The Citizen, 2005-09-01, Page 1Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 21 No. 34 Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005 $1 (93c + 7c GST)
Summer sports
section begins
Catholic board
approves budget
Local makes music
on cruise ship
Stratford’s ‘Angels’
divine
Huron East gets
new grader
N. Huron
hopes
to resolve
booking
mix-up
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
A booking mix-up has some Twp.
of North Huron staff in a bit of a
tight spot and at least one
organization feeling less than
thrilled.
An overlap for the 2006
Bluewater Kennel Club dog show
and Campvention 2006 has occurred
in the booking for the Blyth
fairgrounds.
While the dog show needs the
facilities and grounds for Tuesday,
July 4, Wednesday, July 5 and
Thursday. July 6, the Campvention
contract has stipulated that they
have the site beginning on the
Thursday.
Florence Pullen of the Kennel
Club said that the contracts are done
year to year since the township
amalgamated and she had contacted
them after this summer’s requesting
the contract. “When Campvention
first started being talked about Dan
Cousins (director of
facilities/recreation) asked me about
the dates of our show. When I told
him he indicated that some of the
Campvention people did want to
come to set up on Thursday, but 1
told him that we leave when we’re
done so should be gone by 5 p.m.
that day. He felt then there wouldn’t
be a problem.”
Pullen said, however, that they
learned three weeks ago the
Campvenlion officials would be in
on the Thursday morning and
wanted some of the area that the dog
show exhibitors would use.
Representatives met last week
with clerk-administrator John
Slewart and Cousins. Pullen said
Continued on page 6
Dog control
Pit bull owners, Debbie Mellor and Robb Finch sit with their Staffordshire bull terrier, Rex
whose actions will now be restricted due to Bill 132. (Heather Crawford photo)
Ontario’s pit bull legislation
doesn’t sit well with owners
e
By Heather Crawford
Citizen staff
Ontario’s pit bull legislation came
into effect Monday, Aug. 29. ,
While some people agree that
more control over pit bulls is
needed, many pit bull owners are not
pleased with the restrictions.
The crackdown on pit bulls makes
Ontario the first province in Canada
to have a phased-in ban of one breed
of dog.
The legislation requires that
owners of pit bulls must have
registered their dogs with their
municipal office on or before Aug.
29.
Failure to do so will result in the
loss of the ‘grandfathered’ status of
the particular pit bull under the
provincial legislation.
Owners of pit bulls who bite,
attack and/or are considered a threat
to the public could face a fine of up
to $10,000 and up to six months of
jail time.
There will be a 60-day grace
period for owners to register their pit
bulls that ends Oct. 28.
Bob Trick, animal control officer
for the Twp. of North Huron said
there has been some vicious attacks
in North Huron.
“The owners don’t like [the
legislation] but some people are very
happy with the law,” he said.
Enforcement of the legislation will
be the responsibility of the Ontario
Provincial Police in the area, the
Wingham police services and the
animal control officer.
Trick said that the law will be
difficult to enforce however “it will
be enforced,” he said.
“They are a very strong dog and
unpredictable,” Trick said.
He added that the purpose of the
law is to eliminate the dogs within
the next 10 years.
Kathy Adams, North Huron ‘s
deputy clerk, said there will be a
training course in Hanover in
October hosted by the Association of
Municipal Clerks and Treasurers of
Ontario to learn about safety and
enforcment. Adams and Trick both
plan to attend.
The Dog Owner’s Liability Act
states that the movement Of pit bulls
must be controlled by a person by
means of a leash attached to a collar
or harness.
The mouth of a pit bull must be
covered with a muzzle that is strong
enough and well-fitted enough to
prevent the dog from biting, the act
also states.
Debbie Mellor, a Blyth resident
and owner of a Staffordshire bull
terrier said the new law changes the
way she is able to interact with her
dog.
“We have to muzzle h'im any time
we’re in public,” she said.
“When we first got the dog we
didn’t know thit he was a
(Staffordshire bull terrier). We just
thought he was cute. We were quite
shocked when we found out he was
a part of [the new law]. He’s just a
big goof.”
Mellor said she is required to put a
muzzle on the dog while taking him
from her house to a holding shed
about 20 feet away.
Mellor feels a tiered system would
be better. “Maybe someone could
assess the dogs first,” she said.
Pit bulls born after Nov. 27 are
required to be shipped out of
Ontario, sent to a research facility or
destroyed.
A case is challenging the law in
Toronto.
A crowd stood outside of the
provincial legislature to protest on
Sunday.
Reports from urban area papers
write that victims of pit bull attacks
said they were happy the law was
coming into effect.
Office open
Monday
Difficult to believe but Labour
Day weekend is upon us.
As usual business hours at the
Blyth Citizen will remain
unchanged with the office open on
Monday, Sept. 5. Deadline for
advertising and editorial
submission, however, will be
moved up to noon.
The Brussels office will be closed
for the long weekend, but
information can be slipped under
the door for pickup at noon on
Monday.
Have a safe and happy holiday
weekend.
More
schools
shift to
balanced
day
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
There’s a change for students
heading back to Blyth, Hullett
Central and East Wawanosh Public
Schools next week as they join those
in the Avon Maitland District School
Board who have moved to a balanced
school day.
Wingham Public School is also
making the change.
The balanced school day separates
the day into three 100-minute
instructional blocks that are
separated by two breaks. This means
that rather than a one-hour lunch at
mid-day with two shorts breaks in
the morning and afternoon, students
will have two nutrition breaks.
Steve Howe, spokesperson for the
board, said that guides from the
health units help parents pack
nutritional lunches for the balanced
school day to be consumed during
the two breaks.
A pilot project involving eight
Avon Maitland schools, including
Grey Central in Ethel was
undertakerrfor the 2002-2003 school
term.
While some provincial boards
have mandated the balanced school
day for all of their schools, Avon
Maitland is letting them “come on
board as they see fit.” This happens
after consultation through parent
surveys and the school councils with
the principal making the final
decision, said Howe.
Howe said for the schools that
have changed already it has been
working well with positive remarks
coming from staff. “They find the
students more attentive and refreshed
as they go into that next block.”
Research has found that children
benefit from more frequent food
breaks each day.
One problem that did occur in the
initial stages said Howe was that
some students were eating all of their
lunch at the first break. “They are
basically expected to split their lunch
over two. The extra time is used as an
opportunity to be involved in
intramural sports, clubs and
organizations.”
The program is specific to each
school as there are different
considerations, such as bussing and
walking students. It may mean a
new format with an earlier start and
dismissal to the day.
At East Wawanosh classes now
will begin at 8:50 a.m. The first
nutritional break begins at 10:45 a.m.
followed 20 minutes later by a 20
minute physical break.
The second break is at 1:15 p.m..
Continued on page 3