SERVING MAPLETON AND MINTO
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COMMUNITY NEWS VOLUME 52 ISSUE 43
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Nater re-elected in Perth-Wellington By Patrick Raftis and Mike Robinson
Pumpkin painting - Hailey Anderl paints a pumpkin at the 2019 Harvest Festival at the Maryborough Community Centre in Moorefield on Oct. 19. Photo by Jennifer Goertzen Additional photo on page 8.
PERTH-WELLINGTON – Incumbent Conservative MP John Nater handily won this riding in the Oct. 21 election, taking 46.5 per cent of the vote. Prime Nation-wide, Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party held on to government, reduced from majority to minority status. The Liberals captured 157 seats, compared to 121 for the Conservatives, 32 for the Bloc Quebecois, 24 for the New Democrats, three for the Green Party. One independent, former Liberal cabinet minster Jody WilsonRaybould, earned a seat in the new Parliament. Nater, who was first elected in 2015, received 25,504 votes, compared to 14,827 (27%) for Liberal candidate Pirie Mitchell, 8,081 (14.7%) for NDP candidate Geoff Krauter, 4,882 (8.9%) for the Green Party’s Collan Simmons, 894 (1.6%) for Roger Fuhr of the People’s Party of Canada and 733 (1.3%) for Irma DeVries of the Christian Heritage Party. “Locally I’m quite honoured and humbled to have been re-elected with an increased margin of the vote percentage,” said Nater in an Oct. 22 telephone interview. “I hope it’s a reflection on some of the hard work
Nater wins riding - Newly re-elected Perth-Wellington MP John Nater addressed supporters at the Mitchell Golf and Country Club on election night, Oct. 21. Submitted photo I’ve put in over the last four years. I’ve tried to be as accessible as possible, to attend as many community events as possible, to listen to people’s concerns and try my best to take action when I could.” Nater said the minority government result is “reflective of the viewpoint” of Canadians. “The voters are always right and certainly they made a decision and now it’s incumbent on us as political parties and politicians to try to make this work,” he said. “Canadians elected a minority parliament and I think they expect us to do our best to make it work so
it’s going to mean compromise. Its going to mean both government and opposition trying to do our best to put a little bit of water in our wine and try and work on an outcome that’s in the best interest of all Canadians.” infrastructure, Rural rural broadband and affordability issues will be key priorities for the upcoming term, the MP noted. NDP candidate Geoffrey Krauter considered his first election campaign “a real eye opening experience.” “I was struck by how many people were open to a different conversation about climate change and I saw first hand the effects of
precarious housing,” said Krauter. He explained he met people struggling to make rent payments and living in lessthan-ideal conditions as a result of earning minimum wage or struggling with medical costs, which “really illustrated the message the NDP was bringing to the doorstep.” Green Party candidate Collan Simmons believes a minority parliament will force the Liberal government to accommodate the priorities of the other parties. “We ran a strong campaign with the resources we had available,” Simmons stated. “Our showing is the best the Green Party has ever had in this riding” – almost 5,000 votes and 8.9% of the vote versus the party’s national average of 6.5%. Simmons added, “Climate change will need to be addressed with measures that will actually decreases our emissions.” He also expressed a need to institute electoral reform “to make our system more accurately reflect the votes cast.” The Community News was unable to reach Liberal candidate Pirie Mitchell by deadline on Oct. 22. For a more detailed article and for more election coverage see the Wellington Advertiser or visit www.wellingtonadvertiser.com.
Town to apply for ICIP funding to expand Palmerston arena MINTO – The Town of Minto will apply for funding to assist with a $2 million renovation proposal for the Palmerston arena through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The ICIP shares costs between the federal government, provinces, municipalities and other recipients, providing up to 73 per cent grant funding for approved projects. The program will involve spending of $30 billion in combined federal, provincial and other partner funding, under four priority areas, including community, culture and recreation. With the deadline for this application on Nov. 12, Minto’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) discussed potential projects at the Sept. 30 meeting, including:
- a new multi-purpose facility on a site to be determined; - major renovation and expansion of the Palmerston and District Community Centre; and - new seats and interior renovations for the Harriston Town Hall Theatre. PRAC passed a motion endorsing both the new facility and the Palmerston arena expansion. At the Oct. 15 council meeting, a staff report from acting CAO Chris Harrow and recreation services manager Matt Lubbers, in a report on the town’s Recreation, Culture and Facilities Master Plan initiative, provided cost estimates and additional potential projects for town council to consider under the Rehabilitation and Renovation stream of the grant program: - Palmerston arena reno-
vations (dressing rooms, ball field, site development) $2,000,000; - former Harriston trailer park property re-design and upgrade (landscape plan, repurposing of open space and flood reduction) $500,000; - Clifford Rotary Park refurbishment (parking lot upgrades, tree planting, buffering) $250,000; and - Harriston Town Hall Theatre upgrades (seating replacement and interior renovations) $100,000. The report indicates the town’s recreation master planning process hasn’t reached the point where an application for a new multipurpose facility is likely to be successful. “Staff is aware members of council, various committees, stakeholders and ratepayers believe the town should apply for a new arena and community cen-
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ter under the multi-purpose stream. This new facility would replace the three arenas. The main concern is that this project is not currently identified as a ‘priority lifecycle activity’ in the town’s asset management plan. This would almost certainly eliminate this project from consideration in this (ICIP) intake, particularly with the application due by Nov. 12,” the report states. The report states the business case for such a project would be much stronger once the master plan is finished. “The master plan will make it clear the size such a facility might be (one, two or more ice pads), its best location and other elements in the project (curling, cultural facilities etc.).” Having the project considered through the master plan public process will build a better case for a future intake
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By Patrick Raftis
“I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.” - Lily Tomlin
of the ICIP grant program, the report suggests. While there is no guarantee of future intakes, the report points out the program is designed over 10 years with the first intake set for 2019-20. Harrow told council the current intake marks the first time since 2006 there has been grant funding available for recreation and cultural projects. “It’s going to be very competitive,” he pointed out. Lubbers explained the committee felt the fact replacement of arenas is not currently a top priority in the town’s asset management plan could hinder an application for a new facility. “Our arenas aren’t brand new, but they aren’t dilapidated either,” said Lubbers. However Lubbers noted the increasing number of minor hockey teams playing “half-ice” hockey puts more
pressure on facilities, with more dressing rooms needed to accommodate games and tournaments. “Just from the minor hockey perspective, next year they’re looking at the Atoms going to half ice as well. That’s just another age group and that’s more dressing rooms,” said councillor Geoff Gunson. Mayor George Bridge expressed concern applying for a major Palmerston arena renovation could impact future efforts to secure funding for a new multi-purpose facility, if that ends up being the direction indicated by the master plan. “I wonder if you don’t go with one of the smaller ones this time around and get a little bit of money,” said Bridge, adding “and the other one I thought would have been the theatre, because it makes SEE FUNDING » 2
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