The Citizen, 2010-12-02, Page 28PAGE 28. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2010.
Continued from page 22
additional money on developments
to the complex.
The second option presented was
a “wish list” of several small
projects that Newson outlined
including additions and
modifications like new heating and
cooling systems at the arena,
flooring installation, lighting
upgrades, stools for ice surface
viewing and the replacement of
several parts of the pool area that
have rusted due to the highly
corrosive atmosphere.
A third option is to replace the
pool liner at the complex.
Originally installed as part of the
Mythra system, the pool liner hasn’t
functioned properly since
installation and has developed
wrinkles due to an unknown
problem that the installation
company can’t determine.
“We consulted with three local
companies,” Newson explained.
“And we’re uncertain how to repair
it. If we do replace it, there are no
guarantees that the new pool liner
will work with [the existing system],
and the welds may not hold.”
It was then explained to council
that Goderich has had a similar
problem with their Myrtha system
and is considering ways they can
repair it. Councillors were informed
that it would be best to see how
Goderich’s attempts fared and
continue to build reserves for their
own repair effort.
The last option, and the one fought
for most fervently by Newson, was
to have a flume slide installed at the
pool at the community complex.
Newson explained that a slide had
been part of the original vision for
the centre but had never been built.
Unfortunately, the slide that had
been part of the original plan was
too expensive, however a smaller
one would cost the township only
approximately $30,000 on top of
existing RInC funding and the
pool’s reserve funds.
The pool area was originally set
up with the proper deck space and
pool depth for the slide in the casual
area, according to Kim Scholl,
Aquatic Supervisor for North
Huron.
She also stated that, since the
design of the pool doesn’t lend itself
to a rock climbing wall or room for
any kind of “Tarzan rope”, this
would be the only fun factor.
“This targets youths aged six to
16,” she said. “Children over the age
of 10 usually stop taking swimming
lessons unless they plan on being a
lifeguard, so it is important that we
can target them.”
Scholl went on to state that youth
programs have failed to attract more
swimmers and that, along with
bringing more swimmers to the
pool, the slide would increase
revenue through encouraging more
parties and private rentals and
increased participation.
Newson stated that, of the $30,000
extra needed, one-third to half could
be raised through grants and
fundraising.
“We feel we could pay North
Huron back and it wouldn’t be a
burden to the ratepayers, but it
would probably take five years of
staff’s work,” Newson stated.
The concern from council was that
the pool, plus the extra staffing costs
of $10,551 wouldn’t be able to be
covered by the new business that
would be brought in.
Newson and Scholl explained that
they had done research into
Goderich and Hanover’s indoor
pools, which both have slides, and
believed that their project would be
able to bring in at least 4,125
swimmers to cover the costs (at
$2.50 per entry).
“The slide probably won’t bring in
4125 extra swimmers,” Councillor
Alma Conn stated. “And we can’t
compare Goderich or Hanover to
Wingham, Goderich is more
expensive, and Hanover has the
casino nearby, which gives people
more of a reason to go there. We
wouldn’t be comparing apples to
apples, we would be comparing
apples to a whole orchard.”
Another concern that Councillor
David Riach brought up was the
possible addition of user fees for
people from outside of the township.
Council has debated user fees for
out-of-area users of municipal
facilities like the complex, and
Riach wondered how much of an
impact that would have.
Scholl stated that more than 50 per
cent of the current membership of
the aquatic centre is not local, and
also stated it would be hard to keep
track of “out-of-towners” during
free swims.
Newson agreed, stating that
“people don’t usually carry
identification in their swimsuits.”
Councillor Archie MacGowan
stated that he didn’t like the idea of
planning for just “netting out” at the
end of the year.
Newson was insistent, however,
stating that Scholl and herself would
stake their jobs on this pool
becoming successful, and said this is
the time to build it.
“These grants don’t come when
economic times are good, they come
when economic times are tough,”
she said. “I want to think big. This is
an $8.5 million building, and we’re
asking for $35,000 to add
more value. It has a budget of
hundreds of thousands of dollars
and we’re asking for tens of
thousands.”
Council discussed the purchase at
the end of their meeting, with most
councillors stating they believed that
supporting this issue would not be
the right thing to do.
“I have to question adding [the
slide] just to have it break even,”
Reeve Neil Vincent stated. “I also
have to question [the slide’s ability]
bringing in 4,125 more swimmers
over the year.”
Deputy Reeve Murray Scott said
he would rather see the funds go
towards the pool liner.
Councillor Brock Vodden added
that this isn’t the time to be spending
more.
“This is the wrong time to start
spending money, people are
concerned about the tax rate
already,” he said.
Council decided to have the issue
brought back with a more in-depth
analysis of the other options at a
later date.
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RUBY MARIE DOUGLASMrs. Marie Douglas of Fordwich,
formerly of Atwood and Belmore
passed away at Listowel Memorial
Hospital on Monday, Nov. 22, 2010.
She was 92.
The former Marie King, beloved
wife of the late Carl Douglas, who
predeceased her in 1967, was the
dear mother of Wayne Douglas and
Janette McClean of Wingham,
loving grandmother of Julie
Douglas of South Indian Lake,
Manitoba and Rob Douglas of
Kitchener and dear sister of Janet
and Jack Day of Wingham and
dearly loved by Bob and Karol
Grainger and family. She will be
lovingly remembered by Janette’s
family, Andrew and Treva and Erin
and Tim, great-grandchildren,
Harry, Robbie and Ben and by
Laurine Wright and family.
Marie was predeceased by her
parents William and Lillian
(McCall) King, her daughter-in-law
Linda (Robinson) Douglas in 1996
and by her brother Bill and sister-in-
law Joanne King.
Marie was a school teacher,
teaching at F.E. Madill Secondary
School at the time of her retirement.
She was a member of Calvary
United Church, Listowel, and a
lifetime member of the Women’sInstitute.
Visitation at McBurney Funeral
Home, Wingham, was held Friday,
Nov. 26 from 7 - 9 p.m. Memorial
services were held at McBurney
Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday
at 2 p.m. Rev. George Russell
officiated. Final resting place is in
Wroxeter Cemetery.
Memorial donations to World
Vision Canada would be
appreciated as expressions of
sympathy.
Online condolences may be left at
www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com
North St. West, Wingham
Mac & Donna Anderson
519-357-1910
A cemetery is a history of
people, a perpetual record of
yesterday and a sanctuary of
peace and quiet today. A
cemetery exists because every
life is worth loving and
remembering - always
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BOX 158 WINGHAM ONT NOG 2W0
Obituaries
N. Huron councillors doubt slide
at public pool would break even
Continued from page 3
continued to work with matter and
substances and have completed
preliminary experiments to show
how the particle theory works.
In Mrs. Middleton’s class, the
Grade 3/4 students have been
developing reading skills by
identifying the big idea in a text and
providing appropriate support. In
physical education, they have been
learning about on making good
choices using the pillars of
character. They had a presentation
on the Alzheimer’s Society, heard a
story and did some brain mapping
via power point. They have also
been preparing for the Christmas
concert, which they will be
performing on Dec. 8.
So far in the kindergarten classes,
students have been learning about
transportation. The JKs have been
focusing on fire trucks, with that
they have been reviewing the fire
safety drill. To go with this
assignment they made fire hats and
badges to pretend that they were
firefighters. The SKs have been
focusing on the letter P. Also they
are doing activities centering around
the story, “The Three Little Pigs”
along with that they made pentagon
houses, sequenced story boards,
shapely mansions and pig puppets.
They are identifying groups of
threes, like triplets, tricycles, trios,
the three primary (red, yellow and
blue) and secondary (green, orange
and purple) colours. They continued
to practise songs and dance numbers
for the concert. If you would like to
support the Grade 8 students, talk to
one of them or their parents to buy a
raffle ticket for a gift basket.
The Grade 1/2 class presented a
number at the school’s Virtue
Assembly on Monday to highlight
their ideas about Courage. Next
week, their class will be interviewed
by The Citizen to answer important
questions about Christmas. With
Christmas coming, they have begun
to practise for the upcoming concert.
In the classroom setting, students
are continuing to explore the
alphabet through the design of
plasticine animals to represent the
corresponding alphabet letter. The
Grade 1/2 students have been
delighted by the challenge to create
alphabet symbols by problem
solving the attributes of the animals
they represent. This learning
experience has allowed them to
follow a process from the planning
stage through to the final creation. In
follow-up activities, students have
been given authentic opportunities
to write the procedure of the activity
and the description of their
animals.
Mathematics class has centred
around an investigation of numbers
up to 100. They have participated in
a variety of games to continue to
develop and extend their
understanding for the whole
numbers to 100. Bingo, Snakes and
Ladders, card games and dice games
have been ranked amongst the
favourites and offer valuable
learning opportunities as students
explore reading numbers, ranking
numbers, place value, more than,
less than and how many more.
In French class, students are
getting ready to write a letter in
French to Santa to persuade him that
they deserve presents this year.
Junior Kindergarten studentslearn about fire safety, trucks