The Citizen, 2019-07-04, Page 7THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2019. PAGE 7.
BIA pursuing overdue social media training
The Blyth Business Improvement
Area (BIA) will be pursuing some
long-overdue social media planning
and education with FauxPop Media
in August.
During the BIA’s June 27 meeting,
Chair David Sparling explained that
when FauxPop was hired to help
with the social media presence of the
BIA, FauxPop wasn’t invited to
share it’s plan or set up training
seminars, which is why it has taken
so long for the training to come to
fruition.
As a result of Sparling’s
correspondence, FauxPop’s
representatives are set to come to the
BIA’s August meeting to make a
presentation and plan social media
training.
BIA WEBSITE
While the BIA’s new website is
coming along nicely, Sparling said,
the previous website, hosted by
former Blyth business person
Douglas Barill, continues to be a
thorn in the group’s side.
Sparling explained that, despite
repeated attempts at communication,
Barill has yet to take down the site.
“We’re going to continue to work
to get that shut down so we can focus
on the new website at
blythnow.ca,” Sparling said. “I have
a checklist of things to do for the site
to complete by mid-July.”
Sparling said the continued
existence of the BIA’s former
website intrigued him, saying it
surprises him that something can be
kept online when the organization
that paid for it initially no longer
wants it there.
“We’ll just keep asking Douglas to
shut it down,” he said.
BIA member and Wonky Frog
Studio representative Cat O’Donnell
asked if there was a legal avenue the
BIA could take. She said the BIA
should have ownership over its name
and should be able to prevent others
from using it, however Sparling
doubted that action would be fruitful.
No action was taken as a result of
the report.
HISTORIC SIGNAGE
The historic signs detailing the
stories behind buildings in the
village of Blyth will continue to pop
up, Sparling said.
As the leader of the program,
Sparling was happy to announce that
the next round of signs will be
delivered soon, and he plans to have
them installed by the end of July.
This newest batch of signs will
bring the project to approximately
two-thirds completion, Sparling
said.
CIP PROGRAM
North Huron Township Council
BIA Representative Kevin Falconer
encouraged local businesses to take
advantage of funding opportunities
through the newly-expanded
community improvement plan (CIP).
Falconer said, during the BIA’s
June 27 meeting, that the plan,
which originally focused on façades,
now also offers funding for
structural projects including doors
and windows.
A new intake for the program is
set for later this year. For more
information, contact North Huron
Township.
COMMUNICATIONS
Sparling and the BIA have
continued to push communication
projects forward.
During the BIA’s recent meeting,
Sparling said that the first of several
new e-mail addresses had been
established. He can now be
contacted at chair@blythnow.ca.
E-mail accounts for the treasurer,
secretary and vice-chair would also
be set up with the goal of continuity
in communication.
Sparling also reported that he is
working with North Huron to
establish a digital voicemail box to
provide a permanent phone number
for the BIA.
HISTORICAL PHOTO
The Blyth BIA is hoping to
recreate an historical photo of Blyth
business people 50 years later.
The photo, which is part of the
Blyth Repository of History, was
taken in 1969 and featured all the
local business owners.
Sparling hopes to recreate the
photo this September at the group’s
meeting. He suggested having some
kind of expanded board meeting
including breakfast to make the
event a networking opportunity as
well.
The hope is to have a
representative from each business in
the photo to show the changing face
of business ownership in the area.
For more information, contact
Sparling at chair@blythnow.ca.
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Laundromat
Blyth Laundromat
191 Westmoreland St., Blyth
519-523-9687
NEWS
FROM BLYTH
Beautiful day
The Blyth community outdoor church service, sponsored by local churches, was held on June
30 at Blyth Lions Park. The event, which collected an offering for the Salvation Army Food
Bank and the North Huron Community Food Share, was greeted with temperate weather and
lots of sunshine. (Mark Nonkes photo)
An East Wawanosh Township
resident has threatened legal action
after North Huron Township
Council approved a reduction in the
minimum distance setback between
her home and a proposed pig barn.
Pat Brigham, who lives on a
corner lot zoned AG-4 in East
Wawanosh, attended North Huron
Council’s June 17 meeting to tell
council members she was staunchly
opposed to the pig barn proposed by
the Bos family on a property that
borders hers on two sides.
Before the building permit for the
barn could be applied for, a minor
variance was necessary as the barn
would, in the only location that
would work on the property, infringe
on minimum distance setbacks for
property lines and the minimum
distance separation from Brigham’s
home.
The barn would be 45 metres from
the side yard boundary (which
typically would require a 60-metre
setback for such a building) and 15
metres from the exterior side yard
(typically 30 metres). The barn
would be 435 metres from
Brigham’s home. Based on the
calculations for a structure the size
of the one proposed, however, it
should be 588 metres away
according to existing regulations.
Huron County Planner Laura
Simpson recommended that council
approve the minor variance, which
would allow the Bos family to
proceed with the project.
Brigham, however, felt she wasn’t
being treated fairly, representing
herself because she found most
lawyers in the area have a conflict of
interest and couldn’t represent her in
dealings with Huron County
Council.
Brigham is concerned about how
the barn, which she said would
house 2,500 animals, would impact
her property. She also had concerns
about the water table and
contamination issues.
She also claimed that other
neighbours were unhappy with the
development and said she felt that
she was being taken advantage of
because she couldn’t find legal
representation to challenge the
application in such a short time
frame.
Brigham said she planned on
finding legal representation and, if
the application was approved, suing
North Huron Council and the Bos
family.
Council had many questions for
Brigham, Simpson and Henry Bos,
who was speaking on behalf of his
family.
Councillor Chris Palmer asked
Happy birthday to Brenda
Brooks who celebrates July 7;
Nicole Kerr and Todd MacDonald,
July 8 and Kathy Douglas, July 10.
The older farmers always claimed
that if the corn was knee high
by July 1, they would have a good
crop.
I didn’t think it would be possible
this year, but as I drove through the
countryside this past week there are
a few fields of corn that have a
chance at making it knee high by
July 1, as long as we get the heat
units until then.
Hope everyone had a safe and
happy holiday weekend to celebrate
Canada’s birthday.
By Marilyn
Craig
Call
523-9318
From Marilyn’s Desk
EW ratepayer against pig barn
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 25
Crops looking better