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Times Advocate, 1999-07-28, Page 22 Exeter l'imes–Advicitiite In the News isaster hits Hen z iona! wrap ,ug • •. "aeYs..�re+ jm�..:a•.>S+.e7A?rsa +yae<�x,.: ;:�atr �: •..f: �....,.. ConuItants'tecQxnmend PUCs link wider tight deadline SBAFORTH -- Consultants : hired by the Huron itifnerth PUCs have recommended the partner- • ship decides quickly how the municipalities want to operate and survive in the competitive hydro electric market, reports the Huron Expositor, Huron and Perth PUCs have been working with Acres International and Smith Lyons for more than a year in order { develop an amalgamated venture under the Competition Act. It re- quires PUCs to IR porations following the deregulation of Hydro. The consultants were in Seaforth on July 13 for a meeting with all councils involved to update them on the restructuring process. Stratford, Goderich and Exeter, originally part of the group, are now looking at different options. Stratford, which could have been a major strength in,: the amalgamation with its large cus- tomer base, has decided to operate completely on its own. The consultants are now recommending the re- maining 12 PUCs stay together and set up their own corporation by the fall of 2000. Acres International employee Paul Harricks told the group if they stay together they would have 14,000 customers which puts them on the border- line of being a viable corporation. Under the consultant's recommendations, the 12 utilities would operate separately as "local distri- bution companies" and form one "joint venture company" together, each contributing about five per cent of their individual assets to its operation. Fire department loses veteran. CLINTON -- Clinton lost one of its volunteer fire- men on July 15 as the result .of a heart attack while battling a large field fire, reports the Clinton News -Record. Douglas Cantelon, 58, .who was to be honoured that evening for his 25 years of service to the com- munity as a firefighter, suffered a fatal heart at tack while driving a pumper truck. Fellow firefighter and paramedic Ritchie Cox no- ticed the truck speed up while it moved through the field. He became aware of Cantelon's condition and managed to stop the truck and administer CPR. Cantelon was later pronounced dead at Clin- ton lin- ton Public Hospital. At the Fire Marshal's award ceremony that eve- ning, attendees had a moment of silence for Cante- lon. • A fire department parade with full honours was held between the funeral home and the Wesley= Willis United Church with a procession of repre- sentatives from different fire departments from surrounding areas. Cantelon's coffin was carried on .a 1928 fire truck during the procession. Police continue their search GODERICH — The Huron OPP are continuing their investigation into the tragic car accident which took the life of Shane Worsell more than one year ago. The Goderich resident was killed after he was struck by a vehicle just south of Goderich on High- way #21 around 2:30 a.m. on June 26, 1998. The involved • vehicle likely received damage to the front end, hood and windshield areas of their car. Police are also speculating the driver of this vehicle may have under gone some behavioural changes since the accident. Investigators want to stress this "unfortunate in- cident" is. being investigated as a motor vehicle ac- cident. They • have not drawn conclusions as to the events of the accident and are interested in speak- ing to the person responsible or anyone who may know the identity of the person responsible. The investigatioNhas revealed a teal or aqua coloured car, a tractor trailer unit and red car were seen in the area at the time of the accident. Investigators have not been able to locate these vehicles and want to speak to the operators of them. It is believed these people have important details about the incident. • Anyone with information is asked to contact the Huron OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or by calling Cri- mestoppers at 1 -800 -222 -TIPS. • .,r•y • s • Mock By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF HENSALL -- People in Hensall may have been surprised on July 19 to see flames shooting in the sky and clouds of thick smoke billowing over the village -- they may have been even more .surprised to learn the tires and the ac- companying car wrecks were purposely set be- side the Hensall Co-op. The mock disaster, said organizer Butch Desjardine, was intended to see how our local sys- tem can cope with an emergency. While there were some glitches in the rescue mission, which took about an hour, Des- jardine said the exercise was a success. The mock disaster in- volved several car crash- es, an overturned bus, fallen power lines, many fires and propane and petroleum leaks. In addi- tion, there were over 30 "casualties", who were actually volunteers who pretended they were in- jured or trapped in a ve- hicle. There were also people acting as if they were hysterical and the fire men, police officers and 'ambulance attendants had to calm them down. Desjardine said the ex- ercise was done in con- junction with the Huron County Mutual Aid fire system, the. Huron -Perth Ambulance Services and the OPP. Desjardine, propane and petroleum manager at the Hensall Co-op, is also .part of the nation- Wednesday, July 28, 1999 • r. titi{� , �'• f.� :;�:; •r.,r:v'r� . ?vyrilC{:}�. A mock disaster was held at the Hensall Co-op on July '19, which saw fires, care- cidents, casualties, downed hydro lines and gas Teaks. The exorcise was designed to see if local emergency systems .could cope with a disaster. In the top photo, , '4 firefighters extin uis•`h one of the manyblazes at the mock disaster while below, i g firefi hters have to contend with injured people (they're not really hurt) and ' 8 downed hydro wires. wide Compressed Gas Explosion Team and said a debriefing will be held this Friday to look over the videotape from the mock disaster. He declined comment on the mistakes that were made during the exercise, but said it Went well. Many of the "cas- ualties" were_ actually employees.: at -. the Co-op. The wrecked cars and school bus carne from a local junkyard. Desjardine said there were observers at the mock disaster from the Amalgamation committee defers decision Continued from front page tant enough to continue4o look into. He said tie committee has . to think of the future of the new municipality and work together. He added if it is proven to him :that "dol- lars and cents" indicate the municipal office should be in Stanley Township then he will agree to having the office there. Bayfield Coun. Bill Higgs, filling in for absent Reeve Doug Grant, asked Hay why the location issue was such a large concern, explaining most resi- dents don't even visit their local mu'. • .;ipal offices. . "What does it really - matter where it is?" Higgs asked Hay Township. Campbell said accessi- bility to the office was the main issue. Higgs suggested flay do a traffic study of its municipal office to see just how busy it is. While .Hay, whose municipal office • is in Zurich, has argued the new municipal office shouldn't be at the Stanley Township Complex because the location won't be cen- tral, Stanley Coun. Bill Dowson said Zurich isn't in the centre of the new municipality, either. He added it is foolish to be having an argument over an issue already decided upon and said the amalgamation group "is going nowhere" because of such dis- agreements. Hay ,Reeve Jim Love responded that Hay will definitely not sign the amalgamation deal if the decision on location was- n't deferred to the tran- sition board. The discussion moved towards an end when Zurich Reeve Dwayne LaPorte said the group might as well defer the decision to the transition board because the group was just wasting time arguing about it. He said the transition board will probably also decide to have the municipal office in Stanley. Hay agreed it will stay with the amalgamating group even if the transi- tion board decides the office will be in Stanley. The group then decided to defer the location issue to its transition board. Also at the meeting, the group of five finally agreed to call the new town the Municipality of Bluewater, although that can.still be changed by the transition board.The group also discussed comments on its restruc- turing proposal from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. The new municipality is to become official on Jan. 1, 2001. The group next meets on Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. in Zurich. The location has- n't been confirmed. Solicitor General's of- fice in Toronto, the London -Middlesex Dis- aster group and London Fire Department . There - = were many people' observing, Des- jardine said, because such a complex mock disaster is rare. Friedsburg Days coming DASHWOOD -- Get ready for Friedsburg Days this weekend in Dashwood as the event's 28th year is celebrated. The festivities kick off Friday night with the annual co-ed baseball tournament and the open- ing of the Bavarian Gardens at the Pavilien. Saturday sees the parade begin at 11 a.m. and the tug of war at noon. The day also sees events for children, horse- shoe competitions, arm wrestling competitions, dancers and mini -tractor pulls. There are also conces- sion stands, a pie booth, group displays, raffles, treats and a colouring contest. Sunday sees the co-ed baseball tournament wrap up and.a church service at the pavilion. See inside this week's T- A for a detailed schedule ofthis weekend's Friedsburg Days.