> Niagara West officials deliver key messages at Ottawa conference/ Pg 3 > Peach Festival packs ’em in Pg 10 > Learn woodcraft in Lincoln Pg 13 > 40-year fair volunteer ready for next week Pg 15 Thursday, August 29, 2019 Vol. 8 Issue 17
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A talent for bustin’ moves
Sarina MacKay of Smithville Dance Academy shows off her hiphop moves at ‘Caistorville’s Got Talent’ a free event hosted by the Caistor Public Library Aug. 17. Library members from all over the community came out to impress the community with their talents in dancing, singing and even stage magic. Marks - Photo
Biodigester sale clears major hurdle By Mike Williscraft NewsNow It was good news, bad news in the life that was for Grimsby’s energy companies. The good news, say council members, during a special meeting of council last Thursday those on hand unanimously approved the sale “in principle” of Grimsby Energy
Inc (GEI), which is the management company that oversees the longtroubled biodigester project. The “in principle” portion of the motion means there is still work to be done. For example, at Monday’s meeting of council a housekeeping item to waive half-load restrictions on Sobie Road
(home to the biodigester) east of Park in March and April was approved. This is to allow the shipping of digestate away from the site to keep the facility’s tanks clear and ready for operation. The buyer and value of the sale have not been made public. The goal of the sale has
been to get enough to cover a $4.5 million bank loan the Town co-signed for as well as the extra $300,000 the Town chipped in earlier this year to keep the place running while the sale process evolved. It has been well chronicled that, in all, the biodigester project is more than $18 million
in debt and has been losing money from the start. The motion approved by council states: “Be it resolved that council approves in principle the terms of sale of GEI and related companies. And council further endorses and authorizes the GEI Board to finalize a purchase/sale agreement.”
All in attendance, in a recorded vote, supported the motion - Mayor Jeff Jordan, Councillors Dorothy Bothwell, John Dunstall, Reg Freake, Dave Kadwell, Dave Sharpe, and Lianne Vardy Coun. Kevin Ritchie and Coun. Randy Vaine missed the meeting. There is no specific See SALE, Page 5