August 31
I enjoyed lunch with many employees as we recognized the retirement of Bill Simmons after 24 years service in our Public Works Department. We are all happy for Bill and wish him a long, healthy, happy and fulfilling retirement. If you see him, take a minute to thank him for his service to our community. Zorra is a safer and more easily traveled area because of the work of the men in the PW department. They have made significant improvements to our transportation infrastructure and we should be very grateful to them.
I have been reviewing the log book I keep of Council activities checking as I do quite regularly to see that your concerns have been dealt with. If at any time you feel I have not dealt sufficiently with your issue, please contact me. I try to keep records of all contacts and try my best to return calls and deal with issues but something could have been overlooked. If you feel this has happened to you, I sincerely apologize, but ask you contact me again so I can assist you.
August 28
Former Thamesford Councillor, Tony Kelly celebrated his 80th birthday with an Open House in the Beaty Room. I was very pleased to present Tony with a certificate of recognition from the Township.
August 27
My husband and I attended the Beef Barbeque at the Beachville Museum. I understand it was a sell out which indicates to me the terrific support of the community for this establishment. It is difficult sometimes to keep museums going but Beachville seems to have excellent local interest. If you have never been there you should make a point of visiting. It will be a worthwhile and interesting time for you and guests of any age.
August 26
I attended a site meeting for the renovations at the Community Centre in Embro. Work seems to be moving along well with very few changes necessary. The project will not be completed in time for the Embro/West Zorra Fair in September but early October seems to be the goal now.
August 22
There was a good turnout for the Decoration Service for Embro Cemetery. The service itself was held in Knox Presbyterian Church. I would be pleased to attend other services in the Township if invited.
August 19
I was very kindly invited to participate in the summer Carnival Event held at Woodingford. They wondered if I would be interested in volunteering to sit on the dunk tank. Unfortunately I was very busy that afternoon!!!
August 18
I met in Stratford with Laura Dent who is working with the group in Thamesford planning changes to the downtown streetscape. She explained to me the limits of the Trillium grant that was received and gave some idea of the proposed changes being contemplated.
That evening was the Public Meeting for the Embro Secondary Development Plan. There is still much groundwork to be completed before any development can take place but interest and enthusiasm in the project seems to be very high. I personally want to see some of the principles of New Urban Design followed so that we do not have rows of “cookie cutter” housing completely without surrounding green space. It is my hope that what is built will be attractive and welcoming and fit in with the life style now enjoyed by the villagers.
August 17
Council was briefed on the Embro Secondary plan in preparation for the Public Meeting. Welcome to Jamie Horne who is the latest addition to the Public Works Crew. He has had some experience working for us in a part time position so is ready to begin with a minimum of training. The 4 way stop at Church and Delatre will be in place until September 17 when two signs will be removed and Church Street will be for through traffic and east/west traffic on Delatre will have to stop. We are trying this to address concerns regarding speeding in the village. I am asking residents to assist by carefully obeying posted speeds. We cannot expect strangers to recognize speed limits if residents do not.
The MNR Compliance Report for our Robinson Pit states that the Township has done an excellent job of site preparation, fencing, gates, setbacks, tree planting and sediment control. It was noted that there is little evidence of erosion or sedimentation problems even after the recent heavy rainfalls. This is further proof of our commitment to run this pit at the highest standards level possible..
Chief Jeff Smith reported that several fire department ladders failed the required testing standards and replacements have been ordered. Both Thamesford and Uniondale departments have two firefighters who have successfully completed the in-water portion of the Water Rescue Instructors course. They will receive full certification after teaching a class under the supervision of a master instructor. All departments are participating in a series of instructional drills in an abandoned house as planned by Uniondale’s Chief Paul Mitchell. Sincere thanks to Chief Paul for this great effort which will benefit all departments.
August 12
I traveled to Kitchener with Marg Misek-Evans, Steve Couture, and Aden Corcoran to the offices of the consultant responsible for Embro’s Secondary Plan. There was an excellent discussion re their proposal and many suggestions were made.
August 11
County Council met at the Administrative Building in Woodstock for their second summer meeting The subdivision proposal of Loy-El for Banner Road South was deferred as requested by Zorra Council pending further discussions re concerns. Water and Wastewater rates have been established by bylaw and will be reviewed after three years. Concerns re the proposed size of the reserves being proposed were noted and will be part of the next review. A very interesting discussion arose regarding the EMS Response Time Performance Plans report. Zorra’s response time of 16:16 ninety percent of the time is still above desired standards. The north of the County depends often on cross border EMS service but their times of 22:30 ninety percent of the time are not adequate. Meeting the proposed standard of 15 minutes ninety percent of the time will require full time ambulance service at the northern sites and of course this will have financial costs. While this improved time is what is needed I am also concerned that we will then be in a position of being called even more frequently to provide cross border services to other Counties. At present we have difficulty collecting fees from them for the services provided now. Also announced at this meeting was the resignation of Marg Misek-Evans who has accepted a position of Senior Planner with the Regional Government on Vancouver Island. While this is a huge loss to our planning department and to Oxford County everyone is pleased for Marg and we certainly wish her well in this new adventure.
On the weekend following July 31 and August 1 the Tractor Pull was held—another event that brings many visitors to Zorra. It takes the work of many dedicated volunteers to bring together an event such as this and I want to congratulate all those who made another huge show possible.
July 28
I attended a morning meeting at ECC regarding Embro Secondary planning. This is a very interesting subject with everyone at the table making suggestions and asking questions. We are making good progress but there is much to be decided before we are ready to look at developers plans. A meeting for all interested residents will be held on August 18 beginning with an Open House at 4 p.m. and a formal presentation at 7. Make an effort to attend and give input to a project with long range implications for Embro.
I learned that concerns re the playground equipment in Harrington have been addressed. I look forward to your comments.
That evening I returned home at about 9 p.m. to find an answering machine full of messages—some of which I could not really understand. I did learn that there were flooding problems on Wallace Crescent in Embro. I drove down immediately and witnessed scenes I had never encountered before. It is believed 6 or 7 inches of rain fell on the area in less than 2 hours. With so much of the area under sewer construction it became a disaster for many residents. Basements flooded quickly with severe damage to most homes. The stories are too many to relate here but I want to give credit to the many people who came to help and those who helped other neighbours even their own homes were being damaged. I have made several trips to the area since and I am so impressed with the residents there and the way they have reacted to such a disaster in their lives.
Since that night I have had many calls about other problems throughout the village because of the storm and I am trying to deal with them as quickly as possible.
July 27
The second summer meeting of Council was held with full attendance. Margaret Misek-Evans, Corporate Manager of Community and Strategic Planning for the County of Oxford attended along with members of County staff. She presented a brief review of the 2005 Provincial Policy Statement along with Department suggestions for change. An interesting discussion followed with comments and suggestions from Council. Don and Jen Henderson made a presentation regarding the use of biosolids (sludge) on Zorra farms. Concerns from Councillors included lack of information re content, overspreading, spreading in water recharge areas, spreading on weekends when Ministry officials are not available, lack of notification to neighbours etc. I think enough interest was stimulated to have at least one or two Councillors suggesting they would investigate the practice further.
Other items of interest included a discussion regarding loans/grants for downtown streetscape improvements; possible button crosswalk on Dundas Street at the Library; deferral of the proposed Sloan development pending discussion re the 11 entrances necessary on the already busy Banner Road; and the proposal regarding costs for replenishment of consumable medical supplies used in emergency scenes.
July 26
I was again at the County Building for a report to the Tourism Department re a recent First Impressions project. I was disappointed as the visitors chose only to visit Woodstock, Ingersoll and Tillsonburg. The rural areas have much to interest tourists but this did not seem to enter into the report. I personally feel that visitors could have spent a day in each centre as well as visiting rural sites in order to get a better picture of what is offered here. I realize they were to get only a “snapshot” of the
County but think the area too large to even do that in one day.
July 21
I attended a meeting of the Mackay committee held at the County Building. Plans are underway in Taiwan for celebrations recognizing significant anniversaries of George Leslie Mackay’s ministry there. He is recognized as a national hero in that country and it is unfortunate so few in Zorra know about his work. There is an expectation that some celebrations will occur in Oxford County as guests from Taiwan plan to travel here over the next few years in honour of his contributions to their country.
That evening a meeting was held at the Harrington Hall to discuss the future of the library there. Concerns have been expressed by the County Library Board re low usage. They are proposing that it become a “kiosk” type library which means a smaller collection with a Clerk instead of a Librarian-so limited programming-, less hours and less assistance with computers etc. It has been suggested that perhaps the usage is relatively strong for the population base in the area—certainly computer usage—high speed—is well used. If numbers are the concern that can easily be changed by just a few patrons signing out significant numbers of books. The savings suggested are approximately $5000 although given the size of the overall budget (and likely that amount would not really be saved but absorbed by other libraries in Oxford) I do not feel this justifies closing. I am sure this will be discussed at a Board meeting early this fall. You are encouraged to visit the Library, not only to use its services but to fill in the questionnaire. Good support this way will make a huge difference.
July 20
Council met in the Boardroom at the Township Office to receive the Embro Parks Study as prepared by Fred Galloway and Associates of London. It was felt this was necessary as Council is being encouraged to purchase more land at the Community Centre property. Mr. Galloway included interviews with Council and local groups as part of the study. There were six recommendations made and Council will now have to decide which and/or when any can be implemented. Certainly costs are a major factor as a Township we have significant debentures due to the sewer projects in both Thamesford and Embro and we have to be comfortable with the pay back schedule before we incur any more major costs. I have concerns as to the fundraising for renovations at the Embro Community Centre and have asked for a review of expenses vs finances at the next Council meeting. Council has a responsibility to have this on order before we complete this term of office.
July 17
I was invited to present a Township certificate to Howard and Lorna Ferguson on the occasion of their 60th anniversary. I wish I could have stayed longer as everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time. Just a reminder that certificates are available for birthdays and anniversaries. There are some guidelines but I am very flexible about the rules and if you feel it is a significant year a certificate can be ordered through the Office or by contacting me. You can pick it up yourself but if you wish I would be pleased to deliver it whenever is convenient. People certainly seem to appreciate receiving them.
July 14
I have received complaints about the numerous collection boxes in our communities. There seems to be no system regulating who places the boxes or how many they leave. If you have concerns most boxes have contact information on them and I suggest you first contact the group responsible. If they do not respond then contact the Township Office.
Giant Hogweed continues to be a concern. Please report suspicious plants as their ability to spread is very great. Do not attempt to destroy them yourself. There is excellent information including pictures available on the Internet.
July 6
Township Council again dealt with a property with plans causing some concern to neighbouring farmers. Unfortunately this particular plot of land had been zoned Rural Residential in the 1970’s so owners have a right to construct a private dwelling. The minor variances requested seemed to find favor with the Planning Department. There is little that can be done when planning principles have been satisfied even though many of us feel strongly about trying to keep land for agriculture.
I was disappointed to learn that only one school took advantage of the “Learn to Swim” programme at the Thamesford Pool offered for many years to students in Grade 5. I have been told busing is a problem but I wonder if this could replace a bus trip. I believe that learning to swim is a very important skill for children to learn and surely could be justified in the curriculum. I would be glad to discuss this with parents, teachers or anyone interested.
July 6
As John Angehrn was on holidays I attended the meeting re coyote problem in Oxford. The committee continues to invite speakers to attend the meetings as they are anxious to learn all they can before making decisions regarding the establishing of controls.
July 1
Caledonian Games in Embro drew a crowd estimated at near 5000. On July 3 Weinerfest in Thamesford attracted 4000 people and about 1000 dogs. These events bring so many people into our Township which is a very positive step in economic development. I spent some time at each event talking with visitors to Zorra answering questions, promoting other local events and encouraging them to think about living and doing business here. There is great interest in the fact that both Thamesford and Embro have had major construction projects and are now ready for growth.
