The Citizen, 2019-01-31, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019. PAGE 11.
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North Huron narrowly opts out of cannabis retail
In a very tight vote, North Huron
Council has decided to opt out of the
marijuana retail outlet
program, forfeiting between
$5,000 and $10,000 in provincial
funds.
Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip and
Councillors Paul Heffer, Ric
McBurney and Chris Palmer voted
against allowing retail cannabis
stores in North Huron. Reeve Bernie
Bailey and Councillors Kevin
Falconer and Anita van Hittersum
voted in favour.
Palmer was the first to speak out
on the issue, saying he felt it was a
“bad idea.” He elaborated, saying
that the “grab the money and run,”
mentality that relied on the township
not being chosen for a store
wasn’t the right answer for the
municipality.
“That’s playing with the devil,” he
said.
Palmer compared the decision to
allow marijuana retail outlets to the
suspension of prohibition, a decision
he felt was misguided.
“Prohibition was Pandora’s box,
and, 100 years later, we know the
damage of opening that box,” he
said. “Pot is a gateway, and don’t let
anyone tell you it’s not.”
He said the federal government is
trying to convince people that
marijuana is not a gateway drug, but
his experience with at-risk youth
leads him to believe otherwise.
He went on to say that, of the
$10,000 that is promised to
communities that participate, he
anticipated the Ontario Provincial
Police (OPP) requiring a significant
portion of those funds for increased
policing.
He also said, assuming that any
cannabis retail outlet would be put
“in a prime location”, that the
buffers between a store and the
school weren’t sufficient.
Palmer said that the mandated
distance from schools (which he
identified as 300 feet, but is actually
150 metres, just under 500 feet) was
far from enough of a buffer. He also
added that council would have no
control over the location of a
potential outlet.
Palmer also said, contrary to
reports that illegal marijuana would
decline, he believes it would continue
with “the bad guys” offering
marijuana at a lower price point.
If North Huron residents want
marijuana, he said, they can go to
Teeswater or other municipalities
that opt in, Palmer said.
“Let them go there,” he said. “Let
them work for it.”
Finally, Palmer said that many
other municipalities had chosen to
opt out, so North Huron wouldn’t be
alone. He pointed to larger city
centres’ governments, like
Mississauga, that had decided it
wasn’t fitting for its residents.
Palmer’s feeling were echoed by
other council members, with
McBurney saying he was concerned
about the risk that legal marijuana
could pose to North Huron’s youth.
Heffer said that, of the 304
municipalities that had reported in,
68 had decided to opt out. He said
that the issue was forced on council
in a very short time period, and over
the Christmas holiday, so there are a
lot of unanswered questions.
“I feel there are people voting out
of it for a reason,” he said. “I’m
going with that. I also feel that a lot
of my constituents, the majority,
don’t want it.”
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
M-T hires new CAO
Clerk Trevor Hallam
Morris-Turnberry has hired Trevor
Hallam to replace outgoing,
longstanding Administrator Clerk-
Treasurer Nancy Michie, the
municipality announced earlier this
month.
Hallam, a Goderich resident,
brings “a wide range of education,
knowledge and municipal
experience” according to a press
release from Morris-Turnberry,
explaining that he is currently the
Deputy-Clerk for the nearby
township of Ashfield-Colborne-
Wawanosh (ACW). The release also
says he has served under Members
of Provincial Parliament and
Members of Parliament.
Hallam will start at Morris-
Turnberry on March 4.
“Council is very pleased to
welcome Trevor Hallam, as he will
join us as the ‘CAO/Clerk’ for the
Municipality of Morris-Turnberry,”
Mayor Jamie Heffer said in the
release.
“Trevor brings with him
experience and enthusiasm that will
place him well in this role. We look
forward to working with Trevor as
he transitions into this position.”
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
A job for a true Scot
Roger McHardy, a native of Scotland, had the honour of carrying in the haggis for the Robbie
Burns night at the Brussels Four Winds Barn over the weekend. (Nick Vinnicombe photo)
Three R’s discussed by UCW
Continued from a 9
station, probably for more sorting.
The more sorting households do
speeds up the sorting at the plant.
Our blue bin items are controlled
by what the company is able to sell
for remanufacturing and the
equipment in the plant. Overseas
markets for our recyclables are
getting fewer due to society in
countries like China evolving.
Some suggestions for actually
making a difference to our world
through the three R’s were
discussed. It was obvious that one
needs to cut down on the amount
and kind of packaging that comes
into our homes, the reduce part.
Reusing many of the items can be
difficult. People need to put pressure
on manufacturers and policy makers
to make changes at their level.
Crystal and Kerri suggested that
when in doubt, go to the company
website or app to learn more.
I expect there were women like
me who went home that evening and
took a hard look at what was in their
recycling bins.
Bev. Riley conducted the business
part of the evening. Decisions were
made that will affect the group in the
coming weeks.
In the Jan. 24 issue of The Citizen,
the upcoming Blyth Lions snow
volleyball tournament was
incorrectly identified as being held
Feb. 24. The event is set for Feb. 23.
The Citizen apologizes for the
error and any confusion it may have
caused.
Correction
A familiar face
Brussels native Christopher Pennington, right, was one of
the 23 recipients of Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson’s
Remarkable Citizen Awards presented at her annual New
Year’s levée earlier this year. (Photo submitted)
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