WAINFLEET'S LOSS IS ITS LAKE VIEW
All this upset about whether to put in sewers in Wainfleet pales before what bothers me the most about the lake - not being able to see it.
Why were these houses allowed to be built there in the first place? Why didn't they put them on the north side of the lakeshore road?
For Wainfleet to have such a beautiful body of water and have it blocked from everyone's view (except the homeowners on the beach) is a terrible loss.
Adrianne Mulder Lowbanks
BE CAUTIOUS WITH WATER SYSTEMS
For almost a year now, I've been reading about the Big Pipe situation in Wainfleet and the surrounding area and how it is going to change the development of its rural area.
Are people opposed to the pipe in the field of water treatment? Do they carry a degree in analyzing the conditioning of the water, be it in a cistern, well, lake or river? Do they understand how to size up water softeners? Do they understand how to size up iron filters, UV light systems or the sizing and the applications for water pumps for residential, commercial and industrial? These questions I ask because some suggest fellow Wainfleeter need not to boil their water because it is safe and they will not get sick.
Contamination can flow from area farms and industries into the water table and can taint the water. You might notice or feel the affects maybe months or years down the road, but it is there.
I used to work in the Wainfleet and Wellandport area for 12 years. Some of the conditions of the water and how some of the homeowners do their own plumbing would amaze you.
There are a lot of companies out there who claim to be experts with water systems - beware of fly-by-night companies. I don't pretend to be an expert, but my family and I have been in the wholesale plumbing and heating business for many years and have pumps, water softeners and all sorts of equipment that is related to water treatment for residential, commercial and industrial uses. I do have a diploma in water conditioning.
People of Wainfleet, you do have the right to have your town remain in its untouched state, but do you have the right to not allow your children to have safe, clean water conditions so you may be untouched by new development? To me, that is a heavy price to pay.
How many of you have seen the film Erin Brockovich or know the history of the Love Canal?
Doug Smith
Welland
SUBJECT: VALERIE CASTER
Subject: Valerie Caster
I do not know or care if Val caster is in the Wainfleet boil water advisory area. I am in the heart of this area and my well untreated gets a bad reading. I like many others have a UV system in place to treat ALL of my water. After treatment it gets a 0 rating. We drink it all the time and NO Chlorine taste and No Chlorine or Alum etc attacking our health.
UV systems are relatively inexpensive and my system does not cost YOU a penny. Servicing me with a pipeline will cost me dearly but will also cost you. Not everyone is against reasonable development but we are all against destroying a lifestyle. Even the proposed developments have included state of the art treatment systems that will not cost you a penny.
Its interesting to note that treatment to remove the harmful substances in municipal water systems are more expensive than systems to treat our local well water because of the contaminants these systems have to deal with. The Walkerton problem has been driving this issue but one of the main culprits in that episode escaped virtually untouched. The Grey Bruce Health Dept is supposed to monitor the system. It got frequent bad reports and made a phone call to add chlorine. As far as I know no one ever went to check what was taking place. If a bad report is given once in a while that may suffice but this apparently went on for at least 5 years prior to the problem.
You can monitor your own well but will find it difficult to monitor the Municipal system which will certainly look after any spare dollars you may have.
Bernie Cusack
Wainfleet<,BR>
AN ODE TO THE BIG PIPE
NOW, WAINFLEET'S NOT WELL KNOWN, EVEN ROUND NIAGARA'S ZONE,
FOR WE'RE NOT A PLACE TO PUBLICIZE AND HYPE;
BUT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PRESS, 'BOUT THE WATER-SEWER MESS,
AND THE PROS AND CONS OF SOMETHING CALLED 'BIG PIPE'
SO YOU UNDERSTAND THE SOURCE OF THE SEWER PIPE DISCOURSE,
WE WERE TOLD OUR WELLS WERE RANK AND FULL OF GERMS;
AND THE EXCREMENT AND SUCH, WAS POLLUTING FAR TOO MUCH;
SO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAID "THESE ARE OUR TERMS,
BOIL YOUR WATER, NO EXCUSE' AND WE SEE THERE IS ABUSE
OF OUR SEPTIC SYSTEMS ALL ALONG THE WAY;
THAT WAS MUSIC TO THE EARS, OF THE REGION'S ENGINEERS
AND ALL THE POLITICIANS OF THE DAY
WATER-SEWER MAKES A MIX, FOR A COMPREHENSIVE FIX,
THAT WILL PUT THIS RURAL TOWNSHIP ON THE MAP;
WE REALLY NEED TO RUSH, SO THAT EVERYONE CAN FLUSH,
AND GET WATER BY JUST TURNING ON THE TAP
THE CONSULTATION SCHEMES, WITH THE ENGINEERING TEAMS,
WERE A MIRACLE OF DEMOCRATIC HYPE;
FOR NO MATTER WHAT WAS SAID, THE CONCLUSIONS ALWAYS LED
TO ANOTHER FORM OF WATER-SEWER PIPE
WE'LL HEAR WHAT PEOPLE SAY, BUT WE REALLY HAVE A WAY
TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, SO LISTEN HERE;
PORT COLBORNE DON'T YOU SEE, HAS A FINE UTILITY
SO WE'LL JUST DUMP OUR PROBLEMS OVER THERE
THE BEAUTY OF THIS SCHEME, IT'S REALLY LIKE A DREAM,
MEANS PORT WILL PUMP HER WATER TO THE "STICKS";
AND IN RETURN, JUST THINK, WE WILL PUMP BACK OUR STINK,
NOW THAT SHOULD MAKE A MOST EFFICIENT FIX
BUT PORT COLBORNE'S FRESH SUPPLY (AND NO ONE KNOWS JUST WHY)
SEEMS TO "LOSE" ABOUT A THIRD OR EVEN MORE;
AND WHEN IT STORMS AND RAINS, THEY OFTEN TAKE GREAT PAINS
TO DUMP THE SURPLUS SEWAGE OUT THE DOOR
THESE PLANS ARE REALLY GREAT; AND THEY MAY JUST BE OUR FATE,
WITH THE PIPES CRISS-CROSSING ALL OUR RURAL LAND;
BUT THE COUNCILS NEED TO HEAR, THAT THE RESIDENTS ALL FEAR,
THAT THE COSTS HAVE GOT COMPLETELY OUT OF HAND.
POLITICIANS MAY FEEL PAIN, WHEN THE RESIDENTS COMPLAIN,
AND GIVE THESE COSTLY "PIPE DREAMS" A BIG "NO!"
BUT IF YOU MUST PROCEED, WE'LL TELL YOU WHAT WE NEED,
JUST SHOW US WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GET THE DOUGH.
JIM GRAM
MORGAN'S POINT
WAINFLEET'S BUDGET BY THE NUMBERS
When the township of Wainfleet began its budget process, staff wanted to keep the increase below three per cent.
That goal was achieved when council formally adopted its 2008 budget Tuesday and it means the average Wainfleet homeowner with a house valued at $189,000 will see a $41.37 increase. That increase included $31.14 on the township's portion of the tax bill and a $10.23 increase for the region's taxes.
The levy was increased $144,618 or 4.37 per cent which was achieved through $47,782 in new assessment and a tax increase of $96,836 or 2.89 per cent, bringing the budget up to $6,331,362.
Mayor Barb Henderson said the increase is reasonable and will give the township room to do additional projects in addition to the funds it has received for projects on roads and bridges.
Where the money comes from:
Taxation $3,506,306
Payments in lieu (tax on provincial government properties) $8,000
Provincial grants $483,912
Municipal revenue (user fees, transfers from revenues, charge backs to municipal departments) $2,333,144
Your tax dollars:
- What the average Wainfleet homeowner with a house valued at $189,000 will pay:
Township's building and facilities: $104.12
Grants: $79.96
Recreation: $61.26
Council, building and bylaw enforcement, planning and zoning: $72.08
Administration: $198.46
Fire department: $89.41
Roads $483.76
They are listening and know we aren't going away!
Here's hoping for some changes to the problems .
