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The Huron Expositor, 1983-06-29, Page 1't I) Jtporat,n� Brussels Post 50c per cop he 1ittroI: THE HURON EXPOSITOR, .TUNE 29, 1983 — 20 PAGES Will attend landfill open house BY RON WASSINK Prqperty owners who live near the proposed landfill site in McKillop township are saying they will wait and see what is presented at a public open house on the matter Wednesday and Thursday evening. The meetings will show reasons the new proposal is preferred to the alternatives, says George Godin of the engineering firm of B.M. Ross and Associates. Other choices Included; do nothing; extend the present site; use someone else's site (another municipality); or, change the method of disposal to separation and incineration. In a letter to the editor of the Expositor last week, area land owners, showed their opposition. "I would hope all who signed the letter will attend the open house," said Gerry Vanden Hengel, McKillop resident. "We have to see what type- of arguments they come up with. We have some reservations of the studies done." The new site is needed because the present dump just outside Seaforth has space for about one year. The dump cannot be extended because of , permeable soil Conditions on nearby property. "Nothing is final until a public meeting and a report is submitted to the Ministry of the Environment," Mr. Godin says. "It depends on how many problems arise. We have addressed environmental impacts. We're satisfied in our minds; but we want to hear objections and concerns." The proposed site, part lot 24, concession four, is the best site Based on the study, he says. "It consists ofgiass four and six land. Class four is of a piny, soil condition but practical for crop grot>rtli. Class six is not suitable for crop growth. "We looked at 29 poor agricultural areas, consisting of class four and six. There are limited amounts of poor agricultural land in the area; the majority is class one to three. "Landfill sites are always a difficult issue. It's a, not -in -my -backyard situation," says Mr. Godin. We have legitimate concerns," says Mr. Vanden Hengel. He agrees that some feel the dump should not be in their backyard. "Nobody wants to live next to a dump." Concerned with water quality, Mr. Vanden Henget says, the engineers, six weeks ago did not know two main drains go through the proposed property. ' We showed them three weeks ago when they came out to see. They tell us water will not leave the site for some time. 1 don't know how they can prove it --1 find it hard to believe.' POOR LAND? As for being classed poor farmland, "the site grew what looked like a fair crop last year. It will be taking farmland out of production. " "I'm really waiting for Wednesday night to see and hear it all," says John Henderson, another McKillop resident. "There are two,sides to every story. Until 1 find out exactly what the details are, I cannot comment. I'm opposed to a dump.because of what i've seen of the Seaforth dump". A meeting has been planned for Tuesday, the day before the open house says Mae Govenlock, another resident. "We're going to discuss what's going on and reactions received through the letter. We're convinced the dump should not be going into a Class two farmland area. "I'm very conscious of anything that might contaminate the river (Silver Creek). The land is extensively drained. They could have picked some place else." if the new site is accepted, it would serve the municipalities of Tuckersmith, Seaforth, and McKillop. Grey township might also use the site. It is destgned to handle garbage from the combined population of 6,827. "The biggest error Seaforth made was alienating their farm neighbours," says Mrs. Govenlock. "1 feel it is a poor place to put a dump. There must be other areas in McKillop and Tuckersmith more suited, with a lower concentration of people." She is also concerned with decrease in land values. "We will have to wait till Wednesday to hear what is said and ask questions. We hear so many rumors. Our information has been very limited." xpositor A hydro -geologist and legal counsel will attend the second evening of the two-day open house. HERE TO STAY Due to the high costs of incinerating garbage, rural areas will have landfill sites for quite some time because of cost and economic factors, Mr. Godin says. The letter to the editor said "the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and their lawyer, Johannes Jarvalt will be representing us in any public hearitigs." I know very little about the landfill site," Mr. Jarvalt told the Expositor. "As for me attending, that is not the case. It doesn't seem to be a precedent setting case. The OFA executive decided the people could come here (Toronto), discuss the situation and we would assist in preparing b 'efs. "We have had a few contacts wi the people. The local federation supported than to get me, but the executive turned them down. We didn't see the need to sit in on an information meeting." The only lawyer at the OFA, Mr. Jarvalt says there are landfill sites throughout Ontario and to attend each meeting would be an impossible task. Jack McLiwain whose company owns the site which has been optioned by the town says he will be attending the open house meetings. Daycare cut worries Tuckersmith BY WILMA OKE Tuckersmith Township Council is concern- ed over the provincial government's decision to withdraw funding of day care centres by January i, 1986. Only families who can prove a financial need (income of $5,500 or less per year) will continue to be subsidized by the federal government. Families in a better financial situation will have to pay the full fee .themselves. Presently the indirect subsidy is 80 per cent, with the federal government, paying 50 per cent and the provincial government paying 30 per cent, and the remaining 20 per cent is paid by parents and the local municipality. ' The ministry wants municipalities to increase day care fees for non -subsidized parents to reflect actual costs of providing day care by 1986. Currently, day care rates charged to parents reflect less than half the actual cosi. (Most municipalities have decided to wait a while before raising day care fees but a number have increased fees already including Stratford and St. Marys. Tuckersmith Township Council has writ- ten a letter protesting the subsidy withdraw- al to Frank Drea, Minister of Community and Family Affairs. Council listed a number of reasons why the subsidy should not be withdrawn, including the fact that the government gave large grants to provide day care centres and now with the state of the economy as it is, grants are 'needed more than ever. Court of Revision was held on the Archibald Drain with Engineer Henry Centers attending as well as three interested ratepayers -Robert McNaughton, Laird Fin- layson and William Charters. o Mr. Nicholson in his report said that manholes at Vanastra are in a bad state and will need repair work. Road Superintendent Allan Nicholson stated the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has given road grants of s$431,500 to the township this year, including enough to build a new bridge on road No. 12, the Roman Line. Council discussed at length the possibility of having the residents in the southern half of the township use the Hensall dump rather than take their waste to Seaforth. Council went into committee -of -the -whole after 11 p.m. to discuss the 1983 budget. Five national awards The Huron Expositor, Seaforth's com- munity newspaper( has won five awards in national competition. In the annual better newspapers competi- tion of the Canadian ' Community News- papers Association (CCNA), the Expositor placed third for best all round paper in its circulation class, 3,500 to 4,499. The Expositor also won awards for the best editorial page, the second best front page, and a Blue Ribbon award. The fifth award is Foundations for a new house at the corner of Ann and James St. were poured Monday. A building permit won't be issued until after an OMB hearing on the issue, Seaforth's building inspector says. Foundation poured, neighbours appeal to OMB The foundation (3 as loured Monday morning fora new house 1 co Medd plans to build on his lot at the corner of .lames and Ann Si',. in Scaforth Itowcsrr, two arca residents hast appealed the committee of adjustment approtal of a minor ariancc for Mr. Medd and a building permit has not vet been issued for the house A building permit non't he issued until an Ontario Municipal Board 1()MB1 hearing on the'neighbours' appeals is 05 er, sacs Herman Van Wieren. Soaforth's building inspector. It's up In the OMB to set a hearing date. Scaforth clerk .lint ( rocker sacs • he appeal will he sent off to them today or tomorrow.' Neighbours Dick Burgess and David and Christine Tremcer filed two separate ap peals. If construction is going on ,hen he makes his regular Wednesday visit to Scaforth today, Mr. Van Wieren says he'll issue a stop work order. He's run into someone starting construction before getting a building permit in other municipalities. Mr. Van Wieren. who also serves as building inspector in Tucker - smith, Stanley and Hensall says what usually happens is that "council takes the person to court and they get fined.' The owner of the property. Mr. Medd, had no comment when contacted by the Expositor Tuesday at noon. Mr. Medd was given approval to move his house closer to Ann SI. than zoning regulations allow. As well, he can keep the existing house on the property until 120 days after the building permit for the new house is issued. Neighbours who attended two committee of adjustment hearings on his request objected to a 900 square foot garage that will be either attached or adjacent to the house. facing James St. The new house will face Ann St. and some of those at the meetings thought the front door should face James St. as docs the existing house and the other houses on the street. Clerk Crocker, who returned from a few days of holidays Tuesday can't estimate when the OMB will set a hearing date. It takes action from "pretty well the highest court in the land' the building inspector says. to require that construction started without a building permit he taken down. That rarely happens, he says. adding such action could take a year or six months. Baseball was part of the Lions carnival /A8, 9 Lioness club executive is elected /A6 second place for best family news in Canadian community papers with circulation under 3,999. The awards will be presented at the CCNA annual convention in•Winnipeg, July 27-30. CAMERA SHY—Little Julie Bachert was too young to graduate from Walton Public School's kindergarten class but she and her mother attended to watch her brother Brian graduate. Errors put Brussels home on list A comedy of errors and obsolete material caused the Callander Nursing Home, ',Brussels and Brookhaven Nursing 4lome, Wingham'to be named substandard by Minister of Health Larry Grossman. Tie Minister has recently been question- ed in the legislature in regard to Ontario nursing homes. The two local facilities were not centered out by Mr. Grossman, says Rfiger Kay, administrator of Callander and Brookhaven. "1 think the news media picked my two when in fact we complied 100 per cent." The incident, although unfortunate, stems back to early this year when a letter was received from the legal department of the ministry, said Mr. Kay. "It said job requirements had not been done. This included replacing several doors with solid wood doors in the homes. "in fact, the doors had been replaced up to six months prior to receiving the letter, Despite his argument, a court violation was received and a fine of $75 paid. "An inspector came up and said the requirements were met." "The next thing we know, this sub -stand- ard report hits through Mr. Grossman. It was a comedy of errors down the like. It was "a situation where somebody was not doing their homework." A letter.'of.comppliance was_presented.;hy„ Murray Elston;' MPP, to Mr.'Grossmati; Who made a retraction in the legislature. `I'have –never received an apology. It resulted in the staff at both homes being upset and residents and next of kin were hurt. Both homes were the first in Ontario to be accredited and have maintained the accred- itation." Nursing homes with a sub -standard rating were threatened with licence removal. "We complied 100 per cent. There is no problem. It just cost me a lot of time, aggravation and money." I'm really proud of this nursing home," says Betty Graber, director of nursing at Callander. "I would even have the Queen of England stay here," Visibly upset over the chare, "it's a whole round of dirty politics,' she said. "Our reputation went right on the floor when it shouldn't be. I'm assuming the ministry didn't do a follow-up." The most recent accreditation was award- ed last October. "It makes it look like a farce," said Mrs. Graber: The sub -standard charge was misleading and eronepous: said ,MPP Murray Elston. "The minister of health had tabled a list of nursing homes where action would be taken because of violations. When the list was tabled, everything had been rectified at Callander and Brookhaven, more than one month previous. it was an unfortunate situation." "Minister of Health, Larry Grossman was under pressure from questions raised in the house concerning nursing homes. He threw a list together of non -complying homes, but didn't review it. Somebody should have updated his material." Technical violations had all been taken care of --there was no problem, said Mr. Elston. "I told Mr. Grossman he had an obligation to tell the whole story, just not part of it." Care at both facilities is good, he said. "My grandmother was in Brookhaven for a short time. The staff is good and capable. Brussels is the same; care is good and the staff is capable and caring." Where will money come from B of E asks Futuro funding for special education, decreasing provincial funding for education, increasing costs for UIC and CPP benefits and sales tax on school supplies were concerns aired by the Duron County Board of Education's chairman at the Liberal task force hearing in Goderich. Board chairman Dorothy Wallace made the presentation to the eight -member task force headed by MPP John Eakens (L-Victoria-Hat- iburton). The two local MPPs, environment critic Murray Elston (L -Huron -Bruce) and agriculture critic Jack Riddell (L-Huron-Mid- dlcscx) are also members of the task force. "Onc hates to make negative comments on Bill 82 (special education)," said Mrs. Wallace, because the concept of providing education for all children ranging from those with learning difficulties to the academically gifted is a beautiful idea. But the commitment to special education emphasized by the Ministry of Education. or the uncertainty of that commitment has the hoard worried, said its chairman. Mrs. Wallace indicated that special educa- tion grants to the board cover only 82 per cent of the cost of the program while the remaining 18 per cent is raised from local tax dollars. The chairman also noted concerns as the ministry has so far only committed special education grants until 1985. "Who pays for it after that?" questioned Mrs. Wallace. She expressed fear that programs for the "middle of the road" students may have to be cut, adding these students will one''tlay"'be "the backbone of the country." MPP Riddell noted he had served on the committee which reviewed Bill 82. He said that while the education minister assured the committee there would be adequate start-up funds for the program, "we were all a little hazy" about the future funding. "We also have a concern for the steady decline in the cost of education assumed by Please turn to page 3 Arena seeks tax rebate The Seaforth and district community centres continues a battle for a 532,000 sales tax rebate. Seaforth clerk, Jim Crocker told council at the June 15 meeting the initial request for a rebate was denied. A contract was signed with the general contractor, XDG Limited of Kitchener on April 29. 1982 to construct the facility. "The sales3:\tax office in Kitchener said the building Jas sales tax exempt because it was a municipal project." In January the management committee was told the opposite. "Only the tax on irrevocable fixed price contracts entered into prior to May 14, 1983 is subject to refund. Since the construction contract documents supplied have a clause in the agreement which covers any increase or decrease due to tax changes, this contract is not considered irrevocable and therefore not subject to refund." the sales tax office said. "We were denied the rebate because a section in the contract said any increase in Seaforth, Walton, Brussels and area students graduate /A11 Treatment plant dedicated in Brussels /A14 sales tax could be passed on by the contractor to the municipality." said Mr. Crocker. "There was actually no increase in sales tax. But the new May 14, 1982 budget removed the sales tax exemption. We don't see it as being fair because the contract was signed before the budget date." Letters were sent to the Minister of Revenue, Treasurer of Ontario and the Premier without success. "1 wouldn't think we would get it (rebate)," said Ken Campbell, chairman of the building committee. "Everybody is hung up on the same technicality. Goderich hospital also received a denial." Even after paying the sales tax, the project is still within budget. "We had quite a bit of money in interest." "We are keeping our fingers crossed we will still receive the rebate," said Mr. Crocker. "Now it's doubly important that all pledges for the new community centre are honored." Births/Al2 Brussels news/A14,15 Ciasslfied/A 16, 17 Dublin news/A4,5 Entertainment/A6, 7 Family/A10,12 Farm/A18 Hensall news/ A 19 Kids/A 13 Londesboro/A17 Obituaries/ A 12 People/ A 12 Smiley/A2 Something to Say/A3 Sports/ A8,9 1 a