4 15 16 19
• Editorials • Obituaries • COVID-19 • Festival
$1.25 GST included
The
THIS WEEK
Citizen
Huron County’s most trusted independent news source
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Volume 36 No. 39
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0
Unique Fall Fair parade impresses village By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen
Time to let loose While the world remains in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, the people of Brussels were able to forget those woes for a few hours on Sunday and celebrate a unique version of its annual Brussels Fall Fair parade. While this year’s fair wasn’t able to move ahead as scheduled, an
80-float parade made its way through the village on Sunday and it thrilled those in attendance who have had very little to attend in the past seven months. The Brussels Agricultural Society hopes to return with a full-fledged fair in 2021, which will be the fair’s 160th anniversary year. (John Stephenson photo)
County approves intersection study By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron County Council has directed the county’s public works department to develop an intersection improvement solution for Blyth and London Roads to be considered in the 2021 budget. County Manager of Public Works Mike Hausser presented his report to council at its Sept. 16 meeting, which was held virtually via Zoom. He recommended that the county work with the municipalities of Central Huron and North Huron to improve the intersection and implement pedestrian egress options as well. “The intersection of County Road 25 and County Road 4 is a growing concern as traffic volumes on both roads continue to grow with corresponding increased development in the area,” Hausser wrote in his report to council. “There is a history of collisions at this intersection and informal reports of a number of close calls.” Hausser noted that previous
studies of the intersection didn’t warrant intervention, but that problems have persisted since the intersection was last studied in 2018. “A review of traffic volumes and collisions completed in 2018 indicated that this intersection did not meet the industry standard justifications for upgrades as collisions that did occur would not be reduced by increased traffic control (i.e. drivers failing to stop) and traffic volumes were not high enough to warrant active intersection traffic control,” Hausser wrote. In his report, Hausser wrote that the implementation of LED stop signs in 2019 aimed to improve driver awareness, but he noted sitespecific challenges with the Blyth intersection. “This particular intersection has a number of particular geometric challenges as it is on a slope, on a curve, with County Road 4 being super elevated. While sight lines are good, the geometry of the road and roadside make it susceptible to speeding, which increases the
severity of collisions when they occur,” Hausser wrote. “A number of traffic-calming trials have been undertaken with varying degrees of success. The installation of a radar board for northbound traffic on County Road 4 has made a positive impact.” Hausser wrote to council, however, that despite years of continued traffic-calming measures, collisions have persisted. “Despite the installation of enhanced stop signs and successful traffic-calming measures, collisions
and speeding continue to occur,” he wrote. “Traffic volumes in this area are increasing due to the aggregate increase in economic activity in the area, as is pedestrian traffic to/from businesses in the area. From this perspective, there [has] been a noted increase [in] demand for improved pedestrian egress in the area of this intersection and northerly along County Road 4.” In his report, Hausser said significant intervention will cost the county at least $1.5 million, with Continued on page 20
Sunday’s Brussels Fall Fair parade has been heralded as a success by organizers thanks to robust attendance and approximately 80 floats taking part from all over the region. Brussels Agricultural Society President Zoellyn Onn said Sunday was “phenomenal” and that she and other members of the society were very pleased with the event. She said she felt it was just the boost the community needed in 2020, a year of so many cancellations and tough times for many. She was also pleased to see the safe behaviour of those taking part, either in the parade or watching it, wearing masks and physically distancing from one another. While Onn has served as the president and oversaw the event, she said it wouldn’t have been possible without many members of the society who did the lion’s share of the work. Treasurer John Lowe, for example, really spearheaded the parade, taking care of things on Sunday and designing the parade route alongside Mary Ann Thompson. In addition, Homecraft President Monique Baan took on organizing the decorating contest and awarding those winners. Without all of the volunteers from the society, Onn said, there’s no way the event would have been as successful as it was. Lowe said he and Thompson were “thrilled” with the response from the community, but he can’t say he’s surprised, knowing the community spirit of Brussels so well. He said he had a feeling the response to the day would be good, but until Sunday, that was all he had, because he hadn’t asked those entering floats to pre-register. Despite going into the event blind, he had a feeling Brussels residents would rise to the challenge and make the parade one to remember and he was right. Not only did Brussels residents and businesses step up to the plate for the parade, but there were also plenty of entries from neighbouring communities like Blyth, Londesborough and others. The judges were also impressed Continued on page 12
Homelessness funds dedicated By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron County Council has authorized the spending of over $550,000 to tackle the county’s homelessness problem over the course of the winter and into next summer. The proposal includes hiring a number of full-time professionals and establishing a
shelter in Huron County for the time being. Council discussed the issue at its Sept. 16 meeting. This comes after months of discussion surrounding rising numbers in the homeless population in communities like Goderich, Wingham and Exeter. The situation was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and weeks of many public buildings and
restaurants being closed due to the rapid spread of the virus. Goderich Mayor John Grace, for one, called the issue urgent, telling council the town needed help immediately. South Huron Mayor George Finch had also identified the issue early as one of concern, speaking about it over a year ago. As a result, council struck a Continued on page 3