INSIDE THIS WEEK:
PARKING - Pg. 3
LAND FEE - Pg. 10
MUSIC - Pg. 19
Huron East may improve local lots after complaints
North Huron, MorrisTurnberry spar over fee
Foundation’s Six-String Music Fest set to return
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Volume 35 No. 28
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Thursday, July 11, 2019
O’Reilly to bring Stanley Cup home By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen
Time in the sun It was a beautiful weekend in Huron County and numerous events took advantage of the weather after a cold and wet spring, encouraging families to head outdoors and enjoy the landscape. There was PlucKin Fest in Clinton, ball tournaments and the annual fishing derby in Bluevale. Here, Kylie Caswell sits patiently with her line in the Bluevale Dam, hoping for a bite – or at least a nibble. (Quinn Talbot photo)
Huron County will have a visit from the Stanley Cup for the first time in years on July 25 when Seaforth native Ryan O’Reilly of the Stanley Cup-winning St. Louis Blues brings the cup to Seaforth and Goderich. In Seaforth, a parade will begin at the fire hall at 9:30 a.m., ending at the Seaforth and District Community Centre at 10 a.m. There, residents can have their picture taken with O’Reilly and the cup for two hours before the most famous trophy in sports makes its way to Goderich for the afternoon. The Goderich parade will begin at the town hall at 1 p.m., travel to The Square and back to the town hall before heading out to the YMCA for pictures. In a statement, O’Reilly said that he will not be signing any autographs that day to ensure that the day runs smoothly. He has, however, assured his fans that he plans on returning to Huron County later this summer for a day where he can sign memorabilia for residents. According to Huron East Chief Administrative Officer Brad Knight, O’Reilly will be joined by several family members in the parade, as well as some NHL alumni. O’Reilly won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the 2018/2019 playoffs. He scored eight goals and 15 assists in 26 games for the Blues on the way to their Cup win in game seven of the
finals over the Boston Bruins. This came after another stellar season for O’Reilly in which he scored 28 goals and 49 assists, playing in all of his team’s 82 games. For his part, O’Reilly, affectionately nicknamed Snook, also released a statement thanking Huron County in the wake of his Stanley Cup win: “I would like to formally thank the community of Huron County for the ongoing love and support you have shown me throughout my entire career as well as specifically throughout this year’s exciting playoff run. “Huron County will always be home to me. From the calming open spaces to the warm greetings everyone gives one another around town, this is a place where I always come back to relax and reconnect with myself, friends and family. “There are so many people who have supported me on my journey to winning the Stanley Cup. I could not have attained the ultimate hockey goal without all of you. Starting with the Seaforth Stars and the Huron Perth Lakers, both fantastic organizations that helped me grow as a competitive player. “I would like to thank all of my sponsors that made playing hockey with the Huron Perth Lakers possible. Your generosity has impacted my life drastically. “I would like to thank all of the coaches I’ve had over the 25 years I’ve been playing hockey. Every Continued on page 9
County ahead of schedule on energy efficiency By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron County is working ahead of schedule to curtail its energy use and efficiency, but there is still more work to do. Lily Hamlin, the county’s climate change and energy specialist, spoke to Huron County for the first time at its July 3 meeting, providing an update on energy conservation and efficiency measures for the next five years. This will be the second conservation and demand management (CDM) plan, now required by law of all broader public sector organizations, after the first one was enacted in 2014. During the five years following the implementation of the plan in 2014, Hamlin said, the county was able to consistently reduce its energy use by an average of 0.5 per cent per year. While the plan proposed a 2.5 per cent reduction by 2018, the county has registered a 3.8 per
cent reduction by the end of 2017 – a total annual savings of nearly 370,000 kilowatt hours. Hamlin said that while the longterm care facilities are the greatest consumer of energy, that sector also saw some of the most significant savings as well, alongside museums and offices. While some practical efficiencies were made in the past five years, Hamlin said that much of the energy reduction came as a result of staff awareness and the changing of practices and attitudes. Hamlin said that technical measures include the installation of LED lighting, occupancy sensors, water-efficient products, energy audits and improved heating and cooling systems. Organizationally, there has been usage monitoring, the implementation of innovative technologies and a temperature set point policy. However, on the behavioural end, department meetings, the establishment of a conservation committee
and staff initiatives have all resulted in further energy consumption. Hamlin said that while the county has excelled in reducing its energy usage over the past five years, the proposed measures will allow the county to continue
to consistently reduce its energy use. She said that keeping the county moving in the right direction will not only reduce the county’s environ-mental impact, but it will also ultimately generate cost savings.
As for the next steps of the plan, Hamlin said she would continue working with the conservation committee to implement it, which will now be made available publically on the county’s website.
Knights to return to Clinton The London Knights are set to take on the Erie Otters on Sept. 14 at the Central Huron Community Complex in Clinton at 7:30 p.m. The Knights, who last visited Huron County in 2016 and took on Erie then as well, will host the Otters in an exhibition match that will serve as a fundraiser for the Tanner Steffler Foundation. John Steffler explained to The Citizen that there will be two ways to take in the game in Clinton: in the arena or in a special licensed tent outside the arena. Tickets for the action inside the
arena will be $20 each, he said, while tickets to the tent, which will be open until 12:30 a.m., where the game will be broadcast live, are $12. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Aug. 5. A special pre-sale with a limited number of tickets will be held at the Six String Music Festival on July 27 in Seaforth for ticket holders at that event. More information about the pre-sale will be available soon. See page 19 for more information. In total, over 2,000 tickets will be sold, with just over half being for the indoor event and the rest for the
viewing tent outside of the arena. General tickets will be available online through EventBrite as well as at the Blyth Ultramar. The event is being organized by Brent Scrimgeour of Londesborough. Scrimgeour also organized the last match as a fundraiser for local hockey associations. Steffler said much of the same arrangements are being made for this game, including outdoor activities for the younger audience starting at 1 p.m. that day. Watch The Citizen for more information.