The Citizen - January 20, 2022

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THIS WEEK • Editorials • Babies of ’21 • Agriculture • Obituaries

Citizen

Huron County’s most trusted independent news source Volume 38 No. 3

Thursday, January 20, 2022

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Ag. Society hopes for Fall Fair in ’22

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

The great outdoors Two couples in Auburn have put their heads (and hard-working hands) together and constructed an outdoor community skating rink for the children of the neighbourhood, complete with lights strung over the ice surface. George and Lorna Oldreive and Brian and Juanita Hamp are to thank for the newest community attraction, being enjoyed here by, from left, Emily Oldreive, Hayley Seip, Zoey Smith, Bailey Hamp, Khady Ndiaye and Colton McPherson. (Lisa Boontoppel-Pot photo)

While there are still many details to be determined (and many factors out of members’ hands), the Brussels Agricultural Society is hoping to move forward with the Brussels Fall Fair this September for the first official fair in two years.

The organization held its annual general meeting on Sunday, virtually via Zoom, where planning for the annual event began. A number of decisions still need to be made and a subcommittee has been struck to offer the society options in the event that the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre is unavailable due to its extensive renovation and expansion project or further options are necessary due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the meeting began, the Brussels Fall Fair was scheduled for Sept. 13-14 with the theme of “Twist and Sprout”. However, there was a suggestion to move the fair to Sept. 20-21 to adhere to the society’s own scheduling traditions,

holding the fair on the third Tuesday and Wednesday of September. The 2022 Elementary School Fair in Belgrave, however, is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 21, and the fairs have always been careful not to clash with one another over the years to ensure local students are able to participate in both if they so choose.

Treasurer John Lowe suggested, however, perhaps shifting the fair’s parade to the Sunday prior to the fair, citing the success of the parades of the past two years, which were well attended, even without the traditional fair being held.

Several other society members voiced their support for Lowe’s suggestion, with Matt Cardiff saying that a long-term move to a weekend fair is something he wants to do, but was unsure if 2022 was the year to begin that process.

Monique Baan, however, said that the society would have to be careful not to clash with other fairs in the region, while President Zoellyn Onn said a weekend fair could clash with the local 4-H clubs that use Continued on page 18

M-T budget draft begins with 13.3% tax increase

By Denny Scott The Citizen Morris-Turnberry staff presented a first draft budget for 2022 with a 14.83 per cent levy increase on Monday which, due to almost no assessment increase, would mean a 13.32 per cent tax increase if approved.

The budget currently sits at $4,711,787, up $608,694 from the previous year, after the budget was reduced $47,733 over the course of the meeting, but did not include a $242,000 ask from North Huron to cover recreation costs, which is detailed below.

As a result of the changes, the budget would see an average single-family home in MorrisTurnberry, assessed at $226,031, an annual tax increase of approximately $236.80.

The original budget had an estimated increase of $257.21 on the same average residential property.

Both council and staff, however, agreed there was still a significant amount of work to do on the document, with council saying they would prefer a levy increase closer to the inflation rate, which was between four and five per cent at the end of 2021.

Treasurer Sean Brophy presented the first draft of the budget during a special meeting Monday morning, during which he called on other senior staff members to explain

some of the key projects and changes that had been included in the document.

Brophy explained, later in the meeting, that the tax rate increase is driven primarily by the fact that there is very little new assessment to generate taxes in the municipality. The “freeze” that has been placed on the regular fouryear assessment cycle performed by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) has made it so that municipalities with little new development will see the same numbers as previous years, Brophy said, meaning levy increases will result in higher tax increases. The only assessment changes, he said, were those driven by either new construction, renovations or changes in property use, which trigger a new valuation.

Despite those challenges, Brophy said the municipality needed to start budgeting for replacement of assets, requiring transfers to reserves across the board.

Brophy said those transfers would be easier to make this year because 2021 was a “decent year” for many departments, leaving them with surpluses due to increased revenue.

BELGRAVE WATER SYSTEM Users of the Belgrave water system will see an increase of 0.25 per cent this year as a result of new connections to the service. Brophy explained that, due to new users,

the cost and efficiencies realized were spread over more payers.

Councillor Jim Nelemans said that, with such a small amount, he would rather see the rate frozen for this year and wait for more users to join the system next year.

Public Works Director Mike Alcock said the change could be made by reducing the $60,000 transferred to reserves, however, staff suggested that amount should be kept consistent year-after-year to make sure funds are available for the future of the system.

“If council wants a rate freeze for 2022, we can come back with a revised amount,” Brophy said.

Deputy-Mayor Sharen Zinn disagreed with Nelemans, saying that a small increase this year is great, and should be implemented in case a larger one is needed next year. She also said building the reserves as much as possible is a wise course of action.

Councillor Jamie McCallum supported Nelemans, however, saying that there will be a number of new users joining the system due to the ongoing development in Belgrave that Morris-Turnberry is facilitating.

Zinn pointed out, however, that those connections weren’t yet official. Mayor Jamie Heffer agreed, saying a connection shouldn’t be considered part of the decision-making process until it’s completed. He also pointed out the

original increase was estimated to be 1.58 per cent, but that the new connections made a difference.

In a very close vote, Zinn, Heffer and Councillor Kevin Freiburger voted to include the 0.25 per cent user rate increase in the budget while McCallum and Nelemans voted against it.

LANDFILL AND WASTE DISPOSAL The landfill and waste disposal’s staff expenses had increased by $8,000, Alcock said, due to council making a part-time position fulltime at the landfill. He said the change is a positive one because, for many years, the part-time position had been a “revolving door”.

Alcock also explained that revenue from the landfill and its equipment was going to start being put into reserves. Previously, the funds had been used to offset the overall expenditures of the landfill and waste disposal budget.

However, the municipality needed to start planning for the replacement of equipment like its aging packer and trucks. The reserve wouldn’t be dedicated to equipment, Alcock said, but would be “earmarked” for such projects.

As part of the 2022 budget, $50,000 was being put in reserves for such purposes, as he pointed out the municipality’s packer, which is 27 years old, will likely need replacement eventually and,

currently, even used packers cost $500,000.

The funds for that transfer are partly paid for by the revenue brought in at the landfills, which in 2021 was far more than anticipated.

Wheelie-bin user fees will also be increased, Alcock said, in an attempt to make the service as close to user-pay as possible.

Finally, Alcock said the new weigh station structure that was built at the landfill in 2020 has started paying dividends already, with electricity costs reducing from $2,600 in 2019, the last full year they had the previous structure at the site, to less than $1,750 in 2021.

He said that, at that rate, the electricity savings alone would pay off the building in 20 years.

ROADS BUDGET Despite the desire to cut approximately 10 per cent of the 14 per cent levy increase, MorrisTurnberry Council gave pre-budget approval to several expensive road projects during Monday’s meeting.

While operational expenses were mostly status quo, Alcock said that there were three projects he felt the municipality should consider for pre-budget approval, including a $500,000 culvert replacement and over $600,000 in paving work.

Alcock suggested that Glenannon Road from County Road 4 to two kilometres east of the intersection of Jeffray Road should be Continued on page 2

PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022.

Keeping cool Edyn, Blake and Bentley Beyersbergen opted for the sled as a mode of transportation over the weekend, thanks to all of the snow in the area. (Photo submitted)

Budget talks begin Continued from page 1 resurfaced at a cost of $150,000, saying the road was last treated six years ago, which is the traditional lifespan of surface treatment.

He also suggested that Clyde Line should be paved from Morris Road to St. Michaels Road, totalling 4.1 kilometres at a cost of $460,000.

He said he was suggesting paving with hot-mix asphalt instead of surface treatment because Clyde Line has become a busy road due to several factors, including nearby gravel pits. He also said the speed that people travel on the road plays a factor in the length of time the pavement lasts.

He said it was important to pursue the job because the surface treatment at the intersection of St. Michaels Road and Clyde Line, and the surrounding area, had only lasted two of its expected six years.

“Something needs to be done there,” he said. “If we don’t tie it into a larger project, we will pay a premium to fix it.”

He said there were significant ruts caused from use on the road and it was in need of repair.

While council initially deferred discussion on the above projects until the end of the meeting, they passed pre-budget approval motions for both, despite concerns over the cost. When the discussion of deferring the work came up, council members said they wouldn’t save any money in the long run and the project would likely would end up costing more.

Finally council gave pre-approval to a culvert replacement on McCall Line with an estimated cost of $500,000.

Alcock said work was continuing on the new bridge at Abraham Line, which was primarily funded through a provincial grant. He also suggested the municipality partner with North Huron on the purchase of a new two-way radio system that the Fire Department of North Huron and North Huron’s Public Works Department would be using.

He explained the system would improve the usability of the radio system by utilizing microwaves. He also said that Morris-Turnberry’s share of the project, an estimated $120,000, would be 75 per cent covered by a grant MorrisTurnberry had received. He said North Huron was waiting to hear back on its own grant application before going ahead with the project.

Finally, Alcock had suggested the municipality purchase a new-tothe-department roller/packer for its road grader, saying the existing unit, a home-made unit made from

a modified field packer, was getting difficult to maintain.

“It uses tires that, at the time, were on school buses,” he said.

“They have been very difficult to come by recently. For years, we’ve been scavenging them from a landfill and anywhere else.”

While the budget had $20,000 set aside for the unit, Alcock said he had found a used unit that could be purchased and modified to fit the municipality’s grader for $10,000.

Council approved pre-budget approval for the unit with Zinn voting against it.

As far as the few operational notes in the roads budget, Alcock suggested increasing the treecutting budgets to deal with a significant number of ash trees remaining and noted that, while the gravel cost is much higher than the previous year, that’s in part due to the municipality’s rotating biennial gravel program, which sees different parts of the municipality serviced each year.

“Even-numbered years [see] a higher quantity of gravel applied than odd-numbered years,” he said.

He explained that a fair comparator for this year’s budget, which includes $450,000 in gravel applications, would be 2020 when it was $396,855.49. In 2021, the total was $390,956.26.

Alcock explained that despite the more-than $50,000 difference, there was actually 10 per cent less gravel being applied this year. The increase was due to a significant increase of unit value, he said.

Alcock also outlined numerous contributions to reserves that were important, he said, including $200,000 to a bridge reserve and $150,000 to equipment reserves.

GENERAL GOVERNMENT General government expenses, which include council and board meetings, were predictably down in 2021, Brophy said, as a result of COVID-19. He said, when he started the 2022 budget process, he expected the year to be back to normal, however that hadn’t happened, so there may be similar savings next year.

Brophy said he had included $1,500 per council member for new computer equipment, and that new staff positions had been added over the year, so there were increased costs and benefits as a result.

He also said that the municipality had put aside $40,000 for legal expenses, partially in preparation for cross-border servicing negotiation, but as no legal situation arose there, he had adjusted this year’s budget Continued on page 3

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By the barrelful Glimpses of the Past with Karen Webster In the course of researching the salt industry in Huron County for my Jan. 6 column, I became aware that cooperage, or the making of barrels, was an important part of the story. Many industries were intertwined as we see in the fact that the manufacture of salt, growing of apples and milling of flour were all reliant on the production of barrels to ship these products.

The term used for the making of barrels is cooperage, a word derived from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German kupe which means cask. A cooper is one who makes barrels.

There are two forms of cooperage; slack and tight. The slack type was used for the shipping of dry materials, such as flour, salt, lime, dried fish, fruit such as apples and vegetables such as potatoes.

Tight barrels were, and still are, used for the transport of liquids, such as wine or other spirits.

The shape of barrels with the

bulge, or bilge, in the centre has purpose, as this shape gives them their strength. As well, the bulge in the centre allows one person to roll and maneouver the barrel. These barrels were heavy, as they could contain 300 pounds of product. For hundreds of years, up to the early 20th century, barrels were the most common and best way to transport goods.

Barrels are made of staves, the long curved pieces of wood that make up the sides, the heading which is the top of the barrel and the hoops, the circular fasteners of wood, metal or wire that hold the staves together. Each of the components is designed in a way to fit together well to keep their contents intact.

Laura Ament Kidd (1898-1980) gave an excellent description of the making of barrel components in her recollections of the woodworking factory of her father, Philip Ament, in “Slabtown” as recorded in the June 28, 1972 Brussels Post.

Although barrels had been made in this facility at one time, later only the components were and they then would be shipped to cooperages.

She recalled that staves were made from lengths of wood that would be cut into narrow slats and then steamed on large racks to make them curl. The headers, or tops of the barrels, were made of basswood that had been dried outdoors for three months. After that, the wood would be cured in a kiln. After the bark had been stripped off, three or four boards, the size of the top of a barrel, would be set in a frame and then the man called a turner would cut the round heads. Any waste scraps were used to fuel the furnace.

The barrels made in Huron County were of the slack type and manufactured from such woods as elm, spruce, basswood and birch.

The sheer numbers of barrels produced is staggering. In 1876, The Huron Signal reported that Mr. P. Kelly had hired two more

Continued from page 2 by dropping it to $30,000.

He also said the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) levy had come through and MorrisTurnberry’s share was $85,765, $7,000 more than the previous year.

Zinn said that kind of increase was unacceptable.

“I understand we have to support [the authority],” she said.

“However, between 2019 and 2020 it went up $7,000, 2020 to 2021 it went up $5,000, and now it’s going up another $7,000,” she said. “I don’t see how they can justify it.”

She said no other organization could continually increase their budget by between eight and 10 per cent and have council agree with it.

“I have a real problem with the way they do things,” she said.

“Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Heffer said, in the past, MorrisTurnberry Council has voted against the budget, but all that does is send a message as a protest vote when every other representative municipality approves it.

“Beyond that, there’s little we can do,” he said.

Nelemans defended the organization, saying the provincial government expects more and more out of the authority, but gives it less and less funding.

Zinn said municipalities are afflicted by the same problem, adding she doesn’t think council should pass $7,000 more on to the taxpayers.

Councillor Kevin Freiburger, Morris-Turnberry’s representative on the MVCA board, said that funds for the authority have been cut dramatically and that there are increased expectations with a new rearrangement of core services and bureaucratic work.

“That comes with a cost,” he said, adding that staff haven’t had any “grid movements” or pay raises based on performance, for a number of years to help with the budget. “They do run a tight ship.”

GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIP Morris-Turnberry Council took a stand on grants during the meeting, clawing back nearly $60,000 in requested grants from the budget.

The move, which saw a $50,000

request from Huron Hospice, a $5,000 request from the United Way and a $2,000 request from the North Huron Community Food Share all removed from the budget, was spurred by Zinn, but was agreed upon by every council member. Councillors also discussed rescinding support for the Huron County Manufacturer’s Association annual gala event, however Chief Administrative Officer Trevor Hallam said this year’s event may be virtual, so council may be looking at a different situation than anticipated.

“We’ve always [made] the same donations all along,” Zinn said, before focusing on the gala event.

“I’m not sure we need to buy a whole table for us all to go.”

She went on to say her understanding of municipal spending is that it should focus on roads, water, garbage collection and other essential services.

“If taxpayers have money, they can donate,” she said. “They may not agree with our chosen causes.

It’s their money we’re spending here.”

She said this year taxes will increase and people are already experiencing money troubles, so it’s a good time for council to put its foot down on some of the requests.

Nelemans agreed, pointing to the $50,000 Huron Hospice ask.

“I agree with Sharen, I don’t think we five people should decide [whether or not] $50,000 should be donated,” he said. “I feel the same about the United Way. That should be up to individual donations.”

Both agreed that the organizations are worthwhile and said they would individually support them, but tax dollars should be spent on municipal projects.

Each member of council agreed, and gave staff direction to remove the three requests from the grant budget, and also asked Hallam to investigate what form the Huron Manufacturer’s Association gala would take this year so a decision could be made on that.

RECREATION Morris-Turnberry is asking for more research on recreation requests made by North Huron

Council and the Belmore Arena Board before agreeing to any kind of funding.

North Huron Council, in a letter to Morris-Turnberry, requested $242,000 in funding to offset the cost of running community centres in Blyth and Wingham that MorrisTurnberry residents benefit from, but do not pay taxes towards.

According to the letter, penned by North Huron Clerk Carson Lamb, the overall deficit for the North Huron Wescast Community Complex in Wingham and the Blyth and District Community Centre is $1,100,000 annually and usage of the facilities by Morris-Turnberry residents accounts for 22 per cent of overall use, resulting in the request of $242,000.

Zinn said she would like North Huron to provide more documentation to show how they decided 22 per cent of overall use was by Morris-Turnberry users before council made a decision on the issue.

“We have gone from $95,000 to $250,282 [and] that’s just recreation, not cemeteries,” she said. “I’m not sure how they’re coming up with that.”

Other council members agreed before asking for more information from North Huron. They also asked for more information on a situation with the Belmore Arena Board which had asked for funding from Howick Council, which, in turn, asked its partner municipalities of Morris-Turnberry and South Bruce to help cover deficits at the centre caused by COVID-19. Nelemans said he understood there was some confusion about COVID-19 funding in Howick and asked staff to investigate before council made a decision.

Morris-Turnberry Council was also told that Huron East was changing how its community centres’ annual deficits were being handled, and that Morris-Turnberry owed $44,000 of the $222,000 accumulated deficit of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre (BMGCC) based on current agreements.

Brophy explained that the cost would be split over three years starting in 2023 and that, after the

coopers to help keep up with the demand for flour barrels. The Clinton New Era noted that W. J. Thomas of the cooperage of John Atkins in Goderich was able to make 52 barrels in eight hours in 1881. W. H. McElroy in Blyth made over 3,000 barrels for local farmers to use for their apple crop in 1886.

Mr. McElroy employed six to seven coopers during the year of 1896. In 1892, 23,000 barrels, just of apples, had been shipped from the Blyth train station. In Auburn alone, in 1907, the cooperage there put out between 11,000 and 12,000 barrels.

In 1909, 4,000 barrels were made

by William Ament and were sold for 38 cents a piece.

Huron County rallied behind their troops in World War I in 1914 and organized a large shipment of supplies overseas. There were 5,131 barrels, purchased from various cooperages at a cost of 45 cents each, used for this endeavour.

The demand for apple barrels ceased in the winter of 1934 after a severe cold spell ruined many of the fine large orchards that once graced area farms. Once the local farms were cleared for cultivation, the supply of lumber for area cooperages was much diminished.

Also factoring into the decline of cooperages was the advent of new

Recreation research necessary: MT

three years, the payments would drop and level out, but include the annual accumulated deficit.

He suggested council put $40,000 in a recreation reserve in anticipation of the increased cost to help cover the three-year payment plan.

Nelemans asked why that amount of debt had been allowed to accumulate, and Brophy explained it was a previously acceptable way of budgeting that needed to be changed.

Zinn asked if more information could be made available to Morris Turnberry regarding activities at the BMGCC, saying that monthly or bi-monthly reports would help council know what the funds are going towards.

“It just seems to me we get these bills handed to us without any real information along with them,” she said.

Council directed staff to bring back the next draft of the budget with the suggested changes. The next budget meeting for the municipality is yet to be scheduled.

ways of shipping goods.

Most villages and towns had one and sometimes more cooperages.

The names and locations of many, but not all, of these cooperages have been preserved through the years: Auburn, John Cullis and later James Young (south of the grist mill, along the river) W. T. Riddell; Blyth, W. H. McElroy (west side of Queen Street, south of King Street), N. H. Young, Patrick Kelly (located east end of Dinsley Street, near the salt works); Brussels, McGregor, George Edwards, John McDonald, Philip Ament (north end of village); Clinton, Ransford Brothers, William Simmons (corner of Mary and Isaac Streets); Goderich; John Lewis Aitkin, Peter McEwan; Lucknow, Charles Edward; Seaforth, A Cromwell, Gray, Young and Sparling Company, O. G. Anderson and Company, Philip Volmar, Coleman and Gouinlock, P. Klinghammer, William and Philip Ament; Wingham, J.J. Anderson, Wat Taylor. In addition, cooperages were also in Wroxeter and Egmondville.

I had a personal interest in this topic because my great-great grandfather was a cooper who emigrated from Scotland in the early 1840s to settle near Auburn.

With him, he brought a trunk full of tools and with these built a log home. That home stood the test of time, housing several families throughout the years, until it was destroyed by fire in 2021.

Information gleaned from the Huron County Library and Museum Digital Newspaper collection and the resources of the Blyth Repository of History.

REPRINTS OF PHOTOS

taken by Citizen photographers are available to purchase.

ALL ARE IN COLOUR 4x6 - $5.00 5x7 - $6.00 8x10 - $10.00 Phone to order ~ 519-523-4792 or 519-887-9114

Cheap and easy work (J.C. Ryle, “The Gospel of Luke”1858) “And you cannot be My disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow Me.” Luke 14:27 It costs something to be a true Christian!

Let that never be forgotten.

To be a ‘mere nominal Christian’, and go to church — is cheap and easy work.

But to hear Christ’s voice, and follow Christ, and believe in Christ, and confess Christ, requires much self-denial.

It will cost us... our sins, our self-righteousness, our ease, our worldliness.

All — all must be given up. Our Lord Jesus Christ would have thoroughly understand this. He bids us to ‘count the cost.”

“So no one can become My disciple without giving up everything for Me.” Luke 14:33 A Grace Gem Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church, Listowel, ON 519-492-1359

PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022.

Editorials & Opinions

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A truth sandwich As former U.S. President Donald Trump eyes a run at the next presidential election in 2024, the American press finds itself walking a tightrope with its coverage when interviewing candidates who have their own version of the truth, balancing the need to provide its audience with the information they need to make decisions while minimizing the misinformation that is being spread, especially about the 2020 election.

By allowing Trump and his Republican cronies to repeat their lies about election fraud, the media risks lending credibility to the propaganda, though ignoring the situation is impossible, as the party looks as if it plans to use it as its main election platform.

Last week, National Public Radio (NPR’s) Steve Inskeep demonstrated how the media can combat Trump and his proverbial “word salad” in a deft interview that has been referred to as “a truth sandwich”. By prefacing the taped interview with background information and excerpts from the court challenges, he reminded viewers how Trump’s version of the election is at odds with the reality of the situation. When faced with a tough line of questions, Trump unceremoniously ended the interview after nine of the scheduled 15 minutes, but because the interview was taped, Inskeep was able to include a wrap segment that added further context to the lies that Trump had insisted on repeating. It served as an excellent illustration of how the media’s role is to provide the context for people to understand when politicians are bending the truth or lying outright for political gain. – DS

The man with(out) a plan Despite some of Canada’s premiers diverging greatly when it comes to the concept of taxation without vaccination, one thing that is clear is that no one, regardless of which side they’re on, seems to have a plan.

This became a talking point when Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced his intention to tax the unvaccinated, saying that, despite being just 10 per cent of the population, they comprise roughly half of the province’s intensive care unit (ICU) cases of COVID-19.

The announcement resulted in a rush of vaccination appointments.

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé called the news “encouraging” while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has held the announcement and the resulting rush for jabs up as proof that vaccine mandates work.

Experts have said the province is within its rights to impose such a tax, but Legault’s government has yet to get very specific.

Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has poo-pooed such a tax.

Ford says his government will continue to encourage vaccination, despite the possibility of the healthcare system being overwhelmed; direction that falls well short of Legault’s chutzpah-rich approach and even that of a strongly-worded e-mail, essentially hoping to do the same thing he’s done for a year and expecting different results.

If Legault’s plan is to be successful, he’ll need a lot more in the details department. Meanwhile, the ineffective, yet surprisingly popular “do-nothing” approach taken by Ford and Kenney doesn’t quite constitute a plan either. If these premiers want to lead their people out of the most concerning wave of the pandemic yet, they will need a well-thought-out plan, regardless of their political leanings. – SL

Trust and communication In this week’s issue of The Citizen, Morris-Turnberry Council laments feeling disconnected from the multi-million dollar Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre renovation project. However, this whole project could use a bit more trust and communication.

It’s easy to see why Morris-Turnberry Councillor Jim Nelemans, and his fellow council members, felt left out when they read in The Citizen that Huron East had hired a fundraising firm for the project without the former being given any notice. It likely could have been avoided, had Huron East Council or the committees involved reached out to MorrisTurnberry Council members as a courtesy. That said, some of the onus is on Morris-Turnberry Council to be involved. There are two separate committees for the project, three if you include the long-established Brussels, Morris and Grey Recreation Committee. The fact that MorrisTurnberry Council has no members on the two project committees points to a glaring hole in its involvement; one council could easily resolve.

At the same time, the funding for the hire would be fully based on fundraising, meaning there is no financial impact on Morris-Turnberry.

Aside from that, Morris-Turnberry Council has been reticent to commit to the project as the centre is located in Huron East, which is responsible for 80 per cent of any municipal costs. Given those numbers, one could understand Huron East Council moving ahead without running every single aspect by Morris-Turnberry Council.

While it’s easy for Morris-Turnberry Council members to say Huron East isn’t being respectful of their involvement, there are steps both sides could take to remedy that, and complaining about it without making an effort to be involved won’t solve anything. – JDS

Looking Back Through the Years January 21, 1965 The 1965 inaugural meeting of Brussels Village Council was held on Jan. 11 with new members I.G. Campbell and H.J. TenPas sitting for their first meetings.

The meeting began with all councillors taking the declaration of office and a special address by Rev. Jennings of St. John’s Anglican Church, who commended council for its work in the past and offered some words of encouragement for the future.

The Brussels Midget hockey team defeated Stone School on Jan. 13 by a score of 6-5. David Gowing led the scoring with two goals, while Dave Huether, John Rock, Dean Gibson and Gerald Snell all contributed single goals.

The team then went on to defeat Ripley on Jan. 15 by a score of 8-1.

David Gowing and John Rock both scored two goals each, with David Huether, Brian Huether, Jerry Johnston and Neil Gowing all scoring single goals.

January 22, 1975 Despite starting just his second two-year term as Blyth Reeve, Robbie Lawrie had been named the chair of the Huron County Executive Committee, one of the most important committees of Huron County Council. PastWarden and Morris Township Reeve William Elston was also set to serve on the committee.

The Huron Power Plant Committee, comprised of 18 farm commodity groups and several local civic groups, presented to the provincial cabinet during a special session held in London and its message was clear: the proposed atomic power generating station in Huron County was not in the best interests of county residents.

Adrian Vos of Blyth, the chair of the committee, told the cabinet that, because the county’s base was 90 per cent agricultural, development needed to be supportive of the county’s main industry. He added that the group wasn’t intending to debate the need for electricity in the province, but rather dispute the proposed plant locations, mainly the “Central Huron Plant”.

January 22, 1997 Not only did the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority present municipalities with a 1997 budget that included a two per cent decrease from the previous year, but the organization also slashed the size of its board of directors.

It was a 32-member board of directors that made the decision on the year’s budget, but later in the Authority’s annual general meeting, a new 12-member board was approved.

Stage Door on the Net handed out its first-ever round of Stage Door Johnnies awards and the Blyth Festival claimed three of the 20 honours presented. The awards were given to outstanding theatres for their 1995/1996 winter seasons or their 1996 summer seasons.

The Festival’s three awards were: Best Actress in a Drama for Wanda Graham in Mabelle Mabel, Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for Rustey Davenport in Fireworks and Best New Play, also for Fireworks, penned by Gordon Portman.

Bev Stevenson of Ethel was part of a group of Ontarians working in Texas with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources to help Texas fight an epidemic of rabies among the state’s coyote and gray fox populations.

Blyth Festival Artistic Director

Janet Amos was set to step into the national spotlight, taking part in an episode of Adrienne Clarkson Presents on CBC-TV where she was set to direct a workshop and conduct a reading of The Heart As It Lived by Mansel Robinson.

January 19, 2012 North Huron became the third Huron County municipality to commit to the appeal of Justice Kelly-Anne Gorman’s decision regarding the composition of Huron County Council.

North Huron Councillor Brock Vodden said he was strongly in favour of joining the appeal, adding that he felt the municipality needed more representation at the Huron County Council level, not less.

Alan and Laurie Willits were safe and travelling again after the cruise ship they were aboard, the Costa Concordia ran aground after entering an area of water populated with reefs and rocks off the coast of Giglio Island in Italy, flipping the ship on its side and ripping a 50metre hole in the ship’s hull.

At the time, at least 11 people had been confirmed dead and over 25 were still missing as a result of the incident, but the RR1, Wingham couple was not among them. The Willitses were able to get off the ship safely, despite losing their luggage, including their passports, spending some time on the shore before being able to proceed with the rest of their vacation.

The Huron County Beef Producers held their annual meeting and Bob Bennett was named the president of the organization, taking over for Matt McCall. The group didn’t yet have a vice-president, but Bennett was hopeful he would have the position filled soon.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022. PAGE 5.

Other Views

Has education improved us?

S

o the kids finally went back to school on Monday – at least the kids in our area who weren’t impacted by that day’s storm in central and eastern Ontario. Many nervous parents are hoping it’s the right thing to do.

Certainly, for what has become the norm – families where both parents work outside the home – kids being back in class makes life simpler, unless there are mass outbreaks of COVID-19 in the schools that have reopened.

But parents who have had to stay home to supervise their children’s education on computer screens are, on one hand, relieved schooling is no longer their responsibility, but on the other hand, worried about whether being in classrooms near others who may be infected by the highly-infectious Omicron variant is the best place for their child.

Many experts cheer this return to normal for kids, saying they have suffered because of the isolation that kids have experienced through learning at home. For some, I’m sure this is true, but I’m sure this reality is not so absolute.

I know whereof I speak.

I was in Grade 5 when I spent three months at home from school with rheumatic fever – a disease unknown today to most Canadians, killed off by more rapid use of drugs like penicillin. My infection was among the last suffered by kids in those days. I had a fever and sore joints in the fall, was diagnosed by a sharp family doctor and was sent to bed, because in those days before medicare, my family couldn’t afford for me to stay in the hospital.

If we were handicapped by the lack of universal healthcare, I was blessed by the fact that in those days, it was normal for the mother to stay home. My bed was moved to a corner of the living room so my mother, who’d one leg

Keith Roulston From the cluttered desk amputated, did not have to run up and down stairs every time I called for something (which I suspect was more frequent than I’d appreciate as an adult).

My mother also had to take on my education. Using lessons sent home by my Grade 5 teacher, she kept me up to date with my classmates – only it was easier. My teacher would send home, say, 25 long-division questions. My mother would give me five and if I demonstrated I understood the concept, she skipped the other 20.

Although I missed being with my friends, I didn’t miss school where I was a shy kid who was teased a lot. I did miss a winter’s hockey in the local house league and never caught up with others of my age. And it turned out I had a weakened valve in my heart that I recently had to have replaced with an artificial valve.

One thing that’s changed since those days is parents’ faith in the medical professionals. I read recently that in Ontario, 13 per cent of the population is unvaccinated for COVID-19, yet the unvaccinated made up 70 per cent of the patients in hospitals.

I was young, so may have missed something, but I don’t recall such skepticism, for instance, when Dr. Jonas Salk invented a vaccine in the early 1950s to prevent the deadly disease, polio. Jill, my wife, recently reread Before the Age of Miracles, the autobiography

of my childhood doctor William Victor Johnston, who later retired to Lucknow after being founding director of the College of Family Physicians of Canada in the 1950s. In his book, Dr. Johnston gives a table of the cases of polio in Ontario from 1920 to 1960. Cases of this literally crippling disease ranged from a low of 51 in 1927 to a high of 2,544 in 1937. One of our family suffered from the disease in a bad outbreak in the early 1950s. Yet the disease literally disappeared after kids were vaccinated.

Though there were fewer deaths from polio than COVID-19 (currently 31,500 in Canada), authorities had less qualms in using schools as part of the solution in the 1950s. I remember vaccines being administered to students in schools when the polio vaccines became available. Perhaps because of fear of antivaccine demonstrations, I suspect, we’ve avoided giving COVID shots in school, even though we could immunize more of the population faster if we did it there. Meanwhile our hospitals are overwhelmed.

I hope I don’t have any illness that requires hospitalization in the current situation.

Even people in need of heart surgery have been told they have to wait – because hospitals are filled up, staffs are diminished and doctors and nurses are worn out by treating the pandemic.

I’m torn. On one hand, I agree with personal choice when deciding whether or not to get vaccinated. On the other hand, if they do get COVID, the non-believers are still going to hospital – and are bumping out others whose lives are endangered.

Sometimes I can’t help thinking my parents, uneducated by modern standards, were farther ahead than today’s generation.

A bunch of no-win propositions

F

or the better part of two full years, as a county, a province and a country we’ve watched as the world has faced increasingly more difficult situations as part of the COVID-19 pandemic, and watched and weighed the decisions of experts and politicians throughout that time and the only certainty, looking back on it all, is that there were no easy decisions.

Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have both found themselves targeted by their opponents for following the science and targeted for not following the science closely enough (though the former far more often than the latter).

All in all, there have been a lot of no-win propositions for our leaders. However, as we approach yet another tough decision - whether students should be physically back in class I’m struck by the fact that, from my spot here in the den, this should be one of the easiest decisions of the pandemic: No, children should not be in class right now.

I know I’m fortunate in that I can work from home. My family is lucky because I can make sure my daughter is in her online classes nurturing her budding reading, writing, music and math skills and I’m thankful for that. However, even if that weren’t the case, even if we had to dig into our savings or credit to get through it, I would be making the same argument. It doesn’t make sense to send students back and that’s from every single standpoint except the one about student development and mental health.

Mental health and development are important, but they aren’t a bulwark against infection. All my childhood I was told, “You’ll be fine, kids are resilient” whenever I faced problems and, being a somewhat-welladjusted individual, I’m tempted to say there is some wisdom in that. Students will recover

Denny Scott Denny’s Den and will make up lost ground when they return to school. However, they may not recover from the “long COVID-19” issues if they do happen to contract the virus. Beyond that, we’re playing with students’ lives. As has been shown in the last month with two young COVID-19-linked fatalities in the province, while young people are less prone to serious issues from COVID-19, they are far from invincible.

However, even putting aside those issues, there are plenty of reasons that students shouldn’t be in school, from contagion concerns to staffing issues and absenteeism and finally, and most importantly if you listen to the experts, to a healthcare system concern.

Let’s deal with that last one first, because, if you listen to the experts, what we’re trying to do with these lockdowns is protect our frayed healthcare system by limiting the number of people who need hospitalization.

Nothing happens in a vacuum, so sending children back to school will impact everything connected to school. If one case of COVID-19 gets into the school, from how terrifyingly transmissible this Omicron variant is, we’ll likely be looking at dozens, if not hundreds of exposures as a result. Between their family members, these students will be spreading the disease beyond the school and, while students are less likely to need hospitalization and/or an ICU bed, the same can’t be said for their parents and grandparents.

Then you also have the staff, who will be at

risk, alongside their own families, and, if their children attend another school, their peers and their peer’s families. As Premier Doug Ford said when he announced remote learning earlier this month, one per cent of cases requiring hospitalization may seem small until you’re dealing with hundreds of thousands of cases on a weekly basis.

So, to protect our healthcare system, students need to continue remote learning.

We’ll also undoubtedly see staffing issues at the schools due to COVID-19, which will lead to substitute teachers being needed, which creates even more opportunity for exposure so, for that reason, remote learning should probably keep going.

Finally, there’s the fact that, with how transmissible we’re told the Omicron variant is, many students and their families are going to end up at home in isolation for the better part of two weeks anyway, so why not wait until numbers have come down? I mean, heck, we can’t even test everyone now, so how are parents going to know if it's safe to send their children to school?

While there have been a number of difficult decisions to make during this pandemic, I don’t believe this is one of them. For better or worse, our healthcare system, students and their families will be better off under remote learning.

Final Thought Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all.

– Emily Dickinson

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

Living in the now

T

wo weeks ago, I wrote a column about focusing on the good things in life and not dwelling on the negatives. Speaking of those cheesy wooden quote signs (which I mentioned in that column and my mother loves, by the way) there’s a quote about the attitude mentioned above that would be a prime candidate for an eternal home on wood.

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,” is a quote that has been attached to Dr. Seuss, but there’s no credible evidence to back up that claim. Like so many other quotes, its original author may never be known. But, it’s a sentiment that has been kicked around for generations. In recent years, it’s really been co-opted when speaking about people’s deaths. This kind of thinking has been behind the shift to “celebrations of life” versus traditional funeral or memorial services; the idea that someone’s final ceremony should be one that highlights a person’s legacy on earth, honouring all they meant to their friends and family, rather than a morose “mopefest” full of tears and room-temperature sandwiches.

Though she certainly loves her books, my daughter Tallulah isn’t quite old enough to read on her own just yet, so she hasn’t read my column from two weeks back. (Perhaps it’s wishful thinking that, once she can read, the first thing she’ll reach for will be her old man’s column in The Citizen, but a guy can dream.)

Anyway, she could stand to learn a thing or two from it, namely living the good times to the fullest, rather than focusing on the bad times, or in this case, the end of a good time.

In the last few weeks, Tallulah has learned some basic counting. She can hold up a few fingers and have a general idea of what they mean, usually in the context of how many bites of dinner, fruit, cookies, etc., she has left to eat. The big three, so far, are five (a full hand, which, to her, means a lot), two (one single finger up on each hand, meaning less than a lot, but not quite done yet) and one (one single finger meaning one more, which translates to almost done, mainly because her parents often cave and give her more of what she likes, even after the ominous “one more” warning).

Two things Tallulah really likes to do right now are to have a bath and to read stories with her parents. So, she’s incorporated her new counting skills into those activities. For example, if we read through a book she likes, she’ll ask us to read it one more time. In the bath, when her toes start getting a bit wrinkly and the water begins to cool, we’ll tell her that she has five more minutes, and I’ll set a timer on my phone. All sounds great, right?

Well, it does and it doesn’t. While it’s great that Tallulah is understanding her numbers and, in a way, the concept of time, she often spends that time lamenting that it’s the last goround for something she likes.

After she finishes reading a book with Jess, and I sit on the floor next to the rocking chair, Tallulah will ask to read it one more time.

However, after Jess starts, on every page, Tallulah will look over at me and flash the one finger up sign (not that one, or not yet, anyway), telling me there’s one more time.

She’s so busy telling me that it’s the last time that she misses Jess reading half of the book.

It’s the same in the bath. When we tell her she has five minutes left and I set the timer, instead of playing with her toys or splashing in the water, more often than not she spends the last five minutes of her bath holding up five fingers and looking at us both, telling us that she has five minutes left in her bath.

I’m sure Tallulah will learn this one day, but be sure to enjoy what’s in front of you.

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022.

Lowe recognized for time as councillor A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231

Winter fun Parker and Iris Pipe enjoyed some time outside recently, taking in the wonderful winter weather that Huron County has had in recent weeks. Send your outdoor photos to reporter@northhuron.on.ca to see them in print. (Photo submitted)

At the Branch

Branch prepares for new ‘Ace’

January is moving along as quickly as the COVID-19 pandemic. Things seem to be going alright, then they aren’t, and everything changes again. It is so tempting to just stay away from everyone. Viral news and the day or date can get pretty blurry at times.

Oh my! Big breath, keep sensible and safe. As much as we’re tired of isolating and being restricted, we need to keep listening and be public health-wise for a bit yet.

This too shall pass. The past two years have offered a learning curve for everyone. Human behaviour, microbiology, techniques for masking and handwashing are just a few of the things we have learned and hopefully understand. We are living in a very different world from 2020 and we need to remember that we are lucky to still be alive.

Thank you John Lowe for your time and interest as a Huron East councillor over the past few years.

Well done and thanks. The best councils have input from many views and interest groups, so the decisions made are for the overall good, not specific ones. Looking at the big picture can be very hard and truly frustrating, so thanks again John.

Then, thank you to Huron East Council for seeing the potential in a young person and letting Justin Morrison have a taste of politics.

This is a golden opportunity to

experience the workings of a municipality within a time-limited mandate. So, good luck Justin and hope you see all the good things happening in our Huron East.

My mental health is given wonderful FaceTime boosts from grandchildren between the ages of two and 22, as you have so often read here over the past many months. This week, the view of a new red vehicle and the proud owner marked a new milestone.

Reports of learning to waltz instructed by a distressed resident with good results for both, made me smile with pride. Finally, there was a picture of a very short snowperson standing between two smiling Alberta boys with the note saying it was Grandma, gave me a full-blown laugh.

Keep smiling, learn something new and stay safe.

Bye now, Betty G.W.

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS Follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.

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SUDOKU Fun By The Numbers

Big winner Donna Govier, right, was the big winner of the most recent Catch the Ace draw, hosted by the Brussels Legion. Lisa Glanville, left, and Sandra Brown, centre, did the honours and presented Govier with her winnings of nearly $8,000. (Photo submitted)

By Jo-Ann McDonald It was another quiet week at the Brussels Legion Branch because of the closure. Something that did happen was Donna Govier arrived at a set time and received her Catch the Ace cheque. The happy winner received a total of $7,935 from the

draw on Jan. 7. We were pleased to present the cheque to Donna and hope she enjoys her extra money.

The paperwork is underway to finish the draw and new paperwork prepared for the next draw. There is the uncertainty of when restrictions will be lifted, but we are hoping the

new draw can begin by mid-March.

That will give us time to get the licence, the tickets, approach our business outlets and have the tickets out for a couple of weeks before we have a draw. We appreciate everyone’s support and we hope the time will fly by.

Like puzzles?

Then you’ll love sudoku. This mindbending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test!

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022. PAGE 7.

NH draft budget includes 6.28 per cent increase

By Denny Scott The Citizen Despite significant concerns regarding funding for a new economic development officer for the township, North Huron Council has approved a budget in principle to be presented to the public.

The budget will be reviewed during council’s Feb. 7 meeting, with it set to be presented for approval during council’s Feb. 21 meeting.

The proposed 2022 budget represents an increase in spending of $399,256 over the 2021 budget, or a 6.28 per cent increase, totalling $6,759.276.

Recently-hired Director of Finance Darcy Chapman said that staff had held itself to a 2.11 per cent increase in the base budget, which he touted as a success given that, of the $133,813 increase, approximately $100,000 is tied to cost-of-living adjustments and other wage increases.

The remaining 4.17 per cent in increases are tied to new positions and projects that council directed staff to include, such as museum operations, the economic development officer, the extension of a human resources contract that started last year and the potential relocation of council chambers.

The review of council chambers is estimated to cost $40,000 and increase the budget by 0.63 per cent, Chapman said. That funding will not see council chambers relocated to a permanent home, but will be used to either commission an engineer’s studies regarding a new space or buy technology and furniture for a temporary space, noting council needs to stop using the Wingham Town Hall theatre for meetings due to complications with the space.

COUNCIL-LED ADJUSTMENTS During his presentation, Chapman said council had added several line items to the budget over the past year, including increasing a part-time childcare position to fulltime, resulting in an $11,000 increase; the delay in implementing an economic/business development officer, which resulted in savings of $15,650, and reducing museum facility funding to reflect that the new museum won’t be operational this year.

Chapman said he and Reeve Bernie Bailey had met with Doug Kuyvenhoven, who is offering to sell the former Wingham rail station to the township for $1 provided it’s used as a museum and visitor centre for a set period of time. As part of that meeting, all sides agreed that,

Chilling out Many people, like Mackenzie Shannon, shown above, enjoyed the snowy weather over the weekend. To see your photos in print, make like Mackenzie’s mother Sarah Martin and send your photos to reporter@northhuron.on.ca. (Photo submitted)

before the township assumes ownership, approximately $400,000 needs to be raised to make sure the project will go ahead.

As a result, $25,650 was removed from the budget, which represents expenses like heat, electricity and insurance at the facility.

While that represented a savings, staff told council the budget included the first of two years of contracts to catalogue and deaccession artifacts at the museum. The total cost is set to run $140,000, with this year’s contribution set at $70,000.

DONATIONS Chapman briefed council on its donation budget, which is used annually to help community groups and other organizations.

Thus far, the township only has three recipients with amounts that total $925: The Huron County Plowmen's Association ($125), the Elementary School Fair ($300) and the Huron Hospice ($500). The donation budget includes $6,000, which means council has just over $5,000 left to distribute throughout the year, Chapman said.

Councillor Chris Palmer asked if council should consider putting funding aside for the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device that the Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance is applying for from the provincial government.

Council discussed the issue, however Chapman and Clerk Carson Lamb explained there hadn’t been an official request for funding yet, just a request for a letter of support to go with the application.

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip confirmed that, saying that “every hospital” in the Southwestern Ontario Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) would also be applying, so preparing for it would be premature.

Regardless of whether the application is successful, Seip said the earliest the council would see a request for funds would be in a year to a year-and-a-half, and that request would come from the hospital foundation.

STAFF-LED ADJUSTMENTS As part of his presentation, Chapman also explained that there had been some changes to the budget through “staff-led changes” that were unavoidable.

Included were $7,000 and $5,000 increases to property standard and drainage inspection contracts, respectively, which Chapman said was due to the dissolution of the shared Chief Building Official position with Morris-Turnberry.

The Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) presented its budget figures and North Huron’s share came in $5,081 higher than anticipated.

Councillor Anita van Hittersum, who sits on the MVCA board, said she didn’t know the exact percentage of the increases when asked by Bailey, however she said

Wild winter weather misses area From Marilyn’s Desk

By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318

Happy birthday to Beverley Walden and Joan Clark, who will celebrate on Jan. 20; Lori Brooks, Jan. 21; Mark Caldwell, Jan. 22 and Mary Rouw and Jessica Sparling, Jan. 24. Have a good day everyone and enjoy your special day.

Happy anniversary to John and Anne Nesbit, who will celebrate on Jan. 22.

Everyone was looking for a snowstorm on Monday, but Mother

Nature decided to take her storm to the east of us. We had a very good winter’s day with the sun peeking through and warmer temperatures than we have experienced this past week. We need to watch for the school buses as some of the kids in our area have gone back to school.

Stay safe this coming week and give someone a call to let them know you are thinking of them.

there were numerous increases for the organization that needed to be handled.

There is also a $13,760 increase in insurance costs that wasn’t anticipated, Chapman said, tied to taxation. Council had recently dealt with increased insurance costs, including taxes. However, due to what Chapman called a loophole, taxes that council would normally receive back (as most township expenses are partially tax-exempt) would instead not be paid out. He said the taxes on the insurance cost were not exempt, resulting in the overage.

The fire protection budget was reduced thanks to revised assessments, Chapman said, resulting in $3,689 going back to fire partners and reducing the budget.

TAXPAYER IMPACT While the budget includes a 6.28 per cent increase in spending, Chapman said that, due to increased assessment and policing costs, each ward would see different increases.

Looking at properties in Wingham (a residential property assessed at $331,000), Blyth ($283,500) and East Wawanosh ($103,400), Chapman said annual tax increases would be 3.24 per cent ($155.06), 4.27 per cent ($137.68) and 5.74 per cent ($61), respectively.

He said the main reason Wingham is lower, percentagewise, is due to a decrease in policing costs. Development in Blyth had helped reduce its average increase.

Palmer said the properties chosen for East Wawanosh, including the residential site listed above and a farm site valued at $854,600, were no longer representative of the average in the ward.

“The farm selected in East Wawanosh doesn’t work anymore,” he said, explaining most residential properties were more expensive and most farms were bigger than the 100-acre site used. “We should get a better example, and it should be a 200-acre farm… that’s a more realistic example.”

Chapman said he did “run some numbers” to give council a better idea of what the average properties and costs would be, saying the municipality has 2,450 properties, approximately 1,400 of which are considered residential.

“The average assessment for those residential properties is $195,000,” he said. “The [example] assessment numbers I provide at $331,000 [in Wingham] and $283,000 [in Blyth] are more than $100,000 over assessment. If I used the average in Wingham, the taxpayer would see an increase of

$91. In Blyth, with the same price, it would be $95 and in East Wawanosh, $115…. The average person is going to see an increase of between $91 and $115.”

He said it was difficult, however, for council to make decisions when looking at specific locations.

Bailey asked if looking at the municipality as a whole instead of as three different wards could simplify things, and Chapman said it could, but it would require work beforehand.

He said 17 per cent of the municipality’s overall budget is policing, and that the majority of the rest of the 83 per cent is spread equally over the wards.

“As long as we have different levels of policing in the areas, we have to have area ratings,” Chapman said. “If we get to a point where we have one contract, then it’s the same level of service, same cost, and we can rid ourselves of area rating.”

Councillor Anita van Hittersum asked why Blyth and East Wawanosh were area-rated when both have the same policing, and Chapman said that was partially due to historic practices and partially due to the fact that Blyth has street lights, a cost that East Wawanosh residents don’t have.

“Even though the level of policing is the same, the process for splitting the cost has been done the same since amalgamation, and based on historical numbers that may not be accurate [today],” Chapman said. “In reality, there’s Continued on page 8

NEWS FROM BLYTH Let us Wash Your Winter Coats Blyth Laundromat 191 Westmoreland St., Blyth 519-523-9687

NOTICE OF 2022 BUDGET MEETING Township of North Huron Notice is hereby given that the Corporation of the Township of North Huron will be considering the 2022 Budget at the Regular Council Meeting on Monday, February 7, 2022.

If the meeting is postponed or the format of the meeting is changed due to COVID-19 protocols, notice will be provided on the North Huron website and social media outlets.

A brief budget synopsis is available on the North Huron website: www.northhuron.ca. Complete copies of the budget document are available at the Municipal Office.

Darcy Chapman, Director of Finance Township of North Huron 519-357-3550 x 127

PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022.

NH Council divided on need for ec. dev. officer Continued from page 7 probably slightly more policing costs allocated to East Wawanosh than Blyth based on total assessment.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER The most hotly contested aspect of the budget was the suggestion that North Huron should be considering hiring its own economic development officer.

To help guide the discussion, council invited newly-hired Huron County Director of Economic Development Vicki Lass to give an overview of the services her department offers.

Lass described her department,

and told council the basis of its service is to provide assistance directly to businesses, while also providing high-level support to municipalities.

Part of that, she said, is to make sure there is no duplication of services between the county’s economic development efforts and individual municipalities or their officers.

She also said the department focuses on “high-level” issues like housing and transportation that impact businesses across the county.

She pointed out that some municipalities have had great economic development officers

Warm work The Gillis children, from left, Knox, Noah and Nash, were busy recently helping their father Mark do some work on the snowmobile in their heated garage. Share your winter activity photos with The Citizen to see them in print like Caitlin Gillis did by e-mailing them to reporter@northhuron.on.ca. (Photo submitted)

creating growth opportunities, like Huron East had in the late Jan Hawley and Central Huron has with Angela Smith, but council had to decide if an economic development officer was the right fit for it.

Councillor Kevin Falconer said that, sometimes, it feels like the northern municipalities are left out of the county’s economic development initiatives, and that everything is focused on Goderich, where many county services are located, and Clinton, which is often referred to as the centre of the county.

He cited a specific meeting regarding development as a result of Bruce Power upgrades, where a map was presented that showed development had occurred everywhere in Huron County except North Huron. He went on to say that North Huron may need some duplication of services to get itself in front of developers like its neighbours have.

“My question is how do you see us closing the gap so we get the services we would like from your economic development department?” he asked.

Lass said that duplication isn’t the key, but if North Huron had its own economic development officer, the county could help with expansion of the officer’s responsibilities and provide other benefits.

“Undoubtedly, [the county’s economic development department] doesn’t have the capacity to get into individual development with partner municipalities,” she said, pointing to some of the efforts they have supported in Huron East as an example of the synergy provided.

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip said the municipality has an opportunity

Sympathies offered to families PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570

It takes a bit to get used to writing 2022. We are three weeks into the new year and I still have to correct myself. Time will make it more normal. Not wanting to leave the Christmas of 2021 behind, we held our final Christmas on Sunday with our daughter LeeAnn, her husband Craig and one-and-a-half-year-old Logan. We still have the Christmas tree up and inside lights to make it festive looking for all.

We exchanged gifts and then had brunch and returned home again.

We still have our outside Christmas lights up too. I always think that the month of January is such a blah month, I like to have the glowing festive lights on. When driving around the countryside, I see some other folks may have the same thoughts as me: brighten up those long dark nights.

It was back to school on Monday for the children and for me on the bus. I am sure there are happy children and some not so happy to go back to school. The same can be said for the parents. Many will be happy, but others will have concerns about the safety of their children at school or on the bus.

Everyone is trying to keep them safe with the personal protection

equipment and regular sanitizing routines to follow. If everyone tries to do their part, hopefully the numbers will not grow.

Our sympathies are extended to the Boneschansker family on the passing of Carol Boneschansker.

She will be lovingly missed by her husband John and children Bill, Dorothy, Annette, Cathy, Bruce and Robert and their families. Carol loved life on the farm and the growing of the large vegetable garden. She liked to visit with folks when they came to the farm or when at the markets. She was a lovely lady whom many will remember with a smile. Our condolences to the family.

Our sympathies to Gayle and Brad Speiran on the passing of Gayle’s brother Brian Rintoul. He will be missed by his partner Trudy and family. Many will remember Brian as an active and popular auctioneer over the years. Our condolences to all.

Our sympathies are extended to the Beuerman families on the passing of Elaine (Beuerman) Stephenson. She will be missed by her husband Paul and children Shellie, Cheryl and Suzanne and their families. She will be remembered with love by siblings Sharon McClure, Betty McCallum, Dale Taylor, Valerie Musselman, Neil and Glenn Beuerman. Our condolences to all.

Many of our local friends will remember Olave Little and be saddened by her passing. Mourning her passing are her children Gary, Faye, Dyke and Neil and their families. Olave loved to play cards and dance and was a companion to

the late Bush Whittard in later years. Our sympathies to her family and friends.

Thanks to our local Walton landscaper Eric Dwyer for clearing the parking area at the Goderich-toGuelp Rail Trail in Walton. It is great to be able to go in and park and not leave vehicles on the side of the road. Great job Eric!

Celebrating birthdays this past week were Don Baan, Jeff McGavin, Gordon Mitchell, Brenda Dalton, Holly Mitchell, Doris Williamson, Dianne Huether, Murray McCall, Brett Stevenson, Cody Glanville, Harvey Shaw, Jacob Schmeltzer, Heather McDonald Clarke, Joan Huether Ritchie, Marni Knight and Angela Fraser. Happy birthday to all.

to pursue an economic development officer with the significant residential growth that is happening, and is slated to continue, in the municipality.

Bailey agreed, saying that council should consider the assets of the municipality as a store, and right now there is no one working in the store to try and sell the product.

He said council couldn’t keep relying on Chief Administrative Officer Dwayne Evans to run the municipality’s economic development “off the corner of his desk”.

“Dwayne has too much on the go,” he said. “I think we’re at the point where an economic development officer is necessary.”

He said missed development opportunities are council’s fault and that council now needs to capitalize on this opportunity because the county can’t do it for North Huron.

Councillor Chris Palmer said he had reservations about the position, especially given that there wasn’t a job description, just a price tag.

He said North Huron would need to bring in more development than the $100,000 for the position.

Furthermore, he said that things seem to be getting done in the municipality with Evans handling economic development, and that, since the municipality doesn’t have any commercial or industrial land to develop, it didn’t need anyone to inventory or sell what it doesn’t have.

He said he was “softening up” to the idea of extending the municipality’s human resources contract, but doesn’t think the taxpayers can handle the increased expense of another staff person.

“I say it often, but we have to think about the taxpayer,” he said.

“I think we’d be letting them down.”

He said even if the municipality “technically” benefited from an economic development officer, he didn’t know if it was worthwhile.

Bailey disagreed, saying North Huron Council needed to change course and hire a dedicated economic development staff member as the municipality was at a disadvantage without that staff member.

Seip said there will be a job description coming to council and that, if an applicant doesn’t prove their worth, they won’t be kept in the position.

“We need to have a five-year plan, and if they can’t get where we need to be in five years, they might not be the best person for the job,” he said. “The big thing here is, if we don’t have a person, what could we lose? We may never get a phone call from the big business to come in.

[An economic development officer] will be on the phone, calling Bruce Power and calling others, not just sitting and waiting for the million dollar [businesses] to show up.”

Palmer was still against it, saying he felt like the issue was already decided because staff said the position would be filled by April at the earliest. He said if he was to go along with it, there needed to be a job description and another chance to “argue all the same points” before council decided on it.

Councillor Paul Heffer asked if the position could be a contract one, and Lass said it could but that might deter good applicants.

“You’re aware of the workforce shortage,” she said, adding it's an employee’s market right now.

She said employees may not like contracts, especially the limits they put on benefits.

After more debate, council members pointed out that this wasn’t a debate about who or even whether to hire an economic development officer, but whether or not it should be included in the budget.

Council approved the budget in principle after the debate, with Heffer and Palmer voting against it.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022. PAGE 9.

Jones’ new Blyth G2G mural design unveiled Cowbell art in the south end of town. The newest mural, she said, really highlights Blyth as an arts community, which feeds into the village mission statement the committee created for Blyth, which is “Welcoming visitors to participate in the theatre of rural village life.”

She said that while that statement is certainly connected to the village’s long history with live theatre, it also touches on how the village can affect those who visit.

“Due to the fact that Blyth is a tight-knit community, embodying a strong influence from agriculture and the arts, when one visits the village, the spirit of the community has the potential to impact the visitor, and the visitor to impact the community,” Sparling said in an email to The Citizen. “An example of this would be how when an actor comes to visit for the summer, they leave a lasting impact on the community and vice versa.”

The project became a reality with the support of Regional Tourism Organization (RTO) 4, the Blyth BIA and the Township of North

Huron, which is also supporting the project through the use of the land on which the mural will sit at the garden.

Cat O’Donnell, the co-owner of Wonky Frog Studio in Blyth, was also instrumental in the process, Sparling said, working with Jones and his wife, Susann Ferris-Jones, to bring the committee’s vision to life with the help of the artist.

The mural, Sparling said, spans the entire village, including a number of landmarks and activities for which the village is known. It also includes Blyth through the seasons as well as from morning to night, as it runs from the left side to the right.

The Randy Jones portrayal of the village of Blyth in caricature is also supported by a generous gift inkind from Blyth Printing. Right now, the group is planning to have the mural framed before it can be erected and installed in the spring.

Sparling said that, while plans are always subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she hopes to unveil the art in the spring with a special event.

Bookends Renowned cartoonist Randy Jones has created a new mural that will be installed at the Blyth Butterfly Garden this spring. It details the village in full, encapsulating the seasons as it runs from left to right. Above is a snippet of the new public art piece, featuring the west side of the village, ranging from the main street to the Blyth Campground. (Image courtesy of Randy Jones)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen A new mural of Blyth, created by renowned cartoonist and artist Randy Jones, should be ready for installation at the Butterfly Garden along the Blyth Greenway Trail, part of the Goderich-to-Guelph (G2G) Rail Trail, this spring.

The community-based initiative of the Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA) marketing committee, chaired by Annie Sparling, dates back to the inception of the committee. One of the group’s first ideas, she says, was to implement

more public art into the village and one of the ways the group hoped to achieve that was through a large outdoor art piece, created by Jones.

Jones has already created a mural of the village, which is on the wall in one of the upper-level rooms at Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company.

It was installed in late 2017, at which time Jones returned to the village to sign the mural, which still hangs in the business’ Drummond Hall.

Jones has been creating art that’s been important to the village for a number of years.

The Exeter native has created art

that has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, National Lampoon and more. In 2015, Jones was brought on to create the production posters for the Blyth Festival season, which included Seeds, The Wilberforce Hotel, Fury and Mary’s Wedding. It was the first season under current Artistic Director Gil Garratt. Jones also created art for the Blyth 14/19 project.

The concept behind the new mural, Sparling says, is to essentially create mural bookends for the village, with the G2G art in the north end of town and the

Game on!

Earlier this month, Beckett Noble of Brussels needed a referee so he made one of snow. (Photo submitted)

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The Citizen No stranger to Blyth Randy Jones, seen above at Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company in 2017, has created some more art for the village, which will be officially installed outdoors this spring.

Above, he was at the brewery to sign the mural he created there at a special event to go over the details of the piece. (File photo)

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PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022.

Baby It’s You Babies of 2021

February 7, 2021

February 13, 2021

Corben Forbes

Oakley Nathan Stephen Eckert

Jack Michael Bromley

son of Cameron and Ashley (Warwick) Forbes

son of Jason Kenneth Stephen Eckert and Cherish-Lynn Burrows

son of Michael and Bonnie Bromley

March 12, 2021

April 6, 2021

April 16, 2021

May 27, 2021

Wren Gray Williams

Mckinley Mary-Jane Janmaat

Kiera Jean Baker

Mya Shirley Martene

January 9, 2021

Hailey Catherine Kennes daughter of Ryan Kennes and Laura Bowers

daughter of Jacob and Bridget Williams

January 24, 2021

daughter of Cody Janmaat and Danica Zwep

daughter of Isaac Baker and Heidi Raynard

daughter of Brian and Sara Martene

June 2, 2021

June 3, 2021

June 18, 2021

Brynlee Allana Bylsma

William James Hendriks

George Jonathan Mclean

daughter of Jeff and Laurie Bylsma

son of Brett & Christina Hendriks

son of Brock Mclean and Ashley Higgins

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022. PAGE 11.

Baby It’s You Babies of 2021

July 29, 2021 June 20, 2021

Brexley & Sutton MacDonald daughters of Adam & Erin (Moore) MacDonald

August 31, 2021

Ruby Gwendolyn Elliott Levine daughter of Jeff Levine & Heather Elliott

November 25, 2021

Kase Donald Allen Dowson son of Jason and Adel Dowson

December 17, 2021

December 29, 2021

Lily Mae Hutchison

Cooper James Dorscht

daughter of Drew Hutchison and Kelsey Smith

son of Tuck and Ashley Dorscht

Caleb Benjamin Paul Caldwell son of Ben and Natasha Caldwell

December 6, 2021

Ethan John Leslie Caldwell son of Mark and Sarah Caldwell

Congratulations to all the parents and new arrivals

PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022.

Wingham welcomes new doctor, pharmacist couple

Around the world, around the corner Dr. Mahrous Mousa, right, and his wife Salwa Sokar, a pharmacist, recently relocated to Wingham where both are working in the healthcare industry. Dr. Mousa trained in Egypt and the United Kingdom before practising medicine in British Columbia for several years. The pair relocated to Wingham to be closer to their adult children. (Photo submitted)

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Late last year, the residents of Wingham welcomed two new additions to both their community and their local healthcare system with Dr. Mahrous Mousa and his wife, Salwa Sokar, a pharmacist who works at Wingham’s Rx Drug Mart IDA. Mousa has taken over the practice of retired physician Dr. Jim Shuffield, who had 650 patients, as

well as working in primary care at Royal Oaks Clinic and providing inpatient care. He will also be working one day per week at the Wingham and District Hospital’s emergency room.

Mousa earned his medical degree at Alexandria School of Medicine in Egypt, which was a natural path for him.

“I studied medicine a long time ago,” he said, saying he started studying in 1986. “I chose medicine because my role models were my

parents, and both of them were physicians.”

His mother was a gynecologist and his father an internal medicine specialist, Mousa said.

“I spent many years travelling with my parents [through the] Doctors Without Borders program,” he said. “I saw many different countries, and fell in love with medicine. I decided to be a physician.”

He did his pre-med studying and medical school in Egypt, then

travelled to England for a year of residency training, finally earning his Master’s Degree.

In addition to his parents, many other members of Mousa’s family are connected to the medical field.

He counted paramedics, nurses and dentists among his aunts and uncles.

“If you’re sitting around the dining room table, you would hear all these old guys talking about patients, medicine and disease,” he said.

Not having access to the internet, he said he could only go to the library and he spent hours and hours researching diseases.

The couple has now moved to the community from Princeton, British Columbia, where both have worked in their chosen fields since 2016. In addition to their new positions, the pair has made the cross-country move to be closer to their children, who live in Burlington.

“That’s really the biggest reason,” he said, explaining his daughter is a pharmacist and his son is an actuary.

Mousa said the move was made very smooth thanks to Jan McKague-Weishar, physician recruitment officer for the Wingham and District Hospital.

Beyond that, he said that Wingham has a very similar hospital to what he was familiar with in BC: a rural practice that serves regular hospital needs, a nursing home and chemotherapy, to name some features.

“It feels no different,” he said. “It was a very easy and very smooth move.”

He said the community is very welcoming and everyone has taken

time to wish him well.

As for what originally brought them to Canada, Mousa said it made sense for his family. “[After my residency] I did some work in Queensland, Australia for four years, then went back to Egypt,” he said, mentioning that his daughter was very young at the time. “We felt it would be easy for her to be in a country where she could get a good quality education without needing to travel. At that time, Canada was welcoming physicians and pharmacists, so we immigrated here in 2008.”

Mousa started Sept. 13, and said that, so far, he has settled in nicely at the new space.

When asked about differences between his previous posting and this one, Mousa said that medicine is the same everywhere, and that the only difference is he isn’t involved in as many specializations.

“Back in British Columbia I was doing obstetrics and gynecology, in addition to family medicine,” he said. “I would say it’s almost the same here.”

McKague-Weishar said that both Mousa and Sokar were welcome additions to the community with recent shortages in the medical field, adding she knew they would fit in well with the community.

“The first time that Mahrous and Salwa came to visit, back in May, right from the very beginning I could tell it was a very easy fit,” she said. “Dr. Mousa is such a nice, congenial person to get along with and we are so lucky to have him.”

Christmas trees stabilize up river banks

Last week, I spoke of a use for real Christmas trees once January rolls around. During last week I learned that a provincial conservation group is using those trees to reinforce the banks of creeks. Somehow they stabilize the trees to the banks of the waterways to slow erosion and the movement of sediment. Also, when the water movement is slowed and deepened,

Correction In the Jan. 13, 2022 issue of The Citizen, the cost for a second water line to accommodate a splash pad at the Seaforth Lions Park was inaccurately reported.

The estimated cost for a second water line at the park is $35,000, not $350,000, as was reported.

In addition, Director of Public Works Barry Mills’ estimation of first-year costs to the municipality for the splash pad of just under $42,000 ($35,000 for a new water line and an estimated $6,800 increase in water usage) was specifically for a flow-through system. Cost estimates for a recirculation system, however, would be much higher.

The Citizen apologizes for the errors.

the water cools and becomes a better environment for aquatic life.

In a few short years the trees disintegrate and become part of the banks. Nature turns back to improve nature.

“Spiritual Gifts” was the theme for the worship service at Londesborough United Church on Sunday, Jan. 16. Licensed Lay Worship Leader Sue Barnett chose responsive Psalm 36 and 1 Cor. 12: 1-11 as the supporting scriptures for her message.

Each person receives gifts from God through the Holy Spirit, but each person receives different and particular gifts to be used for service, for the common good, to add to the wellbeing of the community/world. With faith, God will offer direction for the use of those spiritual gifts.

Using one’s own personal gifts is echoed in these words by Barbara Bush, wife of a U.S. president: “Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life’s blood... but everyone has something to give.”

This coming Sunday, Rev. Jan Aylward will be offering the

Sacrament of Baptism at Londesborough United Church.

During this service the congregation as a whole, pledges to support the parents and child as the child grows in her faith News items recently have me wondering just what happens to the common sense, if you will, of persons of privilege. Last week we learned of parties by Prime Minister Boris Johnson of England, flaunting of COVID-19 rules by tennis player Jokovic and involvement in a sex scandal by Prince Andrew.

No amount of apologies by that PM will redeem him for lack of respect during a time of mourning for the Royal Family and not setting an example for the nation with respect to COVID-19. Rules around COVID-19 are there for everyone's protection, tennis star or not. The government of Australia sent “The Joker” packing and rightly so. And the Royal Family has cut ties with Andrew.

These are, unfortunately, the type of thing we learn about all too often. Do these people feel they deserve to do as they wish just because of their particular fortune in life? What sort of example are

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they setting for youth? I feel they should be leading, and presenting to the public, exemplary lives.

I learned Sunday evening that a former resident of the area had passed away. Some readers will remember Murray and Joan Shepherd, formerly of Hullett Township. Joan slipped away Sunday after a long and debilitating illness.

Details can be found at the Thomas Waters Funeral Home of Port Dover site. Condolences to the family can be sent to 18 Coastal Court, Port Dover, N0A 1N7.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022. PAGE 13.

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BLYTH 519-523-4244 www.hurontractor.com

Brussels Livestock report

Fed steers, heifers sell fully steadily at weekly sale Total receipts for Brussels Livestock for the week ending Jan. 13 were 1,155 cattle and

513 lambs and goats.

On Tuesday, fed steers and heifers sold fully steady. Choice

steers and heifers sold $165 to $174. Second-cut cattle sold $158 to $164. Aged and medium-fed

Ice time With local arenas closed to the public in an attempt to limit the potential for spread of the COVID-19 virus, outdoor skating rinks have been popping up throughout the community. A few locals recently took advantage of one on a sunny, but chilly day. From left: Gray Courtney, Kyrah Haak, Kaylee Haak and Chelsey Courtney. (Photo submitted)

M-T budget talks continue

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Morris-Turnberry Council also discussed its proposed drainage department, building department and parks and cemeteries budgets at its special budget session, held on Monday morning (see pages 1-3 for more coverage on the meeting).

DRAINAGE DEPARTMENT Chief Building Official Kirk Livingston said there wouldn’t be much change in the drainage budget between 2022 and 2021, other than eliminating one line item to help cover an increase in another.

Livingston said that, for the last two years, he had been trying to budget $5,000 for an ATV and $1,000 for a drone. The former would help with inspections and drainage work while the latter would help with surveying purposes.

Livingston said that, based on his experiences over the last two years, he didn’t see the need for the drone, however he felt the ATV would be important for the municipality to have. He proposed taking the $1,000 out of the budget for the drone but increasing the budget for the ATV up to $6,500, explaining it would actually save staff time and resources.

“This year, I did a lot of walking on municipal drains and I definitely

want to proceed with the purchase of the ATV,” he said.

Livingston explained there were numerous instances where, if he had equipment with him, he could have removed trees blocking drains, marked beaver dams or move other equipment.

“It would save a lot of time,” he said.

Aside from that, he noted no other changes for the budget.

BUILDING DEPARTMENT Brophy noted that 2021 had been a successful year for the building department, with revenues coming in $20,226 higher than expected. As a result, he suggested putting money in reserves both for general purposes ($20,000) and for replacing the department’s primary vehicle ($10,000).

Mayor Jamie Heffer said he appreciated the sentiment, saying that it's better to put money away because some years are undoubtedly tougher than others.

Livingston said that, as MorrisTurnberry had ended its crossborder building department services program with North Huron, many of the expenses in the budget were cut in half, but, aside from that, there would be no significant changes.

Councillor Jim Nelemans asked why the municipality was including $5,000 in legal costs after having

budgeted $500 or less for the past two years. He asked if there was a specific legal challenge the municipality was expecting.

Livingston said there was one outstanding legal issue and that, while it’s hard to estimate the cost of the proceedings, after seeing a similar situation handled in another municipality, he was comfortable with the $5,000 estimate.

PARKS AND CEMETERIES Public Works Director Mike Alcock drew council’s attention to two operational expenses in the municipality’s 2022 Parks and Cemeteries budget: sign replacement and necessary maintenance at a local park.

He said the McKinney/Patton Park signs would need to be replaced at a cost a total of $1,500 while the Kinsmen Park trail required maintenance. He said the brickwork had settled to the point that it was dangerous and created a hazard, so the brickwork needed to be removed, the space filled and the bricks replaced at a total cost of $2,500.

Nelemans asked if that work had been done recently, and Alcock said it may have been before his time, however it was necessary as, if the path became slippery, it would present a hazard. He said the work could be completed by public works staff.

steers and heifers sold $135 to $148. Cows sold steady.

On Thursday, beef veal sold steady with quality considered.

Holstein veal sold steady. Lambs sold slightly higher. Sheep sold steady and goats sold higher.

On Friday, calves sold fully steady. Yearlings sold actively at prices $5 to $8 higher.

Dwayne Dickert of Ayton, consigned five head. One black steer weighed 1,525 lbs. and sold for a price of $174.

David M. Bowman of Listowel, consigned six head. One black steer weighed 1,605 lbs. and sold for a price of $174.

There were 300 cows on offer.

Beef sold $62 to $96 with sales to $100.50; good holstein cows, $67 to $95 with sales to $113; medium holstein cows, $50 to $65.

There were 150 head of veal on offer. Beef veal sold $160 to $187; good holsteins, $160 to $172; SL heavy holsteins, $145 to $167; medium holsteins, $120 to $136.

Jim Maw of Forest, consigned three head. One black white-face steer weighed 820 lbs. and sold for a price of $187.

Lambs 50 - 64 lbs. sold $452 to $485; 65 - 79 lbs., $419.50 to $452.50; 80 - 94 lbs., $358 to $375; 95 - 109 lbs., $308.50 to $314; 110 lbs. and over, $305 to $312.

Sheep sold $125 to $275.

Goats: billies sold $300 to $420; nannies, $100 to $275; kids: meat, $350 to $447; dairy, $250 to $442.

Andreas and Petra Aeberhardtj of Neustadt, consigned 19 head. Seven lambs averaged 54 lbs. and sold for an average price of $485.

Lars Steunebrink of Kirkton, consigned 19 head. Six kid goats averaged 57 lbs. and sold for an average price of $447.

Top quality stocker steers 400 499 lbs. sold $221.75 to $247; 500 le obi wm Sno Safety

Deadline January 21

599 lbs., $225.50 to $249; 600 - 699 lbs., $223 to 243; 700 - 799 lbs., $226.75 to $230; 800 - 899 lbs., $201 to $227; 900 - 999 lbs., $212 to $226; 1,000 lbs. and over, $211.75 to $220.50.

Top quality stocker heifers, 400 499 lbs. sold $158.50 to $224; 500 599 lbs., $185 to $210; 600 - 699 lbs., $190 to $203; 700 - 799 lbs., $170.75 to $184; 800 - 899 lbs., $192.50 to $199; 900 lbs. and over, $179.50 to $202.75.

Luke Frey of Clifford, consigned 14 head. Seven gold heifers averaged 904 lbs. and sold for an average price of $202.75.

Craig Simpson of Glencoe, consigned 12 head. Ten charolais heifers averaged 1,024 lbs. and sold for an average price of $188.50.

Abram G. Martin of Wroxeter, consigned 16 head. Eight charolais steers averaged 909 lbs. and sold for an average price of $226.

Martarp of Dundalk, consigned 19 head. Thirteen charolais steers averaged 1,021 lbs. and sold for an average price of $220.50.

BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.

UPCOMING SALES TUESDAYS 10:00 a.m.

Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows

THURSDAYS

9:00 a.m. Drop Calves 10:00 a.m.Veal 11:30 a.m. Lambs, Goats & Sheep

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10:00 a.m. Stockers Visit our webpage at: www.brusselslivestock.ca email us at: info@brusselslivestock.ca

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Card of thanks ARMSTRONG. Many thanks to the paramedics, Doctor Steinman and Doctor Higgins for their fast action in getting me so quickly to my surgery at St. Mary’s Hospital, Kitchener and to the care I received from doctors and nurses while there.

Also thank you to our friends, neighbours and relatives for all the beautiful cards, e-cards, phone calls, flowers, food and treats brought to our home. Lori and Donna Lynn thank you for all the time and care I received at a time when you both were so busy. Recovery has been slow but I’m sure I’ll be ready for spring. Fred and I are very appreciative of the kindness of everyone involved. – Ruth Armstrong.

03-1 -------------------------------------------HUNTER. I would like to thank WDH and SGH and my family and friends for your many acts of kindness during my recent illness. – Mary Hunter.

03-1p

Hill & Hill Farms requires a full-time individual to assist in the operation of our automated processing plant for export soybeans. Experience is not essential, but applicants must be willing to learn, be responsible, dependable and willing to be a team player. We offer competitive wages with a benefit package.

You can submit a résumé by email to hillhill@tcc.on.ca or fax at 519-233-3440 or call our office at 519-233-3218

Full-Time Farm Workers 8-month position

Brussels Livestock, Div. of Gamble & Rogers Limited has two positions available for full-time farm workers for an 8-month period.

Job Start Date: on or about February 1, 2022 End Date: on or about September 30, 2022 Rate of Pay: $15/hour Hours: 40-80 Hours / Week. (Working hours are variable due to position being dependent upon weather conditions) Number of Vacancies: 2 Terms of Employment: 8 months, full-time Job Location: Brussels, Ontario Job • • • •

Description: Feed and tend livestock Plant, fertilize, cultivate, spray, irrigate and harvest crops Operate and maintain farm machinery and equipment Follow food safety and security and animal bio-security procedures • Detect disease and health problems in crops, livestock and poultry • Set and monitor water lines, air flow and temperature in barns, and pens • Maintain or assist in the maintenance of facilities and farm infrastructure including cleaning stables, barns, barnyards and pens

Work Conditions and Physical Capabilities: • Inside and outdoors • Fast-paced environment • Work under pressure • Tight deadlines • Repetitive tasks • Handling heavy loads and physically demanding • Attention to detail • Combination of sitting, walking, or standing for extended periods of time • Work any shift: days or evenings; including weekends and holidays Personal Suitability: Flexible, organized, team player, effective interpersonal skills, works well with others, but also should be able to be independent and take initiative.

Skills Required: • Fluent English speaker • Tending to livestock • Planting, hoeing/weeding, grading/sorting, harvesting crops • Property/farm maintenance • Ability to safely operate farm equipment Education: None required.

Experience: Experience is an asset; but willing to train.

Work Eligibility: Only applicants legally eligible to work in Canada will be considered.

Full-Time Farm Workers 24-month position

Brussels Livestock, Div. of Gamble & Rogers Limited has two positions available for full-time farm workers for a 24-month period.

Job Start Date: on or about February 1, 2022 End Date: on or about January 31, 2024 Rate of Pay: $15/hour Hours: 40-80 Hours / Week. (Working hours are variable due to position being dependent upon weather conditions) Number of Vacancies: 2 Terms of Employment: 24 months, full-time Job Location: Brussels, Ontario Job • • • •

Description: Feed and tend livestock Plant, fertilize, cultivate, spray, irrigate and harvest crops Operate and maintain farm machinery and equipment Follow food safety and security and animal bio-security procedures • Detect disease and health problems in crops, livestock and poultry • Set and monitor water lines, air flow and temperature in barns, and pens • Maintain or assist in the maintenance of facilities and farm infrastructure including cleaning stables, barns, barnyards and pens

Work Conditions and Physical Capabilities: • Inside and outdoors • Fast-paced environment • Work under pressure • Tight deadlines • Repetitive tasks • Handling heavy loads and physically demanding • Attention to detail • Combination of sitting, walking, or standing for extended periods of time • Work any shift: days or evenings; including weekends and holidays Personal Suitability: Flexible, organized, team player, effective interpersonal skills, works well with others, but also should be able to be independent and take initiative.

Skills Required: • Fluent English speaker • Tending to livestock • Planting, hoeing/weeding, grading/sorting, harvesting crops • Property/farm maintenance • Ability to safely operate farm equipment Education: None required.

Experience: Experience is an asset; but willing to train.

Work Eligibility: Only applicants legally eligible to work in Canada will be considered.

Equal opportunity Employer: Brussels Livestock is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

Applications can be emailed to: Cindy Ferraro: cindyf@brusselslivestock.ca P.O. Box 59, Brussels, ON N0G 1H0 Canada

Equal opportunity Employer: Brussels Livestock is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

Applications can be emailed to: Cindy Ferraro: cindyf@brusselslivestock.ca P.O. Box 59, Brussels, ON N0G 1H0 Canada

Thinking about quitting?

TO L L - F R E E

1-877-513-5333

All word ads in The Citizen classifieds are put on our webpage at

www.huroncitizen.ca

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022. PAGE 15.

Classified Advertisements Notice

Notice

Fundraising Committee for the North Huron Museum Relocation Capital Project The Township of North Huron is currently receiving Applications for Appointments to the Fundraising Committee for the North Huron Museum Relocation Capital Project.

The Fundraising Committee will be responsible for the raising of funds necessary to support the capital and relocation expenditures required to prepare the former train station facility for operation as a North Huron Museum. The purpose of the Committee is to plan, coordinate, implement, and evaluate fundraising activities in support of the project.

Committee meetings will be held on an as-needed basis. The day of the week and time of the meetings will be decided by the Committee at their first meeting.

Interested applicants are invited to submit a letter of application outlining how their qualifications, specific skills, interests and background are relevant to the Fundraising Committee.

Application forms are available at the following location on the North Huron website: https://www.northhuron.ca/en/municipalgovernment/boards-and-committees.aspx

Tenders

Tenders

FARM FOR SALE BY TENDER 147 Acre Farm located 3.5km South of Blyth on London Road (Highway 4), then West approx. 5km to 38938 Hullet-McKillop Road Legal Description: Part Lot 38 Concession 13 Hullet Township, Municipality of Central Huron.

This farm consists of approx. 147 acres in total, with approx. 83 acres workable, approx. 30 acres currently in pasture, and the remaining approx. 34 acres being buildings, bush, and creek. Located on this farm is 1 1/2 storey house, 72x30ft fabric shelter, single car garage and storage shed.

To view this productive farm, call John at 519-525-7117 and leave message.

Tenders Due: Thursday, January 27 at 3:00 PM Tender packages available by calling Jacob Auctions Ltd. at 519-348-9896 Proprietors: John and Heather Verwey 519-525-7117 Auctioneers: David and Doug Jacob 519-348-9896

Please submit completed applications by Friday, January 28, 2022 at 4:30pm to: Township of North Huron Attention: Carson Lamb, Municipal Clerk P.O. Box 90, 274 Josephine Street, Wingham, ON N0G 2W0 Email: clamb@northhuron.ca

Citizen-To-Citizen “SWAP SHOP” ad “One person’s junk is another’s treasure”

Let us help you turn that junk into $$ • Free ad up to 25 words, person to person only (no businesses), items valued at $1,000 or less. Your ad will run three times unless it sells faster!

• The Citizen reserves the right to limit the number of items or ads per person.

Call 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca FOR SALE - iMac 21.5”, mid 2010, 8 GB memory, 500 GB Hard Drive. Never any problems with it. $150. 519-357-0491.

03-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - kids mega blocks, 197 pieces, $20; large quantity of toddler girl’s clothing 12M-24M size, $1 per item. Call Wingham 519-357-2768.

03-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - kittens, tabby, white orange markings, 14 weeks old, one sylvester black and white kitten, 16 weeks old, friendly, using litter box, reasonable. Mornings, Harriston, 519-338-2688.

03-3 -------------------------------------------

FOR SALE - 4 - 16" snow tires, 225/60R16, $225 (have traded vehicles); one composter free. Call 519-357-3518, Wingham area.02-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - 40 ft. hay elevator, $150; Allis Chalmers 5-furrow semi-mount plow, $450; New Idea hay mowers, need work, $100 each; New Holland haybine, $700; have parts for New Holland 56 rake. 519395-2225.

01-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - 10L air fryer, dehydrator with rotisserie, used once. Please call 519-335-3382.

01-3 -------------------------------------------

Thompson announces new festival funding Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson is encouraging local festival and event organizers to apply for the provincial government’s newly-announced Reconnect Ontario fund.

The province is investing $20 million to provide support to municipalities and festival and event organizers that are creating innovative ways to help Ontarians reconnect with their communities once it is safe to do so.

“While we all have been impacted by the pandemic, tourism, sporting and cultural events have been especially hit hard,” Thompson said. “That’s why this program is important to help them continue to operate and celebrate together with the community.”

Funding may be used for eligible expenses such as programming and production, promotion, mobile applications and website development, and implementation of health and safety measures.

Thompson said that by providing continuing support to festivals and events through the Reconnect Ontario program, the province is delivering a much-needed boost to help maximize the growth and competitiveness of Ontario’s tourism sector as it begins to recover from the ongoing economic and societal effects of COVID-19.

The program aims to support innovative events in Ontario that will: • Offer safe experiences that encourage people to travel locally, participate and rediscover the beauty and diversity of all that

Ontario communities have to offer • Draw tourists and local visitors, whether in-person or virtually, through innovative programming, and generate positive economic impact for the local community, the region and the province • Provide job opportunities for Ontarians, particularly in the tourism, culture and entertainment sectors.

Continued investments through Reconnect Ontario will provide vital support to ensure the long-term success of the province’s festival and event sector, while helping organizers deliver safe, innovative experiences that allow people to reconnect with their communities, Thompson said, adding that prior to the pandemic, every $1 of provincial funding invested through Celebrate Ontario (the model for the Reconnect Ontario program) resulted in almost $21 of visitor spending.

To be eligible, an event must take place between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023; occur in the province of Ontario (if an in-person event) or be produced in Ontario (if a broadcast or virtual event); be open to the public at large without membership in a club or group and follow all municipal and provincial guidelines, including health and safety guidelines.

Program guidelines and application form can be found online at ontario.ca/page/availablefunding-opportunities-ontariogovernment.

Applications will be accepted until Feb. 2, 2022 at 5 p.m. EST.

All word ads in The Citizen classifieds are put on our webpage at

www.huroncitizen.ca

Wanted CASH CROP LAND WANTED TO rent or share crop. Contact Peter Rastorfer, 519-276-9405. Email: rastorferfarms @gmail.com 50-6p

United Churches collect for vaccines The Blyth and Brussels United Churches are now working on behalf of the Global COVID Vaccine Project, raising funds to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to under-privileged nations.

The project is already underway and will run until Easter (April 17).

Blyth and Brussels United Churches Student Minister Alex Jebson said the project is part of work being done by the United Church of Canada because, while the vast majority of Canadians have been vaccinated against the virus, the numbers are far lower in many underdeveloped nations. This situation, he said, leads to new variants of the virus and concerns back in Canada as a result.

“We are now moved by the Spirit to live out this call of advocacy for others. The latest variants and calls from health and epidemiology experts make it clear that the pandemic will not end until it ends for everyone. As long as vaccine access remains inequitable, there is a greater risk for further mutations of the virus,” Jebson said in a post on the churches’ website. “As of Jan. 6, more than 87.5 per cent of eligible Canadians have had their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, whereas that percentage for lowincome nations in the ‘global south’ is only 8.8 per cent, and only now just getting over 50 per cent for lower-middle-income nations.”

Donations being collected by the churches for the next three months will aid the United Church of Canada’s COVID Emergency Response. Jebson said that every $25 donation to the project ensures someone receives a full COVID-19 vaccination. Funds will also assist with food, shelter and medical care associated with the strain the pandemic has placed on many of these regions.

Jebson, in an interview with The Citizen, said the pandemic and topic of vaccinations has been top of mind for many as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has spread around the world, forcing many nations to take a step back in their reopening efforts. In Jebson’s post on the churches’ website, he talked about returning to virtual services and online meetings and he cited the expert predictions that, as long as the virus continues to spread around the world, new variants are sure to form.

For information on making a donation, call either the Blyth or Brussels United Church at the Blyth office at 519-523-4224 or the Brussels office at 519-887-6259.

PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022.

Wingham apartment development decision deferred The proposed apartment building development at the site of the former Wingham Trailer Park has once again been deferred to allow for more discussion between the developers and neighbours.

The development, which was first discussed by North Huron Council last month, was deferred after neighbours expressed concerns

about many aspects of the project, including property values, traffic, safety and impacts on their quality of life. Specific concerns included ecological issues, infrastructure concerns, whether the community could service so many new people, the distance from the site to schools, the loss of recreation opportunities and more.

During the public input period of the meeting, one neighbour commented that a more fulsome discussion had taken place since the proposal was first discussed, but critics of the project still felt this wasn’t the proper development for the space, due to loss of parkland.

During council’s Monday night meeting, Huron County Planner

Hanna Holman suggested that council defer the issue to give the applicants, Jonathan Eelman and Brock Hodgins, time to further discuss the issue with neighbours and provide council with a summary of that communication, even if a consensus may not be feasible.

Councillor Anita van Hittersum

asked about the length of the deferral and Holman said she anticipated it being in front of council next month, adding the Huron County Planning and Development Department wants to see the file move forward.

Council members spoke in favour of the move before voting to defer the issue.

Obituaries service will be held in the spring.

As expressions of sympathy, donations may be made to the Clinton Public Hospital Foundation or Melville Presbyterian Church.

Condolences may be left at riversidefuneralhome.ca

CAROL (née Meijer) BONESCHANSKER Carol (née Meijer) Boneschansker passed away peacefully at Clinton Hospital on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. She was in her 92nd year.

Carol was the beloved wife of John for 67 years and the loving Mom of Bill (Susan) Boneschansker, Dorothy (Bob) Cummings, Annette McCutcheon and Brian Benson, Cathy (Brad) Clarke, Bruce (Shelly) Boneschansker, and Robert (MaryAnne) Boneschansker.

Carol was the loving grandma of 10 grandchildren and 16 greatgrandchildren and will be missed by many nieces, nephews, cousins.

Carol was the sister of Kor (Antje) Meijer of Holland and the sister-in-law of Gus (Rita) Van Buren, Steven (Ina) Boneschansker, Hilda (Ralph) Dykstra and Jean Boneschansker. She was predeceased by her brother Dirk Meijer and brother-in-law Bob Boneschansker.

Carol immigrated as a single, brave, young lady from Holland in 1948. She started out as a housekeeper/nanny in the Newmarket area. While at church she caught the eye of a young John Boneschansker and they were married on Oct. 28, 1954 during Hurricane Hazel.

They honeymooned in Holland, then came home and settled in the Newmarket area, where they started their family.

Scugog Island in the Port Perry area was their next move where they had four more children. With all the kids in tow they picked up and moved to the Ethel area in 1968 to start a dairy farm, switching to vegetable farming before retiring.

Carol loved to work on the farm with a big garden and she was a 4H leader for many clubs. She worked part time at the nursing home in Brussels and on the night shift at Spinrite, all the while raising sixand-a-half kids. Carol liked to crochet doilies and loved to read.

She loved to play euchre and, if she had time, would try a jigsaw puzzle.

Carol had a very gentle demeanor with a sense of humour that made everyone smile. She was a calm, patient and totally unselfish person.

She will be missed in her community for her helpfulness and kindness.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, her funeral

PATTI CRAIG Patti Craig of Wingham, passed away peacefully at her home on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. She was 66.

Patti was the cherished partner of Dave Golley; the loving mom of Holly Armstrong and the cherished grandma of Noah and Chloe. Patti was the dear sister of Kerry and Kent Doig, Larry and Gene Nelson and Kim and Dan Yake. She was the sister-in-law of DeWayne Golley and Brenda Inglis, Dean and Monica Golley and Damian Golley.

Patti will be lovingly remembered by her loyal dog Marley and several nieces, nephews and friends. She was predeceased by her parents Earl and Betty (Thomas) Nelson, brother David Nelson, nephew Shawn Nelson and parents-in-law Glenn and Norma Golley.

A private funeral service was held at McBurney Funeral Home on Saturday, Jan. 15. Rev. Jeff Hawkins officiated. A livestream of the funeral is available on the funeral home’s website. A celebration of Patti’s life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Wingham and District Hospital Foundation (Oncology Unit) or OneCare Home Services would be appreciated.

Online condolences may be left at www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com

ELAINE FERN (BEUERMAN) STEPHENSON Elaine Fern (Beuerman) Stephenson of Varna, passed away

peacefully surrounded by her family, at Clinton Public Hospital on Jan. 14, 2022. She was 70.

Elaine was the beloved wife of Paul Stephenson for over 51 years; the cherished mother of Shellie Riley (Dan), Egmondville; Cheryl VandenHeuvel (Rein), Seaforth and Suzanne Dale (Donnie), Blyth and the loving grandma of Mitchell, Lexxi, Hunter; Deric, Chelsea; and Colby, Connor and Carleigh. Elaine was the dear sister of Sharon McClure (Bill), Dale Taylor (Ray), Valerie Musselman, Neil Beuerman (Joan), Glen Beuerman (Marilyn), Betty McCallum (Ron) and sisterin-law of Grace Partridge (Tom).

Elaine was predeceased by parents Margaret (McMurran) and Orville Beuerman and brother-inlaw Mike Musselman.

In keeping with Elaine’s wishes, cremation has taken place.

Arrangements were entrusted to Haskett Funeral Homes, Seaforth.

Donations to the Diabetes Canada, Seaforth Community Hospital Foundation, or the Clinton Public Hospital Foundation would be appreciated. Condolences may be forwarded through www.haskettfh.com.

Hospital on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022.

He was 72.

Brian was the devoted partner of Trudy Thomson and the cherished stepfather of Carol and John Witney, Angie and Bill Horst, Butch Foran and Lorene Schmidtke and Joy MacDonald and Rob Pollock.

He was the loving grandpa of Jonathan and Ashley, Curtis, Shane, Ryan, Jenna, Justin, Jocelyn, Logan and Wade, and the great-grandpa of Kai and Mya. Brian was the dear brother and brother-in-law of Gayle and Brad Speiran, Barb Rintoul, Lila Rintoul, John and Clara Thomson, Bruce and Maureen Thomson, Bill and Jan Thomson, and Sandra Thomson.

Brian will be lovingly remembered by his many nieces and nephews and their families. He was predeceased by his parents Gordon and Doreen (Purdon) Rintoul, brothers Gary and Lee Rintoul, brother-in-law Rae Thomson, sister-in-law Pat Thomson, nephew Kevin Rintoul and niece Debbie Smuck.

Visitation took place at McBurney Funeral Home, Wingham on Thursday, Jan. 13. A private funeral service was held on

Jan. 14 in the funeral home chapel.

A livestream of the funeral is available on the funeral home’s website. Interment will take place in the spring at Wingham Cemetery.

Flowers are gratefully declined.

In memory of Brian, please consider a memorial donation to Wingham and District Hospital Foundation (Ladies Auxiliary).

Online condolences may be left at www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com

Wingham Memorials Distinctive memorials of lasting satisfaction produced by us to your specifications.

Owned and operated by Mac and Donna Anderson Assisted by Mandy & Kaitlyn

519-357-1910 E-mail: andgranite@bellnet.ca After hours appointments available 89 North Street W., Wingham www.winghammemorials.com

Remembering your loved one Honour your loved one by placing their obituary in

BRIAN KEITH RINTOUL Brian Keith Rintoul of Wingham passed away at Stratford General

The Citizen.

This is a free service provided by The Citizen. We encourage you to share the story of your loved one in a special remembrance of their life.

Cards of thanks can be placed in our classified section, starting at just $7.00.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022. PAGE 17.

From the Minister’s Study

Would the real Messiah please stand up?

By Rev. JoAnn Todd Trinity and St. John’s Anglican Churches On the second Sunday of January, in most Anglican Churches, we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. We have a special liturgy for it, which includes gathering around the baptismal font and the blessing of water, and then we renew our baptismal promises. At the end of the liturgy the worship leader, if they so choose, can use the blessed water to sprinkle or “spurge” those present in the congregation.

It is something that I do every year, walking among the congregation with a bowl of the water I’ve blessed, using a cedar branch to “spurge” the gathered faithful. Renewing the promises made on our behalf, often by our parents way back when we were infants, helps us to start off the year with the reminder that our baptisms united us to Christ, as His people, and united with Christ we remain all our lives. It reminds us of our commitment to the teachings of Christ that guide our lives. The physicality of the water reminds us that God in Christ works through the physical manifestations of God’s world, to bring us to God and God to us. This service touches people, physically and spiritually.

The story of Jesus’ baptism is recounted in all four gospels, which truly is a testament to the importance of the event – all four gospel writers felt this important enough to include in their accounting of the life and ministry of Jesus. And each one of them, of course, presents it in his own fashion, based on the source of their information and the particular theological emphasis that the writer is bringing to the community for whom, and to whom, they are writing.

Luke’s recounting has the focus not so much on the details of the baptism itself, as it appears that Jesus is just one of the group of folks who’ve come to John for baptism on this particular day. What seems most important for Luke is clarifying Jesus’ and John’s respective roles and identities. Luke tells us that there was, at that time, an expectation, a notion, a feeling in the air that a Messiah, another Saviour from the Lord was due, and soon.

I got to pondering what this feeling might be like, I was trying to understand this sense of expectation about a Saviour, that sense of anticipation in the air, and the closest analogy that came to

mind was something like a provincial or federal election, especially if there are new leaders of one of the main parties. There can be a sense of eagerness; a hopefulness with the idea that a new leader could take the province or country out of the economic and political state we’re in and lead us through the mess this pandemic has created. I think that may give us maybe a wee inkling of the feeling that the people of that time might have had, only theirs must have been so much more intense – after all, Canada of today is still a really good place to be, even with all our troubles. But to be a Jew in Romanoccupied Judah? Well, their desire for delivery out of that level of oppression must be magnified manyfold to our situation in this country. A hundred times? Two hundred times? And they knew that their Saviour was to be God-sent – like the Great King David had been.

What an intense desire they must have felt; a desperate longing for someone to be there for them, to save them from their lives as an occupied people.

And then John enters into the picture, acting and sounding like the prophets of old – right down to the talk of burning fires of hell.

There was a familiarity about him and his message. Was he the one the Lord was sending to save them from their difficult lives? To free them from this oppression? It seems the people were confused about John, who he was, what he was doing. It’s like – well, remember that old TV show To Tell the Truth?

“Would the real Messiah please

stand up?” And John clearly tells them no, it’s not him, there is to be another, one who will baptize not with water like he does, but with the Holy Spirit and fire.

So, John’s message is a spiritual one. John’s role is to prepare people for the imminent coming of a spiritual Messiah, a Saviour, a leader who is not just of the world, but one who has the power beyond the world. This Saviour will have the Spirit of God; he will have the power to separate those who will bear fruit in God’s kingdom from those who won’t; to separate the chaff from the wheat is how he puts it. Chaff, for you non-agricultural folk, is the hulls, the husks and the unfilled seeds that is separated and discarded in the thrashing – the combining and seed cleaning process. This process requires wind – it is wind that blows the chaff away, separating it from the seed.

The Holy Spirit is that wind, the process that does the revealing.

Celebrating A Special Occasion?

Advertise it in

The Citizen Call or email to book your ad today!

The Citizen 519-523-4792 info@northhuron.on.ca

Brussels Mennonite Fellowship In­person services closed until further notice

And interestingly, in Luke’s accounting of the story, it’s only after Jesus had been baptized and He had gone off to pray that’s when the Holy Spirit descends upon Him – while He is praying.

Luke’s description of the Holy Spirit’s descent while Jesus is praying is his way of telling his followers of the incredible power and responsiveness of prayer; that’s when we connect with God and God connects with us and through us. It’s in Luke’s gospel that we find that “prayer is the focus of Jesus’ ministry”. It’s in Luke’s gospel that we read over and over of Jesus taking time to pray. And when the Holy Spirit descended, that’s when

God’s voice could be heard, confirming for those who had ears to hear –yes this is My son, my beloved. This was the people’s Messiah, the one sent to them from God. It is good to be reminded at least once each year, as sisters and brothers of Christ, we too are God’s beloved, forever united and bonded to Christ, in God’s wonderful amazing and inescapable love.

BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED

The Regional Ministry of Hope Churches currently closed for in-person worship.

Weekly service live-streamed at 10:30 a.m. on our facebook page or on youtube @St. Paul’s-Trinity Anglican Church Wingham.

Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector 519-357-7781 email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca The­Regional­Ministry­of­ Hope

Trinity

St. John’s

BLYTH 9:00 AM

BRUSSELS 12 NOON

St. Paul’s Trinity

WINGHAM 10:30 AM

COME WORSHIP WITH US!

BRUSSELS

United Church Sunday, January 23 Worship via YouTube Zoom Devotion & Fellowship January 19, 10:30-11:30 Get link by email or phone office Global Covid Vaccine Project Help for countries unable to vaccinate their people Send/give donations to Church treasurer Contact Alex at minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com Website: brusselsandblythuc.ca P.O. Box 359, Brussels ~ 519-887-6259

Join us for our 10:00 am and 7:30 pm services Social distancing and masks required

Sundays @ 10 am ­­ Face masks & social distancing in effect

Services are live-streamed and can be found by searching “Blyth Christian Reformed Church”

250 Princess St., Brussels • 519­887­6388 • Pastor Ken Gazley

MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS There will be no in-person worship for January.

Search “Rev. Ireland” or “St. Andrew’s and Melville Sermon” on Youtube.com for a virtual service.

May the love of Christ be with you.

BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743 www.blythcrc.ca

THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH

OUR CHURCHES HAVE RE-OPENED. WELCOME BACK.

Brussels Soup and More 2 is cancelled until further notice.

Evangelical Missionary Church

519-357-5273 Sunday Jan. 23, 10:30 a.m.

Pastor Ernest Dow, “Finding Purpose in our Problems” (Amos 3-4)

Blyth United Church No in-person worship until further notice.

Please join us online Stay safe and healthy

Sunday School during Worship

"Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together.” (Isaiah 40:5)

In-person and online! live.huronchapel.com

Contact Alex at: minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com

119 John’s Ave., Auburn 519-526-1131

Facebook: Blyth and Brussels United Churches blythunited@tcc.on.ca ~ 519-523-4224

Brussels: St. Ambrose Saturday ~ 6:00 p.m.

17 Flora Street Wingham: Sacred Heart Sunday ~ 9:00 a.m.

220 Carling Terrace Listowel: St. Joseph’s Sunday ~ 11:00 a.m.

1025 Wallace Avenue N. Facebook: Search for St. Joseph/Sacred Heart/St. Ambrose Live Sunday Mass, Sundays at 10:00 a.m.

PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022.

Onn, Vinnicombe, Mitchell acclaimed by society Continued from page 1 the fair for their achievement day.

Another member also pointed out that having the fair on a weekend would complicate the participation of students from North Woods Elementary School, though it is already complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Onn said that perhaps a Sunday/Monday fair could work, as an option, but that changing the days of the fair would be more of a long-term conversation.

Furthermore, Onn said there are a number of discussions to be had surrounding what the fair will look like this September as a result of a number of factors, foremost the state of the renovation and expansion project at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre, the traditional home of the fair, and the state of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of the fair.

She said that, if the community centre is not available (she would endeavour to provide an update

from Huron East Council soon), the society could host a multi-site fair, perhaps at another large community facility such as the Four Winds Barn, or under a large rented tent.

Cardiff suggested a subcommittee to brainstorm several options in the event the community centre is not available for the fair and Jeff Cardiff, Reg Vinnicombe, Mary Ann Thompson and Lori Vader all volunteered, in addition to Matt Cardiff. The subcommittee will present a handful of options to the membership at a future meeting.

At the meeting, members also decided that the 2022 Brussels Fall Fair, should it go ahead in its traditional form, will be referred to as the 159th Brussels Fall Fair.

There was some discussion on the issue, with members making points on both sides. In the end, members agreed that, while events, such as meals and parades, had been held in 2020 and 2021, they were society events and did not constitute a full fall fair in the traditional sense.

The plan now, Onn said, is to mark the society’s 160th fair in 2023. A final date for the 2022 fair has yet to be chosen, with factors such as the venue needing to be finalized before a final decision can be made.

ELECTION At the meeting, the society also elected its next slate of officers.

Onn was chosen to remain the president for another year after serving for the past two years, during which time the society has been unable to host a fair. She was acclaimed to the position.

Reg Vinnicombe was acclaimed to the position of first vicepresident, meaning he will serve as the president for 2023-2024, while Sean Mitchell was acclaimed to the position of second vice-president.

He will move up to first vicepresident in 2023-2024 and serve as president in 2025-2026.

Pam McLellan’s term as homecraft president isn’t up until next year, but Linda Garland was

acclaimed to the position of first vice-homecraft president, meaning that she will take over the homecraft presidency for 20232024.

Secretary Crystal McCallum also presented society members with an updated constitution for the organization based on advice from the Ontario Nonprofit Network.

GUEST SPEAKER Janelle Cardiff, Farm and Food Care Ontario second vice-chair and the Egg Farmers of Ontario representative to Farm and Food Care Ontario was the guest speaker for the meeting. She spoke on the work of the organization, both before the COVID-19 pandemic and during, and how the Brussels Agricultural Society could benefit from being a member.

The organization has a 30-year history, she told members, and has since spawned sister organizations in both Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island.

Cardiff said it works to connect

farmers and consumers and to clarify the world of farming for the high percentage of people who do not have a personal connection to farming in this day and age. One of the key aspects of the organization’s outreach work had been farm tours. They were put on hold when the pandemic struck, she said, but have continued in the form of catalogued video tours or live events broadcast over the internet.

LOOKING AHEAD Onn said she would inquire about the community centre project at a future meeting of Huron East Council to provide an update to the society at a future meeting.

The next meeting for the society is scheduled for Feb. 16.

The 2023 Brussels Fall Fair has also already been scheduled with a date set for Sept. 19-20, 2023. The theme for the fair is “Bank Barns and Spinning Yarns”.

A theme for the 2024 Brussels Fall Fair will also be chosen at a meeting sometime this year.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022. PAGE 19.

Letter to the Editor

We need to focus on sustainability THE EDITOR, In the Jan. 13 issue of The Citizen, Shawn Loughlin's weekly column, “Shawn’s Sense”, he outlines that airlines have to fly empty or almost empty plane flights to retain take-off and landing times at various airports.

Usually, I do not believe everything that I read, although I do believe the credibility of The Citizen’s staff.

That being said, the fact that airlines are flying numerous empty or almost empty flights is wrong on so many levels, that I do not even know where to begin.

Unbelievable, unacceptable, and unreasonable are opposites of sustainability. As our world is trying to become sustainable, this is only one obvious example of how we are failing to achieve expectations. If we do not acknowledge what the word “sustainable” really means; we will continue to fail in protecting our planet.

John Rutledge, architect.

Sudoku Solution

Snow/stump-man Before the area was absolutely covered in snow, area young people like Mary Jane Scott of Blyth were able to do their best with what they had, scraping together snow people with the light dusting of the white stuff Mother Nature afforded Huron County.

(Denny Scott photo)

BMG hire irks MT Council

By Denny Scott The Citizen Morris-Turnberry councillors are concerned they aren’t being consulted as planning continues for the renovation project at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre.

During council’s Jan. 11 meeting, Councillor Jim Nelemans said he was concerned that a fundraising firm had been hired, saying he didn’t know about it until he read a story in the Jan. 6 issue of The Citizen.

In the story, Huron East Chief Administrative Officer Brad McRoberts explained that hiring Nicole Duquette Consulting was to help make sure the fundraising goals were met, and that the $90,000 price tag would be for the work of the firm, not necessarily one individual. Duquette had been part of the initial feasibility study undertaken with Glen Boy with the firm Campaign Coaches. However, since then, Boy has retired, leaving Duquette to take over and rename the business.

Nelemans, however, was both frustrated with the cost and the fact

that Morris-Turnberry had no say in the decision. According to an agreement between Huron East and Morris-Turnberry, the latter is responsible for 20 per cent of the municipal portion of costs at the facility, including renovations, like the current project.

For the project, with a price tag of just over $7.2 million, the municipality is paying $469,900, or approximately 6.4 per cent of the entire project. Federal ($1.9 million) and provincial ($1.6 million) funding, as well as local fundraising of $1.4 million, will cover more than half the project’s cost.

While Mayor Jamie Heffer agreed with Nelemans’ sentiment, he did clarify that the $90,000, plus expenses, would be coming out of the money fundraised for the project, meaning it would have no direct impact on the project cost for Morris-Turnberry.

Morris-Turnberry Chief Administrative Officer Trevor Hallam said he didn’t recall being consulted on the issue, and said it may have happened at the board level. However, Councillor Kevin Freiburger, who represents Morris-

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Turnberry on the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre board, said he didn’t recall any conversation about the hiring.

“I think we should be sending a letter to Huron East,” Nelemans said. “It seems we’re supposed to send a cheque and not comment on anything.”

He then said that $90,000 “seems like it’s a lot for one person”, but added “I’m an old man and maybe I don’t understand the wages.”

In the aforementioned Jan. 6 story, it was noted the $90,000 was to hire the firm, not an individual person.

Nelemans went on to bemoan Huron East moving forward with these kinds of decisions without seeking input.

“If [the municipality is] part owner, [council] should have input on some of the decisions,” he said.

Heffer did suggest council direct Hallam to reach out to McRoberts to discuss the issue, and come back with a report on how to address the situation going forward. Council approved having staff handle the issue.

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PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022.

COVID-19 cases up

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Huron and Perth Counties continue to face significant COVID-19 case numbers during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 281 new cases reported over the past week and 1,337 cases being considered active as of Monday.

Over the past week, the cumulative case count for COVID19 climbed from 4,248 to 4,529, according to Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH), while active cases climbed from 1,165 to 1,337, though accurate counts aren’t possible according to Huron Perth Chief Medical Officer Dr. Miriam Klassen, due to testing restrictions put in place by the provincial government earlier this month.

There are currently 10 individuals hospitalized in Huron and Perth Counties due to COVID19, eight of whom are considered active cases. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 154 individuals hospitalized, up nine from last week. There have been two new COVID-19-linked deaths in the two counties reported in the last week, bringing the cumulative total to 78.

Outbreaks continue to develop across the two counties, with five in long-term care facilities, five in retirement homes and one continuing at Stratford General Hospital.

Hillside Manor in Perth East declared an outbreak of COVID-19 on Jan. 3 with two staff members testing positive. In the past week, that outbreak has climbed to four with two staff members and two residents testing positive. The outbreak at Kingsway Lodge in St. Marys climbed from two residents and six staff members to 10 residents and 14 staff. Queensway Nursing Home’s outbreak continues with one resident and one staff member testing positive for COVID-19. Knollcrest Lodge in Perth East declared an outbreak with one resident and five staff testing positive, while Braemar Nursing Home also declared one on Jan. 12 with three residents and seven staff members testing positive.

The five retirement home outbreaks are all continuations of previous outbreaks, with Caressant Care in North Perth’s outbreak, which started on Jan. 2 with two staff testing positive, climbing to two staff and two residents. Exeter Villa also reported an outbreak on Jan. 2 with four residents and six staff members testing positive, which has now climbed to seven residents and 13 staff members.

Goderich Place's Jan. 8 outbreak climbed from one resident and one staff member testing positive to one resident and four staff members testing positive. Maplewood Manor Retirement Home in Huron East’s outbreak, which was declared on Dec. 30 with one resident and one staff member testing positive, has climbed to four staff members and one resident. Lastly, Seaforth Manor Retirement Home’s outbreak, declared on Jan. 2 with two residents and one staff member testing positive, has climbed to four residents and three staff members.

The outbreak at Stratford General Hospital’s Inpatient Surgery Unit continues with five staff members and one patient testing positive for COVID-19.

Ten congregate living outbreaks have also been identified by HPPH,

though the specifics of those outbreaks are not made public.

While testing numbers are moving in the right direction, with incidence rates in Huron and Perth County (the number of cases per 100,000 people) dropping from 627.5 to 203.2 this week, and positivity per cent (the percentage of tests that come back positive) dropping from 11.49 to 8.07 over the past week, those numbers don’t show the whole picture, with many potential patients not having access to tests.

VACCINATION COVID-19 vaccination continues in Huron and Perth Counties. The number of individuals with one COVID-19 vaccination increased from 115,755 to 116,584 between Jan. 3 and Jan. 10, representing an increase from 83.3 per cent of eligible recipients to 83.9 per cent.

Increases in demographic information for those with at least one dose is as follows: • 5-11: 5,388 (45.5 per cent of eligible residents) from 4,946 (41.7) • 12-17: 7,784 (77.4) from 7,663 (77.2) • 18-24: 8,847 (73) from 8,794 (72.6) • 25-29: 7,082 (82.8) from 7,028 (82.2) • 30-39: 13,637 (83.1) from 13,553 (82.6) • 40-49: 13,391 (83.6) from 13,326 (83.2) • 50-59: 17,191 (86) from 17,151 (85.8) • 60-69: 20,645 (98.6) from 20,589 (98.4) • 70-79: 14,542 (99.7) from 14,531 (99.7) • 80+: 8,077 (93.2) from 8,074 (93.3) Fully-vaccinated residents account for 79.1 per cent of eligible residents, up from 78.4, or 109,850 people, up from 108,776.

• 5-11: 1,267 (10.7 per cent of eligible residents) from 609 (5.1 per) • 12-17: 7,484 (74.4) from 7,453 (74.1) • 18-24: 8,481 (70) from 8,426 (69.5) • 25-29: 6,750 (78.9) from 6,696 (78.3) • 30-39: 13,158 (80.2) from 13,065 (79.6) • 40-49: 13,067 (81.6) from 13,000 (81.2) • 50-59: 16,683 (83.5) from 16,637 (83.3) • 60-69: 20,347 (97.4) from 20,299 (97.1) • 70-79: 14,456 (99.7) from 14,437 (99.7) • 80+: 8,157 (95.3) from 8,154 (95.3) There are 53,295 fully-vaccinated individuals in the two counties who have received a third “booster” shot of the vaccine, or 38.6 per cent of eligible residents, up from 29,535 individuals or 21.4 per cent.

• 12-17: 148 (1.5 per cent of eligible residents) from 105 (one) • 18-24: 2,995 (24.7) from 2,144 (17.7) • 25-29: 2,350 (27.5) from 1,647 (19.3) • 30-39: 5,499 (33.5) from 3,858 (23.5) • 40-49: 6,342 (39.6) from 4,656 (29.1) • 50-59: 10,229 (51.3) from 8,599 (43.1) • 60-69: 15,385 (73.8) from 13,671 (65.6) • 70-79: 12,525 (88.9) from 11,686 (65.6) • 80+: 7,523 (88.8) from 6,929 (84.8) For the most up-to-date statistics, visit hpph.ca.

Fun in the sun (and snow) Patti Nixon (not shown) snapped this photo of, from left, Blaire Glassier, Julie Nixon and Tessa Glassier having a ‘Sunday Funday’ at Poppa and Grandma Nixon’s home. Share your photos with The Citizen by e-mailing them to reporter@northhuron.on.ca. (Photo submitted)

Thaw out with a good book

Z IS FOR ZAMBONI An alphabet book, Z is for Zamboni is for the younger hockey fans. Matt Napier's rhymes team up with the illustrations of Melanie Rose to elucidate this increasingly popular game for every beginning hockey fan. Highlighting rules, players, coaches, teams, and the history of the game, it is both fun and educational. $10.99

DANCE OF THE HAPPY SHADES This is the book that earned Alice Munro a devoted readership, revealing the countryside of Southwestern Ontario and its many small sufferings and unanticipated emotions. $20.00

ANNE’S FAVOURITES Food for the Heart & Soul The recipes in this collection reflect an emphasis on healthy living. A collection of personal favourites from Anne Mann’s kitchen. $29.95

THE FRESH EGG COOKBOOK Farm-fresh chicken eggs are nutritious and delicious and versatile in so many dishes. This cookbook provides recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner and desserts to top off the meals.

Lots of information about eggs. $22.95

Prices subject to change with increases in wholesale prices, postage, taxes, etc. Please refer to current issue for correct figures.

Incorrect payment will delay delivery.

RUSTY RAILS A photographic record of the branchline railways in Mid-western Ontario from 1961-1996. Many of these rail lines are gone now, but their memory lingers, as does their effect on our history. (softcover) $34.95

The Citizen

Total

Qty.

Z IS FOR ZAMBONI ANNE’S FAVOURITES BEAUTIFUL BOARDS DANCE OF THE HAPPY SHADES THE FRESH EGG COOKBOOK RUSTY RAILS

BEAUTIFUL BOARDS If you board it, they will come! make mealtimes, special occasions and holidays extra memorable with the 50 delicious, inspiring, family-friendly and easy-to-recreate snack boards found in Beautiful Boards. $32.99

$10.99 $29.95 $32.99 $20.00 $22.95 $34.95 Total for Books Shipping & Handling $9.00 Add 5% GST on subtotal Order Total

Send cheque or money order for full amount to: Books: North Huron Publishing P.O. Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 or call and pay by credit card 519-523-4792

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