THE
SERVING THE MAPLETON COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY NEWS Volume 48 Issue 45
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 1.85% 3 Year GIC - 2.19% 5 Year GIC - 2.35% Daily Interest 1.00%
638-3328
Friday, November 6, 2015
www.jackfinancial.ca
Township insurance premium up 2% due to additional property coverage
Enchanted PD day - Children from Kindergarten to Grade 6 gathered at the Drayton library on Oct. 30 for an Enchanted Ball. Participants were invited to come dressed as their favourite characters. After decorating a pumpkin and reading enchanted stories, the children enjoyed the new Cinderella movie during the event, held during a school professional development day. photo by Caroline Sealey
by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - The township will pay an additional two per cent in insurance premiums next year. However, insurance providers stress the extra charges are to cover additional property, not a rate increase. The township is carrying additional “builders risk� coverage for construction of a new maintenance centre for a little over $5 million, plus increased property value in the form of new graders. Property values have also been increased to reflect inflationary trends. “Your premium is up just over two per cent and majority of that is increased property,� Steve Smith, regional manger
for the Frank Cowan Company, told Mapleton council on Oct. 27. Smith said council could consider additional options being offered, including accident coverage for councillors or board members injured while not on duty. “Some of the municipalities are looking at that because council is not under WSIB,� explained Smith. He noted he policy contains few changes from last year and he pointed out the township had “an extremely good year on liability side, not much in the way of claims.� Smith attributed the low claims totals to “good manage-
ment� on the part of the township staff and council “and a little bit of luck.� He also noted the province still has not acted on requests from the insurance industry and municipalities to alter joint and several liability provisions, under which municipalities are often compelled to pay the lion’s share of large insurance settlements despite being found only marginally responsible. “We’re still hoping for some change on that,� said Smith. Council approved a motion to accept the renewal at a premium of $198,998 for 2016. The 2015 premium was $194,592.
Kumpville drive residents told mud flooding concerns not municipal issue by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Township council has determined it can’t help residents of Kumpville Drive with mud flooding their properties from a neighbouring farm. In September, Kumpville Drive residents Kathy Pehlke and Roger Hartung told council topsoil erosion regularly washes down the hill from a farm behind their property, filling ditches and culverts, washing out the road and flooding basements and garages. Residents have had the ditches dug out at their own expense, only to have them fill back in. Pehlke said the residents were told the concern didn’t meet the township’s requirements for a prop-
erty standards complaint, but council requested the bylaw enforcement officer investigate the situation. At the Oct. 27 meeting, council received a report from chief building official Patty Wright stating the position of the building and bylaw/property standards department is that the situation is a civil matter between landowners. The report states the township’s bylaw regarding property standards “is not relevant to this situation,� as it refers to surface drainage of yards. “The definition of a yard is not applicable to this situation as the property is farmland under cultivation; it is not a yard or vacant land,� the report explains.
At the same meeting, Pehlke said the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) advised her the owner of the farmland is in the process of applying for grants for planting trees on the property to help halt the soil erosion. “Next spring grasses will be grown and trees will be planted that will eventually stop the erosion, or at least slow it down,� said Pehlke. However, she expressed concern the landowner might not follow through and re-iterated her request that council send a letter to the landowner. “All we really ask of council is to send the landowner a letter saying there was a complaint,� Pehlke said. She also disputed the con-
tention the matter is not a property standards issue. “This is a farming township. Except for Drayton, Rothsay and Moorefield every residence abuts farmland. Are you saying the bylaw doesn’t apply to all property in the township?â€? she asked. “We’ve become the little community that’s forgotten.â€? Wright said, “Unfortunately we’re tied by the legislation that we have available to enforce. The response is based on our property standards bylaw ‌ this is a civil matter between landowners and I don’t’ feel there’s any jurisdiction that’s in place to allow us to get in the middle.â€? Wright’s written report notes the position is supported
by the township’s solicitor. “Further action is not required nor recommended,â€? the report states. Pehlke pointed out the property standards bylaw in nearby Perth East refers to residential, non-residential and farmland. “So if we lived in Perth East it would not be an issue.â€? Councillor Michael Martin wondered if the problem arises because of the way the bylaw defines the term “yardâ€?? “This is farmland; nothing has changed on this land, there’s been no change in grades, they’ve done nothing ‌ it’s not vacant land, its under cultivation,â€? replied Wright. “A yard is something that’s under a plan of subdivision, or a yard-grading plan
that if you’ve altered that,â€? property standards could come into play. “There’s nothing the landowner has done to create the situation. This is nature.â€? Councillor Marlene Ottens said, “I really feel the frustration here. I combed the bylaw looking for something ‌ I hesitate to try to change anything to include farmland.â€? Ottens added, “I think problem here is owner doesn’t understand that they are losing their topsoil. Is it appropriate for someone from council to make a visit in person to try and explain this? Given we’ve had heavy rains and that seems to be, with the climate, the new normal now, she needs a lesson Continued on page 3
Chinese food safety delegation visits Mapleton facilities during Canadian tour by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - A delegation of top Chinese food safety officials visited the area last week as part of a fact-finding mission. The delegation included about two dozen senior representatives from major food safety organizations in China, including Yujia Li, inspector general of the China Food and Drug Administration’s Department of Food Safety Supervision. The group has been in Canada since Oct. 25 and has spent time learning about food sciences technology at the University of Guelph. On Oct. 28, the delegates enjoyed lunch at Mapleton’s Organic Dairy, before touring Bionpower, an Elmira biogas facility owned by a group of shareholders including Mapleton poultry producer Buck Ross. The day, which
also included a tour of Drayton Food Market, concluded with a “farmer’s supper� at Ross Enterprises’ facility in Mapleton Township. The event was hosted by Ross Enterprises Ltd., along with Wellington-Waterloo Community Futures and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in conjunction with the County of Wellington Economic Development Department, Mapleton Township and TasteReal Guelph-Wellington. The Canadian trip was arranged through the Bond Education Group, which is certified by the Chinese government to bring over delegates and connect them with other organizations in Canada in order to share best practices in various fields. Paul Preikschas, a project coordinator with the company, said the delegates were all
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Food safety - Mapleton Mayor Neil Driscoll speak through an interpreter with Yujia Li, right, inspector general of the China Food and Drug Administration’s Department of Food Safety Supervision. About 24 Chinese food safety officials attended a “farmers supper� held at local poultry producer Buck Ross’ Mapleton facility on Oct. 28. photo by Patrick Raftis senior officials with the China Food and Drug Administration, mostly from Beijing but some from the outer provinces
as well. Preikschas said the group’s focus was learning about Canadian food safety best practices and they came
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to this area for a number of reasons. “One of our partners within the food safety area of course is the University of Guelph, a Canadian research institution in food safety,� said Preikschas. “Keeping it within the area, we wanted to expand out and get to some of the small providers of food services so they can actually see, at a local level, how food safety is initiated.� Ross pointed out the trip was initiated by the Chinese government. “This delegation’s here on their own initiative. They wanted to come to Canada. They are paying their own way to come and learn about the products that we have,� said Ross. Preikschas added members of the Chinese delegation “are very inquisitive, they are getting a lot of information and asking a lot of questions so they are definitely seeing
things that they’re taking back with them.� Through an interpreter, Li told the Community News the delegation “needs to learn a lot from here because we have a larger population in China and farmers already have very strict regulations - but now but we’re going to bring what we learn here and apply it in China.� Li also said, “We’re pretty impressed with the size of the food market that we went to and we’re pretty impressed with the environment inside it as well. In China we also have grocery stores in rural areas, but compared to the size here the Chinese markets are much, much smaller; so we hope we can improve that way in the future as well.� While the delegation was not on a trade mission per se, both Preikschas and Ross feel such exchanges are part of the Continued on page 6
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