DRAYT N FARM SHOW Commemorative Edition
the
Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 44 Issue 13
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.10% 3 Year GIC - 2.80% 5 Year GIC - 3.50%
Friday, April 1, 2011
Mapleton helps out grieving neighbours
$1-million solar project defeated by council by Chris Daponte MAPLETON TWP. - Plans for a $1-million solar project on the roof of the PMD Arena have been scrapped. Last week Mapleton council decided not to proceed with the project as an owner or partial owner or even as a lessee of the space on the arena roof. Councillor Neil Driscoll said the payments for leasing the space would “go nowhere” when it comes time to remove the solar panels at the end of the project’s life. Finance director Mike Givens had included borrowing $300,000 in the 2011 draft budget for the township’s 30% portion of the solar project (proponent Essex Energy would own the other 70%). But councillors seemed even less inclined to own part
of the project. “I’m not in favour of the proposal,” councillor Andy Knetsch said of the solar project in general. Councillor Mike Downey said he likes the idea of solar projects, but residents have expressed concern to him about the municipality acting as an owner for a project that should be left up to private companies to own and operate. “So I guess I can’t support it,” Downey said of making an investment in the project. “Again, our hands are tied.” Driscoll added, “I can’t borrow money on a whim,” and he can’t spend other people’s money on such a project. Council voted unanimously not to proceed with the solar project at all. Councillor Jim Curry was absent.
Facilities, family health team make area attractive by Chris Daponte MAPLETON TWP. - Rural areas like Mapleton have a lot to offer prospective health professionals. That was the message Shirley Borges and Alison Armstrong brought to township council last week during
an update on the efforts of the Minto-Mapleton Health Professional Recruitment Committee. In particular, Borges said students “love” the new medical clinic and Drayton, as well as the electronic records system Continued on page 2
Daily Savings 1.50%
Green hair - Ten-year-old Mackenzie Beam, right, really went green at the Alma Public School’s fourth annual Eco-fair on March 26. She and her classmate Makenna Craig-Davis were informing people about endangered species. More photos on page 3. photos by David Meyer
Four candidates running in May election PERTH-WELLINGTON With election campaigns gearing up across Canada for a May 2 election, the local riding is no exception, as signs began popping up across the region. Locally, four people are in the running for the riding currently held by Conservative Gary Schellenberger. Known candidates, as of
press time, are: Schellenberger, Liberal Bob McTavish, New Democrat Ellen Papenburg and the Green Party’s John Cowling. In the 2008 federal election, Perth-Wellington also had candidates from the Christian Heritage and Marxist-Leninist parties. Schellenberger has repre-
sented Perth Wellington since 2004, making this his fourth campaign during that time. Though signs are already going up across the local riding, Elections Canada’s official nomination process for candidates closes on April 11, and a complete list of confirmed candidates will be available on April 13.
by Chris Daponte MAPLETON TWP. - Fire Chief Rick Richardson says local firefighters stepped up to help when their comrades in North Perth needed help. The Mapleton department provided back up for the North Perth department, which lost two firefighters - Raymond Walter, 30, of Listowel, and Kenneth Rea, 56, of Atwood - during a huge blaze at the Dollar Stop store in Listowel on March 17. “I’m very proud of the guys for taking time off work and standing by,” Richardson told council last week. He added fire officials in North Perth appreciated the gesture, particularly during a difficult time last week, when North Perth firefighters were attending memorial services for Walter and Rea. Finance director Mike Givens added Mapleton Township also provided barricades for use in Listowel for the memorial services on March 24, which were attended by thousands of people. Mayor Bruce Whale thanked Mapleton staff for being so helpful during a difficult time in North Perth.
Township ‘encouraged’ to fill out consultation forms for NextEra project by Chris Daponte MAPLETON TWP. - The Ministry of the Environment is encouraging Mapleton Township to complete consultation forms for the 10-turbine wind farm proposed by NextEra Energy, but councillors still have many concerns about the project. One of those remains communication. Last week councillor Mike Downey told a NextEra delegation that their meeting in Alma on March 18 to outline three changes to the project was “very poorly publicized.” NextEra project manager Nicole Geneau said the event was prominently advertised in several newspapers, including the Wellington Advertiser and Arthur Enterprise. Downey said several resi-
dents commented that the meeting was not well publicised, and both he and Mayor Bruce Whale noted there was no advertisement in the township’s “local paper,” The Community News. “It definitely was not by design,” Geneau said of the alleged lack of communication. She noted about 35 people attended the Alma meeting and most were those living near those properties that are pegged to host a turbine. In contrast, over 600 attended the public meeting in Drayton in November, but Geneau estimated only 10 to 15% of those individuals were local. Members of both the current and past councils have expressed concern with NextEra’s communication and
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method of dealing with local residents. Early in the land acquisition process agents from the company “were very aggressive and not open about the process,” Whale said in draft comments on the proposal. “Individuals were told their neighbours had all signed agreements and if they didn’t sign it would be their last opportunity. “Neighbours were pitted against neighbours in this process and that feeling has remained throughout the project.” Impact on farmland Councillor Neil Driscoll wondered how NextEra can guarantee land will be returned to agricultural quality or better at the end of the project, as stated in the company’s docu-
mentation. “Do you understand anything about farming?” he asked. “Once a road is there, it’s there.” NextEra consultant Derek Dudek said after decommissioning the company will remove all gravel for access roads and return topsoil in the same quantity and quality as existed previously on the site. “We have to return it to its previous condition,” he said. In his comments, Whale stated residents are also very concerned about the possible impacts on the health and productivity of livestock in the area. He wants baseline data collected before the project begins so stray voltage, “dirty electricity,” electromagnetic radiation and sound associated with the
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project can be measured. Bankruptcy Councillor Andy Knetsch wanted to know what happens if NextEra declares bankruptcy during the life of the project. Geneau replied the question is a popular one with residents. She explained NextEra has individual contracts with each host landowner. Companies that lend money to NextEra are responsible for those contracts if the company ever declares bankruptcy. They can then sell the project to another energy company and the contracts are transferred with the facility. “It’s never the landowner’s responsibility,” said Geneau. Municipal consultation Clerk Patty Sinnamon said she has been contacted by an official with the Ministry of
the Environment (MOE) about completing the consultation forms for the NextEra Energy proposal. “[The ministry] has clearly stated that municipalities cannot simply choose not to participate in the consultation process,” Sinnamon said in her report to council, adding MOE staff are “encouraging” the municipality to complete the review. “I believe it to be prudent on the part of the municipality to complete a review of the application for approval and provide comments to the ministry in the event the ministry grants approval.” Whale said the township will “continue to try to formulate some more definitive comments” and get them to both ministry and NextEra officials.