The Citizen, 1992-10-28, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1992.
Planners hear rural success stories
Rural development workers and
thinkers from across Canada gath
ered in Goderich and Blyth last
week to hear rural success stories
from the people who made them
Blyth council briefs
Council says ‘No’
to prov.
An amendment to the village's
official plan, which would allow
for the establishment of a group
home in the village met with unani
mous disapproval from Blyth coun
cillors at the Oct. 14 meeting.
The Ministries of Corrections
and Community and Social Ser
vices objected to a clause in the
definition of a group home which
states a group home in Blyth could
not be used as a place of detention,
correction or probation for individ
uals with a violent criminal history
of record, saying these individuals
are not defined and are open to
interpretation. "Some might consid
er any crime as violent," the letter
from Rory Hancey, Manager of the
Youth and Community Correction
Branch stated.
Clerk Helen Grubb read a letter
to council saying that to leave the
clause as it is is discriminatory and
not in regards with the charter of
rights.
"I have rights too," said Council
lor Steve Sparling. "I am vehe
mently opposed and although it
appears to be an order from the
province I feel we have an obliga
tion to the ratepayers. I think we
need to show them we're not just
going to lay down and let this hap
pen."
"I say 'No' and let the province
do what they may," he said.
***
Dale Hamilton was in attendance
to ask council's assistance on her
work with the Community Play.
Ms Hamilton, who worked on a
similar project in her home town
ship of Eramosa is writing the
Blyth play
A letter was read from Blyth
Public School principal Al Harrison
commending Village Foreman John
Rinn and his staff on their prompt
attention to a tree at the school
which was a potential danger to
students.
Mr. Rinn will be attending the
Good Roads convention from Feb.
21-24.♦♦♦
Liberals elect incumbent exec.
Huron Liberal party members
voted in an incumbent executive at
McLeod talks
‘Accord’-ingly
Continued from page 1
hot issue at the Tuesday meeting.
She described the Charlottetown
Accord as a "reasonable working
basis for the country.
"I believe it could be made to
work."
She said voting yes would help
the country stay together and give
Canada a stability that would help
strengthen the economy.
This is the third time Mrs.
McLeod has spoken to the riding.
Londesboro Liberal member,
John Jewitt introduced her and said
"I remember thinking after the last
time she spoke that I couldn't recall
an individual delivering a more fit
ting or timely address."
Mrs. McLeod has been the
provincial Liberal leader since
February. Her past portfolios
include being the Minister of Natu
ral Resources and Minister of Ener
gy-
happen.
Nearly 200 delegates took part in
the 4th annual Agricultural and
Rural Restructuring Group
(ARRG) conference, held for the
request
Council is directing the village's
Community Oriented Policing
(COP) committee to respond to
Tuckermsith Township's COP
Committee regarding any further
restriction on the use of firearms by
police officers. The motion also
supports the use of Capsicum by
police officers, but only if these
weapons are not an alternative to
the firearm.
Regarding the issue of county
representation, councillors voted to
inform the county that they feel
representation should remain as it
is.
After some discussion council
decided to continue the village's
membership with the Southwestern
Ontario Travel Association at a
cost of $405.16 plus GST.
This will mean Blyth and its
events will be included in a travel
brochure which is widely distribut
ed throughout the province and into
Michigan.
Reeve Lee noted that the county
pulled out of SWOTA this year
which he feels was a mistake. "The
people with money are the ones
who travel so you should do what
you can to entice them."
Council did, however, decide not
to advertise in the Stratford Visi
tors' Guide as they felt this was
more business oriented.»♦»
The Blyth Festival will be hold
ing the Christmas Pageant this year
with proceeds to United Way and
requested council to waive the
Memorial Hall rental fee.
Councillor Sparling said, while
United Way is a worthy cause he
felt if the rental is forgiven then the
money should stay in the village.
Councillors agreed that a consen
sus had to be reached as "it's the
small potatoes eating up the budget
over the long haul," said Councillor
Doug Scrimgeour.
Hall rental fee for non-profit
groups is $135.
A by-law was passed saying that
all village facilities will be on a
user pay basis.
their annual meeting Oct. 20.
Returning officers are president,
Joe Hogan; 1st vice-president, John
Jewitt; 2nd vice-president, Graeme
Craig; treasurer, Luanne Phair and
secretary, Margaret Caldwell.
The Liberal party members start
ing the meeting with singing both
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Visit me at the Brussels Legion
Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8
For more information
phone 887-6502 after dark
first time in Ontario. Paul Nichol of
Brussels, a development officer
with the Huron County Planning
and Development Department, and
Tony Fuller, a professor with the
University of Guelph's school of
rural planning and development
were co-organizers of the confer
ence. Most of the meetings were
held in Goderich but a dinner and
night at the theatre, to see the
Eramosa Community Play, were
held in Blyth Thursday night.
The theme of the conference was
"Stimulating rural economies for
the 2000's" and delegates heard
everything from statistics on the
trends in business and economics
and how they are impacting on
small towns and rural areas, to suc
cess stories such as the town of
Winkler, Manitoba.
Mayor Henry Wiebe of Winkler
related the amazing growth of his
small town in southwestern Mani
toba that has grown from 2500 pop
ulation with two agriculture-related
industries in 1967 to 6400 popula
tion with 3500 jobs in 36 industries
today. The changes began in 1967
when the leaders of the different
organizations in the community
were brought together to chart a
plan to create employment and stop
the exodus of young school gradu
ates.
An industrial development corpo
ration was set up to help budding
entrepreneurs put their ideas in
action. Innovative thinking helped
the town create an industrial park
without a large investment. The
local credit union provided a loan
when the banks and Federal Busi
ness Development Bank wouldn't
(Wiebe was manager of the Credit
Union until he retired in 1986) and
a small manufacturer of motor
homes began in 1972. Today the
company employs up to 400 peo
ple. In one day in 1972, a total of
18 industries were opened or had
ground broken.
Other speakers included Emile
Touchette of Kapuskasing, one of
the employees who bought the
Spruce Falls Pulp and Paper mill in
that city when it was threatened
with closure in 1990. With Premier
Bob Rae helping pull the deal
together, the employees were able
to take over the huge operation last
year. In order to make the deal
work the community had to raise
$12.5 million in two weeks. They
raised $16 million. "This year we're
the only newsprint company in
Canada that is making money."
Just as important, the effort
helped revitalize Kapuskasing and
the English and the French version
of the national anthem.
Those in attendance were also
able to meet the three candidates
for the upcoming federal leader
ship, Rick Magie of Goderich,
Margaret Mclnroy of Walton and
Paul Steckle of Zurich.
five other communities in the area.
An economic development com
mittee has been set up for the six
communities and helps diversify
the economy so it isn't so depen
dent paper making.
Bill Kinley Punnett of the Cum
berland Community futures pro
gram in Cumberland County, Nova
Scotia told of the tremendous suc
cess in his area. The opening of the
Anne Murray Centre in the singer's
home town of Spring Hill, Nova
Scotia has brought tourists by the
busload from across North America
and led to the opening of two new
restaurants and a 48-unit motel is
being considered. "The spin-off
dollars have made a totally differ
ent mentality (for the community)",
he said.
The community is also harness
ing the old, unused mines for geo
thermal power. Water pumped up
from the mine at 62 degrees heats a
large factory. A geo-thermal con
ference is being held and a geo
thermal co-ordinator has been
hired. The geo-thermal asset is
being looked at for everything from
a way of over-wintering bees (get
ting disease free bees is difficult
and maritime bees are among the
least infected) to storing vegeta
bles.
When a candy company closed,
the community found opportunities
to attract a company making envi
ronmentally safe batteries. It lost 32
jobs with the closure but gained
more than 100 with the new facto
ry-
He urged small communities to
take the future in their own hands
through community development.
"This country can no longer sit on a
two-legged stool of business and
government. We have to look at
community development."
Individual business success sto
BLYTH LEGION
BRANCH 420
SPECIAL DATES
TO REMEMBER
NOVEMBER 7,1992
POPPY DAY CANVASS Door-to-Door will
start at 9:00 a.m. Those Legion members
who can attend will please meet at the
Legion at 8:30 a.m. Your assistance will be
appreciated. Let us make this another great
campaign.
NOVEMBER 8,1992
BLYTH BRANCH 420 CHURCH SERVICE will
be held at the Auburn Missionary Church.
Church Service will start at 11:00 a.m. Please
be ready to assemble for the march at 10:30
in Auburn.
NOVEMBER 11,1992
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Service will be held at the BLYTH MEMORIAL
HALL at 10:45 a.m. with James H. Carne,
Pastor officiating. The Parade Parties will
meet at the Blyth Legion at 10:15 a.m.
YOUR ATTENDANCE
SHALL BE REMEMBERED
ries from the huge growth of Cold
spring Farms which transformed
the village of Thamesford, creating
550 jobs, to Hillebrand Wines in
Niagara-on-the-Lake, which has
grown from producing 6000 cases
of wine in 1982 to 270,000 cases of
high-quality wine sold through 45
of its own retail stores and exported
to Japan, England, Austria,
Switzerland, Russia and the U.S.
Also present was Wayne Martin
of the Indian Agricultural Program
of Ontario which has developed
niche markets for Ontario Indian
farmers. Indians can't normally get
loans from banks because land on
reserves can't be used as security so
the program helps finance farmers.
The group has been so successful in
developing markets for the oil from
evening primrose seed that some
growers off the reserve have been
contracted in order to meet the
demand.
The program has also developed
Arrow Head White Corn Chips,
made from White Indian Flint
Flour Com, a com that produces
more flour than the yellow dent
com grown by most farmers.
The conference began Wednes
day night and wound up Friday
afternoon. Premier Bob Rae
addressed delegates on the constitu
tional proposals Thursday, and
Agriculture Minister Elmer
Buchanan spoke on rural develop
ment Friday.
rWalton U.C.W?
TURKEY SUPPER
NOV. 4,4:30-7:00 PM
Adults $8.00 Children
$4.00
Pre-Schoolers Free Take Outs available -Z