The Creemore
Echo
Friday, April 11, 2014 Vol. 14 No. 15
thecreemoreecho.com
News and views in and around Creemore
Inside the Echo
Sweet skaters
Insect watchers
Honeywood Skate Carnival
Lisa Timpf has the buzz
PAGE 7
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A brand new Clearview? By Sara Hershoff Fulfillment. That is the essence of Clearview Township according to the branding and design experts Cundari. And fulfilled was how the majority of Council felt about the visual concept brought forth at Monday’s meeting while Councillors Doug Measures and Thom Paterson expressed anything but that. Councillor Brent Preston who made the presentation on behalf of the Economic Development Committee said he was very proud of the process. “I think we have done it right and I am happy with the outcome,” said Preston sighting the brand key as the most exciting part of the report for him. This key laid out the concepts on which the brand will be established and states the Towmship’s promise and aspiration as, “In Clearview you can live your best life.” Mayor Ken Ferguson was the first to comment, “I think they really listened to us and really helped us to understand who we are.” His satisfaction was seconded by the Deputy Mayor.
“I am so pleased with this,” said Alicia Savage who sited her past experience as a newspaper publisher as a qualifier for her understanding of visual communications and marketing. “I have never experienced anything so comprehensive and grass rootsbased and I think the outcome reflects the work that has been done.” She continued to comment about the diversity of the stakeholders, the level of engagement from the community as well as the excitement of the youth involved in the process and the future of their community, “This illustrates that we do know who we are. We have found our identity and it is an exciting time to be part of Clearview.” Measures was the next to speak to the presentation. “I am not happy with this process or this outcome.” He voiced concerns not only about the look of the logo but technical application of the colours and the cost to apply the new look. He said he did not approve of the method which, according to the report before Council is now in its sixth month, has included (See “Visual” on page 3)
A NEW LOOK -
The Clearview Economic Development Committee recommends the Township go ahead with the logo illustrated above. What do you think? Send your thoughts to kristi@creemore.com.
If farm land pays, farm land stays in melancthon
Top Bot - The Cybergnomes won first prize in the Regional robotics competition in Calgary last weekend. Now they head to St. Louis for the Worlds on April 24 and 25. Google their website and make a donation to help fund their championship trip.
By Sara Hershoff Thousands of acres of prime farmland in Melancthon Township – including land once slated for a mega-quarry – now owned by Bonneville Financial Inc. will continue to be farmed for decades to come, says company president Tom Eisenhauer. But, he adds, the only way to ensure preservation of agricultural land is for farming to be profitable. “For so long we have looked at farming through a social policy lens but if we really want to protect our farms and the land the best way to do it is make sure farmers make money,” Eisenhauer told a crowd of 200 concerned citizens, who braved blowing snow and road closures last Saturday to attend a Food and Water First meeting sponsored by NDACT at the Shelburne arena.
Eisenhauer established Bonnefield in 2009 to provide low-risk, long-term investments in the form of Canadian farmland to Canadian citizens and investment groups with a minimum of $150,000 to buy in. With stable lease income, returns driven by trends such as global population growth, land and water scarcity, climate change, changing diets worldwide, as well as an expected increase in property values over the next 20 years, Bonnefield expects the $320 million dollars it has invested to date in more than 40,000 acres across the nation will pay off for his company, investors and for rural communities like Melancthon. The Bonnefield President assured his audience that he recognizes community concerns around property flipping, mineral rights, windpower, future quarry
development and the land remaining productive as farmland forever. Regarding the issues surrounding wind he said Bonnefield has no intention of entering into new agreements, but will honour any existing agreements on their lands. As far as signing over mineral rights and flipping of the property, he said that neither of these are part of Bonnefield’s strategy, and therefore are unlikely to happen while he is managing the investment. According to its website the firm aims to keep land for agricultural use by leasing it “to successful, growthoriented Canadian farm operators” thus helping to reduce mortgage debt, improve cash flow, finance expansion, and facilitate succession planning. The (See “Mega Quarry” on page 3)
Taking care of buyers and sellers in Mulmur and the Creemore hills for 38 years
RCR Realty. Brokerage
Ginny MacEachern
(705)
444-1414 10230 Highway 26 East, Collingwood E-mail info@collingwood.toyota.ca
B.A., Broker
The Town & Country Agent with the City Connections 1-800-360-5821• 705-466-2607 • maceachern.ginny@gmail.com www.ginnymaceachern.com