The Citizen, 2016-07-14, Page 1INSIDE
THIS WEEK:
SPORTS - Pg. 8
Walton Raceway strikes
deal for TSN production
GARDEN - Pg. 10
Blyth Garden to offer
produce to residents
PROJECT - Pg. 15
Two locals open up
Huron County archives
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Volume 32 No. 28
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Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, July 14, 2016
Working together
The Vacation Bible School at the Blyth Christian Reformed
Church this week shares all sorts of important messages
through song, crafts and activities like the one shown above
which teaches the value of teamwork. Shown during a hula -
hoop race, which is akin to a three-legged race, are,
from left: Keira Hoekmeijer, Charis Vander Klippe and Meadow
Hoonard. The Vacation Bible School, called 'Cave Quest' this year,
is hosted jointly by Blyth's churches and it caters to children aged
Senior Kindergarten to Grade 6 and is made completely free, as
it's sponsored by the local churches. (Denny Scott photo)
County
supports
CCRC
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
At last week's meeting, Huron
County Council approved a grant to
the Canadian Centre for Rural
Creativity, a Blyth Culture and Arts
Initiative 14/19 project, in the
amount of $500,000 over the next
five years.
The funds will come from the
Huron County Economic Develop-
ment Board's reserve and will be
paid out on a schedule of $100,000
per year for the next five years.
Treasurer Michael Blumhagen
told council at its July 6 meeting that
the board currently has
approximately $860,000 in its
reserve, which meant the board
would be capable of funding the
grant if council were to approve it.
The July 6 debate came after the
board prepared a report for council
last month that strongly
recommended approval of the
centre's request. Speaking on behalf
of the board, Director of Economic
Development Ron Gaudet said there
is great potential for economic
spinoff with the centre's proposal,
even if it doesn't fulfill its lofty
goals.
Using statistics involving
economic spinoff metrics, Gaudet
said that if the CCRC project hits
100 per cent of its goal, the county
can expect a $1.62 return on every
dollar invested. Without getting too
technical, Gaudet said there are a
great number of factors in play as to
whether the project will hit its goal,
but the board has built in
contingencies to ensure the county
will still see a return on investment.
If the centre only hit 60 per cent of
its goal, Gaudet told council, which
he conceded is a rather conservative
estimate, the county would still see a
return on investment. If the funds
Continued on page 20
South Huron could join shared services discussion
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
At its meeting scheduled for
Aug. 9, Huron East Council will
discuss how it wishes to proceed on
potentially sharing services with
Central Huron and Bluewater —
as well as a potential fourth
municipality.
Mayor Bernie MacLellan raised
the issue at Huron East Council's
July 5 meeting, saying that he is
unable to attend council's next
meeting, scheduled for July 19, but
wants to be part of any shared
services discussion.
MacLellan told councillors that
since it was he who "got the ball
rolling" in the shared services
process, he wants to be part of any
discussion on how to proceed.
The debate will be historic, he
said, with the potential to save
ratepayers plenty of money in the
years to come.
"I think this is one of the biggest
potential benefits for ratepayers
in decades," MacLellan told
councillors.
This discussion comes on the
heals of a joint three -council
meeting between Huron East,
Central Huron and Bluewater
Councils, which was reported in the
June 30 issue of The Citizen.
Huron East Councillor Nathan
Marshall said that in order for him to
want to proceed, he's going to need
much more specific information
regarding potential savings from
shared services. He said he felt
the presentation by North Huron
and Morris-Turnberry Councils
regarding their new shared services
agreement was severely lacking
specific information and figures and
there was nowhere near enough
information for him to make a
decision.
MacLellan said he felt specific
information would begin to come
once the three municipalities hire
a third -party consultant to help
facilitate the process.
Councillor Larry McGrath said
that in the face of continuing
financial pressures, he was in favour
of continuing to gather information
and investigating sharing services
with the other two municipalities.
McGrath did wonder, however,
what the interest level is with
Bluewater and Central Huron.
Marshall said there was no way to
tell as representatives from both
municipalities didn't say much
during the meeting.
Deputy -Mayor Joe Steffler said he
was in favour of continuing the
process, but with no guarantees that
council would proceed. He said that
if there are savings, the
municipalities should proceed, but if
Continued on page 18