Sewer cost could be cut to $9,300 per home

As published in The Erin Advocate

Limits on the Town’s borrowing capacity mean that a traditional sewer system will require at least 60% of the capital costs to be covered by senior government grants, according to an economist’s report to councillors as part of the Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP).

Gary Scanlon of Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. said two-thirds (66.6%) grant coverage on a $58.5 million system would leave the Town some flexibility for other borrowing, and reduce the capital cost per household to about $9,300 for sewers in Hillsburgh and Erin village.

At a council workshop on July 9, Scanlon said there would be other costs as well, including water improvements, several thousand dollars for each sewer hook-up depending on the property and the decommissioning of septic systems. There would also be a regular sewer bill based on usage, which he estimated at $400 per year based on a fully built-out system (costing $900,000 per year to operate).

“The Town needs to pursue grants to reduce the overall impact on property owners – also to be able to remain within the Town’s debt capacity limits,” said Scanlon.

An earlier rough estimate by consultant B.M. Ross had put the cost of a traditional sewer system (including a treatment plant) at $65 million. More detailed analysis now puts it at $58.5 million. That cost would be divided among 2,288 residential units (or equivalents for larger buildings like schools). It includes 1,263 units in Erin village, 525 in Hillsburgh and an expected 500 new homes.

The final cost shares vary slightly based on where the new homes are built (Erin only, Hillsburgh only, or split between the two), but it is about $28,000 for each existing home. A two-thirds grant brings that down to $9,333.

Residents would have the option of receiving a low-interest municipal loan that could spread payments over 15-20 years. A 20-year loan for the wastewater capital cost, after a two-thirds grant, would cost a homeowner $649 per year. Residents with newer septic systems could be given a grace period – they would have to start paying the capital costs immediately, but might delay hook-up for a few years.

Provincial regulations state that municipalities can only borrow to the limit that debt payments equal 25% of revenues. The most new debt that Erin could handle is $25 million, based on a 20-year term.

With the share for existing residents at about $50 million for sewers, plus $2.8 million for water, a 60% grant would bring that down to $21.1 million, leaving $3.9 million in debt capacity for other needs. A 66% grant would bring it down to $18 million, leaving $7 million in debt capacity. Grants can reduce costs for both growth and existing households.

“If lesser levels of grants can be obtained, the servicing may be able to go ahead, but on a staged basis, if the treatment plant could be done in stages,” said Scanlon.

The cost estimates are based on requiring all urban homeowners to connect to municipal water and sewers – currently 110 in Erin village and 230 in Hillsburgh are on their own wells.

The estimates are also based on developers agreeing, through negotiation, to pay their development charges (about $9 million for sewers and $3 million for water) at the start of the process, instead of when they actually build the homes. Developers are also sometimes willing to take on an additional portion of the cost, said Scanlon.

The current SSMP process is about general concepts and direction, with no final decision on constructing a sewer system to be made for a couple of years. The final SSMP report is expected to be available on August 12, with a full public meeting on September 2. Council wants to finish the SSMP before the municipal election nomination day, September 12.

That means voting on whether to proceed with the next phase of environmental assessment, to study details of various wastewater systems. Some options, such as small-bore sewers, would be less costly to build, and less disruptive to the road system, compared to traditional sewers.

“We have to assess less expensive technologies, and this should come out of a performance-based environmental assessment,” said resident Roy Val. Performance-based involves a bidding process, leading to a partnership with a private firm that would share the risks of a sewer system.

The Town would retain approval authority, but not have to arrange financing or pay costs up-front. Competitors would research options, with the successful firm authorized to arrange financing (government and private), design and build the system, then run it at a profit. Residents would be billed through the Town.

The Municipal Act empowers the Town to impose sewer charges on specific areas, and this is not appealable to the Ontario Municipal Board. Rural residents would not be serviced, and not be charged. There has been discussion about requiring that local septic tank pump-outs (septage) be delivered to the Erin sewage plant. This would provide more revenue to the system and could be at a lower cost to rural residents than having the waste transported longer distances.

The sewer system share for each newly-built home would be lower than for existing homes, in the $16,000 to $18,000 range, because it does not include the local sewer mains that would be installed in a subdivision by a developer at their own additional cost.

The greatest share of water system improvements (especially new wells) would be paid through new homes – $7,798 each with growth split between Hillsburgh and Erin village. But there would be a charge of $984 for existing connected homes, and $4,550 for existing unconnected homes.

_________________________________________

Here is the estimated capital cost breakdown provided to Town Council at the SSMP Workshop for a traditional, gravity-based sewer system. It does not include hook-up costs, water system improvements or construction of local sewer mains in new subdivisions.

Hillsburgh Collection System                        

$6.8 million

Hillsburgh to Erin Trunk Line along Elora Cataract Trailway 

(with no contribution from Erin Village)

$2.5 million

Erin Village Collection System                                        
(for existing homes)  

$15.4 million

Erin Village Collection System
(shared cost with new growth)

$2.6 million

Erin Trunk Sewer and Main
Pumping Station (shared by all)

$6.2 million

Sewage Plant (shared by all)

$24.5 million

Land purchases (shared by all)

$.5 million
__________________________

Total

$58.5 million

Development charges could soar with sewers

As published in The Erin Advocate

The Town of Erin has left its total development charges (DCs) virtually unchanged as part of a mandatory five-year review, but the fees for building new homes or businesses would jump significantly if a sewer system is constructed in Hillsburgh or Erin village.

Dan Wilson of Watson & Associates Economists could not estimate the size of such an increase, but Mayor Lou Maieron said it could make Erin the most expensive place in Wellington County for building projects.

The town-wide DC for new single detached home (not including water service) will rise from $8,234 to $10,126. The separate charge for water-serviced areas is going down from $5,092 to $3,116, leaving the total at $13,242 for most urban areas – just $84 more than the current charge. An extra $2,763 will go to the county.

Finance Director Sharon Marshall said the lower water DC is based on the expectation that a developer will agree to cover the entire cost of certain improvements – a new municipal well, for example – outside of the DC system. A heavier weighting has been given to transportation and fire protection costs, with a lower weighting to parks and recreation.

The charges for commercial and industrial buildings follow a similar pattern, with the rate rising from $5.19 to $5.31, plus $1.76 for the county.

A presentation of the Development Charges Background Study was made at a public meeting on July 8, as part of a process that is costing the Town $25,000 and could see a new bylaw passed on July 22. There were few public comments and no criticisms of the proposed charges.

“You are fairly competitive compared to other municipalities in the area,” said Wilson.

Erin’s commercial/industrial DCs are higher than in Minto, Puslinch and Mapleton. They are lower than in Guelph-Eramosa, Wellington North and Centre Wellington, but those areas have substantial wastewater charges.

Erin’s charges are substantially less than those in Halton Hills, Orangeville, Guelph and Caledon (which has the highest rates – a total of $58,436 per house and $16.04 per square foot for businesses). Councillor John Brennan estimates that even with a wastewater charge (which would require a new bylaw), Erin will still be competitive with these neighbours.

Development charges are levied on new buildings to offset the capital costs related to growth, which are in addition to basic elements of a subdivision such as roads, sidewalks and streetlights. Only certain costs, or percentages of costs, can be included in the calculation. These include extra road/highway costs, fire protection, recreation services, water services and growth-related studies. There are deductions for the extent to which expenditures benefit existing residents, for expected grants and subsidies, and for benefit beyond the forecast period.

Erin’s Anticipated Capital Needs are $18.15 million, with $7.31 million recoverable through DCs.

A growth forecast based on the Servicing and Settlement Master Plan, the Official Plan, the census, the previous DC study and discussions with staff, estimates that the population of the Town will grow from 11,722 in 2014 to 12,921 in 2024 and to 14,078 by the “full buildout” in 2029 (based on current estimates of capacity).

Before sewers, the majority of growth will be on rural properties, with the forecast based on a sewage plant in operation by 2021. The number of new homes would be 440 by 2024 and 875 by 2029 (500 in urban areas, 375 in rural).

Town of Erin maintaining healthy balance sheet

As published in The Erin Advocate

The Town of Erin got the stamp of approval from its independent auditor last week, with councillors receiving financial statements for 2013 that show a small deficit for operations, an increase in financial assets, a declining debt and capital assets totalling just over $50 million.

Financial assets totalled $7.2 million (M), with increases in taxes receivable ($2.9 M) and accounts receivable ($1 M). Investments were down by almost $1.5M, but most of that has been transferred to cash, which is at $2M.

Mayor Lou Maieron said it was “not a good sign” that penalties and interest on unpaid taxes were up by 7.5% to $354,000, suggesting people are having difficulty affording the taxes. Finance Director Sharon Marshall, however, said outstanding taxes remain in normal proportion to total tax revenue.

Various changes have affected Town finances, including reduced tax assessments for aggregate pits, which have placed a higher burden on residential taxpayers. Revenue from Ontario Grants continues to decline despite higher costs, and fewer building permits has cut into Other Income.

Fees and user charges accounted for $2.1M of revenue, while taxes brought in $5.6M. Major items on the expense side included $1.5 M for Administration, $1.1M for Protection (Fire), $3.9M for Transportation (Roads), $1.2 for Environmental Services and $1.6M for Recreation.

The operating deficit of $186,000 represents 1.9% of the total expenditures, which were $9.8 million. Long term debt, much of which is related to the new fire hall, stood at $2.9M – down from $3.2 at the end of 2012.

A separate statement for the Erin village Business Improvement Area (BIA) showed revenues of $42,000, including a Town grant of $6,500, special area taxation of $17,200 and withdrawal from reserves of $9,700. The BIA spent $23,000 on advertising and $30,000 on streetscape improvements.

The full set of statements from Chartered Accountants Robinson Lott & Brohman LLP of Fergus is available on the Town website, www.erin.ca, or on paper by request.

Looking Back

From the Advocate – 100 years ago (1914)
The British Empire celebrated “with just and proper pride” the 99th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, “which settled the fate of Europe and flung Napoleon from his throne.” About 50,000 men died that day, when French forces unsuccessfully attacked a coalition made up of British, Prussian, Belgian, Dutch and expatriate German troops.

From the Advocate – 45 years ago (1969)
The large barn and drive shed owned by Paul Freer on the 8th Line was destroyed by fire. A number of market hogs were lost, along with 1,500 bales of recently harvested hay and eight tons of feed purchased on Saturday. The cause is not known.

A fine of $1,500 was levied against the Sangama Company of Guelph after the death of George Robinson of Erin. He was fatally injured when crushed between a truck and a forklift. While no direct blame was laid, investigation showed that the forklift was in poor condition, with no maintenance program.

Rev. E.J. Sewell, Rector at All Saints Anglican for the past five years, has been transferred to Saint Mark’s in Hamilton, with no replacement named as yet. The church will also be losing the services of organist Faye Longstreet, who will terminate her duties at the end of August before marrying John Shaver in September.

Ed Stewart of Ospringe won the Ninth Race on Sunday at the Acton-Ospringe Speedway, a quarter-mile paved oval on Highway 25 on the farm of Ron White.

From the Advocate – 35 years ago (1979)The water has been tested and found safe for swimming at Hull’s Dam – named after the Hull family that operated the Erin Advocate for three generations and owned land near the upper pond on the West Credit River. The danger level for bacteria is 1,000 total coliforms, with 100 fecal, per milliliter of water. The west side of the upper pond had readings of 4 total and 2 fecal, while the lower pond behind Steen’s Dairy had readings of 200 total and 96 fecal.

Jeanette Cox, Chair of the Committee for Better Service, is not happy with the feasibility study done by the Community Telephone Company of Ontario, which provides the phone service in Erin and Hillsburgh. For an extended toll-free calling area including Guelph, Erin customers would have to pay five times as much as a similar plan offered to Acton residents by Bell Canada.

Virginia Kennedy has expanded her business, which started out four years ago as a craft shop, but is now planning to sell it and move to a new venture in St. Catharines. She branched out into books, stationery and framing, then later a floral service that became the largest part of the business, which was renamed Erin Village Craft and Greenery.

From the Advocate – 25 years ago (1989)A 13-year-old student has graduated from Erin District High School with a 90.6 per cent average, but cannot legally get her diploma. Brenda Allen of Ballinafad, daughter of Jan and Phil Allen, has only 18 of the 30 required credits. EDHS Vice Principal David Euale has appealed the Ministry of Education rule, without success. Despite the lack of a diploma, Brenda has been accepted into the Honours Mathematics program at the University of Guelph.

Abbie McKinnon, leader of the Hillsburgh Meals for Friends group, is appealing for help from local cooks. The group has about 10 people preparing hot, full-course meals that are delivered to seniors, but could use some more help to ensure that the service can be offered weekly.

The Erin Township Tennis Club held a singles tournament last Saturday. Jeff Davison was tops in the men’s division, while Gail McGregor leads the women’s division.

Church hosts Belfountain Music Festival

As published in The Erin Advocate

Fine performances on piano and violin launched the Belfountain Music Festival on Sunday afternoon – a week-long celebration of classical music at the historic Melville White Church on Mississauga Road.

Presented by the Belfountain Heritage Society, the series of concerts will culminate with a free performance this Sunday afternoon.

The opening concert featured pianist Maria Dolnycky, who is helping to revive the music of several Ukrainian composers whose work was suppressed in the Soviet era, and violinist Zachary Ebin, who has brought together a wide array of performers for this festival.

Zachary Ebin

The small church built by Erin founder Daniel McMillan in 1837 may not deliver the acoustic purity of a concert hall, but the opportunity to be so close to the performers provides a captivating experience.

The first work was Dreams, by Viktor Kosenko, which is also the title of a CD created by Dolnycky and Ebin with this program of Ukrainian music. It is a flowing, hopeful piece, with a graceful interplay of instruments and some intriguing chromatic passages.

Maria Dolnycky

Sergei Bortkiewicz’s Sonata for Violin and Piano provides opportunities for deep, rich notes, tentative at first, but then with a massive outburst of pounding fury that resolves to mellowness. The andante movement is pensive and mournful at times, but always pushing and gathering up energy. It is released again in the third movement, where light touches and trills give way to heavy crescendos.

Morning Mood was a sampling of a miniature tonal work by Nikolai Roslavets, whose innovative compositions made him a particular target for Stalin’s music police. They declared him a “non-person” and purged him from music encyclopedias. His work was officially banned in 1930, but today performers and scholars are rediscovering it.

Vasyl Barvinsky was sentenced to ten years in a Soviet concentration camp after authorities branded his impressionistic music as “formalist”. Sunday’s concert featured three of his playful pieces based on Ukrainian folk melodies.

Dolnycky and Ebin finished with a suite of short pieces by Bortkiewicz, featuring strong, melodies, recurring themes with variations and a light-hearted touch.

All of the festival concerts take place at the Melville White Church, 
15962 Mississauga Road. Tickets and more details are available at www.belfountainmusic.com.

In other concerts scheduled earlier this week, violinist Amanda Lee and pianist Melisande Sinsoulier were featured on Monday, while Ebin was joined by violinist Caxton Jones on Tuesday.

This Thursday, July 10, there is a students’ concert at 4 pm. At the 8 pm evening show, violist Alex McLeod and pianist Jeannine Maloney will perform works by Bach, Brahms and Shostakovich.

On Friday at 8 pm, Dolnycky will be joined by flautist Julia Ranti and violist Mark Norris, with a program that includes Bach, Gluck, Debussy and Prokofiev. On Saturday at 8 pm, violinists Jennifer Martyn and Julia McFarlane will play a program that includes Bartok, Telemann, Mozart and Prokofiev.

Tickets are $20 for most concerts ($5 for children), but admission is free for the finale on Sunday, July 13 at 3 pm.

Ebin will be joined again by Dolnycky and will direct student members of the Arco Violini Ensemble. Works will include duos by Mozart and Bartok, Beethoven’s Minuet in G, Handel’s Bourrée, Bach’s Minuet, McLean’s Little Fandango, Pachelbel’s Canon in D-major, Anderson’s Plink Plank Plunk and Clebanoff’s Millionaire’s Hoedown.

Survey shows discontent among businesses

As published in The Erin Advocate

In the Economic Development field, it is well known that preserving the existing base of businesses in a community is the top priority.

That’s why the word retention comes first in the Town’s Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) Report, which was endorsed by Council recently, along with a plan to start taking action on improving the local business climate.

“Supporting the businesses that have already invested in Wellington provides the greatest return for future growth,” said Warden Chris White, introducing the Erin BR+E report, part of the County-wide Economic Development Strategy.

The action plan includes reviving the Economic Development Committee and hiring a professional staff person to drive an Erin strategy.

Published with the report are results of a survey of 41 Town of Erin business owners in four sectors of the economy as set by the county (Agriculture, Manufacturing, Health Care and the Creative Economy), carried out by Coordinator Mary Venneman. While the retail sector was not interviewed, it will be a key part of future plans.

The survey shows that 95% of owners are happy with the quality of life here, but only 51% say the business climate in Erin is good or excellent (compared to 77% countywide). Sales growth over the next year is predicted by 56% of Erin businesses, with 60% having a positive outlook for their industry.

Comments from owners show a high level of frustration in dealing with Town staff, a perceived lack of support from council and concern about high rents and high taxes.

The main disadvantages of doing business in Erin were identified as lack of access to suppliers, a small population that is suspicious of new businesses, difficulty hiring qualified, skilled workers, lack of diversified housing, lack of serviced land and lack of reliable rural internet service.

Lack of sewage treatment was also a concern for a 40% of respondents, mainly those in the urban area that would benefit from such a system. Most see sewers as essential if the Town is to grow and attract new business.

Lack of a provincial highway in the area was not a major concern for most businesses, though 40% of manufacturers say it is a factor. Many businesses say not having a highway helps maintain Erin’s rural character, and some favour a bypass to take transport trucks away from the Main Street of Erin village.

Reliance on visitor traffic was relatively low (especially since retail was not surveyed), with 88% saying it accounted for 25% or less of their business. Still, visitors are an important sector of customers for agriculture, creative economy and health care businesses.

When asked about satisfaction with the Town’s efforts to attract visitors, 60% on average chose not to answer. Of the remaining 40% that did answer, more were dissatisfied (23%) than satisfied (13%).

Overall, 71% of businesses say less than 25% of their own purchases are made locally, though many said they wouldn’t expect specialized products to be available in Erin.

“There still remains the opportunity to explore what can be done to encourage more local purchasing, within the County if not within Erin itself,” says the report. “The Wellington database of services and products would go a long way as a starting point.”

There was general satisfaction with the local workforce, with the highest rating in health care and the lowest in manufacturing. About 25% of the workforce is local, commuting less than 15 km, but that includes owner-operators.

Many businesses cannot afford to pay the high level of salary or wages required to buy a home in Erin. Many younger workers who might be willing to work for a lower wage cannot afford to live on their own here, especially if they do not own a vehicle.

Councillors personally liable for drinking water

As published in The Erin Advocate

Anyone planning to run for Town Council should be aware of the new level of personal responsibility imposed by the provincial government for people who supervise water systems.

The “statutory standard of care” in the Safe Drinking Water Act was extended last year to municipal councillors, meaning that negligence can have legal consequences, including possible fines and imprisonment.

“If millions of Ontar­ians take clean, safe drinking water for granted, it is because so many dedicated public officials do not,” says John Stager, Chief Drinking Water Inspector of Ontario.

A Guide published by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) says it is a councillor’s legal duty to ask questions, get answers and be vigilant.

“You don’t have to be an expert in drinking water operations, but you do need to be informed about them. Seek advice from those with expertise and act prudently on that advice,” it says.

“Never take drinking water safety for granted or assume all is well with the drinking water systems under your care and direction.”

Veteran Erin Councillor John Brennan, who is seeking re-election, says potential candidates should not be scared off by water liability, “as long as you are doing your due diligence, doing the best you can to ensure the system is running properly.”

Staff make it very clear what is required of councillors, which includes attending meetings, getting reports about the water system and ensuring it is staffed and supervised by qualified persons.

“You don’t just sign off on these reports, you read and understand what’s going on,” said Brennan.

“Municipal ownership and the ensuing responsibilities should provide a high degree of public accountability in relation to the local water system,” said Justice Dennis O’Connor in the 2002 Report of the Walkerton Inquiry, the source of Ontario’s tougher standards. “Those who discharge the oversight responsibilities of the municipality should be held to a statutory level of care.”

When an incident occurs that may constitute a breach of the standard of care, the MOE will respond, gather evidence and decide if charges should be laid. It would then be up to the courts to determine if an offence has been committed, and whether penalties should be imposed. The maximum fine on first offence is $4 million and the maximum prison sentence is five years.

Staff and council comply with a broad range of provincial regulations, covering source protection in the area of municipal wells, health-based standards for treatment to neutralize hazards, maintenance of the delivery system to prevent re-contamination, regular testing and reporting, immediate action in the event of problems, and a system of mandatory licensing, operator certification and training.

The Hillsburgh and Erin water systems have scored 100% for regulatory requirements in recent annual MOE inspections, and the Water Department has earned a provincial quality accreditation for its procedures and documentation. Various reports, and details about the Quality Management System, are available at www.erin.ca.

Town of Erin water rates have 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 – about 2,500 in Erin village (with 26 km of watermain), and 810 in Hillsburgh (with 7.1 km of water main).

Here is the provincial guide outlining the duties of municipal councillors for drinking water quality:

Taking Care of Your Drinking Water

Looking Back

From the Advocate – 100 years ago (1914)
Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip appeared before a magistrate in Sarajevo, expressing no guilt for assassinating Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on June 28. The Yugoslav nationalist had read much anarchistic literature and said he had intended for some time to kill a prominent Austrian. Martial law has been declared to quell rioting in two towns where Serbian-owned buildings are being damaged in reaction to the shootings.

From the Advocate – 45 years ago (1969)
Three students at Erin District High School have earned Ontario Scholarships with averages over 80%. Bob McFee, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter McFee of Hillsburgh, who scored in the top 1% on the Ontario-wide Physics examination, will study engineering at McMaster. Nancy Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Smith of Waldemar, will take French and English at McMaster. John Finnie, son of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Finnie of Erin, will take Geography and Planning at Waterloo.

The Vacation Bible School has started, under the direction of Rev. William Cook of the Church of Christ (Disciples). More than 100 pupils and 30 leaders registered at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Hillsburgh.

Ken Smith received the McEnery Agencies trophy as the top golfer for the second year in a row, with an average of 77 per round in the Hilltop Golf Championship.

From the Advocate – 35 years ago (1979)
Marauding dogs have been a problem in Erin Township, with council paying $980 to farmers for livestock damage last month. Clerk Clive Beardwood said the sale of dog licences helps cover the costs, but Hillsburgh licence collector Jane Bajona said only about 300 dog owner have sent in their fees – $5 for the first male, $8 for the first female and $15 for additional dogs.

Clerk Clive Beardwood is “hopping mad” about vandalism and harassment of seniors in Hillsburgh, and will explore the possibility of a local police force. He said in one morning there were eight incidents, including egg-throwing, pellet gun shots, kicking in doors and ruining gardens. They have not been reported to police for fear of reprisals.

K. Soo, owner of Erin’s Villa Restaurant, has joined with seven area families as part of the Save the Boat People effort. She can offer housing and a job for a husband and wife team. Norm Dawson said applications have been sent in to sponsor two Vietnamese refugee families.

From the Advocate – 25 years ago (1989)
Terry Johnson of Erin was praised for his quick action after he jumped into the Credit River to rescue a 13-year-old boy who was floating face-down, near a dam in Georgetown. He successfully applied mouth-to-mouth resuscitation after pulling the boy to a small island.

The Community Oriented Policing (COP) committee has been formed to enhance the OPP’s community policing strategy. Constable Jeannette Jedraszek said police calls to the Erin area are up by more than 300 this year, mainly related to speeders, dirt bikes and vandalism. “We have to open up the communication lines to the community,” she said.

Lions Club Treasurer Terry Austin told Erin Township Council that the club is planning a $250,000 renovation to the Erin Community Centre. They have started with a $10,000 donation and will be fundraising, as well as seeking municipal support for a multi-use area on the second floor of the facility.

Congratulations were extended to Diane Kendall of 8th Line Erin, who shot a hole-in-one on the third hole, a 95-yard par 3, at the Orangeville Golf Course.

Barry Rathbun, Muscular Dystrophy chairman for the Hillsburgh firefighters, reported that they raised about $3,000 for the MD Association, which has presented them with a plaque to show appreciation.

CVC won’t penalize mayor in Code dispute

As published in The Erin Advocate

The current Board of Directors at Credit Valley Conservation will take no action against Mayor Lou Maieron for his refusal to sign their Code of Conduct, but he will not be welcome to rejoin the board if he is re-elected this fall and still refuses to sign.

Last year, Maieron challenged the board’s legal right to adopt a Code of Conduct, and the requirement that each member sign it. He agreed that he was bound by the Code, but said he should not be forced to sign something with which he disagreed.

The board said it was confident of its right to enact the Code, and after a complaint against Maieron from Halton Hills Councillor Joan Robson, set up a special committee to investigate the matter. They suggested a process that could have ended with a request that Erin council appoint someone other than the mayor, but the full board could not come to agreement on a response and decided to defer the issue indefinitely.

“This complaint will end with the election,” said Deborah Martin-Downs, Chief Administrative Officer at CVC. Maieron has not announced whether he intends to seek re-election. Normally, Erin council appoints its mayor to represent the Town at the CVC, but it can appoint someone else.

“Prior to the appointments, CVC will send a letter to each municipality to inform them of the CVC Code of Conduct so that prospective members of the board are made aware of the expectation to sign it and obligation to adhere to it prior to seeking an appointment,” said Martin-Downs.

“Should a prospective member refuse to sign it, then CVC will request the municipality to replace that individual. CVC still feels that it is important to outline expectations of members in a Code of Conduct and consider it an important tool along with comparable codes being used by our municipal partners.”

The Code of Conduct also prohibits board members from suing the CVC, a measure strongly opposed by Maieron. Last year he did name CVC in a personal lawsuit, in a dispute with the Town of Erin regarding an easement on his property. Recently he said that CVC would probably be dropped from the lawsuit.

Martin-Downs said the board was made aware of the lawsuit, but there has been no specific complaint under the Code of Conduct and the board did not resolve to take any action against the mayor.

Ambulance times should be readily available

As published in The Erin Advocate

Erin residents and politicians love to complain about ambulance response times, but the pastime has run into a major snag. It seems no one can find out what the average response time is for the Town of Erin.

Service has probably improved since an ambulance was stationed at the new Hillsburgh fire hall last October, since firefighters are being called out less often to medical emergencies, but people deserve to know the exact quality of the service for which they pay.

The province covers 50% of land ambulance costs. County taxpayers chip in $7.8 million annually (including $1.2 million from Erin), which pays 20% of the costs. The City of Guelph pays 30%, and controls the budget and staffing levels.

The Guelph-based service is responsible for Erin, but the overall system is designed to be “seamless”. Many Erin calls are handled by Acton or Caledon ambulances, depending on how busy each station is and who can get to the scene most quickly. The Hillsburgh ambulance is only on-duty from 11 am to 11 pm.

The Ministry of Health has set a target of 8 minutes for an ambulance to get to a serious emergency. Guelph City Council has approved a 65% compliance rate for this response, averaged for all of Guelph and Wellington.

Overall, the ambulance service exceeds that rate, meeting the standard 67% of the time. In the city, they meet the standard 77% of the time, while in the entire County, the average is only 49%.

No one expects rural service to match urban service, but meeting the provincial standard 49% of the time for serious calls should not be considered acceptable.

Mayor Lou Maieron suspects that Erin’s response times are even worse than the county average, since some other communities have a full-time ambulance, as well as a hospital, where ambulances are often delayed.

I contacted Guelph Fire and Emergency Services Chief Shawn Armstrong in February and March this year looking for Erin statistics for total ambulance calls, the number of Code 4 (serious) calls, and the average times.

I received nothing, the same as Mayor Maieron and County Councillor Ken Chapman, who have been asking for years. I asked Erin Fire Chief Dan Callaghan, but he doesn’t have the information. The full County Council voted in March to request it, but still nothing.

Armstrong is not on staff at Wellington County – he works for the City of Guelph. The City has a new Communication Model, in which the ambulance service is to be “Transparent, Accessible and Accountable”.

As part of that, I heard that Armstrong was coming to make a presentation to Erin Town Council. So I emailed him and asked him to bring along the Erin data. He didn’t answer, and he didn’t bring it.

He did tell councillors that the ambulance staff want to improve service, so that compliance rates will be “tighter” in the County, and that the Tiered Response Agreement which calls out firefighters to some medical emergencies needs to be improved.

He had a nice Powerpoint presentation, with big arrows showing how the County and local Towns have the right to pose questions about service delivery. A right to receive answers was not specifically mentioned.

At the meeting, Councillor John Brennan asked him for the local data. Armstrong did not say that he wasn’t allowed to provide it, that it was too complicated to compile, that we’d have to contact the Ministry of Health or that it was none of our business.

He simply said, “We don’t have that data tonight, but we would certainly be willing to provide that data if council so wishes.” He suggested it might be ready in October.

Fire Dept. seeking donations for ATV

As published in The Erin Advocate

Private donations are being requested to help Erin Fire & Emergency Services buy an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) for off-road rescues and firefighting.

Erin Town Council has declined to include the vehicle in the department’s budget, but encouraged firefighters to try to raise the money themselves.

“We cover a vast rural area,” said Fire Chief Dan Callaghan. “We want to provide the best response for the citizens of Erin. At these times of fiscal restraint, we have undertaken a fundraising drive to acquire this much needed piece of equipment.”

Crews are sometimes challenged with grass and other remote fires or the rescue of injured snowmobilers, mountain bikers, ATV users, hikers, farmers and horseback riders.

About $25,000 is needed for the ATV, which would accommodate two riders side by side, plus the costs of accessory/trailer equipment.

“This vehicle would be a dual purpose vehicle for fire fighting and rescues, and would be equipped with a removable pump and water tank, and a stretcher for medical emergencies,” said Callaghan, in a letter to local businesses.

He said they hope to purchase the vehicle locally, and make it available (with a driver) for community events such as trail tree planting, spring road clean-up and the Fall Fair.

The Town will issue tax receipts for any donations over $25. Cheques can be made out to Town of Erin, with a notation of “ATV Project”. Call Shelley Ballantyne at 519-855-4407, ext. 254 for more information.

Currently, if Erin firefighters need an ATV, they have to call for aid from neighbouring municipalities, which slows the response. They also have an arrangement to request help from the Hillsburgh Snow Roamers if a snowmobile is needed.

Looking Back

From the Advocate – 100 years ago (1914)
The British Admiralty has created a new branch called the Naval Air Service, encouraging retired sailors to re-enlist, and attracting civilian recruits with a rate of pay higher than for the submarine service. Candidates must undergo three months of training and commit to four years of duty. Meanwhile, the Royal Flying Corps and their counterparts in Germany are attempting a new technique – flying their biplanes in squadron formation.

From the Advocate – 45 years ago (1969)
The Wellington School Board has rejected an appeal to stop the closing of the kindergarten class at Ospringe School due to low enrollment. Dr. J.P. Lautenslager led a delegation, with a petition from all 54 parents, saying “No expense is too great when the education of these children is involved.” The 31 Ospringe kindergarten students will be bused to Hillsburgh where there are 21, or Brisbane where there are 25.

All-Star teams are to be chosen by Erin Minor Softball to compete against other leagues. Paul Legge and Harry Smith are in charge of the American League team, while Dwight Bell and Al Kirkwood will handle the National League team.

The Advocate ran a historical photo of Erin’s 1911 baseball team, with Hump Matthews, Bill Ramesbottom, Jim McCaig, Tom Bush, Archie Chisholm, James Small, Bill Matthews, George Trimble, Ab Garbutt, George Sanders, John Trimble, Jim Sanders and Bill Bush.

In Marsville news, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Elgie have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Mr. Elgie is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Elgie, and Mrs. Elgie is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Day. They have a son William Elgie, a daughter Mabel Reid and a granddaughter Janet Elgie of Orton.

From the Advocate – 35 years ago (1979)
There was $170,000 in damage and 240 sheep lost in a fire at the farm of David and Karen Heaslip, at the old Eric Leslie property. The sheep were indoors because of recent attacks by roaming dogs.

Erin store owner Liz Balmer says Erin village should have its own police force, after thieves kicked in her back door and stole $83 in cash. A survey by the Advocate found that people are divided about the quality of the OPP service. Reeve Larry McKenzie said protection could be improved with better cooperation from the public. He said a village force would cost about $200 per taxpayer, which would be less if the Township shared the expense.

Andrew Beaudoin of Guelph, a teacher at Bishop Macdonell High School and a curriculum coordinator, has been appointed as the first principal of the new St. John Brebeuf Separate School in Erin.

From the Advocate – 25 years ago (1989)
Barbara White of Orton, a school bus driver with Denny’s Bus Line, has received a 25 Year Safe Driver Award. She was hired by Clarence Denny in 1963 and has logged about 300,000 miles on the job.

Village council approved a proposition to allow the Erin Hydro Electric Commission to build a new office and work centre at the north end of the village. The new building will have three bays and some office space, and cost about $387,000. Reeve Terry Mundell said the village would seek Ontario Municipal Board approval for a $250,000 debenture.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held to begin construction of the new Erin Place Shopping Centre in front of the Valu-Mart grocery store. The three-acre project, started three years ago by Terry Hryhor and now controlled by a consortium of owners, will help create a “stronger downtown core”, said Reeve Mundell.

Legion honours vets who died on active duty

As published in The Erin Advocate

The Erin Legion held brief ceremonies on June 21 at the gravesites of two local pilots who died in military plane crashes that occurred 36 years apart.

The tributes were followed by the 55th annual service organized by the Erin Union Cemetery Improvement Committee, for all families with loved ones buried there.

Rev. Deacon Irene Walback presided, with Kent Tocher and Jane Adair providing music, and Brad Wilson of Erin Bible Chapel offering a prayer. Jim O’Connor thanked the Legion and the public for their financial support of the committee, which helps with maintenance of the cemetery.Walback also thanked Branch 442 Service Officer Doug Kirkwood for helping to preserve the memories of two Erin men killed while on active duty with the Canadian Armed Forces and buried at Union Cemetery.

Flight Cadet Harry Sanders died on September 17, 1918 while flying solo near Camp Leaside, a Royal Air Force training facility that is now part of Toronto. He lost control of his machine when it suddenly burst into flames at 1,000 feet, and crashed immediately to the ground.

Sanders, 29, was advanced in his training and been given medical clearance to fly after a sick leave. An inquest found no evidence of problems with the plane before the flight.

He was buried with Masonic honours, with the service conducted by Chaplain Morris of Camp Leaside. The Erin Advocate noted that it was one of the largest funerals seen here in many years, and that Sanders had lost his mother just four months earlier.

Flying Officer Doug Covert died on June 4, 1954 at the age of 19, working as a flying instructor in Penhold, Alberta. He was killed in a crash of a Harvard training plane, along with Flight Cadet Svend Jark of Haderslav, Denmark.

He was described in the Advocate as an outstanding, popular student, a graduate of Erin District High School where Doug Kirkwood was a fellow student. Covert joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1952, the same year he graduated. He had trained at several RCAF bases, and had recently been appointed as an instructor.

He was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Covert of Erin. The last rites were observed with a sounding of the last post, three volleys by the firing squad and reveille. The pall-bearers were school friends Jim Houston, William Jackson, Ron Jackson, Wilfred Major, Jim Milne and Charles Overland. The flower bearers were Air Force veterans Cecile Carney, Earl Fuller, Leo Lyons, Robert Meehan, L.G. MacKenzie and W. Winters.

Above, the 1954 funeral in Erin for Doug Covert.
Below, the recent memorial service at the gravesite.

New Riverside Park Sign

Members of Erin's Trails Committee had a work party on June 21 to erect a sign at the new Riverside Park, on Church Blvd. near Hull's Dam. It includes a map of the Town's greenspaces, and a 1905 photo of the village, showing the mill race that once ran from the dam to the far side of Main Street. The volunteers prepared garden beds for shrubs and flowers at the park, which will also have picnic tables. Unfortunately, it appears that a rock from the garden preparation was used by someone to smash the plexiglass of the sign, just one week later.