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- Huron County Newsletter #13
Huron County Newsletter
Week of March 17th to March 23th, 2024
Good day,
Spring is upon us! Although, the weather hasn’t exactly felt that way lately, there are some seasonal indicators in the county.
The Blyth Festival is gearing up to open it’s 50th season, which is a local sign that better weather is right around the corner.
Another sign that spring and summer activities are on the way is the Top Hat Ceremony in Goderich. Since 1932 this event has marked the arrival of the first ship into the Goderich Harbour. The ceremony will take place on Monday, March 25th (tomorrow) at the Goderich Town Hall.
And now, on to the news, and, as always, a couple of trivia questions at the end.
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 |
Investigating Bluff Retreat on Lake Huron
by Bob Montgomery
Bluff Retreat is a significant concern in many parts of the Great Lakes. When and where it occurs, bluff retreat damages property and infrastructure, and recent research suggests that bluff retreat adds nitrogen and phosphorus to our lakes that contributes to harmful algal blooms.
In 2023, Ben Woodward completed an undergraduate thesis at the University of Waterloo, examining bluff retreat along the Lake Huron shoreline between Grand Bend and Goderich. One thing he found is…
Guelph Ridgetown is Hosting a Student Information/Recruitment Day for First Year Equine Students Later This Month at the Reach Centre in Clinton
by Bob Montgomery
Samantha Green is the Student Services Coordinator for the First Year Equine Program. She says the Open House will run from 10:00am until 2:00pm on March 28th at the Reach Centre in Clinton. Students who are interested in applying for the program, or have already applied, are invited to drop in, meet some of the staff, meet some of their teaching horses, see some of the off-campus living options that are in the area, see some of the facilities, and ask any questions they may have about the program…
Avon Maitland District School Board Seeks Community Feedback on Multi-Year Accessibility Plan
by Bob Montgomery
The Avon Maitland District School Board is looking for feedback from the public on their new multi-year accessibility plan.
Superintendent of Corporate Services Cheri Carter says they're required by the Ministry to have a Multi-year Accessibility Plan under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and their last plan expired in 2023. Carter says the Multi-year Accessibility Plan committee has created a…
Rural Ontario Institute's One Stop Solution for Rural Housing Information
by Bob Montgomery
The Rural Ontario Institute recently announced the launch of the Rural Housing Information System to rural Western Ontario municipalities.
Kezia Cowtan is the Rural Housing Information System Project Manager. She says the RHIS was originally developed in collaboration with the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus and has expanded its reach to include the entirety of rural Western Ontario in addition to Ontario's South Central Region. They're now working with…
Lucknow Kinsmen Donate $100,000 to Wingham Hospital CT Scanner Campaign
by Bob Montgomery
The Lucknow Kinsmen Club has pledged $100,000 to the Wingham & District Hospital Foundation’s Caring Together campaign to implement a brand-new CT scanner at the hospital.
Wingham and District Hospital Foundation Executive Director Nicole Duquette says the The Lucknow & District Kinsmen and Lucknow’s Music in the Fields have been longtime supporters of the Wingham and District Foundation…
Lucknow & District Kinsmen Club – Front: President Cal McDonagh, WDHF Executive Director Nicole Duquette, Campaign Chair Mark Foxton. Photo courtesy of Wingham and District Hospital Foundation
Council Votes Against Police Presence in South Huron
by Bob Montgomery
South Huron councillors voted against a motion put forward by Mayor George Finch asking that the OPP re-establish a police presence in Exeter.
Finch, who retired after thirty years with the OPP, says when the OPP detachments were shut down in Exeter and Wingham in 2020 they were supposed to be replaced with store front offices in both towns, but that didn't happen…
Huron County Council Approves the Signing of an Extension to the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Transfer Payment Agreement
by Bob Montgomery
Huron County Council has approved the signing of an extension to the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Transfer Payment Agreement with the Province.
Huron County Director of Emergency Services Jeff Horseman says Huron County paramedics have been involved in the program for a couple of years now and they have to renew the Transfer Payment Agreement every year. Horseman says the new agreement will come into effect on…
Bayfield Lions Club Completes Sidewalk from Cameron Street to Bayfield Foodland
by Bob Montgomery
The Bayfield Lions Club celebrated their 75th anniversary in 2021 and part of that celebration was the creation of a sidewalk from Cameron Street to the Foodland and LCBO parking lots so people wouldn't have to walk on the shoulder of highway 21.
Lions Club President Ian Mathews points out there are a lot of seniors living in Bayfield and many of them are dealing with some form of disability and anyone who wanted to get to Foodland or the LCBO store had to walk on the shoulder of highway 21 for part of their journey…
Photo courtesy of Jack Pal - Bayfield Lions Club
Owners of Goderich Super Storage Make Significant Donation to United Way
by Bob Montgomery
The owners of Goderich Super Storage, Doug Kuyvenhoven and Dave Sjaarda donated twenty-thousand dollars to the United Way Campaign in Goderich this week.
United Way Manager of Community Development Michelle Millar says the United Way goal was quite lofty this year, at 2.6 million. Millar said although she doesn't know what the final figure was, she knows it was the most they've ever raised and they couldn't have done it without people like Doug and Dave, who have stepped up to the plate and recognized that it takes a community to make the change they need to see. Millar adds…
April Selkirk - United Way Volunteer, Dave Sjaarda - Goderich Super Storage Partner, Doug Kuyvenhoven - Super Storage Partner, Michelle Millar - United Way Manager of Community Development
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority Hosts Partner Appreciation Evening
by Bob Montgomery
The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority hosted its annual Partner Appreciation night on Thursday night at the Ironwood Golf Course.
The Conservationist of the Year Award was presented to Michael and Lindsay Groot and Family of the Crediton area. The Groots grew up on conventional farm operations but they have introduced innovations onto their farm operation and their goal is to feed the community while also investing in ecological and long-term health improvements for everyone.
The keynote speaker for the night was in fact several speakers – members of the Eco Exeter team…
Members of Eco Exeter team
Intersection of Hwy 4 and County Road 25 in Blyth to be Completed Shortly
by Bob Montgomery
Huron County's Director of Public Works says most of the work at the intersection of Hwy 4 and county road 25 in Blyth has been completed now.
Imran Khalid says the lights are effectively operational now, they're on a fixed timing cycle. The intention was always to have it on an adaptive mode, so they're in their learning mode right now and he expects they'll be fully adaptive within six weeks…
The Blyth Festival is Getting Ready to Celebrate Its 50th Season
by Bob Montgomery
The Blyth Festival will celebrate its 50th season this year.
Artistic Director Gil Garratt says the first season was not without its challenges. The building hadn't been used for several years. There was a hole in the roof, there were some problems with the walls bowing out and it was a huge effort on the part of several volunteers to get it ready to be used in 1975. In fact, two years earlier when the artists first expressed an interest in using the space, the township insisted they sign a waver stating that if the roof fell in on someone's head they wouldn't sue the township…
Weekly Trivia Questions
How many British Commonwealth Air Training Plan bases were established in Huron County during the Second World War?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4
Which important Huron County industry started out as the Western Foundry Co?
a) Westcast
b) General Coach
c) Royal Homes
d) Dominion Roads Company
Answers to last week’s questions:
Who was Huron's first elected member to the legislative assembly and went on to become the chair of the Upper Canadian Abolitionist Society?
a) Dr William 'Tiger' Dunlop
b) Captain Robert Dunlop*
c) John Galt
d) Anthony Van Egmond
Which of the following place names later became the Town of Clinton?
a) Slabtown
b) Rattenbury Corner*
c) Maitlandville
d) Balaklava
Trivia questions courtesy of Huron County Historian David Yates