WELLINGTON ADVERTISER THE
FREE PRESS ~ NEWS WEEKLY™
VOLUME 52 | ISSUE 36
WWW.WELLINGTONADVERTISER.COM
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019
Erin receives provincial approval for wastewater system By Phil Gravelle
and saying things about their own lives that were very vulnerable,” Linton said. “It was really clear that there is such a need for support and seeing the county getting together with the OPP, getting together with the CMHA, that’s what it’s going to take to bring some positive change in this area.” That’s Roberts’ goal. She began working on the strategy in January.
ERIN - After 13 years of emotional debate, studies of the West Credit River and unexplained delays, the Town of Erin has received unconditional provincial approval to develop a wastewater system. The town can now proceed with official plan revisions, a growth management strategy and engineering work on a system that could cost $118 million and allow the urban population to triple to 14,500 when fully complete. However, the town must convince senior levels of government to pay the bulk of the costs. Even with sufficient funding and no further delays, construction of sewers and a treatment plant is not expected to start until at least 2023. The Wastewater Environmental Assessment (EA) was mandated in 2006, effectively suspending all subdivision construction until Erin could find a way to get its urban residents off private septic systems. The EA actually started in 2009 and was completed in 2018 at a cost of more than $2 million, but was delayed for 15 months while the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks reviewed appeals from area citizens. On Aug. 30, the town was notified that environment minister Jeff Yurek has approved the EA without imposing any changes or requirements for further study. The ministry, along with Credit Valley Conservation, had closely monitored and set the standards for each phase of the study. “I am thrilled that the minister is satisfied with the completed assessment,” said Mayor Allan Alls. He has promised that the system will not be built unless it is affordable for existing residents, and that rural residents (who won’t get the service) will not have to pay for construction. “As we continue towards the next phase of our project, council remains dedicated to engaging with residents on ways to get involved,” said Alls. Ann Seymour of Belfountain,
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SEE WASTEWATER » 42
Fun with the OPP - The OPP West Region Family Day took place at the Palmerston fairgrounds on Sept. 2. Wellington County OPP Golden Helmet rider Melissa Tutin of the Aboyne station showed her two-year-old niece Isabella Tutin and seven-year-old nephew Jack Tutin an OPP motorcycle. Tutin is the only Wellington County officer on the Golden Helmets team. More photos on page 8. Photo by Jaime Myslik
County, OPP, CMHA partner on Here4Hope initiative By Jaime Myslik WELLINGTON COUNTY – The community has asked for help with suicide prevention and Wellington County is stepping up. What started out as a mental health discussion with TSN’s Jennifer Hedger and Michael Landsberg last November has ballooned into a county-wide initiative to address mental health – suicide in particular.
Wellington County OPP Inspector Scott Lawson, Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW) executive director Helen Fishburn and Wellington County Warden Kelly Linton were all part of that Here4Hope discussion. “They sort of made a commitment that night ... to stand up and say we’re going to take a leadership role in the issue of suicide in the community,” explained Cecilia
Marie Roberts, suicide prevention lead for CMHA WW and Wellington County. She was hired as a result of the Here4Hope event to head the “Here4Hope: Working Together to Prevent Suicide” initiative, a threeyear partnership between CMHA WW, Wellington County and the Wellington County OPP. “You saw youth there, you saw older people there and ... I was so floored at people just standing up
New Ontario Beef Research Centre unveiled near Elora By Aryn Strickland CENTRE WELLINGTON - The new Ontario Beef Research Centre on the 2nd Line near Elora officially opened on Aug. 28. The research centre was developed by the provincial government through the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario, in partnership with the Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) and the University of Guelph. It includes two 5,530 squaremetre research barns, houses about 750 cattle and provides 200 acres of land to produce feed.
“We have expanded modern research capacity that is going to allow us to conduct beef research in a real meaningful, integrated scale to address everything from environmental sustainability, forage productivity, genetics evaluation, animal health, animal welfare, food safety and beef quality,” BFO president Joe Hill explained. A longtime resident of Elora, Hill was instrumental in pushing for a new beef research centre as the previous research barns further along the 2nd Line were built in the 1970s.
“We have some aging research facilities that need to be replaced and that became a vision and it became a reality and it really turned into transforming beef research capacity in the province,” Hill said. The $15.5-million facility was paid for by the Ontario government and the BFO. Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Ernie Hardeman referenced Hill’s efforts and the importance of the beef industry’s contribution to the provincial economy. “Ontario’s beef industry is
known for its innovation and dedication,” said Hardeman. “This is because of our hardworking beef farmers and Beef Farmers of Ontario’s leadership. And it’s because we invest in important research like these buildings here.” He added, “It will give our farmers the latest research findings and technologies to help them become more efficient and grow their businesses. When businesses grow and innovate, the sector and our economy grows with it.” In early July, Hardeman was in Centre Wellington to announce a
swine research facility to be built west of the 2nd Line. Construction on the Ontario Beef Research Centre began in 2017. Researchers from the University of Guelph will lead research at the facility. According to vice president (research) Malcolm Campbell, much of the focus will be to help Canadian producers improve farming practices. “Research at this centre will have real tangible benefits for the beef industry. It will support producers in their day-to-day farm SEE NEW RESEARCH » 32
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