The Citizen, 1998-03-11, Page 1Sports
Local teams win WOAA
championships and
OMHA series
See page 6
Clinton production shows
dangers of crossing the
`stupid line'
See page 18
The North Huron
itizen
Vol. 14 No 10
Wednesday, March 11, 1998
700 + 50 GST 750
Talking to field workers
Huron MPP Helen Johns, right, and Margaret Marland, Minister without Portfolio
Responsible for Children, left, visited The Ark in Brussels, March 6, to discuss services
offered to children and their families. Jane Hoy of Rural Response for Healthy Children had
the opportunity to explain kits availalble to those in need.
MPPs visit Brussels Ark
Blyth woman honoured as
she reaches major
milestone
See page 3
Two teens are fortunate to be
alive, following a run-in with a
tractor-trailer in Brussels early Sat-
urday morning.
According to OPP, the truck,
driven by Keith R. Querengesser,
39, of Brussels, was struck by a
1998 Honda ATV, driven by a 17-
year-old, at the corner of Queen
and Princess Streets. The youth
sustained major injuries and was
transported by ambulance to Wing-
ham and District Hospital, then
Several angry employees from
Huronview and Huronlea homes
for the aged were in the gallery at
Huron County council on Thurs-
day, upset by letters received from
Human Resources Development
Canada demanding they repay
Employment Insurance received
while laid off by the homes in
1993.
Ailene Salverda, an employee of
the homes, had distributed a letter
to councillors explaining their con-
cerns. Salverda spoke during the;
public question period at the end of
the session, but in the meantime her
case had been argued by Brian
McBumey, reeve of Turnberry who
asked for an explanation of the situ-
ation.
The problem, according to Coun-
ty Clerk Administrator Lynn Mur-
ray, (and Salverda's letter) dates
back to the layoff of employees in
November 1993. Some employees
applied for, and received, Unem-
ployment Insurance (now called
Employment Insurance).
In 1996, an arbitrator ruled the
county had to reimburse employees
for all lost pay, lost vacation pay
and lost seniority.
Since then there have been nego-
tiations with the union as to the
exact nature of the reimbursement.
Murray explained a settlement has
later transferred to the South Street
Campus of Victoria Hospital, Lon-
don. According to a hospital
spokesperson the teen underwent
surgery Monday afternoon and his
condition at that time was listed as
fair.
A passenger on the ATV, Brent
Pryce, 18 of Seaforth was treated at
Wingham hospital and released.
. Querengesser and his two pas-
sengers were not injured.
Police say alcohol was a factor
and charges are pending.
nearly been reached and the county,
as an employer, is responsible for
deducting repayments from the set-
tlement package for those workers
paid El during the layoff. In order
to do that, she said, they had to
notify the EI office to see who
owed what.
The problem arose, she
explained, when EI officials used
their computers to look up the
information. The computer system
automatically generated letters to
each recipient demanding repay-
ment.
Since the letters arrived and pan-
icked employees complained, Mur-
ray said, the county had contacted
the EI official who apologized and
is issuing new letters assuring
employees they aren't individually
responsible.
McBumey questioned why Mur-
ray had told employees they
couldn't come to the county coun-
cil session with their complaint.
Murray said she hadn't said they
couldn't come but had suggested it
should be their union that repre-
sented them. She was supported by
Goderich Reeve John Doherty,
long-time union representative with
the Canadian Union of Postal
Workers who said it should always
be the union which talks to the
employer, not individual workers.
It was a day of information gath-
ering and listening to constituents
when Huron MPP Helen Johns and
Minister without Portfolio Respon-
sible for Children, Margaret Mar-
land visited Brussels, March 6.
Johns and Marland met with par-
ents of special needs children and a
cross-section of community mem-
bers, at the BMG arena, to discuss
support services available for these
youth.
After more than an hour of pri-
vate conversations, the two politi-
cians proceeded to The Ark to learn
about youth programs offered in
the village.
Representatives from The Ark
explained to Johns and Marland
what the facility is, what it offers
children, the types of problems
dealt with and adult volunteers
availability to just talk with youth
visitors.
Jane Hoy of Rural Response for
Healthy Children, Pans Snowdon of
Women Today and Andrea Muir-
McGregor of THE Bus also
informed the two women about
outreach programs and services
offered.
Several youths who frequent The
Ark presented a Jeopardy-type
game to provide background on the
facility and activities.
Brussels Reeve Ralph Watson
was on-hand to welcome Johns and
Marland.
Youth in hospital
after hitting truck
Snafu angers staff
at county homes
County draft budget holds line Hunt captures
4 bronze medals
Speed skater Carla Hunt of Ethel
rounded up several medals at the
Ontario Winter Games in Peterbor-
ough on the weekend.
Competing in the Games, which
are for 12 to 20-year-olds, Hunt
brought home four bronze medals.
She earned third in the individual
events of 500-metre, 777-metre and
1,500-metre. As a member of the
3,000-metre relay team, she wore
another bronze.
The Hunt family is preparing for
the provincial championships
which will be held at the Hespeler
arena in Cambridge, March 14 and
15.
Five Hunts will take to the ice
when Cayli skates in the PeeWee
Girls class (six and seven-year-
olds); Brett, Bantam Boys (eight
and nine); Bryce, Juveniles (12 and
13); Carla, Junior Girls (14 and 15)
and mother, Kathy, Senior A
Women (18 and over).
While Kathy says the relays
which run on Sunday are interest-
ing for spectators, the sprints and
longer races are also good.
For anyone wishing to cheer on
the speed skaters, Hespler Arena is
on Townline Road, just north of the
401 at Cambridge.
There was no discussion as the
preliminary 1998 budget was pre-
sented at Huron County council
March 5.
The preliminary budget, which
will be finalized at the April meet-
ing of council, proposed no
increase in taxes for the fifth year
in a row. However, Blyth Reeve
Mason Bailey warned that there's
the possibility the county could be
caught if final revised assessment
figures, not yet received, show a
decrease.
The budget has been held without
an increase, despite provincial gov-
ernment cuts, because several
expenditures in the past couple of
years, won't have to be repeated. In
1997 the county had to spend
$365,000 for pay equity, $350,000
for the homes for the aged and
$200,000 for a new computer sys-
tem for the county offices.
County council agreed to absorb
$45,000 in library expenses due to
a cut in provincial funding. It also
Helen Johns, MPP has had a
number of phone calls from
constituents regarding health card
validation.
"People are concerned that they
will be denied service if they do not
present their health card when
attending at a hospital or
emergency room. This is not true.
approved a two per cent increase in
apartment rents at the Highland and
Heartland apartments and an annual
$100 administration fee for resi-
dents of the homes for the aged
who have their finances managed
through a trust fund:-
A hospital will provide the care that
is required whether or not a patient
presents their health card."
The Ministry of Health has
created a Health Card Validation
Project which is a 1-800 line that
enables health care providers to
determine the status of health card
Continued on page 14
Johns explains health card