> CCWN celebrates 50 Years of communnity service Pgs. 7-11 >Winter WineFest chilly, but fun Pg. 3 > Niagara College helps job-seekers Pg. 10 > Grimsby Chamber ED, Jinny Day, to retire Pg. 15 Thursday, January 18, 2018 Vol. 6 Issue 37
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OMB green lights 15-storey condo
Frosty bird search?
Alex Graham, left, and Deb Wood were among the hearty souls who helped with this year’s third annual Peach Tree Christmas bird count, conducted Tuesday Jan. 2. The Peach Tree district has its centre in Fulton and covers an area from east Stoney Creek to east Grimsby, through Smithville and to Caistor Centre in the southwest. For more information on the count, please turn to Page 6. Mackenzie - Photo
Defamation suit costs requested
By Mike Williscraft NewsNow While the Ontario Municipal Board’s presiding member, Richard Jones, agreed with some points in an appeal of a 15-storey condo building in Grimsby’s Winston Road corridor, their appeal of the project has been dismissed. The findings were released Dec. 27 but came to Grimsby Council Monday night. The hearing itself took place Oct. 30. In releasing his findings, Jones noted - among other things - that the appeal launched by residents Dorothy Bothwell and Adam Mottershead was credible, but provincial guidelines support the project moving ahead. “Although Ms. Bothwell did not testify, her questions of the planning witnesses made it abundantly clear that her chief concern involved the rapid growth of a designated GA neighbourhood despite the fact the neighbourhood was not well served with amenities and public services in her view; and its relative remoteness from the planned transportation hub at the Casablanca/Queen Elizabeth Way interchange which is more a 1.7 kms away, according See OMB, Page 5
Grimsby shelves support for NPCA disclosure By Mike Williscraft NewsNow For a second time, Grimsby Council side-stepped a contentious Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority matter Monday night. Ald. Dave Kadwell raised the matter of having the NPCA disclose its legal costs for its recent losing legal action against retired Air Force Major and activist Ed Smith. NPCA had sued Smith for defamation, but Judge James Ramsay dismissed the case and later
found that the NPCA should cover Smith’s $131,000 legal costs. Some Niagara municipalities and many regional officials have called for the NPCA to release the extent of its legal bills for the lawsuit. The City of St. Catharines voted in support of and issued a letter to municipalities and a host of officials requesting the release. The letter, which came up under Grimsby council’s correspondence, notes some aspects are privileged but the total of the bill is not.
“...Council request that the NPCA board disclose the total amounts spent on the lawsuits, including the suit by the NPCA’s then CAO, which the NPCA also funded...,” read the letter, which also noted the city contributes $1.7 million annually to the NPCA. Typically, council would simply receive documents for information but Kadwell asked that this letter be endorsed. “I know there are certain things they cannot say, but I would like to
see us endorse this,” said Kadwell. Ald. Nick DiFlavio also spoke in favour of the disclosure of costs. “It is complete. I asked one or two months ago, when it (the lawsuit) is complete, we should ask for disclosure,” said DiFlavio. “It will be a lot.” Mayor Bob Bentley disagreed. “You have to understand the governance of the NPCA,” said Bentley. “There are legal obligations under See NPCA, Page 2