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Times-Advocate, 1988-03-16, Page 2Page 2 Times -Advocate, March 16, 1988 Review Outline Lakeshore protection Authority roles, goals, objectives Friday's Information Day at the South 1-luron Rec Centre in Exeter sponsored by the Ausablc Bayfield Conservation Authority attracted a crowd of about 70. Authority staff and several related professional personnel outlined thc goals and most aspects of the or- ganization ui reeves. councillors and staff of participating munici- palities, county planning staff and engineers and ABCA directors and personnel. General manager Tom Prout spoke on the roles, goals and ob- jectives of the Authority. Beginning as the Asuable Au- thority it was established in 1946 and was the first in the province of Ontario. Since that time 37 other authorities have been formed in Ontario, ranging from Windsor to Ottawa to lliunder Bay. • Authorities throughout thc prov- ince area local agency operating under the Conservation Authorities Act and originally had specific powers to control the flow of sur- face. water. Prout said the objective of water and related land management was to prevent Toss of life and mini- mize property darnagc from flood- ing and erosion. Aspicts included in the watershed plan updated five years ago are flooding., soil erosion, water sup- ply and quality, recreation, forest- ry, significant environmental areas, - fish and wildlife and cultural and historical resources. In speaking of reduced member- ship which will begin in January '.of 1989, Prout said, " Thc idea came from representatives of vari- ous municipalities. They corn- plained that if you wcrc not on thc executive committee you didn't know what was going on." Until the change, the authority has three advisory committees which report to the executive com- mittee and then to full authority Meetings three times a year. .With membership reduced from 35 to 14, all representatives will make up ,the executive committee and meetings will be held month-, •ly The authority has a permanent staff of 18 with 10 ,others under contract plus seasonal and special Alf TALKING CONSERIkATION - Shown at.a coffee break at Friday's In- formation Day sponsored by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority are Stephen township reeve Tom Tomes, Exeter councillor Gaylan Jo- sephson and Hensali reeve Jim Robinson. project employees ranging from 20 to 50. The general manager said the ABCA receives provincial funding of 50 percent plus 30 percent for administration, 55 percent plus 30 for Water management and 50 per- • cent for conservation and recreation without any additonal support. The ABCA budget for 1988 is S1.9 million, an increase of '7.7 per- cent over a year ago. The second speaker was Watcr Re- sources Co-ordinator Alec Scott. He talked about flood forecasting- and warning. Scott said, " Our role is to pro- vide warnings to municipalities about impending flood emergencies. The province expects us to be able to justify emergencies. Our prime . concern is the welfare of our resi- dents." Flood prone areas are monitored closely. In most of the regions near Grand Bend, Parkhill and Port Franks snow melt and rainfall are important factors. Scott added, " in Scaforth where there is a small system, we can make predictions only from weather forecasts and there is a shorter time for emergencies to occur. Since late 1986, the ABCA has been designated as the•implement- ing agency for prevention, protec- tion, emergency measures and fund- ing for lakeshorc management along . Lake Huron. Resources planner Pat ponnelly outlined the Great Lakes shoreline protection mandate. Donnelly said the high levels of the Great Lakes in October of 1986 brought great concerns to everyone. Although levels have apparently dropped -by two feet this year, they arc still well above the long term _,vcrage. - Donnelly continued, " Do we react only after levels go up? The focus should beon prevention rather than protection." TALKING ABOUT BUILDING PERMITS - One of the speakers at Friday's Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority Information Day was area building inspector Herman Van Wieren. Above, from the left are Van Wieren, Exeter works superintendent Glenn Kells, Exeter's Authority director Ervin Sillery and councillor Ross Ballantyno of Usborne township. ./ AT AUTHORITY INFORMATION DAY - During Friday's Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority Information Day, vice-chairman Fred Lewis at the left chats with staff members Alec Scott, Pat Donnelly and Paul Elston who were on the speaking panel. FLOODPLAIN MAPPING TALK - At Friday's Information Day sponsored by the Ausable Bayfield Conserva- tion Authority, Authority chairman Don Lithgow at the left is shown with guest speakers engineer Philip Bedell and lawyer Steve Price and past chairman Gordon Johnson While authorities now have juris- diction only up to the high water mark, Donnelly expects boundaries will be extended to the International Boundary Line. The Lake Huron Shoreline Pro- cesses Study will show which areas are eroding more and -why and how much sediment there is and where it ends up. • The Shoreline Management Plan is not yet incorporated into munici- pal zoning bylaws and official plans., Asked about high lake levels Donnelly said, " It's a -hydrology problem with probably more precip- nation and less evaporation." Conservation services co-ordinator -John Schwindt reported on reforest -- ration programs and said some large cedars and seedlings were still avail- able for spring planting in addition to the trees already ordered. Schwindt added," The supply is good now. We can't count on the same situation next year:" To a question from Stanley town- ship clerk Mel Graham regarding the high mortality of hedge trees -and windbreaks, Schwindt said, We have had Tess than ideal condi- tions for the last three .years with dry springs and wet falls putting stress on trees. Planning Resources Co-ordinator Paul Elston explained municipal plan input and the Ontario Regula- tion. Elston stressed that no one is al- lowed to do any construction in any floodplain arca without permission from the authority. Herman Van Wieren. who is build- ing inspector for five .or six arca municipalities talked' on the same subject of building in flood prone areas. Van Wieren said, "Whcn we get authority approval, the building per- mit is granted. -When the foundation is completed Paul Elston checks it out and if it is satisfactory, they are finished and we as inspectors take over to take the construction to completion." Completing the panel of speakers were Philip Bedeall, an engineer with Golder Associates and Tinto- thy Price of the legal firm of -McLennan and Wright. Bedell talked about slope stability and groundwater effects on struc- tures and other development. and Price dealt with the legal apsects of the Ontario Regulation. .The ABCA directors for -1988 -are- as follows: Adelaide- Mike Houhen; A ilsa Craig - Hugh MacDonald; Arkona - Rohcrt Anderson; Bayficld - James Quick; Biddulph - Wilson llodgins; Blanshard - Gordon Johnson; Bosan- quet -Don Lithgow; Clinton - John Deevcs; Exeter - Ervin Sillcry; Godcrich township - Grant Stirling; Grand Bend - Barbara Southcott; Hay - Lionel Wilder; Hcnsall - Jim Robinson; Hibbert -Tom Schoon- dcrwocrd; Huliet - Joe Gibson; Lobo - Bill Thirlwall; Logan - Diannc Koen; London township - Fred Lewis; Lucan - Ivan !learn; McGillivray - Norma Thompson; McKillop - Marie Hicknell; Park- hill - Bill Waters; Scaforth - Bill Campbell; Stanley - Howard Arm- strong; Stephen - Cecil Desjardinc; Thedfoid - Doug Gilpin; Tucker - smith Bob Bell; Usborne - Gerald Prout; Warwick - Allan Roder; Fast Williams - Hilliard Stewart; West Williams - John Timmcrmans; Zu- rich - Herb Turkheim; Provincial reps - John Tinsley, Bernard Berm and ParDow n. McGillivray lets drain contracts At the March 7 meeting of McGillivray township council, tenders were let on two municipal drains. The firm of Hodgins and Hayter was the lowest of three bidders on the Brinslcy municipal drain for S1,224 and Robinson Farm Drain- age was awarded the Vannsons- Thompson drain for $33,016. it was the lowest of four bids. Council was informed that funds are available for one new Ontario Flom Renewal Plan loan. Acting as the McGillivray Land Committee, council approved ap- plications from adjoining land owners for permission to exchange equal areas of farm land. A rezoning bylaw was passed co - reefing the designation of part of a farm lot from Environmental Pro- tection to Agriculture to enable the owncr to construct a farm resi- dence. From the Past Prior 10 1850, municipal affairs wcrc administered by three Town Wardens assisted by a clerk, treas- urer, assessor, tax collector, four poundkeepers and 29 pathmastcrs. All wcrc elected at the annual town mccting. Under ncw.Icgislation, the 1850 annual mccing elected only five councillors. Thcy wcrc' William Fisher, Patrick Flanagan, Lawrence Barry, James Barber and James Blair. Fisher was named Rccvc and Flanagn n Clerk at the first meeting of McGillivray township council on February 21, 1850. Majority of local clergy opposed to UC report on homosexual ordination Continued frons front page - Sinasac intends to issue a five -pronged challenge to UC leaders. He wants evangelicals included in future deliberations on the report; the cessation of harassment of evangelicals in seminary, pulpit, church leadership roles, at conferences and national committees, and in their various reports; the offer of healing to homosexuals wishing a new life- style and sexual orientation; the offer of love, compassion and accep- tance of homosexuals and heterosexuals as people, and a stand taken that every person should be faithful in a monogamous, heterosexual marriage or celibate in his or her singleness. Crediton minister Brian Elder said he personally is op- posed pposed to self -declared and/or practicing homosexuals in positions as ministers in the United Church of Canada, but added, "That's my personal opinion, and not necessar- ily the stand of this presbytery or this congregation.' Elder had not had time to give the report more than a quick run-through before he was called by the T -A, and pointed out it deals with more than just the ordination of homosexuals. Acceptance of other relationships, and acceptance of homosexuality as a particular lifestyle are included. "I don't feel the church. will approve it. We need to have some com- passion for the homosexuals", Elder pointed out, noting "we still need to feel what is best for the church. It's really up to general council to decide what is best for us". Doug Wright of Hcnsall United Church hopes the rec- ommendations as presented arc turned down by the general council, but his reasons arc not the same as some of his fellow UC ministers. In 1986 his former church in Alberta was among the 20 percent of UC congregations across Canada who respond- . cd to a request to underiake a study on the issue. For five weeks he and his congregation struggled with thc topic. Because of this study, Wright has concluded that "It comes down to your theology of creation. Either homosexuality is part of a person from his or her beginnings and is a gift from God, or it is a culturally or environmentally conditioned distortion of a person's sexuality and not God's will for them. As the experts in the field of sexuality disa- gree with each other, I cannot sec how wc as a church can make an ab- solute decision. The only morally and spiritually responsible decision to make is not to make a decision until wc know more about the nature and causes of homosexuality." Exeter United Church. minister Rick Hawley has al- ready told his congregation hc will follow along with whatever the United Church decides to do. "My ordination vows call me to do that", Hawley said. "Thc only other choice I would have would be to leave the church. When the church decides what its policy will be, then I must fall in line with the church." Hawley said hc loves the church he belongs to, citing its "history of 63 years of love and justice and forgiveness". He believes the UC has an excellent record of care and concem for all the people of God. Hawley would make no statement about his opinion on the final out- come of this debate, but did venture to say he docs not think thc church is ready for the ordination of homosexuals. "I'm certain it will cause a great deal of -pain and concern within the church, and I don't think at this -point. we arc ready' for that kind of thing to happen", Hawley said. • Deborah Carter, the minister at Centralia and Zion Unit- ed Churchcs, said she could not take a stand for or against the report until she - has had a chance to read it thoroughly • • and discover exactly what is being recommended. Hcr.pri- mary concern right now is how she can best respond as a pastoral minister to what is happening as a result of this report. "What's most important to me is that as a church wc pray and deal faithfully with this issue, as it is causing a lot of pain in thc church", Carter said, emphasizing that she and her church people have not yet had the opportunity to do this. "My concern is to support niy church and what it is struggling with as hest I can as a minister", Carter said, adding that she wants to spend more time' both withthe report and discussing it with her congregation before saying more at this time. • Teddy Smits, minister at Thames Road and Elimvillc, would not comment on the report's recommendations. "My opinions arc not the same as some of my congre- gation...A minister has to be a leader for all, and some think one way and some another...Some people are sure their way is right, and others sure their way is. It is such a divisive sort of issue, too hot to handle. Our moderator has said the media are talking for us, and we are not doing it ourselves...1.would rather give no opinion on it." Qualified NO ' Qualified NO NO OPINION NO NO OPINION Stephen landfill rates to be increased by April 1 Meeting in regular session on March 8, Stephen township council decided to increase the dumping rates at the municipality's landfill site on Concession 14. • The largest rise will he in indus- trial garbage which council feels is contributing mostly to filling thc landfill site which has had a dead- line for closure set by the Ministry of the Environment. Several closure extensions have been granted. Currcmly a large farm truck is charged S10 and S20 for a packer load. The new rates will be S15 for a large farm truck; S25 for a residen- tial packer; S25 for a regular indus- trial truck; S35 for an industrial packer and S20 for .a container truck. The new rates will go into effect on April I. Council voiced no objection 19 a zoning amendment application from Ed Cuillcrier at part of Lot 5, Con- cession 8. The change will he from general agriculture to agricultural small holdings with special provi- sions. Council has accepted the resigna- tion of bookkeeper Sharon Romphf who has accepted the position of secretary -treasurer with the Ausablc Bayfield Conservation Authority. Permission was given to McGil- livray township to request an amendment on the present mainte- nance assessment on the Regan mu- •nicipal dram to the Ontario Drain- age Tribunal. A bylaw was passed completing an agreement with Ontario Devel- opment Corporation for grass cutting and ditch cleaning along the roadsides in Huron Park. Thc l wn- ship will pay ODC S1,02 - for 1988. Toin Prout and Cecil Vesjardine 'of the Ausablc Bayficld Conserva- tion Authority attended the meeting to review several conservation. mat- ters and completed an agreement with the township for three upcom- ing projects. They 'are the Walker drain erosion control, Parkhill Dam and Reservoir and Kingsmcrc Qu11y erosion. Authority gets funds for job programs Murray Cardiff, M.P. for Huron - Bruce has announced funding ap• proval under Section 38 of the Ca- nadian Job Strategy Program for Ausablc Bayficld Conservation Au- thority in the amount of S49,203. This funding will cover 10 jobs for 154 work weeks. These jobs will comprise of initial mapping, creating inventories and develop- ment of newly acquired Conserva- tion Authority land as well as esta- blishing forestry management for this new land. "The Ausablc Bayfield Conserva- tion Authority has always been an excellent land conservation manager and I know this funding will prove to be a valuable asset to their activ- ities, " Murray Cardiff,stated. ONE ACCIDENT - The only accident' investigated this week by officers of the Exeter town police department occurred Friday. A vehicle driven Iv Dawn Yen - lin of Exctcr was backing out of a driveway on William street when it stiruck a vehicle owncd by Gerald Glenn of Hensalr at 8 a.m., Fri- day.