As published in The Erin Advocate
For the first time since the Great Depression, the population of Erin has gone down.
Statistics Canada results from the 2011 census show the town with 10,770 residents, a decline of 378 (-3.4%) since 2006. If the trend continues, including a relatively low number of families with young children, at least one of Erin's public elementary schools could close in the next few years.
The possibility was raised last month by Matt Pearson, Project Manager of the Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP), in a presentation to town council. He highlighted the fact that there were already population declines in the age 0-14 and age 20-29 groups before 2006.
"Eventually, you are going to say, why are we running two arenas?" he said. The largest segment is in the 40-59 age range – many of whom would like to see their kids have the opportunity to live and work in Erin.
"They can't afford to live in town if there's no jobs," he said, pointing out that the average value of a house in Erin went from $276,000 in 2001 to $410,000 in 2006, and is likely over $500,000 now. He also noted that many seniors cannot afford to downsize here.
"Fifteen per cent of the labour force works in town. It's not what you wanted. This is why we're losing school age youth. You're going to get one of these studies, one of these days, that's going to tell you you've got two schools too many.
"That's a really hard thing when a small community loses a school. It takes jobs away, it takes community focus away. How do you keep your schools? You've got to have more people."
Upper Grand School Trustee Kathryn Cooper confirmed that low enrollment is a serious concern that could lead a school closure. No changes are expected in the next couple of years as the board assesses the impact of added students in full-day kindergarten and possible changes in class sizes.
"Schools are our community hubs," she said. "We need more kids in Erin if we want to keep our schools. Boards are paid on a per student basis. Fewer students means fewer dollars."
She said that Ross R. Mackay School in Hillsburgh is at risk because the board's 2011 Identified Schools Report showed a projected enrollment of 130 students, while the school can accommodate 213. The occupancy rate of 61% is the third lowest among the board's 59 elementary schools.
Brisbane was projected to have 349 students, at 84% of capacity, while Erin Public was projected to have 438, at 74% of capacity. A new projection report will be done in the next few months.
St. John Brebeuf Catholic School has a capacity of 302, and enrollment is down slightly at 93%, with 282 students. Brebeuf and Erin Public both have full-day kindergarten, with Brisbane scheduled to get it this fall, and Mackay in September 2014.
Cooper said the current controversy over transfer of French Immersion students to Brisbane is not directly related to the low enrollment issue. French Immersion accounts for about 57% of students at Brisbane and 11% at Erin Public.
From 1901 to 1941, the combined population of Erin Township and Erin Village declined steadily, from 4,098 to 3,104. Then there were increases for each 10-year census period (including a 42% increase during the 1970s) until the downturn in 2011.
But while total population has declined since 2006, the number of private dwellings is virtually unchanged at 3,939, and up slightly from the 2001 count of 3,892.
"We have a mature population of long-term residents," said Town of Erin Planner Sally Stull. "The kids have gone someplace else, so what you are seeing is an emptying out of homes."
She does not see the population decline as an economic threat to the Town, since the tax base continues to expand, with people continuing to buy properties and add value to them.
"The community faces changes as the demographics change," she said. "We're going to see less demand for sports facilities and more for seniors centres. Even with sewage treatment, I am not convinced that we're going to see more young families."
Lack of sewers has put a hold on new subdivisions since 2007, pending completion of the ongoing SSMP Environmental Assessment.
The population of Ontario stands at 12.9 million, making up 38.4% of Canada's 33.5 million people. But the provincial growth rate of 5.7% is the lowest since the early 1980s. With today's parents having fewer children than previous generations, Canada relies on immigration for 67% of its population growth – considered essential to fuel the economy. By 2031, immigration is expected to account for 80% of population growth.
Ontario's immigration minister Charles Sousa has complained that the federal government has shifted some its funding for settlement of newcomers away from Ontario, to the booming economies of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Erin receives very few immigrants. As well, the ratio of Canadians living in rural areas has declined steadily from 86% in 1851 to 17% in 2011.
The 2011 census shows population increases since 2006 in the neighbouring municipalities of Caledon (+4.2%), East Garafraxa (+8.6%), Guelph Eramosa (+2.6%), Centre Wellington (+2.5%), and Halton Hills (+6.7%). Brampton was up by 20.8% to 523,911, while Milton had the fast growth in Canada, rising 56.5% to 84,362.
Population figures published by Statistics Canada do not include people missed in the census count, but the agency later provides an estimate of the rate of "undercount". For Wellington in 2001, that rate was 4.75%, so when provincial planners put population estimates in the Places to Grow charts, to be used by the county, they bumped up the census figures by 4.75%.
So while the census says Erin had 11,148 people in 2006, the planning estimate is 11,680. For 2011, planners had estimated 11,930, but that turned out to be too high. The census reported 10,770, but an extra 4.75% only brings that up to 11,281. Instead of the small increase that was predicted, Erin had a small decline.
February 29, 2012
Plan endorses intensified housing – eventually
As published in The Erin Advocate
Erin Town Council has unanimously approved a series of changes to its Official Plan that would allow for higher-density housing in future subdivisions, but only if the Town gets some form of wastewater servicing.
The amendment is required to bring the Erin Official Plan in line with the Wellington County Official Plan and the Ontario Places to Grow legislation. The County has been mandated to grow significantly by 2031, in both households and jobs, and expects Erin to handle a share of that.
The new parts of the Official Plan include an affordable housing policy, a "culture of conservation", targets for residential intensification, a jobs-to-residents ratio and density targets for "greenfield" lands (previously undeveloped land within the urban boundaries). The public was invited to an information session on the changes last November.
"The Town needs to ensure that new growth helps retain the small town and rural character of the Town of Erin," the preamble to the Plan says, noting the provincial objective of curbing urban sprawl and building "complete" communities.
Most of the changes are subject to "wastewater servicing constraints", meaning that without a sewer system, no major development can take place. Sewers cannot be built until the ongoing Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP) is approved, and incorporated into the Official Plan.
The recent revisions to the Official Plan include the County Growth Forecast for Erin, 2006 to 2031. Total households are predicted to rise from 3,810 to 5,460. Total employment is predicted to rise from 3,550 to 5,460.
Population projections show an additional 3,850 people in the town by 2031 (1,380 more in Erin village, 840 more in Hillsburgh, and 1,630 more in the hamlets and rural areas). The predictions were made with the assumption that sewer service would be in place by 2016. But it is now clear that it will take much longer, and that substantial new housing is likely to be built later than predicted.
Also, it was expected that the population would remain stable or increase slightly without sewers. But the 2011 census shows a 3.4 per cent population decline since 2006, making it even more difficult to predict future levels.
Still, it is significant to note that the Official Plan predicts growth of 33% over 25 years, with the fastest growth of 15% between 2021 and 2031. That is far lower than the growth rate of 42% that the town experienced from 1971 to 1981 (combined township and village).
At the January 24 council meeting, Mayor Lou Maieron questioned the accuracy of the projected growth forecast, and as noted in the minutes, had a concern that "the numbers being considered would not promote economically feasible development". Erin Planner Sally Stull said the population figures are only rough estimates, which will be revised every five years.
Council had been considering two changes to the Plan that were not approved. A provision for mandatory hookup to municipal water, where a watermain is adjacent to a property, is not included. The other omitted section would have required anyone wanting to install a "communal water treatment plant" to prove to the Town's satisfaction that it was a fail-safe system.
Instead, it simply says "roads, water and utilities will be provided to all new developments wherever feasible". It says the effect is "to clarify that the Town of Erin is reluctant to accept communal septic systems as a viable long term method of sanitary waste disposal until sufficient proof of long-term sustainability is established."
The policy of council when considering development will be to promote a "culture of conservation" that includes water, energy, air quality, waste management and existing cultural heritage features.
The Plan says the Town "will conform" to the County's overall growth strategy, which includes 20% of all residential development each year being within the already built-up parts of the urban areas. Revitalization of downtown areas will include more housing above commercial units.
Development in greenfield areas will have a minimum density of at least 40 residents and jobs per hectare (16 per acre). That could mean six housing units per acre in new subdivisions.
Developers with subdivisions approved, but not yet built, will be asked to consider revising their plans to add more homes per acre. Hamlet expansions will be limited to five residential lots.
A minimum of 25% of new housing, county-wide, must be affordable to low and moderate income households.
"The Town will contribute to the achievement of these targets, subject to servicing constraints," the Plan says. "Accessory residences will provide the bulk of affordable housing opportunities until such time as municipal wastewater servicing is provided."
Medium density housing for Erin is likely to take the form of small lot single family dwellings, townhouses or low rise apartments (4-6 stories). Institutional uses could also boost density, but high rise development is very unlikely, according to Stull.
Erin Town Council has unanimously approved a series of changes to its Official Plan that would allow for higher-density housing in future subdivisions, but only if the Town gets some form of wastewater servicing.
The amendment is required to bring the Erin Official Plan in line with the Wellington County Official Plan and the Ontario Places to Grow legislation. The County has been mandated to grow significantly by 2031, in both households and jobs, and expects Erin to handle a share of that.
The new parts of the Official Plan include an affordable housing policy, a "culture of conservation", targets for residential intensification, a jobs-to-residents ratio and density targets for "greenfield" lands (previously undeveloped land within the urban boundaries). The public was invited to an information session on the changes last November.
"The Town needs to ensure that new growth helps retain the small town and rural character of the Town of Erin," the preamble to the Plan says, noting the provincial objective of curbing urban sprawl and building "complete" communities.
Most of the changes are subject to "wastewater servicing constraints", meaning that without a sewer system, no major development can take place. Sewers cannot be built until the ongoing Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP) is approved, and incorporated into the Official Plan.
The recent revisions to the Official Plan include the County Growth Forecast for Erin, 2006 to 2031. Total households are predicted to rise from 3,810 to 5,460. Total employment is predicted to rise from 3,550 to 5,460.
Population projections show an additional 3,850 people in the town by 2031 (1,380 more in Erin village, 840 more in Hillsburgh, and 1,630 more in the hamlets and rural areas). The predictions were made with the assumption that sewer service would be in place by 2016. But it is now clear that it will take much longer, and that substantial new housing is likely to be built later than predicted.
Also, it was expected that the population would remain stable or increase slightly without sewers. But the 2011 census shows a 3.4 per cent population decline since 2006, making it even more difficult to predict future levels.
Still, it is significant to note that the Official Plan predicts growth of 33% over 25 years, with the fastest growth of 15% between 2021 and 2031. That is far lower than the growth rate of 42% that the town experienced from 1971 to 1981 (combined township and village).
At the January 24 council meeting, Mayor Lou Maieron questioned the accuracy of the projected growth forecast, and as noted in the minutes, had a concern that "the numbers being considered would not promote economically feasible development". Erin Planner Sally Stull said the population figures are only rough estimates, which will be revised every five years.
Council had been considering two changes to the Plan that were not approved. A provision for mandatory hookup to municipal water, where a watermain is adjacent to a property, is not included. The other omitted section would have required anyone wanting to install a "communal water treatment plant" to prove to the Town's satisfaction that it was a fail-safe system.
Instead, it simply says "roads, water and utilities will be provided to all new developments wherever feasible". It says the effect is "to clarify that the Town of Erin is reluctant to accept communal septic systems as a viable long term method of sanitary waste disposal until sufficient proof of long-term sustainability is established."
The policy of council when considering development will be to promote a "culture of conservation" that includes water, energy, air quality, waste management and existing cultural heritage features.
The Plan says the Town "will conform" to the County's overall growth strategy, which includes 20% of all residential development each year being within the already built-up parts of the urban areas. Revitalization of downtown areas will include more housing above commercial units.
Development in greenfield areas will have a minimum density of at least 40 residents and jobs per hectare (16 per acre). That could mean six housing units per acre in new subdivisions.
Developers with subdivisions approved, but not yet built, will be asked to consider revising their plans to add more homes per acre. Hamlet expansions will be limited to five residential lots.
A minimum of 25% of new housing, county-wide, must be affordable to low and moderate income households.
"The Town will contribute to the achievement of these targets, subject to servicing constraints," the Plan says. "Accessory residences will provide the bulk of affordable housing opportunities until such time as municipal wastewater servicing is provided."
Medium density housing for Erin is likely to take the form of small lot single family dwellings, townhouses or low rise apartments (4-6 stories). Institutional uses could also boost density, but high rise development is very unlikely, according to Stull.
February 22, 2012
New Hillsburgh group would protest well renewal
As published in The Erin Advocate
People who are concerned about the impact of water extraction by the Nestlé company are gearing up to oppose renewal of a permit for its Hillsburgh well, and are hoping to form a local group affiliated with Wellington Water Watchers.
A range of water issues was discussed last week after the latest film in the 2012 Fast Forward series, organized by the Climate Change Action Group of Erin (CCAGE) and sponsored by Credit Valley Conservation (CVC).
The film was Water on the Table, a profile of Council of Canadians National Chair Maude Barlow, who has authored 16 books and been a prominent critic of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the World Trade Organization and oil sands development. As senior advisor on water to the president of the United Nations in 2009, she addressed the General Assembly:
"The problem is that we humans have seen the Earth and its water resources as something that exists for our benefit and economic advancement rather than as a living ecological system that needs to be safeguarded if it is to survive. The human water footprint surpasses all others and endangers life on Earth itself," she said.
"Water must be seen as a commons that belongs to the Earth and all species alike. It must be declared a public trust that belongs to the people, the ecosystem and the future. Clean water must be delivered as a public service, not a profitable commodity. We need to assert once and for all that access to clean, affordable water is a fundamental human right."
The assembly endorsed the right to clean water and sanitation in 2010, with 122 countries voting in favour, and 41 (including Canada) abstaining. The vote carries no legal force and does not affect Canada's sovereign rights over its water.
Nora Chaloner, Chair of the Guelph chapter of the Council of Canadians, said at the meeting that Barlow's work means a lot in the Global South. Almost 900 million people in the world lack safe drinking water and 2.6 billion have no access to basic sanitation.
"Unfortunately the countries that did not sign on to it are in the Global North, the big, prosperous countries, the developed countries, who don't really want to have water as a human right," she said.
Groups such as the Council of Canadians and the National Farmers' Union are also concerned that a trade deal known as CETA, now being negotiated between Canada and Europe, could affect municipal water. If towns and cities end up having to seek private investment to maintain their water and waste systems, they may be obliged to accept bids from foreign corporations. This could lead to rate hikes, cut-offs for low-income households, poorer environmental protection and lack of accountability.
Bottled water, of course, is already a commercial business. Nestlé's Hillsburgh permit comes up for renewal in August. There has been no identified harm to the local water supply to date, but there is concern because the MoE is underfunded and allows Nestlé to do the monitoring. A well protection agreement between Nestlé and Erin is designed to provide rapid response to any complaints by well owners.
The Ministry of the Environment (MoE) deals with a range of issues, including the length of the license period, the opportunities for public input, the monitoring of local water levels by the company and the fee that it pays – currently just $3.74 per million litres of water.
The issue is complex, because if water is taxed as a resource (like oil), it becomes more of a commodity – one that the US could claim is tradable on a larger scale under NAFTA.
The renewal for the Aberfoyle well was approved last year with no new restrictions on volume or time period, but with extensive monitoring of other wells in the area.
Wellington Water Watchers has promoted the safety of tap water and led the local fight against bottled water and high-volume water taking. Chair Mike Nagy, a speaker after the film last week, said the group hopes to persuade the MoE to take a broader view with a "water budget" for the region, and to consider all aspects of the bottled water, such as the harm caused by plastic bottles and extensive trucking.
"We don't want to be known as the anti-Nestlé group, that's not who the Water Watchers are, but that is one of our highest profile projects," he said. "We have lost faith in the Environmental Bill Registry for the permit to take water, we feel it is a flawed process...We had 8,000 people comment in 2007 on the Aberfoyle permit – that was basically dismissed by the Ministry."
Nagy said a new strategy is being developed for the Hillsburgh renewal, but it is not being made public yet. "It's all hands on deck, we need all resources, talents, anybody that can come forward," he said.
"I'd like to see a group of people in Hillsburgh and Erin get together and hammer out the issues," said teacher Chris Green, a Hillsburgh native.
"There is power in numbers," said Chaloner. "It starts by you talking to your neighbours and your friends, and groups getting together."
If you would like to get involved, or just get more information, contact Liz Armstrong of CCAGE at liz@ican.net or 519-833-4676, or Wellington Water Watchers at www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca, or 519-780-5030.
Holly Nadalin of Credit Valley Conservation, which will be offering its comments on the impact of the Nestlé well, also announced a new stewardship program, with details available soon on their website, www.creditvalleyca.ca. Rural landowners will be able to apply for 65-100 per cent funding for property improvements that will enhance water quality and other aspects of the local ecology.
People who are concerned about the impact of water extraction by the Nestlé company are gearing up to oppose renewal of a permit for its Hillsburgh well, and are hoping to form a local group affiliated with Wellington Water Watchers.
A range of water issues was discussed last week after the latest film in the 2012 Fast Forward series, organized by the Climate Change Action Group of Erin (CCAGE) and sponsored by Credit Valley Conservation (CVC).
The film was Water on the Table, a profile of Council of Canadians National Chair Maude Barlow, who has authored 16 books and been a prominent critic of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the World Trade Organization and oil sands development. As senior advisor on water to the president of the United Nations in 2009, she addressed the General Assembly:
"The problem is that we humans have seen the Earth and its water resources as something that exists for our benefit and economic advancement rather than as a living ecological system that needs to be safeguarded if it is to survive. The human water footprint surpasses all others and endangers life on Earth itself," she said.
"Water must be seen as a commons that belongs to the Earth and all species alike. It must be declared a public trust that belongs to the people, the ecosystem and the future. Clean water must be delivered as a public service, not a profitable commodity. We need to assert once and for all that access to clean, affordable water is a fundamental human right."
The assembly endorsed the right to clean water and sanitation in 2010, with 122 countries voting in favour, and 41 (including Canada) abstaining. The vote carries no legal force and does not affect Canada's sovereign rights over its water.
Nora Chaloner, Chair of the Guelph chapter of the Council of Canadians, said at the meeting that Barlow's work means a lot in the Global South. Almost 900 million people in the world lack safe drinking water and 2.6 billion have no access to basic sanitation.
"Unfortunately the countries that did not sign on to it are in the Global North, the big, prosperous countries, the developed countries, who don't really want to have water as a human right," she said.
Groups such as the Council of Canadians and the National Farmers' Union are also concerned that a trade deal known as CETA, now being negotiated between Canada and Europe, could affect municipal water. If towns and cities end up having to seek private investment to maintain their water and waste systems, they may be obliged to accept bids from foreign corporations. This could lead to rate hikes, cut-offs for low-income households, poorer environmental protection and lack of accountability.
Bottled water, of course, is already a commercial business. Nestlé's Hillsburgh permit comes up for renewal in August. There has been no identified harm to the local water supply to date, but there is concern because the MoE is underfunded and allows Nestlé to do the monitoring. A well protection agreement between Nestlé and Erin is designed to provide rapid response to any complaints by well owners.
The Ministry of the Environment (MoE) deals with a range of issues, including the length of the license period, the opportunities for public input, the monitoring of local water levels by the company and the fee that it pays – currently just $3.74 per million litres of water.
The issue is complex, because if water is taxed as a resource (like oil), it becomes more of a commodity – one that the US could claim is tradable on a larger scale under NAFTA.
The renewal for the Aberfoyle well was approved last year with no new restrictions on volume or time period, but with extensive monitoring of other wells in the area.
Wellington Water Watchers has promoted the safety of tap water and led the local fight against bottled water and high-volume water taking. Chair Mike Nagy, a speaker after the film last week, said the group hopes to persuade the MoE to take a broader view with a "water budget" for the region, and to consider all aspects of the bottled water, such as the harm caused by plastic bottles and extensive trucking.
"We don't want to be known as the anti-Nestlé group, that's not who the Water Watchers are, but that is one of our highest profile projects," he said. "We have lost faith in the Environmental Bill Registry for the permit to take water, we feel it is a flawed process...We had 8,000 people comment in 2007 on the Aberfoyle permit – that was basically dismissed by the Ministry."
Nagy said a new strategy is being developed for the Hillsburgh renewal, but it is not being made public yet. "It's all hands on deck, we need all resources, talents, anybody that can come forward," he said.
"I'd like to see a group of people in Hillsburgh and Erin get together and hammer out the issues," said teacher Chris Green, a Hillsburgh native.
"There is power in numbers," said Chaloner. "It starts by you talking to your neighbours and your friends, and groups getting together."
If you would like to get involved, or just get more information, contact Liz Armstrong of CCAGE at liz@ican.net or 519-833-4676, or Wellington Water Watchers at www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca, or 519-780-5030.
Holly Nadalin of Credit Valley Conservation, which will be offering its comments on the impact of the Nestlé well, also announced a new stewardship program, with details available soon on their website, www.creditvalleyca.ca. Rural landowners will be able to apply for 65-100 per cent funding for property improvements that will enhance water quality and other aspects of the local ecology.
February 15, 2012
Cuba is a harsh lesson in conservation
As published in The Erin Advocate
To those who hope for a society that does not rely excessively on fossil fuels, may I recommend a visit to Cuba – a land with plenty of roads and very few cars.
I have been doing some mid-winter research here, scribbling my notes diligently despite the pulsating salsa music and a parade of scantily-clad distractions. There are key decisions to be made every day: Beach or pool? Buffet or à la carte? Relaxing for days at a time can drive you crazy.
I am not sure whether to feel like an upper class citizen of the world, thanks to Canada's high-value currency, or a slab of meat being grilled on the huge conveyor belt of the tourism industry. I also get a chill, knowing that if a Cuban wrote a column like mine, with mild criticism of their government, they would soon be in prison.
Cuba is a great place to meet people from other cultures, especially French Canadians. Almost half of the 2 million tourists who visit Cuba every year are Canadians, with many from Québec. Then there are the Brits, Italians, Germans and a variety of Latin tourists. Just no obvious Americans, which seems to suit everybody just fine.
The Cold War, of course, is not over here. It simmers constantly with the US, which has enforced a punishing economic embargo since 1962 and continues to levy fines on companies that do business with Cuba.
While there, I read Prisoner of Tehran, a memoir by Marina Nemat, who escaped the political repression of Iran and made it to Canada. It is important for us to remember that there are many places in the world where ordinary people live in fear of their own police and government.
Iran and Cuba are among the nations criticized by Amnesty International for severe repression of civil and political rights, with prisoners detained solely for peaceful criticism of their government.
Many nations are glad to invest in Cuba – I saw a huge nickel mine operated by the Canadian firm Sherritt – but it was Russian subsidies and trade that the country relied on for many years to build up a modern infrastructure. The collapse of the Soviet Union was an economic disaster, plunging a poor nation into deeper poverty during the 1990s.
There were severe shortages of food and fuel, and cars became a luxury that very few could afford. People had to eat less and walk more, resulting in a significant decline in deaths due to diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke.
Even now, when the economy is in somewhat better shape, most of the motorized vehicles I see on the roads are taxis and buses carrying tourists. Most cars are still refurbished American models from before the embargo, or Russian Ladas used by police and others with elite status.
To buy a car is simply out of the question for most Cuban workers – it could take 10 to 100 times their annual salary, most of which is already used up for rent and other payments.
It is impossible to make direct comparisons between Cuba and Canada, but it is worth wondering just what we would do for transportation if we had a major economic meltdown, a new Depression. There would certainly be no money for fancy public transit.
Many of Cuba's roads still have washed out sections from Hurricane Ike in 2008 (reminding me of springtime gravel roads in Erin). They are busy with pedestrians, horseback riders, bicycles, tricycle taxis, horse and buggy rigs with old car axles, and public transit buses.
Groups of workers are often hauled about in old troop transports or on flatbed trucks. Instead of tractors, farm carts are drawn by small horses (they eat less) and oxen, like the ones that did the heavy work when areas like Erin were settled in the 1800s.
It is a reminder that people are generally driven to conserve by necessity, not idealism. When we run out of oil and gas, could Canada turn to tourism as its leading industry?
In Cuba, the push to open resorts to draw in foreign cash has created a situation where a good bartender with a steady flow of tips can enjoy a higher standard of living than a doctor or an engineer.
Cubans are very friendly and courteous, from the professionals to the beggars. They will complain about their low salaries if you ask them, but they are fiercely proud of their independence, their music and dance, and their universal free health care and education.
There is an underlying reserve, however. Maybe it is because until recently, just speaking with foreigners could get Cubans into hot water. Maybe when they look at me, they wonder what I ever did to deserve the privileges and opportunities of being a Canadian citizen.
To those who hope for a society that does not rely excessively on fossil fuels, may I recommend a visit to Cuba – a land with plenty of roads and very few cars.
I have been doing some mid-winter research here, scribbling my notes diligently despite the pulsating salsa music and a parade of scantily-clad distractions. There are key decisions to be made every day: Beach or pool? Buffet or à la carte? Relaxing for days at a time can drive you crazy.
I am not sure whether to feel like an upper class citizen of the world, thanks to Canada's high-value currency, or a slab of meat being grilled on the huge conveyor belt of the tourism industry. I also get a chill, knowing that if a Cuban wrote a column like mine, with mild criticism of their government, they would soon be in prison.
Cuba is a great place to meet people from other cultures, especially French Canadians. Almost half of the 2 million tourists who visit Cuba every year are Canadians, with many from Québec. Then there are the Brits, Italians, Germans and a variety of Latin tourists. Just no obvious Americans, which seems to suit everybody just fine.
The Cold War, of course, is not over here. It simmers constantly with the US, which has enforced a punishing economic embargo since 1962 and continues to levy fines on companies that do business with Cuba.
While there, I read Prisoner of Tehran, a memoir by Marina Nemat, who escaped the political repression of Iran and made it to Canada. It is important for us to remember that there are many places in the world where ordinary people live in fear of their own police and government.
Iran and Cuba are among the nations criticized by Amnesty International for severe repression of civil and political rights, with prisoners detained solely for peaceful criticism of their government.
Many nations are glad to invest in Cuba – I saw a huge nickel mine operated by the Canadian firm Sherritt – but it was Russian subsidies and trade that the country relied on for many years to build up a modern infrastructure. The collapse of the Soviet Union was an economic disaster, plunging a poor nation into deeper poverty during the 1990s.
There were severe shortages of food and fuel, and cars became a luxury that very few could afford. People had to eat less and walk more, resulting in a significant decline in deaths due to diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke.
Even now, when the economy is in somewhat better shape, most of the motorized vehicles I see on the roads are taxis and buses carrying tourists. Most cars are still refurbished American models from before the embargo, or Russian Ladas used by police and others with elite status.
To buy a car is simply out of the question for most Cuban workers – it could take 10 to 100 times their annual salary, most of which is already used up for rent and other payments.
It is impossible to make direct comparisons between Cuba and Canada, but it is worth wondering just what we would do for transportation if we had a major economic meltdown, a new Depression. There would certainly be no money for fancy public transit.
Many of Cuba's roads still have washed out sections from Hurricane Ike in 2008 (reminding me of springtime gravel roads in Erin). They are busy with pedestrians, horseback riders, bicycles, tricycle taxis, horse and buggy rigs with old car axles, and public transit buses.
Groups of workers are often hauled about in old troop transports or on flatbed trucks. Instead of tractors, farm carts are drawn by small horses (they eat less) and oxen, like the ones that did the heavy work when areas like Erin were settled in the 1800s.
It is a reminder that people are generally driven to conserve by necessity, not idealism. When we run out of oil and gas, could Canada turn to tourism as its leading industry?
In Cuba, the push to open resorts to draw in foreign cash has created a situation where a good bartender with a steady flow of tips can enjoy a higher standard of living than a doctor or an engineer.
Cubans are very friendly and courteous, from the professionals to the beggars. They will complain about their low salaries if you ask them, but they are fiercely proud of their independence, their music and dance, and their universal free health care and education.
There is an underlying reserve, however. Maybe it is because until recently, just speaking with foreigners could get Cubans into hot water. Maybe when they look at me, they wonder what I ever did to deserve the privileges and opportunities of being a Canadian citizen.
February 08, 2012
County will not redevelop landfill site
As published in The Erin Advocate
It is unlikely that Wellington County would ever consider recreational redevelopment of the old Erin Village landfill site, or even allow a walking trail to pass through it, according to the Manager of Solid Waste Services.
"When it's closed, it's closed forever," said Doug Konrad. "It is to be maintained as grass only."
The County took over the site, just west of the Credit River near Church Street, about ten years ago. It was closed in 2003 under a Certificate of Approval from the Ministry of the Environment (MOE).
Konrad said it would be an expensive process to re-open and alter the terms of that certificate, which would be required even for a trail, and it could expose the county to the risk of more stringent requirements from the MOE. If formal walking trails had existed in the area in 2003, there could have been provision for them in the closure plan.
Before Christmas, the county spent about $40,000 to install a 427-meter chain link fence along the south-east border of the landfill, starting at the river. About half that cost was to reinforce it with welded cross-beams, to deter vandals who have repeatedly torn down fences in the area.
The hilly countryside has been damaged by dirt bike and all-terrain vehicle riders, with resulting erosion on both county and private property.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing encourages municipalities to redevelop "brownfield" properties, such as former commercial, industrial or landfill sites, for more active use.
That is a costly process as well, but a brochure from that ministry says such redevelopment can support economic development and job creation, contribute to revitalization and "increase community pride and quality of life".
Other communities have successfully turned old landfills into nature parks. That option should at least be open for discussion and investigation in Erin. Research is being conducted on various uses for closed sites, even the growing of crops to be used as biofuel.
Machine traffic on the hills still has to be stopped, and maybe more fencing is inevitable. But hiker traffic carries a very low risk and it should be accommodated, even if it involves some cost. Monitor wells on the site need to be protected, but maybe there are ways to do this without turning the entire area into a fortress.
Konrad said that the MOE prefers chain link fencing at old landfills, but does not absolutely require it if the site is not being disturbed. The vandalism made it necessary to replace the old broken farm-style fences with chain link, he said. There is no immediate plan to replace the farm fences on the other sides of the landfill.
"We'll monitor the site and see what happens," he said. "Within a couple of years, it will probably be all fenced in."
It is unlikely that Wellington County would ever consider recreational redevelopment of the old Erin Village landfill site, or even allow a walking trail to pass through it, according to the Manager of Solid Waste Services.
"When it's closed, it's closed forever," said Doug Konrad. "It is to be maintained as grass only."
The County took over the site, just west of the Credit River near Church Street, about ten years ago. It was closed in 2003 under a Certificate of Approval from the Ministry of the Environment (MOE).
Konrad said it would be an expensive process to re-open and alter the terms of that certificate, which would be required even for a trail, and it could expose the county to the risk of more stringent requirements from the MOE. If formal walking trails had existed in the area in 2003, there could have been provision for them in the closure plan.
Before Christmas, the county spent about $40,000 to install a 427-meter chain link fence along the south-east border of the landfill, starting at the river. About half that cost was to reinforce it with welded cross-beams, to deter vandals who have repeatedly torn down fences in the area.
The hilly countryside has been damaged by dirt bike and all-terrain vehicle riders, with resulting erosion on both county and private property.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing encourages municipalities to redevelop "brownfield" properties, such as former commercial, industrial or landfill sites, for more active use.
That is a costly process as well, but a brochure from that ministry says such redevelopment can support economic development and job creation, contribute to revitalization and "increase community pride and quality of life".
Other communities have successfully turned old landfills into nature parks. That option should at least be open for discussion and investigation in Erin. Research is being conducted on various uses for closed sites, even the growing of crops to be used as biofuel.
Machine traffic on the hills still has to be stopped, and maybe more fencing is inevitable. But hiker traffic carries a very low risk and it should be accommodated, even if it involves some cost. Monitor wells on the site need to be protected, but maybe there are ways to do this without turning the entire area into a fortress.
Konrad said that the MOE prefers chain link fencing at old landfills, but does not absolutely require it if the site is not being disturbed. The vandalism made it necessary to replace the old broken farm-style fences with chain link, he said. There is no immediate plan to replace the farm fences on the other sides of the landfill.
"We'll monitor the site and see what happens," he said. "Within a couple of years, it will probably be all fenced in."
February 01, 2012
Composting toilets could reduce sewage costs
As published in The Erin Advocate
Composting toilets could be part of a solution to the sewage problem that has stifled growth in Erin and threatens residents with huge costs.
The Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP) study is entering a phase this year in which engineers will work out a series of options for the Town to consider, as many of the older household septic systems in Hillsburgh and Erin village will soon need to be repaired or replaced.
One option is to do nothing, but the provincial government will not stand for that. Do we want to create our own solutions, or are we willing to have the Ministry of the Environment force some upon us?
Another option will be a full, traditional sewage system, built in phases over many years, including a large treatment plant in Erin village that would discharge into the Credit River. It would handle sewage pumped down from Hillsburgh, plus all the septage pumped from rural septic tanks. Hook-up in the urban areas would be mandatory.
The SSMP, however, must present the Town with other options. They have to be realistic options, not just some straw ideas that can be easily dismissed, or unproven technologies that are too risky.
The technology of composting toilets has advanced greatly in the last 40 years, so they can now provide efficient breakdown of waste, with no mess, no smell and minimal maintenance. Unlike modern septic systems, they do not require homes to be built on one full acre of valuable land.
The waste does not have to stay in the bathroom, under the toilet. Standard drain plumbing and minimal water can transport it from more than one toilet to a single composting unit on a lower floor or in the basement.
The device is airtight, with venting to the outdoors. Waste goes into a heated drum that rotates, mixing the material and allowing liquid to drain to an evaporation chamber. As the solid material breaks down, it moves to a finishing chamber where a drawer allows the soil-like compost to be removed without any exposure to raw waste. Manufacturer Sun-Mar Corp. says that with a large "bio-drum", most families would only have to remove compost once per year.
A top-of-the-line system costs about $2,000 at Home Depot, plus installation. Replacing a septic system can cost over $30,000, especially on the majority of old village lots, which are now too small for a standard septic tank and drain bed. No one knows what the hook-up charge for a sewer system would be, but Mayor Lou Maieron recently suggested that it could be $20,000 (spread over many years), or maybe a lot more. No one knows the cost of a treatment plant, but it would have been about $25 million in 1995, to serve Erin village only.
The key to mass adoption of a composting toilet strategy would be a communal greywater system. Greywater is the relatively clean drainage from sinks, bathtubs, showers and laundry. The main contaminants are food particles and soap products.
This water may require a system to drain or pump it to small-scale filtering areas, such as constructed wetlands that would service separate neighbourhoods. This would be a lot of trouble, but not nearly as expensive or disruptive as a full sewage system.
Would it be any more trouble than having hundreds of miniature sewage treatment plants buried under our lawns, as we now have with septic beds?
Could an entire subdivision be built without sewers or septic tanks, relying on composting toilets for contaminated waste and a filtering system for greywater?
Would people be willing to buy such houses, if they could save the cost of a $30,000 septic system, or the initial and ongoing costs of sewers? It would not be acceptable for some people, but many others would be proud to be part of such a development.
What if, instead of having to replace your entire septic system, you could extend its useful life by having a composting toilet to handle a significant amount of your waste?
What if downtown businesses could avoid the cost of having a holding tank pumped out regularly, without the massive disruption of sewer construction? (Even if sewers are built, it may be possible to build the system without entirely tearing up Main Street in the business district.)
I am not an expert on any of this stuff, but I have seen enough to know that innovative solutions are possible. Fortunately, we have hired experts for the SSMP who should be able to give us some achievable options. We're into this study for over $300,000 already, so let's make sure it is not wasted. The Town probably couldn't back out of this process even if it wanted to.
It is inevitable that Erin will get some population growth and higher density housing. Let's work to ensure it is done moderately and intelligently. Instead of giving up on the SSMP, let's set our standards high and get as much as we can out of it.
Composting toilets could be part of a solution to the sewage problem that has stifled growth in Erin and threatens residents with huge costs.
The Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP) study is entering a phase this year in which engineers will work out a series of options for the Town to consider, as many of the older household septic systems in Hillsburgh and Erin village will soon need to be repaired or replaced.
One option is to do nothing, but the provincial government will not stand for that. Do we want to create our own solutions, or are we willing to have the Ministry of the Environment force some upon us?
Another option will be a full, traditional sewage system, built in phases over many years, including a large treatment plant in Erin village that would discharge into the Credit River. It would handle sewage pumped down from Hillsburgh, plus all the septage pumped from rural septic tanks. Hook-up in the urban areas would be mandatory.
The SSMP, however, must present the Town with other options. They have to be realistic options, not just some straw ideas that can be easily dismissed, or unproven technologies that are too risky.
The technology of composting toilets has advanced greatly in the last 40 years, so they can now provide efficient breakdown of waste, with no mess, no smell and minimal maintenance. Unlike modern septic systems, they do not require homes to be built on one full acre of valuable land.
The waste does not have to stay in the bathroom, under the toilet. Standard drain plumbing and minimal water can transport it from more than one toilet to a single composting unit on a lower floor or in the basement.
The device is airtight, with venting to the outdoors. Waste goes into a heated drum that rotates, mixing the material and allowing liquid to drain to an evaporation chamber. As the solid material breaks down, it moves to a finishing chamber where a drawer allows the soil-like compost to be removed without any exposure to raw waste. Manufacturer Sun-Mar Corp. says that with a large "bio-drum", most families would only have to remove compost once per year.
A top-of-the-line system costs about $2,000 at Home Depot, plus installation. Replacing a septic system can cost over $30,000, especially on the majority of old village lots, which are now too small for a standard septic tank and drain bed. No one knows what the hook-up charge for a sewer system would be, but Mayor Lou Maieron recently suggested that it could be $20,000 (spread over many years), or maybe a lot more. No one knows the cost of a treatment plant, but it would have been about $25 million in 1995, to serve Erin village only.
The key to mass adoption of a composting toilet strategy would be a communal greywater system. Greywater is the relatively clean drainage from sinks, bathtubs, showers and laundry. The main contaminants are food particles and soap products.
This water may require a system to drain or pump it to small-scale filtering areas, such as constructed wetlands that would service separate neighbourhoods. This would be a lot of trouble, but not nearly as expensive or disruptive as a full sewage system.
Would it be any more trouble than having hundreds of miniature sewage treatment plants buried under our lawns, as we now have with septic beds?
Could an entire subdivision be built without sewers or septic tanks, relying on composting toilets for contaminated waste and a filtering system for greywater?
Would people be willing to buy such houses, if they could save the cost of a $30,000 septic system, or the initial and ongoing costs of sewers? It would not be acceptable for some people, but many others would be proud to be part of such a development.
What if, instead of having to replace your entire septic system, you could extend its useful life by having a composting toilet to handle a significant amount of your waste?
What if downtown businesses could avoid the cost of having a holding tank pumped out regularly, without the massive disruption of sewer construction? (Even if sewers are built, it may be possible to build the system without entirely tearing up Main Street in the business district.)
I am not an expert on any of this stuff, but I have seen enough to know that innovative solutions are possible. Fortunately, we have hired experts for the SSMP who should be able to give us some achievable options. We're into this study for over $300,000 already, so let's make sure it is not wasted. The Town probably couldn't back out of this process even if it wanted to.
It is inevitable that Erin will get some population growth and higher density housing. Let's work to ensure it is done moderately and intelligently. Instead of giving up on the SSMP, let's set our standards high and get as much as we can out of it.
January 25, 2012
Sewer study back on its bumpy track
As published in The Erin Advocate
After more than a year of no news, Erin's Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP) got back on track last week, as Town Council received a presentation on a Background Report that is expected to lead to a public meeting in March.
Project Manager Matt Pearson, of the B.M. Ross consulting firm, explained to councillors and residents who filled the council chamber that the environmental assessment, which started in 2009, has finished its information-gathering phase.
The actual Background Report, with extensive information on the infrastructure, economy, housing, environment and social fabric of Hillsburgh and Erin village, will be available in a few weeks on the Town website.
It will not include any recommendations, or discuss the costs of new infrastructure. The consultant is not advocating any one solution, but the report does assemble evidence that would support construction of a sewage system, if the community decides that it needs the benefits that such a system would bring.
"If you want affordable housing, or seniors housing, you won't get it on septics," said Pearson. Erin is reputed to be the largest town in Ontario without sewers. Instead of septic beds, downtown businesses must use holding tanks which are expensive to pump out regularly.
"There's an elephant in the room – something happened before, and it didn't work," he said, referring to the 1991-1995 environmental assessment and plan to build a $25 million sewage treatment plant in Erin village. It failed due to lack of provincial funding and concern about hook-up costs.
Late last year, Mayor Lou Maieron gave notice of a motion to discontinue the SSMP and refer all development issues to the Ontario Municipal Board, but later deferred the motion before it came up for debate. He said he does not plan to re-introduce the motion for now, while people read the new report.
The next step is writing a "Problem/Opportunity Statement", with input from the citizen-based Liaison Committee and the agency-based Core Management Committee. It will have to be approved by council before the study can proceed. The statement will be a basis for discussion at a public meeting in March.
That meeting was originally expected in March 2010, but there has been a series of delays. Residents can comment on the study and get more information on the town website, www.erin.ca/definingerin, though it has not been updated since late 2010.
The next phase will involve engineering work and agency input to develop several options and stages of possible construction of sewer and water supply improvements. There would then be another public meeting. To complete the study, council will have to choose an option. Pearson says all this could happen within one year. Actual construction of a sewage system would be a separate decision at a later date.
The SSMP is being done at the insistence of Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), freezing proposed new subdivisions for the past five years. The Ministry of the Environment has told Erin that a sewage system is "required" to serve urban areas and handle the septage pumped from rural septic tanks, and that the Town must demonstrate on ongoing commitment and progress towards that goal.
The first phase of the current study has tried to capture the community's vision for the next 25 years, though Pearson said it has been difficult to keep the process on track. He said various other communities have attempted SSMP studies, only to have them "derailed" and left incomplete.
"It's a chance to do it right. It's an opportunity to get the whole picture, not just one person's agenda or somebody else's agenda. It's a chance to try to bring together the community's agenda and put it into practice," he said.
"It's going to give you something concrete, to shop around for senior government money. That's always the problem for whatever you decide to do. How are we going to afford that? If you want to get government money (and it comes and goes like the wind), you have to have a plan. I have been in this business a long time, and I have seen many communities just like yours get grants for this kind of stuff."
Maieron remains skeptical of the process, which he fears could lead to sharp population increases and the need for expensive new services for those people. He questions the wisdom of spending money working towards a sewer system, when the CVC has not been able to say for certain whether the Credit River has sufficient water flow to handle the discharge from a sewage treatment plant.
He also says that if Town Council did not have the political will recently to force a small number of residents to hook up to the Town water system, it is unrealistic to think it would ever be willing to force large numbers of residents to hook up to sewers.
"We're frozen. We have planning costs, but we're not doing a lot of planning. We're not pulling in much in development charges because nothing major is happening," he said to Pearson. "Yet developers say, 'If we were to develop the servicing to the provincial standards, drilled a well and put in sewage, and grew to the capacity that the county official plan suggests, of six and a half homes an acre, minimum, why can't we go ahead?'...
"It's a tough puzzle, because it will come back to those with the newer houses saying, 'I've just invested a lot of money in a tertiary [septic] system that works; why do I want to replace it?' And those with older houses that are limited because of lot size, as came up in the water discussion, saying, 'I may not be able to afford it'.
"If I had my way, I would leave the villages of Erin and Hillsburgh alone, and go build something outside the Green Belt, and start from new, where you could put in all the infrastructure you wanted."
After more than a year of no news, Erin's Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP) got back on track last week, as Town Council received a presentation on a Background Report that is expected to lead to a public meeting in March.
Project Manager Matt Pearson, of the B.M. Ross consulting firm, explained to councillors and residents who filled the council chamber that the environmental assessment, which started in 2009, has finished its information-gathering phase.
The actual Background Report, with extensive information on the infrastructure, economy, housing, environment and social fabric of Hillsburgh and Erin village, will be available in a few weeks on the Town website.
It will not include any recommendations, or discuss the costs of new infrastructure. The consultant is not advocating any one solution, but the report does assemble evidence that would support construction of a sewage system, if the community decides that it needs the benefits that such a system would bring.
"If you want affordable housing, or seniors housing, you won't get it on septics," said Pearson. Erin is reputed to be the largest town in Ontario without sewers. Instead of septic beds, downtown businesses must use holding tanks which are expensive to pump out regularly.
"There's an elephant in the room – something happened before, and it didn't work," he said, referring to the 1991-1995 environmental assessment and plan to build a $25 million sewage treatment plant in Erin village. It failed due to lack of provincial funding and concern about hook-up costs.
Late last year, Mayor Lou Maieron gave notice of a motion to discontinue the SSMP and refer all development issues to the Ontario Municipal Board, but later deferred the motion before it came up for debate. He said he does not plan to re-introduce the motion for now, while people read the new report.
The next step is writing a "Problem/Opportunity Statement", with input from the citizen-based Liaison Committee and the agency-based Core Management Committee. It will have to be approved by council before the study can proceed. The statement will be a basis for discussion at a public meeting in March.
That meeting was originally expected in March 2010, but there has been a series of delays. Residents can comment on the study and get more information on the town website, www.erin.ca/definingerin, though it has not been updated since late 2010.
The next phase will involve engineering work and agency input to develop several options and stages of possible construction of sewer and water supply improvements. There would then be another public meeting. To complete the study, council will have to choose an option. Pearson says all this could happen within one year. Actual construction of a sewage system would be a separate decision at a later date.
The SSMP is being done at the insistence of Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), freezing proposed new subdivisions for the past five years. The Ministry of the Environment has told Erin that a sewage system is "required" to serve urban areas and handle the septage pumped from rural septic tanks, and that the Town must demonstrate on ongoing commitment and progress towards that goal.
The first phase of the current study has tried to capture the community's vision for the next 25 years, though Pearson said it has been difficult to keep the process on track. He said various other communities have attempted SSMP studies, only to have them "derailed" and left incomplete.
"It's a chance to do it right. It's an opportunity to get the whole picture, not just one person's agenda or somebody else's agenda. It's a chance to try to bring together the community's agenda and put it into practice," he said.
"It's going to give you something concrete, to shop around for senior government money. That's always the problem for whatever you decide to do. How are we going to afford that? If you want to get government money (and it comes and goes like the wind), you have to have a plan. I have been in this business a long time, and I have seen many communities just like yours get grants for this kind of stuff."
Maieron remains skeptical of the process, which he fears could lead to sharp population increases and the need for expensive new services for those people. He questions the wisdom of spending money working towards a sewer system, when the CVC has not been able to say for certain whether the Credit River has sufficient water flow to handle the discharge from a sewage treatment plant.
He also says that if Town Council did not have the political will recently to force a small number of residents to hook up to the Town water system, it is unrealistic to think it would ever be willing to force large numbers of residents to hook up to sewers.
"We're frozen. We have planning costs, but we're not doing a lot of planning. We're not pulling in much in development charges because nothing major is happening," he said to Pearson. "Yet developers say, 'If we were to develop the servicing to the provincial standards, drilled a well and put in sewage, and grew to the capacity that the county official plan suggests, of six and a half homes an acre, minimum, why can't we go ahead?'...
"It's a tough puzzle, because it will come back to those with the newer houses saying, 'I've just invested a lot of money in a tertiary [septic] system that works; why do I want to replace it?' And those with older houses that are limited because of lot size, as came up in the water discussion, saying, 'I may not be able to afford it'.
"If I had my way, I would leave the villages of Erin and Hillsburgh alone, and go build something outside the Green Belt, and start from new, where you could put in all the infrastructure you wanted."
Festival film promotes practical energy ideas
As published in The Erin Advocate
Going for green alternatives does not require a belief in climate change theories or certainty about the causes of global warming, but simply a desire to keep more money in your pocket.
Carbon Nation, the first offering in Erin's Fast Forward 2012 Film Festival, delivered that optimistic message, and a series of practical strategies, at the Legion Hall last week. Sponsored by Rob's Automotive Service, it kicked off the third season of the festival before an enthusiastic audience.
With the damaging effects of climate change becoming more obvious, governments and corporations are focusing efforts on how we can adapt to control costs, keep the economy functioning and avoid widespread war, famine and environmental destruction.
Unlike the cure for cancer, for example, an effective response to climate change does not require major breakthroughs in science. We have everything that is required, except of course for the change in attitude that will eventually make it the planet's top priority. How bad will things have to get before that happens?
Carbon Nation presents ideas that stress the potential of good old American ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit – very powerful forces that could be focused on short notice. Half of all Americans, though, don't believe climate change is being caused by human activity.
Regardless of the causes, there are numerous changes that should be supported for purely economic reasons. Above all, it makes sense to wean ourselves from dependence on coal, oil and natural gas. Which means promotion of solar and wind power, development of non-gasoline cars and the retrofitting of buildings (which use twice as much energy as transportation).
For a fascinating look at the latest in home energy technology, take the Home Alive Tour during the Seedy Saturday event at Everdale Farm near Hillsburgh, on April 28. The straw bale house features a computer to track types of power use, special water, waste and solar systems, recycled building materials and a permaculture garden. Go to www.everdale.org/events/seedy-saturday/.
For more ideas on saving money while saving the planet, go to www.carbonnationmovie.com. Things like using video conferences instead of air travel, using a push lawn mower, or raising your kids' allowance if they help reduce utility bills.
How about Meatless Mondays? Less beef consumption means less need to create pasture land by destroying rain forests, which are needed to absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
If long-haul truckers could use auxiliary power sources (instead of their large engines) to power air conditioning while they are asleep during stopovers, 1,000,000,000 gallons of diesel fuel could be saved annually.
Polluting cannot be stopped quickly, but it should have a known cost in the marketplace, whether it is through a carbon tax or the trading of carbon credits. Only then will green technologies achieve their full value.
After the film, Upper Grand School Trustee Kathryn Cooper reported that there is a current proposal to install revenue-producing solar panels at all district schools.
"I'm hopeful that the rest of the trustees will support that," she said. "I certainly will and I've got a good feeling about it, so I'm pretty excited."
On her blog (www.cooper4trustee.wordpress.com) she urges parents to support this investment: "Do we want to model the new green energy path for our children? Are we interested in creating future revenue streams to protect our children's education?"
The next showing in the Fast Forward Film Festival is Water On The Table, a portrait of Canadian activist Maude Barlow, and her mission to have water declared an international human right. It is on Wednesday, February 15, at 7 pm, at the Erin Legion Hall, 12 Dundas Street East, sponsored by Credit Valley Conservation.
Liz Armstrong of CCAGE said water will be a local issue this year, since Nestlé will be seeking renewal of its license to take millions of gallons of water from its Hillsburgh well.
"Start thinking about what kind of demands we want to make to the Nestlé company," she said. "The Ontario government charges the magnificent sum of $3.74 per million litres of water. Tanker trucks travel almost constantly from Hillsburgh over to Aberfoyle, and with the exception of those tanker truck jobs, there is absolutely nothing in it for the community."
Nestlé of course does pay taxes, and has made substantial donations towards public facilities in Erin and elsewhere, but the core issue of water as a public resource remains a serious concern. More information is available at www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca.
Going for green alternatives does not require a belief in climate change theories or certainty about the causes of global warming, but simply a desire to keep more money in your pocket.
Carbon Nation, the first offering in Erin's Fast Forward 2012 Film Festival, delivered that optimistic message, and a series of practical strategies, at the Legion Hall last week. Sponsored by Rob's Automotive Service, it kicked off the third season of the festival before an enthusiastic audience.
With the damaging effects of climate change becoming more obvious, governments and corporations are focusing efforts on how we can adapt to control costs, keep the economy functioning and avoid widespread war, famine and environmental destruction.
Unlike the cure for cancer, for example, an effective response to climate change does not require major breakthroughs in science. We have everything that is required, except of course for the change in attitude that will eventually make it the planet's top priority. How bad will things have to get before that happens?
Carbon Nation presents ideas that stress the potential of good old American ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit – very powerful forces that could be focused on short notice. Half of all Americans, though, don't believe climate change is being caused by human activity.
Regardless of the causes, there are numerous changes that should be supported for purely economic reasons. Above all, it makes sense to wean ourselves from dependence on coal, oil and natural gas. Which means promotion of solar and wind power, development of non-gasoline cars and the retrofitting of buildings (which use twice as much energy as transportation).
For a fascinating look at the latest in home energy technology, take the Home Alive Tour during the Seedy Saturday event at Everdale Farm near Hillsburgh, on April 28. The straw bale house features a computer to track types of power use, special water, waste and solar systems, recycled building materials and a permaculture garden. Go to www.everdale.org/events/seedy-saturday/.
For more ideas on saving money while saving the planet, go to www.carbonnationmovie.com. Things like using video conferences instead of air travel, using a push lawn mower, or raising your kids' allowance if they help reduce utility bills.
How about Meatless Mondays? Less beef consumption means less need to create pasture land by destroying rain forests, which are needed to absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
If long-haul truckers could use auxiliary power sources (instead of their large engines) to power air conditioning while they are asleep during stopovers, 1,000,000,000 gallons of diesel fuel could be saved annually.
Polluting cannot be stopped quickly, but it should have a known cost in the marketplace, whether it is through a carbon tax or the trading of carbon credits. Only then will green technologies achieve their full value.
After the film, Upper Grand School Trustee Kathryn Cooper reported that there is a current proposal to install revenue-producing solar panels at all district schools.
"I'm hopeful that the rest of the trustees will support that," she said. "I certainly will and I've got a good feeling about it, so I'm pretty excited."
On her blog (www.cooper4trustee.wordpress.com) she urges parents to support this investment: "Do we want to model the new green energy path for our children? Are we interested in creating future revenue streams to protect our children's education?"
The next showing in the Fast Forward Film Festival is Water On The Table, a portrait of Canadian activist Maude Barlow, and her mission to have water declared an international human right. It is on Wednesday, February 15, at 7 pm, at the Erin Legion Hall, 12 Dundas Street East, sponsored by Credit Valley Conservation.
Liz Armstrong of CCAGE said water will be a local issue this year, since Nestlé will be seeking renewal of its license to take millions of gallons of water from its Hillsburgh well.
"Start thinking about what kind of demands we want to make to the Nestlé company," she said. "The Ontario government charges the magnificent sum of $3.74 per million litres of water. Tanker trucks travel almost constantly from Hillsburgh over to Aberfoyle, and with the exception of those tanker truck jobs, there is absolutely nothing in it for the community."
Nestlé of course does pay taxes, and has made substantial donations towards public facilities in Erin and elsewhere, but the core issue of water as a public resource remains a serious concern. More information is available at www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca.
January 18, 2012
Mayor urges more community involvement
As published in The Erin Advocate
The mayor says Erin could have a better sense of community, and be more successful in achieving its political goals, if more residents got involved in public affairs.
"You elected me to represent you, but that does not absolve you of the right to participate in a democracy," said Lou Maieron, in a speech last Thursday to the Rotary Club of Erin.
"Because a lot of people don't participate, you get the government you get. And I'll tell you, it is the government you deserve. So get involved – it's your town. If you want to change it, to make it better, you have a mechanism to do so."
There is a dynamic split, he said, between the communities in south Wellington (Erin and Rockwood) and those in the central and northern areas of the county. It is not only that southern residents pay a much higher share of county taxes, since their real estate values are higher.
"In Erin particularly, we have the highest migratory commuting rate, 60 to 75 per cent of people come in and out of this town, they don't work in this town, they don't shop in this town as much as they should.
"We also have, and don't take this the wrong way, not as much of a sense of community. In the north, you have a 5 to 10 per cent commuting rate, and the sense of community is much stronger.
"I would say that that's why the north is much more successful at county politics, in achieving more, because they are more unified. Everyone's in the canoe, paddling in the same direction more or less. They avoid the icebergs or the waterfalls, more so than sometimes we do, because we are disconnected, the pillars are not talking to each other.
"I would like to try to strengthen the town by having groups work together for common good and a common purpose."
He said if people feel certain expenditures are not a good use of taxpayer dollars, they should contact their elected councillors. But he pointed out that for a project like the $100,000 improvement to the library at Centre 2000, if the money is not spent in Erin, it will be spent somewhere else in the county.
In the next three years, he hopes to "move the ball forward" on economic development. Erin does have an Economic Development Committee, but its budget and scope are limited, and there are no staff specifically allocated to that area.
Instead of it being a citizen-based advisory group, Maieron hopes to create a council committee, with the clout and budget to undertake more aggressive marketing of the Town. A staff review of all aspects of economic development is being done.
"In the north, where they have a greater sense of community, they invest heavily in economic development. It is usually a committee of council and residents, chaired by the mayor, with a directive to encourage business and welcome business to the town...we don't have the best reputation for that – I hear about it quite regularly.
"We need jobs. It balances out the commuting population. We have a town that was built on bringing in people with some affluence that built what I call mini-mansions, starter castles starting at $800,000. We brought in a lot of that, which is good because they are people with money that want to do business.
"We didn't build a lot in between, because we didn't have servicing, and then we have the older part of town. So we have the rich, a little middle class and the poor – the poorer.
"It is reflected in opening a Tim Hortons and 450 people applying for part-time work. We need to create more opportunities. From a tax base perspective, having most of your taxes coming from the residential core is not sustainable, because your commercial-industrial properties create a higher tax ratio, and they also create jobs.
"We can be a place where our growth is sort of frozen outside of what we have in the urban boundary. That could attract a lot of people to come into Erin, spend the day, spend the weekend. Spend your money and go home. So we can become a net cash cow. We have a wonderful Main Street, the envy of most of the municipalities in the county, but we can build on that."
The mayor says Erin could have a better sense of community, and be more successful in achieving its political goals, if more residents got involved in public affairs.
"You elected me to represent you, but that does not absolve you of the right to participate in a democracy," said Lou Maieron, in a speech last Thursday to the Rotary Club of Erin.
"Because a lot of people don't participate, you get the government you get. And I'll tell you, it is the government you deserve. So get involved – it's your town. If you want to change it, to make it better, you have a mechanism to do so."
There is a dynamic split, he said, between the communities in south Wellington (Erin and Rockwood) and those in the central and northern areas of the county. It is not only that southern residents pay a much higher share of county taxes, since their real estate values are higher.
"In Erin particularly, we have the highest migratory commuting rate, 60 to 75 per cent of people come in and out of this town, they don't work in this town, they don't shop in this town as much as they should.
"We also have, and don't take this the wrong way, not as much of a sense of community. In the north, you have a 5 to 10 per cent commuting rate, and the sense of community is much stronger.
"I would say that that's why the north is much more successful at county politics, in achieving more, because they are more unified. Everyone's in the canoe, paddling in the same direction more or less. They avoid the icebergs or the waterfalls, more so than sometimes we do, because we are disconnected, the pillars are not talking to each other.
"I would like to try to strengthen the town by having groups work together for common good and a common purpose."
He said if people feel certain expenditures are not a good use of taxpayer dollars, they should contact their elected councillors. But he pointed out that for a project like the $100,000 improvement to the library at Centre 2000, if the money is not spent in Erin, it will be spent somewhere else in the county.
In the next three years, he hopes to "move the ball forward" on economic development. Erin does have an Economic Development Committee, but its budget and scope are limited, and there are no staff specifically allocated to that area.
Instead of it being a citizen-based advisory group, Maieron hopes to create a council committee, with the clout and budget to undertake more aggressive marketing of the Town. A staff review of all aspects of economic development is being done.
"In the north, where they have a greater sense of community, they invest heavily in economic development. It is usually a committee of council and residents, chaired by the mayor, with a directive to encourage business and welcome business to the town...we don't have the best reputation for that – I hear about it quite regularly.
"We need jobs. It balances out the commuting population. We have a town that was built on bringing in people with some affluence that built what I call mini-mansions, starter castles starting at $800,000. We brought in a lot of that, which is good because they are people with money that want to do business.
"We didn't build a lot in between, because we didn't have servicing, and then we have the older part of town. So we have the rich, a little middle class and the poor – the poorer.
"It is reflected in opening a Tim Hortons and 450 people applying for part-time work. We need to create more opportunities. From a tax base perspective, having most of your taxes coming from the residential core is not sustainable, because your commercial-industrial properties create a higher tax ratio, and they also create jobs.
"We can be a place where our growth is sort of frozen outside of what we have in the urban boundary. That could attract a lot of people to come into Erin, spend the day, spend the weekend. Spend your money and go home. So we can become a net cash cow. We have a wonderful Main Street, the envy of most of the municipalities in the county, but we can build on that."
January 11, 2012
Talented writer/designer seeks exciting new job
As published in The Erin Advocate
When you sit down for a meeting with your boss, and she starts off with, "This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," you know it is going to be a bumpy roller coaster ride kind of a day.
I was expecting a reduction of hours, but instead am laid off from my job as a graphic designer. Sympathy is absolutely unnecessary – people endure far greater hardships every day. I was under no illusion that 20 years of dedicated service would count for much if my employer needed to drastically reduce costs.
Opportunities are looming. Expectations are being adjusted. Full-time chicken catchers are urgently needed in Woodstock. I could make $11.30 an hour in a "fast-paced environment". No education or experience is required, just hand-eye co-ordination, physical stamina and a willingness to travel for extended periods.
I was dreading my visit to the unemployment office, but the staff there were very friendly and efficient. I found it strange, though, when one advisor told me I would be allowed to earn extra money, up to 25 per cent of my weekly benefit, without any penalty. I told her their website said the level had been changed to 40 per cent back in 2008. She said, "I don't go to the website very often."
My first UI premium was paid in 1973. I have now contributed $24,000 to the system, with employers kicking in an additional $33,000 on my behalf. It has been my good fortune to have little need of the benefits, but I feel no guilt now about taking a bounce in the social safety net. Of course, there is that annoying two-week waiting period. They have to make sure it hurts before they help you out.
The great thing about not going to work is that I get a chance to do other work for the newspaper. It is interesting, but not exactly a get-rich-quick scenario. I will be a little richer if my temporary layoff runs to 13 weeks and becomes permanent. Only then would I qualify for severance and termination pay. I wonder if the bank would consider that possibility as collateral?
Maybe I could become a nationally syndicated columnist. I will keep a close eye on the help wanted classified ads in the Erin Advocate. My grammar is not bad, and I am willing to engage in shameless self-promotion when necessary. As for content, I am sure that people across Canada (and beyond) would be fascinated by my stimulating accounts of life in Erin, ON. Local property values and tourism revenue could well be enhanced.
Prospective employers, however, should be aware that I have certain reasonable requirements. First of all, the coffee machine has to be top notch. I will no longer tolerate bland beverages, even when they are free.
The workplace must have no harassment. That means no loud, incompetent salespeople, bitchy drama queens, robotic administrative assistants, gossipy know-it-alls or power hungry middle managers. I could put up with some ego-maniacal techno-nerds, if it meant that my computer would work fast and flawlessly, every day.
A nice desk, an expense account, a pension and a full benefit plan would all be appreciated, but I have been doing without these for so long, I'm not sure I could make the adjustment.
I also will insist on convivial colleagues, and a variety of interesting tasks that do not force me to pull out my hair or utter profanities.
It is not a lot to ask, since I can offer the employer such a wide array of talents. For example, I am highly organized. A co-worker once suggested that as a child, I probably kept my toy cars filed under transportation. I am not sure how she knew. Anyhow, I now keep my important junk in special piles on my desk, so it is always available.
I can sense the needs of the most cantankerous clients, decipher the most hastily scribbled instructions, repair the most preposterous of PDFs and work minor miracles in Photoshop. As for writing, I avoid clichés like the plague.
I also show up on time, only check my email once an hour, and generally work so hard that smoke is often seen arising from my keyboard.
It sounds old fashioned, I know, but there must still be good jobs out there for modest, middle-aged guys who know what they're doing. Maybe I should shave off the grey beard, though. There is really no advantage to looking my own age.
When you sit down for a meeting with your boss, and she starts off with, "This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," you know it is going to be a bumpy roller coaster ride kind of a day.
I was expecting a reduction of hours, but instead am laid off from my job as a graphic designer. Sympathy is absolutely unnecessary – people endure far greater hardships every day. I was under no illusion that 20 years of dedicated service would count for much if my employer needed to drastically reduce costs.
Opportunities are looming. Expectations are being adjusted. Full-time chicken catchers are urgently needed in Woodstock. I could make $11.30 an hour in a "fast-paced environment". No education or experience is required, just hand-eye co-ordination, physical stamina and a willingness to travel for extended periods.
I was dreading my visit to the unemployment office, but the staff there were very friendly and efficient. I found it strange, though, when one advisor told me I would be allowed to earn extra money, up to 25 per cent of my weekly benefit, without any penalty. I told her their website said the level had been changed to 40 per cent back in 2008. She said, "I don't go to the website very often."
My first UI premium was paid in 1973. I have now contributed $24,000 to the system, with employers kicking in an additional $33,000 on my behalf. It has been my good fortune to have little need of the benefits, but I feel no guilt now about taking a bounce in the social safety net. Of course, there is that annoying two-week waiting period. They have to make sure it hurts before they help you out.
The great thing about not going to work is that I get a chance to do other work for the newspaper. It is interesting, but not exactly a get-rich-quick scenario. I will be a little richer if my temporary layoff runs to 13 weeks and becomes permanent. Only then would I qualify for severance and termination pay. I wonder if the bank would consider that possibility as collateral?
Maybe I could become a nationally syndicated columnist. I will keep a close eye on the help wanted classified ads in the Erin Advocate. My grammar is not bad, and I am willing to engage in shameless self-promotion when necessary. As for content, I am sure that people across Canada (and beyond) would be fascinated by my stimulating accounts of life in Erin, ON. Local property values and tourism revenue could well be enhanced.
Prospective employers, however, should be aware that I have certain reasonable requirements. First of all, the coffee machine has to be top notch. I will no longer tolerate bland beverages, even when they are free.
The workplace must have no harassment. That means no loud, incompetent salespeople, bitchy drama queens, robotic administrative assistants, gossipy know-it-alls or power hungry middle managers. I could put up with some ego-maniacal techno-nerds, if it meant that my computer would work fast and flawlessly, every day.
A nice desk, an expense account, a pension and a full benefit plan would all be appreciated, but I have been doing without these for so long, I'm not sure I could make the adjustment.
I also will insist on convivial colleagues, and a variety of interesting tasks that do not force me to pull out my hair or utter profanities.
It is not a lot to ask, since I can offer the employer such a wide array of talents. For example, I am highly organized. A co-worker once suggested that as a child, I probably kept my toy cars filed under transportation. I am not sure how she knew. Anyhow, I now keep my important junk in special piles on my desk, so it is always available.
I can sense the needs of the most cantankerous clients, decipher the most hastily scribbled instructions, repair the most preposterous of PDFs and work minor miracles in Photoshop. As for writing, I avoid clichés like the plague.
I also show up on time, only check my email once an hour, and generally work so hard that smoke is often seen arising from my keyboard.
It sounds old fashioned, I know, but there must still be good jobs out there for modest, middle-aged guys who know what they're doing. Maybe I should shave off the grey beard, though. There is really no advantage to looking my own age.
Mayor says Erin overcharged for waste services
As published in The Erin Advocate
Mayor Lou Maieron has renewed a dispute with Wellington County, saying that Erin taxpayers are being overcharged $587,000 annually since the closure of the Hillsburgh Transfer Station.
Maieron said he has been told by county officials that Erin should be happy to be receiving "Cadillac service", since the county now provides both urban and rural pickup of garbage and recyclables.
Many people were unhappy, however, with the closure of the Hillsburgh Transfer Station in May 2010. As a county councillor, Maieron advocated a new facility for Erin-Rockwood to handle bulky garbage, metal, wood, tires, reusable items and household hazardous waste, which would cost far less than a full transfer station.
Instead, Erin residents have to drive to the Belwood Transfer Station for these services. Maieron argues that it is unfair and inefficient for the county to provide other communities in central and northern Wellington with both urban pickup and nearby transfer stations, especially since Erin taxpayers pay a higher share of the costs.
"We have to look at the whole equation," he said in an interview. "We don't have Cadillac service when others have two or three options."
He says the county provides costly duplicate service and is competing with itself by allowing many residents the choice of garbage pick-up, or the option of driving bagged garbage to a transfer station for a lower fee.
"I would suggest that the rest of the County be weaned off the current Rolls Royce level of Solid Waste service and move to this more efficient and less costly 'Cadillac level of service' provided to Erin and Guelph-Eramosa," he said in a recent letter to the warden and members of the Solid Waste Services Committee. Councillors are willing to consider the issue, but no immediate changes are expected.
The core problem for Erin is the province's property tax system. Because Erin property values are relatively high in the current real estate market, residents here must pay a higher share of the taxes required to provide county services.
Wellington County gets about $11.5 million from Erin annually, and since solid waste represents seven per cent of the county budget, Maieron identifies $802,000 as Erin's contribution to the county waste system. It only costs the county $215,000, however, to provide waste pickup in Erin, leaving a difference of $587,000. (This calculation does not include the cost of landfilling the waste, or of the one-day Household Hazardous Waste event.)
"What are Erin residents receiving for this significant additional contribution?" Maieron asks in his letter. "It appears very little. Are we subsidizing everyone else's level of SWS service? Perhaps. For such generosity, Erin residents are provided with the opportunity to drive 40 plus kilometers to the Belwood Transfer Station to dispose of bulky waste etc. ... These services currently exist in almost every other municipality in Wellington County - excepting Guelph-Eramosa.
"I cannot in good faith continue to have my residents over-contribute for services they do not locally receive.
"When we look at average residential cost in the treasurer's report - based on 3,960 Erin households, the cost to provide curbside collection is approximately $54.33 per household per year. What is charged in taxes is $202.51 per household per year, resulting in a difference of $148.18, which is almost 3 times more than what the curbside collection service costs to deliver."
Closing the Hillsburgh station saved the County more than $600,000 in annual operating costs, but Maieron says, "None of these savings were translated in any additional services for Erin residents/taxpayers".
Erin Auto Recyclers does allow Erin residents to avoid the drive to Belwood for some bulky, hazardous and electronic waste. Maieron said efforts by the company to work with the county to expand disposal have met with excessive red tape, and that county staff "have discouraged Erin Auto Recyclers from proceeding any further".
Mayor Lou Maieron has renewed a dispute with Wellington County, saying that Erin taxpayers are being overcharged $587,000 annually since the closure of the Hillsburgh Transfer Station.
Maieron said he has been told by county officials that Erin should be happy to be receiving "Cadillac service", since the county now provides both urban and rural pickup of garbage and recyclables.
Many people were unhappy, however, with the closure of the Hillsburgh Transfer Station in May 2010. As a county councillor, Maieron advocated a new facility for Erin-Rockwood to handle bulky garbage, metal, wood, tires, reusable items and household hazardous waste, which would cost far less than a full transfer station.
Instead, Erin residents have to drive to the Belwood Transfer Station for these services. Maieron argues that it is unfair and inefficient for the county to provide other communities in central and northern Wellington with both urban pickup and nearby transfer stations, especially since Erin taxpayers pay a higher share of the costs.
"We have to look at the whole equation," he said in an interview. "We don't have Cadillac service when others have two or three options."
He says the county provides costly duplicate service and is competing with itself by allowing many residents the choice of garbage pick-up, or the option of driving bagged garbage to a transfer station for a lower fee.
"I would suggest that the rest of the County be weaned off the current Rolls Royce level of Solid Waste service and move to this more efficient and less costly 'Cadillac level of service' provided to Erin and Guelph-Eramosa," he said in a recent letter to the warden and members of the Solid Waste Services Committee. Councillors are willing to consider the issue, but no immediate changes are expected.
The core problem for Erin is the province's property tax system. Because Erin property values are relatively high in the current real estate market, residents here must pay a higher share of the taxes required to provide county services.
Wellington County gets about $11.5 million from Erin annually, and since solid waste represents seven per cent of the county budget, Maieron identifies $802,000 as Erin's contribution to the county waste system. It only costs the county $215,000, however, to provide waste pickup in Erin, leaving a difference of $587,000. (This calculation does not include the cost of landfilling the waste, or of the one-day Household Hazardous Waste event.)
"What are Erin residents receiving for this significant additional contribution?" Maieron asks in his letter. "It appears very little. Are we subsidizing everyone else's level of SWS service? Perhaps. For such generosity, Erin residents are provided with the opportunity to drive 40 plus kilometers to the Belwood Transfer Station to dispose of bulky waste etc. ... These services currently exist in almost every other municipality in Wellington County - excepting Guelph-Eramosa.
"I cannot in good faith continue to have my residents over-contribute for services they do not locally receive.
"When we look at average residential cost in the treasurer's report - based on 3,960 Erin households, the cost to provide curbside collection is approximately $54.33 per household per year. What is charged in taxes is $202.51 per household per year, resulting in a difference of $148.18, which is almost 3 times more than what the curbside collection service costs to deliver."
Closing the Hillsburgh station saved the County more than $600,000 in annual operating costs, but Maieron says, "None of these savings were translated in any additional services for Erin residents/taxpayers".
Erin Auto Recyclers does allow Erin residents to avoid the drive to Belwood for some bulky, hazardous and electronic waste. Maieron said efforts by the company to work with the county to expand disposal have met with excessive red tape, and that county staff "have discouraged Erin Auto Recyclers from proceeding any further".
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."
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."
January 04, 2012
Employment services help job seekers build skills
As published in The Erin Advocate
I have been lucky when it comes to employment. I've only had to search for a job twice in the last 30 years. Job security is a good thing, but it does leave you a bit rusty when it comes time to scramble for something new.
For 20 years, I've been doing graphic design and pre-press work at a commercial printer. I had hoped that the job might last until I reach the age of 60 (just five more years) when I might be able to slide into semi-retirement.
That may still happen, but with the business of putting ink on paper in turmoil and decline, the future is quite uncertain. For the short term at least, instead of layoffs, my colleagues and I are facing a significant reduction in hours. Those of us wanting to maintain something close to full-time work are now looking for other sources of income or new jobs.
With that in mind, I browsed with interest through some information from the Wellington County Employment Resource Centre, located on Wyndham Street North in downtown Guelph. The services are free for all county residents.
Free, of course, meaning no extra fee. We all contribute to county services through our property taxes and rent payments, including a pay increase for county staff (2.75 per cent for unionized, 3 per cent for non-union). That last time raises came around where I work was 2003, and most of the staff have stayed on.
At the Resource Centre, there are workshops on job search strategies, resumés, communication skills, word processing, cover letters and interviews. What caught my attention, though, are topics that deal with the traumatic effects of job loss.
For example, next Tuesday, there is a morning session on Handling Stress Through Meditation. During a time of distress, it could be quite valuable to learn new methods of increasing concentration, self-confidence and inner peace.
The full calendar and other information is available at www.county.wellington.on.ca, in the Ontario Works section under Social Services, though you don't have to be an Ontario Works client to use the services.
There is a workshop on Healthy Lifestyles, which can be difficult to achieve during a prolonged job search. It covers eating well on a budget, exercise tips and strategies for creating balance. Participants will leave with an action plan, some fresh ideas and knowledge of community resources that can help them meet their goals.
In addition to workshops, there is personalized help to identify employment barriers and access community services. Computers are available with internet access and Microsoft Office programs. There are local job postings, phones and an answering service, photocopying, printing and faxing services, and how-to booklets.
Job seekers may also want to check out similar services at Second Chance Employment Counselling, a separate agency that has been providing employment, retraining and educational support in Guelph and Wellington communities for over 35 years. They provide one-to-one counselling and access to job search resources in Erin through EWCS (East Wellington Community Services).
They have offices in Guelph and Fergus, plus the Youth Resource Centre on the second floor at Stone Road Mall. They can provide guidance on apprenticeships, entrepreneurship and upgrading qualifications. You can get more information and on-line job search links at www.2ndchance.ca.
I have been lucky when it comes to employment. I've only had to search for a job twice in the last 30 years. Job security is a good thing, but it does leave you a bit rusty when it comes time to scramble for something new.
For 20 years, I've been doing graphic design and pre-press work at a commercial printer. I had hoped that the job might last until I reach the age of 60 (just five more years) when I might be able to slide into semi-retirement.
That may still happen, but with the business of putting ink on paper in turmoil and decline, the future is quite uncertain. For the short term at least, instead of layoffs, my colleagues and I are facing a significant reduction in hours. Those of us wanting to maintain something close to full-time work are now looking for other sources of income or new jobs.
With that in mind, I browsed with interest through some information from the Wellington County Employment Resource Centre, located on Wyndham Street North in downtown Guelph. The services are free for all county residents.
Free, of course, meaning no extra fee. We all contribute to county services through our property taxes and rent payments, including a pay increase for county staff (2.75 per cent for unionized, 3 per cent for non-union). That last time raises came around where I work was 2003, and most of the staff have stayed on.
At the Resource Centre, there are workshops on job search strategies, resumés, communication skills, word processing, cover letters and interviews. What caught my attention, though, are topics that deal with the traumatic effects of job loss.
For example, next Tuesday, there is a morning session on Handling Stress Through Meditation. During a time of distress, it could be quite valuable to learn new methods of increasing concentration, self-confidence and inner peace.
The full calendar and other information is available at www.county.wellington.on.ca, in the Ontario Works section under Social Services, though you don't have to be an Ontario Works client to use the services.
There is a workshop on Healthy Lifestyles, which can be difficult to achieve during a prolonged job search. It covers eating well on a budget, exercise tips and strategies for creating balance. Participants will leave with an action plan, some fresh ideas and knowledge of community resources that can help them meet their goals.
In addition to workshops, there is personalized help to identify employment barriers and access community services. Computers are available with internet access and Microsoft Office programs. There are local job postings, phones and an answering service, photocopying, printing and faxing services, and how-to booklets.
Job seekers may also want to check out similar services at Second Chance Employment Counselling, a separate agency that has been providing employment, retraining and educational support in Guelph and Wellington communities for over 35 years. They provide one-to-one counselling and access to job search resources in Erin through EWCS (East Wellington Community Services).
They have offices in Guelph and Fergus, plus the Youth Resource Centre on the second floor at Stone Road Mall. They can provide guidance on apprenticeships, entrepreneurship and upgrading qualifications. You can get more information and on-line job search links at www.2ndchance.ca.
December 28, 2011
On-line fiction project breaks new ground
As published in The Erin Advocate
Instead of retiring after a long career in publishing, John Denison has been writing the books he's always wanted to write. And this Sunday, January 1, he is launching an on-line project that challenges the traditional concept of a book.
"I just wanted to have fun," said Denison, who operated Boston Mills Press on Erin's Main Street for many years, specializing in books about Ontario's heritage. He's out of that field now (Firefly Books now has the Boston Mills brand), and has turned to fiction for teens and young adults.
Occam's Razor is the story of a comic book author nearing retirement who is kidnapped by one of his arch-evil characters. The tale swings between the "real" and fantasy worlds (with a different typeface for each) as the author's daughter dresses up as the comic book heroine Major Occam and crosses over to rescue her dad.
The publishing industry has seen the rise of e-books, to be read on computers or portable devices, and of sophisticated graphic novels from the comic book tradition. Digital presses can now produce high quality books very quickly, at low cost, and in very low quantities if necessary.
Denison's venture builds on these trends, combined with an old-fashioned serial technique – a new short chapter will be released every day for 120 days. He pushes the definition of a book by allowing readers to contribute illustrations, music, video and games, which will appear with the text. When the story is over, readers can order their own customized e-book or paper copy, with the illustrations they choose. Artists can order a version with their art alone.
"I think I'm the first one to do this," he said. "The book world I knew is flying away and whatever's next is arriving like a subway train. Hop on or go home seem to be the only choices."
The project is happening world-wide at www.occams-razor.ca, with the help of Forsefield, a young design team from Newmarket. They have also created downloadable apps and an Occam's Razor video game, available on iTunes.
Denison always liked the sound of "Occam's Razor". It's the name of his comic book universe, but also the real name of an ancient scientific principle that favours simple theories. Einstein is said to have summed it up thus: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
The story has lots of visual imagery, including a young dragon, that provide starting points for illustrators. And because the characters live in each person's imagination, they do not have to look the same in each picture. Denison says that all submitted images (screened only for good taste) will be posted with the chapters – everything from sophisticated illustrations to crayon drawings by little kids.
Go to the site's Artist Portal to find out about submitting your work. Or just check out the art that has already arrived, from as far away as Indonesia. Registered artists will get the chapters five days before the public, giving them a chance to create something related to the text. Music, video and games are also welcome, along with recordings of the text that could become part of an audio book.
Following the story or being a contributor is all free, but Denison is hoping to recover some of his investment through an on-line store that sells his other novels on a linked website, www.thisaintthelibrary.com. The home page there has previews of Fartboy and Booger (aimed at the adolescent male reader), along with Hanna The President's Daughter and Unlock Holmes Space Detective.
These books are available through the "print-on-demand" business model, which reduces traditional publishing risks and costs. There is no inventory, no expensive equipment and no chance of book stores returning the product. When you order a book on-line at a site like amazon.com, it can be printed, bound and shipped in just a few days, and the publisher/author makes a better profit margin than they could ever hope for in the traditional model.
Denison's stories have brisk plots, prose that is easy to read (but not dumbed-down), engaging characters, believable emotional interactions and a range of modern issues. After reading a few preview chapters of the Occam story, I was left with an important question: "What's going to happen next?"
Major Occam probably won't be the next Harry Potter (but you never know). And maybe others will come along and take this new genre to new heights. That's all fine with Denison, as he gets ready to fling his creation out to the world.
Instead of retiring after a long career in publishing, John Denison has been writing the books he's always wanted to write. And this Sunday, January 1, he is launching an on-line project that challenges the traditional concept of a book.
"I just wanted to have fun," said Denison, who operated Boston Mills Press on Erin's Main Street for many years, specializing in books about Ontario's heritage. He's out of that field now (Firefly Books now has the Boston Mills brand), and has turned to fiction for teens and young adults.
Occam's Razor is the story of a comic book author nearing retirement who is kidnapped by one of his arch-evil characters. The tale swings between the "real" and fantasy worlds (with a different typeface for each) as the author's daughter dresses up as the comic book heroine Major Occam and crosses over to rescue her dad.
The publishing industry has seen the rise of e-books, to be read on computers or portable devices, and of sophisticated graphic novels from the comic book tradition. Digital presses can now produce high quality books very quickly, at low cost, and in very low quantities if necessary.
Denison's venture builds on these trends, combined with an old-fashioned serial technique – a new short chapter will be released every day for 120 days. He pushes the definition of a book by allowing readers to contribute illustrations, music, video and games, which will appear with the text. When the story is over, readers can order their own customized e-book or paper copy, with the illustrations they choose. Artists can order a version with their art alone.
"I think I'm the first one to do this," he said. "The book world I knew is flying away and whatever's next is arriving like a subway train. Hop on or go home seem to be the only choices."
The project is happening world-wide at www.occams-razor.ca, with the help of Forsefield, a young design team from Newmarket. They have also created downloadable apps and an Occam's Razor video game, available on iTunes.
Denison always liked the sound of "Occam's Razor". It's the name of his comic book universe, but also the real name of an ancient scientific principle that favours simple theories. Einstein is said to have summed it up thus: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
The story has lots of visual imagery, including a young dragon, that provide starting points for illustrators. And because the characters live in each person's imagination, they do not have to look the same in each picture. Denison says that all submitted images (screened only for good taste) will be posted with the chapters – everything from sophisticated illustrations to crayon drawings by little kids.
Go to the site's Artist Portal to find out about submitting your work. Or just check out the art that has already arrived, from as far away as Indonesia. Registered artists will get the chapters five days before the public, giving them a chance to create something related to the text. Music, video and games are also welcome, along with recordings of the text that could become part of an audio book.
Following the story or being a contributor is all free, but Denison is hoping to recover some of his investment through an on-line store that sells his other novels on a linked website, www.thisaintthelibrary.com. The home page there has previews of Fartboy and Booger (aimed at the adolescent male reader), along with Hanna The President's Daughter and Unlock Holmes Space Detective.
These books are available through the "print-on-demand" business model, which reduces traditional publishing risks and costs. There is no inventory, no expensive equipment and no chance of book stores returning the product. When you order a book on-line at a site like amazon.com, it can be printed, bound and shipped in just a few days, and the publisher/author makes a better profit margin than they could ever hope for in the traditional model.
Denison's stories have brisk plots, prose that is easy to read (but not dumbed-down), engaging characters, believable emotional interactions and a range of modern issues. After reading a few preview chapters of the Occam story, I was left with an important question: "What's going to happen next?"
Major Occam probably won't be the next Harry Potter (but you never know). And maybe others will come along and take this new genre to new heights. That's all fine with Denison, as he gets ready to fling his creation out to the world.
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