By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—The 2018-2022 Council held its final Council in Committee meeting on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Any decisions made had to be ratified on Monday, November 14. The inaugural address of the new Council took place on Tuesday, November 15 after press time.
For more information on Council reports and meetings, visit haldimandpress.com.
Remembrance Day ceremony at Council
Last Monday, members of the Royal Canadian Legion from Branch 164 in Hagersville gathered in the Council chambers to hold an official Remembrance Day ceremony.
Pastor Peggy Bartlett from the Hagersville United Church offered a prayer to start the ceremony, followed by the recitation of In Flanders Fields by Legion member Jim Yates, who later performed on his bagpipe, while staff and Council members stood at attention with Colour Party members from different Legion branches taking part in the proceedings.
“While conflict is still part of this world … we hope and we pray that we will never see the type of bloodshed and death again that happened during World War I and World War II. Remembrance Day … is about humanity, and the unfinished work of an imperfect world,” said Bartlett.
The ceremony concluded with a group singing of God Save the King led by Legion member Marg Long.
Council to officially oppose
Strong Mayors legislation
Haldimand County will move forward with a petition to the provincial government in opposition of Ontario’s Strong Mayor’s Act legislation, despite an effort from current Mayor Ken Hewitt to defer the motion until the new term of Council had begun.
“I did ask to get this pulled; I do feel this is an item that should be discussed with the next term of Council,” said Mayor Ken Hewitt. “I don’t believe it’s relevant or academic at this point for us to be debating or discussing this. I do not support this motion, simply because in the near future, the new Council can determine its direction. If it’s something that goes beyond what we see in Toronto or Ottawa and does find its way into rural townships, obviously Council can decide.”
Ward 3 Councillor Dan Lawrence countered, “I would like to move forward with it myself.”
Ward 6 Councillor Bernie Corbett added, “I thought it was most undemocratic…. I dislike it. Most of the people around the table are elected to represent the people of your constituency. If the mayor has power over you to pass that legislation and the only way you come back at him is with two-thirds against the mayor … it’s leaning towards autocratic.”
The motion was supported 5-2 in a vote, with Councillor Rob Shirton siding with Hewitt.
Haldimand’s petition tasks the Province with clarifying the roles of Mayor, Council, and Chief Administrative Officer, states that the bill “should not apply to the Corporation of Haldimand County,” and asserts that the Province should seek alternate means to speed up housing development, including amending the Planning Act and funding more affordable housing.
Hagersvile Chamber of Commerce to lease County satellite office while awaiting construction of new centre
Following the news that their tenancy at the Hagersville Community Centre would end on January 28, 2023, Haldimand County has agreed to lease space within its Hagersville Satellite Office to the Hagersville and District Chamber of Commerce, until such time as the new Library + Active Living Centre, under development for Grant Kett Park, is completed.
Under the terms of the lease, the office will be offered rent-free, in recognition of the $700,000 the Chamber raised through its sale of the old community hall.
The Chamber will provide space to the Hagersville Lions Club as well for small meetings.
The satellite office also provides space to the OPP and contains mechanical and IT rooms. It will be deemed surplus once the new centre is complete. The current lease arrangement will be in place for two years, with the option to extend should the new space still not be available by that time.
