Zurich Citizens News, 1977-12-01, Page 1NO. FIRST WITH LOCAL NEWS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1977
Price Per Copy 20 Cents
Authority says swamp needed
'Natural storage areas are
cheaper than man made struc-
tures such as dams for the
storage of water', stated Don
Pearson, resources manager of
the Ausable-Bayfield Conserva-
tion Authority at the natural en-
vironment and extractive
resources workshop held last
Thursday at the 'Hay township
hall.
The workshop which was
attended by a small crowd of less
than 30 people is a part of the
public input aspect of the propos-
ed Hay township secondary plan.
George Penfold of the Huron
County Planning Department
gave a brief rundown of the
natural areas within Hay and
stated that approximately 10 per-
cent of the total,jand area of Hay
is considered to still be in its
natural state. Approximately
7000 acres is unimproved land
with, another 2100 acres of
Ausable-Bayfield forest being
considered a natural area.
A Ministry of Natural
Resources survey in 1976 said
that there was not a great poten-
tial for gravel or aggregate
deposits in Hay township, Pen -
fold said.
Throughout the evening
several references were made to
the lack of gravel in the township
and the accompanying high costs
that came with the gravel, which
was trucked in from outside the
township.
In an explanation of the value
of Hay swamp to the township
Pearson said that based strictly
on a cost -benefit relationship,
the swamp was a very signifi-
cant area. Flood water storage
that is available in the swamp
costs approximately $50 per acre
foot. Flood water storage ac-
quired through the construction
of the Parkhill dam cost $375 per
acre foot.
The town of Exeter should ap-
preciate the value of the swamp
considering the low flow of
characteristics of the Ausable
river in which effluent is
periodically released into the
resources manager said.
Joe Miller stated that there
should be more emphasis placed
on the reclamation of human
wastes for use as fertilizers
rather than attempting to dis-
pose of the wastes, 'The
technology is there if you direct
it in the right areas', Miller
remarked.
Pearson agreed, but said that
there were two major im-
pediments to any moves in this
direction, 'People have an aver-
sion to eating food fertilized by
our own wastes and its a matter
of economics that causes towns
to favour a sewage lagoon
system.'
Jim Love was highly critical of
the present condition of Hay
swamp. Liking it to a 'stagnant
frog pond' Love said that the
water table was at least two feet
too high.
Chairman of the meeting
Lionel Wilder said that he
thought that the water table has
gone up. When asked if the con-
servation authority had con-
ducted any studies on this, Pear-
She's up ...and
Stream alterations
still up in the air
Hay township's application for
stream improvement work on,
certain sections of Black Creek is
still up in the air following a
hearing in Toronto on Tuesday by
the Mining and Lands Com-
mission.
The hearing which was chaired
by Grant H. Ferguson, Q.C.,
made no decision on the appeal.
According to M. S. Smith,
Director of the Legal Services
Branch, Ministry of Natural
Resources, Ferguson will make a
recommendation to the Minister
with the Minister having the final
say.
Smith said that under the Act,
the Ministry , must notify the
NAME NEGOTIATOR
The Education Relations
Commission announced Tuesday
the appointment of Barry Lowes
as a third party to assist the
Huron County Board. of
Education and its elementary
school teachers in their
negotia tions,
Lowes who is presently a
Toronto businessman, has been a
professor at several universities
and has had experience in school
board negotiations.
municipality of its intent to deny
the decision.
Hay township made application
to the Ministry of Natural
Resources on the 25th of July this
year under the Lakes and Rivers
Improvement Act of 1973 to do
channel and stream alignment
improvements on the section of
Black Creek thatran through lots
19 and 20 in concessions 4 and 5 of
the township.
A notice of refusal was for-
warded to the township office on
August 31 of this year.
Under the Act a municipality
can appeal the decision providing
that written notice is received by
the Ministry within fifteen days.
The township appealed, with
the hearing date set for Tuesday.
Natural Resources based its
original decision on three
primary reasons: 'That the
proposed water course alteration
would remove cover, destroy
spawning beds and deteriorate
water quality harmful to the fish
populations native to and
dependent upon the Black Creek;
flooding problems present on
Lots 19 and 20 of Concessions 4
and 5 are a result of the soil type
and presence of nuisance beaver;
dredging and removal of all
vegetation above the river bank
will result in erosion and silting.'
• • • then she's down! Jennifer Morrison, daughter of
Paul and Judy Morrison had a few difficulties with the ice conditions at
the Zurich arena last Wednesday afternoon during moms and tots
skating. But considering that Ms. Morrison is but the tender age of two
we'll excuse her faux pas. Staff photo
'Swamp boy' to run
It was that time again on
Friday at Huron County Council
and three members have
declared their interest in the
warden's chair for 1978, the year
of the International Plowing
Match in Huron.
, Gerry Ginn, the reeve of
Goderich Township was the first
on his feet. Ginn, recently named
Forester of the Year, announced
his intention much earlier this
year to seek the warden's post in
1978,
Ginn has had 22 years in
municipal life — nine years of the
former Goderich District
Collegiate Institute Board, four
on the Advisory Vocational
Committee of Central Huron
Secondary School; four years on
Goderich Township Council as a
councillor; four as deputy -reeve;
and when he finishes this term of
office, it will be four as reeve.
Bob Lyons of West Wawanosh
Township declared himself a
candidate. He has spent 11 years
on county council, this year as
chairman of the road committee.
He is semi -retired, he told
council, and will have plenty of
time to devote to the warden's job
if he is elected.
The third candidate is Jack
Tinney, reeve of Hay Township.
He calls himself a "swamp boy"
although more recently he likes
to think of himself as "from the
forest" He has spent 10 years on
municipal council, six on' county
council.
The warden will be elected at
the first January meeting of the
1978 county council. He will
replace this year's warden, Doug
McNeil, Colborne Township.
son stated that to his knowledge,
no work of this nature has been
carried out.
Questions about the preserva-
tion of woodlots and rows and the
amount of land erosion that has
accompanied the removal of the
tree cover consumed a good
portion of the discussion time.
Lloyd Willert said that he sees
changes in the amount of land
erosion caused by wind on a year
to year basis. Several members
of the audience made mention of
the amount of dust in the air
around Dashwood during periods
of high winds. According to
Willert '10 years ago it wasn't as
bad as itis now.'
In a question about the role
that the individual land owner
plays in the preservation of the
natural environment, Willert
said that the private citizen has
an important part to play. 'The
government wouldn't do
anything unless guys like us
pushed.'
Penfold echoed this sentiment
in stating that 'the bulk of the
natural environment is owned by
the private individual.'
Willert brought up the point of
possible incentives for the
preservation of fence rows and
woodlots.
Peter Rumble, technical
planner for the conservation
authority told the audience of a
number of programs which the
Please turn to Page 13
Zurich loses
. six people
An interesting report tabled at
Huron County Council Friday
showed that the Town of
Goderich and the Town of
Seaforth recorded population
losses from 1976 to 1977.
Goderich's population was
decreased by 12 but still remains
the largest in any municipality in
the county with 7,324. Seaforth
lost a total of 21 residents making
it the smallest town in the Huron
with 2,025 people.
The total population in Huron is
up however, to 56,032. That's an
increase of 568 over 1976 and is an
encouraging trend.
The fastest growing town is
Exeter with a population in-
crease of 20 bringing the number
of citizens there to 3,519.
Wingham was a close second with
a recorded growth of 19 bringing
the total population there to 2,861.
Clinton's growth was a respec-
table 14 with a total population
now of 3,124.
The township of Tuckersmith
had the largest growth of any
municipality in Huron in 1976 to
1977 period at 110. No doubt the
development of Vanastra has had
much to do with this growth but it
is also interesting to see that
Goderich Township grew by 101
during the same period with
neighbouring Colborne Township
growing by 64,
Among the villages, Bayfield
experienced the greatest growth
at 51. Blyth grew by 43 persons
and Hensall grew by 29. Zurich
and Brussels both experienced
modest decline - Zurich 6 and
Brussels 15.
In all, 17 municipalities of the
26 showed an increase in
population through the 1976-1977
period. The remainder showed a
decrease with the Township of
Howick recording the greatest
decline at 64. Others to lose
ground were Usborne 23; Stanley
48; and McKillop 27.