Review-Mirror

OPINION PAGE Publisher/Editor– Howie Crichton hcrichton@review-mirror.com Advertising Sales – Bill Ritchie advertising@review-mirror.com Office – Louise Haughton lhaughton@review-mirror.com Reporter-Photographer - Margaret Brand mbrand@review-mirror.com 4 – October 19, 2017 The Review-Mirror 43 Bedford St. P.O. Box 130,Westport, Ont. K0G 1X0 Ph. 613-273-8000 • 1-800-387-0796 • Fax 273-8001 editor @ review-mirror.com • www.review-mirror.com • PAP Registration No. 01601 • Printed in Smiths Falls, Ontario • The Review-Mirror is published Thursdays. Subscriptions: $33.84 online; $44.50 locally; $55.00 elsewhere in Canada; $150 sin the U.S. We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada. Publishers ONTARIO COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION 1893-1897 — H. E. Bywater 1897-1916 — W. B. Adams 1916- — Arthur Niblock -1967 — Jim Niblock 1967-1987 — F. Lea and Phyllis Hutchinson 1987-1988 — Bob & Sandy Runciman 1988-1993 — Phil Rutherford 1993- — Howie Crichton CANADIAN MEDIA CIRCULATION AUDIT Mirror The Review Letters to the Editor Last week, Westport coun- cil had a special meeting to discuss an issue concerning the construction of the new sewage treatment facility. Three members of council, Mayor Robin Jones, Council- lors Jackalyn Brady and Ger- ald Schwinghamer were pre- sent along with several mem- bers of staff. The meeting was called because the village was noti- fied that it may have to spend close to an additional $500,000.00 for sand. The original tender for the sand required for the system was $1.2 million. How does some- thing like this happen? Sand costs approximately $15.00 per ton and the readers can do the math to calculate how many additional tons of sand will be required to meet the need. One certainly has to wonder, with computers and all the engineering technology and expertise brought to bear on the design, an error of this magnitude would be possible to make. The design and engi- neering of the new system was the subject of "peer review" by a group of knowledgeable individuals. In fact, there were several short delays as the review panel made recommen- dations that were subsequently added to the design of the sys- tem. If the new system does not come on line on schedule, it may be necessary to haul effluent to a processing facili- ty. The cost of hauling is pro- hibitive and Westport doesn't have the money to cover the cost of hauling anymore than it has the additional money required to cover the cost of the extra sand. Council has no alternative but to do what is required to bring the new sys- tem on line. Obviously an error has been made. The logical reac- tion is to try to identify the culprit, lay some blame and look for compensation. The fact of the matter, at this point, is that the new system needs to be completed. The original completion date is November 20. Right from the beginning the schedule for the comple- tion of the project was tight. Providing everything went as planned the project would be completed, and working, by Nov. 20. There is really no time to direct staff to take time from project management to conduct an analysis as to what went wrong. There will be lots of time after the system has been commissioned to try to figure out what led to a mis- calculation of the amount of sand required and pursue com- pensation if it makes sense. At this point it is necessary to put checks and balances in place that ensure the addition- al sand gets to the site on time. The site needs to be prepared, the pipes need to be installed, the mantle needs to be com- pleted and the whole site needs to be covered. There is going to be outrage at what has happened. Under- standably so. Council has done what had to be done. It has voted to order, and pay for, the additional sand. The sys- tem has to be completed before the snow flies. Hauling needs to be avoided at all costs. It is not going to be easy for council over the next month. There may be legal implica- tions to what is said about what has happened and there are enough problems without lawsuits flying around at the same time. The hope has to be that res- idents will do their best to sup- port council as it navigates through a difficult time. The Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for Mon., Oct. 16 was canceled, appar- ently, because there wasn't enough business. It might have made more sense to con- tinue with the meeting as scheduled and devote most of the meeting time to a thorough airing of the situation the vil- lage finds itself in. The only sure fire way to keep residents on side is to keep them in the loop. When I was serving on council and things got difficult the mayor I served with would say,"this too shall pass Mike". This glitch shall pass and the village will overcome the dif- ficulty. Mike McIntyre joymikechloe@gmail.com No time now to waste energy deciding blame for sand error Editor, How important is it to live in a healthy community? Accord- ing to the research, the feeling of "belonging" within a com- munity is as important to your health as quitting smoking or eating a healthy diet. In a recent study, published in the journal "Perspectives on Psychological Science", 70 studies covering over three mil- lion people were reviewed. The results: social isolation, loneli- ness and living alone can increase the risk of death by 29 per cent, 26 per cent, and 32 per cent respectively, after adjust- ing for age, gender, socio-eco- nomic status and pre-existing health conditions. Armed with this informa- tion, community planners have to be interested, above all else, in how we connect people. This past summer, Country Roads CHC and our partners distributed a survey to learn more about local community health. Our "Be Well" survey asked a number of questions including how well people felt "they belong". The results are helpful when considering what we could do more of. Our communities have many advantages. Our service clubs, community groups, churches, recreation facilities etc. are numerous and welcoming. Events like Canada Day, Her- itage Day, and opportunities to get involved are inoculations against loneliness. In the Be Well Survey, scores for "degree of trust" within our community were far higher than the provin- cial and federal average and our rates of volunteerism are stag- gering. Like other rural areas how- ever, there are challenges in North Leeds when it comes to increasing the sense of belong- ing and reducing social isola- tion. In much of our region, physical distance and trans- portation are barriers. Many people live on fixed incomes and are challenged by fees and others simply lack information about the ways in which they can become involved. We are interested in ideas that will result in reduced loneliness and isolation. A recent meeting with Rideau Lakes residents quickly identified a number of creative ideas: use of social media, identification and engagement with all new resi- dents, support for people who lose a spouse, more affordable seniors housing and coordina- tion of local volunteer opportu- nities . Some pretty exciting and achievable ideas. This week is Community Health and Well-Being Week across Ontario. Consider ways in which we can help our friends and neighbours build and maintain connections. Please send me your thoughts on this important topic. It's a surefire way to improve health! Marty Crapper Executive Director Country Roads Community Health Centre The Auditor General's report, tabled today in the Ontario legislature, paints a picture of a Liberal government that has consistently placed the needs and rights of Ontarians behind those of its corporate funders, says CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. CUPE charges that by creat- ing a system of accounting that deliberately obfuscates and hides the true cost of its "Fair Hydro Plan," the Wynne gov- ernment has shown that it won't hesitate to make the province's citizens pay the price for the Liberals' reckless decision to privatize Hydro One. "The Auditor General's report clearly shows how Ontario consumers will pay $4 billion more for their electricity because of the improper accounting behind the Liberals' Fair Hydro Plan," said Hahn. "And the government has devised this scheme even as it continues to shortchange our public services. "When you think of what $4 billion could buy in terms of public services, then there can't be a more damning conse- quence of the Wynne govern- ment's irresponsible decision to sell Hydro One to private, prof- it-driven investors." CUPE Ontario has previous- ly characterized the govern- ment's Fair Hydro Plan as "a payday loan at an exorbitant interest rate." According to a statement released by her office, Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk finds that "the accounting proposed by the government is wrong and if used would make the Province's budgets and future consolidated financial state- ments unreliable" but con- cludes, "there's still time to fix it, and we're encouraging the government to do so." Hahn echoed the sentiment, but said that restoring Hydro One to full public control is the only long-term fix for the mess the Liberals have created in the province's electricity system. "The people of Ontario deserve an electricity system that serves their interests, rather than one dedicated to share- holders' greed and a govern- ment's unprincipled ambitions," concluded Hahn. Recent government polling by the Gandalf Group indicates that hydro mismanagement and tax increases to pay for the Fair Hydro Plan are of greatest con- cern to the public. Prescription for health: reduce loneliness and increase sense of belonging Ontario auditor general's report reveals "fiscal and moral bankruptcy" of Liberals' Fair Hydro Plan Letters to the Editor The Review-Mirror accepts Letters to the Editor. Letters may be edited for content, space and libel. Please include a phone number for confirmation.

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