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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News Record, 2015-12-09, Page 5Wednesday, December 9, 2015 • News Record 5 www.clintonnewsrecord.com MPP Thompson to join Climate Discussion at COP21 Special to Clinton News Record MPP Thompson has been invited by the Minister for the Environment and Cli- mate Change to join the Canadian delegation at the Climate Summit in Paris, and to participate in the conversation on climate change. As part of the COP21 dis- cussions, the issue of Cap - and -Trade will be forefront on Thompson's agenda. "The government is determined to introduce a Cap and Trade program in 2017, and given this gov- ernment's past blunders, I worry their Cap -and -Trade scheme may end up like eHealth, Ornge or their botched Green Energy Plan," said Thompson. "If we are going to do this, we need to get it right. I want to learn from other juris- dictions what worked, and what had to be fixed when the European Cap -and - Trade process failed the first time". This year's conference is anticipated to attract close to 50,000 participants includ- ing 25,000 official dele- gates from government, intergovernmental organiza- tions, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society. "Climate and environment issues affect us all, whether we live here in Ontario, in China or the United King- dom. It is imperative that we all take part in the discus- sion," said Thompson. "I plan to observe the confer- ence proceedings and moni- tor the tone and position the Ontario government sets on the world stage': Survey information is being collected to assess French Immersion programs for Huron County Valerie Gillies Clinton News Record The Avon Maitland Dis- trict School Board (AMDSB) is currently gathering infor- mation to explore the possi- bility of expanding its cur- rent French Immersion program into new locations within the area. A survey is available online until Janu- ary 8, 2016 to allow parents to indicate their commit- ment to having their chil- dren enroll in French Immersion at eight possible sites including Clinton, Exe- ter, Goderich, Listowel, Mitchell, Stratford, St. Marys or Wingham. Results from this survey will be collated for a Board Report to help determine if there are suffi- cient numbers of students for specific sites. Huron County Parents for French Immersion (HCPFI) are excited to have AMDSB get to this point in its consid- eration of expanding French Immersion programs. HCPFI was started in March of 2012 to try to give parents in Huron County the option of having their children enrolled in a French Immer- sion program. It was assumed by many that this would automatically be an option when first registering their children in the school system, but they were sur- prised when it was not. The closest option for Huron County students is in Perth through Stratford. With any option, the parents would be responsible for transporta- tion for their children to any school not on their current AMDSB designated bus route for the child's residen- tial address. The group originally approached the Board to request a survey to gather information on May 20, 2015. It has been a commu- nity and group effort by HCPFI to get to the point where AMDSB has realized just how much interest there is in French Immersion. Originally HCPFI wanted AMDSB to pass the survey out to day cares, however the Board has chosen to focus on immediate information. At this point, the Board is gearing the survey to children currently in Junior and Senior Kindergarten and those who will be starting school for the 2016-2017 school year, which includes the birth years of 2010, 2011 and 2012. The sur- vey has been sent home with current JK and SK students and has also been sent out to families who are registering their children for the 2016- 2017 school year, which is when the program is pro- posed to begin pending the statistics collected. HCPFI would like to gather statistics for a longer term for program planning. To aug- ment the information being gathered by the board, the group has re -contacted par- ents with whom they have been working, as well as giv- ing updates through the media. Dana Morgenroth of HCPFI states, "We are very happy with this next step from the school board because this is what we have been working towards and waiting for. The survey results will determine everything going forward, which is why it is crucial to fill out the survey, so that the data is accurate. This is our chance to get more options for our children." To extend the scope of the AMDSB survey, HCPFI sug- gests to parents of children born after the years covered, that they also fill out the cur- rent survey to establish the long-term viability of the French Immersion program in their area. In this case, the birth year can be stated in the comments section of the survey. The online survey is availa- ble on the Avon Maitland Dis- trict School Board website at https://eforms.amdsb.ca/ index.php/296613/lang-en until 4 p.m. on January 8. A paper copy is available at each of the schools. Huron County Parents for French Immersion can be contacted at huron- french@gmail.com. FROM THE ARCHIVES 15 years ago... • The first major snowstorm of the season overnight Monday, December 11, into Tuesday morning, crippled area roads and highways forcing schools and some businesses to close their doors. A major weather system dropped more than 30 centimeters of snow between Monday afternoon and early Tuesday morning. Winds gusting from 50-70 km/hr left most roads throughout Goderich and Huron County impassa- ble and poor weather conditions even forced plow drivers off the road. Weather reports instructed drivers to stay off all roads in five counties includ- ing Huron, Perth and Bruce. • Gun owners across Canada have until December 31 to apply for the Pos- session Only License (POL) or face seminars, tests and higher processing fees, said Canadian Firearms Centre (CFC) spokesperson David Austin. 25 years ago... • Some Huron County schools are filled to overflowing, while in others, classrooms echo emptily. Options that are open to the various school districts are highlighted in a study recently undertaken by two professors from the University of Western Ontario, who are part of the Urban Analysis Group (UAG). • Tax expert John McNeilly of Exeter wars business owners to be ready for the Goods and Services Tax (GST). The tax partner with Norris, Homuth, Tay- lor, Pinder and McNeilly spoke to more than 80 Huron County business people at a GST seminar held in Vanastra on November 20. The event was sponsored by the Federal Business Development Bank as part of its ongoing series of educational sessions. • Two Vanastra youths who turned some "found" money in to police got the money back again. Pat Holland, 13, and Troy Watmore, 11, were shown by Goderich OPP Cst. Billl Wilson how to sign for the money. They had found $112 blowing around by the side of the road just south of Clinton three months ago. Nobody claimed the money within 90 days so it was returned to the boys who said they would use it to buy Christmas presents. 35 years ago... • Clinton will be known again across Canada and perhaps around the world as the home of fine pianos. Draper Brothers and Reid Limited announced this week that they are reopening the Sherlock -Manning Piano manufactur- ing plant on East Street in Clinton, and should be turning out their first pianos some time in January. Joe Reid, one of the owners, explained they had been successful in salvaging the Sherlock - Manning part of the Heintzman opera- tion in Hanover. • History was etched into Huron County record books as Zurich Reeve Fred Haberer was elected warden for 1981. Haberer became the first Zurich reeve to serve as warden of Huron County. His election also coincides with the 20th anniversary of the incorporation of Zurich as a village. • The newly elected town fathers held their first meeting at the Auburn Town Hall. As early records cannot be found, it is believed it is the first elected council in over 50 years. Pre- viously members had be chosen by acclamation. if it's local, it's here clintonnewsrecord.com