10-year study planned for Erin water rates

As published in The Erin Advocate

Erin is requesting bids from consultants to conduct a 10-year Water Rates Study and Financial Plan that will ensure “sustainable funding” for the drinking water systems in Hillsburgh and Erin village.

Proposals are due next week, and the newly elected Town council is scheduled to award the contract at its first meeting on December 2. The process, which is required now that the term of the previous study is complete, will include a public meeting in March and council approval in April. Water rate increases would take effect in 2016.

Erin water rates had been going up by 20% per year since 2011 to pay for upgrades to the system, but the planned increase for 2015 is 5%. Users are now paying $4.08 per cubic metre of water, which is high compared to many other municipalities, partly due to the low number of customers.

The study consultant will be expected to recommend water rates that will ensure financial stability for the long term – including revenue to cover the full life-cycle cost of infrastructure – but also a plan to manage rate increases “in a manner that will minimize or avoid ‘rate shock’ to our consumers”.

The consultant will also provide a summary of rate structures currently in place within Wellington County and neighboring municipalities. The full Request for Proposal is available at www.erin.ca.

The Servicing and Settlement Master Plan has recommended that private wells be shut down in urban areas – 110 in Erin village and 230 in Hillsburgh. Even with no new housing growth, the SSMP recommends improvements to wells, and with 500 new homes, the cost to bring the water system up to ideal standards could be $6.7 million.

The new study will satisfy the licensing requirements of Ontario’s Safe Drinking Water Act. Erin operates 33,500 meters of watermains, with 1,300 connections supplying water to about 3,300 residents plus various businesses and industrial locations. The Town’s new Asset Management Plan (AMP) includes an asset replacement cost valuation of approximately $33.3 million for water infrastructure.

Ontario law now imposes personal liability on Town Councillors to take all proper steps to guard the safety of drinking water.

Water system upgrades key to servicing plan

As published in The Erin Advocate

Improving Erin’s water system will cost considerably less than building a sewer system, but it will still be an expensive item when the Town’s servicing is upgraded.

The Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP) Liaison Committee met recently for the last time. They’ve learned a lot about the community’s problems over the last five years, but have never reached a consensus on what should be done – especially with growth now limited to about 500 new homes.

The SSMP Final Report was to be available this week, with the study expected to wrap up after a Public Information Meeting on September 2

Town Council may decide on September 9 to proceed with the next phase of environmental assessment (EA). That will mean spending money to investigate various sewer options, without actually committing to build a system.

Erin does not have the borrowing capacity to build a traditional system unless it gets grants to cover more than 60% of the cost. It will need a detailed plan in order to apply for grants, and the EA will be valid for 10 years.

The water part of the puzzle was explained to Liaison members by Matt Pearson of consulting firm BM Ross. He said even with no growth, Erin has a ‘water deficit’. That means the municipal water supply system does not have an ideal capacity.

After five years of 20% rate increases, making Erin municipal water very expensive at $4.08 per cubic meter, BM Ross says there is still not enough “firm capacity”. That is the ability to maintain adequate supply even when the largest well in one area is out of service.

There is considerable redundancy, since the Town has two wells for the Hillsburgh system and two for Erin village. BM Ross Engineer Dale Erb said there have been some occurrences when the firm capacity is exceeded, but that it has not been common. Project Manager Christine Furlong of Triton Engineering said exceedances of firm capacity do tend to occur in smaller communities.

The SSMP will recommend that private wells be shut down in urban areas – 110 in Erin village and 230 in Hillsburgh. The Town has suspended its Water System Connection Fee until June 30, 2015 to promote more use of the water system, but many Hillsburgh residents have no access to water mains.

To provide water to all residents, even with no growth, BM Ross recommends that the unused Bel-Erin well, just south of County Road 124 on the Ninth Line, be brought back into service. They also recommend replacing the Hillsburgh Heights well, which currently requires treatment of water to remove naturally-occurring lead, and adding reservoir storage.

To supply all existing residents, plus 250 new homes in each urban area, Erin village would need the Bel-Erin well, plus an additional well. Hillsburgh would need additional storage and another well, in addition to replacing the Hillsburgh Heights well. If all 500 new homes went to either Hillsburgh or Erin village, similar but slightly larger upgrades would be needed in the community getting the growth.

Interconnection of the Hillsburgh and Erin village systems is being evaluated separately. It would be expensive, but it would increase redundancy and reduce the number of additional wells required in the future. The Erin water tower could not provide pressure to Hillsburgh, which has a 30-metre higher elevation.

The total capital cost of the fully-built water plan is $6.7 million in the split-growth scenario, $5.4 million for Erin only and $5.0 million for Hillsburgh only. The variation does not affect existing residents, but the system becomes less costly for developers if new homes are clustered in one community.

The greatest share of water improvements (especially new wells) would be paid through growth – $4,418 for each new home if the growth is in Hillsburgh only, $5,158 each for Erin only and $7,798 if it is split.

There would be a charge of $984 each for existing connected homes, and $4,550 for existing unconnected homes. A 15-year municipal loan of $4,500 at 3.25% would cost a homeowner $380 per year. If grants are provided for the water system, costs will be proportionally reduced.

Erin Radio to continue without studio

As published in The Erin Advocate

A shortfall in advertising revenue is forcing Erin Community Radio to close its local studio, but the station will continue to broadcast on FM 88.1 from The Grand FM in Fergus.

“The business community in the Town of Erin continues to have a few struggles – it simply can’t provide consistent advertising support for the station,” said Larry Peters, Chair of the Board of Directors.CHES-FM 88.1, branded as the Headwaters New Mix, applied to the Canadian Radio-Television Communications Commission (CRTC) last December to operate a new FM transmitter in Orangeville, which would repeat its programming at 89.1 MHz, with 50 watts of power.

“Since we serve portions of the Headwaters area now, a transmitter with a better signal in Orangeville would allow the station to build the revenue base necessary for survival,” said Peters.

Morning show host Erin Montgomery has been offered a position at The Grand, co-hosting and doing news on the morning team with Kelly Warehouse and Mark Paine.

“I will be bringing ‘a little piece of heaven’ to Fergus,” said Montgomery. “I will miss our studio – I loved when people stopped by to chat and bring me stories and news. I will also miss riding my bike to work.”

The station signal will continue both at FM 88.1 and on-line at Mix881.com. To reduce costs, they will send the signal to the transmitter on the Erin water tower over the internet from Fergus instead of using Bell lines.

During the painting of the water tower planned for June, their transmission power will have to be reduced. Downtown Erin will still get a strong signal, but other listeners will probably receive interference from INDIE 88.1 in Toronto, said Peters. On-line streaming will not be affected.

In 2012, Erin Radio turned over control of the station to the operators of Centre Wellington Community Radio in Fergus. They provided new management and investment in a new studio on Thompson Crescent, but that facility will now close in the next few days.

“Internet technology allows us to continue providing service in Erin, with a remote studio setup at the home of Erin Community Radio Founder Jay Mowat,” said Peters. “Local residents will be able to produce their programs for inclusion in the weekly schedule from a small studio starting in July. Administration, local news, and the radio automation system will happen on a temporary basis from a studio setup within the facilities of the Grand @ 92.9 in Fergus.

“This will stop the bleeding and give the Board of Directors time to evaluate the future of Erin Radio, and await the decision of the CRTC. This will allow us to continue to be in compliance with our license requirements; however we will have very few expenses to keep the lights on.”

Permission for the Orangeville transmitter is being opposed at the CRTC by Dufferin Communications (CIDC-FM) and by Bayshore Broadcasting (CFDC Shelburne). They argue that the Orangeville market is already adequately served, and that the new transmitter is an attempt to expand the Erin territory beyond its mandate.

Erin Radio has defended its application, saying it will provide a needed non-commercial community service in the Orangeville market. It is supported by the National Campus and Community Radio Association.

The Erin plan is also opposed by My Broadcasting Corporation, which has been working for over two years to establish a new radio station in Orangeville.

Water tower to be repainted by June

As published in The Erin Advocate

The repainting of the Erin water tower, which was postponed last year, is now planned for completion in June according to Water Superintendent Frank Smedley.

Council agreed to his request to proceed with the project, even though the budget has not been approved yet. At their April 15 meeting, they approved a $222,948 contract with Jacques Daoust Coatings Management Inc., an experienced firm that submitted the lowest of six tenders.

The project had been approved for 2013, but was not completed due to issues with getting the tender completed, said Smedley. The proposed 2014 budget includes up to $250,000 for recoating, $22,500 for engineering and site supervision, and $20,000 for health and safety upgrades.

The project includes cleaning and painting the interior of the tower, as well as painting the exterior. Once the job is in progress, the public will be notified to conserve water until it is completed.

Fire protection boosted after Globe Hotel burned

As published in The Erin Advocate

The fire that destroyed the Queen’s Hotel and a block of businesses in downtown Erin 100 years ago sparked a furious debate over spending money on fire protection and a water works system.

In the end, the village council of 1913 listened to the people and did exactly what most of them were apparently content with – virtually nothing.

The village had suffered many fires, and Advocate Publisher Wellington Hull was fed up with seeing the buildings of his advertisers go up in smoke. He pushed for purchase of a gasoline-powered pump and 500 feet of hose to replace the bucket brigade method of firefighting.

“Such a purchase would be backed up by every sane person in the community,” said Hull, in a Page 1 editorial.  “Will they wake up from this lethargy and do so? A long-suffering community awaits to see.”

He said the council should be composed of “energetic business men who will not stubbornly and wilfully sit by and watch the place burn up.”

A letter to the editor said, “It seems a shame that our fine Village is fifty years or more behind the times. We must either go ahead or go back. It will take years to get things back to where they were before this fire.”

Council’s first response was to replace some broken buckets and ladders. Reeve Charles Overland said they had to study the possibility of installing a water works system, which Hull predicted the people would not support.

“The discussion of water works looks very much like a scheme to sidetrack the whole question of fire protection for an indefinite time,” said Hull.

A letter writer attacked the reeve: “He sits on his high horse and hurls defiance at those who would do something. The one idea with him is to keep the Taxes down. It looks as if it will be up to the citizens and business men to get behind the Council and push them up to the point of doing something; and failing in this, see that we elect men who have not such narrow and contracted ideas.”

Councillor J.H. Gibson proposed that a bylaw be submitted to the ratepayers for a $1,500 debenture to buy a fire pump and hose, but the reeve and his allies defeated that with an amendment to only research the costs.

Councillors went to the Canadian National Exhibition to price equipment, but at their next meeting they only voted to hire engineer Herbert Bowman of Berlin (now Kitchener) to report on a water works. That report was presented at a public meeting on November 20, 1913.

“The revenue from consumers would soon more than pay for the operating expenses,” said Bowman, outlining the need for a municipal well and pump house. “You are fortunate in having a high hill situated so close to the village that it makes an ideal location for a reservoir.”

The total cost was $10,000, which financed over 30 years would have added $650 per year to the village budget. Hull proclaimed that, “With a system of this kind, outsiders would easily be induced to locate here, manufacturers would come in and the place would take on new life.”

But it didn’t stand a chance. After council rejected demands to submit a fire protection bylaw to the electors, the Advocate editor lambasted them for their “flimsey twaddle and lame excuses” and urged that they be replaced.

He may have represented the views of some business people, but not of most voters. Councillor Gibson stepped down, but the reeve and other members were re-elected for 1914.

Council eventually decided to buy a second-hand chemical fire engine, designed only as a first response unit while hydrants were being hooked up. This type of unit had a tank with about 50 gallons of carbonated water, carried on a cart. In the event of a fire, sulphuric acid was mixed in, and the chemical reaction provided up to 15 minutes of water spray. (A reservoir and water main would have kept two hoses going for four hours.)

That was it for fire protection until the mid-1940s. The chemical engine was not of much use when the Globe Hotel (originally the luxury home of mill entrepreneur Daniel McMillan, and now the site of the Bell building and Credit River Motor Co.) was destroyed by fire in January 1945.

The Globe Hotel before and after the 1945 fire

“Public reaction to the blaze, not surprisingly, followed a similar line to that in the wake of the Queen's fire 32 years earlier, with proposals for better equipment, a properly trained volunteer force, and a municipal water system,” says historian Steve Thorning.

This time, council eventually heeded the calls for better protection. In the spring of 1946, they spent $300 for a second-hand gasoline-powered fire engine pump, on a two-wheel wagon, with 2,000 feet of hose. It was almost exactly what was expected to cost $1,500 in 1913.

In November of 1946, Erin finally established a proper volunteer fire department. It was the last village in the Wellington County to do so, and it would still be many years before a comprehensive water system would be in place.

Escape to local forests and trails

As published in The Erin Advocate

Do you ever need to escape the well-trodden sidewalks, the din of cars and trucks and the straight lines of buildings? There are public tracts of forest in the Erin area set aside for just that purpose.

In addition to popular routes such as the Woollen Mills Trail (off Millwood Road in Erin village) and the Elora Cataract Trailway, there are trails on parcels of rural land maintained by Wellington County and the conservation authorities. No hunting, no dirt bikes, no snowmobiles, no bicycles – just walkers, and dogs.

The trails don't lead anywhere special, apart from the wilderness along the way. They are simple paths winding through land where the terrain is too irregular for farming.

The Robert Baker Forest Conservation Area is located at Winston Churchill Boulevard and Grange Sideroad, with 90 acres of woodlands and wetlands maintained by Credit Valley Conservation (CVC).

The access point is .4 km from the corner along Grange, and a small network of trails undulates past a series of ponds. Some are bright green and bursting with obvious life, while others are like black mirrors, reflecting the sky in shades of blue that are richer than the sky itself.

The trees are a mix of cedar and spruce, with stands of birch and maple. There are no direction signs, and if you want to walk a 30-minute loop, the trail is a bit easier to follow going clockwise. In the opposite direction, the turn-offs to the left are not always obvious. You may end up at a fence on Winston Churchill instead of back at Grange – not lost, just needing to retrace your steps.

The area is named for Bob Baker, a CVC forester from 1970 to 2000, who was involved in the planting of more than 5 million trees. He now operates a forestry service on the Ninth Line of Erin.

The Peacock Tract is a Wellington County Forest, near the communications tower on Trafalgar Road, 1.3 km north of County Road 50 (the former Peacock Sideroad). The trail goes past wetlands and mossy rock outcrops, as it cuts behind neighbouring properties.

Softwoods dominate at first, but further in there is a wide open maple bush. The whole loop takes about 40 minutes, or a bit longer if you are walking an unruly hound, with a tendency to dash off after scents and wrap her leash line around trees.

 The Ospringe Tract, managed by the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), is located on the Fourth Line of Erin, .7 km south of County Road 124 (turn at Denny's).

On a sunny winter's day you can hear the water gurgling under the ice as it drains away from the cattails. You can hear the trees crackling in the cold and see the trails of deer and coyote tracks in the fields nearby, with sweeping views of undulating farmland and scrubland.

Most of it is natural growth forest, but a small section was reforested many years ago, with the conifers towering over 80 feet tall. This hike also takes about 40 minutes.

Another forest managed by the GRCA is the Johnson Tract, located on the Second Line of Erin, just south of the Garafraxa Town Line. For more details, see the Erin Insight column from May 4, 2011, at erininsight.blogspot.com.

Also worth a visit is Scotsdale Farm, a beautiful piece of land just south of Ballinafad, which has been open to the public since 1982. Stewart and Violet Bennett lived there for 40 years, raising Arabian horses and Shorthorn cattle. Stewart was President of the Beardmore Tannery in Acton, Vice-President at Canada Packers and President of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

The couple bequeathed their 219 hectare farm to the Ontario Heritage Foundation to ensure its protection. (They also donated $1.3 million to the Georgetown Hospital, which created the Bennett Centre for seniors.)

Archeological evidence of an Iroquoian village from the 1500s has been found on the land. The original farm homestead was built in 1836 and the barn is at least 130 years old. The farm has been used as the setting for several movies and The Campbells TV series, and as a conference centre. The Bruce Trail runs through the property, which features a moraine, escarpment outcrops, forests, wetlands and pastures.

The farm is suitable for picnics, exploring with children and hiking. The 3.9 km Bennett Heritage Side Trail branches off from the Bruce Trail just south of the entrance to Scotsdale, and goes between the farm buildings. It crosses a small dam on Snow's Creek, which flows south and east from Ballinafad. All streams in this area drain to the Credit River at Norval.

The Bennett trail meets the Eighth Line, where you could cut south, and use the Maureen Smith Side Trail join the main Bruce Trail, and loop back to Trafalgar. Or you could follow the Bennett trail farther east as it crosses Owl Creek, then runs beside Silver Creek, ending up at 27 Sideroad. This creates a much longer loop back to Trafalgar, so check the posted maps, or download one (Google "bruce trail bennett") before you set out.

There are hiking videos available on YouTube for Scotsdale, the Peacock Tract and the Johnson Tract, posted by foottrek.com.

Fence sparks anger over dirt bikes

As published in The Erin Advocate

The new fence recently erected by Wellington County on the border of the old Erin Village landfill site has prompted a hostile response from residents who consider it a "huge scar" on a beautiful landscape and an unwelcome obstacle to hikers and wildlife.

Others consider the fence an unfortunate necessity, designed in part to discourage dirt bike and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) traffic, which has caused serious damage on Erin's drumlin – the long, glacier-deposited hill west of the village.

“We’ve always had this scheduled to have fencing put up at some point,” said Doug Konrad, manager of solid waste for Wellington County, which took over responsibility for the old landfill site ten years ago. They have had trouble with off-road vehicles using the site and causing erosion.

“We decided to move the plans forward a little bit and at least do one section of the site with chain link, the side that gave us most problems," said Konrad, explaining that the Ministry of Environment requires these types of sites to be fenced in to make sure monitor wells are not damaged. "This is the only thing we could reasonably do.”

The six-foot fence, with two cross-beams welded between each post, starts at the mill pond, across the river from Church St. W. It runs up the hill along the south-east border of the landfill, and down the other side. It is clearly visible from McMillan Park downtown.

"I am so upset to see this huge scar cutting into the beautiful emerald backdrop in Erin," said Melissa Livingston-Staples. "Those hills give our village a unique character. Why weren't we consulted about this change to our landscape?"

John Denison owns the property next to the landfill at the hilltop. Last May he wrote a letter to the Town of Erin regarding damage to his land by dirt bikes and ATVs. Town Council passed the matter to the County and wrote a letter requesting the OPP to increase their presence at the site. Mayor Lou Maieron is confident that the matter was handled properly.

The County had a legal obligation, a plan in place and money allocated in their budget, so the fence was erected. Konrad said more fencing can be expected to meet provincial standards.

Emma Bramma Smith walks the hilltop trail regularly and was shocked when she first discovered the fence. She says the dog-walkers and hikers who use the hills actually help to keep the off-road vehicles off the trails.

“We feel violated, and when you look at it, you can understand why,” she said. “It’s not just inconveniencing a bunch of dog walkers. Wildlife has even more right to that land than we do.”

Denison has worked hard to discourage dirt bikes and ATVs, but his fences have often been cut or removed. He says the machines cause noise and pollution, and have turned trails into slippery mud and boulders.

"This is my backyard. I walk there nearly every day. I enjoy the quiet and the view. If that new fence cuts down the machine traffic, I'm all for it," he said.

"I'm okay with hikers. I leave openings in the fence so people can come through without damaging the fence. They're walking on their own two legs getting exercise and fresh air. They mostly pick-up after themselves and their dogs. They're respectful of private property and I appreciate that."

Smaller animals can still get past the fence though gaps at the bottom, and hikers can still use the area by altering their routes. Machine riders are still accessing the landfill property by driving around the end of the fence on the frozen edge of the mill pond.

Livingston-Staples is unhappy with the mess left by the fence builders: trees uprooted, leftover pipe ends, fence materials and aerosol cans of metallic paint. She would also like to see the site put to better use in the future.

"If houses are not going to be built on the dump, why can't the gorgeous views be enjoyed by the residents and tourists and wildlife?" she asked. "Why can't the dump be recycled by nature and people, rather than closing it up and throwing it away, like it never existed?

"We love the hills and have always felt a closeness to nature up on the hill. It affects your soul when you are up there. It is a special place I hate to lose and I would like future generations to be able to enjoy it also. Walking is the oldest exercise and is still the best. Let's protect the trails of Erin."

Steve Revell leads the Town's Trails Committee, which is making trail improvements on public land with the help of the Rotary Club, and hopes to create a better network of trails in the future.

"We have to recognize the generosity of the landowners who have long allowed walkers to use this [hilltop] trail by providing narrow gateways," he said. "The big problem has always been the motorized vehicles which have ripped up the hillsides and made the trail surface prone to erosion. I can indeed sympathize with the landowners on this issue."

Bill Dinwoody, who chairs the Town's Recreation and Culture Committee, believes the fence should be viewed as environmental protection rather than a barrier. He is concerned, however, that the fence may intrude too close to the river.

"The key issue here is that these properties are private and people using these unsanctioned trails are in fact trespassing," he said. "Hikers are resilient and will follow other routes. Most people who hike do so because they love the environment and conservation and take it upon themselves to preserve the trail.

"Unfortunately, it is the 'few' who take it upon themselves to tear up landscape with motorized vehicles which in a way has caused this action. If ATV's and dirt bikes continue to use private lands, I foresee numerous fences and obstacles installed in the hills to curtail them.

"Maybe it is time for someone to develop trails for motorized vehicles, to give them a place away from private property."

Erin Radio boosts power with shift to 88.1 FM

As published in The Erin Advocate

Erin Radio has propelled itself into a new era, now broadcasting on 88.1 FM with 250 watts, and a new antenna atop the water tower that delivers its signal beyond the town borders.

Almost a year ago, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved an application from Erin Radio to boost its signal strength from 50 watts to 250 watts and change frequencies.

"With this move, we will get to the entire Town of Erin and a little bit beyond, so this is a big moment in our life," said Station Manager Jay Mowat, just after the new signal was activated on April 11. "We managed to find the one and only frequency that we can broadcast on, higher than 50 watts."

The station is now in a three-week test phase, during which they are simulcasting on both their old and new frequencies. Transmission on 101.5 FM will end in early May.

The jumble of equipment now decorating the Erin water tower consists of the new Bell transmitters, with the Erin Radio hardware attached above – saving the substantial cost of a new mast.

"This is the culmination of two and a half years of work on a lot of people's part. And we still have to pay for it," said Mowat. "We will spend over $30,000 in this move."

Erin Radio is selling rain barrels as a fundraiser, with Scotiabank of Orangeville matching funds dollar for dollar up to $5,000. The barrels are available for $50 at Credit River Motors on Main Street, on Saturdays from 10 am to 3 pm until May 7. The Town of Erin gave the station a $10,000 grant last year and a $10,000 loan to help buy the transmitter and antenna.

The signal is being directed mainly north-east and north-west as required by the CRTC, to avoid intruding on the signal of Ryerson University in Toronto, which also uses the 88.1 frequency. Erin Radio had to buy a special antenna to protect them – custom-built and shipped from Italy at a cost of $10,000.

By coincidence, late last week, Ryerson Radio was forced off the air by the CRTC due to problems in meeting licence conditions. It could be revived, or another station might get the Toronto-based frequency.

Regardless, the Erin Radio signal is weak south of 5 Sideroad, where initially it was blending with Ryerson's. The absence of Ryerson has not improved the reception.

The signal is strong and clear in Erin village, Hillsburgh, west into Eramosa and north to the townline of Orangeville. The headline on the station's website says, "Here we come into Headwaters!", since the signal will extend into Caledon and Dufferin County. People can also listen on the internet, at www.erinradio.ca.

"Our primary motivation was not to get into Orangeville," said Mowat. "If it was and we said that, the CRTC would have made us go through a major public hearing, because that's a whole new audience. All we wanted was to hit clearly the residents of the Town of Erin. People in Orangeville will hear us on a reduced signal, and we will go in and try to connect up with advertisers and community organizations."

Erin Radio is a volunteer-based, not-for-profit group that has been on the air since 2006, providing opportunities for local programming. They are also the official emergency broadcaster in the area. Operating until now at just 50 watts, the signal could only reach homes close to Erin village. As well, their original licence was conditional, meaning they could have been forced to give up their frequency to a commercial station.

That did not happen, but power on 101.5 FM could not be expanded without intruding on other stations in the crowded southern Ontario radio market. With approval to move to 88.1, they not only have 250 watts, but a permanent, protected status.

"We have to go out there and make sure everybody knows the kind of range of what we do. We need to do a lot more advertising based on our programming schedule," said Mowat, who eventually wants to provide podcasts of some shows. "Our whole focus as a station is local voices, local news, local music."

On weekdays, Erin Radio plays mainstream easy listening music, along with news, sports, weather, business, talk radio with the Motts, lunch hour oldies and a spotlight on local performers. Evenings and weekends are more specialized, with shows on various styles of music, plus comedy and selected topics.

"Now that we have the increased power and can be heard in a much larger area, we need a way of taking a look at what our marketing strategy should be and what kind of an audience we can get," said Mowat.

Erin Radio has received a $29,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to develop a five-year marketing plan, including a local audience survey to be conducted by Erin Research.

A View from the Top

As published in The Erin Advocate

Lilly and I enjoy hiking to a place where you can see Erin village in all its splendour.
Have you been up the Water Tower Hill lately? Have you ever?

You don’t have to be a mountaineer to make the climb. Anyone in good physical condition can get to the summit with minimal huffing and puffing.

It’s well worth the effort, providing a break from the everyday ground-level views of the town. The panorama is spectacular, especially if you take the time to observe the details of what lies before you.

There’s a steep path near the end of William Street, but the easiest route is the gravel road to the water tower, accessed via March Street, just across from the Coffee Time parking lot on Main Street. If you look in the long grass at the base, you’ll see a long-forgotten, fallen-down sign that reads “Erin Girl Guides of Canada”.

This start of the Height of Land Trail is not very scenic. On a recent walk I noticed an old couch, a folding chair, a raincoat, a farm gate, pieces of kid’s wagon and a Halloween mask that had been discarded there. But take heart – the trail further up is quite clean.

The landmark water tower is quite imposing when you get up to its base. From this spot, there’s still not much of a view, due to the tall trees, but as you take the trail north, the vista opens up.

It’s the green that really hits you – looking down on hundreds of thousands of trees, in so many textures and shades of green. It is positively Irish.

Looking towards Guelph, you see farm fields, silos and woodlands, with the shadows of clouds scudding across the scenery. There are the back yards of new homes with their trampolines and play centres.

East across the village, many streets are not visible due to the foliage, but there are the churches raising their steeples towards heaven. Other landmarks stand out, such as the red and green Leitch Fuels barn, and the 158-year-old Erin Grist Mill building nearby.

Farther north are the fair grounds and the open water areas created by the damming of the West Credit River. Out beyond the village, the two gravel pit areas are small enough that they do not ruin the rolling landscape view.

Continuing north, there is a path down to Charles Street, then some steep climbs. When you come to the highest point of the ridge, you look down on surprisingly flat fields to the west, then some even higher hills to the north-west. If you look back south, you’ll see that you are at eye level with the top of the water tower.

From this point you can descend through a long, sloping meadow, and come back into the village on Church Street. If you walk further, past the village landfill site that was closed a few years ago, you’ll see golden fields in the distance, contrasted with trees on their borders, as you look towards Hillsburgh.

Lilly doesn’t care much for the view, as far as I know. She prefers chasing dragonflies and sniffing in the bushes, as hound dogs are wont to do.

The sounds of wind and chirping birds in the trees is constant, with occasional hawks and red-winged blackbirds swooping by.

The wide array of wildflowers would alone make the trek worthwhile. There are patches of clover, punctuated with Tiger Lillies and Queen Ann’s Lace. It looks like there will be a healthy crop of wild raspberries this year.

The most striking floral expanses are created by a profusion of bright, yellow Bird’s-Foot Trefoil, and a scattering of Bird Vetch, a flower with small purple petals that hang on one side of the stem.

So get out and enjoy your trail – it provides a fresh perspective on the town.

It could even become a tourist attraction.