The Citizen, 2015-12-03, Page 1CitizenTh
e
$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, December 3, 2015
Volume 31 No. 47
AWARD - Pg. 28
‘The Citizen’ announces
Citizen of the Year winner
TRAIL - Pg. 27
Open houses attract small
crowds for G2G Trail
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:
Students
to shape
CCRC’s
future
Quite the setup
The Brussels Santa Claus parade is often marked down as
a must-attend for many in the community and this year was
no different as the parade returned to its traditional route
after last year’s main street construction project. It’s clear
that, in the case of this float to be sure, plenty of work went into
making the parade one of the best in recent memory this year.
This float belonged to the Brussels Bulk and Bargain Shop, which
took home the award for best commercial float. (Vicky Bremner photo)
North Huron groups impress at ec. dev. meeting
North Huron’s economic
development core team, part of
Huron County’s economic
development strategy, held its
biggest meeting to-date earlier this
month to find out where the
community felt focus needed to be
ready to capitalize on community
opportunities.
“We had presentations from
Allison Lobb of the Small Business
Centre, Gil Garratt of the Blyth
Centre for the Arts, Rick Sickinger
from the Huron County Cultural
Plan and the Blyth 14/19 group
presented including Steven Sparling,
Rick Elliott, Gil Garratt, Peter Smith
and Karen Stewart,” North Huron
Chief Administrative Officer and
core team member Sharon
Chambers said.
The meeting also included
representation from local businesses
including Beldman Construction,
Wescast Industries and Edgar Feed
and Seed.
“Blair Alton [Vice President North
American Region/Director of Sales
North America at Wescast Industries
Inc.] did a great presentation,”
Chambers said. “He talked about
[Wescast’s] operations and some of
the challenges that it has faced.”
Chambers said that Alton walked
the assembled group through how
operations for Wescast have evolved
from producing manifolds to also
producing turbo cases and other
parts for engines.
“It really showed how the
company has adapted through tough
times to continue to be here,” she
said. “He also spoke about the
challenges that come along with
trying to recruit people with the
skills to go to a small rural
community.”
Chambers said skilled workers
being difficult to find was a common
theme throughout the presentations
from local business people.
Elliott Miller, of Edgar Feed and
Seed near Wingham, spoke to his
experience as a young person who
went away for school to learn
agriculture and came back to run an
agri-business.
Huron County Staff, as well as
municipal staff, made presentations
that highlighted the Wingham
Industrial Land Strategy and
Employment Land Strategy for
Huron County.
“We showed how we want to make
sure we have employment land
available for business,” Chambers
Approximately 40 students, as
well as about a dozen organizers and
guest speakers converged on the
Canadian Centre for Rural
Creativity (CCRC) last Wednesday
as part of an Innovation, Creativity
and Entrepreneurship (ICE)
program.
The program, which is part of the
Specialist High Skills Major
(SHSM) at St. Anne’s Catholic
Secondary School, saw local
entrepreneurs and creative-industry
representative go to the school to
teach some of what they had
learned.
The end goal of the day was for
students, with the guidance of the
guest speakers, to construct a
program or conference that could be
hosted at the CCRC by Blyth Arts
and Cultural Initiative 14/19 in
coming years.
Eight groups of five students each
were tasked with creating proposals
for either a conference or a program
and 14/19 staff felt the program was
a great success.
“It was a good day,” Rozalynn
Schlosser, from 14/19 said. “The
students were able to accomplish a
lot.”
Project 14/19 Administrator
Karen Stewart agreed, saying that
In 2017, East Wawanosh will be
celebrating its 150th anniversary
with a special “Pow Wow” but there
is plenty of planning that’s already
underway.
In an interview with The Citizen,
Katie Cottrill of the committee said
that much of the monthly meetings
being held are working towards a
July, 2016 kick-off to the festivities.
The Belgrave Community Centre
will be the place to be on July 2,
2016 as it plays host to a BX93
dance, the official kick-off to the
anniversary. The dance will serve as
a major fundraiser for the event.
In addition, Cottrill says that
members are already selling raffle
tickets to help raise funds for the
event as well, through which those
entered can win a quarter-beef.
“First and second prize is a
quarter-cut of beef,” said Cottrill,
while the third and fourth prizes are
cash that can be redeemed for Pow
Wow merchandise or event tickets.
The winner of the draw will be
chosen on Feb. 14, 2016, during the
Belgrave Community Centre’s
Family Day celebration.
Tickets, Cottrill says, are available
at the Huron Bay Co-op’s Belgrave
location, Belgrave Variety or from
any member of the event committee.
Cottrill says event-planning has
been going well, and that a diverse,
enthusiastic group has been attracted
to help.
“We’re getting lots of great ideas
and we’re getting quite a lot of
people coming out to our meetings,”
Cottrill said. Although that’s not to
say that they wouldn’t like more.
The group is taking December off
from its monthly meetings, but will
resume meeting on Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.
at the community centre. All are
welcome, Cottrill said.
The Citizen
Celebrating 30 Years
1985~2015
Pow Wow 2016 dance planned
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 10
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 23