THE
SERVING THE MAPLETON COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY NEWS Volume 49 Issue 21
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 1.82% 3 Year GIC - 2.00% 5 Year GIC - 2.40% Daily Interest 1.00%
638-3328
Friday, May 27, 2016
www.jackfinancial.ca
Community groups encouraged to take active role in Canada Day celebrations by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – Municipal officials here are hoping community organizations take a more active role in planning and implementing local Canada Day celebrations. The township has traditionally taken a lead role in what has been for many years an impressive July 1 party. At the May 10 meeting, economic development coordinator Jaclyn Dingwall said the township’s economic development committee recently agreed to propose additional involvement of community groups.
“It’s an excellent opportunity for fundraising for these groups,â€? said Dingwall. “The township needs to act as a facilitator and overall resource, rather than the actual coordinator of the events.â€? “I think it’s a great idea that came out of economic development,â€? said Mayor Neil Driscoll. “Yes, we want to have this event. Yes, we want it to grow. But we really need our service clubs to step up and coordinate it.â€? “So theoretically ‌ if the service clubs aren’t interested, then Canada Day basically disappears for Mapleton?â€? asked
councillor Michael Martin. Councillor Lori Woodham, a member of the economic development committee, said the idea wasn’t to put pressure on the groups. “Our intent is to allow them an opportunity for fundraising. They can provide the food or whatever. I believe it’s going to be an excellent opportunity for our community groups.� Driscoll added, “For this year our hope is a lot of this will run through Jaclyn as far as knowing what’s going on in the community, but we’re looking for the service groups to really run an event.�
Council ponders proposal to build horse and buggy barn within hamlet
Safe Kids Day held at PMD arena May 18 Safe Kids Day - ABOVE: Alma Public School Grade 1 student Charlie Bolger helps paramedics Brayden Stevens, back, and Ben Halyk demonstrate lifting a patient into an ambulance. The group toured the ambulance and enjoyed turning on the flashing lights. Students in Grades 1 and 4 participated in Safe Kids Day at the PMD arena on May 18. Exhibitors on hand included emergency responders, fire, electrical, road and bicycle safety. LEFT: Alma Public School Grade 4 student Rachel Pegg practices her hand signals during the bicycle rodeo, which she said was her favorite part of the event. photos by Caroline Sealey
by Patrick Raftis YATTON - Mapleton council will consider a zoning amendment to allow a small horse and buggy barn within the hamlet boundary here. The applicant, Lloyd Brubacher, is proposing to construct a 600 square foot barn to house a horse and buggy, which is used as his family’s main mode of transportation. The rezoning is required to allow a barn as a permitted use, address MDS II setbacks and lot coverage and height requirements. “At this time staff has no concerns with this proposal for the barn structure,� states a report presented by Wellington
Dismantling of homemade skate park still a mystery by Caroline Sealey DRAYTON - The mysterious disassembly of a homemade skate park remains unexplained, weeks after it occurred. Several local residents report they recently saw two men with a trailer taking apart the structure, which had been setup in a cul de sac in the Drayton Heights subdivision. When the men were asked what they were doing, residents say the men claimed they were hired by the township to remove the skate park. Maple Street resident Linda Dietrich said that on April 18 or 19 she saw a red truck with a flatbed trailer at the location. She said she could not see a logo on the truck - if there was one because of how it was parked in. The men with the truck
Skatepark mystery - Mapleton Mayor Neil Driscoll says township staff was not responsible for dismantling a make-shift skate park in Drayton. photo by Caroline Sealey told her and a group of people gathered at the site that the township had authorized the men to clean up the skate park. The men took some lumber away, but much of it was left by the road. Dietrich, who went back in her house assuming the township was taking it down, added that on May 4 or 5 the remainder of the park was
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demolished but nothing was taken away. A neighbour told her someone in a red truck (no trailer) had been back. Township officials say they were not involved in the dismantling of the park. However, the municipality has fenced the area off and will be removing the remainder of the lumber. “The site has to be cleaned
up by Mapleton staff as it is a danger to the community and someone could get hurt,� said Mayor Neil Driscoll. He added, “The council is disappointed that anybody would do this destruction and blame council for it.� Driscoll is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact him directly.
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County senior planner Linda Redmond at a May 10 public meeting. “With respect to the location as it relates to the MDS II requirements, there does not appear to be alternative locations for the structure and there are no reasonable alternative building sites for the proposed barn. “With respect to the impact, with the exception of the adjacent rural residential properties, the subject land is surrounded by large farm uses with existing livestock facilities.� The report states the application generally maintains the intent and purpose of the Official Plan and zoning bylaw
as the lands are located within an agricultural area. Redmond told council the current zoning, unserviced residential, does not permit any type of livestock. “Normally in hamlet area MDS doesn’t come into play,� she explained, adding council would have to “apply the hobby barn use to the criteria even though it is not permitted, the lot size does not accommodate it and MDS cannot be met with adjacent houses.� Councillor Michael Martin asked if any thought had been given to using an existing shed on the property, located at 7291 Third Line, to house the horses. Continued on page 2
CBO not worried about slow quarter for building activity to begin 2016 by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - While the value of building activity in the township is down from last year, chief building official Patty Wright says figures are in line with an average year. A report presented by Wright at the May 10 Mapleton council meeting indicates 35 permits were issued in April, for construction valued at nearly $3.9 million, generating fees of $28,738. In April 2015, 45 permits were issued for just over $8 million worth of construction, with the township collecting almost $75,000 in fees. So far in 2016, 94 permits have been issued for construction valued at just under $9.7
million, generating fees of $74,468. While the number of permits issued during the first four months in 2015 was the same, construction to that point was valued at more than $25 million, resulting in fees of $129,566. However, the report shows that from January to April in 2014, only 59 permits were issued for construction worth slightly less than $9 million, generating about $70,000 in fees. “The numbers are pretty well clear we had a decent month. It falls right within the norm of what you’d expect this time of year with the weather,� Continued on page 8
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