The Citizen, 2015-05-14, Page 1CitizenTh
e
$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, May 14, 2015
Volume 31 No. 19
GALLERY - Pg. 24
Community Show set to
open at Blyth gallery
AWARD - Pg. 13
Fare on 4 honoured by
HAHN with award
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0
INSIDE
THIS WEEK:
Big win
The Blyth U18 Girls won their first match of the year during their home-opener at Sparling’s
Fields just south of the village. The girls took on a team from Wingham and, despite falling
behind early, came back for a 4-2 win. Shown is Shannon Dale moving the ball up-field just
prior to one of the two goals she scored. This was one of the first games of the season played
in Blyth, with the season officially kicking off on Monday, May 4. (Denny Scott photo)
Police expansion
proposed again
for North Huron
Brussels Fall Fair, 2017 Walton IPM to partner
The Brussels Agricultural Society
has decided to partner with the
International Plowing Match (IPM)
and host the 2017 Brussels Fall Fair
at the heralded event, which will be
held in Walton that year.
In a secret ballot at the Society’s
May 6 meeting, 37 people voted in
favour of the partnership, while six
voted against it, resulting in an 83
per cent vote in favour of the
partnership. Six of the total votes
were cast by proxy.
While there were some concerns
as to whether or not a quorum had
been met for the meeting, including
the proxy votes, more than half of
the 63 directors – although the true
total is actually 62, as President
Mervyn Bauer, who was in
attendance, did not cast a vote – had
their say on May 4.
In addition, it was decided by
Society members that due to the
scale of the decision being made, a
two-thirds majority would be
required for the vote to pass.
The announcement by vote
scrutineers Sandra Cable and Don
Chesher was met with a round of
applause.
In an e-mail to The Citizen, IPM
Committee Chair Jacquie Bishop
said that she and the other members
of the committee are thrilled with
the Society’s decision, and look
forward to working together.
“The IPM executive applauds the
favourable decision made by the
Brussels Agricultural Society
members to host the 2017 version of
the Brussels Fall Fair at the
International Plowing Match and
Rural Expo,” she said. “We feel that
it is very fitting with the celebration
of Canada’s sesquicentennial
anniversary to include a historic,
authentic rural fair, which has been
the fabric of our rural community
longer than the confederation of our
country.
“We welcome the resourcefulness
and vision that the fair members
have and look forward to working
with the volunteers from the
community of Brussels and beyond
with this endeavour.”
Prior to the vote, Brian Schlosser,
Secretary and Treasurer for the
Society, brought members up to
speed on the latest developments in
the IPM’s proposal, including the
fact that the floor space needed by
the Society for the fair would be
donated by the IPM free of charge.
He also said that the IPM could
include the fair on future grant
applications and, if the Society has
trouble gaining sponsorship, the
IPM committee will be happy to
help where it can.
Schlosser also confirmed what had
long been discussed regarding the
Dodge Ram Rodeo show ring, that
there would be no conflict in hosting
the fair’s annual 4-H shows at the
ring.
While details regarding what the
2017 fair would actually look like
and what it would cost will be
handled at future meetings,
Schlosser broke down tent costs for
members. As discussed at prior
meetings, the Society will need at
least two tents in order to host the
fair at the IPM.
He said that a tent that is 60 feet by
120 feet would cost $7,000 for the
North Huron Township Council
has requested a report outlining the
costs associated with expanding the
coverage of the Wingham Police
Service to the Blyth and East
Wawanosh Wards.
The request came after Councillor
Trevor Seip asked for specific
direction on whether council wanted
to proceed with considering
switching the existing policing
model.
Currently, North Huron is looking
at significant increases in its police
budget over the next four years as
the new Ontario Provincial Police
(OPP) billing model, which already
increased the price of coverage this
year, is phased in.
If it were to be implemented in
one fell swoop, the policing of East
Wawanosh and Blyth with the OPP
would have cost North Huron
approximately $300,000 this year
compared to the $242,577 budgeted
this year and $194,850 in 2014.
This has led council to discuss
alternatives given the significant
difference.
“From the conversation we had [at
a previously held brainstorming
session]... I would like to get
direction from council... as far as
considering extending coverage of
the Wingham Police Service to East
Wawanosh and Blyth and getting a
quote from the OPP to cover
Wingham Ward,” he said. “I want to
get clarity to whether that is what
council wants me to do. I’m not
going to send things to the Police
Service Board if not.”
Councillor Brock Vodden
reminded Seip that there is another
option: maintaining the status quo.
Councillor Bill Knott, early in the
discussion prompted by Seip’s
question, suggested giving direction
to staff to take a look at Seip’s two
options, however it was indicated
that the OPP would not be looking at
providing any further costing
estimates until October at the
earliest.
Councillors debated the issue at
length, with some, such as Vodden,
questioning whether any change at
all was necessary, while others, such
as Knott, wanted to make sure
council wasn’t just making a cost
comparison, but comparing services
as well.
Currently, East Wawanosh and
Blyth have no bylaw enforcement
aside from the complaint-driven
bylaw enforcement officer that
based in Wingham whereas
Wingham residents have a dedicated
police force enforcing all laws.
Reeve Neil Vincent said that
With the announcement late last
month that the Goderich to Guelph
(G2G) Rail Trail will open, in its
entirety, on July 1, several Huron
County councillors were looking for
answers at the May 6 council
meeting.
Several councillors raised
concerns with the announcement,
because they’d been under the
impression they would hear of any
progress through the Huron County
Planning and Development
Department before any big
announcements were made to the
public.
North Huron Reeve Neil Vincent,
Huron East Mayor Bernie
MacLellan and Central Huron
Mayor Jim Ginn all expressed
concerns with the timing of the
announcement and they were also
curious as to whether or not the
concerns from farmers and adjacent
landowners had been addressed.
(Many of Vincent’s concerns,
including a lease held by North
Huron for a portion of the trail, were
reported in last week’s issue of The
Citizen in a story titled North
Huron disputes G2G Trail’s
readiness.)
He said that after contacting
several parties, he found that
leases have not yet been signed
The Citizen
Celebrating 30 Years
1985~2015
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 11
Huron County Council to hear
from G2G Inc. regarding trail
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 14
Continued on page 14