The Citizen - November 18, 2021

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• Theatre • Editorials • Blyth Friday • Gift Guide

The

THIS WEEK

Citizen

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Thursday, November 18, 2021

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Volume 37 No. 46

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0

M-T sets priorities for future

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Welcome back After Remembrance Day of 2020 was unofficially closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the public were welcomed back to ceremonies this year provided they were outdoors and mask-wearing and physical distancing protocols were

followed. The Blyth Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and the Legion Ladies Auxiliary marked the day, which was also the 100th anniversary of the poppy, in front of Memorial Hall with many members of the community in attendance. (Denny Scott photo)

The current session of MorrisTurnberry Council, entering its last year before the next municipal election, now has an idea of goals that have been achieved over the past three years.

During a special meeting on Nov. 10 in Bluevale, the council’s first in-person meeting in over a year, Chief Administrative Officer Trevor Hallam briefed council on where they are as far as the priorities set in 2019 with an annual update on council’s strategic priorities.

RECREATION SPENDING Hallam started his report with recreation spending, which council could face problems with in the coming years, he said.

In his report, Hallam explained the municipality has limited resources and, according to the goals set out by council, the current level of support provided to recreation facilities in other municipalities is unsustainable.

Currently, council’s policy is that it will support the community centres in Belmore and Belgrave at base level funding, with council considering providing financing to the sites for capital projects. Hallam also pointed out that council had recently agreed to increase its contribution to Huron East to cover Morris-Turnberry’s portion of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre upgrades, which Continued on page 14

COVID-19 cases continue to spike in Huron-Perth

By Denny Scott The Citizen Huron Perth Medical Officer of Health Dr. Miriam Klassen wants residents of Huron and Perth Counties to know that, with thousands of unvaccinated people in the counties, school and workplace closures due to COVID19 are still possible.

During the bi-weekly teleconference hosted by Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH), Klassen said the number of unvaccinated people, which includes 9,000 individuals eligible for vaccines and twice that many under the age of 12, transmission is still very possible, which leads to a higher likelihood of outbreaks and the possibility of local healthcare systems being overwhelmed.

She said daily case counts in Huron and Perth Counties, like those across Ontario, are climbing, and with 63 new cases since last

Monday, the highest weekly case count in nearly six months, the increase was evident.

Huron and Perth Counties also saw another COVID-19-linked fatality, bringing the total to 68, and four people hospitalized over the past week, bringing the total of hospitalized cases since the pandemic began to 111.

Outbreaks continue across the

area, including one unidentified workplace outbreak reported by HPPH and a number of cases identified in students attending local schools over the past week including Seaforth Public School (one case, one class sent home), Clinton Public School (one case, one class sent home), Stratford Intermediate School (one case, no classes sent home), Bedford Public

School (one case, one class sent home) and Mornington Central Public School (one case, one class sent home). HPPH reports that the ongoing outbreak at Milverton Public School continues with 17 total cases, one in staff and the remainder in students.

As for local cases, the 63 new cases brings the cumulative total to 2,452, with cases being identified in

both Huron and Perth Counties.

In Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW), eight new cases have been identified for a cumulative total of 53. Four new cases have been identified in Morris-Turnberry (84).

Three new cases have been identified in South Huron (178).

Two new cases each have been identified in Huron East (177) Continued on page 7

Airport sold, non-resident fees killed

By Denny Scott The Citizen After very little discussion, North Huron Township Council approved two bylaws during its Monday night meeting, putting to rest two contentious issues for council members.

Bylaw 87-2021, the bylaw to sell the Richard W. LeVan airport, owned by North Huron but located

in Morris-Turnberry, was given its third and final reading, making the sale official.

While the bylaw passed, Councillor Chris Palmer was concerned about some wording in it that referenced the ownership of the hangars on the site. Staff said the document was reviewed and approved by the township’s legal representatives while DeputyReeve Trevor Seip pointed out that

the wording of the entire document was just to transfer existing ownership and agreements from the township to Papple Aviation.

Council passed the bylaw.

Bylaw 90-2021, an update to North Huron’s Fees and Charges bylaw, was also approved during the meeting as well, which will see an end to non-resident user fees for recreation and childcare operations.

The charges, which North Huron

staff claim led to declining enrollment, reduced income and could have resulted in reduced programming, had been a topic of debate for council for the past few months.

Council passed the bylaw with the only comments coming from Seip who wanted to make sure that users were advised of changes to the document prior to it coming into effect on Jan. 3, 2022.

PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

Blyth Festival ADs, actors pay tribute to Fox

Iconic David Fox, seen above in 2015’s Seeds at the Blyth Festival, passed away on Nov. 13 in Toronto. He had a nearly-50-year relationship with Huron County dating back to The Farm Show in the early 1970s, starring in some of the Festival’s most beloved productions like Quiet in the Land, Another Season’s Promise and more. (Terry Manzo photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen David Fox, a legend of Canadian theatre and a veteran of the Blyth Festival and theatre in Huron County, died in Toronto late last week after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 80.

Fox had a history with Huron County that reached back to the early 1970s when he was part of Paul Thompson’s group of Theatre Passe Muraille artists who travelled to Goderich Township to create what would become The Farm Show. That show, according to many, was instrumental in the

evolution of Canadian theatre and its success led directly to the creation of the Blyth Festival just a few years later. He would also star in Theatre Passe Muraille’s production of 1837: The Farmers’ Revolt, another seminal Canadian theatre production.

Fox was named a member of the Order of Canada in 2018 for his contributions to Canadian theatre.

In addition, he has won many theatre awards, including a Dora Mavor Moore Award in 1999 for his work on Theatre Passe Muraille’s The Drawer Boy and a Sterling Award for his role in The Invention of Poetry at the Citadel Theatre.

A day to remember Cole Terpstra took on the bagpiping duties last Thursday as the Brussels Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion marked Remembrance Day. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

In Blyth, Fox has performed in some of the Festival’s most revered productions, like Quiet in the Land, Another Season’s Promise and Garrison’s Garage to name a few.

He first appeared in a Festival production in 1979, the fifth Festival season, returning in 1980 and 1981.

More recently, Fox was in Blyth in 2014 for St. Anne’s Reel and 2015 in Seeds and Fury, marking his last season with the Festival.

In 2014, when the Festival celebrated its 40th season, Fox shared his most cherished memory of his time at the Festival, which was what he called “livestock management” as an actor in Ted Johns’ He Won’t Come In From The Barn. The play featured live animals on the Memorial Hall stage and, at the end of the night, Fox and the other actors would have to walk them down the street and back to the farm.

He would perform extensively across the country over the course of his career, which spanned nearly a half-century, including the Stratford Festival, the Tarragon Theatre, North Bay’s Watershed Shakespeare Collective at Theatre Passe Muraille and the Red Sandcastle Theatre in Toronto.

Fox also had over 100 film and television credits to his name, including a recurring role on Road to Avonlea.

In a 2015 interview with The Citizen, Fox said he always felt that he had a special relationship with the audience members of the Blyth Festival; the kind that could only be built over decades of being part of the community one summer at a time, especially with farmers. He said that while he didn’t grow up on a farm, he said he felt as though he had been accepted by that community, which likely could be traced back to The Farm Show. In that 2015 interview, Fox said he felt a responsibility in getting the stories of the community right.

“We were there for six weeks and we were going to show them what

we’d learned,” he said. “These are their stories, so would they like what they see? The stakes were so high.”

Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt shared his thoughts on the impact Fox had on Canadian theatre over the weekend, when he notified Festival fans of Fox’s passing on social media.

“With his imposing stature, his incisive mind and blown-glass heart, Fox was possessed of the kind of power on-stage that pulled all of us deeper into the dream,” Garratt said. He also detailed creating Death of the Hired Man with Fox and others through improvisation and writing St. Anne’s Reel specifically for Fox and J.D. Nicholsen in 2014.

He added that the Blyth Festival has been blessed to be home to decades of Fox’s “singular” performances. “Fox had an inexhaustible ability to go deeper and richer than any actor I’d met, and the gift of struggling to keep up with him is one I will forever cherish,” Garratt said.

Eric Coates, who served as the Blyth Festival’s artistic director from 2003 to 2013, shared a recollection with The Citizen of working with Fox in the late 1990s.

“During the 1997 season, David was in a public reading of a particularly under-developed script and I was puzzled by the audience’s positive response to the event. The play simply wasn’t strong, but Artistic Director Anne Chislett explained that this was the problem with casting David Fox in a play reading: he was so riveting that people didn’t pay attention to the play, they just basked in his magnetism,” Coates said in an email to The Citizen. “As a teenager, I was inspired by David’s work in The Farm Show to such a degree that I often point to it as the moment that I decided to pursue a career in theatre. And, even once I was established in that career, whenever I was fortunate enough to

be in David’s presence, I was humbled, terrified, encouraged and inspired, often all at the same time.

A giant in every respect.”

Katherine Kaszas, who served as the Festival’s artistic director from 1984 to 1991, said she remembers Fox as being a gentleman to everyone from his fellow actors to all of the crew members.

In an interview with The Citizen, Kaszas said she looked up to Fox and many of his Theatre Passe Muraille colleagues as gods and hoped to one day aspire to their level.

As an actor, Fox held such a commanding presence on stage, Kaszas said, with charisma and gravitas that it was hard to take your eyes off of him.

As far as her time at the Festival is concerned, Kaszas says her mind goes to when Fox starred in the 1988 Festival production of Bordertown Café. He so embodied the role and produced such a beautiful performance, she said, that that is the role she will always remember Fox playing.

Anne Chislett, one of the three founders of the Festival, its artistic director from 1997 to 2003 and the playwright who penned some of Fox’s most well-known roles, said Fox was eager to learn and the perfect person to bring Huron County life to the stage.

“David Fox was in the original workshop leading to the first production of Quiet in the Land at the Blyth Festival. He was always open and supportive of me as a young writer, and indeed of everyone involved. He eagerly engaged in our research visits with the Amish community and brought back dramatic and relevant insights, which greatly enhanced the final script,” Chislett said in an e-mail to The Citizen. “When Keith Roulston and I were creating Another Season’s Promise, we turned to David to bring Huron County farmer Ken Purves to life. David Continued on page 3

Home Cooking for the Holidays Do your friends come to you for cooking advice and ask (or beg) you for your delicious recipes?

Well, we want your recipe too!

Send in recipes for your favourite holiday meals, desserts, appetizers, sides or cocktails, and be featured in The Citizen’s upcoming special section on December 2, Home Cooking for the Holidays. This section will feature tons of delicious recipes from talented readers like yourself, just in time for holiday entertaining!

Mail your recipe(s) to:

The Citizen PO Box 429 Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 or email them to info@northhuron.on.ca Be sure to include your name with your recipe.

Deadline for submissions is November 26

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021. PAGE 3.

Blyth Festival founders remember ‘iconic’ Fox

A new trick David Fox is seen above alongside Emily Lukasik in St. Anne’s Reel, produced at the Blyth Festival in 2014. To play the role, Fox had to learn how to play the violin, a new skill he committed to picking up later in his life. (Terry Manzo photo) Continued from page 2 was so true to the character during that run that a farmer he met on the street reached out to him and attempted to advise and comfort him as if he were really the character he portrayed.”

Janet Amos, who performed alongside Fox in The Farm Show and other early productions and served as the artistic director of the Blyth Festival from 1979 to 1984 and again from 1994 to 1997, said that while she was always in awe of Fox as a performer, she’ll remember him as a friend.

Amos first met Fox when they worked on The Farm Show together, nearly 50 years ago. She would go on to perform alongside him in other Theatre Passe Muraille productions as the years went on.

She would bring him to the Festival for the first time when she took on the artistic director role in 1979.

They toured with productions together all over Canada, she said, and that’s when she and Ted Johns really bonded with Fox, who would be a friend for life.

Looking back on Fox’s career, Amos said she was always very impressed by his willingness to do anything. If doing something on stage interested Fox, he would do it, regardless of the pay or lack thereof.

She said that he was more than willing to perform at the Festival when she asked him to be part of the company and he was ready to return when she returned as well.

When thinking of Fox on stage, Amos said two performances really stick out for her. First, it was when Fox played the lead in No Great Mischief, adapted from a 1999 Alistair MacLeod novel, and second it was his performance in King Lear, which was one of his latest performances.

Both performances, she said, were just so beautiful, so much so that she said she had to see the shows again.

She said their families grew up together in many ways, so she’ll always remember Fox as a friend

who she’ll dearly miss.

James Roy, co-founder of the Festival and its first artistic director from 1975 to 1979, said Fox was imposing on stage and “amiable, generous and an excellent storyteller” off of the stage. He called Fox’s death a sad day for Canadian theatre.

“The first time I saw him, he was playing a John Deere tractor in the very first Farm Show presentation in Ray Bird’s barn. Not your typical role and hard to forget,” Roy said of Fox in an e-mail to The Citizen. “I saw him many times on stage and I was never disappointed. He was a mainstay of the Blyth Festival company for a number of years and we all benefited from that, fellow company members and audiences. I can’t imagine anyone else playing Christy in Quiet in the Land with as much power and tragedy as David.”

Roy also praised Fox’s range as an actor, saying he was as at home in collective creations in the early days of Theatre Passe Muraille and George F. Walker plays as he was in American classics and Shakespeare.

He also recalled a story that has become famous among Huron County theatre fans in the days before the creation of the Festival.

“When David was rehearsing 1837: The Farmers’ Revolt with Paul Thompson in the bottom of Memorial Hall... one of the characters he was creating was Colonel Van Egmond, who had walked from his home (in Egmondville) to Toronto to fight with the rebels in the uprising,” Roy said. “David decided that to fully understand the man, he needed to understand what such a long walk entailed. So, he set out one morning from the Brussels area, where he was staying, to walk to rehearsal in Blyth.

“Along the way, a farmer stopped and asked him where he was going.

‘To Blyth,’ said David. ‘Then can I give you a ride?’ said the farmer.

‘Oh no, thank you,’ said David and then explained, in detail, as only an actor rehearsing a character could,

how this walk was an important part of him understanding the character of Van Egmond and that he had to do it. The farmer looked a little perplexed, but nodded and drove off. Some time later, David realized that he was walking in the wrong direction.”

Keith Roulston, co-founder of the Blyth Festival and The Citizen, also first came into contact with Fox in the late summer of 1972 when The Farm Show was first performed in Ray Bird’s barn. Roulston had met Fox, Paul Thompson and the rest of the group creating The Farm Show earlier that summer as they were rehearsing.

“The Sunday afternoon performance [of The Farm Show] was not intended to be a preview of the entire show, but simply an outline of what the cast had come up with as a result of the stay in Huron, but the audience of most of the local farmers loved what they saw,” Roulston said in an e-mail to The Citizen. “The play opened in Toronto mostly unchanged. It was a smash hit and Paul took it on a tour that included many locations, including local auction barns and the old exhibition barn at Brussels.”

Among the tour stops was Memorial Hall in Blyth. There, Roulston told Thompson about the theatre and how it had fallen into disrepair. These meetings would lead to the creation of the Festival.

Through Thompson, Roy came to know about the theatre in Blyth and, with Chislett and Roulston, would go on to create the Festival.

The Theatre Passe Muraille group would reunite in 1980 when Janet Amos took over as the Festival’s artistic director and the Festival produced Ted Johns’ He Won’t Come In From The Barn. At that time, Roulston became the firstever full-time general manager, though he noted that neither he nor Amos were paid for the full year at the time.

Roulston would go on to introduce Amos to local artist Jack McLaren of Benmiller, which would eventually bring Fox back to

the area to tell McLaren’s story in The House That Jack Built.

“Among David’s iconic roles was his role as Christy in Anne Chislett’s Quiet in the Land, which was first staged by Janet and then toured in Toronto and was produced all around North America. He returned time and time again to the Blyth stage, memorably in Another Season’s Promise, written by Anne Chislett and me,” Roulston said. “I was privileged to know [David] and to write for him.”

Renowned director Miles Potter was a member of the group that created The Farm Show with Paul Thompson, working alongside artists like Fox, Anne Anglin, Ted Johns and others. In an e-mail to The Citizen, he said that, in the wake of Fox’s death, he had been thinking of many stories about Fox, most of which he couldn’t tell.

“I’ve been thinking about Fox a lot, of course. I have many stories, most of which I can’t tell, however, in thinking over out 50-year relationship, one particular thing struck me: I’ve acted with and directed a host of actors over the years, and sooner or later they will get mad at you,” Potter said. “It’s kind of normal. But not Fox. Now, he had a reputation for being cantankerous and possibly grumpy, but I can’t recall a single time he got mad at me. Maybe I was lucky, or the fact that I called him Foxy and he called me Milesy made arguing impossible. I will miss him terribly.”

Johns also relayed his memories of working with Fox for nearly 50 years, from the creation of The Farm Show to later Festival productions. In an e-mail to The Citizen, Johns said he had spent hundreds of hours with Fox in rehearsal rooms. Most recently, Johns directed Fox in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which proved to be his final role.

“David was an extremely generous actor on stage. It was said that if you couldn’t act with David, you couldn’t act,” Johns said. “He was very intense in rehearsal, as well as on stage. Raymond Storey (writer/producer of Road to Avonlea and Wind at my Back) said, “Never let David read your play in a workshop. He’ll make it sound so good that it’s only later you’ll see all its many flaws.’”

Johns said that, the week before

Fox passed away, he and Amos had invited him over for dinner.

Unbeknownst to them, he was already in the hospital at the time and didn’t get the message. Fox’s son Gavin then called Johns, inviting him to see Fox for one last visit, but he would pass away before they could get together.

Alison Lobb, long-time Central Huron councillor, was there when Fox, Thompson and the group created The Farm Show.

“My memories of David Fox will always be tied to the summer of The Farm Show (1972). He arrived along with Paul Thompson and Anne Anglin, Janet Amos, Miles Potter and Ted Johns and my favourite photo of the group has them enjoying lunch on the lawn at the Bird place - sitting on a blanket, as there were no chairs,” Lobb said in an e-mail to The Citizen. “What a summer it was... for all of us! We had never been exposed to actors and they knew nothing about farming. Several of them were currently teachers and this must have been a real stretch for them too... living in an old farmhouse with little or no mod cons. What a pleasure it was to become friends and remain so for decades.

“David’s booming voice, enthusiasm and creativity were captivating. He thrived on the challenges of creating a play about the neighbours who were to become friends. He had an undeniable talent and that summer clearly changed the direction of his life. His talent developed by leaps and bounds and soon we were seeing him regularly on the stage at Blyth and elsewhere.

Yet, every time we met, the discussion ended up circling back to those summer memories,” Lobb said. “David will be missed both on stage and among those who considered him a friend. My sincere condolences to his family.”

Fox, named Charles James “David” Fox, lived in Toronto and passed away peacefully on Nov. 13, 2021 at the age of 80. He is survived by his sons Jason of Arthur and Gavin of Toronto, his brother Bob and sister Susan and his grandchildren Liam and Henry.

A private service was set to be held at Graham A. Giddy Funeral Home in Fergus with a public celebration of life to be held at a later date.

Restraining Grace (John MacDuff, “The Faithful Promiser”) “Satan has desired to have you — that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you—that your faith may not fail.” Luke 22:31, 32 What a scene does this unfold!

Satan tempting—Jesus praying!

Satan sifting—Jesus pleading!

“The strong man assailing”—the stronger than the strong” beating him back!

Believer! here is the past history and present secret of your safety in the midst of temptation! An interceding Saviour was at your side, saying to every threatening wave, “Thus far shall you go—and no farther!” God often permits His people to be on the very verge of the precipice, to remind them of their own weakness; but never farther than the brink! The restraining hand and grace of Omnipotence is ready to rescue them, “Although he stumbles—yet he shall not be utterly cast down.” And why? “For the Lord upholds him with His right hand!”

The wolf may be prowling for his prey; but what can he do, when the almighty Shepherd is always there, tending with the watchful eye that “neither slumbers nor sleeps!”

Who cannot subscribe to the testimony, “When my foot slipped, Your mercy, O Lord, held me up!” Who can look back on his past pilgrimage, and fail to see it crowded with Ebenezers, with this inscription: “You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling!” My soul, where would you have been this day— had you not been “kept” by the power of God? “Hold me up—and I shall be safe!” Psalm 119:117 A Grace Gem Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church, Listowel, ON 519-492-1359

PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

Editorials & Opinions

Founding Publisher: Keith Roulston Publisher & President: Deb Sholdice Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Brenda Nyveld The Citizen is published 51 times a year in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $40.00/year ($38.10 + $1.90 G.S.T.) in Canada; $190.00/year in U.S.A. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited.

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Weighing the statistics While any uptick in cases during a worldwide pandemic is worth monitoring, sometimes it’s also important to keep a little perspective.

After more than 20 months of shifting rules to deal with the COVID19 virus and its variants and the inoculation of just over 85 per cent of those eligible in Canada, headlines shouting the beginning of a fifth wave here in Ontario are deflating to say the least. However, even though the province is experiencing a slight increase in its caseload compared to the week before and breakthrough cases are being reported more frequently, the situation is not nearly as dire as what we were experiencing at this time last year.

In November of 2020, cases were increasing at an exponential rate as outdoor activities and meetings were being moved indoors with very strict rules and capacity limits. Our seven-day average new case rate was 1,216 on Nov. 11, 2020. On Nov. 11, 2021 that same indicator was sitting at 532, and while it is increasing, it is not nearly on the same trajectory as last year, before the vaccines were rolled out. A year ago, hospitalizations were double what they are currently (402 on Nov. 11, 2020, 215 last Thursday). Most encouraging is that the number of deaths has dropped dramatically (the seven-day average daily death rate one year ago was 14, and sitting at 3.6 last week).

Vaccines are working, despite alarmist headlines from many news outlets (mainstream or otherwise). Hopefully, vaccine passports and mask mandates carry us the rest of the way through without more lockdowns. – DS

A strong foundation Last week, The Citizen spoke with three-term Huron-Bruce MPP and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Lisa Thompson about the impact 4-H had on her life and her career. It is no secret that Thompson has looked back fondly on her time in 4-H and its impact on her both then and now. Stories like Thompson’s show the importance of youth programming and the volunteers who make it happen.

For Thompson, it was 4-H. In the interview, she said that showing animals and being a 4-H member was just what the Thompson family did. For others, it’s youth sports like baseball, soccer, broomball or hockey. Those who aren’t athletically inclined may gravitate to groups like the Scouts or Guides, while many find community and knowledge in their local church and associated programs like Sunday school or youth groups. These experiences could easily be swept aside as a right of passage for young people, but they’re clearly much more than that.

Like Thompson, many successful people will often reach far back into their memories and name youth sports or youth organizations as formative experiences for them and where they ended up in life. And, like Thompson again, most will name specific volunteers who gave of their time and inspired the leaders of tomorrow. The people who take the time to coach hockey, lead 4-H clubs or Scouts and Guides and teach music to hungry young minds are the heroes of our communities.

It’s easy to dismiss youth programming as a simple part of growing up, but in reality it plays a far more pivotal role. These programs need to be nurtured and supported and those who volunteer their time to keep them successful should be celebrated. – SL

Doing the right thing Earlier this month, Morris-Turnberry Council, after receiving significant feedback from ratepayers in support of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre renovations, decided to support the proposed project to the tune of $469,000 for its portion.

While that’s a lot of tax dollars, even spread over five years, council made the right decision to continue to support not only the community centre, but all of the municipality’s residents who use it and the community groups that rely on it. It was the right thing to do and each council member should be proud of the part they’re playing in preserving something so important.

How can that be said so definitively? Well just look down the road at Central Huron. It’s been 10 years since the ribbon was cut on the new community centre in Clinton and, even after a decade, the “new” arena is still a fantastic addition to both the community and the county. While the centre in Brussels won’t be new, it will be like new and able to host some of the events that have migrated away from it, better providing the community with a gathering space and hockey rink.

Due diligence is necessary when councils make these kinds of large funding decisions. However, the right decision will always be supporting the community and ratepayers in ways that have proven to strengthen the communities in years gone by.

So congratulations to Morris-Turnberry Council on realizing the importance of the community centre, the value of the renovations and the need to continually invest in facilities that are of key importance to both the communities that host them and those around them. – JDS

Looking Back Through the Years November 19, 1964 The Brussels Curling Club elected its executive for the coming season, with D.A. Rann to serve as the president. Ken Tyerman would be the first vice-president and Stewart Lowe was named the second vice-president. George Mutter would serve as the secretary, while Cecil Parker would be the treasurer.

Season costs were also set at $20 for the season for men and $10 for the season for women.

The Ladies Division of the East Huron Agricultural Society voted to increase the number of classes and the prize money available for the 1965 Brussels Fall Fair. This included a junior section for young women aged 12-18.

November 20, 1974 Nearly three years after it produced its last copy of The Blyth Standard, the newspaper’s old printing press was finally dismantled earlier in November.

The press had sat largely unused since The Standard switched to offset printing. Douglas Whitmore of Blyth Printing, the former owner of The Standard, was on hand to help dismantle the machinery to allow more room for the expansion of his printing business.

Minister of Natural Resources Leo Bernier officially approved a provincial grant of $18,500 to the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority for the purchase of 210 acres of land in Morris Township in order to establish the proposed Morris Conservation Area.

The area, which consisted of 80 acres of heavy bush, 60 acres of bush and scrub and 35 clear acres, served as a source area for two intermittent streams that drained into the Little Maitland River.

The Conservation Authority said it would be managing the property for the purposes of source area protection, forestry, wildlife management and conservation education.

November 20, 1996 Over a dozen members of the Blyth Fire Department completed the emergency first response certification program through the Ministry of Health. Chief Paul Josling said the department had been providing emergency care for 20 years, but he felt that being certified allowed the firefighters to now go further in preparing patients for ambulance transport.

Blyth Village Clerk-Treasurer John Stewart was awarded the Citizen of the Year Award, thanks to his extensive work with children’s soccer and his membership with the Blyth Lions Club and Blyth Legion.

November 17, 2011 Superior Court Justice Gorman was set to render her decision on a challenge to the size of Huron County Council later in the week.

In his closing argument, lawyer Glen Carey, who was representing the municipalities of Howick, Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, Bluewater, Morris-Turnberry and the Town of Goderich, said that a bylaw regarding the size of Huron County Council, passed in 1991, didn’t state that it only applied for one term. He added that the “representation by population” model would be difficult to apply with the bylaw, because it would have to be done at least a year ahead of time, during which the population could and likely would change.

Greg Stewart, representing the municipalities of North Huron, South Huron, Central Huron, Huron

East and Huron County itself, said that when council size was increased from 18 to 20 members, no concerns were raised at the time.

It was only after the 2010 municipal election that concerns were raised.

The Blyth Legion earned top honours in the district scrapbook competition. Public Relations Officer Mary Lou Stewart and President Andy Lubbers accepted the award on behalf of the entire membership of the Branch.

Lisa Thompson was officially sworn in as the Member of Provincial Parliament for HuronBruce. Progressive Conservative Party leader Tim Hudak also named Thompson the PC Deputy-Critic to the Ministry of Energy, focusing on the Green Energy Act. Though a potential renaming was opened to community members, they instead voted for Hullett Central Public School to retain its name. This proposal came with the closure of Blyth Public School and many of its students moving to Hullett to continue their education.

Thirty-three people responded and only two voted for a new name, which was “Hullett/Blyth”, so the Avon Maitland District School Board decided to keep the name, based on the recommendation from the school’s transition committee.

North Huron Councillor Bernie Bailey, after a conversation with fellow Councillor Brock Vodden, said that Blyth residents needed to have more of a voice at the council table. He suggested hosting council meetings in Blyth regularly to bring them into the fold.

“Can we have a meeting over there so those people know we want them to be part of the township?”

Bailey asked.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021. PAGE 5.

Other Views

Glimpses of the past “The train is coming ‘round the bend To take you to your journey’s end” hese are words that would ring out when drayman Richard Sellars heard the train coming from Londesborough, sounding its whistle at the boundary of Blyth.

Sellars operated a dray, which was a flat, open-sided wagon pulled by a horse and he would meet incoming trains to haul freight. In addition to this, he was often referred to as the “Poet of Blyth” for his quirky ability to put rhyme into ordinary speech.

The London Advertiser of 1882 had this to say about Sellars as he was commonly known: “Mr. Sellars is as happy as the day is long.

Everywhere he goes, in and out among commercial men, wheat buyers, reeves, councilmen, he has a complete verse ready for every case. He rarely greets an old acquaintance in prose, as he has any amount of poetry at his command. A few evenings ago, seeing a London gentleman coming off the train, he sang out ‘Good day Mr. Case, You’ve got back to this place.’ ” William Richard Sellars was born in Yorkshire, England to Richard and Maria Sellars on May 11, 1849. Not long after the Sellars family emigrated to North America, both parents died of a fever and young Richard was then raised by an uncle who lived in Cedar Rapids, Pennsylvania.

In November of 1860, Richard and his uncle moved to Exeter, Ontario. In 1873, Richard arrived in Blyth. He married Christiana England Coulter, the daughter of William and Mary Jane England Coulter, in Mitchell, Ontario on May 4, 1876. The groom was 26 and his bride, 18. Their home in Blyth was located on the southwest corner of Dinsley and Morris Streets and here were born five sons, Albert, Wesley, David, Russell and Whitfield.

Thus Richard was living in Blyth when the railway first located there and he soon built up a thriving business, transporting goods and passengers back and forth between the train

T

A look back with Karen Webster station, located on the south side of Dinsley Street at the eastern limits of Blyth, and downtown. Several times a day, the familiar sound on Queen Street in front of the hotels was Richard calling out “All aboard for the train going north – Wingham, Lucknow and Kincardine” or “All aboard for the train going south – Clinton, Exeter and London”.

Blyth’s first railway came as the result of a determined reeve and sawmill operator named Patrick Kelly. Kelly also ran a sash and door company and was interested in a rail line to carry his goods to the large markets to the south. Construction of the London, Huron and Bruce Railway (LH&B) commenced in the spring of 1875. Many local citizens travelled by train to the grand opening in London in January of 1876. The LH&B had nicknames: one, the “Butter and Eggs Special”, was coined because of the farm passengers who would board the train with their crates of eggs, crocks of butter and bushels of garden produce to be sold at London’s Covent Gardens; the other name, “Let her Hit and Miss”, was in reference to the hard seats and rough rail bed that the train passed over. Early trains travelled at a rate of about 15 miles per hour, unacceptable by today’s standards but certainly faster than any other mode of travel at the time.

By 1893, the LH&B and 14 other railways amalgamated under the name “The Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada”. Later, the line was absorbed into the Canadian National Railway. Service from this rail line would continue until 1941 when the track was torn up between Wingham and Clinton to be

used in the war effort.

In addition to his transportation service, Richard, the entrepreneur, was noted as a carpenter and he also performed the task of grave digger. He must have had a green thumb because he frequently reported to the local newspapers about his tomatoes which weighed a pound each, pumpkins that vied for being the largest at Blyth’s Exhibition Park and oats that yielded 17 bushels from the planting of one peck of seed.

This colourful character was also a poet, penning over 50 hymns. A Christian Hymn Book by R. Sellars was printed by J T Mitchell, Blyth and was sold for 10 cents a copy.

One of his most ambitious literary works, printed by Free Press Printing Company of London, Ontario, was a 50-verse poem called “The Biddulph Murder” about the massacre of the Donnelly clan near Lucan in 1880. It starts out: “Of all the crimes that sin has done To fill our world with pain, That fearful murder in Biddulph Its horrors can’t explain.

There was a family lived down there, Who were the township’s dread, Now, through the hands of cruelty, Are numbered with the dead”.

It seems as though the people round Of Donnellys were afraid.

So to rid them of the earth, This fearful murder made.”

Richard Sellars continued his work as drayman until a week before his passing.

Blyth’s poet died on Aug. 27, 1911 in Blyth.

His obituary in the Huron Expositor stated that “It will be hard to get another man who will be so obliging and careful to take his place.”

Information from the research of the late Janis Vodden, Stories and Memories of the London, Huron and Bruce Railway by Calvin Patrick as well as the resources of the Blyth Repository of History, which is located at 405 Queen Street, Blyth.

Decisions are only as good as the info

S

ometimes municipal councils make decisions we don’t agree with for the right reasons. However, sometimes, they just get bad information.

This isn’t another column finger-wagging at North Huron Council (past or present). It is, however, a damning indictment on how the information they act on can be wrong, especially when it comes to using consulting firms.

Last week North Huron received the first overview of the long-awaited Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan, which is being created by a third-party consulting firm, Monteith Brown Planning Consultants. I’ll agree with the review that some council members gave it and say, quite charitably, it was lacking at best.

At worst, it may be one of the most poorlyresearched documents I’ve ever seen presented at a council meeting and, given that I’ve covered four different councils at different periods for a solid 14 years now (to say nothing of the council meetings I attended for classes at university), that’s quite the accomplishment.

The report included inaccuracies, glaring holes and, possibly, some backpedaling that would leave Lance Armstrong exhausted.

As Councillor Kevin Falconer pointed out, the report lacked any kind of statistical information for the municipality to help direct future spending. While it’s true those figures may be coming at a future meeting, the report (which was really just a slideshow) is supposed to be shown to the public as is and, as a member of the public, I’m pretty frustrated. The consulting firm made some pretty radical recommendations but didn’t provide any of the information to say why the

Denny Scott Denny’s Den firm made them. Just, as an example, the consulting firm suggested North Huron Township consider building a skateboard park in Wingham. Aside from a single letter written by a local skater, why was that suggested?

How many skaters are there in the area?

Compare that with a presentation from a local skateboarder in Blyth who came to council with statistics, with facts and figures, before he suggested council support rebuilding Blyth’s skateboard park, and you can see why I was frustrated. Also, the fact that the existing skateboard park in Blyth, while in disrepair, wasn’t mentioned at all in the presentation was a bit odd. An incomplete report, however, is far from unique. It took some of those glaring omissions I mentioned earlier to really frustrate me.

What irked me more than the missing statistics is the fact that these consultants, who could be considered professional researchers, either didn’t do any research on the communities involved or discounted the research that is readily available to them. How do I know that? Well they suggested getting rid of one of Blyth’s baseball diamonds.

Ignoring the relative resurgence of use at the baseball diamonds over the past two years with tournaments being held there, one tournament specifically because of the adjacent campground, anyone who lives in Blyth likely

remembers that, a few years back, council suggested moving the Blyth hall of the Fire Department of North Huron to one of the diamonds and the strong pushback the community provided against the suggestion.

There are few council meetings I’ve covered in my time that were so well attended as the special meeting North Huron held in Blyth to discuss the issue. There is also no council meeting I’ve ever attended where an idea wasn’t just opposed, but unanimously opposed by the people there. Heck, even the wind turbine debates in Ashfield-ColborneWawanosh eventually saw wind energy supporters attending the meetings.

A quick Google search could find not only The Citizen’s coverage of the issue, but also other news outlets’ coverage of how the community rallied against losing the diamond.

There were other problems as well. As Reeve Bernie Bailey pointed out, there weren’t any township-run activities listed in it, like the programs the township operates at its arenas. There were also suggestions to move the Wingham branch of the Huron County Library, something council had never suggested. Bailey also pointed out that the Wingham Farmers’ Market was included as an organization to support, despite it not being active since before COVID-19. Bailey then said the report was incomplete and too many concerns had been raised about it for it to be made public, however council approved presenting it to the public to help further inform the final report that will be presented in December.

So, sometimes it’s not council making mistakes, but the information they have not being up to snuff.

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

A day free of you

Y

ou might think I’d get the week off from writing a column after writing two last week, but no. Here I am, back at it again. Biggest regret, just as a sidebar: not asking Dianne to flip one of my pictures so the two were looking at each other.

Moving right along, I have to say I was relieved to see minimal hijacking of this year’s Remembrance Day. This might sound like a weird sentence, but it happens all the time.

I’ve been doing this job long enough to have encountered many people who feel aggrieved in one way or another. And, whenever these conversations happen around late October or early November, the “victims” seem to almost involuntarily weave their problems into the greater concept of Remembrance Day. Here’s an example of what I mean. Years ago, when the Green Energy Act in Ontario was relatively new and wind turbines were being erected throughout the countryside, some Huron East residents banded together to fight what they saw as an injustice. There were studies about adverse health effects and allegations of plummeting property values, as well as plain-old, run-of-the-mill NIMBYism (not in my backyard). And that’s all well and good. But, I will always remember at one fall meeting that someone worked to weave the issue into Remembrance Day. You know... something like, “those brave men and women fought and died for our freedom and their sacrifice is being squandered by [in this case] wind turbines.”

It’s a pretty insensitive (and frankly, selfcentred) way of making the sacrifices of brave men and women in World Wars I and II, and the conflicts that have followed, all about you and whatever happens to be ruining your day.

But, it happens. It happens all the time. This year, I was ready for the wave of people clumsily working to equate Remembrance Day and the “True North, Strong and Free” with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I’m sure it happened elsewhere, but, for the most part, our area was spared these kinds of forceful conflations.

Like most Canadians, I have always been a strong believer in the importance of Remembrance Day, especially once I moved to Huron County. When I lived in Pickering, I’ll be honest and say that I don’t know where the town’s cenotaph was located. But here, Remembrance Day ceremonies are usually attended by many of the residents and the names on the cenotaph are often names you can still find in the phone book today.

Nov. 11 is for them and for those who served and came back. As Keith Roulston noted in a recent column, it’s not just about those who didn’t come back. Remembrance Day is about those who volunteered their service and were never the same as a result. It’s not, and this likely goes without saying, about your minor inconvenience that day. It’s about something much, much bigger and more important.

Frankly, since the anti-vaccination crowd has been so quick to make comparisons to World War II and Nazi Germany, I’m a bit surprised it didn’t come up on Remembrance Day, but again, maybe I’m not part of the right Facebook groups or underground blogs.

So, long story short, I was happy to see everyone make Remembrance Day great again by leaving it just the way it was. True, there was physical distancing, masks and reduced capacities, but this year we were free to think of those who made the ultimate sacrifice without the cloud of today’s grievances hanging over what should be a day free of opinions, selfishness and political agendas.

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

At the Branch

Remembrance Day, poppy 100th anniversary marked winning $232. They chose envelope number 31 and the five of hearts was revealed. The estimated jackpot for next week is $5,100.

Get your tickets at Brussels Pharmacy, Brussels Variety and McDonald Home Hardware or the Brussels Legion. What a great Christmas you could enjoy if you were the winner!

Saturday was zone senior darts held at the Branch. The day began with singles play at 9 a.m. and then moved into doubles play and then eventually into team play. Brussels had four Comrades participating with Eric Ross finishing third in singles. Playing doubles were Jim and Sandra Brown, finishing eighth, and Eric Ross and Kathy Burkholder, finishing fourth. Both teams will advance to the district competition and the four Comrades together played as a team and finished first. Congratulations to the Comrades.

Comrade Nanci Ducharme manned the bar for the day and served the food prepared by Comrade Jo-Ann McDonald.

The Catch the Ace food was hot dogs this past week and this week

will be homemade pizza. There will be three different kinds and a slice will be $5. You can also get a whole pizza at a discount to enjoy at the Branch only between 5-7 p.m. Jelly Bean Blue is the entertainment starting at 7:30 p.m., so drop in and enjoy.

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS

Entertainment by Jelly Bean Blue November 19th Come out 7:30-11:00 pm and enjoy! at Brussels Legion

Colour party

Brussels Legion 218 Catch the Ace Weekly Winner

The Brussels Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion marked Remembrance Day and the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the poppy last week. Fifteen Legion members and two Cadets, along with piper Cole Terpstra, made the service happen. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

By Jo-Ann McDonald At the going down of the sun, we will remember them. It was the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month and Remembrance Day 2021 was a cool breezy day and attended by almost 100 members of the community. It was a day to remember and to reflect on lives once loved and lost.

It was also a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the poppy as the universal symbol of remembrance.

There were 15 Legion members and two Cadets carrying the colours and Piper Cole Terpstra of Donegal

in formation. The service was conducted by President Jamie Mitchell and Padre Sandra Cable.

Lake Affect Media live streamed the service for those to watch from the comfort of their homes.

A new format for the service due to COVID-19 restrictions was used.

The wreaths sponsored by service clubs, churches and families were placed prior to the beginning of the service and the names were read during the service. The wreaths for Canada, Ontario, Municipality of Huron East, Municipality of Morris-Turnberry, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 218, Brussels Cadet

Corp 2967 and the Brussels Pipe Band were laid by members of Branch 218 and pipe band members. We thank those who attended and followed physical distancing and wore masks. The public placed their poppies on the wreaths following the closing of the service. The Legion members had a light lunch of soup and a roll and then a limited number of Comrades attended the service at Huronlea Home for the Aged in the afternoon.

The Catch the Ace draw was held on Friday evening. The lucky weekly winners were Wyatt Machan and Lindsay Poppe,

5Rs store marks 30th anniversary A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231 It seems lately, I keep saying, “it can’t be that long ago.” Well lo and behold it is that long ago, like 30 years ago, that the 5Rs Community Thrift Shop opened. The old dime store on Turnberry was transformed with much determination, volunteer labour and lots of donated paint and material. In September of 1991, the 5Rs was ready for business.

As at the past 29 annual meetings, we shared stories of past events and incidents – wives bringing in dresses or dishes and husbands coming at another time

and taking the items home, with pride. Bats, the flying type, being given a wash cycle and living; shoplifters, a preacher and a painter up on scaffolding discussing life while applying the famous paint mixture. Change rooms, falling shelves, wallets, donations, lawyers and volunteers. Pick one, we have a story. Many of them are quite unbelievable, but we were there, it happened.

A chili dinner at the United Church last week celebrated 5Rs 30th year. Original members from 1991, visitors and new members enjoyed the evening. Stories of the first years of the 5Rs brought much laughter and amazement that we pulled it off. Even the COVID-19 pandemic did not break us, once again thanks to friends in many places and positions, including Manager Patty Vandermeere and store owners Doug and Cory Sholdice. MaryAnn Thompson, with help from Mama Joan, did the cooking for our party and Julie

Harrison supplied us with a tasty cake.

Keeping the not-for-profit store in-line and looking to the future, the Board of Directors for the coming year will be Linda Garland, Peg Aitchison, Carol Goodland, Julie Pearce, Zoellyn Onn, Catherine Terpstra and Lori Pipe.

A couple of numbers hit me this week, one reassuring, one distressing: 250,000 surveys are given for each new vaccine product that is used. Many of you probably filled in a survey after your COVID19 vaccine. Worldwide, one in nine people goes to bed hungry, Huron County too. That is so sad. Both of those numbers boggle my mind, but it is good to know there are many people doing many things to make our world a safer, fairer place. We all can do our wee bit as payback for the blessed life we have.

Keep safe, that’s your job right now. We need to get control of this virus.

Be kind, Betty G.W.

Winning Ticket: Wyatt Machan/Lindsay Poppe $232 Envelope #31 found the 5 of Hearts Estimated jackpot for November 19 is $5,100

Brussels Legion 218 Drive Thru Turkey Dinner with pie SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5 4:30 - 6:30 pm

25

$

Book early by contacting the Branch via e-mail at legion218@ezlink.ca or by calling Deb at 519-531-1125 p e Sho t Guid f l Gi a c Lo

Deadline November 19

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021. PAGE 7.

Cases rising locally

On guard Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Blyth Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, for the second year in a row, moved its Remembrance Day ceremony outside, laying wreaths and presenting the service in front of Memorial Hall. (Denny Scott photo)

Big Brothers, Sisters to live on

Helping out The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kincardine and District (BBBSKD) are extending to help the youth of North Huron after the local chapter of the Big Brothers Big Sisters dissolved last year. From left are Yolanda Ritsema (Executive Director, BBBSKD), Angela Cowley (Principal, Maitland River Elementary) and Lisa Harper (United Way Perth Huron Manager Community Development, North Huron and Area). (Photo submitted) When one door closes, another one opens. It’s an old phrase, but one that applies as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kincardine and District (BBBSKD) takes over supporting the youth of northern Huron after the dissolution of Big Brothers Big Sisters North Huron (BBBSNH) last summer.

“We are happy to welcome BBBSKD to the family of United Way Perth-Huron (UWPH) supported partners,” said UWPH Executive Director Ryan Erb. “The work that BBBSNH did for so many years in the area was tremendous and we were sad to see them go. But UWPH also understands the need to pivot and ensure vulnerable people still get the support they need.”

BBBSKD has been making a difference in the lives of youth in Kincardine and district since 1984, offering a number of services to youth ages six to 16, including the in-school mentoring program UWPH supports in northern Huron and area. BBBSKD fills the service gap in this area; ensuring local youth are still able to access important programs. For information on how to get involved, e-mail info.kincardine@bigbrothersbigsist ers.ca.

In addition to BBBSKD, UWPH supports 17 local programs and services in northern Huron and

area, helping almost 6,000 people last year. UWPH has also been working through the new Northern Huron and Area Community Committee (NHACC) to determine

the most pressing local needs and develop a project that best serves vulnerable people in the region.

After community consultations, Continued on page 14

Cold weather hits Blyth From Marilyn’s Desk

By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318

Happy 70th birthday to Donna Bieman, Wingham, who celebrated Nov. 14; Ron Abell-Rinn will celebrate Nov. 18; Ollie Craig, Nov. 19; Kathy Abell-Rinn, Nov. 20; Kayla Dale and Ashley Walden, Nov. 21 and David Marshall, Nov. 23. Happy birthday everyone and enjoy your day.

On Monday, Mother Nature let us know that winter is not far away.

The snow came down in great big snowflakes that covered the ground. Many commuters found it difficult that morning, as the roads were a little icy and we haven’t adjusted to the winter weather yet.

The weather person is telling us that by Tuesday we will be back in double digits for a day of rain.

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

Continued from page 1 Central Huron (108) and Bluewater (67).

North Huron (88 cumulative cases), Howick (54) and Goderich (44) remained at the same case counts as last week.

In Perth County, 18 new cases have been identified in Perth East for a cumulative total of 300.

Stratford saw 11 new cases, for a cumulative total of 549. North Perth has 10 new cases (518) while St. Marys has three new cases, for a cumulative total of 64. West Perth (95 cumulative cases) and Perth South (73) remained at the same case counts as last week.

Active cases can be found in Perth East (15), Stratford (14), North Perth (10), Huron East (five), South Huron (four), three each in St. Marys and Morris-Turnberry and two each in Bluewater and ACW and Central Huron for a total of 60 active cases.

Acquisition continues to be driven primarily by household exposure, which jumped from the expected source of transmission in 30.5 per cent of cases to 31.2 over the past week. Outbreak-related exposure dropped from 23.6 per cent to 23.1 while close contact with a known case dropped from 19.5 to 19.2 per cent. Travel is responsible for 1.2 per cent of exposures, while unknown vectors are responsible for 23.1 per cent of cases.

Huron and Perth Counties’ incidence rate, or the number of cases per 100,000 people, jumped from 32.9, in the “orange” band of the province’s now-defunct colourcoded reopening plan, to 43.7, which is in the “red” band. The positivity per cent, or the percentage of cases that have a positive result, increased from 2.19 last week to 2.32. Both values were in the “orange” band.

Vaccination efforts continue across the area, with 294 people getting their first vaccination over last week (109,225 total, or 85.4 per cent of eligible recipients) while 105,726 individuals are fullyvaccinated, or 82.7 per cent of eligible recipients.

Community demographic statistics as follows: • 12-17: 7,862 (83.2 per cent of

eligible residents vaccinated to ) to 7,908 (83.7) • 18-24: 8,514 (73) to 8,549 (73.3) • 25-29: 6,722 (72.4) to 6,758 (72.8) • 30-39: 13,113 (74.3) to 13,178 (74.7) • 40-49: 13,028 (81.1) to 1,3079 (81.4) • 50-59: 16,874 (86.8) to 16,908 (86.9) • 60-69: 20,305 (94.3) to 20,329 (94.5) • 70-79:14,444 (99.7) to 14,449 (99.7) • 80+: 8,069 (97.6) to 8,067 (97.6) Fully-vaccinated statistics are as follows: • 12-17: 7,491 (79.3) to 7,605 (80.5) • 18-24: 7,958 (68.2) to 8,057 (69.1) • 25-29: 6,259 (67.4) to 6,333 (68.2) • 30-39: 12,352 (70) to 12,505 (70.8) • 40-49: 12,556 (78.2) to 12,658 (78.8) • 50-59: 16,381 (84.2) to 17,486 (84.8) • 60-69: 19,880 (92.4) to 19,986 (92.9) • 70-79: 14,148 (97.7) to 15,193 (98) • 80+: 7,884 (95.4) to 7,903 (95.6) For more information, visit hpph.ca

Correction In the Nov. 4 and Nov. 11 issues of The Citizen, articles authored by Marguerite Oberle Thomas and Dr. Susan Hunter were incorrectly identified as being authored solely

by Thomas.

In addition, this is the seventh Fall Prevention Month, not the sixth, as was reported in those two stories.

The Citizen apologizes for the errors.

It All Comes Out In The Wash Blyth Laundromat 191 Westmoreland St., Blyth 519-523-9687

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PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

Changing weather proves a challenge for local farmers PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570

Here we are in mid-November and the farmers are still taking off white beans and soybeans. It is amazing what a few days of good weather can mean to a farmer; long hours for a few days of hard work but worth getting the crop off the field. There was also lots of corn taken from the field. Some goes directly to the mills as wet corn and some farmers have their own dryers and dry the corn and then put it into their own grain

bins or take dry corn to the mills.

The weather has not been the only challenge for farmers this fall. I know of many farmers who have had combines break down, trucks upset, dryers quit working, augers stop working, bearings go out, and the list goes on. Once the crops are off then the plowing or tillage of some sort begins.

Again, the weather plays a big part in how much will get done.

Here’s hoping for another few weeks of decent weather and the fall work can be completed.

Many residents of Brussels will remember Mae Ebel and her late husband Lou. Originally Mae was a Durst from the Wroxeter area, and then they lived in Brussels. They moved to Ingersoll in 1965 but retired to Brussels in 1991. It was only for a few years and then they

moved back to Ingersoll. Mae still lives there in her own apartment and is celebrating her 94th birthday this week on Nov. 18. She even reads The Citizen, so happy birthday to Mae! We hope all will have a fond memory of Mae as she celebrates. Brussels folks will also remember her sisters, the late Marg McCutcheon and Kaye Rutledge.

I travel many miles during the course of my jobs and the one thing I have noticed of late is the amount of garbage along the sides of the road. Not only just a coffee cup, but bags of garbage. Most bags are on the sides of the unpaved sideroads.

Do not litter. If you live in town, you are already paying for garbage pick-up on your taxes and if you are from the country, the cost of the gas you used to drive a distance from your home, would have bought the

bag tag needed. Don’t be a litter bug.

Reaching the golden age of the brown envelope was Rita Bowers last week. She enjoyed a visit with family and a turkey dinner from the Walton Hall, taking it easy for her birthday. Happy birthday Rita.

We celebrated Remembrance Day last week and now we move on to Christmas. We thank folks for not putting up outside decorations before Remembrance Day, but now it is time to get at it. “It’s a Candy Cane Christmas” for the theme for this year in Brussels, so put your thinking cap on and decorate your business or home in candy cane style. Don’t forget the Anglican Church Christmas Bazaar on Saturday and the Santa Claus parade on the Nov. 27. Christmas is only five weeks away.

We understand Murray and Sharon Blake are now living back in our area. They are living in Belgrave and we welcome them back to Huron County.

Christmas is not the only reason to have a celebration. Weddings are also a great reason. We send our congratulations to newlyweds Alex Melady and his bride Michelle Morley of Parkhill. The couple were wed on Friday evening at the St. Mary’s Golf and Country Club.

Alex is the son of Pat and Cathy (McGavin) Melady. It was a lovely late afternoon wedding followed by an evening of a variety of food stations and stories by many of the guests including Grandpa Neil. The young couple resides in Egmondville. Congratulations!

We send our birthday wishes to Frances (McGavin) (Storey)

NEWS FROM WALTON Fischer on celebrating her 90th birthday on Saturday. There was a small gathering of invited guests to the home of her son Paul and Barb Storey in Exeter. A lovely afternoon was enjoyed by all.

Frances was very pleased to receive congratulations from the Canadian government, the Ontario government and Huron County.

Congratulations and happy birthday Frances from all your Walton and Winthrop friends.

Celebrating birthdays this past week were: Brian Pryce, Danielle Ducharme Jutzi, Murray Henderson, Donna Bauer, Katie Roth, Tristan Rijkhoff, Pat Gillis, Michael Grobbink, Blaine Marks, Lynne Godkin, Kristi Dawn Godkin, Mark Sullivan and Brian Warwick. Happy birthday to all.

Corporation of the Township of North Huron

TAXES DUE

Leading the ceremony Brussels Royal Canadian Legion Branch President Jamie Mitchell, second from left, led the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the Brussels Cenotaph last week. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

Library to cancel overdue fines The Huron County Library is very pleased to announce that starting Jan. 1, 2022, the library will no longer charge fines on overdue materials. While the collection of overdue fines has been temporarily halted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Huron County Library Board voted unanimously to permanently end this practice, further removing barriers for Huron County residents accessing library services.

During the pandemic, existing inequities in Huron became even more evident. Through these challenging times, access to library resources has increasingly become a priority as a way to engage and support the physical and mental well-being in local communities.

The Huron County Library values inclusive and equitable access to information for all, and eliminating fines will help close to 1,000 patrons regain access to Library services.

“There is growing evidence from libraries across the country and beyond that the revenue generated from collecting overdue fines is not

worth the barrier it creates to accessing library resources,” said Director of Cultural Services and County Librarian, Beth Rumble.

Evidence from other library systems has also shown little difference when items are returned after removing overdue fines.

“Library users want to continue to use the library and we look forward to welcoming back our patrons to our branches.”

“Huron County’s libraries play an important role in supporting education and literacy in our communities,” said Huron County Library Board Chair, Jim Dietrich, highlighting the importance of equal access to the library and its services regardless of one’s financial situation. “Going fine-free will support those in our communities who need it the most.”

All outstanding overdue fines will be forgiven effective Jan. 1, 2022. Fees will, however, continue to be charged for lost or damaged materials.

For those ready to reintroduce themselves to the library, they can visit any one of the12 branches located throughout the County

or visit the Library online www.HuronCounty.ca/library.

The 2021 final tax installment for the Township of North Huron is due on Friday, November 26, 2021. Interest at 1 ¼% per month will be charged on unpaid accounts as of November 29, 2021 and the first day of each month thereafter.

NOTE: Persons who have acquired properties and have not received a tax bill should contact the Municipal Office. Failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve a taxpayer from responsibility for payment of taxes, nor from penalty for late payment.

Please contact the Treasury Department in regards to the various payment options available. Pre-authorized payment sign-up forms are available at www.northhuron.ca or at the Town Hall.

Donna White Director of Finance Township of North Huron

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021. PAGE 9.

Climate change to blame for muted fall colours

Here we are in mid-November and it is surprising how many of the deciduous trees still have not lost all of their leaves. According to a TV news spot last week, climate change is to blame. Some folk continue to dispute the claims around our changing weather patterns, but the proof is right there this fall to see.

Leaf colour change depends on a chemical change within the leaves.

All summer, the warm temperatures keep the chlorophyll working and the leaves green. But in the fall, sunny days and cool nights normally cause a chemical change within the leaves/trees and the leaves turn colour. But we have had an unusually warm autumn and the leaves have only managed to turn yellow and dry up. It is predicted we may have more autumns without the brilliant reds we expect from our maple trees.

So, while world leaders meet in Scotland to try to reach some accord/plans aimed at controlling global warming, we can see the need for this right at home. Seems like folks will be raking leaves in the snow or cleaning them up next spring.

Years ago on the farm we had horses and a large garden.

Whenever we worked in the garden,

the horses came to investigate and wait on the plant refuse we threw over the fence to them. This was an early lesson in recycling for this girl raised in town.

I have learned of two farms in our area that are encouraging folks to bring them the pumpkins they have used for fall decorating and Halloween. And people have responded enthusiastically. This refuse is being fed to pigs and cattle; a treat for the animals, a supplement of nutrients and keeping pumpkins out of landfills.

The gourds keep for about six weeks and farmers can control the feeding of them. Whatever is not consumed by the animals enriches the soil. A win/win situation.

Recently, real estate in Londesborough has been changing hands. Matt and Dawn (Dolmage) Smith and children have moved just down Londesborough Road to the east and are now living in the Troy and Sandra Hoggart home, which previously was the Scanlon farm.

Drew Reinink and Mary Kate Allen recently took possession of the Smiths’ former home at the eastern edge of the village.

Welcome them. Both these young folk were raised on area farms so are not strangers to Londesborough.

Calvin and Angela Kerr and son, Quaid, have moved out west and their home has new owners. As well, the home of Bill and Margie Rowsell across the road from the Kerrs has also been sold. Bill and Margie have moved to Goderich.

Warm wishes for their future lives go with these folks who have left us.

Long-time village resident Edna Reid has moved to a life of leisure and resides now in Goderich Place.

Her unique log home has new owners as well. Hopefully in the coming weeks I can make you aware of your new neighbours.

As soon as Halloween and Remembrance Day were celebrated, Christmas decorations began appearing. This unusual decorating idea comes from Dunedin, Florida.

Outdoor nighttime magic is created by hanging chandeliers in the trees or on porches.

Those ornate chandeliers from previous years can be found in thrift stores or on Facebook. Then, with a little imagination, strings of outdoor lights and personalized decorations the chandeliers have a new fun life. Another recycling project. They may not catch on for Canadian winters, however. But what about a conversation piece over a deck or patio in the summer?

This Christmas, the Sunday school of Londesborough United Church has chosen to support The Salvation Army. The students are asking the congregation to donate items for children – toys, mitts, hats, scarves, pajamas, etc. and non-perishable food items to be used in Christmas dinner hampers.

The last Sunday to donate will be Nov. 28, the first Sunday of Advent.

Regular readers of this space may recall an item from several years ago when, on behalf of a group from Grand Bend, I made an appeal for milk bags. Not the litre bags, but the coloured bags they come in.

This industrious group was making waterproof ground covers from these bags and sending them to Third World countries.

Perhaps you have heard the expression “charity begins at home”. It has been recognized that

New H-P living wage announced

On the rise The new regional living wage has been deemed to be just under $18, according to the United Way of PerthHuron. United Way Administrative Associate Lauren Thomson is seen with the calculation. (Photo submitted) Living Wage Week in Ontario ran from Nov. 1-5 and United Way Perth-Huron’s (UWPH) Social Research and Planning Council (SRPC) announced the new living wage of $17.95 an hour for the region.

“The importance of a living wage is a meaningful discussion that needs to continue,” says SRPC Director Joelle Lamport-Lewis.

“We understand the obstacles businesses face as our economy recovers from COVID-19 and the need to attract and retain a workforce. We also recognize how many local people are forced to

make hard decisions for their families when it comes to allocating extremely limited resources and those challenges have only been magnified by the pandemic. The SRPC and UWPH want to remain at the forefront of the discussion around how to improve local lives and help ensure the recovery is a fair one for all members of our community. Living wage advocacy is a big part of that conversation.”

Based on a 35-hour work week, the Perth-Huron living wage has been calculated using local data and considered the living expenses of a weighted average of family types

including a family of four, a single mother supporting a seven-year-old child and a single adult, once government transfers and deductions were taken into account.

Everyday expenses in the calculation included food, housing, utilities, childcare and transportation.

For more information about Perth-Huron’s living wage, visit perthhuron.unitedway.ca.

“It was important to factor in different family types to more accurately reflect changing demographics and differing demands on individuals and families,” added Lamport-Lewis.

“Childcare is a huge expense, for instance, and single adults don’t face those costs – or have access to those subsidies – so all those differences need to be taken into account so we can arrive at a more representative number.”

“Employers across Perth and Huron have been very open to hearing about the benefits of a living wage,” added UWPH Executive Director Ryan Erb. “Paying a living wage isn’t an easy decision – especially in these challenging times – but we find that businesses understand this is about more than just dollars and cents; it’s about investing in the long-term health of our community. We are also able to point to current living wage employers who are telling us it’s improving their bottom line, so this can be an opportunity for businesses as well as a benefit to workers.”

BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED

as homelessness increases right here in Huron County those blankets need to stay here. So if you wish to help in this regard, you can drop your bags at the Clinton United Church or The Rack and Room in Clinton. For more information one can call Joan Addison at 519-482-7018.

My family has heard me say many times that learning is a lifelong process and that we should be open to understanding new things as they present. David Yates’ column about the cenotaph in Brussels in a recent edition of The Focus was my “new” thing for today. David explained that cenotaph means an empty grave.

And that fact explains why so many cenotaphs resemble a tombstone.

Also it is an “empty” memorial to those whose bodies are lost or interred elsewhere.

NEWS FROM LONDESBORO

Remembering Blyth Legion President Ric McBurney is seen here laying his poppy at the Blyth Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion’s annual Remembrance Day ceremony. This year’s event welcomed members of the public, which was not possible last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Denny Scott photo)

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SUDOKU Fun By The Numbers 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!

PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

Councillors find master plan presentation lacking

The power of sport The North Huron Wescast Community Complex, which hosted the Wingham Silver Stick tournament over the weekend, was one of several sites investigated by Monteith Brown Planning Consultants as part of creating a Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan for North Huron. Todd Brown of the consulting firm presented an overview of the report, which will be presented in full next month, to council at a special meeting last week.

Council members, including Councillor Kevin Falconer and Reeve Bernie Bailey, found the presentation lacking. Above, the U18 Mitchell Meteors claimed the B championship at the Silver Stick by beating the Tavistock Titans 5-2. (John Stephenson photo)

By Denny Scott The Citizen Some members of North Huron Township Council weren’t impressed by the first review of the long-awaited Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan for the community, finding the presentation lacking.

During a special council meeting on Nov. 10, Todd Brown, President and Principal Planner of Monteith Brown Planning Consultants, presented the first view of the master plan.

Brown explained how the document was generated, including looking at background documents, socio-demographic profiles, trends in community services, potential

impacts of COVID-19, community engagement, parks and facility inventory and facility usage and participation data. He started by comparing North Huron to the rest of the county and the province, noting that North Huron’s median age of 43.4 years, during the 2017 census population, was between Ontario’s 41.3 and Huron County’s 46.6. He also noted the population in 2016 was 4,940, and he estimated it had increased to 5,000 this year, and will increase to 5,600 by 2031.

When looking at the plan, he said there are trends for council to consider, including lack of free time for residents, growing income disparity, increased physical inactivity, inclusion, accessibility and aging infrastructure.

The consulting firm gathered data for the report, he said, through a virtual public information session, stakeholder focus groups, staff workshops, council and staff interviews and a community survey that brought in 480 responses, just shy of 10 per cent of the community. Brown said a virtual public information session should be held following the council presentation in order to receive feedback.

The consultation, Brown said, and specifically the surveys, pointed to a strong demand for unstructured activities for residents, a sense of pride in the recreational opportunities in the community, as well as cultural opportunities and keeping inclusion and accessibility

One up, two down The Blyth Brussels U18 Crusaders had a rough weekend at the Wingham Silver Stick tournament, posting two straight losses after starting the tournament with a win. First, the Crusaders posted a 4-1 victory over South Grey on Monday. Friday night, however, they were downed by the host Wingham Ironmen 3-1 and were then shut out by South Bruce on Sunday, ending up on the wrong side of a 2-0 decision, shown above. (John Stephenson photo)

as high priorities. He also said that there was an interest expressed in putting an emphasis on improving existing facilities by “creating community hubs and gathering spaces”, concerns aired about attracting and retaining new volunteers, and wanting the municipality to continue supporting community organizations.

When looking specifically at the survey, the top five priorities were nature trails, farmers’ markets, arenas, playgrounds and paved multi-use trails.

As for specific instructions, Brown suggested the following for the North Huron Wescast Community Complex in Wingham: • Investigating changing concession area to another use • Monitoring indoor sports courts and considering re-purposing if necessary • Investigate the feasibility of establishing a library space in the centre • Undertaking improvements identified in the building conditions assessment.

He had several more pointed suggestions for the Blyth and District Community Centre, which he interpreted as including the surrounding campsite, including: • Preparing a plan to re-purpose one of the baseball diamonds to create a skateboard park and tennis and pickleball courts, alongside other amenities • Cease offering camping services at the Blyth Campground, which he later clarified as meaning not offering individual camping opportunities but still allowing events like baseball tournaments and the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association • Repurposing the concession space • Look to evaluate opportunities for a childcare centre • Investigate feasibility of a library space • Undertake facility improvement.

Brown also made several

suggestions for North Huron as a whole, including working with the Blyth Lions Club to convert the club’s outdoor wading pool to a splash pad; establishing a skateboard park in Wingham and continuing to support organizations providing the Blyth Community Market and Wingham Farmers’ Market, though, as was later pointed out, the Wingham Farmers’ Market doesn’t exist anymore.

Brown also recommended ensuring playgrounds are located within 800 metres of all residential areas, noting that some areas, like the east side of Blyth, have no playgrounds in that distance.

He also suggested that parks should be made inclusive and accessible, the community should look to make itself age-friendly and that resources should be made available to implement strategies to address the community’s needs.

Brown then said that a virtual public information session should be held, and the final presentation of the master plan will be available on Dec. 6.

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip said that, while it was great to see what the community wanted, many of Brown’s suggestions were to add amenities and infrastructure, and that taxpayers may not be as interested in them once the impact on taxes are known.

Councillor Chris Palmer asked why the term “inclusion” was so important to the report, being used multiple times. He said that council and the community aren’t prejudiced against people. Brown explained that while inclusivity did refer to communities like the LGBTQ community, it also meant making things affordable so that people can participate regardless of income level, or making sites accessible for people of all abilities.

Councillor Kevin Falconer said the report surprised him, especially the lack of details.

“I thought we were going to get Continued on page 11

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021. PAGE 11.

NH museum to move

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Tournament While the Silver Stick was showing the best in U18 hockey in Wingham over the weekend, the Blyth and District Community Centre was host to a Blyth junior broomball tournament. Above, the U15 Seaforth boys take on Mildmay. (John Stephenson photo)

Despite staff reports indicating the project would require more staff time than originally anticipated, North Huron Township Council voted in favour of proceeding with the relocation of the North Huron Museum.

Councillor Paul Heffer, who sat on the committee of council responsible for providing council with a recommendation for the future of the museum, said that, as long as council considers history important, this was the best move, and that while it will cost money for programming, it will have spin-off economic benefits. He said he wanted council to take a stand on the issue, one way or the other, so that fundraising could be investigated as soon as possible for the move and the creation of the new museum spaces at the former Wingham rail station.

Councillor Kevin Falconer, however, felt that council was signing itself up for a very expensive program for the next 20 years, which is how long council will need to run the facility lest its ownership revert.

He pointed out the committee wanted to resurrect something that

had already failed, and that even the new estimate of 20 staff hours a week (up from eight) at the site wouldn’t be sufficient.

He said the responsibilities of the staff member sounded like a fulltime job to him. The staff member’s job description, according to a report prepared by Director of Recreation and Community Services Vicky Luttenberger, includes recruiting, training, scheduling and supervising volunteers and students; marketing the museum; researching and overseeing the creation of exhibits; budget preparation; funding application preparation and attending board meetings.

“It is also understood the staff member would be responsible for managing the collection,” Luttenberger said in her report. “At a minimum, the execution of these duties and responsibilities would require 20 hours a week of a staff member’s time.”

That staff member would have to be on site all week, she said, but would spend time working on other projects from an office in the museum.

“The estimated budget impact is $30,000,” she said. “It is also noteworthy that across Canada, Continued on page 23

Consultant report lacks activities, has errors: Bailey Continued from page 10 something we could base decisions on,” he said, adding he anticipated seeing statistics for usage, future trends and finances. “I thought we’d get a breakdown of what it costs the municipality to run what it has, and see if it aligns. Much of this information is already in our strategic plan.”

Brown said those kinds of facts and figures would be part of the report set to be presented on Dec. 6, after the summary he presented to council was made public.

Falconer also asked why the suggestion to remove a baseball diamond in Blyth was made, rather than Wingham, saying that baseball usage across the board was down.

Brown said there was less use in Blyth than there was in Wingham, however he noted

it was based on 2017-2019 records.

Falconer also took exception to the idea of stopping camping at the Blyth Campground, at which point Brown corrected what he had said in the presentation, saying he was referring primarily to the camping pilot project rolled out this year.

Falconer also pointed out that Brown was suggesting building new amenities when the municipality doesn’t maintain or support what it already has, specifically pointing to the fact that Brown hadn’t mentioned Blyth’s existing skatepark equipment.

“We have one,” Falconer said.

“The municipality won’t put a penny into it. It won’t maintain it or paint it. Are our heads in the sand here?”

Falconer said if the municipality won’t maintain what it has now, it

makes no sense to go forward with new projects. He also said that viewing any recreational projects based on finances makes little sense because recreation is a service provided to the municipality’s ratepayers, not intended to turn a profit.

Brown said the recommendations were just that, and council could choose to implement them or not, however Falconer still felt the suggestion to cease camping at the campground, even as it was redefined, was odd since there was no suggestion of cessation of any other recreational services.

“In this whole report, nothing [else] says to cease,” he said, and informed Brown that some of his suggestions would result in significant feedback from the community.

Falconer also said the report lacked any kind of new information, saying that everything presented was available to council already. However, Seip said that was to be expected.

Reeve Bernie Bailey also had issues with the report, saying he was surprised at the lack of township-run activities listed in it, the lack of any mention of the daycare system, as well as several errors he found throughout, including Brown’s suggestion of moving the Wingham branch of the Huron County Library, which was never considered by council, and the fact that the Wingham Farmers’ Market doesn’t exist.

He also said Brown’s suggestion to work with the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority to help with the authority’s infrastructure is foolish, after the organization had “let their buildings fall right down”.

“The township should not be paying hundreds of thousands to rebuild those buildings,” Bailey said.

“There are too many concerns that have been raised here,” he said.

“They need to be dealt with as a council. I’m not comfortable with going to a public meeting [with this report] until this council has time to see the entire program…. You’ve seen our concerns today, I would like them addressed.”

Clerk Carson Lamb defended the report, saying it only provides council the opportunity to see the key directives before the public “has the privilege of seeing the report.”

“Whether council agrees with the final report [to be presented Dec. 6] is up to council,” he said. “This is why consultants are brought in.

They provide an independent opinion.”

Brown said he would want to change the report before it went to the public to reflect the change he suggested for the Blyth Campground, however Falconer wanted that section removed entirely, once again citing the fact that Brown made no suggestion to “cease” any other activities.

Council took no action as a result of the presentation.

Seaforth Toy and Craft Show 140 Duke Street, Seaforth Seaforth Agriplex

November 27th, 2021 9:30 am to 4:00 pm

November 28th, 2021 9:30 am to 3:00 pm

Close With action like that shown above, the Blyth Brussels Minor Hockey U18 Crusaders must have been close to getting on the board during the team’s last Silver Stick game in Wingham. Unfortunately, South Bruce blanked the Crusaders 2-0. (John Stephenson photo)

We will have farm toys, construction toys, farm replicas, hot wheels, toy banks and crafts, etc.

$

500

Admission

For more info contact the Ag Society at 519-527-1321

Please note: COVID-19 restrictions in place **Proof of vaccination will be required

PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021. PAGE 13.

SHOP LOCAL AND SUPPORT BLYTH FRIDAY NOVEMBER 26TH OPEN LATE FOR YOUR SHOPPING ENJOYMENT!

You are cordially invited to help

A Yarn Store... and more!

Riverside Funeral Home Blyth Chapel

Gifts for everyone... some assembly required!

Gifts they will love!

Please come and share the spirit of community as we dedicate ornaments to those who have passed on.

There are no ships waiting to get to our shores and our store, BECAUSE our products are “Made in Canada”

Friday, November 26, 2021 from 6-10 pm 407 Queen St., Blyth

Gift certificates available 404 Queen St., Blyth, Ontario 519-523-9449

Please call 519-523-4577 for more information

info@stitcheswithatwist.ca www.stitcheswithatwist.ca

BLYTH FRIDAY Late en p O SALES until NOVEMBER 26 10 pm Blyth Friday Sale November 26th

Come Home for the Holidays November 18 - December 24

NO TAX!

Open until 9 pm

decorate its Memory tree.

In Loving Memory

Nov. 26 ~

20%

off everything

398 Queen St. Blyth 519.523.4276 Open 7 Days a week in December ~ 11 am - 5 pm

Gift Certificates Available

Enjoy some Cider and Treats while you browse the books!

Don’t know what to get that person who has everything?

Stop in and see our great selection of beautiful books perfect for everyone on your gift list A subscription to The Citizen or The Rural Voice Magazine make great gifts

one day only 437 Queen Street, Blyth

Watson’s Home hardware building centre BLYTH, 208 Hamilton Street • 519.523.9306 GODERICH, 370 Bayfield Road • 519.524.8312 GORRIE, 44195 Harriston Road • 519.335.3551 LISTOWEL, 140 Main Street East • 519.291.2610

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PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021. PAGE 13.

SHOP LOCAL AND SUPPORT BLYTH FRIDAY NOVEMBER 26TH OPEN LATE FOR YOUR SHOPPING ENJOYMENT!

You are cordially invited to help

A Yarn Store... and more!

Riverside Funeral Home Blyth Chapel

Gifts for everyone... some assembly required!

Gifts they will love!

Please come and share the spirit of community as we dedicate ornaments to those who have passed on.

There are no ships waiting to get to our shores and our store, BECAUSE our products are “Made in Canada”

Friday, November 26, 2021 from 6-10 pm 407 Queen St., Blyth

Gift certificates available 404 Queen St., Blyth, Ontario 519-523-9449

Please call 519-523-4577 for more information

info@stitcheswithatwist.ca www.stitcheswithatwist.ca

BLYTH FRIDAY Late en p O SALES until NOVEMBER 26 10 pm Blyth Friday Sale November 26th

Come Home for the Holidays November 18 - December 24

NO TAX!

Open until 9 pm

decorate its Memory tree.

In Loving Memory

Nov. 26 ~

20%

off everything

398 Queen St. Blyth 519.523.4276 Open 7 Days a week in December ~ 11 am - 5 pm

Gift Certificates Available

Enjoy some Cider and Treats while you browse the books!

Don’t know what to get that person who has everything?

Stop in and see our great selection of beautiful books perfect for everyone on your gift list A subscription to The Citizen or The Rural Voice Magazine make great gifts

one day only 437 Queen Street, Blyth

Watson’s Home hardware building centre BLYTH, 208 Hamilton Street • 519.523.9306 GODERICH, 370 Bayfield Road • 519.524.8312 GORRIE, 44195 Harriston Road • 519.335.3551 LISTOWEL, 140 Main Street East • 519.291.2610

The Citizen

405 Queen Street, Blyth 519-523-4792

PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

Significant sewer work needed in Belgrave: Alcock Continued from page 1 will further tax the municipality’s limited resources. In total, the municipality has agreed to provide $469,000 to the project.

“Due to this increased commitment the municipality will have limited capacity to support additional requests for up to five years,” Hallam reported.

Hallam noted that, since the municipality had implemented a requirement for local groups, including neighbouring municipalities, to request funds formally before the end of November for the following budget year, no requests have been made to support recreation facilities in other municipalities.

COMMUNITY PRESENCE In Hallam’s report, he said that advertising in local publications and maintaining miscellaneous grants were unsustainable for Morris-Turnberry

Council’s limited resources.

He reported that, while continuing to support community groups and participating in advertisement opportunities was a priority, other ad opportunities were at the discretion of staff, resulting in advertising expenses dropping nearly 90 per cent in five years. In 2016, the municipality spent $10,474.12 on advertising, and through reducing participation in local publications, had dropped to $1,080.03 in 2021 up to Nov. 4.

Hallam also reported that MorrisTurnberry had recently decided to offer community groups assistance in parades, such as pulling floats and offering drivers, instead of directly participating.

The grant request system had also been operating successfully, he said, and, thanks to the need to request the funds every year, are reviewed annually during budget proceedings.

HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT While much of the housing and development discussion had been covered earlier in the meeting with a special review with Huron County Planning and Development Department representatives, Hallam did report that promotion of the municipality remained a priority for staff.

“In order to facilitate development, the municipality will consider the creation of a development guide for landowners and prospective investors/developers to allow for easily-accessible information regarding which studies or other criteria apply to the development of a certain site,” Hallam said in his report. “[The] focus will be placed on undeveloped lands located in settlement areas within the municipality as identified by the official plan.”

Hallam then said that staff continue to focus on the municipally-led development in Belgrave, with a priority of having lands ready for development as soon as possible.

ASSET MANAGEMENT Hallam addressed asset management last, detailing how staff continue to look to address the funding gap for infrastructure and asset management, noting that, like many municipalities in the province, Morris-Turnberry has a significant amount of aging infrastructure to maintain and/or replace.

“Reserve contributions were increased in 2021, but continued contributions at comparable levels will be insufficient to meet future infrastructure needs,” Hallam reported. “Staff will continue to pursue grant opportunities for various capital projects as they become available.”

He said that bridges represent the largest group of assets requiring priority in planning, alongside the Belgrave storm sewer system, which will require a master plan to be able to take advantage of funding when it becomes available.

Councillor Jim Nelemans asked how costly a new storm sewer in Belgrave would be, and was told that’s a difficult question to answer.

“We’re looking at what’s in there,” Director of Public Works Mike Alcock said. “However, much of it is not engineered.”

He said that, in more modern subdivisions, there are engineered plans for the storm sewer, however, the majority of the community included a mixture of single-wall pipe that has been crushed or partially crushed or clay tile that’s in varying states of decay.

“Almost everything appears to be undersized,” he said, adding what’s in the ground is unheard of in modernity.

While the community’s roads were paved 12 years ago, when the water system was put in, the storm sewer wasn’t considered, he said.

He hopes to have a plan in place for when the pavement needs to be redone in 10-14 years.

“We definitely don’t want to have to pave over [the system] a second time,” he said.

Councillor Jim Nelemans asked if there were significant concerns due to the aging system, and was told that, in some parts of Belgrave, there are issues.

While there is evidence of private drains running into problems, he said not knowing where they are and where they might connect to the municipal system is a problem.

Mayor Jamie Heffer said the bottom line is that, come budget time, the municipality needs to look at investing more in reserves.

Council received the report.

Sudoku Solution

A brand new crop The Brussels Lions Club recently welcomed six new members to its ranks, bringing the local club’s membership to 45. The club is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, marking three quarters of a century of serving the community and beyond. From left: Dominique Naipaul, Brett Bromley, Christine Knight, Brad Knight and Jean-Luc Lemery.

Absent was Rick Demaray. (Photo submitted)

Project coming

Honoured Ken Hopper has been named this year’s winner of the Jim McGee Community Volunteer Award. Hopper received the award in late September with members of the community, the Belgrave Community Centre Board and the family of the late Jim McGee all present. With a strong desire to see the best for his community, Hopper was honoured for his work grooming local baseball diamonds and supplying rutabagas for the annual Belgrave Fowl Supper. The selection committee called Hopper a good neighbour who is always willing to lend a helping hand, support or encouragement. He was nominated by Neil and Joan Vincent. (Photo submitted)

Continued from page 7 NHACC settled on the challenges faced locally in the areas of mental health and addictions, homelessness and food security.

The committee is currently working on developing a project addressing #UNIGNORABLE local issues.

“United Way has a history of helping the people of northern Huron and area,” added Erb. “We’re proud to continue this tradition through our support of BBBSKD and the work of NHACC. The people in this area have shown time and again how much they care for the place they live and we are eager to channel their passion and lend our own expertise to help build an even stronger local community.”

Leadership in energy and environmental design

Devon Henry 84772 McDonald Line • Box 616 • Brussels

devonjhenry@hotmail.com 519-505-2473

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021. PAGE 15.

519-523-4311

www.ruralvoice.ca

Agriculture

BLYTH 519-523-4244

www.hurontractor.com

Brussels Livestock report

Fed steers, heifers move steady at sale Total receipts for Brussels Livestock for the week ending Nov. 11 were 1,529 cattle and 389 lambs and goats.

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

and heifers sold $155 to $162.

Second-cut cattle sold $145 to $154. Aged and medium-fed steers and heifers sold $105 to $145.

Holstein steers and heifers sold $75 to $120. Cows sold steady.

On Thursday, veal sold steady.

Lambs, sheep and goats sold higher.

On Friday, calves and yearlings sold steady.

Kevin Rennick of Monkton, consigned four head. Two limousin steers averaged 1,308 lbs. and sold for an average price of $155.50.

Rural roads Sylvia Nonkes of the Maitland Valley Camera Club recently captured this beautiful rural image after a blast of snow. (Photo courtesy of Sylvia Nonkes of the Maitland Valley Camera Club)

M-T supports second residences

By Denny Scott The Citizen Morris-Turnberry Council is in support of allowing secondary residential buildings to be placed on existing residential lots for many purposes, but felt that some should be restricted.

During a special meeting at the Bluevale Community Hall, the first in-person meeting the council has had in more than a year, Denise Van Amersfoort, Planning Manager for Huron County, explained that, as a means of helping to address the housing crisis in Huron County, the Huron County Planning and Development Department is considering housing alternatives.

The change is one of a number of initiatives being undertaken through the housing lens initiative.

She explained that there is a waitlist numbering in the hundreds for families looking for affordable homes before asking councillors and staff what they felt the biggest challenges were for MorrisTurnberry.

Council members agreed that the biggest issues were supply, pricing and affordability, which Van Amersfoort said made sense as those were concerns across the area.

Deputy-Mayor Sharen Zinn asked what Van Amersfoort considered affordable, and was told that people should be spending about 30 per cent of their income on housing.

“Another definition is attainable,” she said. “Someone who makes the living wage, which was just increased to $17.95 an hour, could [purchase an affordable home] with 30 per cent of their income.”

Van Amersfoort said that wasn’t the case in Huron County thanks to

COVID-19 and the housing market, saying that people who make $18 an hour in a single-income household could afford very little.

Zinn agreed, saying that rentals are even out of many people’s price ranges.

Councillor Jamie McCallum said the development process is slow, and that fixing that may help to create more affordable homes. He also said that a county program that helps people afford homes needs to have its threshold raised from the mid-$300,000 mark to a more appropriate number to keep up with the times.

Councillor Kevin Freiburger also suggested that parcelling off marginally-productive farmland, or farm land adjacent to sensitive areas, could help with residential shortfalls, however that’s not currently allowed. Van Amersfoort agreed, saying there is always pressure to create residential lots in

agricultural areas, but they are rarely permitted.

She pointed to a recent Ontario land tribunal decision where Huron County Council supported a severance of agricultural lands for residential purposes against the recommendation of the planning department and lost.

“A neighbouring farmer appealed, saying it wasn't an appropriate use of agricultural land,” she said.

When looking at MorrisTurnberry’s dwelling types, the vast majority are single-detached housing units, Van Amersfoort said, with Huron County Planner Jennifer Burns, who is assigned to Morris-Turnberry, saying the numbers have changed over the past number of years with multiple developments including attached homes.

Van Amersfoort, after addressing Continued on page 16

There were 275 cows on offer.

Beef sold $67 to $88.50 with sales to $92; good holstein cows, $60 to $79.50; medium holstein cows, $54 to $63; plain cows, $48 to $55.

There were 140 head of veal on offer. Beef veal sold $150 to $200; good holsteins, $155 to $166; SL heavy holsteins, $145 to $158; medium holsteins, $115 to $130.

Sidney M. Bauman of Wallenstein, consigned one head.

One blue steer weighed 775 lbs. and sold for a price of $230.

Paul Pennington of Mildmay, consigned six head. One holstein steer weighed 660 lbs. and sold for a price of $166.

Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $359 to $395; 50 - 64 lbs., $358 to $370; 65 - 79 lbs., $320 to $367.50; 80 - 94 lbs., $265.50 to $295; 95 - 109 lbs., $255.50 to $270; 110 lbs. and over, $226 to $250.

Sheep sold $125 to $275.

Goats: billies sold $150 to $400; nannies, $100 to $250; kids: meat, $360 to $477.50; dairy, $275 to $350.

Ian Croft of Blyth, consigned two head. Two kid goats averaged 49 lbs. and sold for an average price of $477.50.

Herman Ramaker of Clinton, consigned six head. Six lambs averaged 97 lbs. and sold for an average price of $268.

Top quality stocker steers under 400 lbs. sold $265 to $300; 400 499 lbs., $236 to $275; 500 - 599 lbs., $226 to $251.50; 600 - 699 lbs., $208 to $229; 700 - 799 lbs., $189.50 to $206.50; 800 - 899 lbs., $186.50 to $207; 900 - 999 lbs.,

$179.75 to $195; 1,000 lbs. and over, $177 to $188.

Top quality stocker heifers, 400 499 lbs. sold $189.50 to $240; 500 - 599 lbs., $185 to $200; 600 - 699 lbs., $165 to $187; 700 - 799 lbs., $157 to $167.50; 800 - 899 lbs., $163 to $167 and 900 lbs. and over, $158.50 to $176.

Cleason B. Martin of Listowel, consigned 22 head. One red steer weighed 1,025 lbs. and sold for a price of $188.

Samuel H. Weber of Clifford, consigned 17 head. Nine red heifers averaged 936 lbs. and sold for an average price of $176.

Alvin Hill of Markdale, consigned 54 head. Twelve charolais heifers averaged 520 lbs. and sold for an average price of $200. Twelve charolais steers averaged 500 lbs. and sold for an average price of $251.50.

BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.

UPCOMING SALES TUESDAYS 10:00 a.m.

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Big day Brød Bread and Pastry in Blyth officially opened on Saturday. Karen Middleton-Meadham and Gerrit Sepers were surprised by the response, selling out throughout the day. (Denny Scott photo)

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PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

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01-50p -------------------------------------------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 519523-4792 or 519-887-9114. tfn -------------------------------------------THE CITIZEN IS AVAILABLE TO purchase at these locations – Auburn Co-op, Auburn Esso, Belgrave Variety, Blyth Variety, Blyth Food Market, Blyth Ultramar, Brussels Foodland, Brussels Variety, Clinton Convenience, Clinton Foodland, Dean’s Valu-Mart in Wingham, Wingham Mini Mart, Seaforth Foodland, GT Mini Mart in Seaforth, Fincher’s in Goderich, Goderich Victoria St. Shell and The Citizen Blyth.

Coming events ST JOHN’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, Brussels Christmas Bazaar Saturday, Nov. 20, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lots of baking and Christmas items. Takeout lunch available, $5. Please wear a mask and social distance. 46-1p -------------------------------------------FALL TAKE-OUT LUNCH, Tuesday, Nov. 23, Trinity Anglican Church, Blyth, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., shepherd’s pie, rutabaga, dressing, tea biscuit, dessert, $10 per person.

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In memoriam COOK. In loving memory of Peter, a son, brother and uncle who passed away November 16, 2007.

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The family chain is broken now and nothing seems the same, But as God takes us one by one, the chain will link again.

– Always loved, never forgotten by your family.

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS – ALL claims against the Estate of Ross Emerson Mitchell, late of Ripley, Ontario, who died on Aug. 21, 2021, must be filed before Dec. 31, 2021 with Estate Trustees Erin Walker or Holly Mitchell, PO Box 307, Kirkland Lake, ON P2N 3H7.45-3b

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Heffer concerned with AG4 additions

Visit the Township of Huron-Kinloss website to view this employment opportunity. https://www.huronkinloss.com/en/townhall/careers.aspx

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Services

Continued from page 15 some of council’s other concerns, moved on to the housing-friendly review of the county’s and municipality’s zoning rules, saying that her department is moving towards allowing permanent second dwellings on AG1 parcels that are 50 acres or greater. The goal, she said, isn’t to allow the decentralization of residential homes from settlement areas, but to provide housing for agricultural sector needs. She pointed to housing shortages in the Anabaptist communities, succession planning and on-site hired labour as examples, saying that current rules only allow for temporary housing solutions, which aren’t always available.

“We want to accommodate hired labour, for example, in a permanent dwelling,” she said. “There are no rentals available…. [Farmers] can’t find anywhere to rent or buy in close proximity.”

She also pointed to family farms that may be owned and run by the older generation, but the younger generation is on hand to help. Some of the more taxing or after-hours responsibility falls to the younger generation, making it a requirement for them to live on-site.

Van Amersfoort said, with older farm houses, trying to construct additions can be difficult, if not impossible, and building an entirely new structure would be desirable from not only the farmer’s perspective, but from the [municipal] building department’s as well.

After some questioning of the 50acre cutoff, Van Amersfoort explained it was in place because AG4, or smaller agricultural parcels, with additional residential units would be difficult to accommodate and would be more likely to lead people to attempt to sever the two homes, which isn’t the goal of the program.

The members of council who spoke on the issue were in favour of allowing residential units to be built alongside existing units on most agricultural properties, but there was some concern about smaller agricultural lots or AG4 lots.

“I’m not convinced extra residences are good on AG4 [zoned lands],” Mayor Jamie Heffer said.

“They will be incredibly problematic.”

He said the municipality is already facing concerns with garden suites on smaller lots like AG4zoned spaces, saying he “didn’t want to go down that road.” He added that on 50- or 100-acre lots, there are possibilities to help out farm families and farm operations,

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but allowing intensification of residential development on smaller lots could be “opening [council] up to problems.”

Van Amersfoort then explained that her department is trying to allow additional residential units in every context, pointing to the settlement areas in MorrisTurnberry, including Lower Town, Belgrave and Bluevale.

She said there are problems, however, highlighting complications that would be prevalent in communities with wells and private septic systems.

“We want to allow additional residential units,” she said.

“However, we need to make sure it’s viable for the long-term.”

She said that, without septic reinspection rules or widespread well testing, the increase in nutrients going into the ground through septic systems could result in wells being tainted.

“If there was a problem, the question is would we know before it’s a really big problem?” she asked.

Van Amersfoort also pointed to other options for intensification of residential spaces, such as building homes with rental spaces in the basement, as has been done in Goderich.

Heffer said that would be worth investigating, saying that getting the best use out of lot sizes, in some cases, would be better than allowing second residences.

“I think that’s way better - to employ that kind of forward planning,” he said. “We should adjust lots to maximize what you can do before we start putting second units on bigger lots. I’d rather see a lot split for two developments.”

After further explaining the requirements for second residential units within settlement areas, Van Amersfoort said she would take council’s feedback and prepare documents to be presented to council before seeking public consultation on the zoning bylaw and official plan. She summarized council’s thoughts on the issue by saying they seemed to be in favour of second residences on farms, but, like herself, had misgivings about smaller agricultural holdings.

Some form of online or individually-scheduled discussions with ratepayers would then be sought, she said, before moving forward with any kind of changes.

Council eventually directed staff to prepare the necessary amendments related to the housingfriendly review, alongside any other housekeeping issues, to be brought back to council at a later date.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021. PAGE 17.

Bailey happy with pilot project, despite report

By Denny Scott The Citizen North Huron Township Council will decide on the outcome of a pilot project at the Blyth Campground started this year at a later date despite concerns with how staff reported on the project.

Director of Recreation and Community Services Vicky Luttenberger presented a report on the project at a special meeting of North Huron Council on Nov. 10, during which she explained the campground had a larger deficit in 2021 than the two preceding years.

However, Councillor Kevin Falconer found that, without knowing exactly which costs were attributed to the pilot project, it was difficult to discuss the issue.

The pilot project saw enough picnic tables and fire pits created to furnish 25 sites, making them more appealing to campers. The project also included an online booking system to help streamline rentals.

The Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA) suggested the project earlier this year as a way which wanted to address the underuse of the campground.

Luttenberger said there was a deficit of $71,009 for the operation and maintenance of the entire campground this year, which indicates an increased cost to the municipality of over

$12,000 from the previous year.

Falconer, however, found Luttenberger’s reporting lacking.

He said that most of those expenses were for the campground as a whole and there weren’t specific details for the project’s expenses.

He also was frustrated that the total number of participants, which Luttenberger reported as 438 bookings, wasn’t accurate, according to his estimates, saying he would visit the campground daily and had significantly different numbers.

Further, he didn’t understand why the budget would include staff costs, except for the cutting of the grass, which would have been done anyway.

Luttenberger said Falconer was right in that there wasn’t a cost analysis focused on the pilot project and said council could request that information.

She said she anticipated the project cost to be $18,000 and brought in $1,500, so there was a deficit for the project.

She also said the numbers may have been different because more people were calling North Huron to book camping sites than those who were using the municipality’s new website system. Finally, she said staff had to move the picnic tables and campfire pits as campers wouldn’t want the specific sites that they had set up originally.

Falconer said he had serious

concerns with the implementation of the project, first saying that staff should not have been moving the amenities and campers should have to choose a site that already included picnic tables and fire pits.

He also said staff weren’t checking the campground early enough in the morning and that campers were staying at the site but leaving before anyone could check whether they paid or not.

Finally, he was very frustrated with the fire pits, saying they were far more elaborate than necessary.

“We had people offer 25 wheel rims, which I know might not be [tall] enough... but instead we have laser-engraved fire pits worth $500 a piece,” he said. “For a pilot project, you want a [basic] fire pit and a picnic table.”

He said the existing fire pits, which are engraved with the North Huron logo, were an example of overindulgence.

Luttenberger said the fire pits were within the budget and she could provide a more detailed report if necessary. She also said that some of the increased expenses were due to COVID-19 requirements, such as cleaning washroom facilities, which she hadn’t included in her printed report.

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip was also less than impressed with some of the details provided, saying that

the $18,000 in cost represented a lot of one-time expenses that won’t impact the operations moving forward. While Luttenberger had, in her report, suggested council consider discontinuing the project and/or reducing staff level at the campground as a result of the financial impact, Seip said success for this project wasn’t measured in financial terms.

“The question is, did it accomplish what it was supposed to from an economic development perspective?” he said.

He went on to say that the minute that staff turn on the water and other infrastructure at the campground, it’s going to cost money, so the question wasn’t whether the project should continue, but how many sites should be enhanced going forward.

Reeve Bernie Bailey said he felt the project was “an amazing success” and that running it was the cost of doing business.

“I suggest we look at how to make it work,” he said. “We should stop talking about shutting things down. We should look at whether we need 25 or 50 sites.”

Bailey went on to say the conversation about the project should be that it worked, and it should continue.

“I can’t, for the life of me, understand why anyone would say it isn’t a success,” he said.

In the end, council received the report and deferred a decision regarding the campground until the Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan was completed.

REPORT CONCERNS Falconer said he had a major concern about Luttenberger’s report and her suggestion that council remember consulting firm KPMG suggested the municipality consider divesting itself of the campground when that was not the point of the report or the pilot project.

“In the report, which is created by staff to bring to council, there are things in there that don’t need to be there,” he said, adding the situation infuriated him.

He said KPMG’s suggestion of discussing selling the campground was an unnecessary comment and that it would cause more problems than solutions. He said going down such a path would limit access to the Blyth Festival’s new outdoor Harvest Stage.

He said Luttenberger’s inclusion of KPMG’s suggestions would cause stress to council members, as they would hear from frustrated ratepayers for just broaching that subject when council hadn’t asked for it to be considered.

Luttenberger said she just wanted to bring that option to council’s attention, however Falconer pointed out she doesn’t make Continued on page 23

Obituaries

ROBERT “DEAN” NEWSON Robert “Dean” Newson of Wingham, passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with a brain tumour at Huron Hospice, west of Clinton, on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. He was 63.

Dean loved sports, especially golf, the Toronto Maple Leafs, spending time with his friends and his dogs, but most of all his family.

Dean was the loving husband of Pat (Gillespie) Newson and the cherished dad of Mitchell Newson and Macpherson “Max” Newson.

He was the beloved son of Robert Newson, the treasured brother of Luann Sunohara, David and Nancy Newson and Laurel and Kevin Lake and the son-in-law of George and Vera Gillespie and brother-in-law of Liza and Dan Sweeney. Dean was the dearly-loved nephew of Shirley and Sandy Hucul, Carol and Richard Byers and Doug McDowell.

Dean will be lovingly remembered by his nieces and nephews, Katelyn, Karyn, Kristen, Kevin, Matthew, Michelle, Danielle, Madeleine, Olivia, Charlotte, Nolan, Ethan, Caitlin and Caroline, as well as by his many friends, co-workers and customers.

Dean was predeceased by his mother Doreen Newson, niece Ashley Newson and his aunts and uncles, Larry Newson, Betty McDowell, Merilyn Stevenson, Bill and Penny Kerwin.

A funeral to honour Dean’s life will be held on Thursday, Nov. 18 at the Wingham Columbus Centre at 2 p.m. Those wishing to attend the funeral must RSVP through the McBurney Funeral Home website.

The funeral will be live-streamed through the website as well. In lieu of a visitation, a come-and-go celebration of Dean’s life will be held following the funeral from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Proof of vaccination and ID will be required prior to entry and masks must be worn.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the North Huron Food Share or Huron Hospice would be appreciated.

Online condolences may be left at www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com

Alan and Brenda Young, Goderich; Karen and Doug McClinchey, Auburn; Brian and Janice Young and Scott and Janette Young, all of Calgary, Alberta. She was the cherished grandmother of Adam and Stephanie, Darcy, Jason, Ryan and Stacey, Katie, Sandra, Stacey and Brian, and Sasha.

Marion was also loved by greatgrandchildren Jude, Natalie, Brooklyn, Alaina, Lily, and Luke.

She was the dear sister-in-law of Mary Morrow, Stratford and Betty Lair, London. Marion was predeceased by her brother Clifford Morrow.

Friends were received at the Falconer Funeral Homes, Clinton, on Nov. 11. The funeral service was held at the Blyth United Church on Nov. 12. Interment was at Blyth Union Cemetery.

As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations to the Blyth United Church Memorial Fund would be appreciated.

Messages of condolence for the Young family are welcome at www.falconerfuneralhomes.com

District Hospital on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. He was 89.

Robert was the beloved husband of the late Sharon (Shropshall) and the cherished father and father-inlaw of Jennifer Sangster, London, England; Bob and Bev Sangster, Point Clark and the late Len Sangster (2018) and Tracy Sangster, Wingham. He was the cherished grandpa of Mike Dykeman, Janaka Fernando, Jeremy Fernando, Brett and Tanya Sangster, Becky Bloemberg and Tim Currie, Andrea Sangster, Carly Sangster, Jenna and AJ Hall, and Katie Sangster. Robert was the treasured great-grandpa of Dylan, Emma, Ethan, Ewen, Elleah, Nate and Sophia.

Robert was predeceased by his parents John and Edith Sangster, brothers Harvey and Jean Sangster, Ken and Florence Sangster, sisterin-law Jean and Harold King and brother-in-law Fred and Ruth Shropshall.

Visitation was held at McBurney Funeral Home, Wingham on Wednesday, Nov. 10. A private funeral service was held on Thursday, Nov. 11. Robert’s final resting place is at McIntosh Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial

donations to Wingham Minor Hockey would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.

Online condolences may be left at www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com.

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

MARION EVELYN YOUNG Mrs. Marion Evelyn Young, formerly of Blyth, passed away peacefully at Huronlea Home, Brussels, on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021.

She was in her 85th year.

Marion was the beloved wife of Bill Young and the loving mother of

ROBERT SANGSTER Robert Sangster of Belgrave, passed away at Wingham and

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.

PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021. PAGE 19.

Christian Farmers to partner with Foodgrains Bank

In action The Blyth U19 boys broomball team was in action over the weekend as the Blyth and District Community Centre played host to a broomball tournament. They took on the Mildmay Moose late Saturday afternoon in one of many games on Saturday that began early in the morning and ran late into the night. (John Stephenson photo)

This giving season, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario (CFFO) will offer supporters a oneto-one fund match to celebrate a new partnership with Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

It is estimated that around 768 million people are facing hunger worldwide. That’s more than 20 times the population of Canada – but this new partnership will help families facing hunger to thrive.

From Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, any donations made to the Foodgrains Bank as part of the Giving Tuesday campaign will be matched by CFFO, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000. This funding will help to provide emergency food for families affected by crises like violence or natural disaster, or provide long-term agricultural

support to help a family lift themselves out of poverty.

CFFO board president Ed Scharringa says he is excited about providing this opportunity to members. As the organizations were both founded by Christian farmers in Canada, and share a similar desire to improve food security, Scharringa believes the partnership is a natural fit.

“At CFFO we work to support Ontario farmers. The Foodgrains Bank helps some of the most vulnerable food producers in the world – and we know that our compassionate membership care about global hunger.

This partnership is just a natural fit,” he said.

For almost 40 years, the Continued on page 20

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PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

Ironmen split home games, hold third in league

Scramble in front The Wingham Ironmen spent a lot of time in front of Walkerton’s net on the weekend, posting a 5-1 win over the Hawks. (Denny Scott photo)

By Denny Scott The Citizen The Wingham Ironmen, for the second weekend in a row, split two games and held on to third place in the league, maintaining a one-point lead over the Mount Forest Patriots, but falling further behind Hanover and Mitchell.

The Ironmen fell to the first-place Mitchell Hawks by a score of 5-1 in Lucknow on Nov. 12, then shut out the Walkerton Hawks 5-0 on Sunday in Wingham.

The weekend leaves the Ironmen with 18 points this season, trailing the Hanover Barons by three points and Mitchell by five.

WINGHAM 5 - WALKERTON 0 After a scoreless first period, the Ironmen scored five-straight unanswered goals to blank the Walkerton Hawks on Sunday, Nov. 14.

Wingham’s Kyle Smeltzer netted his fifth goal of the season to open the scoring in the second period, assisted by Jonah Burley and Trevor Klee.

In the third period, Jacob Rauser scored for the Ironmen, assisted by Smeltzer. Kyle Stanbury then scored his 14th goal of the season, a power play effort assisted by Burley and Garrett Golley.

Smeltzer then earned his second of the game, assisted by Rauser and Payten Wheeler.

Austin McKeachnie scored the fifth and final goal of the game, assisted by Dana Smith.

Golley was in net for the Ironmen, stopping all 25 shots he faced, while Josh Silverman was in net for the Hawks, saving 33 of 38 shots.

The Ironmen served 16 penalty minutes on four infractions while the Hawks served 14 on three infractions.

Wingham’s Smith was assessed the first penalty of the game, being assessed a two-minute interference call. Walkerton’s Hayden Robinson served the same penalty later in the first.

There were no penalties in the second period, and Burley took the first penalty of the third with a twominute minor for slashing.

Walkerton’s Austin Brown was called for tripping halfway through the third period.

With just under five minutes left in the period, Walkerton’s Caleb Morrison and Stanbury of Wingham were both assessed 10-minute inciting-an-opponent penalties.

Burley served the last penalty of the game, a two-minute slashing infraction.

Golley, who on top of earning the shutout also scored an assist, was the first star of the game for Wingham, followed by Smeltzer and Smith for their offensive efforts.

MITCHELL 5 - WINGHAM 1 At a special home game over the weekend, the Wingham Ironmen hosted the Mitchell Hawks in Lucknow, but dropped a 5-1 decision to the first-seeded Hawks.

Mitchell dominated scoring for the first two periods, marking four unanswered goals. Mark Cassidy scored first for the Hawks, assisted

by Aiden McMann. Malcolm Mcleod followed up with another goal, assisted by McMann.

Nolan Gagnier struck first for the Hawks in the second period, assisted by Tyson Hall and Evan Dowd. Charlie Rankin then scored for the Hawks, assisted by Christian Froese and Callan Ferguson.

The Ironmen struck back in the third with a power play marker

scored by Evan Visser, assisted by Jonah Burley and Kyle Stanbury.

Mitchell’s Christian scored the final goal of the game, assisted by Zach Dow. Golley and Devon Carson shared goaltending responsibilities for the Ironmen, with Carson starting the game. Golley took over after the second goal in the first period.

Carson stopped four of six shots, while Golley faced 47 shots, stopping 44. Tyler Parr earned the win for Mitchell, stopping 40 of 41 shots.

The Ironmen served 25 penalty minutes on eight infractions, while the Hawks served 26 on nine infractions.

The first penalty of the game went to McMann, who was assessed a two-minute minor for cross checking. Just past the halfway point, Wingham’s Matt Tolton was assessed a five-minute cross checking major penalty, a 10minute inciting-an-opponent penalty and a game ejection.

Tolton’s penalties were served by Wheeler. Mitchell’s Mcleod also faced a 10-minute inciting-anopponent call as a result of the incident. Mcleod was also assessed a two-minute boarding penalty.

Tyson Hall was assessed a twominute roughing penalty, as was

Wingham’s goaltender, Golley.

Golley’s penalty was served by Austin McKeachnie. Before the end of the first, Hall also served a twominute slashing penalty.

The second period saw Wingham’s Burley serve a twominute cross checking penalty, followed by teammate David Kozak being called for the same. Mark Cassidy earned Mitchell’s only penalty of the period, a two-minute interference minor.

Early in the third, Ryan Murray of Mitchell served a two-minute penalty for bench/coach violation.

Wingham’s Stanbury was then assessed a two-minute hooking minor, followed by Burley taking a two-minute slashing minor. The final penalty of the game, a twominute interference minor, was assessed to Mitchell’s Mcleod.

The Ironmen’s three stars of the game were, in order, Josh Pham, Stanbury and Visser.

On Friday, the third-place Ironmen will take on the fourthplace Mount Forest Patriots in Wingham with the puck drop set for 8 p.m. On Sunday, the Ironmen travel to Walkerton for a 2:15 p.m. game.

For more information, visit winghamironmen.pjhlon. hockeytech.com.

Whitmore leads service PEOPLE AROUND BELGRAVE

By Linda Campbell Call 357-2188

Bruce Whitmore was the guest speaker at Knox United Church, Belgrave on Sunday, Nov. 7. His wife Margaret played prelude and postlude music and accompanied all the hymns at the piano.

Bruce’s message was entitled, “Remembering the Stories”. It was a special day for him as he did the Remembrance Day service 22 years ago. He gave a moving morning service on the atrocities of war. He had many stories of men he talked to about stories of war. Some of these men were from World War I and World War II and the Korean War. One of these men is still living in a retirement home in Goderich.

Bruce ended the service by having congregants place a poppy on the cross at the front of the church to remind everyone of the evils of war and the horrific loss of life by so many people.

Bruce lit candles for the veterans of World War I and

World War II and Korean Conflict.

Ken Procter read the Honour Roll names who had fought in World War I, World War II and Korea.

“We will remember them.” In Flanders Fields was repeated in unison and O’ Canada was sung.

Gloria Wilbee is the guest speaker on Sunday, Nov. 21 at Knox United Church, Belgrave.

Everyone is welcome.

Celebrating birthdays are my husband John Campbell on Nov. 19 and our son Jeremy on Nov. 21.

wants you to stay connected wherever you are in the world with an

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NEWS FROM BELGRAVE

CFFO, Foodgrains partner Continued from page 19 the Foodgrains Bank has been on a mission to end global hunger. The membership of 15 Canadian church and para-church agencies partner with locally-based agencies to provide programs that are food-focused in over 30 countries.

Foodgrains Bank executive director Andy Harrington says he’s confident the same collaborative nature will be reflected in this new partnership with CFFO. “We’re excited to partner with

The Citizen

CFFO in working towards our mission of ending world hunger and to kick off this Christmas giving season with such a generous gesture! For many Canadians our Christmas celebration can look like a true feast. This partnership will benefit families in parts of the world where accessing enough food on a daily basis is a challenge and help them to flourish. There’s no better gift you could give this Christmas.”

To donate by Dec. 15, visit https://foodgrainsbank.ca/cffo.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021. PAGE 21.

From the Minister’s Study

There’s no discounting this Saviour: Dow

By Ernest Dow, Exec. Pastor, Huron Chapel EMC, Auburn A hometown crowd can be a tremendous advantage to a sports team, especially when it comes down to the crunch in playoffs. But in Jesus’ case, it turned out to be a hometown disadvantage.

It’s perilous to make hasty conclusions about Jesus or write Him off because we don’t think He’s the real solution to our issues. Unbelief can be paralyzing, blocking God from bringing about in our lives the changes that would be for our good.

As life progresses, we humans tend to draw our own conclusions and develop our own biases and prejudices that confirm us in our patterns and guard us against others who would “put one over” on us.

But when the folks in Jesus’ hometown developed their own conclusions, it backfired. When Jesus ministered in Nazareth, the reaction of the people of Nazareth started out warm, but soon turned skeptical.

“When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. ‘Where did this man get these things?’ they asked. ‘What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!

Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon?

Aren’t his sisters here with us?’

And they took offense at him.”

(Mark 6:2f) They start by noting His wisdom and reputation for supernatural miracles, but quickly shunt down the siding of “But we already know this guy!” He can’t be anyone important because He’s local!

(Justin Bieber’s TimBiebs notwithstanding.)

They recall for the first decades of His life Jesus likely trained with

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Joseph his father as a carpenter, stonemason or bricklayer, maybe even taking over the family business when Joseph died. Justin Martyr, a believer who died about 165 A.D., wrote of Jesus making yokes and plows in His earlier career. The people of Nazareth are quite familiar with Jesus’ brothers and sisters, who are ordinary Jews just like them.

So they jumped to conclusions and “took offense at Him”. They were scandalized, literally – the Greek verb is reminiscent of a stumbling block, a trigger in a trap that gets stepped on and trips the catch. Pre-judging – our prejudices – can be traps! Too hastily the townsfolk discount the local lad.

They can’t see past their prejudices.

How often our own prejudices kick into gear and rob us of the gift of coming to an honest appreciation of a stranger. We quickly categorize them by their age, their accent, their dress, their skin colour – and we dismiss them; discount the possibility they might be a person we could learn from and even develop a lasting friendship with.

We choose not to love our neighbour because of external factors without giving them an honest hearing. So our fallen bias, our “quick read” of a person’s station, results in us disobeying one of the key commands in the Greatest Commandment.

Have you consigned Jesus to a special category in your mind that makes Him innocuous, irrelevant, that prevents Him from having any “say” in your daily life because you’ve discounted Him? Some people see Jesus as just a moral

teacher; others as a social reformer; still others as a nut case. But read what Jesus says about Himself and you’ll find He won’t allow Himself to be categorized that way. A good moral teacher doesn’t claim to be a prophet (Mark 6:4) or the Son of God or the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus, by His assertions, won’t leave that option open to you.

Here in Jesus’ hometown, “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.”

Unbelief paralyzes us. It’s a roadblock in the relationship between God and a person. John MacArthur notes: “To have faith is to relinquish trust in oneself and transfer that trust to someone or something else.”

It’s more than a set of intellectual propositions you may or may not assent to: it’s trust, commitment, giving yourself to someone else, counting on them rather than your own ability or merit. Have you “relinquished” trust in yourself?

Have you truly transferred that trust to Jesus Christ? Romans 10:9 promises, “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

At root, faith and trust are relational: it’s not about believing in a formula that can be written on a blackboard; it’s about coming to know and trust your Saviour intimately, as a Friend and Deliverer.

Shah Abbis was a Persian monarch who loved his people very much. To know and understand

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them better, he would mingle with his subjects in various disguises.

One day he went as a poor man to the public baths and in a tiny cellar sat beside the fireman who tended the furnace. When it was mealtime, the monarch shared his coarse food and talked to his lonely subject as a friend. Again and again he visited and the man grew to love him. One day the Shah told him he was the monarch, expecting the man to ask some gift from him. But the fireman sat gazing at his ruler with love and wonder and at last spoke, “You left your palace and your glory to sit with me in this dark place, to eat of my coarse food, to care whether my heart is glad or sorry. On others you may bestow rich presents, but to me

you have given yourself, and it only remains for me to pray that you never withdraw the gift of your friendship.”

Jesus may have grown up as a young man in Nazareth and trained as a village carpenter, but in reality, He left the glories of heaven in order to share Himself with us. To trust Him is such a positive thing.

It’s the key that unlocks the blessing of knowing Him, being able to turn to Him at any moment, and to have hope of spending eternity with Him. That gift of His love and friendship will never be withdrawn from us. When we put our faith in Him, we find He chose to be your friend and mine forever.

The Regional Ministry of Hope Churches are now open 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

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MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Indoor Worship 11:00 am every Sunday As per HPPH Unit requirements, masks are mandatory to be worn during worship services and social distancing practiced. In addition, all other meetings held in Melville require proof of double vaccination.

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In-person and online! live.huronchapel.com Annual Election Members Meeting - Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m.

119 John’s Ave., Auburn 519-526-1131

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

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Brussels Soup and More 2 is cancelled until further notice.

Service will be held in the sanctuary with COVID-19 protocols in place.

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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 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

County opens emergency shelter for winter The County of Huron continues to address the complexities associated with homelessness, poverty and housing instability in Huron County, and is implementing both immediate and long-term solutions.

The County of Huron’s Huron Out of the Cold: Heart to Home emergency shelter, opened on Monday, offers wrap-around supports for homeless individuals in Huron County, including staff specially trained in trauma informed care, substance use and mental health services. The emergency shelter will be located at Lakeshore United Church in Goderich and will be able to accommodate up to 15 individuals per evening, with meals provided, for the cold weather season.

Since the opening of the shelter in 2020, 16 individuals have been successfully, permanently homed with assistance from the Heart to Home Stability Team. This team

will continue its efforts in the 2021/2022 season.

“A variety of life circumstances can bring someone to be in crisis, without a place to call home. When this happens, people need support and they need shelter,” says Warden Glen McNeil.

Through a partnership with the County of Huron, Choices for Change and CMHA Thames Valley Addiction and Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Huron Out of the Cold: Heart to Home is staffed with trained professionals and aims to provide wrap-around supports and services, with a goal of transitioning guests into permanent housing solutions.

“CMHA Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services is pleased to continue its partnership with Huron County and Choices for Change for the next season of the Out of the Cold shelter. We continue to do this important work of providing safety

and supports during the cold weather season to some of the most vulnerable individuals in our area,” says Lori Cribley Clark, Regional Manager of Rural Services Exeter and Goderich Sites, CMHA Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services. “As a team, we work together to provide them a warm space and a meal while we work at building rapport and resources in hopes that their challenges may become fewer and successful housing a viable option for them in the future.”

“Choices for Change is pleased to work with our partners and the community to ensure the safety of the homeless population over the winter months,” says Catherine Hardman, Executive Director, Choices for Change: Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Counselling Centre.

“This is a temporary solution to a long-term and complex problem.

It’s the responsibility of all citizens of a community to work towards

permanent housing solutions to support our most vulnerable population.”

The County of Huron and its partner agencies are dedicated to taking both immediate and longterm actions to improve the quality of life for all residents of Huron County. Other initiatives underway include: • Agency Coordination: A Homelessness Task Force developed in 2020 to address concerns for individuals experiencing homelessness in Huron’s community.

• Further Development of WrapAround Supports: Staff continue to provide wraparound supports in coordinated action with local agencies and volunteers.

• Exploring Supportive Housing: County of Huron staff are working to explore supportive housing requirements that align with the County’s Long-Term Affordable Housing and Homelessness Plan.

• Homeless Enumeration Study: Occurring this fall, the study will provide an opportunity to gain a current snapshot of homelessness in the community.

For more information, including emergency shelter contacts, visit www.HuronCounty.ca/housing.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021. PAGE 23.

Falconer suggests campground return

Dinner is served The Blyth Lions Club sold out Saturday’s drive-through pork chop supper on the weekend. Above, Chris Lee, left, and Greg Toll cook the main event of the meal. (John Stephenson photo)

Continued from page 17 similar recommendations in any other reports.

He went on to say council would need to consider divesting itself of every recreation program if it was measured by the same metrics, later pointing out that she hadn’t suggested selling the North Huron Wescast Community Centre when the indoor pool required an expensive repair.

Falconer then made a motion that staff investigate returning the land to the Huron County Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association, which had sold the campground to the municipality for $1 years ago.

“We should let them decide what to do with the property,” Falconer said. “They gave it to council for a dollar, and now we’re talking about taking it away.”

While both Seip and Councillor Chris Palmer said the municipality would need to follow a more structured approach to selling it, Clerk Carson Lamb said that would be part of the staff investigation.

Councillors said that Falconer’s motion was premature, and his motion was defeated with Councillors Falconer and Ric McBurney being the only council members voting in favour of it.

Museum move proceeds despite increased staff time Continued from page 11 volunteerism is on the decline. If this trend is experienced in North Huron, the number of required staff hours may increase.”

Beyond his expectation that the job would require full-time hours, Falconer said the job description sounded like that of a senior staff member, which would include a higher wage than what was anticipated.

“When this was brought forward, [a staff member] was opening a door and handing out pamphlets,” he said. “All of the requirements of this project, to go forward and be successful, are now placed on management of the municipality, not the volunteer organization.”

Clerk Carson Lamb said there are certain things volunteers can’t do, which would require staff to take care of the issues.

Luttenberger said senior management felt 20 hours a week would be sufficient, but did also point out that the volunteer committee would require administrative support, which will take more staff time.

“Does staff believe they can hire someone to do this job for $30,000?” Falconer questioned.

While there was no definitive answer, Lamb pointed out that there may be another issue to consider, as the township’s health and safety committee would be considering suggesting that North Huron staff, across all departments, can’t work alone due to the potential for hazards like slipping and falling.

When asked to elaborate, Lamb said the point would be to minimize the number of staff working alone in a building, and said he would look into how it could impact a lone employee possibly working with volunteers.

Falconer then pointed out that there would need to be more than one staff member, as the site is to be open seven days a week during some periods of time. Staff agreed with him, saying no one could work seven days a week and that vacation and contingencies for sick days would also be necessary. Lamb said there would either need to be overtime or another staff position created to cover those situations.

“For us to say, yes, we will dedicate one person there, Monday to Friday, logistically that person needs time off,” he said. “We need that coverage. The intention of this report is to flag some of those things.”

Luttenberger said that was correct and that, with employment standards changing, every level of

employee, including part-time and full-time, are entitled to vacation time and sick time, so council will need to consider that going forward.

Earlier in the meeting, Falconer discussed his frustration that a report regarding a pilot project at the Blyth Campground included information about selling the campground. He said he was frustrated that the same information, regarding the council not providing a museum service, wasn’t included in this report, especially given the 20-year commitment council would be agreeing to if they bought the building for $1.

“The contract is a guarantee by this municipality we will keep [the museum operational] under any circumstances, managed and made profitable for 20 years,” he said, though in previous meetings, staff had indicated that council could walk away from the project, in which case the land would revert to its current owner.

Despite the concerns, council approved a motion accepting the proposal of the museum committee, and directed staff to proceed with the next steps in the process, with Falconer voting against it.

EQUAL STAFF TIME Falconer said if council was content in investing in the staffing necessary to run the museum, he wanted to see the same attention given to the rest of North Huron’s managed facilities.

“We’re making large dollar decisions, and hiring more staff to do more things when we don’t have staff to [cover the responsibilities we have],” he said. “If you want the museum to succeed, it does need staff, and control, and needs someone daily looking at it, but so does a successful campground, or a successful splash pad.”

He said any facility, from a baseball diamond to an arena, wouldn’t run itself, so, to be successful, council should consider putting the necessary staffing behind them to make them successful.

“We should apply the same staffing to old projects as to new projects,” he said, before referencing the Blyth Campground, which had been the focus of a report earlier in the meeting that showed it was running a deficit. “Go to the campground: of course it’s not working, no one is promoting it….

We can’t even get the current staff to go out and get money [from campers].”

Falconer said he was infuriated that council was going ahead with

large projects when the same emphasis isn’t put on the existing facilities and programs.

He went on to say he wanted all recreation assets to have a management contingency so that assets aren’t just left to deteriorate.

“We had an organization come forward that wanted a new amenity, or to revive one that failed, and for us to put staff time and effort and employment behind it,” he said.

“I’m just asking that we look at all of our assets and put the same emphasis behind the ones we’re already neglecting.”

Falconer made a motion to direct staff to investigate implementing equal staffing resources to parks and recreation facilities to manage assets to ensure their success with Reeve Bernie Bailey seconding it.

Councillor Chris Palmer said he felt Falconer was allowing his emotions to drive his decision making, because he was now suggesting spending money when he was against the same for the museum.

“You were complaining about the cost of two people, or a person and a half,” he said. “Your motion [now] says we have to hire a whole bunch of people.”

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip said council dictates the level of service provided, and staff implement it, and he hopes no one in the municipality is aiming to make any kind of facility fail. He then said he doesn’t disagree with Falconer’s

concept of providing adequate resources for all the services within the municipality, however it will require some difficult decisions with the municipality’s limited resources.

He said he doesn’t believe anyone is trying to make anything fail, but that some projects aren’t an obvious priority.

Falconer thanked Seip as he pointed to the issue with the museum and with Falconer’s own motion: that supporting every program and facility to its full potential may be an impossibility.

He went on to say that council had just set a precedent by agreeing to service a museum for 20 years with new hires.

“I want the museum, and I want it to be successful, but I know what it

will cost,” he said. “I would like that same framework applied elsewhere. If we’re going to have a trial for 25 campsites [at the Blyth Campground] we need to put people behind that… I want staff to be there working on it to make sure it’s successful.”

Palmer said the situations were different, however, as the alternative to the new museum is either fixing the existing museum building for $3 million or paying to return the artifacts to their rightful owners, a significant expense.

The rest of council, however, was in favour of having staff investigate supporting other facilities and programs, with all council members except Palmer voting in favour of Falconer’s motion.

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PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021.

Perfect Books for Gift-giving

DR. BLOOM’S EVENT Maxwell Bloom, a successful and respected surgeon in London, Ontario, stumbles into an opportunity to realize a hidden dream — sponsoring an Arts Event-of-the-Year for the community. But he soon finds his life in chaos when three struggling artists move into his stately home to help with the event. Each takes advantage of him in unique ways. Now he finds himself staring point-blank into the face of personal struggles from his past. $20.00

300 BEST CHOCOLATE RECIPES Discover this wonderful array of recipes, ranging from the traditional to the sophisticated – all celebrating chocolate.

Try out chocolate-stuffed scones, white chocolate key lime pie, chocolate cherry bombs and more. $24.95

THE SEASON FOR STRAWBERRIES Newly established as the parish’s first female pastor, Aleda struggles with feelings of inadequacy and questions the relevance of her ministry as she faces all the characters and challenges, large and small, that define village life. What happens when the strawberry social is threatened, and when a tragedy shakes the village to its core? $20.00

WATERFALLS OF ONTARIO Revised and expanded featuring over 125 waterfalls including stunning photographs and detailed descriptions of over 100 falls organized into eight regions. $29.95

EXPLORING THE WORLD OF BEES Roughly 4,000 of the planet’s 20,000 bee species can be found in North America. We take these insects for granted at our peril. Learn about the role played by the industrious honeybee and native bees in pollination. $6.95

HOW TO RAISE A READER This book shows you how to instill the joy and timestopping pleasure of reading. Divided into four sections, from baby through teen. Beautifully illustrated. $29.95

ONTARIO LULLABY This book for tiny ones captures the essence of our gorgeous province in a few lyrical lines set against gorgeous illustrations by Joy Steuerwald. From cities, to farms to northland wildlife, Ontario Lullaby is an early introduction to our home. $12.95

541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9114

THE FAMILY BUTTERFLY BOOK Love butterflies? This book’s for you. How to attract butterflies to your garden, make butterfly boxes and cages, identify 40 favourite North American species, even build your own butterfly farm. $25.95

PARKING THE MOOSE Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, author Dave Hill takes us on an epic quest to uncover his incredible Canadian Roots (his grandfather was from Clinton, ON) in what some say is the wisest and funniest book ever about Canada. $29.95 THE COOK’S COMPENDIUM With these 265 essential tips, techniques, trade secrets and tasty recipes cooks of all experience will discover tricks, fix problems and gain more confidence to try new things. Tips on fish, meats, pasta, grains and more. $24.95

BACKROADS OF ONTARIO Ron Brown has updated and expanded this guide to hundreds of interesting places to visit throughout Ontario. Mapped out routes for daytrips let you get to know rural Ontario with interesting stories about spots along the way. $29.95

EVEN COWS GO TO HEAVEN Linda Knox tells the often funny story of her father Melville Knox who was born near Stratford, trained at Ontario Veterinary College, and practiced veterinary medicine in Grey County for many years. $14.95

A DOG TO GIVE AWAY Dr. Dave has become acquainted with many animals throughout the years, but not one has had as much impact on his practice, and his life, as Lug, the stray he invited to stay. This book will warm the hearts of anyone who has ever loved a dog. $12.95

DISCIPLINE WITHOUT DISTRESS 135 tools for raising caring responsible children without timeouts, spankings, punishment or bribery from Judy Arnall, a parent educator for several health organizations and mother of five children. $24.95

THE NIGHT BEFORE A CANADIAN CHRISTMAS This illustrated storybook has fun putting a Canadian spin on the Night Before Christmas story, such as the fact Santa can’t come down the chimney because there’s smoke coming out of it. $19.95

PARENTING WITH PATIENCE Positive discipline has to begin with positive stress management.

Author Judy Arnall offers realistic advice for handling the stress of parenting and understanding the steps of normal child development $19.95

OUT OF THE WOODS: CHRONICLES AND CHARACTERS OF HURON COUNTY David's collection of stories appeals to the casual reader and history buff alike. Each short entry is filled with human interest and details that open a window to the county's past and its characters. Arranged in chronological order - from the time of the region's Indigenous people through to early settlement and finally to Canada's coming of age during the Great War - it is a book you can enjoy one story at a time or cover to cover. $25.00

Stop in and see our great selection of books at...

The Citizen

Visit huroncitizen.ca for more rural living books and local authors.

New titles being added as we build the site.

Mail order or curbside pick up available.

110 NATURE HOT SPOTS IN ONTARIO Informative introduction to some of the province’s best-kept secrets. A fresh look at destinations that have made Ontario famous. If you’re looking for a day trip or a weekend getaway, this book will appeal to you. $29.95

TOP 160 UNUSUAL THINGS TO SEE IN ONTARIO Ron Brown just keeps finding more interesting places to visit.

This book reveals the best odd, unexpected and fascinating places and things in the province. $29.95

BUILD YOUR OWN BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT Learn how to construct your own equipment as an inexpensive introduction to keeping bees.

Step-by-step, illustrated instructions on how to build hives, equipment for catching swarms and more. $29.95

THE LITTLE BOOK OF WOODLAND BIRD SONGS Brings the sounds of the forest to life.

Learn and recognize these bird sounds from the hermit thrush to the downy woodpecker. No walk in the woods will be the same again. $19.95

405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792