Huron Expositor, 2006-07-26, Page 4Page 4 July 26, 2006 • The Huron Expositor
Opinion
Proprietor and Publisher, Bowes Publishers Limited, 11 Main St., Seaforth, ON, NOK 1WO
You'll get no argument in Huron County that
rmland needs to be protected.
As a county that produces more food than the
entire Maritime provinces, agriculture is what we
do and we do it well.
But, it's ironic to say the least, that Huron East
is now facing a situationwhere it may have to
spend a considerable amount of money to justify
to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs why it's
changing the zoning of three different properties
from agricultural use.
Two of the three properties - the Walton
motocross and the Cranbrook golf course are
-proposed to be rezoned as recreational use.
Both have been used for recreation for at least
fire years and Huron East councillors have
argued that neither property has the attributes to
make a viable farm.
The third, the location of the new well for
Seaforth, will have such severe restrictions placed
on it with new provincial wellhead protection leg-
islation that farming will be difficult at best and
the municipality hopes to rezone it as urban. •
Councillors learned last week they may have to
pay up to $15,000 each for a 15 to 30 -page study
to prove why each property should be rezoned
from agricultural.
Legislation that was created to prevent urban
sprawl paving over otherwise productive farm-
land now seems to be penalizing a region whose
farmers probably helped lobby for it in the first
place.
And, during a time when farmers are still lob-
bying both the federal and provincial govern-
ments for a level international playing field as
they continue to struggle financially, it's particu-
larly galling to have provincial policy stepping in
the way of land use that actually makes some
money.
Protecting productive farmland is very impor-
tant. But, paving paradise is the last thing on
Huron East's agenda.
Susan Hundertmark
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•
Whatever happened to the lazy
part of summer?
Whatever happened to
the lazy, hazy days of
summer - especially the
lazy part?
That's a lament I've
been hearing from an
awful lot of parents lately
as we run into each other,
scurrying between one
event and the next, chil-
dren in tow.
Instead they seem to have turned into the
frantic, frenzied days of hurried suppers, fol-
lowed by a variety of sporting events and late
bedtimes. And, all that "summer fun" is on
top of a regular work schedule that grinds on,
regardless of the season.
Did that time really exist once, when sum-
mer yawned in front of you with its promise
of lots of lying around on beaches, in ham-
mocks and tents, under trees and nestled in a
multitude of equally soft, comfortable places,
all arled with a very fat book you could get
lost in for weeks at a time?
When all that relaxing was only interrupted
by a swim in the lake and/or pool, a game of
catch or a ride on the bike?
All winter long it's the dream of summer
that gets me through - when evening meet-
ings will slow down and possibly even cease,
when the school year's hiatus means no
homework help in the evenings and a little bit
of extra sleep in the mornings before work
and when hot summer nights might mean an
evening drive to the beach or a quiet time on
By Susan
Hundertmark
Did you clam your
room like Mom said to?
the back porch gazing up
at the stars.
Less and less we seem
to know-how to slow down.
While hot, sultry days used
to demand our bodies and
minds- to move into slow
motion, air conditioning
keeps us moving all year at
top speed.
Imagine my dismay
this year when one of my favourite pieces of
business at municipal council - the summer
schedule was not included in the package
this year. Instead of slowing things down,
Huron East council decided to soldier on
because none of the demands on council were
reduced just because it's summer.
Understandable, but a depressing bit of reali-
ty.
And, there are so many opportunities out
there that we over -schedule our kids - any-
thing to get them off the couch and away from
the TV and video games. We must keep them
active and avoid the threat of childhood obesi-
ty no matter how stressful the schedule
becomes.
Of course, all of this lamentation is likely a
result of a yearning for my two weeks in the
sun, which haven't arrived yet because I
booked my holidays in August this year.
When it comes, I plan to pack two months'
worth of lying around into those two weeks.
You've heard of the Lazy Susan - that will be
me.
I thought you said you
could eat off the floors?
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