As published in The Erin Advocate
A request to dig up archived information related to a lawsuit launched against the Town of Erin by Mayor Lou Maieron will take so much staff time that a researcher will be hired for the project, council decided last week.
Clerk Dina Lundy received three Freedom of Information (FOI) requests from the same person on October 29. The mayor would not confirm directly that he made the requests, but he did declare a conflict of interest and left the council chamber during the discussion.
The first request, regarding a disputed woodlot, seeks all related letters, emails, notes and phone records, dating back to 1997, between the Town (and its consultants or lawyers), and a series of organizations that includes other defendants in the mayor’s lawsuit.
“These requests are going to take probably months to compile,” said Lundy. “The staff time that is going to be required will interfere with our operations. We are going to have to enlist some help...I imagine it would be hundreds of hours. ”
The Town does not normally charge for responding to FOI requests, since the staff time required is minimal. In this case, council agreed with the clerk’s request to hire a researcher, and to charge as much of the cost as permitted by law back to the requestor.
“Once an estimate of fees has been completed form each request, the requestor will be required to pay a deposit equal to 50 percent of the estimate before any further steps are taken to respond to each request. The remainder of the fees will be payable before access is given to any of the records,” said Lundy in her report.
“It is not known if the fees charged to the requestor will fully compensate for the cost of the researcher and other related costs.”
Lundy has consulted with the CAO, a Senior Policy Advisor from the Ministry of Government Services and the municipal Solicitor.
“It is important that the petitioner understands that the fees that will be charged are for the examination and processing of these record, not for what the final product will be, said councillor John Brennan. “Technically it is possible that the person could pay hundreds or perhaps even thousands of dollars, and at the end of the process get nothing.”
The Town is obliged to respond to FOI requests, but may hold back confidential information, and may have to consult other parties named in the documents. Lundy said the fee is payable regardless of her decision on whether or not to grant access to individual records.
The cost of legal advice on what to redact (edit out or withhold) will not be charged to the requestor, and CAO Kathryn Ironmonger said there will be “significant cost to the municipality that may not be recoverable.”
The request about the land dispute targets communications with “the OMB, Gulia et al, Erin Brook Subdivision, Charleston Homes, John & Cheryl Leenders, Birdseye Farm, and any respective principle thereof and any government agency, the CVC, MOE, MNR, DFO, or other etc.”
The mayor’s lawsuit was also on the agenda for a closed session, for which the mayor declared a conflict of interest and did not attend. Councillor John Brennan reported to the public afterwards.
“We reviewed a Statement of Defense with our legal counsel regarding court file 687/13, that is the lawsuit with the plaintiff Lou Maieron, and a number of defendants including the Town,” said Brennan. “We have directed the lawyer to file it with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.”
No information about the Statement of Defense was immediately available, but it becomes a public document once it is filed with the court.
The second FOI request is for all records of communication between Town staff and Integrity Commissioner John Craig, who is expected to report soon on a Code of Ethics complaint against Mayor Maieron. Most of that communication is expected to remain confidential. The nature of the complaint itself has never been made public.
The third FOI request if for “a full accounting of all expenses for all Town of Erin Councillors and the Mayor from start of this Council term”. The information will be relatively quick to retrieve, but it will take extra time to sort since it is “to include all receipts, credit card invoices, cash payments etc. with a breakdown of conference costs, meals, accommodation costs, travel and other associated costs.”
The Municipal Freedom of lnformation and Protection of Privacy Act allows the Town to charge 20 cents per page for photocopies, $10 for each CD, $7.50 for each 15 minutes spent by anyone to search records or prepare records for disclosure, $15 for each 15 minutes for computer programming, plus any other costs of the search for which the Town is invoiced.
November 13, 2013
Minister won’t commit to regulate fill dumping
As published in The Erin Advocate
A call for improved regulation of the disposal of fill in rural areas has been given the brush-off by Environment Minister Jim Bradley.
The issue has been high-profile in Erin recently, with MPP Ted Arnott writing to the minister on behalf of local residents, renewing his request for an Interministerial Committee to establish provincial policy and regulations.
“I understand that the Ministry has recently established best management practices for soil management [fill], but would question how these are being enforced and if there is any enforcement at all,” said Arnott in his letter.
Bradley replied that the soil guide was still being finalized “with consideration to all the comments we have received”, and that it will provide “essential guidance” for the Town and Conservation Authorities, which can issue permits for fill. He did not respond to the enforcement question.
“As we move forward, we will evaluate if future actions are needed,” he said, noting that the ministry “encourages the reuse of excess soil for beneficial uses as long as it can be done in a way that is protective of human health and the environment.”
The Town of Erin is in the process of reviewing both its fill bylaw and a proposed guide that would help residents report suspected problems.
The Citizens Against Fill Dumping group is continuing to attend council meetings, and has come out with a brochure to make people aware of their concerns about the impact on the environment, residents’ quality of life and their property values. They also have a web site: www.stopfilldumping.ca.
“The GTA continues to grow exponentially and with that growth comes an increasing demand for places to dump its unwanted excavated material,” the website says.
“The primary concern is that some of this fill could be contaminated. The current bylaws governing Wellington County and Erin are simply inadequate to deal with this issue. They are neither stringent enough to protect the best interests of the Town of Erin and Wellington County residents nor are they rigorously enforced to ensure accountability and transparency.
“We want to convince Town of Erin Council and Wellington County Council to eliminate importation of fill. We want the Provincial government to regulate the Fill industry in Ontario.”
A call for improved regulation of the disposal of fill in rural areas has been given the brush-off by Environment Minister Jim Bradley.
The issue has been high-profile in Erin recently, with MPP Ted Arnott writing to the minister on behalf of local residents, renewing his request for an Interministerial Committee to establish provincial policy and regulations.
“I understand that the Ministry has recently established best management practices for soil management [fill], but would question how these are being enforced and if there is any enforcement at all,” said Arnott in his letter.
Bradley replied that the soil guide was still being finalized “with consideration to all the comments we have received”, and that it will provide “essential guidance” for the Town and Conservation Authorities, which can issue permits for fill. He did not respond to the enforcement question.
“As we move forward, we will evaluate if future actions are needed,” he said, noting that the ministry “encourages the reuse of excess soil for beneficial uses as long as it can be done in a way that is protective of human health and the environment.”
The Town of Erin is in the process of reviewing both its fill bylaw and a proposed guide that would help residents report suspected problems.
The Citizens Against Fill Dumping group is continuing to attend council meetings, and has come out with a brochure to make people aware of their concerns about the impact on the environment, residents’ quality of life and their property values. They also have a web site: www.stopfilldumping.ca.
“The GTA continues to grow exponentially and with that growth comes an increasing demand for places to dump its unwanted excavated material,” the website says.
“The primary concern is that some of this fill could be contaminated. The current bylaws governing Wellington County and Erin are simply inadequate to deal with this issue. They are neither stringent enough to protect the best interests of the Town of Erin and Wellington County residents nor are they rigorously enforced to ensure accountability and transparency.
“We want to convince Town of Erin Council and Wellington County Council to eliminate importation of fill. We want the Provincial government to regulate the Fill industry in Ontario.”
Firefighter honoured for service
As published in The Erin Advocate
Firefighters from Hillsburgh and Erin turned out in force at the November 5 Council meeting to honour Rick Adamson for his contributions over the last 20 years.
The communications room at the new Hillsburgh Station 50 will be named after him. MPP Ted Arnott presented certificates from himself and MP Michael Chong, and a Governor-General’s medal.
With other volunteer firefighters, he has dedicated time and effort to finishing the newly-constructed fire station. He is also the president of Wellington-Dufferin Mutual Aid, which coordinates assistance among municipalities in the event of major or multiple emergencies.
Councillor Deb Callaghan paid tribute to Adamson’s service.
“Rick is usually the first person at the station when a page is put out for an emergency in the community. In arriving first, Rick becomes the communications operator, something he is very skilled at.
“It takes a lot of experience to anticipate what is going to be required at an emergency scene, and by analyzing the incoming information from Guelph dispatch, Rick is often requesting Mutual Aid or other agencies to attend an emergency before the incident commander has time to request them.
“Rick is like Radar on the TV show M.A.S.H. – he seems to be able to read minds and make things happen before they are needed. Thank-you Rick for all the effort you have given our community.”
Firefighters from Hillsburgh and Erin turned out in force at the November 5 Council meeting to honour Rick Adamson for his contributions over the last 20 years.
The communications room at the new Hillsburgh Station 50 will be named after him. MPP Ted Arnott presented certificates from himself and MP Michael Chong, and a Governor-General’s medal.
With other volunteer firefighters, he has dedicated time and effort to finishing the newly-constructed fire station. He is also the president of Wellington-Dufferin Mutual Aid, which coordinates assistance among municipalities in the event of major or multiple emergencies.
Councillor Deb Callaghan paid tribute to Adamson’s service.
“Rick is usually the first person at the station when a page is put out for an emergency in the community. In arriving first, Rick becomes the communications operator, something he is very skilled at.
“It takes a lot of experience to anticipate what is going to be required at an emergency scene, and by analyzing the incoming information from Guelph dispatch, Rick is often requesting Mutual Aid or other agencies to attend an emergency before the incident commander has time to request them.
“Rick is like Radar on the TV show M.A.S.H. – he seems to be able to read minds and make things happen before they are needed. Thank-you Rick for all the effort you have given our community.”
 |
| Rick Adamson was honoured for 20 years of service as a Hillsburgh firefighter. Left to right are MPP Ted Arnott, Councillor Jose Wintersinger, Adamson, Councillor Deb Callaghan, Mayor Lou Maieron and Chief Dan Callaghan. |
Library offers free access to magazines
As published in The Erin Advocate
There may be nothing truly free under the sun, but when it comes to services for which we have already paid, it does make sense to use them when it is convenient.
That is the case with an on-line magazine service called Zinio, now offered to the public at no charge by the Wellington County Library.
It fits well with the library’s mandate to making interesting material freely available. Assistant Chief Librarian Chanda Gilpin said they knew there would be a demand for a magazine service because of the popularity of their other digital services.
You can access eBooks and eAudiobooks, as well as catalogue searches and research tools, and manage your personal account, without actually going to a library.
“We’re always trying to anticipate and adapt to the needs of the community,” said Gilpin.
You can still get paper copies of magazines at library branches, which is better than paying $5 for one issue at your local drug store. But if you can get used to reading them on your computer, tablet or smartphone, it is very efficient for both users and the library system.
“We can put a print magazine in each of our 14 branches and provide access to one person at a time at each location,” said Gilpin. “Or we can pay approximately half that cost and make the same magazine available through Zinio to every single library member in the County, all at the same time. Zinio also comes with all-hours access, no worries about fines, and no damaged materials.”
Wellington currently offers access to 44 magazines through Zinio, which is not a lot in the competitive magazine market, but it is a good start. They cover some of the most popular sectors, with titles for women, men, teens and kids.
You can learn how to age well with Zoomer, absorb some Canadian culture with The Walrus, read a tribute to Lou Reed in Rolling Stone, make cookies with Canadian Living, check out the 2015 Mustang with Car and Driver, discover dinosaurs with Chirp or read up on 38 naughty holiday games with Cosmopolitan.
There is no due date, and back issues are available for many titles. Notably missing from the Zinio line-up are magazines including Macleans and other products from Rogers Media, Canada’s largest publisher. They are launching their own paid service and app called Next Issue.
Zinio is also a paid service, and you can subscribe to a much wider selection of digital magazines by going directly to their retail website. When you are viewing your library selections, you will have the opportunity, but no obligation, to buy other subscriptions.
To access the free ones, you will need a library card, which is good idea in any case. At www.wellington.ca, go to Library under Resident Services, click Online Resources, then on eBooks and More, then on Zinio to sign up. There’s a tutorial video, and branch staff can answer your questions.
The minor inconvenience to the process is that you set up a Zinio account with the library, but after you choose some magazines, you end up at www.zino.com where you have to set up another account with the exact same user name and password.
Once you set it up, it works smoothly – picking titles at the library site, and seeing your current batch and reading them through the Zinio site. You don’t actually download the magazine files. You just stream the view as needed to your computer.
You flip through the pages, ads and all, and the Table of Contents will have links for quick navigation. There’s full-screen viewing, bookmarking and an option for printing pages.
You can also download free Zinio reader apps for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire/HD, Win 8, Blackberry and Nook HD/HCD+. You still have to use the website to check out new issues of magazines. Once that is done, your accounts will sync on a wireless connection and the issue will be ready to read on your mobile device.
There may be nothing truly free under the sun, but when it comes to services for which we have already paid, it does make sense to use them when it is convenient.
That is the case with an on-line magazine service called Zinio, now offered to the public at no charge by the Wellington County Library.
It fits well with the library’s mandate to making interesting material freely available. Assistant Chief Librarian Chanda Gilpin said they knew there would be a demand for a magazine service because of the popularity of their other digital services.
You can access eBooks and eAudiobooks, as well as catalogue searches and research tools, and manage your personal account, without actually going to a library.
“We’re always trying to anticipate and adapt to the needs of the community,” said Gilpin.
You can still get paper copies of magazines at library branches, which is better than paying $5 for one issue at your local drug store. But if you can get used to reading them on your computer, tablet or smartphone, it is very efficient for both users and the library system.
“We can put a print magazine in each of our 14 branches and provide access to one person at a time at each location,” said Gilpin. “Or we can pay approximately half that cost and make the same magazine available through Zinio to every single library member in the County, all at the same time. Zinio also comes with all-hours access, no worries about fines, and no damaged materials.”
Wellington currently offers access to 44 magazines through Zinio, which is not a lot in the competitive magazine market, but it is a good start. They cover some of the most popular sectors, with titles for women, men, teens and kids.
You can learn how to age well with Zoomer, absorb some Canadian culture with The Walrus, read a tribute to Lou Reed in Rolling Stone, make cookies with Canadian Living, check out the 2015 Mustang with Car and Driver, discover dinosaurs with Chirp or read up on 38 naughty holiday games with Cosmopolitan.
There is no due date, and back issues are available for many titles. Notably missing from the Zinio line-up are magazines including Macleans and other products from Rogers Media, Canada’s largest publisher. They are launching their own paid service and app called Next Issue.
Zinio is also a paid service, and you can subscribe to a much wider selection of digital magazines by going directly to their retail website. When you are viewing your library selections, you will have the opportunity, but no obligation, to buy other subscriptions.
To access the free ones, you will need a library card, which is good idea in any case. At www.wellington.ca, go to Library under Resident Services, click Online Resources, then on eBooks and More, then on Zinio to sign up. There’s a tutorial video, and branch staff can answer your questions.
The minor inconvenience to the process is that you set up a Zinio account with the library, but after you choose some magazines, you end up at www.zino.com where you have to set up another account with the exact same user name and password.
Once you set it up, it works smoothly – picking titles at the library site, and seeing your current batch and reading them through the Zinio site. You don’t actually download the magazine files. You just stream the view as needed to your computer.
You flip through the pages, ads and all, and the Table of Contents will have links for quick navigation. There’s full-screen viewing, bookmarking and an option for printing pages.
You can also download free Zinio reader apps for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire/HD, Win 8, Blackberry and Nook HD/HCD+. You still have to use the website to check out new issues of magazines. Once that is done, your accounts will sync on a wireless connection and the issue will be ready to read on your mobile device.
November 06, 2013
Photos of Mundell mill fire
The story on the fire is in a separate post.
The first four photos are by Andrew Greggain, supplied by Erin Fire Chief Dan Callaghan.
Photo of mill a few years after it was converted to a planing mill by Ben Mundell in 1896:
Brian Oates demonstrating the mill's woodworking equipment at the Doors Open tour in 2010:
A series of photos taken by George Beshiri in 1975, published by Tim Inkster of Porcupine's Quill in his 2009 historical booklet McMillan's Mills. The first is of current owner Dana Mundell chopping away ice in the turbine area, and the rest showing the vintage machinery and drive system.
The first four photos are by Andrew Greggain, supplied by Erin Fire Chief Dan Callaghan.
Photo of mill a few years after it was converted to a planing mill by Ben Mundell in 1896:
Photo of mill by David Clifford, just four days before the fire:
Photos by Phil Gravelle, eight hours after the fire started:
 |
| The vertical drive shaft of the mill, powered by water diverted through a mill race from the Charles Street dam. |
A series of photos taken by George Beshiri in 1975, published by Tim Inkster of Porcupine's Quill in his 2009 historical booklet McMillan's Mills. The first is of current owner Dana Mundell chopping away ice in the turbine area, and the rest showing the vintage machinery and drive system.
Historic Mundell mill destroyed by fire
As published in The Erin Advocate
The historic water-powered planing mill at Mundell Lumber was destroyed by fire on Halloween morning last week, leaving the community shocked at the loss of a familiar landmark.
There were no injuries and arson was not suspected said Erin Fire Chief Dan Callaghan. Ontario Provincial Police have asked to speak with any witnesses.
Investigators from the Ontario Fire Marshall’s office were at the scene Thursday, but no information on the possible cause of the fire has been released.
The 911 call came in at 2:25 am after a cat woke up a neighbour, said Callaghan. When firefighters arrived, the 175-year-old wooden structure was fully engulfed in flames.
“The historic machinery is non-replaceable – it’s a huge loss,” said Callaghan.
Volunteers from the Erin and Hillsburgh stations contained the blaze, protecting the Rona store on Main Street and nearby warehouses. The building included the lumber yard office and was mainly used for storage. A flatbed truck with a forklift and another truck, parked near the office, were seriously damaged.
Neighbour Peter Brumm, whose apartment overlooks the mill area, said the fire appeared to have started in the northwest corner, but spread to the whole building within minutes.
“A part of the history of this town is shot,” said former village reeve Jim Mundell after surveying the damage. He has many fond memories of the mill, including sweeping the floors for five cents a day when he was a kid.
“This was one of the last remaining water powered mills,” he said. Many mills were built in the Credit River watershed during the mid-1800s to saw lumber, grind grain and produce textiles, as settlements grew throughout the region.
The mill itself had been run only occasionally in recent decades, but it was the last operable belt-driven water mill in the Credit River watershed. The machinery included a turbine and drive shaft at the south end of the building, powered by water diverted under Main Street from the Charles Street dam. There was a system of gears, pulleys and canvas drive belts, with levers to engage various woodworking machines.
The planing mill once employed about 60 people. Even though the importance of mills generally declined in the early 1900s, the Erin mill continued to be used regularly into the 1960s.
Bill Mundell said the mill’s heyday had come and gone, and that it’s too early to know what will be done with the site. His son Dana Mundell, current owner of the business, was out of the country at the time of the fire.
He also owns the stone-walled flour mill built by McMillan in 1849, just 100 metres downstream, which is in very poor condition. A little further along the river, in the Woollen Mills Conservation Area is the site of McMillan’s 1840 wool carding mill, the remains of which were demolished for safety reasons in 1995.
Long-term Mundell Lumber employee Bob Kirkwood said the planing mill was a “priceless” tribute to the past.
In a Facebook post, Store Manager Mike Magill said he was “devastated” by the loss of “a place that fueled Erin’s early development...from way back when times were simpler.” He thanked the firefighters who had worked a very long shift.
The structure was built in 1838 by Daniel McMillan as an oat mill. He had already been operating both a saw mill and a grist mill just downstream of the Charles Street dam. He realized he could generate far more power (about 30 horsepower) by diverting water from the pond through a flume (ditch) to a new mill on the east side of Main Street. The water dropped seven metres before rejoining the West Credit River.
“Few mills in Ontario were sited as cleverly to take advantage of local topography,” said Steve Revell, in his booklet A Brief History of Erin Village, published by Porcupine’s Quill in 2007.
McMillan persuaded his friend William Cornock to build an adjacent distillery, which operated until 1860 using tailings from the grain to make cheap whiskey. It sold for 25 cents a jug or a dollar a keg, said Tim Inkster of Porcupine’s Quill, who published A Brief History of McMillan’s Mills in 2009.
According to the book Main Street, A Pictorial History of Erin Villlage by Jean Denison (available at the library) Cornock took over the oat mill and in 1889 sold it to Dr. Henry McNaughton. Benjamin Mundell bought the mill (including the 999-year lease on water rights) from McNaughton’s widow in 1896.
“Mundell converted the facility to a planing mill, which complemented perfectly his skills as both carpenter and contractor,” said Revell. “Benjamin’s son David took possession in 1918 on his return from service overseas. David’s eldest son Bill joined the firm at the close of the Second World War, and Bill’s younger brother Jim signed on in 1952.”
With files from Metroland News Service
The historic water-powered planing mill at Mundell Lumber was destroyed by fire on Halloween morning last week, leaving the community shocked at the loss of a familiar landmark.
There were no injuries and arson was not suspected said Erin Fire Chief Dan Callaghan. Ontario Provincial Police have asked to speak with any witnesses.
Investigators from the Ontario Fire Marshall’s office were at the scene Thursday, but no information on the possible cause of the fire has been released.
The 911 call came in at 2:25 am after a cat woke up a neighbour, said Callaghan. When firefighters arrived, the 175-year-old wooden structure was fully engulfed in flames.
“The historic machinery is non-replaceable – it’s a huge loss,” said Callaghan.
Volunteers from the Erin and Hillsburgh stations contained the blaze, protecting the Rona store on Main Street and nearby warehouses. The building included the lumber yard office and was mainly used for storage. A flatbed truck with a forklift and another truck, parked near the office, were seriously damaged.
Neighbour Peter Brumm, whose apartment overlooks the mill area, said the fire appeared to have started in the northwest corner, but spread to the whole building within minutes.
“A part of the history of this town is shot,” said former village reeve Jim Mundell after surveying the damage. He has many fond memories of the mill, including sweeping the floors for five cents a day when he was a kid.
“This was one of the last remaining water powered mills,” he said. Many mills were built in the Credit River watershed during the mid-1800s to saw lumber, grind grain and produce textiles, as settlements grew throughout the region.
The mill itself had been run only occasionally in recent decades, but it was the last operable belt-driven water mill in the Credit River watershed. The machinery included a turbine and drive shaft at the south end of the building, powered by water diverted under Main Street from the Charles Street dam. There was a system of gears, pulleys and canvas drive belts, with levers to engage various woodworking machines.
The planing mill once employed about 60 people. Even though the importance of mills generally declined in the early 1900s, the Erin mill continued to be used regularly into the 1960s.
Bill Mundell said the mill’s heyday had come and gone, and that it’s too early to know what will be done with the site. His son Dana Mundell, current owner of the business, was out of the country at the time of the fire.
He also owns the stone-walled flour mill built by McMillan in 1849, just 100 metres downstream, which is in very poor condition. A little further along the river, in the Woollen Mills Conservation Area is the site of McMillan’s 1840 wool carding mill, the remains of which were demolished for safety reasons in 1995.
Long-term Mundell Lumber employee Bob Kirkwood said the planing mill was a “priceless” tribute to the past.
In a Facebook post, Store Manager Mike Magill said he was “devastated” by the loss of “a place that fueled Erin’s early development...from way back when times were simpler.” He thanked the firefighters who had worked a very long shift.
The structure was built in 1838 by Daniel McMillan as an oat mill. He had already been operating both a saw mill and a grist mill just downstream of the Charles Street dam. He realized he could generate far more power (about 30 horsepower) by diverting water from the pond through a flume (ditch) to a new mill on the east side of Main Street. The water dropped seven metres before rejoining the West Credit River.
“Few mills in Ontario were sited as cleverly to take advantage of local topography,” said Steve Revell, in his booklet A Brief History of Erin Village, published by Porcupine’s Quill in 2007.
McMillan persuaded his friend William Cornock to build an adjacent distillery, which operated until 1860 using tailings from the grain to make cheap whiskey. It sold for 25 cents a jug or a dollar a keg, said Tim Inkster of Porcupine’s Quill, who published A Brief History of McMillan’s Mills in 2009.
According to the book Main Street, A Pictorial History of Erin Villlage by Jean Denison (available at the library) Cornock took over the oat mill and in 1889 sold it to Dr. Henry McNaughton. Benjamin Mundell bought the mill (including the 999-year lease on water rights) from McNaughton’s widow in 1896.
“Mundell converted the facility to a planing mill, which complemented perfectly his skills as both carpenter and contractor,” said Revell. “Benjamin’s son David took possession in 1918 on his return from service overseas. David’s eldest son Bill joined the firm at the close of the Second World War, and Bill’s younger brother Jim signed on in 1952.”
With files from Metroland News Service
Mountainview hydrants spark safety complaint
As published in The Erin Advocate
Residents of the Mountainview subdivision at the south end of Erin village are finally getting fire hydrants, but notices from the Town saying they should not drink tap water for up to 10 days during installation and testing have prompted a complaint from County Councillor Ken Chapman.
He said that even if there is a small risk of contamination from the work, the Town should give residents more details on how to safely use tap water, including how to boil it for drinking.
Erin Water Superintendent Frank Smedley said people in the subdivision should not drink the water at all. He said a Boil Water Advisory is not appropriate, and that both the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) have no problem with the Town’s process.
“A shutdown of water does not create an adverse water situation,” said Smedley, noting that similar notices are used for other maintenance and repairs, and that the Town has not previously received complaints. “We are following our set operating procedure that outlines not drinking the water until satisfactory samples are received.”
He said the Town will supply bottled water to any affected resident if they request it, but that it is not standard practice to issue it automatically. Chapman said the availability of bottled water should have been stated in the Town’s initial flyers.
“If I can’t drink the water, you’re telling me it may be contaminated,” said Chapman. “For kids and seniors, this could be big trouble. I’m only over-reacting if no one gets sick. This is slip-shod, not giving people what they need to know. People should be treated with respect.”
Smedley said Chapman is very familiar with water department functions, yet has refused to discuss the issue with him, as requested in Town flyers.
“If he is suggesting that the water is unsafe, that is not true – these are precautionary procedures,” said Smedley. “He should know better than to do this.”
Shawn Zentner, Manager of Health Protection at WDGPH confirmed approval of the Town’s process and the notice that Mountainview subdivision residents not drink the water until notified otherwise.
“It is a prudent, reasonable and cautious step,” he said, noting that a Boil Water Advisory would only protect against bacteria, while not drinking the water at all protects against any potential contamination.
Smedley denied a statement in a flyer Chapman gave to residents that provincial officials are “putting pressure” on the water department to provide more information, including boiling procedures. In a report for this week’s council meeting Smedley said he did receive advice from MOE and Public Health on the wording of public notices.
The Town issued a third flyer to residents on Friday, offering bottled water on request, and asking residents to disregard flyers from other sources.
“Town of Erin Water Department staff work very hard to instill confidence in Municipal Water Operations,” said Smedley in his report, referring to a 100% rating in a recent MOE inspection.
Hydrant work for the 41 homes was initially expected to be done last week, but was delayed until this week due to parts availability. The Town’s first flyer said two shutdowns of the water supply would occur:
“After we notify you of the first shutdown, please do not drink the water. The Town of Erin staff will inform when the required sampling has been completed and it is safe to drink the water. You can wash dishes and bathe with the water.”
The actual work is expected to take two or three days, and the testing up to five working days (not including the weekend).
Chapman, a former Town Councillor, appeared at a special council meeting last week asking to be heard as a delegation. While he had the support of Mayor Lou Maieron, other councillors followed the advice of Clerk Kathryn Ironmonger and refused him permission to speak, since the meeting had been called for a different purpose.
In written comments released to the media he said it was a “very serious health and safety matter”. He wanted the Town to request fast-tracking of the testing to reduce the restriction time. He suggested the Town alert local doctors to possible contamination symptoms, and had questions about using tap water for washing fruits and vegetables and for cooking.
The Town’s second flyer included a warning not to use the water for food preparation. Work on water pipes can release rust, but Smedley said temporary discolouration of the water is only an aesthetic concern, not a safety issue.
Connection points for the four hydrants were set up when the subdivision water pipes were replaced in 1996. The Town insisted that local residents pay for 6-inch pipes rather than 4-inch, in order to accommodate hydrants.
The hydrants were never installed, however, which would have cost about $11,000 at that time. In September this year the project was awarded to Drexler Construction at a cost of $33,000, plus HST. Council had allocated $50,000 in the 2013 water budget, from the Water Reserve Fund.
“This will enhance the fire protection situation for residences in the area,” said Smedley at that time.
Boil Water Advisories are issued by Public Health, normally in response to known contamination, but they can be issued as a precaution in cases where there is sufficient risk of contamination. Boiling water only kills bacteria. If there was chemical contamination, boiling could concentrate it.
There was no Boil Water Advisory in effect as of Monday. Any time there is one, people are told to use bottled water or bring tap water to a rapid, rolling boil for one minute to kill possible bacteria for drinking water, according to instructions available on the local Public Health website.
Unboiled contaminated water is not considered safe for washing ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, making ice cubes, or mixing with infant formula or other uncooked products. It is not safe for brushing teeth, but is safe for bathing or showering if none is swallowed.
If there is no other contamination, it says unboiled water is safe for cooking, since the heat from cooking destroys disease-causing germs. It is safe for doing laundry. It is safe for cleaning hands and household items, but rinsing with a 10% bleach and water solution is recommended.
Residents of the Mountainview subdivision at the south end of Erin village are finally getting fire hydrants, but notices from the Town saying they should not drink tap water for up to 10 days during installation and testing have prompted a complaint from County Councillor Ken Chapman.
He said that even if there is a small risk of contamination from the work, the Town should give residents more details on how to safely use tap water, including how to boil it for drinking.
Erin Water Superintendent Frank Smedley said people in the subdivision should not drink the water at all. He said a Boil Water Advisory is not appropriate, and that both the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) have no problem with the Town’s process.
“A shutdown of water does not create an adverse water situation,” said Smedley, noting that similar notices are used for other maintenance and repairs, and that the Town has not previously received complaints. “We are following our set operating procedure that outlines not drinking the water until satisfactory samples are received.”
He said the Town will supply bottled water to any affected resident if they request it, but that it is not standard practice to issue it automatically. Chapman said the availability of bottled water should have been stated in the Town’s initial flyers.
“If I can’t drink the water, you’re telling me it may be contaminated,” said Chapman. “For kids and seniors, this could be big trouble. I’m only over-reacting if no one gets sick. This is slip-shod, not giving people what they need to know. People should be treated with respect.”
Smedley said Chapman is very familiar with water department functions, yet has refused to discuss the issue with him, as requested in Town flyers.
“If he is suggesting that the water is unsafe, that is not true – these are precautionary procedures,” said Smedley. “He should know better than to do this.”
Shawn Zentner, Manager of Health Protection at WDGPH confirmed approval of the Town’s process and the notice that Mountainview subdivision residents not drink the water until notified otherwise.
“It is a prudent, reasonable and cautious step,” he said, noting that a Boil Water Advisory would only protect against bacteria, while not drinking the water at all protects against any potential contamination.
Smedley denied a statement in a flyer Chapman gave to residents that provincial officials are “putting pressure” on the water department to provide more information, including boiling procedures. In a report for this week’s council meeting Smedley said he did receive advice from MOE and Public Health on the wording of public notices.
The Town issued a third flyer to residents on Friday, offering bottled water on request, and asking residents to disregard flyers from other sources.
“Town of Erin Water Department staff work very hard to instill confidence in Municipal Water Operations,” said Smedley in his report, referring to a 100% rating in a recent MOE inspection.
Hydrant work for the 41 homes was initially expected to be done last week, but was delayed until this week due to parts availability. The Town’s first flyer said two shutdowns of the water supply would occur:
“After we notify you of the first shutdown, please do not drink the water. The Town of Erin staff will inform when the required sampling has been completed and it is safe to drink the water. You can wash dishes and bathe with the water.”
The actual work is expected to take two or three days, and the testing up to five working days (not including the weekend).
Chapman, a former Town Councillor, appeared at a special council meeting last week asking to be heard as a delegation. While he had the support of Mayor Lou Maieron, other councillors followed the advice of Clerk Kathryn Ironmonger and refused him permission to speak, since the meeting had been called for a different purpose.
In written comments released to the media he said it was a “very serious health and safety matter”. He wanted the Town to request fast-tracking of the testing to reduce the restriction time. He suggested the Town alert local doctors to possible contamination symptoms, and had questions about using tap water for washing fruits and vegetables and for cooking.
The Town’s second flyer included a warning not to use the water for food preparation. Work on water pipes can release rust, but Smedley said temporary discolouration of the water is only an aesthetic concern, not a safety issue.
Connection points for the four hydrants were set up when the subdivision water pipes were replaced in 1996. The Town insisted that local residents pay for 6-inch pipes rather than 4-inch, in order to accommodate hydrants.
The hydrants were never installed, however, which would have cost about $11,000 at that time. In September this year the project was awarded to Drexler Construction at a cost of $33,000, plus HST. Council had allocated $50,000 in the 2013 water budget, from the Water Reserve Fund.
“This will enhance the fire protection situation for residences in the area,” said Smedley at that time.
Boil Water Advisories are issued by Public Health, normally in response to known contamination, but they can be issued as a precaution in cases where there is sufficient risk of contamination. Boiling water only kills bacteria. If there was chemical contamination, boiling could concentrate it.
There was no Boil Water Advisory in effect as of Monday. Any time there is one, people are told to use bottled water or bring tap water to a rapid, rolling boil for one minute to kill possible bacteria for drinking water, according to instructions available on the local Public Health website.
Unboiled contaminated water is not considered safe for washing ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, making ice cubes, or mixing with infant formula or other uncooked products. It is not safe for brushing teeth, but is safe for bathing or showering if none is swallowed.
If there is no other contamination, it says unboiled water is safe for cooking, since the heat from cooking destroys disease-causing germs. It is safe for doing laundry. It is safe for cleaning hands and household items, but rinsing with a 10% bleach and water solution is recommended.
October 30, 2013
Kindness Day generates random good deed ideas
As published in The Erin Advocate
The quality of kindness, like that of mercy, is not strained, but rather drops as the gentle rain from heaven. As Portia so wisely observes in The Merchant of Venice, it blesses the one who gives and the one who receives, being a quality of God himself. Or herself, as you please.
‘Tis surpassingly strange then that two days hence, we will mark Random Act of Kindness Day. What will be next, a special day to nice to our mothers?
While it is obvious that charitable behaviour ought to be our daily business, there does seem to be a streak within human nature that craves special days to remind us of themes in the collective consciousness. Thinking about the whole thing all at once is considered too daunting.
And since we have clawed our way into a secular age, in which holy days have become mere holidays, there’s always a market for creative new artificial events like Random Act of Kindness Day. (I won’t even get into Good Deeds Day, on March 9 – www.gdd.goodnet.org.)
Retailers and greeting card publishers have not yet found a way to spin Kindness into a big money affair, but it has still raised an eyebrow or two among the cynical – with whom I occasionally consult.
Here’s the rub. It is one thing to use your imagination and take the risk of being more charitable, but quite another to seek gratification in being seen as holier than thy neighbour. If doing a good deed on one day simply eases your conscience for the rest of the year, then you’ve clearly missed the point.
Should we pursue our altruism in a quiet, private way, or try to inspire others by setting a good example in public? Should we push other people to pay it forward?
There are no easy answers, and no regulations in the world of kindness. If it makes you feel good to do good, no one can deny you the pleasure. Is it more important that the deed be done than to figure out why? Is cynicism just a crutch, an excuse for doing nothing?
Doing an act of service when it is convenient is a good start. It could be a reminder that it is possible to build a lifestyle around that idea. But to become a regular servant of others who are not members of our own family, especially when it is not convenient, that is a difficult goal in our me-first, mind-your-own-beeswax, consumer culture.
Thus ends a convoluted preamble to a simple community announcement: This Friday, November 1 is Random Act of Kindness (RAK) Day and East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) is urging people to get involved.
Suggestions include everything from showing courtesy on the road to buying someone else’s groceries for them. Download a fact sheet and a list of 101 ideas at www.eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com.
“It’s not about fundraising or giving money – just a day to celebrate kindness,” says the EWCS release. “The opportunities to do something nice for someone else happen every day but this is a special day to really celebrate all the small things that make living in our communities so wonderful.”
EWCS is supporting the Guelph Community Foundation which organizes the annual event. Last year, more than 200 organizations participated, including schools and businesses.
Some 50,000 RAK Day cards will be printed, encouraging holders to perform a simple act of kindness for someone then hand over the card to that person, encouraging him/her to do the same.
“Do something kind, make someone’s day, hand over the card, feel great…Repeat,” says the group’s fact sheet.
Also, EWCS is starting to organize its annual Christmas Hamper and Adopt-a-Family program. For more details about becoming a sponsor or a recipient, call Alyssa Cunningham, Care Coordinator for EWCS, at 519-833-9696.
Well, that’s my good turn for the day – just obeying General Baden-Powell’s Law like a good Scout. I’m sure it will not go unpunished.
And while I’m trying to think up something for tomorrow, I’ll give the last word to Portia: “How far that little candle throws its beams; So shines a good deed in a naughty world.”
The quality of kindness, like that of mercy, is not strained, but rather drops as the gentle rain from heaven. As Portia so wisely observes in The Merchant of Venice, it blesses the one who gives and the one who receives, being a quality of God himself. Or herself, as you please.
‘Tis surpassingly strange then that two days hence, we will mark Random Act of Kindness Day. What will be next, a special day to nice to our mothers?
While it is obvious that charitable behaviour ought to be our daily business, there does seem to be a streak within human nature that craves special days to remind us of themes in the collective consciousness. Thinking about the whole thing all at once is considered too daunting.
And since we have clawed our way into a secular age, in which holy days have become mere holidays, there’s always a market for creative new artificial events like Random Act of Kindness Day. (I won’t even get into Good Deeds Day, on March 9 – www.gdd.goodnet.org.)
Retailers and greeting card publishers have not yet found a way to spin Kindness into a big money affair, but it has still raised an eyebrow or two among the cynical – with whom I occasionally consult.
Here’s the rub. It is one thing to use your imagination and take the risk of being more charitable, but quite another to seek gratification in being seen as holier than thy neighbour. If doing a good deed on one day simply eases your conscience for the rest of the year, then you’ve clearly missed the point.
Should we pursue our altruism in a quiet, private way, or try to inspire others by setting a good example in public? Should we push other people to pay it forward?
There are no easy answers, and no regulations in the world of kindness. If it makes you feel good to do good, no one can deny you the pleasure. Is it more important that the deed be done than to figure out why? Is cynicism just a crutch, an excuse for doing nothing?
Doing an act of service when it is convenient is a good start. It could be a reminder that it is possible to build a lifestyle around that idea. But to become a regular servant of others who are not members of our own family, especially when it is not convenient, that is a difficult goal in our me-first, mind-your-own-beeswax, consumer culture.
Thus ends a convoluted preamble to a simple community announcement: This Friday, November 1 is Random Act of Kindness (RAK) Day and East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) is urging people to get involved.
Suggestions include everything from showing courtesy on the road to buying someone else’s groceries for them. Download a fact sheet and a list of 101 ideas at www.eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com.
“It’s not about fundraising or giving money – just a day to celebrate kindness,” says the EWCS release. “The opportunities to do something nice for someone else happen every day but this is a special day to really celebrate all the small things that make living in our communities so wonderful.”
EWCS is supporting the Guelph Community Foundation which organizes the annual event. Last year, more than 200 organizations participated, including schools and businesses.
Some 50,000 RAK Day cards will be printed, encouraging holders to perform a simple act of kindness for someone then hand over the card to that person, encouraging him/her to do the same.
“Do something kind, make someone’s day, hand over the card, feel great…Repeat,” says the group’s fact sheet.
Also, EWCS is starting to organize its annual Christmas Hamper and Adopt-a-Family program. For more details about becoming a sponsor or a recipient, call Alyssa Cunningham, Care Coordinator for EWCS, at 519-833-9696.
Well, that’s my good turn for the day – just obeying General Baden-Powell’s Law like a good Scout. I’m sure it will not go unpunished.
And while I’m trying to think up something for tomorrow, I’ll give the last word to Portia: “How far that little candle throws its beams; So shines a good deed in a naughty world.”
Professor appointed as Integrity Commissioner
As published in The Erin Advocate
A retired political science professor from the University of Waterloo has been appointed Integrity Commissioner for the Town of Erin.
Council has hired Robert James Williams on a $500 retainer for 2014, and $300 annually thereafter. He will charge $125 per hour (plus mileage and expenses) for any investigations or reports required in connection with council’s Code of Ethics.
Williams was recommended by CAO Kathryn Ironmonger after consultation with her professional network, and her report says the fee is “very reasonable”.
“The expenses of any investigation will be carried out as frugally as possible without impacting on the validity of the process and outcome,” said Ironmonger. “Mr. Williams has extensive knowledge of municipal administration and governance and is an excellent candidate for the position.”
Williams had also been suggested by Ironmonger as a potential consultant to help the Town with the process of setting ward boundaries, since he has been involved in numerous similar processes for other municipalities, but council decided not to attempt the creation of wards for the 2014 election.
Council previously hired John Craig as Integrity Commissioner, but only to investigate a single complaint made on July 4. His report was originally due on October 4, but council agreed to delay the deadline to November 4.
Williams was a faculty member at the University of Waterloo from 1971 until his retirement in 2006, and has since then been Professor Emeritus. He was chair of the Department of Political Science for six years, served as a member of the university senate and board of governors, was Director of the Centre for Election Studies for three years, and was a mediator in the Conflict Intervention Programme.
He was academic director of the Ontario Legislature Internship Program (1994-2003) and has served on the Region of Waterloo Municipal Elections Compliance Audit Committee since 2006. He was appointed Integrity Commissioner for the Township of Wilmot in March this year.
The Code of Ethics applies not only to council members but to members of the public who have been appointed to any municipal committees, boards or commissions.
It set standards for members’ conduct that are in addition to existing laws, intended to instill public confidence and create a baseline for both integrity and courtesy.
The Code says: “An individual, organization or employee of the Town, member of Council, Council itself or Member of the public who has reasonable grounds to believe that a Member has breached this code may proceed with a complaint and request an investigation.”
The Commissioner is expected to check to make sure the complaint is not frivolous, and even if a formal investigation proceeds, they are encouraged to seek an informal resolution of the complaint. They are expected to provide periodic update reports to council, and make a final report within 90 days.
If the Commissioner finds that a breach of the Code has occurred, they will recommend a penalty, but council will make the decision on that. Penalties may include a reprimand, an apology, the return of money or a gift (where applicable), or a suspension of pay for up to 90 days. Removal from office is not on the list of penalties.
If the Commissioner finds “that a contravention occurred, however, the Member took all reasonable measures to prevent it, or the contravention committed was trivial or committed through inadvertence or an error in judgment made in good faith, the Integrity Commissioner shall set this out in a report to Council.”
The complete Code of Ethics document and the complaint form are available in the Town Council section of the municipal website, www.erin.ca.
A retired political science professor from the University of Waterloo has been appointed Integrity Commissioner for the Town of Erin.
Council has hired Robert James Williams on a $500 retainer for 2014, and $300 annually thereafter. He will charge $125 per hour (plus mileage and expenses) for any investigations or reports required in connection with council’s Code of Ethics.
Williams was recommended by CAO Kathryn Ironmonger after consultation with her professional network, and her report says the fee is “very reasonable”.
“The expenses of any investigation will be carried out as frugally as possible without impacting on the validity of the process and outcome,” said Ironmonger. “Mr. Williams has extensive knowledge of municipal administration and governance and is an excellent candidate for the position.”
Williams had also been suggested by Ironmonger as a potential consultant to help the Town with the process of setting ward boundaries, since he has been involved in numerous similar processes for other municipalities, but council decided not to attempt the creation of wards for the 2014 election.
Council previously hired John Craig as Integrity Commissioner, but only to investigate a single complaint made on July 4. His report was originally due on October 4, but council agreed to delay the deadline to November 4.
Williams was a faculty member at the University of Waterloo from 1971 until his retirement in 2006, and has since then been Professor Emeritus. He was chair of the Department of Political Science for six years, served as a member of the university senate and board of governors, was Director of the Centre for Election Studies for three years, and was a mediator in the Conflict Intervention Programme.
He was academic director of the Ontario Legislature Internship Program (1994-2003) and has served on the Region of Waterloo Municipal Elections Compliance Audit Committee since 2006. He was appointed Integrity Commissioner for the Township of Wilmot in March this year.
The Code of Ethics applies not only to council members but to members of the public who have been appointed to any municipal committees, boards or commissions.
It set standards for members’ conduct that are in addition to existing laws, intended to instill public confidence and create a baseline for both integrity and courtesy.
The Code says: “An individual, organization or employee of the Town, member of Council, Council itself or Member of the public who has reasonable grounds to believe that a Member has breached this code may proceed with a complaint and request an investigation.”
The Commissioner is expected to check to make sure the complaint is not frivolous, and even if a formal investigation proceeds, they are encouraged to seek an informal resolution of the complaint. They are expected to provide periodic update reports to council, and make a final report within 90 days.
If the Commissioner finds that a breach of the Code has occurred, they will recommend a penalty, but council will make the decision on that. Penalties may include a reprimand, an apology, the return of money or a gift (where applicable), or a suspension of pay for up to 90 days. Removal from office is not on the list of penalties.
If the Commissioner finds “that a contravention occurred, however, the Member took all reasonable measures to prevent it, or the contravention committed was trivial or committed through inadvertence or an error in judgment made in good faith, the Integrity Commissioner shall set this out in a report to Council.”
The complete Code of Ethics document and the complaint form are available in the Town Council section of the municipal website, www.erin.ca.
CVC to get 3% more from Erin
As published in The Erin Advocate
The Town of Erin will pay just 3% more to Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) next year, even though the average increase for member municipalities is 8.5%.
The difference is due to provincial revisions to property assessment values. Peel and Halton municipalities will have increases of more than 8.6%, while Orangeville, Mono and East Garafraxa will actually have small reductions in their levies.
CVC collects more than $20.4 million, 96.1% from the Region of Peel and its local municipalities (Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon). Erin will contribute $64,649 in 2014, representing .3% of CVC revenue.
Deborah Martin-Downs, who recently took over as CVC’s Chief Administrative Officer, appeared as a delegation before Erin Town Council, along with Corporate Services Director Gerry Robin, to present details of the CVC’s 2014 budget request.
“You are getting good value for your dollars,” said Robin, noting that CVC spent $172,742 in Erin this year, and may spend $318,431 here next year.
Erin and other municipalities in the Credit River Watershed pay an annual levy to support the CVC. Unlike in previous years, Erin has not been given the option of paying an additional levy to support extra local projects, which they declined to pay last year.
CVC work in Erin involves support for the Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP) and the Wastewater Assimilative Capacity that will control new housing development. It also includes maintenance of the Elora Cataract Trailway, monitoring streamflow, water quality and other environmental factors, restoration of natural areas, education, and supporting Source Water Protection for municipal wells.
CVC has had a drop in the proportion of revenue for program budgets that it raises on its own, including user fees, from 10% to 8%, and a decrease from 5% to 2% in the proportion covered by provincial and federal grants. To partly make up for this, 4% more is being collected from the general levy on municipalities.
Watershed areas do not match political boundaries, so municipalities often support more than one conservation authority. Peel also supports Toronto Region, and Erin also supports the Grand River Conservation Authority.
The mandate of the CVC is to ensure adequate water quantity in its territory, and to protect and enhance water quality, for both environmental and human needs. It cares for ecosystems, protecting and enhancing both plant and animal life, in the water and on land.
It protects public safety, minimizing damage from natural hazards, and promotes social and economic health through water management.
“To manage the watershed, one must manage the lands in the watershed and we have many studies that show that planting trees, retrofitting older communities with stormwater management, restoring wetlands, protecting natural heritage systems, they can all positively affect issues of flood protection, erosion of streams and water quality improvement,” said Martin-Downs.
“These are all things that we need to take very seriously given the recent storms that we’ve been experiencing. I think Erin has a lot to boast about in terms of a healthy watershed and healthy communities, so keep up the good work.”
The Town of Erin will pay just 3% more to Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) next year, even though the average increase for member municipalities is 8.5%.
The difference is due to provincial revisions to property assessment values. Peel and Halton municipalities will have increases of more than 8.6%, while Orangeville, Mono and East Garafraxa will actually have small reductions in their levies.
CVC collects more than $20.4 million, 96.1% from the Region of Peel and its local municipalities (Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon). Erin will contribute $64,649 in 2014, representing .3% of CVC revenue.
Deborah Martin-Downs, who recently took over as CVC’s Chief Administrative Officer, appeared as a delegation before Erin Town Council, along with Corporate Services Director Gerry Robin, to present details of the CVC’s 2014 budget request.
“You are getting good value for your dollars,” said Robin, noting that CVC spent $172,742 in Erin this year, and may spend $318,431 here next year.
Erin and other municipalities in the Credit River Watershed pay an annual levy to support the CVC. Unlike in previous years, Erin has not been given the option of paying an additional levy to support extra local projects, which they declined to pay last year.
CVC work in Erin involves support for the Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP) and the Wastewater Assimilative Capacity that will control new housing development. It also includes maintenance of the Elora Cataract Trailway, monitoring streamflow, water quality and other environmental factors, restoration of natural areas, education, and supporting Source Water Protection for municipal wells.
CVC has had a drop in the proportion of revenue for program budgets that it raises on its own, including user fees, from 10% to 8%, and a decrease from 5% to 2% in the proportion covered by provincial and federal grants. To partly make up for this, 4% more is being collected from the general levy on municipalities.
Watershed areas do not match political boundaries, so municipalities often support more than one conservation authority. Peel also supports Toronto Region, and Erin also supports the Grand River Conservation Authority.
The mandate of the CVC is to ensure adequate water quantity in its territory, and to protect and enhance water quality, for both environmental and human needs. It cares for ecosystems, protecting and enhancing both plant and animal life, in the water and on land.
It protects public safety, minimizing damage from natural hazards, and promotes social and economic health through water management.
“To manage the watershed, one must manage the lands in the watershed and we have many studies that show that planting trees, retrofitting older communities with stormwater management, restoring wetlands, protecting natural heritage systems, they can all positively affect issues of flood protection, erosion of streams and water quality improvement,” said Martin-Downs.
“These are all things that we need to take very seriously given the recent storms that we’ve been experiencing. I think Erin has a lot to boast about in terms of a healthy watershed and healthy communities, so keep up the good work.”
October 24, 2013
Erin Artists' Alliance presents "Nature" show
As published in The Erin Advocate
A new group of local artists came together recently to put on an art show and sale called The Nature of Erin.
The Erin Artists’ Alliance organized the event at the historic Melville White Church on Mississauga Road, just north of Olde Baseline Road, on weekends from September 21 to October 13.
“The newly-formed Artists’ Alliance will provide opportunities for local artists to showcase and market their work,” said artist Monica Schut.
In the bio she posted with her work at the show, she said, “The longer I live in the rural community or Erin, the more my eye sees and interprets the nuances of subtle changes occurring in the trees, fields, ponds and rivers.
“It is my hope that through this work I can share the profound wonder and joy of the beauty of nature where I live.”
Also participating in the recent Alliance show were artists Jackie Clark, Audrey Devonshire, Annette Dyon, Rosemary Hasner, Diana Hillman, Sally Mappin, Susan Powell, Lucille Weber and Barry Young.
Each accepted the challenge to create work with an Erin connection, which ended up including images of wildlife, the Mundell Planing Mill, organic ingredients from Everdale farm and impressions of local properties.
“It’s such a great theme because many artists are inspired each day by our surroundings, so painting a picture that captures what you love about the Town of Erin and sharing it with all in a show like this, is truly wonderful,” said Susan Powell.
The Event was promoted by Headwaters Arts. The Melville White Church, which was built by Erin founder Daniel McMillan and his brothers in 1837, has been renovated and is used for weddings, musical performances and art shows.
The Town of Erin Council voted to provide a $500 grant to help with the show expenses.
The new organization expects to hold different events during the year, and is separate from the Hills of Erin Studio Tour, which brings the public into artists’ workplaces, and which marked its 25th anniversary recently.
A new group of local artists came together recently to put on an art show and sale called The Nature of Erin.
The Erin Artists’ Alliance organized the event at the historic Melville White Church on Mississauga Road, just north of Olde Baseline Road, on weekends from September 21 to October 13.
“The newly-formed Artists’ Alliance will provide opportunities for local artists to showcase and market their work,” said artist Monica Schut.
In the bio she posted with her work at the show, she said, “The longer I live in the rural community or Erin, the more my eye sees and interprets the nuances of subtle changes occurring in the trees, fields, ponds and rivers.
“It is my hope that through this work I can share the profound wonder and joy of the beauty of nature where I live.”
 |
| Erin artist Audrey Devonshire with her watercolour Fox. In September, she also opened The Owl’s Nest Gallery, selling art at her store Minerva’s Boutique on Main Street. |
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| Barry Young of Alton with two of his lathed wood creations – Bonaria, made from a gnarly apple stump from a Hillsburgh orchard, and Bowl, made from an old ironwood tree and black locust wood. He has been a volunteer and demonstrator at Erin’s Made for Wood show. |
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| Lucille Weber with her acrylic painting Happy Thoughts, inspired by the natural beauty of this part of Ontario. She lives in Inglewood, has a studio in Alton |
Each accepted the challenge to create work with an Erin connection, which ended up including images of wildlife, the Mundell Planing Mill, organic ingredients from Everdale farm and impressions of local properties.
“It’s such a great theme because many artists are inspired each day by our surroundings, so painting a picture that captures what you love about the Town of Erin and sharing it with all in a show like this, is truly wonderful,” said Susan Powell.
The Event was promoted by Headwaters Arts. The Melville White Church, which was built by Erin founder Daniel McMillan and his brothers in 1837, has been renovated and is used for weddings, musical performances and art shows.
The Town of Erin Council voted to provide a $500 grant to help with the show expenses.
The new organization expects to hold different events during the year, and is separate from the Hills of Erin Studio Tour, which brings the public into artists’ workplaces, and which marked its 25th anniversary recently.
October 23, 2013
$2 million grant sought for dam and bridge
As published in The Erin Advocate
Erin is applying for a provincial grant of $2 million to help upgrade the Station Street dam and bridge in Hillsburgh, from a program aimed at “urgent public health and safety issues”.
Council agreed with Road Superintendent Larry Van Wyck’s recommendation to apply to the Small, Rural and Northern Municipal Infrastructure Fund, which will distribute $100 million to various projects.
“Going for this is a no-brainer,” said Councillor John Brennan. The application has also been supported by the Mill Pond Committee.
No decision has been made on whether to preserve or drain the pond, but the road and bridge need to be rebuilt at a cost of more than $2 million in either case. The Town is facing a provincial order to have a detailed plan in place by next June.
The costs of Environmental Assessments are eligible for the funding program, which is designed to support “applicants with challenging economic conditions and limited fiscal flexibility, with additional consideration for applicants who are making significant infrastructure investments.”
Erin is applying for a provincial grant of $2 million to help upgrade the Station Street dam and bridge in Hillsburgh, from a program aimed at “urgent public health and safety issues”.
Council agreed with Road Superintendent Larry Van Wyck’s recommendation to apply to the Small, Rural and Northern Municipal Infrastructure Fund, which will distribute $100 million to various projects.
“Going for this is a no-brainer,” said Councillor John Brennan. The application has also been supported by the Mill Pond Committee.
No decision has been made on whether to preserve or drain the pond, but the road and bridge need to be rebuilt at a cost of more than $2 million in either case. The Town is facing a provincial order to have a detailed plan in place by next June.
The costs of Environmental Assessments are eligible for the funding program, which is designed to support “applicants with challenging economic conditions and limited fiscal flexibility, with additional consideration for applicants who are making significant infrastructure investments.”
Fill Guide requirements called "onerous”
As published in The Erin Advocate
A proposed guide to help citizens do their own initial investigation of suspected improper fill sites was rejected by councillors last week.
They were satisfied with the sections that educated the public on fill issues, but sent the document back to Planner Sally Stull for revision because of the requirement to ask questions in person.
Councillor Deb Callaghan said urging citizens to confront people possibly engaged in an illegal activity is “putting them in a situation that is not safe”.
“I don't want to be putting residents in harm's way,” said Mayor Lou Maieron.
“Expecting people to gather this is quite onerous,” said Councillor John Brennan. “As much of this information as we can get from the complainant would be good, but certainly I would not like anybody to think that if it isn’t completed in full, that the complaint would not be acted upon.”
The introduction in the draft version of the guide advises users that, “The Town of Erin Municipal Law Enforcement Department cannot undertake an investigation or lay charges without the following information being provided.”
“I don't want this to be a requirement,” said Councillor Barb Tocher. "This is only a guide."
The document, which would be available on the Town website, is written for residents who “have witnessed and are concerned about soils being delivered and placed on land within the Town of Erin”. They would answer a series of questions with Yes or No, and fill in a series of blanks with information before contacting the Town.
If the citizen determines that more than 20 truck loads have been dumped (the maximum without a permit), they would be asked to take photos and “may inform the person running the fill operation that it must be terminated immediately as they are in violation of the site alteration by-law and continued operation without a site alteration permit will result in charges being laid. Inform them that they will be receiving a written ‘cease and desist’ order from the by-law enforcement officer.”
Anna Spiteri of the group Citizens Against Fill Dumping said it is reasonable for citizens to provide some information to the Town, but not to be involved in investigation and enforcement.
“This has a high likelihood of developing into a physical altercation. The citizen is not trained as an enforcement officer. Estimation of loads can best be done by an enforcement officer who has the right to go onto the property and to ask questions. Very few taxpayers will have the nerve to question a driver and very few drivers will provide accurate information to a person who is not an official of the Town.”
The guide is an attempt to screen out complaints about fill situations that are outside the Town’s fill bylaw jurisdiction, including aggregate pits which are controlled by the Ministry of Natural Resources, large areas (about 50 per cent of Erin) which involve wetlands and are regulated by Credit Valley Conservation, and fill being placed under authority of a building permit.
“We’re sending them everywhere but here – one-stop shopping would be nice,” said Tocher, prompting a burst of applause from some in attendance.
Brennan said the guide should not be construed as taking the place of the planned review of the fill bylaw. Maieron said there is “loophole” for abuse if excess fill is brought in on a building permit.
“The simple solution for the bylaw is that no fill be accepted except from a licensed aggregate site,” said Tocher, to another round of applause. “You know it’s clean fill and they’re paying for it, not being paid for it. We don’t have to care if they get 10, 20 or a hundred, because they’re paying for it.”
Stull noted that the Town’s Municipal Law Enforcement Officer has only a part-time position, and that fill investigations can require “considerable staff hours”. There have been no applications or approvals for site alterations in 2013.
If a citizen suspects fill is contaminated, they are urged to contact the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) directly, since contaminating the environment is a provincial offence. Spiteri said the MOE is only interested in dealing with contamination from “waste”, and not from fill.
A proposed guide to help citizens do their own initial investigation of suspected improper fill sites was rejected by councillors last week.
They were satisfied with the sections that educated the public on fill issues, but sent the document back to Planner Sally Stull for revision because of the requirement to ask questions in person.
Councillor Deb Callaghan said urging citizens to confront people possibly engaged in an illegal activity is “putting them in a situation that is not safe”.
“I don't want to be putting residents in harm's way,” said Mayor Lou Maieron.
“Expecting people to gather this is quite onerous,” said Councillor John Brennan. “As much of this information as we can get from the complainant would be good, but certainly I would not like anybody to think that if it isn’t completed in full, that the complaint would not be acted upon.”
The introduction in the draft version of the guide advises users that, “The Town of Erin Municipal Law Enforcement Department cannot undertake an investigation or lay charges without the following information being provided.”
“I don't want this to be a requirement,” said Councillor Barb Tocher. "This is only a guide."
The document, which would be available on the Town website, is written for residents who “have witnessed and are concerned about soils being delivered and placed on land within the Town of Erin”. They would answer a series of questions with Yes or No, and fill in a series of blanks with information before contacting the Town.
If the citizen determines that more than 20 truck loads have been dumped (the maximum without a permit), they would be asked to take photos and “may inform the person running the fill operation that it must be terminated immediately as they are in violation of the site alteration by-law and continued operation without a site alteration permit will result in charges being laid. Inform them that they will be receiving a written ‘cease and desist’ order from the by-law enforcement officer.”
Anna Spiteri of the group Citizens Against Fill Dumping said it is reasonable for citizens to provide some information to the Town, but not to be involved in investigation and enforcement.
“This has a high likelihood of developing into a physical altercation. The citizen is not trained as an enforcement officer. Estimation of loads can best be done by an enforcement officer who has the right to go onto the property and to ask questions. Very few taxpayers will have the nerve to question a driver and very few drivers will provide accurate information to a person who is not an official of the Town.”
The guide is an attempt to screen out complaints about fill situations that are outside the Town’s fill bylaw jurisdiction, including aggregate pits which are controlled by the Ministry of Natural Resources, large areas (about 50 per cent of Erin) which involve wetlands and are regulated by Credit Valley Conservation, and fill being placed under authority of a building permit.
“We’re sending them everywhere but here – one-stop shopping would be nice,” said Tocher, prompting a burst of applause from some in attendance.
Brennan said the guide should not be construed as taking the place of the planned review of the fill bylaw. Maieron said there is “loophole” for abuse if excess fill is brought in on a building permit.
“The simple solution for the bylaw is that no fill be accepted except from a licensed aggregate site,” said Tocher, to another round of applause. “You know it’s clean fill and they’re paying for it, not being paid for it. We don’t have to care if they get 10, 20 or a hundred, because they’re paying for it.”
Stull noted that the Town’s Municipal Law Enforcement Officer has only a part-time position, and that fill investigations can require “considerable staff hours”. There have been no applications or approvals for site alterations in 2013.
If a citizen suspects fill is contaminated, they are urged to contact the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) directly, since contaminating the environment is a provincial offence. Spiteri said the MOE is only interested in dealing with contamination from “waste”, and not from fill.
Next election won't have wards, more councillors
As published in The Erin Advocate
Town council has rejected the possibility of creating wards for the 2014 municipal election, and of increasing the number of councillors from five to seven.
CAO Kathryn Ironmonger presented council with a series of options and they decided that maintaining the current system, in which all councillors represent the entire town, would be “in the best interest of the community”.
Among the rejected options is the hiring of a consultant for $9,000 to help draft ward boundaries. Increasing the council by two members would have cost about $50,000 per year in salaries and benefits.
The motion to do nothing was carried by a vote of 3-1, with Mayor Lou Maieron opposed and Councillor John Brennan abstaining. The mayor had been promoting the ward idea, and expressed concern that the issue was being dealt with now, when there is not enough time for the process to get a bylaw in place by the December 31 deadline.
He requested a report in May this year, but council was told by the previous CAO that it would not be ready until the fall. He had requested a report on the same topic in March of 2012, particularly on “establishment of a ward system by public petition”.
A municipal council can initiate a ward process, or it can be forced to do so by a 500-name petition from electors. The Advocate had front-page coverage of the 2012 report, but council did not receive a petition. A majority of councillors have said they oppose a ward system.
Councillor Jose Wintersinger spoke out against it in a letter to the editor in 2012, saying it would “take things backward”, creating a divide between urban and rural residents.
Last week’s motion said, “Anticipated growth facing our community is unknown, which could result in a further ward boundary configuration adjustment.”
It also said, “The short public consultation period would increase the possibility of an appeal being filed, which would result in the ward boundary being pushed back to the 2018 election.”
Town council has rejected the possibility of creating wards for the 2014 municipal election, and of increasing the number of councillors from five to seven.
CAO Kathryn Ironmonger presented council with a series of options and they decided that maintaining the current system, in which all councillors represent the entire town, would be “in the best interest of the community”.
Among the rejected options is the hiring of a consultant for $9,000 to help draft ward boundaries. Increasing the council by two members would have cost about $50,000 per year in salaries and benefits.
The motion to do nothing was carried by a vote of 3-1, with Mayor Lou Maieron opposed and Councillor John Brennan abstaining. The mayor had been promoting the ward idea, and expressed concern that the issue was being dealt with now, when there is not enough time for the process to get a bylaw in place by the December 31 deadline.
He requested a report in May this year, but council was told by the previous CAO that it would not be ready until the fall. He had requested a report on the same topic in March of 2012, particularly on “establishment of a ward system by public petition”.
A municipal council can initiate a ward process, or it can be forced to do so by a 500-name petition from electors. The Advocate had front-page coverage of the 2012 report, but council did not receive a petition. A majority of councillors have said they oppose a ward system.
Councillor Jose Wintersinger spoke out against it in a letter to the editor in 2012, saying it would “take things backward”, creating a divide between urban and rural residents.
Last week’s motion said, “Anticipated growth facing our community is unknown, which could result in a further ward boundary configuration adjustment.”
It also said, “The short public consultation period would increase the possibility of an appeal being filed, which would result in the ward boundary being pushed back to the 2018 election.”
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