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- Huron County Newsletter #10
Huron County Newsletter
Week of February 25th to March 2nd, 2024
Good day,
No real housekeeping this week, just a couple things I would like to draw some attention to.
First, the continued generosity of the people of Huron County. The number of people who have committed their time and/or money to helping others in our community lately has really been a pleasure to see. The Coldest Night of the Year campaign, the support for new families coming to Huron County from Ukraine, and the Wingham and District Hospital Foundation campaign for a CT scanner are just a few fantastic examples of how amazing things can happen when we band together.
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill
The other thing I’d like to make note of is the number of Huron County residents who have won awards lately. The County is over-represented in winning some of these awards and it’s something we can all be proud of, and also be grateful for the fact that we have so many highly-qualified, hard-working people in our corner. Warden Glen McNeil, Central Huron Community Improvement Coordinator Angela Smith, and Manager of the Huron Business Centre Brittany Wise are just three examples of Huron County residents doing good things, and getting recognition. We’re lucky to have you, and we thank you.
Now on to the news. Thank you for checking out the Huron County Newsletter and have a great week!
This week’s Huron County Newsletter is brought to you by:
 Where your goals become results |  Tuckersmith Communications Co-operative |
Coldest Night of the Year Walks are Being Held in Seven Communities in Huron and Perth Counties This Year
by Bob Montgomery
Coldest Night of the Year walks are being held in seven communities in Huron and Perth counties this year.
Walks were scheduled last night for Wingham, Goderich, Exeter, St. Marys, Stratford, Listowel and Seaforth. Just under 300 people joined the walk in Goderich and it was very much like the Coldest Night of the Year. Among the guests were Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb, Huron County Warden Glen McNeil and Goderich Mayor Trevor Bazinet. McNeil says this is the fourth year for the walk in Goderich and they had more walkers this year than any other year and there's a good reason for that. “Everyone…
Goderich Coldest Night of the Year Walk
Consultant says Response to Two Focus Group Discussions at MacKay Centre was Excellent
by Bob Montgomery
WE-R-Strategic Consultant Maureen Cole says the two focus group discussions on a strategic plan for the future of the MacKay Centre in Goderich attracted about sixty people.
Cole says a lot of the people were from the Goderich area as well as from Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh. She says they wanted to hear what programs at the MacKay Centre people thought were running well and what they felt could be improved. She says everyone had…
Central Huron Community Improvement Coordinator Comes Home with Three Awards from the Economic Developers Council of Ontario Conference
by Bob Montgomery
Central Huron Community Improvement Coordinator Angela Smith needed some help carrying her trophies home from this year's Economic Developers Council of Ontario Conference in Toronto.
Smith explains the awards recognize economic developers from across the province and she came home with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Influencer of the year for her work on accessibility, work with seniors and with students. She also was awarded the Rural Excellency Award, presented by Agriculture Minister Lisa Thompson for her Student Sculpture Garden project and the Inclusive Events Award for the Sensory Friendly Zone she created for Harvest Fest.
Smith says the Rural Excellency Award is for…
Angela Smith - Central Huron Community Improvement Coordinator
Avon Maitland District School Board Looking for Partners to Provide Before and After School Programs in Huron County
by Bob Montgomery
Many Avon Maitland schools provide space for licensed childcare providers to offer before and after school services to families. However, there is a shortage of childcare providers to meet those needs in Brookside Public School in Ashfield Township, Hullett Central in Londesborough, Huron Centennial near Brucefield, and North Woods near Brussels.
Superintendent of Corporate Services, Cheri Carter, explains the school board doesn't actually run child care programs, they partner with a licensed child care partner and they provide the before and after child care programming in the school. She says they do…
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority Turns to the Public for Input Into Updating Their Conservation Lands Strategy
by Bob Montgomery
The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority has been looking for input from the users of their properties as to how they move forward.
Project Coordinator Kate Monk says the Conservation Land Strategy is the document that will guide how they manage the conservation areas and the conservation forests, which are owned by the Conservation Authority. “We did an online survey in the fall and we had more than two hundred responses to that and so we've used that information about what people would like to see at our conservation areas and we got a good indication of how important our properties are for recreation and also for green space and to help the environment to mitigate some of the things that we need to look after.”
Monk says there were five specific things that people felt were important for the conservation properties. The first was…
Population and Housing Projections Study Suggests Significant Changes in the Coming Years
by Bob Montgomery
Watson & Associates Economists presented a Population and Housing Projections Study to Huron County council at their last meeting that indicated a significant demographic shift is coming.
Huron County Planning Manager Denise Van Amersfoort says their report suggested that between 2021 and 2041 we're going to see a doubling of the population that is 75 and older. Some thought will have to be given to what that population needs in terms of supported living, more apartment buildings that are better suited from an accessibility perspective, long term care but also things like recreational services that would be geared towards that age group. Van Amersfoort says that shift is already underway and we'll see more…
Gateway Virtual Lecture Series - Artificial Intelligence, Healthcare & Inequality
by Bob Montgomery
A PhD Candidate of Social and Economic Sciences at the University of Technology in Vienna, Austria, will be the guest speaker at next week's Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health's virtual lecture series.
Leslie Walker is also a research assistant with Gateway and will be presenting her research into policies to reduce the inequality associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare.
“There are opportunities and challenges related to AI, but in general, because of the nature of the technology, it will exacerbate current trends in society. So, if the society is fairly democratic and fair and equal then it will make it more fair and equal, but if a society is unequal then it'll make more unequal. And in Canada I'm sure we're all feeling the pinch, some of the shifts of wealth, so it creates some additional concerns so we just want…
Foxton Fuels Donates $100,000 to the Wingham and District Hospital Foundation’s CT Scanner Campaign
by Bob Montgomery
Foxton Fuels is the latest Wingham area business to step up with a significant donation to the Wingham and District Hospital Foundation’s CT Scanner Campaign.
Mark Foxton is the owner of Foxton Fuels. He is also currently serving as the Caring Together Campaign Chair and the donation to the campaign is $100,000. Foxton says there isn't one particular reason for making the donation. He says Wingham has always been very good to him and his family and this was just another opportunity for him to give back. He adds, he and his wife Lisa do a lot of work for the foundation at the hospital. They both believe that a strong hospital is a drawing card to the area and the doctors and staff at the hospital have said…
Annual Perth County Paramedic Recruitment Now Open
by Bob Montgomery
Perth County’s Paramedic Services Department is now accepting applications for new members to join the team.
Chief of Perth County Paramedic Services Mike Adair says they're a busy service with an incredible group of people. “Our service offers many great opportunities for paramedics to have a positive impact in the community.”
Perth County is currently recruiting 15-20 new members. Those interested in learning more about the recruitment process and working for Perth County can…
Both the Avon Maitland and Huron Perth Catholic District School Boards Re-schedule PA Day to Avoid Solar Eclipse
by Bob Montgomery
Both the Avon Maitland and Huron Perth Catholic District School Boards have moved a PA Day scheduled for April 19th to April 8th.
The reason for the change is a rare total solar eclipse that will be occurring on Monday April 8th at a time that could coincide with the dismissal and transportation of students at the end of the day. Because of that, the PA Day has been moved from April 19th to April 8th so the students will be home on the day of the eclipse.
According to Huron Perth Public Health, while Huron and Perth are not in the Path of Totality, residents in the area will experience…
Goderich Young Canada Week Hockey Tournament Gets Underway Next Week
by Bob Montgomery
The Goderich Young Canada Week Hockey Tournament gets underway next week.
The Goderich Lions Club has sponsored its Young Canada Week minor hockey tournament for over 70 years and spokesperson Richard Madge says the March break event is a part of hockey lore and indeed the very culture of the town.
This year's tournament begins at the Maitland Recreation Centre on the morning of Friday, March 8th, with the opening ceremony slated for 7 o’clock that evening. This is the 73rd annual version of the tourney and it will run until March 16, providing nine full days of boy's minor hockey action divided into six divisions.
There will be Local League and Rep. sections in three age groups, Under-13, Under-15 and Under-18, with a total of 44 teams participating. Some of the teams competing will come from…
Huron County EMS has Entered into Another Cross-Border Billing Agreement with Bruce County
by Bob Montgomery
Huron County's Chief of Emergency Services told County Council at their last meeting that another Cross-Border Ambulance Billing Agreement has been signed with Bruce County.
Jeff Horseman says the agreement has now been approved by Bruce County and Huron County. This agreement is the renewal of a previous agreement that had expired, with the same terms as before. It has been renewed for an additional five years. Horseman says the first agreement was signed in 2011 and that was for ten years. He says under the agreement they do a cost analysis and their cost per call to determine who owes what and then exchange any money that they need to between the two counties to make up the difference.
“Provincial legislation requires ambulance service operators…
Local Groups Ready to Support Deadline-Driven Newcomers Arriving from Ukraine
by Bob Montgomery
A March 31 deadline looms for Ukrainians escaping the conflict in their country.
March 31 is the date the Canadian government has issued for all Ukrainians entering the country on a special temporary three-year open work visa to be eligible for various support.
Local groups are anticipating an increase of newcomers arriving in Huron County in March. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in January 2022, dozens of Ukrainian families have arrived in Canada and settled in Huron County. The Ukrainian families have…
Avon Maitland District School Board Looks at Pupil Accommodation & Enrolment Projections
by Bob Montgomery
Avon Maitland District School Board trustees got an update on the Board's Pupil Accommodation and Enrolment projections at this week's board meeting.
Superintendent of Corporate Services Cheri Carter says the numbers are consistent with last year, maybe with a bit more growth this year, and she says that's not a surprise given the growth they've experienced over the last couple of years, particularly at the elementary level. She adds, the report from Watson & Associates Economists suggested that immigration will continue to drive that increase.
Carter also points out the growth is focused on two areas in particular. “North Perth is the biggest, fastest growth, which we knew and…
Huron County Library is Participating in the Drive to End Period Poverty This Month
by Bob Montgomery
As a member of the Huron-Perth Period Poverty Task Force, the Huron County Library will be participating in the Drive to End Period Poverty from March 3rd to March 10th.
During this time, residents are invited to help put an end to period poverty by dropping off new, unopened packages of commonly used period products to any Huron County Library branch during regular hours of operation.
Products in need include new and unopened:…
Huron County Museum Launches Mural by Anishinaabe Artist Jeannette Ladd
by Bob Montgomery
The Huron County Museum invites the public to join in celebrating the launch of a new mural in the museum created by Anishinaabe artist Jeannette Ladd.
Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Senior Curator Elizabeth French-Gibson explains the mural was something they've wanted to do for a number of years at the museum. “Anyone who comes through the front doors of the museum would know we have a huge mezzanine and there was a huge space on there that was just blank and we were trying to envision something that we could put on there. And we came up with the idea to give that space to a local artist with Indigenous heritage to place a mural there that would add significance to our building and help with some of the reconciliation that we know needs to be done with our Indigenous friends.”…
Anishinaabe Artist Jeannette Ladd. Photo courtesy of Huron County Museum
Huron County Warden Receives Community Leadership Award from Bruce Power
by Bob Montgomery
uring this week's 2024 Canadian Nuclear Association conference in Ottawa, Huron County Warden Glen McNeil was presented the Community Leadership Award from Bruce Power.
The Community Leadership Award is in recognition of exceptional service to communities in the Grey, Bruce, and Huron Region. This award recognizes leaders who exemplify the qualities of collaboration, communication and clear vision and have made a significant and positive impact to the region…
Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol and Cultural Programs Looking for Public Input on New Strategic Plan
by Bob Montgomery
The Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol and Cultural Programs is developing a new strategic plan and they want help in developing that plan.
Curator of Engagement and Dialogue at the Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Sinead Cox says it's time to update their strategic plan and they want input from the people who visit the museum on a regular basis and…
Weekly Trivia Questions
Although there is little evidence to support the tale, a story exists about the names (and plans) of two Ontario settlements being accidentally switched. Which Huron County town was allegedly supposed to be called Guelph?*
a) Exeter
b) Clinton
c) Seaforth
d) Goderich
Who were the first three people who most influenced the early development of the Huron Tract?*
a) Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, and Don Cherry
b) John Galt, William “Tiger” Dunlop, and Colonel Anthony Van Egmond
c) Admiral Henry Wolsey Bayfield, John Galt, and Philemon Wright
d) Edward Stanley, Thomas Mercer Jones, William “Tiger” Dunlop
*According to “The Settlement of Huron County” by James Scott
Answers to last week’s questions:
What Hensall area surgeon became the first female surgeon in Canada?
a) Dr. Jenny Trout
b) Dr. Agnes MacPhail
c) Dr. Jenny Smillie
d) Dr. Alice Sorby
Timothy Eaton had his first store in what Huron County community?
a) Rodgerville
b) Kirkton
c) Goderich
d) Harpurhay
Trivia questions courtesy of Huron County Historian David Yates