The Citizen, 2019-06-20, Page 1CitizenTh
e
$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, June 20, 2019
Volume 35 No. 25
SPORTS - Pg. 10
Local athletes impress at
provincial championship
FESTIVAL - Pg. 19
‘Jumbo’ opens Blyth
Festival’s 45th season
RETIREMENT - Pg. 3
Locals bid farewell to Nancy
Michie after 40 years
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:
Central Huron moves to control cannabis sites
Fire hall
granted
extension
Central Huron Council is taking
steps to control cannabis production
sites and their placement in the
municipality, following the lead of
Norfolk County.
Huron County Planner Monica
Walker-Bolton spoke to the issue at
council’s Monday night meeting,
saying that implementing a zoning
bylaw amendment would help
establish setbacks for cannabis
production facilities due to odour,
similar to other agricultural
operations.
Walker-Bolton told council that
while Norfolk is being viewed as a
leader in the province on such
legislation, with Central Huron
being the first to consider it in Huron
County, Central Huron will be
viewed as a leader in the county.
The changes would introduce
provisions to address compatibility
between cannabis production
facilities and sensitive uses, such as
residences, community facilities and
parks. Under the bylaw, there would
be a 70-metre setback from such
land uses. She also told council that
any production sites that already
exist in Central Huron would be
“grandfathered in” and not subject to
the new legislation.
She also said that a cannabis
production facility would be added
as a permitted use in the Agricultural
and Commercial Industrial Zone of
AG3 in the municipality.
Clerk Brenda MacIsaac said that
while the zoning bylaw amendment
had been circulated, no feedback had
been received as a result.
While Walker-Bolton had
suggested deferring the zoning
bylaw amendment in the event that
council might want to investigate a
permitting process for cannabis
facilities, councillors wanted to go
ahead immediately.
Councillors said that delaying the
process further would allow new
facilities to be grandfathered in prior
to the passing of the bylaw.
Council passed the proposed
bylaw, adding that the municipality
will continue to investigate the
potential for a permitting process in
the future, meaning that those
wishing to establish a facility would
have to check in with the
municipality and get a permit before
going forward with production.
One change from the Norfolk
bylaw was that Central Huron
Council opted to exclude hemp from
the bylaw, choosing instead to focus
on the traditional definition of
cannabis production for Central
Huron’s bylaw.
Though there is activity at the site
of the future joint North Huron
Public Works-Fire Department
facility at the north end of Blyth,
North Huron Council put measures
in place on Monday night to make
sure fire equipment has a home until
the new site is built.
By way of bylaw, council
amended a schedule on the purchase
agreement for the Emergency
Services Training Centre with
Henry Blyth Farms Inc., who
Reeve Bernie Bailey later identified
as the Sparling family and Blyth
Cowbell Brewing Company,
extending the amount of time North
Huron and Huron County can use
the facility’s apparatus floor.
The new agreement allows the
municipality use of the space until
Jan. 31, 2020, with provisions for
Henry Blyth Farms Inc. to charge an
additional $6,000 for the month of
February if the space isn’t vacated
by the end of January.
North Huron staff confirmed the
extension would likely be necessary
due to concerns the project won’t be
finished in time.
The space is costing North Huron
$4,000 per month until June 30, at
which point a lump sum of $24,000
is due for July 1 to Dec. 31 of this
year. The rent then increases to the
$6,000 mark.
Bailey held up the Sparling family
as a shining example of North
Huron’s good citizenship, saying
Members of the Huron County
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)
Crime Unit, under the direction of
Detective Inspector Randy Gaynor,
OPP Criminal Investigation Branch
(CIB), have arrested and taken into
custody a third suspect in connection
with a recent Huron County death
investigation.
On May 26 members of Huron
County OPP and Huron County
Paramedic Services responded to a
residence on Cut Line Road in the
Municipality of Central Huron to
assist a male found in medical
distress.
David Spies, 42, of Central Huron
was pronounced deceased at the
scene.
As a result of further investigation,
Huron County OPP arrested a 49-
year-old resident of Central Huron.
He was taken into custody on June
13 without incident. He has been
charged with the following criminal
offences:
• Accessory After the Fact to the
Commission of an Indictable
Offence
• Traffick in Schedule I Substance
- Fentanyl
• Possession of a Schedule I
Substance - Methamphetamine
• Theft Over $5,000
The accused remained in custody
Investigation leads to charges
Multi-level marketing
A new contoured drainage system at the Huronview
demonstration site, just south of Clinton, was all the rage
on Saturday, bringing 350 people to the town to see what
all the fuss was about. The new drainage system, which
allows farmers to retain and release water when necessary,
has been hailed as visionary and revolutionary by those in
the drainage world. That’s why the project has attracted the
attention of many, including Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs Ernie Hardeman, who was in attendance on
Saturday. Extolling the virtues of the system to a group of eager
farmers is Peter Johnson, who got down to the drainage system’s
level to explain exactly how it works. The day was hosted by the
Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Association, as well as local
conservation authorities. (Quinn Talbot photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 9
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 12