Your Hometown School & Craft Supply Shop!
AFTER REBATE
51
$
ACT NOW! INSTANT REBATE
AFTER REBATE
29
$
79 SAVE 5 EACH $
Sharp EL 1801 Desktop Printing Calculator
97
AD H MATC
*
NET $44.79 ea
Intuit Turbo Tax Standard 2014
ed Guaranteces low pri
Products may not be exactly as shown.
10 Church St. W. Elmira 519-669-2201 www.schelterofficeplus.ca Office & School Supplies • Print Copy Courier • Computer IT Supplies
03 | 14 | 2015 VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 11
small local brewers set for a taste-off venture PAGE 12
COMMENT PAGE 6
Breslau residents ultimate judges of school bid
With year-end reprieve, region to look at privatizing transfer stations
Woolwich defers decision on WRED scheme
Scott Barber For the second straight year, regional council has pulled the four rural transfer stations off the chopping block. With the facilities set to close for good at the end of the month, councillors voted March 4 to keep the facilities open until the end of 2015. The hope, for the Elmira location at least, is that the reprieve will give regional staff time to negotiate a sale of the property to a private operator. Woolwich Township Mayor Sandy Shantz put forward the motion to keep the stations open. “Council has given it until the end of the year,” she said. “There is a (staff) report coming in August which will be a comprehensive review of our waste management operations, as part of getting set up for the contract renewal that is coming in 2017. And so we are looking to see the whole picture of how everything fits together. But there really wasn’t a lot of appetite from (council) to keep them open past the end of the year and so they have kind of said, ‘OK, we’ll give you until the end of
www.OBSERVERXTRA.com
Councillors want better information before opting in, citing lack of justification for budget commitment STEVE KANNON
Waterloo Region councillors passed a motion put forward by Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz Mar. 4 to keep the four rural transfer stations open through 2015. [scott barber / the observer] have a surplus land policy. region might have around the year and you’ve got to Usually what happens in that because the region get your ducks in a row.’ So if there is a determination controls licenses and so the other piece that I asked that some operation or on.” for was that staff talk to activity is no longer going In order for a transprivate operators and look to continue, first and forefer station to be sold to for a solution in the private most it is usually reviewed a private operator, the sector. internally. So, say there is a land would first need to “It is really in the hands property that is no longer be deemed as surplus by of the private sector now, I going to be used for what regional council, waste would say. They have to get it was used for before, is management director Jon the information they need there another potential Arsenault explained. from the region and see if beneficial use within the “The typical process they can make a business here now with any (regioncase while also fulfilling waste | 4 owned property), is that we whatever requirements the
Looking for more information, Woolwich councillors put off for another two weeks a final vote on a new Waterloo Region economic development scheme. Coun. Patrick Merlihan led the charge on a deferral, backed by a majority of his colleagues. Prepared by a joint committee of chief administrators from Waterloo Region and the seven lower-tier municipalities, the new strategy calls for $2 million a year in public money. The supporting documentation for the venture is long on platitudes and short on details, however, Merlihan argues. He and Coun. Larry Shantz last week voted against handing over a blank cheque. On Tuesday night, he won the support of councillors Scott Hahn and Murray Martin in calling for more information. If Woolwich signs on, it will be forced to pay $160,000 over the next four
years on an as-yet-formed or defined Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation (WREDC). The report given to council contains no details of how the money will be spent, how progress will be measured or how the members will benefit. Likewise, there are no assurances even a dollar will be returned to the public coffers, nor any form of accountability to the public. While supportive of the idea of working with other municipalities – “It all sounds great on paper” – Merlihan said the documentation provided contains no justification for all the optimistic sentiments. “What I object to, what I am offended by, is the lousy supporting document that is to serve as the justification to spend $2 million per year of regional taxpayer dollars.” Recalling the recent township budget process, he reminded fellow counwred | 4
GET THERE IN A SUBARU THIS WINTER, EVEN WHEN OTHERS CAN’T. 2014 $
265
LEASE PAYMENT FOR 39 MONTHS*
$2,973 DOWN* | 0.9% LEASE RATE*
CONQUER WINTER FROM
26,478
$
*
LIMITED TIME AUTOSHOW OFFERS ON NOW For the Subaru dealer nearest you, visit ontario.subarudealer.ca V
Ratings are awarded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) (www.iihs.org). To qualify for 2015 TOP SAFETY PICK+, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests; a good or acceptable rating in the small overlap front test; and an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention. The 2015 TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation applies only to Forester models equipped with optional EyeSight® technology. *MSRP of $25,995 on 2015 Forester 2.5i (FJ1 X0). Lease rate of 0.5% for 24 months. Monthly payment is $268 with $2,939 down payment. Option to purchase at end of lease is $18,023 with $3,624 due on signing. Advertised pricing consists of MSRP plus charges for Freight/PDI ($1,650 on 2015 Forester), Air Tax ($100), Tire Stewardship Levy ($27.15), OMVIC Fee – 33 BLOOR ST EAST, TORONTO, CANADA M4WDealers 3T4 •may T 416 9819 • or F 416 921 to 4180 ($5), Dealer Admin ($199). Freight/PDI charge includes a full tank of gas. Taxes, license, registration and insurance are extra. $0 security deposit. Model shown:#1700 2015 Forester 2.5i Touring Package (FJ1 TP) withON, an MSRP of $29,995. sell or925 lease for less may have P49201TSBCR1_February_2014_DAA.indd 1 order or trade. Offers applicable on approved credit at participating dealers only. Lease based on a maximum of 20,000 km per year, with excess charged at $0.10/km. Leasing and financing programs available through Subaru Financial Services by TCCI. Other lease and finance rates and terms available; down payment or equivalent trade-in may be required. Vehicles shown solely for purposes of illustration, and may not be equipped exactly as shown. Offers available until March 31, 2015. See your local Subaru dealer for complete program details.
NOTE TO PUB: Legal to be placed on
Date: AD #: Client:
2014 Feb 3 49201TSBCR1 SUBARU
Production Mgr: Tara Art Director:
Studio Revisions 2014-02-04 26 Manitou Drive, Kitchener, ON 2:23 PM Tel: (519) 894-2050 | www.geminimotors.com
REV. # 1
IMPORTANT: This art has been checked and proofed for accuracy by all signed. PROOFREADER
Signature
Date