INSIDE THIS WEEK:
BONSPIEL - Pg. 3
SPORTS - Pg. 8
FESTIVAL - Pg. 23
Toronto team claims victory in Cottrills’ Wingham bonspiel
Seaforth Centenaires split weekend games
‘Christmas Carol’ opens for holiday season run
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Volume 35 No. 48
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Bridge spending approved By Denny Scott The Citizen
Going over the list After the Brussels Santa Claus parade on Saturday on a cool night in the village, everyone retired to the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre for some free skating, treats and a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Isla Fischer was one of the many youngsters who took time to go over their Christmas lists with the Clauses and receive a treat in
return. For those looking to get into the holiday spirit over the weekend, there was no shortage of opportunities. Whether it was the Brussels or Wingham Santa Claus parades or Londesborough’s Christmas in the Village, hosted by Nature’s Nest, you didn’t have to drive far for some Christmas cheer. (Darlene McCowan photo)
North Huron Councillor Chris Palmer presented two concerns with the ongoing operations of the Howson Bridge-Dam Committee during council’s Monday night meeting. The primary concern Palmer presented was that, in its preparation to start processing the information the committee had received, it was casting too broad a net for stakeholders to weigh in on the issue. The committee is seeking public input from stakeholders, which it wants to define as anyone who “is affected or believe that they are affected” by the decision regarding the dam. The issue came before council as the committee was seeking $750 in funds to advertise for a meeting for public feedback. Director of Public Works Sean McGhee said this was the next step in the workflow that was established for the organization earlier this year. The committee has brought in experts and consultants to discuss the issue and review historical documents regarding the dam, and next, they are looking to hear from stakeholders. Palmer said that he Continued on page 2
Brussels contractor pleads guilty, fined $150,000 By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Brussels contractor Kurtis Smith Excavating Inc. has been fined $150,000 in connection with an onsite incident in Listowel last year that resulted in the death of an employee. The information comes by way of the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development and the company was convicted on Nov. 26 in Stratford for the May 30, 2018 incident, which resulted in a worker’s death, pleading guilty to the charges at hand. In addition to
the $150,00 fine, the court also imposed a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge, which goes towards a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime. According to a court bulletin from the Government of Ontario, a worker was killed on a construction project at 45415 Perth Line 86, just west of Listowel, when a 1,600-pound bollard made of steel and cement fell into an excavation and struck the worker in question. The bulletin said the company failed to ensure the measures and procedures outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act
were followed, which resulted in Judge Katherine Stacy Neill’s finding of guilt. On May 30, 2018, the company’s employees were working on a project that consisted of, in part, grading a parking lot and reinstalling four metal bollards into a four-foot excavation to protect a wellhead. One worker was operating an excavator, according to the bulletin, with a bucket attachment and two other workers were involved in preparing the base of the excavation, however, at the time of the incident, only one worker was working in the excavation.
The bulletin states that while the first three bollards were lowered into the base of the excavation, the fourth could not be lowered while in the bucket because there was insufficient room in the excavation to allow the bucket to manoeuvre. A metal chain was then attached to the bucket to hoist the last bollard into the excavation with one end of the chain attached to the bucket and the other wrapped around the base of the bollard’s handle. The bollard slipped out of the chain wrapped around the handle and fell into the excavation and tipped over, striking and
killing the worker in question. After an investigation conducted by the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry concluded that the metal chain used to hoise the bollard was inappropriate for its intended use and not designed for hoisting. In addition, the hooks at the end of the chain were not equipped with a safety catch mechanism. The Ministry concluded that a nylon sling designed for hoisting should have been used for the operation and that furthermore, none of the workers involved had received hoisting or rigging training.
Blyth Santa Claus Parade ~ December 7th 11 a.m.
Last chance to see a Christmas Parade in Huron! • Maple Taffy • Selfie Station • Hot Dogs & Hamburgers Visit with Santa at the arena following the Parade for more fun!