SERVING MAPLETON AND MINTO
THE
COMMUNITY NEWS
Drayton Remembers - Local students Alexis Skerritt and Lilly Sprague read In Flanders Fields at the Mapleton Remembrance Day service on Nov. 11 at the Drayton cenotaph. Portions of Main Street and Wellington Street (Wellington Road 11) were shut down for the parade. Photo by Aryn Strickland
Minto assists Mapleton on Master Fire Plan By Aryn Strickland MAPLETON - Fire chiefs Rick Richardson and Chris Harrow, of Mapleton and Minto respectively, presented Mapleton council with a joint fire plan established by the two departments on Oct. 22. The in-house fire master plan, a first for the Mapleton department, includes updates - most to take place within the next five years - in the following areas: administration and communication, public education, fire prevention, apparatus and equipment, training, fire suppression, health and wellness, shared services and IT and infrastructure. “The process is a very different one than you will see in the consultation-based one and other fire master plans you see out there,� Harrow told Mapleton council. The Minto fire department is no stranger to the in-house approach, having established master plans internally in 2012 and 2018. That’s one of the reasons Minto is assisting Mapleton with its fire master plan. “The way that we approach this is this is truly a plan that is collaboration between the firefighters and management and it brings forward that collaboration through the recommendations,� said Harrow. “A lot of the recommendations ... are specific in nature but that’s because that’s
what the firefighters ... truly believe in and ... with them and management working together, it’s a truly workable plan we believe.� Administration Among the Mapleton Fire Rescue changes listed under administration in the first two years are: reviewing/updating standard operating guides yearly to ensure they are current; - ensuring internal meetings include a structures agenda and records process; - either updating or creating a new standard operating guide to include more severe repercussions for firefighters that do not do truck checks or attend enough training; and - going through a rebranding process to ensure its identity better reflects the values of the department. Recommendations for years three to four include: - distributing minutes of officer meetings to firefighters to increase internal communication; and - investigating casual clothing options for firefighters and e-commerce distribution platforms. Fire prevention Changes outlined for the first four years include: - exploring partnerships with Mapleton businesses to increase fire prevention within downtown cores; and - possibly creating a task force to ensure proper preplan completion for all iden-
SHOWING NOVEMBER 15, 16 & 17
TERMINATOR: DARK FATE
RATED 14A
128 MINUTES
Friday & Saturday 8pm and Sunday 7pm
MAIN ST. W. PALMERSTON 519.343.3640 www.norgantheatre.com
Daily Interest 1.25%
638-3328
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019
tified buildings in Mapleton and coordinating walkthroughs of buildings requiring more than a one-station response from neighbouring departments. Apparatus and equipment The apparatus and equipment section of the plan includes the following changes to be implemented over the next five years or more: - allocating a portion of the budget to each station to use annually for updating and acquiring equipment; - creating an orientation program for new recruits to learn about equipment maintenance and inventory on all apparatus; - discontinuing the use of separate colours for each station and instead having one colour of bunker gear for all members; and - investigating the viability of purchasing off-road utility vehicles to enhance the fleet, such as motor boats, utility vehicles etc. Other changes include: - diversifying training instructors to better utilize knowledge within the department; - expanding the trainers list to include those with specialized knowledge on various subjects; - implementing an onscene smoking policy and an in-apparatus no-smoking policy; and - creating programs for spouses and kids to increase understanding of the job.
www.jackfinancial.ca
Remembrance in Minto - Minto Remembrance Day services were held in Palmerston and Harriston on Nov. 11 and in Clifford on Nov. 10. The Harriston Legion colour party led the march from Branch 296 to the cenotaph in Harriston. More Remembrance Day coverage on pages 3 and 8. Photo by Patrick Raftis
Council can’t act on request for permanent four-way stop By Patrick Raftis MINTO – Town council declined to act on a Clifford resident’s suggestion to create a permanent four-way stop at the south end of the village. Jim Measures, who lives at the corner of Highway 9 and Park Street in Clifford, wrote to council requesting that a temporary four-way stop at the corner, set up as a short-term effort to slow traffic during construction, be made permanent. In a letter received by
council at the Nov. 5 meeting, Measures cited several reasons, “all related to safety,� for the request. “It serves to slow down traffic passing through the village,� stated Measures. “Admittedly few cars actually come to a full stop, but almost 100 per cent of them slow down. We have on occasion seen cars going through Clifford as though the driver thought that he/she was on the 401 highway.� Measures also contends the stop allows safer left hand turns.
“We are particularly concerned that tanker trucks carrying liquefied natural gas daily make the turn from the Drew road to go up through Clifford,â€? he stated. “If a speeder should hit one of these, the resulting explosion could be devastating, not to mention possibly taking out our house, and perhaps us with it.â€? Measures also noted Park Street and Mill Street are part of a popular walking route used by many local residents and the four-way stop SEE REQUEST Âť 2
County agrees to extend 70km/h zone at eastern entrance to Palmerston By Patrick Raftis GUELPH – County council has agreed to an extension of the 70 kilometre per hour zone on Wellington Road 123 east of Palmerston. A staff report from engineer Don Kudo states a review determined the 50km/h speed limit sign should be relocated an additional 50 metres east from its current location, away from a cluster of signs. In addition, a TAC (Transportation Association of Canada) posted speed limit review was completed showing an extension of the existing 70km/h zone to a point
WEEKLY WAG
‘‘
VOLUME 52 ISSUE 46
1 Year GIC - 2.41% 3 Year GIC - 2.45% 5 Year GIC - 2.57%
“It’s easier to fool someone than to convince them they have been fooled.� - Mark Twain
550m east of Wellington Road 5 (Toronto Street) is warranted. The changes require a revision to the current consolidated speed limit bylaw, the report notes. “I do drive into Palmerston periodically and have noticed quite a few changes to the community, particularly on that side, so I’m glad we are able to support making some changes there to help with traffic control,� councillor Andy Lennox, who chairs the county’s roads committee, told council on Oct. 31. Minto Mayor George Bridge pointed out the change was prompted in part by expansion at the TG Minto
automotive plant located at the intersection of Main Street (Wellington Road 123) and Toronto Street. “As you know TG Minto has put a $4.9-million operational addition onto the side of their building and they’re going to be building vehicles for the Alliston (Honda) plant so a lot of the stuff, we anticipate, is going to mean trucks coming down the road,� Bridge explained. Council approved a roads committee recommendation to revise the consolidated speed limit bylaw and signage on Wellington Road 123 as recommended in the staff report.
'5$<7216725$*( FRP ,QGLYLGXDO 6WRUDJH 8QLWV Individual Storage Units [ [ [ [
5x10 10x10 10x15 10x20 Seasonal ERDWV FDUV 59V ODZQ WUDFWRUV VXPPHU ZLQWHU WLUH VWRUDJH boats, cars, RVs, lawn tractors, summer/winter tire storage
6HDVRQDO