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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 46 Issue 47
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.04% 3 Year GIC - 2.38% 5 Year GIC - 2.95% Daily Interest 1.55%
Friday, November 22, 2013
Council continues to ponder MDS issues in bylaw review
Supreme Ewe - Jim Driscoll of Mapleton holding his Supreme Champion Ewe at the Royal Winter Fair. This ewe lamb was unbeaten at 11 shows this year. submitted photo
Driscoll flock tops at Royal Winter Fair by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON Jim Driscoll’s sheep reigned supreme at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Driscoll, who’s been involved in raising purebred sheep for about 40 years, capped an impressive season on the show circuit by winning the Supreme Champion Flock and Supreme Champion Ewe awards at the Royal earlier this month. Driscoll and his wife Wendy raise Dorset sheep and have a flock consisting of 15 brood ewes. “We have had many champions over the years at shows in Canada and United States,� said Driscoll. He added, “This year was exceptional,� as they took the Supreme
Ewe award six times, earned Supreme Flock honours on three occasions and once took the Supreme Champion Ram prize - out of the 11 fairs they attended during the busy season between Labour Day and Thanksgiving. “We’ve done very well all year,� said Driscoll. In total, the Driscoll flock garnered 10 awards at the Royal, where this year’s sheep competition ran from Nov. 6 to 10. In the Dorset category, they won for first place Yearling Ewe, first and second place for Ewe Lamb, first place Yearling Ram, first and third place Ram lamb, first place Get of Sire and first place Breeders Flock. Top animals and flocks in their breeds are entered in the
Supreme competitions, where they compete against top sheep from all breeds at the show. That’s where the Driscoll’s picked up the Supreme Ewe and Supreme Flock awards. Driscoll used to compete annually at the Royal, but hasn’t done so since 2009, when he picked up several individual breed champion awards as well. Other Wellington County sheep breeders earning honours at the 2013 Royal included Irwin and Mary Jackson of Rockwood, who won the Premier Breeder banner, and William Mactaggart of Rockwood, who took three first place and four second place awards in sheep competitions, plus first prize for Ram Lamb in the Suffolk category.
Area food banks prepare for Christmas giving by Sarah Grandy WELLINGTON CTY. - As Christmas approaches, many families rely on local food banks to help them through the holiday season. Fortunately, members of the community continue to show strong support, donating items to keep the shelves stocked at area food banks. But according to organizers, the need is always there. Jeff DeVries has been volunteer manager of the Drayton food bank for about a year. He says the Drayton Food Bank has about 100 individual families using the service consistently, and about 30 who receive emergency and/or holiday food hampers. Although the demand for help from the Palmerston Food Bank has gone up about five per cent from 2012, chair Barb
Burrows says, “We are truly blessed with phenomenal community support. We are so fortunate to live in such a giving community. “We hardly ever have to ask for anything. We are extremely grateful.� The Palmerston Food Bank has had about 200 families access the food bank at least once within the last two years. Approximately 25 to 30 families currently use the Arthur Food Bank. “It starts getting busier in September, when kids go back to school, Thanksgiving and closer to Christmas,� said Marilyn Toyer, secretary of the food bank board. Jackie Andrews, chair of board of directors at the Centre Wellington Food Bank in Fergus, said, “We are so fortunate in Centre Wellington, our com-
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munity is so supportive, especially at Christmas.� Andrews also noted the demand for help from the food bank has gone up since 2012. Last year the Centre Wellington Food Bank had roughly 127 new clients, and this year it has roughly 157 to 159 clients. “In 2012 at this time, we had about nine child clients under the age of two, and this year we have about 31,� said Andrews. The public should remember the food bank not only accepts food donations, but also other necessities such as toilet paper, shampoo, feminine hygiene products, etc. “When people think of the food bank, they think of food, but other necessities are also very important and they’re not donated as often,� said Andrews.
by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Council here has reviewed a number of proposed “housekeeping� amendments to its comprehensive zoning bylaw, but still hasn’t addressed a controversial exemption from minimum distance separation regulations. Amendments include wording changes to sections of the bylaw dealing with hobby barns, salvage yards, swimming pools, accessory uses, buffer areas, home industry, home occupations, outdoor display areas, parking and storage of vehicles, residential conversions, temporary uses of buildings and structures, yard encroachments, industrial zones, the Conestoga Lake zone, and site specific exceptions. The amendments, presented at the Nov. 12 council meeting, also provide new definitions for storage trailers, “sea cans� and shipping containers as addressed in the bylaw. Wellington County planner Linda Redmond explained the changes introduce a whole new zoning criteria for use of shipping containers for storage. “Currently there is no criteria in the zoning bylaw at all that addresses these type of structures,� said Redmond. She noted the criteria introduces set back requirements and allows up to three such containers before approval is required. Councillor Jim Curry expressed concern he has seen sea cans, “parked for months on end in residential zones.� Redmond replied the containers won’t be permitted in urban areas. Moorefield resident Earl Campbell pointed out he had sent a letter to council asking them to address a section of the
bylaw providing an exemption from MDS requirements for new non-farm uses of property on existing lots in agricultural zones. In his letter Campbell asked for the removal of the section stipulating the MDS restrictions “shall not apply to lots existing as of the date of this bylaw which are less than 4 hectares (9.9 acres) in area.� He stated the section has had “a direct negative impact on investments by the Township of Mapleton agricultural/farming community to which lots may be located within the specified proximity.� He also said the section “contradicts existing provincial policy statements regarding MDS requirements� and has “significant financial implications for all residents within the tax base of Mapleton Township.� The exemption has been the subject of considerable controversy over the past 18 months, as it allowed for residential construction on several previously dormant lots near Moorefield within the MDS radius of an existing, but unoccupied hog barn. Last April, the owners of the barn, Alywn and Lori Woodman, filed two appeals with the Ontario Municipal Board - one dealing with the comprehensive zoning bylaw and the second with a related committee of adjustment minor variance decision. The OMB dismissed both appeals in July due to time limits on appeal filing. In correspondence with the municipality and the Woodhams, the OMB stated, “After reviewing the above appeal submissions, the Ontario Municipal Board has determined that it does not have the statutory authority to
consider these two appeals. “The comprehensive zoning bylaw was passed in 2010 and deemed to come into force on the passing in 2010. Therefore, the appeal of the bylaw was received by the municipality on May 31, 2013 after the appeal period had expired.� With respect to the minor variance appeal, the board stated, “The committee of adjustment made its decision on Jan. 9 ... and your appeal was not received until April 29, 2013. As such the board does not have the jurisdiction to give consideration to your appeal.� Campbell said he understood that of the matters that led to the proposed zoning bylaw changes, “the most pivotal issue was the lots outside of Moorefield,� and he asked why the proposed changes did not deal with the situation. Mayor Bruce Whale said, “We decided we’re going to deal with it separately – we want to look at the implications on all the existing lots in the township.� Whale said council wanted to have a better understanding of “where MDS is going to be an issue. “It’s in the works. It wasn’t ready to be part of this amending bylaw,� Whale said. “Could we have a schedule on that?� asked Campbell. Redmond replied the planning department is hoping to have a proposal ready for review at either the Nov. 26 or Dec. 10 council meeting. She added staff members were eager to get started on implementation of the housekeeping amendments. “Staff really wanted to get this implemented and get going on them. There was concern the MDS was going to hold that Continued on page 5
Rezoning proposed to facilitate mill expansion by Patrick Raftis WALLENSTEIN Rezoning to facilitate the expansion of a mill operation here will have to wait until environmental issues are sorted out. A public meeting was held at the Mapleton council chambers on Nov. 12 on an application to rezone a 2.07 acre property in Wallenstien from future development and natural environment to rural industrial. The land, owned by David and Annie Bauman, is proposed to be merged with the neighbouring Wallenstein Feed and Supply property, and used for a septic tile bed and storm
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water management area. The change would allow the zoning on the property to match the zoning on the neighbouring Wallenstein Feed Mill property. Mill owners are planning to purchase the property from the Baumans and are planning the construction of a fourth mill at the site. A lot line adjustment application on the property is to be heard by the Wellington County land division committee in December. Wellington County senior planner Mark Van Patter, in a report presented at the meeting, stated approval of the application should be deferred to
provide an opportunity to sort out the environmental issues – regional floodplain and unevaluated wetland. He noted the Grand River Conservation Authority is requesting a geodetic survey and environmental impact study. “If the environmental issues can be addressed, I would be in support of the rezoning,� stated Van Patter, adding a draft amending bylaw will be prepared for council consideration once the studies have been completed. No one spoke in opposition to the proposal during the public meeting.
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