Huron Expositor, 2005-06-08, Page 5News
Economic development officer pushes
council towards strategic planning
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Editor
Economic development officer Ralph Laviolette tried to
shove Huron East council into the future by pushing for a
strategic plan for the municipality at council's May 29 meeting.
"Do you even want to do strategic planning because I've had
misgivings of whether a number of you want to
do it," he chided.
"I'm not a real estate agent - I try to increase
the exposure of Huron East broadly. I'm here two
and a half years now and I'm not sure we're any -
further than we were," said Laviolette.
Laviolette presented council with a 10 -page
questionnaire about the need for strategic
planning which was summed up with the
question, "Overall, has Huron East the moxy to
improve quality of life?"
He presented a number of potential projects,
such as a renovated third floor at town hall and
improved signage throughout that municipality,
that would demonstrate a vision for the municipality's future.
"You have to have a will and a vision," he said.
"It's sad to me that the Seaforth museum is sitting in a cubby
hole behind locked doors. It's sad that the elevator stops at the
second floor when there's a beautiful unused ballroom on the
third floor," said Laviolette.
Chris Lee, chair of the Huron East business growth and
economic development committee, also attended the meeting
with a letter he sent to council last November discussing missed
opportunities for attracting business to the area.
Lee said the lack of industrial land ready to develop in Huron
East is just one part of a bigger picture.
"You could see it as symptomatic of the broad scope of where
the municipality's going," he said in support of a plan.
Laviolette added that buying more industrial land before
creating a strategic plan would be like "putting the cart before
the horse."
"Without it, you're not sure if you want to expand or not or if
you even want industrial land," he said.
Mayor Joe Seili said he sees strategic planning as a way of
promoting growth and eventually raising the tax base enough
that tax increases become less necessary.
"We're 15 years behind other people and we need to promote
growth. We can't keep raising taxes 10 per cent every year. If
we can assessment increase enough, we'll have enough
annually for what we need," he said.
But, Deputy -Mayor Bernie MacLellan said he
believes the municipality could never raise
assessment enough to cover all of its costs.
And, he worried that investing in improved
signage and other projects for urban areas
would only help the urban areas.
"We're not going to help the farmers and
they'll be paying for part of it. These things
have to be charged back to the area that's
benefitting," he said.
Laviolette responded that one in five local
farms have home-based businesses that need
promoting.
McKillop Coun. Sharon McClure expressed some doubt that
more signs or investment in the museum was a good idea.
"How many of us have gone into the museum across the
hall?" she asked, adding, "We just finished putting up signs -
what would we do with them?" to the idea of improved signage.
Lee told council that improved signage can reflect Huron
East's vision from its strategic plan.
"There is less identity now than there used to be and this is an
opportunity for council to take a leadership role. Amongst your
ratepayers, you have a lot of people who don't know what
happened. Some want to go backwards because their local
council disappeared (with amalgamation)," he said.
Laviolette assured council that funding exists through grants
and private foundations to pay for many of the projects he's
proposing.
"I think you'll find that you'll dream practical and not go too
big. But, don't worry about cost until you have an idea of what
you want first," he said.
Quoted
`Overall, has
Huron East the
moxy to
improve quality
of life?'—
Economic development
officer Ralph Lavlolette
Third floor of Seaforth's town hall a
hidden 'gem,' says Ralph Laviolette
By Ben Forrest
Expositor Staff
The third floor of town hall is
one of Seaforth's many gems
people don't realize they have,
says Huron East economic
development officer Ralph
Laviolette.
Laviolette would like to see
the revitalization of the upper
floor of town hall, which years
ago was used for plays,
concerts, dances, Chamber of
Commerce meetings and also
contained town council
chambers, according to various
sources. Today it serves mainly
as a storage area.
Frank Phillips, born and
raised in Seaforth, says he was
among those who played
badminton on the floor prior to
and after the Second World
War. The games were an
"informal deal," he says, and
Laviolette says lines that
bordered a badminton court,
are still visible today.
Phillips also remembers
taking in a show put on by a
hypnotist on the upper floor,
and says the local militia
trained there occasionally
during the winter.
Laviolette says he learned of
the third floor while looking for
another venue for the Seaforth
museum, currently housed on
the town hall's second floor.
"Somebody said 'You should
look upstairs.' So I looked
upstairs and I said 'Holy
mackerel. We could do so
much more.
Laviolette says he wants to
do a proper survey of the
public to (earn what the
community would like to see
happen, but has a few ideas of
his own.
"We could rotate those kind
of uses so that there's always
something going on here of an
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CASE 111
Economic development officer Ralph Laviolette and
McLachlan stand on the third floor of town hall.
arts, heritage or local nature"
Laviolette says, speaking of the
Seaforth location.
Asked how much he thought
the estimated renovations
would cost, he suggested it
might be in the $200,000-
$300,000 range, but then
corrected himself, saying "Not
even that [much]."
"I think most of the work that
can be done here is work that
local contractors could do," he
said. "I think if there was
enthusiasm to do something,
there would be a lot of
volunteer effort to get things
going. I don't think the cost of
an upgrad waald be anything
substantial. I don't know what
the number is, but it would not
be a scary number."
The town hall itself was built
in 1893-94 for a cost of
roughly $10,000, according to
a local history book. The book
cites the Huron Expositor as
describing the building as "not
anything elaborate" and
"showy enough for a town this
size."
Laviolette educated Huron
East council about the hall's
Clerk -Administrator Jack
third floor at a recent meeting,
and says Doors Open, taking
place on July 31 and Aug. 1,
presents an opportunity to
"make the place...known to
others in the town."
Municipality of Huron East
NOTICE
Council Meeting Schedule
Summer 2005
June 7'h
July 19'h
August 30th
October 4'h
June 28'h
August 9'h
September 1
J.R. McLachlan
Clerk -Administrator
Municipality of Huron East
519.527.0160
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Do you suffer from a recurring golf injury? -
Improve your game... Forget the pain.
•
IR\ -VIN PHY
I01'I-IERAPY
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Your local golf injury management specialist.
Call for an assessment or more information
527-1551
PUBLIC NOTICE -HERBICIDE USE
County of Huron
The County of Huron intends to control weeds along the following county roadsides:
Blyth Road (Co. Rd. 26), Perth Line 55, London Road (Co. Rd. 4), Newry Road (Co. Rd. 161,
.Amberley Road (Co. Rd. 86), Perth Line 86, Brussels Line (Co. Rd. 12), McNaught Line,
Molesworth Line (Co. Rd. 19), Perth Rd. 178 (Co. Rd. 34), Fordwich Line (Co. Rd. 30),
Harriston Road (Co. Rd. 87), Gorrie Line (Co. Rd. 28), Belmore Line (Co. Rd. 12), McIntosh
Line (Co. Rd. 28), Howick-Turnberry Rd (Co. Rd. 7).
Within the County of Huron
using the pesticide 1)esormone, PCP Registration Number 15027, under the Pest Control
Products Act (Canada).
Commencing on June 15, 2005 weather permitting and ending June 30, 2005.
For more information call: DeAngelo Brothers Corporation 1-866-863-9333
County of Huron (519) 624-7412 (collect calls accepted)
Church
Services
You are invited to attend these area churches
St. Thomas
Anglican Church
A Congegatim aThe Parish d The Hay Spa
Jarvis St. Seaforth
Fr. Michael Atkins Parish Office 527-1522
Saturday, June 11
Worship at 7:30 p.m.
We welcome guest Celebrant 8 Preacher -
The Primate of the Anglican Church of
Canada - Andrew Hutchinson
Sunday, June 12
Worship at 11 a.m.,- Note lime Change
Joint Parish Service
Catholic Church
St. James RC Church
14 Victoria Street, Seaforth
527-0142
Weekend Masses: Sat 5:15 pm
Sun. 11:00 am
St. Columban RC Church
Saturday Mass at 7:30 pm
Father Lance Magdziak
Bethel Bible Church
An Associated Gospel Church
126 Main St. Seaforth
527-0982
Sunday Worship Hour 11 am
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Egmondville
United Church
Sunday, June 12
11 a.m. Worship
Guest Minister Rev Nick
Vandermey
Steve Hildebrand - Lay Pastoral
Minister in Training
No Sunday School until September
EVERYONE WELCOME
NORTHSIDE UNITED
CHURCH
54 Goderich St. W.
Sun., June 12, 2005
Sunday School
Adult & Youth 9:30 a.m.
Junior 11:00 a.m.
Worship 11:00 a.m.
Sermon: The Problem With
Promises"
Rev. John Gould
First Presbyterian
Church
Goderich St. W. Seaforth
Rev. Henry 1-luberts
Sunday, June 12
Service at 11:15 a.m.,
Communion Service
Sunday, June 19
Miracle Service
Sunday School & Nursery Provided
Eve . ne Welcome
-ar masa
OP Ill
IMINIMONW
Visit Seaforth anor Residence for
\ ,
OPEN
DOORS
Saturday, June 18, 2005
I:OOpm - 4:OOpm
Featured Event:
"TREASURED MEMORIES OF WEDDINGS"
A Fashion Show of wedding dresses
from over the decades
•Fashion Show at 2:30pm
•Tours available from I pm-4pm
•Refreshments provided
*For more information on how to showcase
your dress in the Fashion Show contact
Cathie Schalk, at 527-00.30
&e�/th anax
N'f,'remen/ . -nesirieirr•e,
100 James St. Seaforth 527-0030