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The Ayr News ~ Published by the Schmidt family since 1913 ~ North Dumfries • Blandford-Blenheim • Brant • East Zorra-Tavistock • Wilmot
Vol. 125 — No. 27
AYR, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, JuLY 6th, 2022
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Regional police automates its report updates
The Waterloo Regional Police Service has implemented a pilot project for SPIDR, new software that will automatically send updates to victims of crime or residents who have reported a crime. “Our communications centre receives nearly 800 9-1-1 calls every day,” said Chief Bryan Larkin. “By leveraging the SPIDR tech platform, we can reduce the amount of calls to our communications centre requesting police report updates.” Once a report is received, the person who completed the report will receive a customized text message with information about their report including confirmation that the report was received, the occurrence number, updates on officer arrival, as well as followup surveys to determine level of satisfaction with the service they received. Waterloo Regional Police is one of the first police services in Canada to implement SPIDR technology. It was created by a California-based company of former law enforcement officers to help improve comSCHOOL’S OUT FOR THE SUMMER - Riley Wright of Ayr Public munication, transparency and School is shown wearing her graduation cap after having a ball in service delivery to the public. Kindergarten this past school year.
MR. LUND GRADUATES AFTER 23 YEARS AT ST. BRIGID Lots of high-fives as students cheered along the red carpet at St. Brigid Catholic Elementary School in Ayr on Wednesday afternoon to thank teacher Brian Lund who is retiring after 23 years at the school. See story on page 3.
Residents opposed to Dance Pit expansion pack North Dumfries council chamber
By Irene Schmidt-Adeney To date, North Dumfries Council has received 113 letters opposed to the expansion of the CBM Dance Pit at 1107 Cedar Creek Road. At a public meeting on Tuesday, June 28, one of the largest gatherings in the past 10 years attended the council chamber both in person and virtually to voice their concerns. The ma-
jority of the opposition came from residents of Cambridge, some who would be 60 metres from the expansion. “This expansion will greatly affect the health and quality of life for my constituents,” said Cambridge Councillor Pam Wolfe. “They already experience noise and vibration from the existing pit.” Wolfe said that Cambridge
Council has passed two motions opposing the expansion of the pit, the latest one in November 2021. Cambridge has also sent a letter to the Ministry opposing the pit. She reminded council that Cambridge and North Dumfries Councils both sent a request for a moratorium on new aggregate applications in the spring.
“We request that CBM Aggregates honour the deed to that parcel of land and keep it agricultural,” said Wolfe. When the 45-hectare (111.19 acre) property on Cedar Creek Road was rezoned from agricultural for aggregate extraction in 1993, an agreement was made between the owner Hillcrest Farms (Donald Dance and Douglas Dance) and
the Township of North Dumfries that a kilometre-wide, 29-hectare (71.66-acre) strip of land to the west of the current pit and adjacent to the Cambridge residential area would always remain agricultural, acting as a buffer. In 1999, the agreement was updated to say that this buffer zone would be a condition of sale if the prop-
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