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SIU ends investigation into crash in Mapleton By Advertiser staff
Skills team - Maryborough Public School’s Skills Canada VEX Robotics team took first place in the provincial competition on May 6 at the Toronto Congress Centre. Team members are, from left: Porter Coverdale, Alex Schuetz, Owen Deal and Phoenix Flynn. Coaches were Andrew Rogers and Lori Albrecht. Submitted photo
MISSISSAUGA – The province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has terminated an investigation into a February crash in Mapleton, finding a Wellington County OPP officer did not cause or contribute to the collision. On Feb. 25 at about 11:20pm an OPP officer observed a “vehicle of interest� travelling along Highway 86. “Without activating the OPP vehicle’s emergency lighting, the officer began to follow the Mazda,� states a press release from the SIU. At the intersection of Highway 86 and Sideroad 15, southwest of Conestogo
Lake, the Mazda slowed down, “resulting in the police cruiser hitting it from behind,� states the SIU. The Mazda turned onto Sideroad 15 and the officer activated his emergency lights, “but he was immediately ordered by the communications centre to discontinue any efforts to stop the vehicle.� Driver ‘lost control’ A short time later, according to the SIU, the driver of the Mazda “lost control of the vehicle, travelled onto the north ditch, rolled and struck a utility pole.� The male driver, aged 25, fled on foot but was later arrested and transported to a
local hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion. SIU interim Joseph Martino found that “the officer had terminated his pursuit of the vehicle several minutes and about four kilometres before the man lost control and smashed into a hydro pole, resulting in the concussion that was subsequently diagnosed at hospital.� Therefore, Martino concluded, “it cannot be said that the officer caused or contributed to the collision in any fashion that might attract criminal liability. Accordingly, the investigation is hereby discontinued and the file closed.�
After-school child care program Politicians ponder proliferation of proclamations By Patrick Raftis coming to Minto-Clifford school By Patrick Raftis MINTO – A municipal after-school child care program launched at Palmerston Public School in 2018 will be extended to Minto-Clifford Public School next fall. In a report at the May 7 council meeting, recreation services manager Matt Lubbers explained the Town of Minto began running an after-school program at the Palmerston school in September of 2018. As part of a phasedin approach, an RFP to start a similar program in
September 2019 at MintoClifford Public School was submitted in February to the Upper Grand District School Board and the town was notified in April the proposal was approved. “We are in a position to run programs concurrently at both schools this fall,� Lubbers stated in the report. The next step is for the town to enter into an agreement with the school board and then into a purchase agreement for a fee subsidy with the County of Wellington specific to MintoClifford Public School.
Council authorized the signing of an agreement with the board regarding the operation of the program at Minto-Clifford. The existing agreement for Palmerston Public School contains a renewal clause for a three-year term with both the town and board being able to opt out at the end of any school year, so long as 90 days’ notice is given to the other party. As the program provider, the town will be responsible for ensuring at least two adults are on the premises at SEE AFTER-SCHOOL  2
MINTO – A proliferation of proclamations has led one Minto council member to make a proclamation of her own. “We’re going to wear out the flagpole with flying everybody else’s flag,� said councillor Judy Dirksen after Mayor George Bridge suggested on May 7 that council consider making proclamations in support of National Public Works Week (May 19 to 25) and National Fitness Day (June 1). Council received requests for support of the former from the Ontario Chapter of the Canadian Public Works
Association and the latter from Senator Rob Black of Centre Wellington. Dirksen stressed she has no issue with either proclamation request, but noted, “there seems to be a flurry of them. “Once we start supporting them when do we not support them?� Dirksen wondered. “I almost feel like I just want to support any of them. There might be at some point some that we maybe don’t want to support,� Dirksen added. Mayor George Bridge pointed out town staff is currently working on a report regarding such proclamation requests.
He also noted, “There’s going to be ones that we’re going to have a debate and we’re not probably going to support.� “So when it comes time to say no, you say no,� commented councillor Ron Elliott. Dirksen suggested use of the administration centre flagpole to fly flags for various organizations needed to be part of the discussion. “There’s a little bit more to it than the proclamation,� agreed Bridge. Council approved a motion have staff bring forward resolutions regarding the two proclamations for consideration.
Minto agrees to participate in county quest for ‘efficiencies’ MINTO – Town council has officially endorsed a plan to work with other Wellington County municipalities to find operational efficiencies. Council passed a resolution on May 7 to join the County of Wellington and other member municipalities to engage a consultant for the preparation of a municipal services review. Wellington County municipalities are among 405 across the province to benefit from a $200-million pool of one-time funding called the Provincial Modernization Grant, announced March 21,
to help improve local service delivery. Wellington County will receive $725,000, while Centre Wellington will receive $618,175, Wellington North $618,175, Guelph-Eramosa $613,775, Erin $602,673, Minto $591,214, Mapleton $581,800 and Puslinch $569,599. The county will contribute $175,000 toward hiring the consultant and each member municipality will contribute $25,000. “When we got this grant the CAOs in the county started to meet, and from what I gather it’s one of the first times the CAOs have worked corroboratively this way,� said acting CAO/Fire Chief
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Chris Harrow. “The P rov i n ci al Moder nization Grant was given to us no strings attached ‌ but, in capital letters, in the actual grant verbiage, they really stated that they would really appreciate, or encourage, municipalities to use this money to look for efficiencies, shared services or things that they can do internally or externally with other municipalities,â€? Harrow added. He said the consultant would be directed “to start looking at what are the efficiencies that we as the municipalities and the county can do together ‌ as we call it, low hanging fruit that we can
pluck off and maybe do some things quickly together to realize benefits and save us some money.� The rest of the grant money, Harrow explained, will be put into reserves for the implementation of efficiencies in the future. ‘Responsible’ use “So on the surface I think this is a good idea,� said councillor Judy Dirksen, who noted she was initially concerned when she heard the funds came with “no strings attached. “I think this is a responsible way to use that money,� she stated. However, Dirksen expressed concern the con-
WEEKLY WAG
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By Patrick Raftis
“Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?� - George Carlin
sultant would be steered toward finding “low-hanging fruit. “My only concerns is a consultant is a consultant, so if they have a bent this way then that may be the suggestion,� said Dirksen. “I hope that they come up with a lot of ideas, some that are really easy, low-hanging fruit and some that are piein-the-sky, might-never-manage-it ideas as well.� “As CAOs we’re going to give them carte blanche. We want them to look at all the services,� said Harrow, adding the only services the consultant won’t study are those county municipalities already collaborate on, such
as solid waste or social housing. Ideas such as shared management of county fire departments, plowing roads across municipal boundaries or shared IT services are among the efficiencies a consultant might recommend, said Harrow. “I think it’s kind of unique that all eight ‌ are going to work together on this, and having an outsider help us, I think having an extra outside eye might be really good,â€? said deputy mayor Dave Turton. “But it’s almost like regional government,â€? he added. “And we likely should be careful what we wish for.â€?
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