The Citizen, 2015-01-22, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015. PAGE 19.
Chuipka puts faith in youth
Study concludes quality of life great in Huron
While there is always room for
improvement, a recent study by the
United Way Perth-Huron’s Social
Research and Planning Council
concludes that the qualify of life in
Huron and Perth Counties is high.
Ryan Erb, executive director of the
local United Way branch, was at
Huron County Council’s Jan. 14
meeting (rescheduled from Jan. 7) to
present the findings of the study,
alongside several members of the
Social Research and Planning
Council, including Huron County
Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Clark and
Huron East Councillor David
Blaney.
Quality of life, Clark told
councillors, takes many things into
account that aren’t necessarily
directly related to the economic
well-being so many associate with a
good quality of life. The study
focused on health and happiness,
rather than monetary figures, she
told council.
In 2011/2012, she said, 75 per cent
of the population reported feeling a
strong sense of community
belonging, according to the study.
This is well above the provincial
average, she said.
A feeling of belonging in a
community, she said, then leads to
volunteerism. In Huron County, four
million volunteer hours are logged
each year, which is the equivalent of
2,000 full-time jobs.
Clark did discuss the migration
trends, saying that the area continues
to lose residents between the ages of
18-24 and 25-44, but sees an influx
of residents who have entered their
peak earning years between 45 and
64.
The study showed that Huron
County is a relatively safe
community in which to live. Crime
continues to drop, she said, as does
its severity.
In terms of the environment, she
said that Huron and Perth Counties
are improving in some areas, but still
have a lot of work to do in others.
Air quality, she says, has been an
area of great improvement. In 2005,
she said, Huron and Perth Counties
experienced 12 smog advisories,
where in 2013, there was only one
between both counties.
Where Huron and Perth Counties
continue to come up short of the
provincial average, she said, are in
water quality levels and in forest
cover. She says that Huron County is
well below where it should be in
terms of forest cover.
In terms of health, she said that
Huron and Perth residents have
relative ease when considering
access to medical services, but that
doesn’t necessarily connect to health
and well-being, saying that
approximately 55 per cent of the
population would be considered
overweight or obese.
Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn
questioned the validity of the
findings, saying that if Huron and
Perth Counties naturally have an
older population, would not then
obesity and lower education levels
come along with that? Clark said
Ginn was right, but even when the
figures are adjusted to take those
factors into account, Huron County
still sits higher than the provincial
obesity average, and lower than the
education average, which could also
be attributed to students migrating
out of the county during their
formative educational years.
Clark also detailed the average
wage in Huron and Perth Counties,
outlining that it is well below the
provincial average, according to the
report, of $61,495 with Perth
County’s average being $48,443 and
Huron County’s average at $47,487.
Bluewater Mayor Tyler Hessel
then spoke, saying that the
comparatively lower wages in Huron
County doesn’t tell the whole story.
He said that residents can buy a nice
house with a fair-sized lot in Huron
County for much less than almost
anywhere else in Ontario. So while
wages may be low, he said, so too is
the cost of living.
Clark agreed with Hessel, saying
Continued from page 12
worship service in a seniors home.
One time I decided to bring some of
my youth group to help me do the
readings, lead in music and to
engage in conversation with the
seniors. After the initial worship
service I asked some of the youth to
interact with the seniors at the
various tables. I had the youth go
around to the tables where the elders
were sitting, in small groups, three
times answering and asking
questions. Near the end, the table
topic was, “What is it you want to
know about the other generation?”
And an elder asked a youth, “Why
do boys wear those pants way down
around their knees?” And the youth
answered because it was a fad, but it
also showed a common solidarity
among the young people. And then
I heard a youth ask an elder, “What
is it like to lose so much of what you
love and care about when you get
older?” At first there was silence and
then an older woman stood up and
told the youth about her husband
dying two years ago and how that
felt. Then another and another and
the stories from the elderly kept
coming.
On the ride home the priest said,
the youth were amazed. They did not
have any idea of the struggles of an
older person. It made them
appreciate the elderly. It put the
young people’s lives in perspective.
They felt so good that the elderly
valued them enough to listen to them
and they felt good about hearing
about the lives of the seniors. The
youth said it gave them a real hope
for the future and they sensed that
the seniors also received hope for the
future through their conversations.”
After hearing about this
experience I thought, “God does
work in mysterious ways. When we
take the time to actually talk and
listen to real young people (not the
ones we see on the TV commercials
or the news) we may get some hope
for the future.”
Let me conclude with the story
about the young people who greeted
their parents at the train station with
a makeshift band. Even though none
of the young people could play an
instrument, they found a way using
technology (a tape recorder) to
create a band of music to greet their
parents. I believe there is hope for
our world because of our young
people. I believe they will find a way
with all their gifts in technology and
the creative innovative ideas from
their minds to build a better world
for tomorrow. It may not look a lot
like our world but it will have good
values of loving one another caring
for others. Go talk to a youth and
discover their dreams for the future
because it just might give you hope
for our world tomorrow.
Entertainment StopsStopsStopsStopsStops
a l o n g the wayalongtheway
A VISITORS’ GUIDE TO HURON COUNTY
stopsalonglakehuron.com
Look for
entertainment ideas
on our
Stops Along the Way
website at...
430 Queen Street, Blyth, Ontario
226-523-9720
Specialty Coffees &
Espresso Bar
Live Entertainment
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Jesse Parent 8:00 pm $10. admission at door
Tickets available at the Blyth Festival Box Office
or by calling 1-877-862-5984.
Also available online at www.blythfestival.com
www.facebook.com/rtalent www.rocklandsentertainment.com
FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015 – 7 PM
BLYTH MEMORIAL HALLThe family of Muriel Coultes
wishes to invite you to a
Community Skating Party
on Friday, January 23
at the Belgrave Community Centre
7-11 pm ~ No gifts please
A monetary donation or something to be used by
the women and children at the Goderich
Women’s Shelter would be greatly appreciated.
Bring your skates, or just come for a visit.
80th
Birthday
273 Hamilton St., Blyth • 519-523-4590
www.blytheastsidedance.com
Blyth East Side Dance
Learn the Tango
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Imagination
Last Friday marked Hawaiian Spirit Day at Hullett Central Public School. Students donned their
floral-print shirts, leis and grass skirts to celebrate and pretend they were somewhere warmer.
Shown exhibiting their Friday fashions are, back row, from left: Madison Walden, Chandler
Bromley, Cole Ferguson and Heidi Badley. Middle row, from left: Hailey Nelson, Ben Ohm, Evie
Reid, Kayley Kuntz, Marley Fleet, Ava Ansley, Nick McDonald, Kaden Huether and Darcie
Brohman. Front row, from left: Angelina Adams, Jayden Ansley, Hadley Lyons and Kyrah Haak.
(Denny Scott photo)
Continued on page 20