Loading...
The Citizen, 2017-05-25, Page 1INSIDE THIS WEEK: SPORTS - Pg. 8 Londesborough native excels in Big 12 Championship PARK - Pg. 9 Council authorizes extensive upgrades for Belgrave Park IPM '17 - Pg. 10 'The Citizen' continues Countdown to IPM '17 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON NOG 1H0 4Citiz Volume 33 No. 21 n WELCOME TO BLYTH ESTABLISHED 1877 $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, May 25, 2017 Memorial Hall re -opens after $4 million renovation A big day for Blyth Blyth Memorial Community Hall officially re -opened to members of the public on Friday. The day featured a ceremonial flag raising, a special opening ceremony and then an open house to allow the hundreds in attendance to see the changes and improvements made to the hall over the past eight months. The day featured speeches from North Huron Reeve Neil Vincent, Huron County Warden Jim Ginn, Huron County Economic Development Board Chair Jim Lynn and, from left: Blyth Arts and Cultural Initiative 14/19 Chair Steven Sparling, Deputy -Premier Deb Matthews, Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt and 14/19 Project Manager Peter Smith. (Denny Scott photo) By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen After over $4 million in renovations and upgrades, Blyth Memorial Community Hall re -opened on Friday night to hundreds of members of the public. A number of dignitaries were on hand for the special ceremony in the late afternoon of May 19. Those involved, including Deputy -Premier Deb Matthews, were part of a private tour of the newly -upgraded facility ahead of the official opening. For the general public, however, the event began with Steven Sparling, Chair of Blyth Arts and Cultural Initiative 14/19, speaking about the hall and the massive project that is now behind the group. What would grow to become 14/19, Sparling told those assembled, began with a conversation spearheaded by Blyth BIA Chair Rick Elliott. Elliott brought a small group together and began discussing options surrounding modest repairs to Memorial Hall, beginning with the roof. What followed was the expansion of that conversation and a number of Blyth residents coming together to think bigger in "a village of 1,005 very resilient people." He said that when the members of the local Women's Institute came together to build a living cenotaph to those the village had lost in World War I, they likely had no idea the significance of their gesture. Without them, Sparling said, none of those standing there on Friday would be doing so. The women had many supporters, but there were some detractors, Sparling said — not unlike with the 14/19 project — but it was hard work and perseverance that resulted in the completion of both projects. The women raised $25,000 in five years to pay off the project and now, decades later, the hall is home to the Blyth Festival, which will be marking its 43rd season this year. He acknowledged the foresight of Elliott and the conversation that he started and he also acknowledged the hard work of Project Manager Peter Smith and Administrator Karen Stewart, who, he said, have been on the front lines of the project now for several years. Matthews said she was honoured to be back in Blyth to see the project through. It was in March, 2016 that Matthews was on the steps of Memorial Hall announcing that the provincial government would be contributing $3.3 million to the three -pronged project. Since then, a number of things have changed in Blyth. Blyth Memorial Community Hall is now fully renovated and improved. The theatre has been refurnished with new seats and flooring while also upgraded with improved lighting and sound equipment. There have been significant upgrades to the lower hall, with a complete overhaul of the event space and kitchen, as well as an expansion of the hallway from the lower hall to the box office, or "the link", and the installation of digital kiosks that tell the hall's story to those visiting. In addition over $250,000 in work has been done at the Phillips Studio, the Festival's companion theatre on Dinsley Street, to improve its electrical landscape and seating. In addition, progress has begun on the second prong of the 14/19 plan, Continued on page 12 Barn Dance Jamboree weekend coming to Blyth One of Blyth's busiest weekends lies just ahead as the 20th annual Barn Dance Jamboree and Campout Weekend is set for May 25-28. The weekend represents a tradition that spans two decades in Blyth, but reaches back to the golden era of Barn Dance on CKNX in Wingham — a program that spawned a number of memorable musical acts that resonate decades later. The weekend, which has become a staple on the Blyth calendar year after year, begins on Thursday night with the opening of the North Huron campground and the registration desk at 10 a.m. The day will be primarily used for set up and for travellers to get situated in Blyth, but at 7 p.m. that night there will be a jam session for campers in the upstairs of the Blyth and District Community Centre to kick off the weekend of music. On Friday, another campers' jam session will be held in the upstairs of the arena at 1 p.m. ahead of the bluegrass show and open stage on Friday night at 7 p.m. Registration for the open stage will begin at 6 p.m. that night and the show will also include a performance by special guests the Stiff Family Band. On Saturday, there is a continental breakfast by donation upstairs in the arena. The musical flea market and silent auction will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day. At noon there will be an open stage show on the arena floor from noon until 3 p.m. Pre -registration for the show is required and that begins at 10 a.m. that morning. That evening, the main attraction will take to the stage when the doors open for the Barn Dance show at 6:30 p.m. ahead of the 7:30 p.m. show. Jim Swan will serve as the show's master of ceremonies. The show will feature the Barn Dance Band, which includes Al Alderson on bass, Fred Lewis on lead guitar, Doug Dietrich on steel guitar, Bill Norris on fiddle and Grant Heywood on drums. Performing that night alongside the Barn Dance Band will be Larry Mercey, Naomi Bristow, Gerald Davidson, Linda Elder, Gerry Smith and Bruce Robertson. After the show, dancing will continue on the grounds until midnight. On Sunday, the Blyth Lions Club will be hosting a breakfast in the upstairs of the arena that will run from 7:30-9:30 a.m. Following breakfast, which is by advance ticket only, the Sunday Morning Gospel Show will take to the stage from 10 a.m. to noon. The show is hosted by Betty Beer. New fire agreement delayed The finalization of the agreement between Morris-Turnberry and Huron East to have the former buy a share of the Brussels division of the Huron East Fire Department has been delayed pending review by the Ontario Fire Marshal. The move was announced last month by Morris-Turnberry after Huron East discussed the issue publically and, since then, the document has been modified to include changes the Fire Marshal had asked for and returned to Fire Marshal's office for final comments. "We haven't got the most recent draft from the Fire Marshal," Administrator Clerk -Treasurer Nancy Michie said during Morris- Turnberry's May 16 meeting. "We have included the changes that were requested." Councillor John Smuck asked if the polygons that represent coverage could be simplified, saying they were overly complex, however Mayor Paul Gowing explained they were currently set up how the fire departments wanted them. "The departments don't want different departments answering different sides of the roads," he said. "It gets confusing for them. "The polygons may look confusing on the map, but that's what works for the department," he said. "In the future we may adjust those lines because we're the new owners." Council accepted Michie's report and are awaiting the return of the document from the Fire Marshal.