The Citizen, 2016-03-31, Page 1INSIDE
THIS WEEK:
STANLEY CUP - Pg. 10
Local man spent quarter-
century engraving trophy
OUTREACH - Pg. 12
Blyth native travels to
Uganda for her charity
AGRICULTURE - Pg. 22
Local breeder wins award
given every 15 years
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Volume 32 No. 13
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Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, March 31, 2016
Eyes on the prize
Over Easter weekend, not surprisingly, local churches were the places to be. Living Water
Christian Fellowship served over 175 people at a special Good Friday breakfast and an Easter
Sunday sunrise service, Brussels United Church held a special Saturday bake sale and Blyth
United Church hosted its annual Blue Friday service and welcomed a large congregation for
Easter Sunday. The Blyth United Church service was followed by an Easter egg hunt for the
younger members of the congregation, during which one -year-old Ally Elliott, with help from
her father Jeff, made quick work of finding her egg. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Council concerned
with 14/19 funding
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
North Huron Township Council
wants to make sure that, with the
recent announcement of $3.3 million
being made available for the Blyth
Arts and Cultural Initiative 14/19
Inc. (14/19 Inc.), the group's
obligations to the municipality
aren't forgotten.
Earlier this month, Ontario's
Deputy Premier Deb Matthews
announced that 14/19 Inc. would
receive $3.3 million in funding if the
proposed provincial budget passed.
How those funds can be used,
however, was a matter of some
debate during North Huron
Township Council's March 21
Meeting.
A report produced by Director of
Recreation and Facilities Pat
Newson included several
recommendations. The first was to
create an agreement between North
Huron and 14/19 Inc. to ensure the
municipality's involvement in the
project is clearly identified.
Secondly, Newson wanted council
to approve an invited competitive
bid (also known as an invited tender
call) and a new timeline for the
proposed renovations to Memorial
Hall.
In the new schedule, the tender
process will begin later, running
from April 11 to May 10, but both
the construction start (Sept. 19) and
end (May 20, 2017) dates remain the
same.
The bidding process, which allows
for specific contractors who are
recommended and have proven to be
capable of the project to be invited,
will be handled by Allan Avis
Architects before being presented to
North Huron Council for the tender
to be awarded.
Council approved all the
recommendations, though many
concerns were voiced about assuring
North Huron wasn't left with any
outstanding debt after the
renovations began.
The report showed that the project
budget for the renovation of Blyth
Memorial Community Hall is just
over $3.5 million, of which the
municipality has committed
$500,000. That means that the $3.3
million that was announced is
enough to cover the outstanding
$3,000,982. However some
councillors pointed out the province
may put limits on how $3.3 million
can be spent.
Given existing funding that has
already been claimed, 14/19 Inc. has
to provide $2,749,655.47 to cover
the final costs of the project, and
councillors are concerned that might
not happen.
Deputy -Reeve James Campbell
wondered if the $3.3 million would
come to the municipality, but was
told that it would be delivered to
Continued on page 7
Central Huron proceeds to fill vacant council seat
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
In the wake of Genny Smith's
resignation from Central Huron
Council last month, the process of
filling her seat has already begun.
Smith resigned from her West
Ward seat late last month, citing
overwhelming work commitments
when she met with Mayor Jim Ginn.
After officially receiving her
resignation and declaring the seat
vacant, council opted to call for
applications, with one applicant to
be chosen by council.
This was by far the cheapest
option, as a by-election would have
cost the municipality approximately
$20,000 according to Clerk Brenda
Maclsaac.
Maclsaac said last week, the
municipality had already received its
first application for the vacant
position. Mike Russo, co-chair of the
Clinton and Central Huron BIA, a
resident of the West Ward who owns
a business in the East Ward, has
already applied and his application
has been certified by Maclsaac.
At council's March 21 meeting,
Maclsaac said that interest had been
shown by a number of potential
candidates, some of whom had run
in the October, 2014 election, but
were unsuccessful.
Potential applicants from
throughout the municipality, not just
the West Ward, can find the form
online or at the Central Huron
municipal office. Once filled out, the
application does have to be sworn in
person at the office and Maclsaac
has to ensure that the candidate is
qualified, meaning that the person is
indeed a resident, at least 18 years
old and meets a handful of other
criteria.
The deadline for applications is
Monday, April 18 at 2 p.m. at the
Central Huron office.
Once all the applications have
been received and certified, council
will hold a special meeting on
Monday, April 25, beginning at 5
NH sets potential severance preeedent
p.m., where a replacement for Smith
will be chosen.
Maclsaac says that applicants may
make a five-minute speech to
council and council will then have
the opportunity to ask the candidates
questions after their speech.
Councillors will then vote by
ballot and a councillor will be
chosen and sworn in at that very
meeting.
As with the municipal election of
2014, as applicants are established
as qualified, their names and
information will be posted on the
Central Huron website. In addition,
the April 25 meeting is open to the
public.
For more information, or to let
your name stand for the vacant
council seat, visit the municipality's
website at centralhuron.com
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Despite warnings of creating a
precedent in stark contrast to the
North Huron and Huron County
Official Plan documents as well as
the Provincial Policy Statement
(PPS), North Huron Township
Council decided to recommend
approval of a residential severance
on agricultural land in East
Wawanosh.
A land severance and rezoning
requested by Frogstream Holdings
Limited, owned by Hank Kikkert,
was not recommended for approval
by the Huron County Planning
Department. While North Huron did
approve the change, it will have to
go to Huron County Council before
being enacted.
During North Huron Township
Council's March 21 meeting,
council was informed that the land
severance request, which would split
the property that the Kikkerts live on
into two properties, both of which
could have a home, went against
every planning document the
municipality works with.
The property is set to be severed
into a 1.2 -hectare property and a
2.23 -hectare property, split by a
major waterway. The lands are
designated natural environment -
limited which prevents the
construction of any kind of building,
however the existing home was legal
non-compliant due to being built
before the land received a zoning
that would not normally allow that
kind of construction.
Huron County Planner Laura
Young explained that the request
was against the North Huron Official
Plan and Provincial Policy
Statement which "explicitly
prohibits the creation of new
residential lots in prime agricultural
areas unless surplus to a farming
operation", and the Huron County
Official Plan which "discourages lot
creation in prime agricultural area
unless for agricultural purposes,
uses directly related to agriculture or
surplus residence to a farming
operation".
The request was at odds with
North Huron's plan as it wasn't the
property size for its designation or
lot enlargement and against policies
for consents that state that non-farm
rural residential lots will not be
allowed.
Beyond being against the policies,
Young explained that council
approving the request would create
an opportunity for 100 properties in
North Huron to make similar
requests. The lots that could make
Continued on page 13