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- Huron County Newsletter #31
Huron County Newsletter
Week of July 28th to August 3rd, 2024
Good day,
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. This week we’ve got stories ranging from hospital funding, an art show, another donation to the Wingham Hospital’s Caring Together Campaign, some OPP reports, Huron Shores Area Transit user survey data, and more.
We’ve also got more trivia questions thanks to Huron County historian and author David Yates.
To see more of these stories visit our website.
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 |
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority Is Hosting A Very Special Summer Nature Day Camp This Year
by Bob Montgomery
Every summer for several years now the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority has run Summer Nature Day Camps for kids from six to twelve years old and they're doing that again this year.
But ABCA Conservation Education Coordinator Cassie Greidanus says they also alternate with the Lions Club in raising donations for something very special. And at this year's Conservation Dinner each guest donated two hundred dollars and that was enough to send twenty-three kids to camp who otherwise would not be able to go to a camp. She says the South Huron Optimists also donated enough money to send two more kids to the camp and to make sure they were sending the kids who needed a little help, they partnered with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of South Huron, so over the next two years…
28% Of Polled Passengers Use Huron Shores Area Transit To Get To Work
by Bob Montgomery
Huron Shores Area Transit recently conducted a series of six one-question polls published between April 29 and July 19 to gather basic demographic information about its riders.
They received a total of 635 completed entries that provided a snapshot in time of who rides their buses. One of the key findings from the collected poll data revealed that 28% of respondents use Huron Shores Area Transit to get to work, which highlights the importance of the transit system in supporting daily commutes for the local community. The polls also showed that other reasons for riding the bus included 20% of riders getting to social or leisure activities and 16% using the service for shopping and attending medical appointments.
The poll also provided insights into where passengers call home, with…
Bluewater Council Getting Ready To Finalize Plan For Heritage District
by Bob Montgomery
A committee that was formed to update the plan for the Heritage District in Bayfield is just about ready to take their final report to Bluewater council.
Bayfield Ward Councillor Bill Whetstone is a member of that committee and says they've been working on a new plan for about a year now and the reason for that is that the current plan is significantly outdated. One example of that is the requirement that property owners in the Heritage District must use…
OPP To Host Uniform Recruitment Symposium For Women
by Bob Montgomery
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is hosting a recruitment event to further support women on their journey to becoming police officers.
OPP’s Women’s Symposium is being held on August 17, 2024, at OPP General Headquarters in Orillia. The OPP hosts interactive recruitment events periodically and throughout the province to support individuals who are interested in becoming police officers.
OPP Women’s Symposium will focus on eliminating and demystifying some of the perceived barriers that women…
Bayfield Ward Councillor Says Changes To Bluewater's Noise By-Law Are Minimal
by Bob Montgomery
Bayfield Ward Councillor Bill Whetstone says the changes being proposed in Bluewater's new noise by-law are really a matter of putting into writing what is already happening.
Bars and restaurants are now required to turn the volume down on music after eleven o'clock or midnight. They don't have to turn it off but they do have to turn it down enough so that it's not an issue with neighbours. Similar rules would apply in a residential area except the time would be around eight or nine in the evening, which seems a little early but would be appropriate for the middle of the week and could be relaxed a little on the weekend when someone might be having a party. If it was something that was happening every night or every weekend then there would likely be some complaints.
Whetstone does point out they discussed the changes with the restaurant and bar owners and they felt consulting with everyone involved and then approving realistic regulations was the way to go.
The MacKay Centre in Goderich Is Hosting The Goderich Art Club Show and Sale In August
by Bob Montgomery
Goderich Art Club member Cindy Fisher says the Art Club was formed in 1952 and held it’s first Art Show that year. The Art Club currently has close to forty members, and this year 27 artists will be displaying and selling over 400 original works of art, ranging from water, acrylic and oils. This year's featured artist is Jayne Crebolder.
The Goderich Art Club Show and Sale is a free community event, so there's no charge for public to attend. Each artist pays a fee to be in the show and that fee supports the programming of the art club and the MacKay Centre for Seniors, which is a non-profit organization. It is a show and sale, so there is no pressure to purchase when you attend the event. The Goderich Art Club and Mackay Centre do not take a commission or percentage of sales from each artist. If a piece of art is sold, the entire amount goes to the artist.
The Art Club Show and Sale runs from August 9th to the 11th at the MacKay Centre at the corner of North and Nelson Streets in Goderich. And the hours are from nine until six on Friday and Saturday, and ten until four on Sunday.
Montgomery’s Industrial Services Donates $10,000 to Wingham Hospital
by Bob Montgomery
Montgomery Industrial Services has committed $10,000 to the Caring Together Campaign for the purchase of a CT scanner for the Wingham & District Hospital.
Paul and Honey Montgomery visited the Wingham & District Hospital to present the donation. “As a family-owned business working in Wingham for over 30 years we know how important it is to have key services, like the hospital, available in the community,” says Honey…
L to R: WDHF Executive Director Nicole Duquette, Paul Montgomery, Honey Montgomery, LWHA X-Ray/CT Tech Jillian Montgomery and Campaign Chair Mark Foxton
Photo courtesy of Wingham and District Hospital Foundation
Bluewater Council Fine-Tuning Short Term Rental Policy
by Bob Montgomery
Bluewater council is continuing to refine the municipality's Short Term Rental policy.
Bayfield Ward Councillor Bill Whetstone says their scouring software has now identified at least 480 short term rentals in the municipality but he adds, there may be some duplication there. It's possible some of them are no longer in business but haven't taken down their advertising that's being picked up by the scouring software. They've sent out letters to those people asking them to clarify whether they have closed down or if they intend to get licences.
Whetstone was surprised by the number of short term rentals they have. He thought it would be closer to about three hundred and he says of the 480 they found, about 80% of them are within the Bayfield area.
Whetstone says they'll go over their list again in the fall to make sure everyone on the list is still operating and then make recommendations regarding what changes they feel have to be made at that time.
Emergency Response At Goderich Pier - Person Pulled from Water Pronounced Deceased
by Bob Montgomery
At approximately 11:50 a.m on July 31st, Huron County Ontario Provincial Police, Huron County Paramedic Services, Goderich Fire Department and the Canadian Coast Guard attended the Goderich pier for a report of an unconscious person in the water.
The individual was located by the Canadian Coast Guard and transported to the Goderich Hospital where they were pronounced deceased after extensive life-saving efforts by emergency responders and hospital staff. Officers investigated to find out…
Central Huron Council Approves Distributing Request For Proposal For The Purposes Of Hiring A Contractor To Complete Central Huron Digital Transformation Strategy
by Bob Montgomery
Central Huron council has voted to proceed with a Request for Proposal to move ahead with the hiring of a contractor to complete the municipality's Digital Transformation Strategy.
Central Huron Community Improvement Coordinator Angela Smith says the new project is another animation project that involves augmented reality and mixed reality. She says it will involve the animation of the radar screen in the middle of downtown Clinton, similar to the animated murals that they did downtown last summer, and she's particularly pleased to be able to get that rolling this year because it ties in nicely with the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force. They will also be digitizing…
Five Hospitals In Huron County Are Receiving Almost Four Million Dollars From The Province
by Bob Montgomery
Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson recently announced the province is investing a total of $3,822,936 into local hospitals in Huron County to deliver faster and more connected care.
“Increasing investments for our local hospitals in Huron County is important to ensure that proper supports, close to home, continue to be in place,” said Lisa Thompson.
Hospitals receiving funding are…
The Royal Institute Of Ontario Announces The Launch Of The Rural Housing Information System in Northern Ontario
by Bob Montgomery
The Rural Ontario Institute, Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities, and the Northern Policy Institute recently launched the Rural Housing Information System to rural Northern Ontario municipalities.
ROI Rural Housing Information System Northern Coordinator Zviko Gwekwerere says until now the Rural Housing Information System was only available in Eastern and Western Ontario so they're very happy to be sharing the program with the 145 northern municipalities. It's not unusual for several rural communities to be dealing with…
The OHL's J. Ross Robertson Trophy Spent Some Time In Goderich This Weekend
by Bob Montgomery
The R. Ross Robertson trophy is awarded to the OHL champions each year.
This year the London Knights swept Oshawa to win the OHL, and tradition dictates that each member of the winning team gets to take the trophy back to their hometown for a couple of days. And as it happens, Paulie O’Byrne is the mental health strategist for the Knights so he gets to bring the trophy home, and home for him is Goderich. He's a close friend of Goderich Mayor Trevor Bazinet, and he actually…
Paulie O’Byrne with the R. Ross Robertson Trophy
Weekly Trivia Questions
What was the name of the movie theatre which operated in Clinton from 1936 to 1959?
a) The Roxy
b) The Regent
c) The Lyric
d) The Lyceum
The 1837 Huron militia was dubbed by which name?
a) The King’s Own
b) The Huron Defenders
c) The Undaunted
d) The Bloody Useless
Answers to last week’s questions:
What Alberta premier was born near Kippen, Ontario and became the first Social Credit Premier in Canada?
a) Ralph Klein
b) William Aberhart*
c) Peter Lougheed
d) Rachel Notley
“Bridge End” place is known today by what name?
a) Bayfield
b) Goderich
c) Saltford*
d) Lower Wingham
Trivia questions provided by local author and historian David Yates.