THE
SERVING THE MAPLETON COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY NEWS Volume 49 Issue 17
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 1.82% 3 Year GIC - 2.00% 5 Year GIC - 2.40% Daily Interest 1.00%
638-3328
Friday, April 29, 2016
www.jackfinancial.ca
Council seeks assurance neighbours won’t object to shop expansion plan by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Council here will attempt to determine if neighbouring residents have any objections based on noise concerns before considering a draft zoning amendment to allow a shop expansion and metal fabricating operation on a Sixth Line property. Owner Derryl Frey, through Frey Assets Group, applied for the amendment to permit a shop expansion and office addition and to add additional metal manufacturing uses on the 3.76-acre property located in a prime agricultural zone. The current site-specific zoning permits a stove manufacturing shop with a maximum ground floor area of 1,100 square metres (11,905 square feet). The applicants propose to expand the shop’s ground floor area by 789.7m2 (8,500sqft) and construct a 111.5m2 (1,200sqft) office addition. “I don’t have any concerns with adding the sale and fabrication of metal products to the permitted uses,� stated Wellington County manager of planning and environment Mark Van Patter at an April 12 public meeting on the amendment. Van Patter noted the metal fabrication use was permitted dating back to 1991, but the use was omitted “for some reason� when the zoning bylaw was updated in 2000. “We understand Mr. Frey’s been doing this all along since
Garden Party - The annual Community Christian School Garden Party, Bazaar and Auction was held on April 23 at the PMD Arena Complex. The event featured baked goods, games, crafts and a lunch counter. A lasagna dinner and live auction were held in the evening. ABOVE: From left, Kiersten Vandenberg Victoria Smith and Stephanie Mohle got dressed up for a session at the photo booth. RIGHT: Bert Wikkerink of Elmira volunteered his time and candy floss maker for the fundraiser. Admission was a donation to the local food bank or the school. photos by Caroline Sealey
1991, along with the stove manufacturing,� said Van Patter. He explained that, as most of the metal trim is for agricultural buildings, the use could be considered agricultural-related as allowed under the provincial policy statement. While the county official plan permits only ‘small scale� agriculturalrelated uses, provincial policy does not require the “smallscale� condition. Van Patter said the official plan has yet to be brought into line with provincial policy. “So the question in my mind is whether or not this can be considered small scale and I think Mapleton council has the discretion to interpret that,� Van Patter stated. He pointed out that one neighbour, Lippert Frey, “seems pretty close,� to the proposed expansion. “That could be a concern
but it may not be either – council could ask for a noise study if they felt there were concerns,� said Van Patter. “Council should be comfortable that they are not creating an increased nuisance to the neighbour that is nearby - 150 feet.� Derryl Frey said his father began operating a business as a heating contractor on the property in 1974 and later added metal fabricating to the operation. He said the business operates from 7:30am until 5pm Monday to Friday. “On evenings and Saturdays we typically don’t have much going on,� Frey added. On average, he said, daily traffic generated by the business includes one or two heavy trucks and five to 10 lighter trucks. “I guess our feeling as far as noise impact to the residence next door is we try to have the Continued on page 3
New rural health centre set to open on May 4 PALMERSTON - The new Minto Rural Health Centre is ready to open for business. The 11,000-square-foot medical arts building located on the Palmerston and District Hospital property will be officially opened on May 4. Tenants include the Palmerston and District Hospital Foundation, family physicians, the local fam-
ily health team, the Canadian Mental Health Association, St. Elizabeth’s Wound Clinic and Community Care Access Centre staff. Plans for the $3-million facility were announced on July 18, 2014 and ground was broken on April 28, 2015. Members of the public are invited to attend the clinic’s grand opening at 10:30am.
Farm and Home Safety Association hosts Children’s Safety Day near Alma by Mike Robinson ALMA - The Wellington County Farm and Home Safety Association (FHSA) held a Children’s Safety Day on April 23 at Farfield Farms south of Alma. Continuing a 30-year tradition, the organization offered opportunities for young people to learn about safety as it applies to hearing, shops, power take offs (PTOs), tractors, fire, large animals and, new this year, guns. Guelph-Eramosa councillor and local FHSA president David Wolk said the association typically hosts two farm safety days per year. “We try to hold them in farm locations and cover off a number of farm and home safety features from workshop safety to lawn mowers and tractors,� said Wolk. Plus, he added, there is generally Wellington County OPP representation at the events.
“This year, we’ve added a new feature, gun safety, something which seems to be long overdue,� said Wolk. He added organization members are always delighted with the turnout, noting, “We get a lot of quite young children, perhaps not as many teenagers as we would like, and a good cross section of adults.� Wolk said by virtue of Wellington County’s location, “we do tend to get a good turnout from the Mennonite community. “But this is not put on exclusively for that reason.� He noted that, increasingly, rural areas are becoming home to people moving out from urban centres. “Often we will have people who have moved onto a small holding - less than 10 acres - but suddenly they are using a bigger mower for the lawn, possibly a chainsaw,� said Wolk.
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He explained chainsaws are a topic that deserves more attention. “You have to take a course to buy a gun, but you don’t have to do anything but go to the hardware store to buy a chainsaw - which on its own can be every bit as lethal as a gun,� said Wolk. He said colleagues have suggested to him that “if chainsaws were not invented when they were, many years ago they would be illegal today.� Wolk concluded, “We think events such as this are important and agriculture is the largest business in Ontario and the farm community is very important to us.� Association spokesman Walter Grose earlier commented that if the day can save one life, it is worth it. “We like to teach the children because then they also keep their parents safe,� he said.
Bin Safety - Helen Broadfoot, left, of the Wellington County Farm and Home Safety Association discussed grain bin safety with participants in the association’s Children’s Safety Day on April 23 at Farfield Farms near Alma. photos by MIke Robinson
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