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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 46 Issue 03
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.00% 3 Year GIC - 2.40% 5 Year GIC - 2.56% Daily Interest 1.65%
Friday, January 18, 2013
Local firefighters better prepared for pet emergencies PALMERSTON - The Minto Fire Department is better equipped to handle petrelated emergencies thanks to a donation of pet oxygen masks by Heartland Animal Hospital of Listowel, Mount Forest and Drayton and Invisible Fence Brand by KW Sprinkler. Three pet oxygen mask kits, one each for the Harriston, Palmerston and Clifford fire stations were supplied to Heartland Animal Hospital by Invisible Fence Brand through the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association in exchange for a donation to the Farley Foundation, a charitable organization which assists seniors, disabled individuals and women at risk of abuse by subsidizing the non-elective veterinary care of their pets. Each pet oxygen mask kit contains three re-usable masks appropriately sized for small animals (cats, small dogs, animals with short snouts such as ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds), medium-sized animals (20 to 25 pounds) and large domestic animals (dogs 50 pounds and over). Heartland Animal Hospital will also pro-
vide initial training and ongoing support to the Minto Fire Department as required. “After learning about the availability of pet oxygen masks through the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, we were eager to order kits for our community,� said Dr. Kim WatsonMcKenzie of Heartland Animal Hospital. “By providing our local fire department with the tools they need to assist animals before veterinary care can be accessed, we hope that this helps save the lives of animals who are affected by a tragic event such as a fire.� “Pets are often on the scene in emergency situations and like humans, they are susceptible to health risks arising from a fire,� says Minto Fire Chief Chris Harrow. “While our team never hesitates to assist an animal in distress, this donation means that we now have the proper equipment to save a pet’s life during an emergency. “We do get pets that are pretty groggy sometimes, especially at barn fires,� he notes. Watson-McKenzie pointed out that kits are also helpful at accident scenes, where animals
Pet lifesavers - Fire stations in the Town of Minto recently received a donation of pet oxygen mask kits from Invisible Fence Brand and Heartland Animal Hospital. Demonstrating how the masks are applied, with the help of Ringo, an Australian shepherd, are, from left: Don Diebold of Invisible Fence, Dr. Kim Watson-McKenzie of Heartland Animal Hospital and Minto Fire Chief Chris Harrow. photo by Patrick Raftis
are often in shock due to a crash. “Pet’s are secondary to people, as it should be, but they can
Committee ruling paves way for building on existing rural lots in Mapleton by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – Rulings by Mapleton’s Committee of Adjustment appear to have cleared the way for three local families to build homes on properties they own on Wellington Road 10 near Moorefield. The three properties have been at the centre of a dispute over changes to Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) provisions in the township’s new comprehensive zoning bylaw. Between the spring of 2011 and August of 2012, three couples, Barb and Gary Huber, Chris and Brittany Huber and Dennis and Tiffany Gleeson, purchased lots on Wellington Road 10. The lots, created in the 1970s are within MDS 1 range of an unoccupied livestock barn on the property of Alwyn and Lori Woodham. However Mapleton’s comprehensive zoning bylaw waives MDS 1 requirements for existing lots that are less than 9.9 acres. The bylaw was originally passed in July of 2010, but did not come into effect until June of 2012 due to an OMB appeal on an unrelated matter. The committee of adjustment heard submissions on the applications at a meeting in December and deferred the
matters to Jan. 9 for further information and deliberation. On Jan. 9, the committee granted the minor variance applications for the properties owned by Chris and Brittany Huber and Dennis and Tiffany Gleeson. In these cases, the couples have stated they consolidated the smaller lots they had purchased, on the advice of township and county planning staff, later learning the township would not consider the consolidated lots “existing� at the time of the passage of the new zoning bylaw. “They told us we had to put them together and that’s what we did and now we’re in trouble for it,� stated Brittany Huber. However the committee ruled the requested variances were indeed minor in nature, would result in “appropriate� land use and comply with the general purpose and intent of both the county’s official plan and the township’s zoning bylaw. Committee members Floyd Schieck, Kay Ayres and Peg Schieck voted in favor of allowing the variances, while the fourth member of the committee, Carl Israel, was opposed. The committee denied Barb and Gary Huber’s application for a minor variance on their properties, which have not
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been consolidated. The committee noted the couple’s three lots should be consolidated and dealt with in a single application. The committee also indicated that “one of the lots is usable and there is no need for the relief requested.� At the Dec. 12 committee of adjustment meeting, Gary Huber acknowledged he could build on one of the lots as is, but indicated a permit issued for the smallersized lot would not allow him to build a house as large as he would like to. Regarding this application, the committee also stated, “a new application showing clear intentions should be submitted.� Floyd Schieck, Peg Schieck and Israel supported a resolution to deny the application. During discussion on Chris and Brittany Huber’s application, Wellington County Planner Mark Van Patter argued allowing any of the lots to be built on would have a “very minor� impact on the possibility of the future expansion of farming operations on the Woodham property. Van Patter said the Woodhams would still be able to increase their operation from 583 swine feeders up to 658 feeders and meet the MDS 2 Continued on page 3
suffer from smoke inhalation as well,� said Don Diebold of Invisible Fence Brand, adding the company has donated over
10,000 pet oxygen masks to fire departments across North America in the last three or four years.
Budget plan backed up in Mapleton by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – Council here was told the 2013 budget won’t be ready as early as planned, as staff struggle to prepare it without a chief financial officer. Council had been aiming to have the budget done earlier this year, rather than the usual late-spring date for passage. However, CAO Patty Sinnamon advised council that the process is moving slower than planned, due to the resignation of director of finance Michael Givens, who left to take a similar post with Wellington North in August. “I don’t know if it’s going to be possible by the first of April,� she said. Councillor Andy Knetsch said “it’s really important,� that council “have a document to look at� as soon as possible. Council instructed staff to aim for the end of January to have a draft budget for council to work with.
Optimist hope to rope rodeo for Moorefield by Patrick Raftis MOOREFIELD – The Moorefield Optimist Club is hoping to bring a rodeo to the community this summer. Councillor Neil Driscoll advised Mapleton Council of the club’s plans at the Jan. 8 council meeting. “We’re trying to get something together to put Moorefield, if not Mapleton, on the map and give us something to do one weekend in July,� said Driscoll.
Driscoll noted the Optimists are heading up the effort, which will involve other organizations and individuals from the community. “We’re looking for a group of about 100 volunteers,� he pointed out. Driscoll explained the community’s role would be to provide the facility and volunteers and attract an established rodeo organization to hold one of the events on its circuit. Driscoll brought up the
rodeo plans after public works director Larry Lynch asked council how they wished to handle disposition of the old light standards from the Moorefield ball park. Lynch reported that eight poles had recently been advertised for sale, attracting only two bids the highest of which was $122 for “the entire lot.� Council directed Lynch to keep the poles, noting they might be useful for an event such as the rodeo.
Cost of road upgrades to be shared by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – Council here has agreed to a cost-sharing arrangement for upgrades on Sideroad 12 as part of a draft site plan agreement with a local grain elevator operator. The site plan agreement pertains to the existing and future use of an agricultural grain elevator operation on the property of Neil and Barbara Driscoll on Sideroad 12. Council received a letter at the Jan. 8 meeting from surveyor and planner Bruce Donaldson, who is representing the Driscolls in regard to the site plan agreement. The letter indicated the Driscolls were prepared to pay half the estimated $30,000 cost of proposed improvements to Sideroad 12 from Wellington Road 8 to the first driveway of
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the Driscoll property. The letter notes that agriculture activity on the property has increased since the Driscolls purchased it in 1974 in order to service their clients, approximately 80 farm operations. The letter also points out both the Driscolls and the municipality have made improvements to Sideroad 12 and the proposed improvements will benefit the municipality and neighbouring property owners as well as the company, which employs six people. Donaldson stated the improvements by the Driscolls include extension of three phase hydro service, as well as natural gas “for community use� and that taxes on the property have more than tripled since 2010. Councillor Jim Curry asked
if the taxes had increased so sharply because the grain elevator is considered “more of an industrial use?� “Commercial assessment has been in place for two years,� explained CAO Patty Sinnamon, adding, “That certainly does support the request that’s coming forward.� Public works director Larry Lynch said road improvements, which include widening it by three metres, are necessary to accommodate increased traffic generated by the business. “At certain times of the year we have massive amounts of traffic on that road,� he said, noting township staff do gravel and grading work on the road “quite regularly.� Mayor Bruce Whale suggested the proposed 50-50 split Continued on page 3
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