Consultant John Cox’s recommendation on Central Huron’s next step in a planned appeal against Huron County’s Official Plan proved unpopular with at least one councillor at Central Huron’s May 7 session.

In detailing the process behind reviewing Central Huron’s appeal to the Huron County Official Plan, Cox, whose company J.L. Cox Planning Consultant was paid about $4,500 for the report, said the end result of his investigation is Central Huron is heading down a dead-end road. Ultimately, following a later in camera session, council chose to seek an adjournment on the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) appeal, and to seek out ways to meet ratepayers’ concerns within its own official plan.

“My advice to the municipality is it is not the way to proceed,” said Cox during his Tuesday night presentation. He noted there are limited measures in which municipalities can do battle with Green Energy Act policies, which are the crux of Central Huron’s appeal against Huron County’s Official Plan.

In short, he said, Central Huron “is really in a weak position” relating to the appeal, which is slated to be heard before the OMB next month.

Cox recommended Central Huron take a wait-and-see approach given there are currently so many cases in front of the courts relating to the Green Energy Act, and industrial wind turbines in particular. He said Central Huron could also pass bylaws on issues, like road access, utility crossings, development agreements and emergency services measures, which would give them some type of control over projects.

Cox also noted Central Huron will need an “official witness” for the hearing, which it has yet to acquire. Ultimately, said Cox, the municipality is an unfortunate situation.

“The province has essentially handcuffed municipalities in how they deal with it,” he said. “My advice to the municipality is that is not the way to proceed.”

Councillor Brian Barnim said Central Huron’s concern is with section three of the Green Energy Act and not industrial wind turbines.

“It’s not that we’re trying to say no to industrial wind turbines,” he said, noting that when he was on Huron County Council, he proposed a motion, that was passed, calling on the county to put a moratorium on wind turbine development until a number of property studies were completed.

“That was passed,” said Barnim, adding the Huron County Official Plan contradicts that motion.

“I think everybody is off-base here with what we’re trying to accomplish. What we’re trying to effectively do here is hold the county accountable,” said Barnim. “We’ve got a great chance [with the appeal]. We’ve got as good a chance as anybody. “I don’t buy anything you said in this at all. I think you missed the point,” said Barnim. Cox said that while he understands Barnim’s concerns, Central Huron’s specific appeal is to a certain section that recognizes provincial policy.

“It [the appeal] would be costly and I don’t see the merit in it,” said Cox.

“You have an opinion. I have an opinion,” replied Barnim. “I don’t particularly have great faith in the planning department. They need to be held accountable. It’s time.”

Deputy-Mayor Dave Jewitt reminded Barnim that Central Huron hired the consultant specifically for input on the appeal.

“The council will make the decision. If you don’t like his information, that’s your opinion,” said Jewitt.

Cox noted there are likely going to be some changes to the Green Energy Act.

Meanwhile, Councillor Burkhard Metzger noted the original discussion on the issue expressed concern with turbines, gas fracking and commercial water taking and yet the consultant did not touch on those two issues.

Cox noted the terms of reference for his company focused on the Green Energy Act and the Official Plan. Those terms of reference were provided to his company by Central Huron. Councillor Alex Westerhout expressed frustration that council seems inadequately prepared given the hearing is only weeks away.

“We don’t have any information on two of those things and our appeal is less than a month from now,” said Westerhout.

The deputy-mayor said the responsibility lies with council as all three issues were not spelled out in the terms of reference to the consultant.

“Council has to take ownership of that issue,” said Jewitt.

Westerhout said the situation does not sit well. “There is just something wrong with the whole process,” said Westerhout. “The whole process seems very flawed and secretive.”

Jewitt said further questions could be addressed the municipality’s lawyer, Alan Patton, during a closed-door session held later that night.

Consultant John Cox’s recommendation on Central Huron’s next step in a planned appeal against Huron County’s Official Plan proved unpopular with at least one councillor at Central Huron’s May 7 session.

In detailing the process behind reviewing Central Huron’s appeal to the Huron County Official Plan, Cox, whose company J.L. Cox Planning Consultant was paid about $4,500 for the report, said the end result of his investigation is Central Huron is heading down a dead-end road. Ultimately, following a later in camera session, council chose to seek an adjournment on the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) appeal, and to seek out ways to meet ratepayers’ concerns within its own official plan.

“My advice to the municipality is it is not the way to proceed,” said Cox during his Tuesday night presentation. He noted there are limited measures in which municipalities can do battle with Green Energy Act policies, which are the crux of Central Huron’s appeal against Huron County’s Official Plan.

In short, he said, Central Huron “is really in a weak position” relating to the appeal, which is slated to be heard before the OMB next month.

Cox recommended Central Huron take a wait-and-see approach given there are currently so many cases in front of the courts relating to the Green Energy Act, and industrial wind turbines in particular. He said Central Huron could also pass bylaws on issues, like road access, utility crossings, development agreements and emergency services measures, which would give them some type of control over projects.

Cox also noted Central Huron will need an “official witness” for the hearing, which it has yet to acquire. Ultimately, said Cox, the municipality is an unfortunate situation.

“The province has essentially handcuffed municipalities in how they deal with it,” he said. “My advice to the municipality is that is not the way to proceed.”

Councillor Brian Barnim said Central Huron’s concern is with section three of the Green Energy Act and not industrial wind turbines.

“It’s not that we’re trying to say no to industrial wind turbines,” he said, noting that when he was on Huron County Council, he proposed a motion, that was passed, calling on the county to put a moratorium on wind turbine development until a number of property studies were completed.

The Blyth Festival Art Gallery was among the winners at Friday night’s Huron Arts and Heritage Network awards, held at Hessenland Country Inn.

The art gallery was honoured in the outstanding cultural event or organization category where it beat out the likes of the Exeter BIA, the Goderich Documentary Group, the Grand Bend Area Studio Tour “Arts, Eats and Beats” and the Huron Harp Ensemble.

Rob Tetu of the Blyth Festival Art Gallery says that he was thrilled when he heard the gallery had won the award. He was also proud that the gallery had such good representation at the Friday night event.

“We have a dedicated group of people who have put in a lot of time over the years,” Tetu said. “So this is really an honour.”

Tetu says the gallery is able to operate because of its hardworking volunteers, as well as its generous sponsors.

The award is given to recognize the previous year’s work, and Tetu says that the gallery’s 2012 was one of its strongest in recent history.

He said the gallery hosted five full exhibits, bringing in some great talent in 2012. The art gallery has grown into a real complement to the Blyth Festival’s summer theatre season, Tetu says, as it has run alongside the Festival season now for over 35 years.

One of the things Tetu says he is most proud of, and this is on the business side of the gallery, is that the gallery does not run itself into debt, despite not having a single paid employee.

Because of the gallery’s history, Tetu says he receives calls all the time from artists who want to exhibit at the gallery because of the stellar reputation it has built over the years.

Tetu says the volunteers behind the gallery are a very enthusiastic bunch and that a “feather in their cap” such as this award will just serve to fuel their fire further.

Blyth Festival General Manager Deb Sholdice also serves as the Network’s president and she says she thought it was wonderful when she heard the art gallery had won the award.

She said that in the case of the art gallery, the award often recognizes an organization for its years of service and body of work over a lengthy period of time.

Sholdice says that the art gallery has meant so much to Huron County over its 35 years and it made sense that it was recognized for that contribution.

The evening also featured Brussels resident and Juno-nominated reggae artist Lyndon John X, a performance by Clinton’s Hugh Lobb and Curtis teBrinke and a dramatic reading from Fury, a new Blyth Festival play based on the Great Storm of 1913.

The rest of the evening’s winners were: Hugh Lobb, youth award; Cathy and David Armour, cultural support/patron award (Auburn’s Ron and Bev Walker and Wingham’s Dan Webster - posthumously - were also nominated); John Soules, individual artist award; the Van Egmond House and Foundation, heritage organization/individual award and Catherine Weber, the Huron County Warden’s award.

The art gallery was honoured in the outstanding cultural event or organization category where it beat out the likes of the Exeter BIA, the Goderich Documentary Group, the Grand Bend Area Studio Tour “Arts, Eats and Beats” and the Huron Harp Ensemble.

Rob Tetu of the Blyth Festival Art Gallery says that he was thrilled when he heard the gallery had won the award. He was also proud that the gallery had such good representation at the Friday night event.

“We have a dedicated group of people who have put in a lot of time over the years,” Tetu said. “So this is really an honour.”

Tetu says the gallery is able to operate because of its hardworking volunteers, as well as its generous sponsors.

The award is given to recognize the previous year’s work, and Tetu says that the gallery’s 2012 was one of its strongest in recent history.

He said the gallery hosted five full exhibits, bringing in some great talent in 2012. The art gallery has grown into a real complement to the Blyth Festival’s summer theatre season, Tetu says, as it has run alongside the Festival season now for over 35 years.

Paul Dodds of the Winthrop area earned the highest of his plowing accolades recently when he returned from the Canadian Plowing Competition held in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

At the event held last week and into the weekend, Dodds plowed with the best of the best from across Canada and walked away with the senior division trophy as well as an invitation to France in 2014 to represent Canada.

While he said that he knows he has left better pieces of land at other competitions, he said that he felt good going into the championship awards ceremony.

“I knew I had a chance, but I didn’t know how much of one,” he said. “It was really close though. It ended up being a two-point difference between myself and second place. I knew it was going to be a tight competition, but I didn’t know it would be that close.”

When asked if it marked his personal best, he said that he didn’t know if it was his best work ever, but did know that it was a memorable occasion.

“I guess I’d have to say it was a personal best in that I won,” he said. “When you win the Canadian, it’s got to be one of the highlights. Maybe I’ve had better lands to start with and finished better because of that, but it was a good competition.”

In September, 2014, Dodds will be heading to France to compete on an international level, which he said is an exciting opportunity. He also said that he doesn’t know if he’s quite come to terms with the win.

“I don’t know if it’s even totally sunk in,” he said.

Dodds arrived at the competition more than a week ago and, going into it, he said he didn’t know what the end of the competition would look like.

“You get there, you plan to do your best and hope everything works out,” he said. “This time it did.”

Getting ready for an international trip, however, will be quite different for Dodds versus the trip to B.C. this year.

“It will definitely take some time to plan for it,” he said. “We’ll need to get ready for it.”

The win was a big step up from Dodds’ previous attempts at the national championship, having placed fifth in 2000, however it definitely doesn’t signal the end of his attempts to be better.

“I think I’ll just keep at it,” he said. “This might be as far as I ever get, but it’s in my blood. I just have to kind of keep at it.”

Dodds received a large plaque that he gets to keep for a year as well as a smaller “keeper” trophy to mark the event.

Kevin Haney of Seaforth, who travelled to the competition with Dodds, won the junior national trophy and will be heading to France as well.

For more information on the Canadian competition as well as other results, check out www.canadianplowing.ca

Paul Dodds of the Winthrop area earned the highest of his plowing accolades recently when he returned from the Canadian Plowing Competition held in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

At the event held last week and into the weekend, Dodds plowed with the best of the best from across Canada and walked away with the senior division trophy as well as an invitation to France in 2014 to represent Canada.

While he said that he knows he has left better pieces of land at other competitions, he said that he felt good going into the championship awards ceremony.

“I knew I had a chance, but I didn’t know how much of one,” he said. “It was really close though. It ended up being a two-point difference between myself and second place. I knew it was going to be a tight competition, but I didn’t know it would be that close.”

When asked if it marked his personal best, he said that he didn’t know if it was his best work ever, but did know that it was a memorable occasion.

“I guess I’d have to say it was a personal best in that I won,” he said. “When you win the Canadian, it’s got to be one of the highlights. Maybe I’ve had better lands to start with and finished better because of that, but it was a good competition.”

In September, 2014, Dodds will be heading to France to compete on an international level, which he said is an exciting opportunity. He also said that he doesn’t know if he’s quite come to terms with the win.

“I don’t know if it’s even totally sunk in,” he said.

During its May 7 meeting, Morris-Turnberry Council decided to take the next step with the municipality’s Business Retention and Expansion plan by addressing three major action items outlined in the document.

To date council has addressed one major action item by creating a committee to deal with the recommendations of the document. Now, council is seeking to solve three more with one act by hiring a part-time economic development officer.

Huron County Business Development (HBDP) Coordinator Douglas Barill is serving on the committee as well as representing the Huron Business Development Committee (HEDP) and he presented the recommendation to Morris-Turnberry Council.

Barill explained that the position would cost the municipality $3,000 annually if they could receive funding from the Huron Business Development Corporationx (HBDC) for 50 per cent of the $6,000 salary.

Mayor Paul Gowing, who is also a member of the committee and was on hand for the meeting, says the position is a good idea.

“We’re unable to get things like this done at this level of government for a lack of resources,” he said. “You have to throw resources at it to get it done and that’s how you tackle issues, through getting funding. This is the same situation that most other municipalities have found themselves in and have taken advantage of a part-time co-ordinatior position to foster and update economic development options in the area.”

Barill echoed that notion, adding that it’s great to have someone on hand to tackle issues of economic development in a municipality like Morris-Turnberry where the chief administrative officer already wears many hats.

“It would be great to see this done in Morris-Turnberry and used as a proven concept elsewhere,” he said.

Councillor Jamie McCallum wondered if, since they were only seeking a part-time individual, the cost for a full-time position could be split among three or four other municipalities. Barill stated that was the idea of the program once it was proven as successful in Morris-Turnberry.

Councillor John Smuck wondered how hiring would be handled with a full-time position and Barill said that he would meet with any involved chief administrative officers and the decision would likely be made there, as it would be part of his portfolio with the HBDC.

The three main responsibilities of the position would be to update and maintain a business directory, identify local resources that could aid in business development and create opportunities for networking.

Barill explained that having those three issues addressed would be creating the foundation for future development.

“This would really build a foundation for Morris-Turnberry’s economic development ‘house’,” he explained. “Everything goes up from here.”

The motion to support the request of the committee to apply for funding from the HBDC for an Economic Development Co-ordinator for Morris-Turnberry, working for 10 hours a week for a six-month period, was passed by council.

During its May 7 meeting, Morris-Turnberry Council decided to take the next step with the municipality’s Business Retention and Expansion plan by addressing three major action items outlined in the document.

To date council has addressed one major action item by creating a committee to deal with the recommendations of the document. Now, council is seeking to solve three more with one act by hiring a part-time economic development officer.

Huron County Business Development (HBDP) Coordinator Douglas Barill is serving on the committee as well as representing the Huron Business Development Committee (HEDP) and he presented the recommendation to Morris-Turnberry Council.

Barill explained that the position would cost the municipality $3,000 annually if they could receive funding from the Huron Business Development Corporationx (HBDC) for 50 per cent of the $6,000 salary.

Mayor Paul Gowing, who is also a member of the committee and was on hand for the meeting, says the position is a good idea.

“We’re unable to get things like this done at this level of government for a lack of resources,” he said. “You have to throw resources at it to get it done and that’s how you tackle issues, through getting funding. This is the same situation that most other municipalities have found themselves in and have taken advantage of a part-time co-ordinatior position to foster and update economic development options in the area.”

Barill echoed that notion, adding that it’s great to have someone on hand to tackle issues of economic development in a municipality like Morris-Turnberry where the chief administrative officer already wears many hats.

“It would be great to see this done in Morris-Turnberry and used as a proven concept elsewhere,” he said.

For the second time in as many years, RR5, Brussels is home to an award-winning photographer who isn’t old enough to drive.

Jenna Hopper, sister of last year’s winner Caleigh, was awarded the top prize in the Community Living Central Huron’s Last Light Photo Show on Saturday, May 4 in Goderich. Hopper won in the 12 and under category, the same category Caleigh topped in 2012.

Jenna looked at the show’s three categories, the best of Ontario’s west coast, sporting fun and the colour red, and put paintbrush to canvas before taking to her camera.

Her award-winning picture is a well-framed shot of a canvas on which she painted a red flower. The image of the canvas, along with the paintbrush and red tube of paint impressed the show’s judges and Hopper was named the winner of the category.

Hopper, a former East Wawanosh Public School student is now in Grade 7 at Maitland River Elementary School’s Grade 7 and 8 campus at F.E. Madill Secondary School.

She says she has always liked taking pictures and it’s something that she’s considering as a career as she will soon be making her way into high school.

Right now, however, Hopper’s favourite time spent at school is in drama class.

Hopper’s mother, Debbie, has worked at Community Living in Wingham for almost eight years and when she first heard about the show/fundraiser last year through the organization, she jumped at the chance to get the whole family involved and foster creativity for her children, as well as her husband.

As he did last year when Caleigh produced an award-winning photograph, the pair’s father Roger also submitted some photographs in hopes of winning. Roger’s hobby has always been biking around the countryside, so Jenna says her dad took several pictures of bikes and submitted them to the show.

Jenna, Caleigh and Roger each submitted three pictures, the maximum allowed per person under the show’s rules.

Jenna’s other pictures included a picture of drying roses, as well as the picture of her flower painting. Her sister Caleigh, who also attends Maitland River Elementary School, at the Wingham Public School campus, submitted pictures of a red barn and a red mailbox, among others.

Upon arriving at the gala opening for the show on May 4 at the Goderich Library, where the show will continue until May 20, Jenna says there’s no way that she thought she would win, so she was pretty surprised to find out that she had, in fact, won.

“It was surreal,” Hopper says. “It was really surprising.”

She says that the win is really special to her because of her mom’s involvement with Community Living. She says she’s seen the good that the organization can do, so it was nice to be part of a fundraiser for it.

She says that she hopes the show will help those at Community Living to get some special privileges that they perhaps wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to experience.

The family is looking forward to participating once again next year, especially Caleigh, who says that with Jenna now moving on to adult categories, it may give her a chance for another win.

The Last Light Photo Show began over five years ago when Sarah Mann, a former reporter with both The Goderich Signal Star and The Citizen, was killed in an automobile collision. Mann’s love of photography and sunsets (the day’s last light) helped to inspire the show, which now serves as a fundraiser for Community Living, a cause that was very close to Mann’s heart. She had served in a summer position at Community Living in Wingham.

Pictures will remain on display at the Goderich Library until May 20. Pictures will be available for sale with all of the proceeds going straight to Community Living Central Huron in honour of the month of May, which is Community Living Awareness Month.

For more information on the show, visit Community Living Central Huron’s website at www.clch.ca

Jenna Hopper, sister of last year’s winner Caleigh, was awarded the top prize in the Community Living Central Huron’s Last Light Photo Show on Saturday, May 4 in Goderich. Hopper won in the 12 and under category, the same category Caleigh topped in 2012.

Jenna looked at the show’s three categories, the best of Ontario’s west coast, sporting fun and the colour red, and put paintbrush to canvas before taking to her camera.

Her award-winning picture is a well-framed shot of a canvas on which she painted a red flower. The image of the canvas, along with the paintbrush and red tube of paint impressed the show’s judges and Hopper was named the winner of the category.

Hopper, a former East Wawanosh Public School student is now in Grade 7 at Maitland River Elementary School’s Grade 7 and 8 campus at F.E. Madill Secondary School.

She says she has always liked taking pictures and it’s something that she’s considering as a career as she will soon be making her way into high school.

Right now, however, Hopper’s favourite time spent at school is in drama class.