates will be com- existing structure with steel to repair the Fisherman's pleted no later than 2017. sheet piling. Wharf, which Lobb HURON 0 NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING CONCERNING PROPOSED OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. 4 TO THE HURON COUNTY OFFICIAL PLAN TAKE NOTICE that the Corporation of the County of Huron will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. in the Court House Council Chambers (1 Court House Square, Goderich) to consider a proposed official plan amendment affecting all lands in the County of Huron under Sections 17 & 21 of the Planning Act, R.S.0.,1990, as amended. ANY PERSON may attend the public meeting and/or make written or verbal representation either in support of or in opposition to the proposed official plan amendment. IF you wish to be notified of the adoption of the proposed official plan amendment, or of the refusal to adopt the official plan amendment, you must make a written request to Susan Cronin, Clerk, County of Huron. IF a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the County of Huron before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision of the County of Huron to the Ontario Municipal Board. IF a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the County of Huron before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Municipal Board unless, in the opinion of the Board, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION and a copy of the proposed amendment is available for inspection during regular office hours at the County of Huron Planning and Development Department, 57 Napier St., Goderich, (519) 524-8394 Ext. 3 and on the Huron County website at www.huroncounty.ca/officialplan. PURPOSE AND EFFECT The purpose of this County initiated amendment is to amend the County of Huron Official Plan to ensure consistency with the 2014 Provincial Policy Statement. The following is a list of key changes made to the Plan: • The Agriculture section has been amended with the addition of updated policies for on-farm diversified uses and agriculture -related uses, and by deleting the Minimum Distance Separation formula requirements for the severance of existing residences surplus to a farming operation where barns exist on separately titled lots. • The Extractive Resource section has been amended to include policy to permit accessory aggregate recycling facilities, in accordance with the requirements of the Aggregate Resources Act. • The Settlement Patterns section has been amended to eliminate the reference to a 5 lot limit for development on private water and septic services, and to require developments on private services to demonstrate no negative impacts. • The Natural Environment section has been updated to reference the requirement for development in areas of habitat of endangered species and threatened species to be in accordance with provincial and federal requirements. • The Community Services section has been strengthened to support active transportation. DATED AT THE COUNTY OF HURON THIS 16th DAY OF APRIL, 2015. Susan Cronin, Clerk, County of Huron 1 Court House Square Goderich, ON N7A 1M2 519-524-8394 Turn to your community newspaper for the issues that affect you and your famfly. J Dave Flaherty Postmedia Network Ontario PC leadership candi- date Christine Elliott says there is a disconnect between rural municipalities and the current provincial government. Elliott, along with Huron - Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, met with a number of repre- sentatives from Huron County at the Benmiller Inn on Satur- dayto discuss economic devel- opment and the sustainability of rural municipalities. Those in attendance included Huron County War- den Paul Gowing, CAO Brenda Orchard, Karen Davis, presi- dent and CEO of Alexandra Marine General Hospital, SWEA Huron representative John Grace, Huron County eco- nomic development board member Stephen Sparling, county employee Natasha Frit- zley and Chris Watson of Engage HurON. A recurrent theme of the dis- cussion was the divide between rural and urban communities in Ontario. "When it comes to rural and urban, we often feel like we are not part of the conversation," Spading said. "People are here by choice. If Ontario doesn't provide opportunities, people will be elsewhere by choice!' Orchard said that Huron County is one of the country's highest agricultural producers but that seems to be ignored by the province. "How does the province become sustainable if we don't have sustainable food sources," she asked, adding that the only way for there to be a strong Ontario is to have strong rural and urban communities. In Davis' view, the problem is urban communities may not see the relevance of less popu- lated areas. Orchard said there is some- times a lack of communication from the provincial govern- ment when it comes to eco- nomic development The former Bluewater Den- tention Centre's uncertain future is frustrating to Orchard. She said the government is missing out on a "fantastic opportunity" by allowing it to sit empty for the past few years. "They have clearly chosen an urban agenda," Elliott said of the Liberal government. "They need to make decisions based on economics not politics." The government needs to make a better effort to work with businesses, she added. "It's a simple concept," she said. There is no lack of eco- nomic development opportu- nities within Huron County, Watson said. "We have the infrastructure to do great things" he said. 'All we need is a spark" Watson said there are many young people who want to stay in the area but leave due to a lack of opportunity. "It's the skill sets that is missing," Grace responded, explaining that businesses are having trouble attracting young professionals because there is a lack of high -skilled jobs in the region. He said when those in the 25 to 32 -year-old age range do take on jobs here, they are not staying for very long due to a number of reasons. Grace predicated that the growing senior population in Huron County will see a rever- sal within the next five years due to a lack of "organized rural transportation." Orchard added that "re - urbanization" of seniors is occurring because residents with health issues want to be close to health care facilities. Davis said there needs to be an onus on all of the provin- cial political parties to work together. "As long as we have partisan politics we will never really have change," Davis said. She wanted to know what the Conservatives will do to "break the cycle." Naming former Premier Bill Davis as an example of a poli- tician who broke away from partisan thinking, Elliott said she likes "consensus deci- sions" and while politicians "don't always have to agree" it is imperative they work together. Sparling said he senses that "causal viewers" of Ontario politics may see things as "toxic" and that a "sense of discontent" could seen in voter turnout to last year's election. "We are really desperate for leadership," he said. In conclusion, Elliott said the discussion was "very help- ful" and commended all those in attendance for their com- mitment to their communities.