The Citizen, 2019-10-03, Page 3THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2019. PAGE 3.
Sidewalk extensions, through traffic concerns locals
Last week, after eight-and-a-half
years on the job, Blyth’s Paul
Dawson, a Captain with the Cadet
Corps, stepped away from command
of the Brussels Cadets, making way
for Captain Patty Coulter.
With both work and familial
commitments, Dawson felt it was
time to take a step back and Coulter
was happy to take on the challenge.
Dawson’s life with the cadets
began in 1996 when he joined the
Air Cadets in Wingham. In 2003,
Dawson turned 19, meaning he
would “age out” of the Cadets, a
youth organization, but he believed
in the program and wanted to remain
involved.
There were no available postings
on the Air Cadet side, which
Dawson knew so well, but they were
looking for someone to help with
command with the Brussels Army
Cadets and Dawson began working
in Brussels.
He says there was definitely a
learning curve to the transition, but
that the community was very
welcoming and patient, helping him
at every turn.
He said the army side was
completely different from the air
side with which he was accustomed.
All of the ranks were different, he
said, among other things and it took
him about a year to really get his feet
under him.
He would eventually work under
Louise Wegg beginning in 2005. He
learned under her when she assumed
command in 2006. That legacy is
now continuing on, as Coulter, who
is succeeding Dawson, is Wegg’s
daughter.
Then, in May of 2011, Dawson
assumed command of the group
after years of working with other
leaders.
Dawson and the group hit the
ground running and Brussels would
be awarded numerous times over the
years. He says he’ll always
remember when the Corps won the
Director’s Seal of Excellence, being
recognized in a number of
categories. Then, in 2016, the
Brussels Cadets were named the top
small unit in Ontario, another great
honour for Dawson and his team.
His lasting legacy, however, is
retention and recruitment in the
Corps, which, at the time he took
over, was struggling to attract both
young people and older members of
command. Now, Brussels is steady
when it comes to both, something
that hasn’t happened in years.
Handing over a full slate of
command to Coulter, he said, was
definitely a proud moment for
him with a group that had struggled
to attract qualified leaders for
years.
To that point, Dawson began with
the Brussels Cadets on a three-year
contract, which kept being extended
due to the inability to attract a
successor. However, Dawson said he
thoroughly enjoyed what would
eventually become a term that lasted
eight-and-a-half years.
While Dawson has decided to step
away from the command position,
he will still be involved in the
Cadets, working in Brussels on the
administrative side to aid Coulter
during the transition as well. He’s
been working with her for a year and
last week it was time to officially
pass the torch in a special ceremony
held at the Brussels Legion.
Dawson said he has full
confidence in Coulter to take over
what can be a stressful, but
rewarding position.
Dawson retires as commander
Extending sidewalks to the south
end of Blyth and the speed of
passing vehicles in the community
are the biggest concerns raised
through an informal survey pursued
by the Blyth Business Improvement
Area (BIA).
At the BIA’s Sept. 26 meeting,
representatives from North Huron,
including Reeve Bernie Bailey,
attended to discuss concerns in the
village.
“The most repeated concern was
that there is no sidewalk connecting
the development at the south end of
the village, including Blyth Cowbell
Brewing Company, with the rest of
the community,” BIA Chair David
Sparling said. “There are 150,000
visitors to the community through
Cowbell and they aren’t coming into
town or exploring main street.”
Later in the meeting, North Huron
Council representative on the BIA,
Kevin Falconer, said that, as Queen
Street is actually a Huron County
Road, that kind of work may need to
go through Huron County Council
and staff.
North Huron Chief Administrative
Officer (CAO) Dwayne Evans also
said that the space between Blyth’s
downtown core and Cowbell has
mixed land uses, including
residential and community facility,
and that may be a hurdle.
BIA executive member Paul
Hallahan of Orr Insurance said that
signage could address that problem,
explaining that traffic could be
directed to the village’s downtown
core.
TRAFFIC SPEED
Sparling said respondents were
also concerned was that cars and
trucks travel too fast down Queen
Street. He said transport trucks can
be especially dangerous.
Shane Yerema, Vice-Chair of the
BIA and co-owner of Hotel Lux,
said those concerns are amplified in
the village’s downtown core as, due
to the narrow nature of Queen Street,
parked vehicles can make turning on
to the street even more dangerous.
North Huron Director of Public
Works and Facilities Sean McGhee
said he was aware of the concern,
however the road is maintained by
the county.
Sparling asked if the speed limit
through town could be further
reduced to 40 kilometres an hour.
“We know people won’t be going
40, but at least they won’t be going
70,” he said.
McGhee said such a request could
be addressed, but it would need to be
supported by North Huron Council
before Huron County Council would
consider it.
Members of the BIA said the
digital speed sign at the south end of
the community has definitely made
an impact, but also noted that, after 7
p.m., traffic speeds are even higher.
As far as the digital sign went,
McGhee said it had proven its
usefulness. Traffic speed had
reduced at the sign after it was
installed, but then increased when
the sign was removed. Since being
reinstalled, he said traffic speed has
reduced again.
McGhee said that, while all the
traffic concerns could be addressed
to Huron County Council, he said
the crosswalk that should be built in
Blyth early next spring could have a
significant calming effect on the
traffic.
UPDATED SIGNAGE
Sparling also received comments
regarding traffic control signs in the
area.
First, he was asked to make a
request to have the 90-kilometre-
per-hour speed zone at the north end
of the village further north as,
currently, the zone begins before the
new residential development at the
north end of the community.
Second, and Sparling admitted he
didn’t realize this, there is only one
community-safety zone bus loading
sign in the community.
He said there are multiple bus
stops in the community, including
several on Morris Street alone. To
only have one zone marked didn’t
make sense, he said.
CYCLING CONCERNS
While there were some concerns
about cyclists being able to safely
park their bike, especially after the
BIA’s two two-cycle bike racks were
not installed this year, Sparling said
that the Blyth Pharmacy building,
which is owned by his company
DEAMS Holding Inc., would soon
have 12 cycling spots at the back of
the building.
No one could answer as to where
the two bicycle-shaped bicycle racks
the BIA had previously purchased
had gone.
The cycle-ability of downtown
Blyth was also called into question.
Between the lack of parking for
cyclists, and the speed of passing
vehicles, Sparling said that cyclist
safety was a common theme when
he was researching pedestrian
concerns.
The issue will be brought to a
head, Sparling said, during the
upcoming Rutabaga Festival when,
through one associated event and a
separate Blyth Cowbell Brewing
Company cycling event, 200 cyclists
could be coming to the village on the
G2G Trail.
Many of the cyclists will be
coming from Toronto and getting on
the G2G at Guelph.
Unfortunately, due to the state of
main street and safety concerns,
organizers have decided to have
cyclists bypass most of it, going to
the Blyth and District Community
Centre or Cowbell, by taking side
streets.
“It’s a problem for the BIA if bikes
have to go off main street to avoid
traffic flow,” Sparling said.
WAYFINDING SIGNS
Sparling said that several people
pointed out that the wayfinding signs
in the community, which highlight
local sports fields, churches and
attractions, are out of date.
The signs were originally a BIA
project, so any changes should be
handled through the organization,
staff said.
Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil
Garratt said wayfinding is an
initiative Regional Tourism
Organization 4 may have funds
available to help with, and suggested
the BIA reach out to them.
STREET SIGNS
Those surveyed also raised the
topic of the decorative street signs in
some parts of the community.
Some stated that burgundy signs
with the Blyth logo at the top had
been removed and replaced with
standard blue signs.
McGhee explained that, despite
efforts to curtail it, theft is a common
problem with the decorative signs,
which the BIA would have to replace
as it wasn’t a municipal project and
cost significantly more than the
standard blue signs.
McGhee said he had a quote on
file for the signs and he would
forward it to the BIA for
consideration. He said the
installation would be handled free of
charge by municipal staff once the
signs arrived.
TONYTONY
McQUAILQ
for Huron-Bruce
TONY’S PROUD OF A NEW DEAL FOR PEOPLE THAT CALLS FOR:
4 A voting system where every vote counts
4 Head to toe healthcare including pharmacare and dental care
4 300,000 good new jobs to cut climate pollution
4 An economy where the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share
Tony McQuail Is On Your Side
Paid for and authorized by the official agent of the candidate. cope:225.rd
TONY’S 3 R’S - REPRESENTATION, REGENERATION, REDISTRIBUTION
https://tonymcquail.ndp.ca Email: tony.mcquail@ndp.ca
No time is so well spent!
(J.C. Ryle)
Prayer is…
the mightiest weapon that God has placed in our hands,
the best weapon to use in every difficulty,
the surest remedy in every trouble,
the key that unlocks the treasury of promises,
the hand that draws forth grace and help in time of need,
the silver trumpet that God commands us to sound in all our necessity,
the cry He has promised always to listen to, just as a loving mother listens attentively
to the cry of her child.
Be sure that no time is so well spent, as that which a man spends on his knees.
What is the reason that some believers are so much brighter and holier than others?
I believe the differnce, in nineteen cases out of twenty, arises from different habits in
private prayer.
I believe that those who are not eminently holy, pray little – and those who are
eminently holy, pray much.
What is the cause of most backslidings?
I believe, as a general rule, one of the chief causes is neglect of private prayer.
People are backsliders on their knees, long before they backslide openly in the eyes of
the world.
Fear not because your prayer is stammering, your words feeble, and your language
poor.
Jesus can understand you!
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2
A Grace Gem
Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church,
Listowel, ON 519-291-1956
Full circle
When Paul Dawson, right, handed command of the
Brussels Cadets to Captain Patty Coulter last week, he was
bookending his eight-and-a-half-year career with the same
family. When Dawson started as the Cadet commander in
2011, he was taking over for Louise Wegg, left, who is
Coulter’s mother. (File photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
By Denny Scott
The Citizen