SERVING MAPLETON AND MINTO
THE
COMMUNITY NEWS VOLUME 52 ISSUE 09
1 Year GIC - 2.85% 3 Year GIC - 3.10% 5 Year GIC - 3.50% Daily Interest 1.50%
638-3328
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
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Minto draft capital budget projected at $6.8 million Exploratory work on splash pad for Harriston pool among proposals By Patrick Raftis MINTO – Improvements to roads, trails, parks and pools are all part of a proposed 2019 Town of Minto budget that includes $6.8 million in capital spending this year. Acting CAO Chris Harrow and acting clerk/treasurer Gordon Duff led a staff presentation of the draft capital budget to council on Feb. 19. Staff noted in the presentation the town spent over $39 million improving infrastructure between 2011 and 2018 and $30.2 million is identified in the current five-year plan through 2023. Harrow noted the $6.8 million budgeted for this year’s capital plan includes $2.3 million for reconstruction of the Minto-Normanby Townline although the town’s actual contribution is only $150,000. Both Minto and West Grey have received $1 million in upper tier funding and will contribute $150,000 each. The report also notes some
Shocking display – Larry Mullin, also known as Electric Larry, demonstrated common electrical hazards at the Wellington County Farm and Home Safety Association (WCFHSA) pancake breakfast on Feb. 23 at the Alma Community Centre. Mullin is an elementary school safety facilitator for Waterloo North Hydro. RIGHT: Safety Sam, aka Walter Grose, of the WCFHSA and Matthew Musselman show off the grain entrapment display. Additional photo on page 8. Photos by Phil Gravelle
projects are actually on hold due to lack of grant funding. These include a reconstruction project on the 12th Line, work on the Brunswick Street Bridge in Palmerston and the Palmerston Industrial Park lift station. Capital spending could be further reduced if additional cuts to the town’s allotment of Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) dollars are incurred. The Ontario government has announced that OMPF is among the programs being looked at in review of the province’s finances. In a telephone interview, Harrow said Minto is more dependent on OMPF for operational funding than for capital projects, but “there would be some things in the capital budget that won’t get done,” if the funding is cut. “We think that we’re frozen this year but, reading the fine print, we’re not convinced of that. There could be cuts to us,” said Harrow. “We’re hoping that there’s
more information in the provincial budget come March.” The town received about $1.6 million in OMPF funding in 2018, The report also notes a recent spike in interest in industrial park land will increase the demand for capital work in the existing park as well as possible need for expansion. “Discussion will need to take place on dividing our efforts between future expansions and funding existing infrastructure projects,” states the report. “It’s going to be one of the toughest decisions, actually multiple decisions, that council’s going to have to make in this term. How much do you divide your capital funds between fixing and advancing existing infrastructure and how much do you put towards expansion of industrial parks and urban boundaries and stuff like that? It’s a real fine line when you don’t have a ton of capital SEE CAPITAL » 3
County to host OPP Family Day in Palmerston on Sept. 2 By Patrick Raftis MINTO – The community of Palmerston will be the scene of the 14th annual OPP Family Day next fall. Wellington County Ward 1 councillor Dave Anderson advised Minto council of plans for the event during an update on county activities on Feb. 19.
Family Day has been an OPP Labour Day tradition since 2006. The event allows uniform and civilian members of the OPP’s West Region to bring their “home family” out to meet their “work family,” states a letter from the OPP to the Wellington County Police Services Board. This year OPP Family Day
will be hosted in Wellington County in partnership with OPP detachments from Huron, Perth, Grey, South Bruce and Bruce Peninsula. The event is taking place at the Palmerston fairgrounds on Sept. 2 from 10am to 3pm. “Many community partners including police, fire and paramedic services will be in attendance to showcase
their equipment and interact with the public, all in the spirit of ‘community,’” the letter explains. Over the last 13 years OPP Family Day has resulted in donations of over $35,000 to a variety of charities, including the Children’s Hospital of Western Ontario, Special Olympics and the Shop With A Cop program.
Charities benefitting from the 2019 event will be Camp Faces, which supports families of police officers involved in traumatic incidents and # I V E G O T YO U R BAC K 9 1 1 (I’ve got your back 911). The event, including a barbecue, is free, while funds are raised through raffles and donations. Anderson said the event is
similar in style to a “touch a truck” show. “You’ll be able to talk to a police officer and you’ll be able to see what they’re doing in the communities,” he explained. Safety initiative Anderson also reported on a Wellington County OPP community safety and wellSEE OPP FAMILY DAY » 3
Major windstorm shuts down roads, facilities around county WELLINGTON COUNTY – A winter wind storm blew around just enough snow to shut down roads throughout the county on Feb. 25. While snowfall accumulations were relatively light, five to 10 centimetres, winds gusting to over 100kmh reduced visibility to nil at times. The storm, which began
Sunday night, resulted in Wellington County and many lower tier municipality, including Mapleton and Minto, pulling plows from the roads. The county had shut down all roads in the county by 6:30am the following morning. The Upper Grand District School Board cancelled buses and instituted a system-wide shut down and all County
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of Wellington-operated facilities, including libraries, the museum, social services offices and child care centres, were also closed due to the weather. As well, several lower tier municipalities closed their administrative buildings. Roads were slowly opened up as the day went on, with some county roads not reopening until evening.
Roads closed - A Minto plow truck passes a Highway 89 road closure barrier at George and Arthur Streets in Harriston during a Feb. 25 storm. For much of the day all Wellington County roads were deemed closed by the OPP due to poor visiblity. Photo by Patrick Raftis
WEEKLY WAG
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By Patrick Raftis
“No one would have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in a storm.” - Charles Kettering
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