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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 45 Issue 29
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.15% 3 Year GIC - 2.36% 5 Year GIC - 2.67% Daily Interest 1.75%
Friday, July 20, 2012
Local anti-turbine group withdraws from ERT by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON TWP. - A citizens’ group has announced a last-minute decision to withdraw from an Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) hearing on a controversial 10-turbine wind farm project southwest of Arthur. Preserve Mapleton Inc. (PMI) issued a press release on July 14 indicating the unavailability of a key medical expert caused the group to withdraw from the process, which was slated to begin July 13. The expert, Dr. Robert McMurtry, was unable to participate due to a medical condition, PMI member Jitske DeJong said in an interview on Monday. In a press release, PMI concluded the testimony of McMurtry was “essential to substantiate” the testimony of other witnesses. McMurtry is a surgeon and researcher at the University of Western Ontario, whose areas of study include kinetics and determinants of health. On June 8 the ERT ruled
against a motion by PMI to adjourn the hearing while it arranged for the availability of the witness. PMI lost in an bid to block the project through the court system in April, when a judicial review panel ruled the group did not have standing to bring the application forward. The panel ruled PMI, which was formed in 2011 could not establish it was prevented from participating in the consultation process for the project. DeJong said the decision to withdraw means PMI does not currently have any applications open in an attempt to halt the project. “At this point, we don’t know yet which way to pursue our cause. We have to explore our options,” DeJong said. “We are still hopeful that in the future a decision will be made that wind turbines make people sick because we know that they do.” In their press release, PMI pointed out that during an ERT hearing in Chatham/Kent in Continued on page 3
Recreation plan open house set for Aug. 7 by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON TWP. Residents here will get a chance to check out the recommendations in the township’s parks, recreation and culture strategic master plan in an open house forum on Aug. 8. Representatives of the municipality and the consulting firm of Stempski Kelly Associates Inc. will be on hand to answer questions about the plan, from 7 to 8pm at the Mapleton municipal office.
The plan is designed to provide a comprehensive look into the fabric of leisure service delivery for the rural communities of Mapleton. Larry Lynch, director of public works, said the format will be “very informal. “We’ll put up some boards and answer questions. We want to make sure the community has a chance to hear about it first hand,” he told Mapleton council at the July 10 regular meeting.
Roof funds will likely be diverted to other park projects
Wind farm underway - Construction began last week on the Arthur area site of the Conestoga Wind Energy Centre, near the intersection of Wellington Road 12 and the 16th Line in Mapleton Township. photos by Patrick Raftis
Township to open Parkview Drive by Patrick Raftis MOOREFIELD - Mapleton council is making plans to officially extend Parkview Drive here to accommodate a new business development. Clerk Patty Sinnamon recommended council support the extension and opening of Parkview Drive in a report to council at its July 10 meeting. While the street is indicated on civic mapping and the former Maryborough Township council directed that a by-law be prepared to open and register Parkview Drive, a title search revealed the process was never completed to open the gravel portion of the street, Sinnamon reported. “The approval was prepared a number of years ago, but it never actually happened,” explained Mayor Bruce Whale Christian Aid Ministries of Waterloo is planning to open a vegetable processing facility, to help feed the poor in Third
World countries, in the former Rona Hardware building. Although the gravel portion is unopened, it has been plowed by the township for many years and was heavily travelled by both Rona employees and members of the public accessing the Peel-Maryborough Community Centre. The site plan for the Christian Aid Ministries project indicates the second access route to the property is via the unopened gravel portion. Both Sinnamon and public works director Larry Lynch agreed opening all of Parkview drive “is appropriate at this time.” Sinnamon noted the Moorefield Optimist Club holds an annual tractor pull on the gravel portion of Parkview. Once the street is formally opened, Sinnamon suggested the club will need to apply for a special event permit to temporarily close the road for their
event and provide the municipality with liability insurance. Several councillors questioned the impact of the opening on current uses of the gravel portion of Parkview, such as the optimist event and overflow parking for the community centre. Councillor Jim Curry questioned whether the road would have to be improved to meet specifications if it is opened up. Councillor Neil Driscoll noted he would not want to see the extension paved, as that would limit its uses for events like the tractor pull. Lynch explained the municipality would retain ownership of the road and control over any changes. “It’s not so different from when the Harron family was operating (the Rona business) and using that road,” he said. Council will consider a bylaw on the proposed street opening at a future meeting.
by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON TWP. - Cash set aside for roof repairs at two Mapleton recreation facilities will likely be diverted to other projects, after council here was advised the repairs are not as urgent as once thought. On the recommendation of a local contractor, council had budgeted for $30,000 worth of roof repairs to the PMD Arena in Drayton and $35,000 for work on the roof at Maryborough Community Centre in Moorefield. The costs were included in the 2012 capital budget, with $30,000 coming from existing reserves and $35,000 from the tax levy. However, before proceeding with the roof repairs, staff determined “a second non-partisan opinion was warranted to confirm areas of concern and the extent of rehabilitation required,” public works director Larry Lynch said in a July 10 report to council. Garland Canada Inc., a company specializing in roof inspections, was hired to conduct an additional inspection. Thermographic imaging revealed that “even though the flat roofs are a number of years old, they are in very good shape for their age,” said Lynch. The cost of the infrared thermographic inspection was $1,000 per roof, “which in the final analysis is excellent value,” Lynch said in his report. Recognizing there will be a need to do some work on the Continued on page 5
Mapleton supportive of developer’s plan for alternative bobolink habitat by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON TWP. - Some endangered birds may be on the move as part a developer’s efforts to satisfy requirements for protecting their habitat. Glenaviland Development is seeking approvals to create a nine-hole golf course, along with a residential subdivision on a 122-acre parcel of land on Concession 10, in former Maryborough township. The land is behind the existing phase one of Glenaviland subdivision at the north entrance to Drayton, on the west side of County Road 8. Wellington County’s planning committee has recommended approval of an offi-
cial plan amendment to allow the development. However, concerns from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) over the existence of bobolink habitat on the property have held up the process. Clerk Patty Sinnamon advised council at its July 10 meeting the MNR has amended the endangered species protocol and relaxed requirements regarding bobolink habitat. Glenaviland is requesting the use of one-acre of land owned by Mapleton at the wastewater lagoon site on Sideroad 15. The developer would lease the land for five years, to offset the current seven-acre bobolink habitat which Main St. W. Palmerston
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is inside an urban boundary in the proposed development. The ministry has deemed such habitats may be offset by a parcel equivalent to 10 per cent elsewhere in the vicinity of the habitat. The relaxed protocol also requires only that the habitat has to be in place for five years. The land would have to be planted with hay and restricted to one cutting per year. The remaining lands at the lagoon site could continue to be leased out until the township has other uses for it. Glenaviland has also submitted an application to the MNR to reallocate 20 acres of the habitat within the rural por-
tion (golf course) of the development to another location. The developer has approached the Grand River Conservation Authority about arrangements to use authority-owned land within Mapleton. The GRCA stated in a letter to the developer they will consider hosting the compensatory bobolink habitat, possibly at the Conestogo Lake Conservation Area. “Specifically at Conestogo we have over 100 acres designated as grassland habitat, but which has been heavily invaded by hawthorns,” terrestrial resources supervisor Martin Neumann said in a letter. “GRCA would be ame-
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nable to removing the stillsmall hawthorns and maintaining the grassland in favour of bobolinks and other grasslands wildlife.” Neumann, also noted the authority would require full cost recovery for any expense incurred by the GRCA in any agreement. Sinnamon recommended in her report that council issue letters of support to Glenaviland and prepare a draft agreement for the use of the one-acre of township land. As part of the final submission to the MNR, Glenaviland requires an agreement with the landowners (GRCA and Mapleton) for the use of the
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land, as well as the finalization of the draft approval of subdivision. Sinnamon reported the county is working on the draft approval, which should be completed shortly. Sinnamon suggested the agreement should require Glenaviland to be responsible for any costs associated with relocating the habitat and also for any monitoring or reporting requirements. She also pointed out farmland is generally leased in the area for approximately $175 an acre. “Council will need to consider whether this is appropriate in the circumstances, she said in her report.
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