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- Huron County Newsletter #16
Huron County Newsletter
Week of April 7th to April 13th, 2024
Good day,
We’ve got a jam-packed issue for you this week. Stories range from beach clean-up, to upgrades to Goderich’s downtown, another donation to the Wingham Hospital CT scanner campaign, negotiations for Avon Maitland teachers, progress on potential future occupant of the former Bluewater Centre, and more.
Also, the Bayfield Lions Home & Lifestyle Show is next weekend, and a new book about Huron County’s past, written by David Yates, was released this week. Read on to find out where you can pick up a copy.
As I said, it’s been a busy week, so let’s get to it.
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:
 Seaforth Golf Club |  Tuckersmith Communications Co-operative |
Huron-Bruce MP Says More Food That's Produced in Ontario Should be Processed in Ontario
by Bob Montgomery
Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb had a message for producers at last week's Huron County Federation of Agriculture annual MP/MPP/Local Politician Forum at the Clinton Legion.
Lobb says too much of the food produced in Huron County is being shipped out of the country for processing. It's something that Huron and Bruce County producers are well aware of because they see every day how much food is produced in their county, but has to shipped somewhere else to be processed because we…
by Bob Montgomery
A new book Gothic Huron: Heroes, Rogues, Murders, Daring, Bawdy Houses and Other Tales by local author and historian David Yates is set to be released this week. It is Yates' fifth book in the series and covers the period from the War of 1812 to Queen Victoria's death in 1901.
Yates explains that during the era of the Gothic revival in the nineteenth century, most Huron County residents were hard-working, profoundly Christian who lived austere lives. They also had a profound fascination with death and were fascinated by devilish criminal acts or heroic deeds, of which there are many tales in Yates' book…
County of Huron releases 2023 Annual Report
by Bob Montgomery
Huron County Council was presented with the 2023 Annual Report at last week's county council meeting.
The report provides a summary of the county’s priority projects as well as details on individual services areas. Huron County Warden Glen McNeil says on behalf of county council he wants to express their gratitude to their dedicated staff who have worked to implement these initiatives and provide essential services to the community. He added he would also like to thank the many community partners for their collaboration and support because without those partnerships they would not be able to achieve meaningful and sustainable progress.
The priorities on the list included making Huron County a…
Huron Perth Public Health Marks Canadian Public Health Week
by Bob Montgomery
Huron Perth Public Health joins public health organizations across Canada in marking Canadian Public Health Week.
Held Monday April 8 to Friday April 12, Canadian Public Health Week is a time to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our health and well-being.
“The work of public health is to protect and promote the health of people where they live, work and play,” says Dr. Miriam Klassen, Medical Officer of Health for Huron Perth. “By creating healthier communities, we avoid drawing on costly and scarce health care resources and we strengthen quality of life and well-being for all.”
Many people think of disease prevention and control when they think of public health…
Lake Huron Coastal Centre Goderich Beach Clean-Up
by Bob Montgomery
The Lake Huron Coastal Centre is looking for volunteers for their first beach clean-up of the year.
Interim Executive Director Alyssa Bourassa says the Coastal Centre is celebrating Earth Day a little early this year with the first Beach Clean-up of the year at St. Christopher's Beach in Goderich on Saturday, April 20th from ten in the morning until one in the afternoon. “Last year we had 180 volunteers remove 600 pounds of litter from the Goderich shoreline so we hope to make this year another success.”
Bourassa says those numbers are a pretty good indication of how seriously people are now taking the health of the lake and the shoreline…
The President of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture says Increasing Costs and Decreasing Incomes are a Couple of Concerns for Farmers
by Bob Montgomery
Following last week's Huron County Federation of Agriculture MP / MPP and Local Politician Forum, Federation President Murray Workman outlined some of the concerns that farmers have right now.
Workman says their costs on just about everything seem to be going up, due in part to inflation, while some of their incomes are coming down. He adds, he's hoping that crop prices will start to recover. “I guess the other thing that's effected us too, is that the development of farm land is always sort of a background thing, when you're driving through the country and there's a lot of construction going on and we'd like to see some of it preserved.”
Workman says in many ways the challenge for farmers is…
Wingham Sportsmen Association Commits $25,000 to CT Scanner at Wingham Hospital
by Bob Montgomery
The Wingham Sportsmen Association has committed $25,000 to the Wingham & District Hospital Foundation’s Caring Together campaign.
The Wingham Sportsmen Association has been a long-time supporter of the Wingham & District Hospital Foundation and this new pledge is one more in that proud tradition. Sportsmen Association President Bryce Toll says “it was an easy decision to support the CT Campaign for the hospital. It will make a difference for so many people in our community.”…
Avon Maitland District School Board Ratifies Employment Agreement with Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario Occasional Teachers
by Bob Montgomery
The Avon Maitland District School Board and the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario Occasional Teachers are pleased to announce the successful ratification of the tentative agreement that was reached on March 7.
The negotiation process was cooperative and respectful and this helps maintain the shared goal of advancing outcomes for all AMDSB students. “The ratification of this agreement underscores our collective focus on improved student outcomes. Our bargaining team extends genuine gratitude to the staff representatives on the bargaining teams for their steadfast dedication and collaborative spirit.” said Laura Marotta, Superintendent of Human Resource Services…
Bayfield Lions Club Announces 27th Annual Bayfield Lions Home & Lifestyle Show Next Weekend (April 20-21)
by Bob Montgomery
The Bayfield Lions Club will host their 27th Annual Bayfield Lions Home & Lifestyle Show next weekend at the Bayfield Community Centre.
This year's show will have approximately 80 vendors with a range of indoor and outdoor displays, face painting for the kids, and a delectable food court. Admission is free with attendees encouraged to bring food bank donations to support the Bayfield Food Bank…
Huron County has Announced a New Online Program for Submitting Land Use Planning Applications in Huron
by Bob Montgomery
The County of Huron along with all nine local municipalities are pleased to announce the launch of a cloud-based software for all planning applications.
All residents and professionals can now submit applications online through a new cloud-based solution called Cloudpermit. Senior County Planner Craig Metzger says the new program provides a single window for all applicants, regardless of which municipality they're in, to submit a planning application. “They make their initial contact through it, they submit their application, municipal staff are then able to circulate the application to various agencies and municipal staff and get comments back and then all of the information related to the application is available in one location for both the applicant, the municipalities, the agencies, so everyone knows what the most recent version, plans or application is that's being considered.”…
Central Huron Proceeding with a Feasibility Study For a Potential Occupant of the Former Bluewater Centre
by Bob Montgomery
Central Huron council recently hosted a virtual meeting with GreenLab of Denmark regarding their future with the former Bluewater Centre on highway 21.
GreenLab has expressed interest in leasing some of the property and Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn says it's a unique opportunity for the municipality. The proposed use would be a form of industrial park where one industry's waste is feed stock for another one. Or new industries coming in might be recycling something that can be used by another industry. “The Danes have some really interesting technologies that they've developed and they want to spread it around the world for the betterment of the world and in a way that produces a little profit for them.”
Ginn says it’s been referred to as a closed loop industrial park, where one industry’s waste product would be used in the production of energy and then returned to the soil to help revitalize it…
Goderich Council Gets a Preview of the New Downtown
by Bob Montgomery
The renovation to the square in Goderich is expected to start in 2025 but council and the public got an idea of what they can expect in a presentation at this week's council meeting.
Mayor Trevor Bazinet says the trigger for the project is the underground infrastructure that's over 100 years old that needs to be addressed before there is a serious accident. Bazinet says 80% of the project is that infrastructure, but while they're tearing up the pavement, there are some other changes that could be made. “The goal is to provide an accessible space and a safe space for all to enjoy. So if we can create a safer area for pedestrians especially, we want to do that.”
Part of the plan involves…
Goderich Council Looking at Future of Airport and Harbour
by Bob Montgomery
Goderich council is looking at the future of both the Goderich Airport and the Harbour.
Mayor Trevor Bazinet says the Airport Task Force has asked council to consider hiring a business manager to come up with a business plan and work towards a strategic plan. He says council has directed staff to come back with a report on things like the cost, who would they be hiring and for how long. Bazinet says some other municipalities in the area have sold their airports which has created a real opportunity for the Goderich Airport and all options are on the table.
“We would like to see it continue on as an airport but anything they have that's operating at a deficit of about $140,000 a year and they put in $2,000,000 of capital in 2018 and it's still operating at a deficit, they have to take a hard look at it.”
They're also looking at an expansion of the port, but to do that…
Ontario Barrel Racing Association Kicking Off Season with Blast Off Event at the Reach Centre
by Bob Montgomery
The Ontario Barrel Racing Association (OBRA) will be launching the new season with the Blast Off event at the Reach Centre in Clinton in May.
OBRA President Gary Nelson says it'll be a great way to kick off the season. The events will include pole bending and barrel racing in a range of age groups from beginners up to seniors. They'll also have futurity horses, which are three, four and five-year-olds and for the futurity horses that have moved past the five-year-old status they'll have derby races.
Nelson says they're hoping to get about 100 people out at the first event but they…
Central Huron Mayor Suggests it's Time for a Time Limit on Gravel Pits
by Bob Montgomery
Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn raised the issue of gravel pits at last week's Federation of Agriculture MP / MPP and Local Politician Forum.
Ginn says public opposition to gravel pits is growing and it's not limited to Huron County. He says there are issues in Brant County and in the Georgetown area as well. The problem is the length of time it's taking to rehabilitate the pits after they've been used. He suggests there wouldn't be as much opposition to them if people knew they were going to be rehabilitated within fifteen or twenty years…
AMDSB Reached Tentative Employment Agreement With ETFO Teachers
by Bob Montgomery
The Avon Maitland District School Board and the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, Avon Maitland Teachers’ Local are pleased to announce that they have successfully reached a tentative agreement.
Superintendent of Human Resource Services Laura Marotta says the 700 teachers from thirty elementary schools in the Avon Maitland Board will vote on the tentative agreement on April 15. “The Board's bargaining unit and the Elementary Teacher's bargaining unit have been getting together over the last three or four months and each of them brought their ideas for improved working conditions, staffing conditions and basically, the way we function with our teachers in our classrooms in order to improve outcomes for students.”
Marotta says something that's very significant is they tried a different approach this year. She explains in the past the bargaining process involved one side working against the other side and it wasn't a very collaborative process…
Weekly Trivia Questions
Where can you buy a copy of Huron County author and historian David Yates’ new book titled “Gothic Huron: Heroes, Rogues, Murders, Daring, Bawdy Houses and Other Tales”?
a) Finchers’ Gift Shop, Goderich
b) The Blyth Citizen, Blyth
c) The Bayfield Village Book Shop, Bayfield
d) All of the above
What are the names of the other books in this series about the history of Huron County written by David Yates?
a) Out of the Woods: Chronicles and Characters of Huron County
b) Out of the Blue: Further Discoveries in Huron County History
c) That Freedom Might Survive
d) The Times of Our Lives
e) All of the above
Answers to last week’s questions:
What is the name of the Huron County church famous for it’s chimes?
a) St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, Goderich
b) Trivitt Memorial Anglican Church, Exeter*
c) Melville Presbyterian Church, Brussels
d) St. Andrew’s United Church, Bayfield
What Usborne Township singer went on to become “Canada's Singing Cowboy”?
a) Gordon Lightfoot
b) Stompin’ Tom Connors
c) Earl Heywood*
d) Tommy Hunter
Last week’s trivia questions courtesy of Huron County Historian David Yates