Hawkesbury's water fight
Dairy keeps
Officials are called uncaring while town insists
growing
consumers are getting a bargain
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is evaporation and we prepare food here,”
Richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
S T -E UGÈNE
says Jeaurond. The system is even more
H AWKESBURY
questionable at restaurants with drive-
Since it started with about 20 goats in
through services, he adds.
1975, the family-owned Skotidakis Goat
Rising water and sewage rates have
The Lacroix Self Service business is a
Farm has been constantly expanding.
angered Hawkesbury merchants, who
large water consumer. The store contains a
The St-Eugène dairy, which now has a
claimthat town officials do not care about
cooling system with ten compressors that
herd of about 3,000, is growing again,
the economic hardships businesses are
useswater.Replacing the systemwouldcost
with help from the Ontario government.
trying to deal with.
$50,000.
The province, which contributed
Meanwhile, one small business owner,
Jeaurond is thinking of getting his own
$350,000 to the foodprocessor in 2010, has
whowill pay about $15,000 for sewage and
source of water by drilling a well on the
been awarded $1 million by the
water services this year, is questioning the
property at James and Régent Streets. “It
government to help the company double
legality of the sewage billing method.
might cost me $10,000 but it would be a
its production and create ten new jobs.
Earlier this year, the Hawkesbury
solution,” he comments.
Nowemploying45, SkotidakisGoat Farm
ChamberofCommercevoiceditsfrustration
Business people have been disappointed
will add four new product lines, gain
over the rates that for the first time are
with the response from the town. “They
greatercontroloverdeliveriesandbecome
based on meter readings. In the past,
don’t care. The mayor (René Berthiaume)
more efficient. The company is also
consumerswerechargedflatrates.Chamber
has suggested that we simply pass on the
expanding itsprocessingcapacity from20
PresidentMarioBriggs toldtowncouncil in
taxes toour customers.Hehas suggestedwe
to 30 million litres of milk annually. This
April that some “at risk” businesses might
adda line at the bottomof customers’ bills to
expansion will help Skotidakis to better
have to layoff employees inorder toabsorb
include a charge to cover our water and
serve itswholesale cheesemarkets inboth
the additional costs.
sewage bills,” relates Jeaurond.
Ontario and California.
The town has refused to alter the rates,
Themunicipalityhasmaintained that the
“SkotidakisGoat Farmis contributing
noting that they are among the most
rates are among the lowest in Ontario and
to the local economy by expanding its
affordable in the province.
that adjustments are not necessary. While
product lines, but more importantly, is
But Stéphane Jeaurond believes that the
industries have been given special rates, the
creating jobs and providing home grown
new sewage rates are illegal. “The bills say
town has rejected the idea of lowering the
local food for Ontarians,” Glengarry-
Photo Richard Mahoney
that the charge is based on a metered
commercial levies.
Prescott-RussellM.P.P.Jean-MarcLalonde
HawkesburygrocerystoreownerStéphane
reading, but there is no meter for sewage,”
“If the town reduced commercial rates, it
said in announcing the grant.
Jeaurond is protesting newwater bills and
points out Jeaurond, owner of the Lacroix
would have to increase the residential rates.
“Theprovincial support for thisproject
is questioning the legality of the town’s
Self Serve food store onRégent Street. “The
As the mayor told me, he would rather face
has been tremendouslywelcomed. This is
sewage rates.
by-law is not legal. There is no way the
20 angry business people than 3,500 angry
a great time for our company to expand
“Itisalreadydifficultforsmallbusinesses
sewageoutflowcanbecalculated.Itisbased
home owners,” remarks Jeaurond.
and diversify, create new positions and
to compete with the large corporations. For
on a percentage of the water rate.”
But a re-adjustment may be inevitable if
increase demand from local dairy
the big chains, water and sewage taxes are
He has retained a lawyer to look into the
merchants reduce consumption. “If 20
farmers,” said John Skotidakis, President
not a problem. But for the small business,
possibilityof taking legal actionagainst the
businesses reduce consumption and pay
of Skotidakis Goat Farm.
this represents a lot of money.”
municipality.
$20,000 less per year, the town will lose
The 400-acre farmwas started by Peter
Jeaurond has experienced success in a
At the same time, like many other
$400,000 in revenues. Then themunicipality
Skotidakis,whobeganexperimentingwith
very competitive market.
businessowners,Jeaurondistryingtocome
wouldhave toraise residential rates tomake
goatmilktoproduce feta, apopular cheese
When he purchased the store, one of the
to grips with the new taxes.
up that for that shortfall.”
produced inGreece. Today, their product
oldest businesses in town, in October, 2000,
Last year he paid $680 for water and
The extra financial burden is particularly
line includes feta cheese, ricotta cheese,
it had four employees. Today it has 15.
sewage services. This year, he will likely
heavy for independent entrepreneurs.
pressed yogurt and tzatziki, a yogurt-
pay 3,000 times more for these services.
based spread of garlic and cucumber.
Based on his bills for the first threemonths,
SkotidakisproductsaresoldacrossCanada
$1,800 for water and $1,882 for sewage, his
The basics: Still a deal
and in various parts of the United States.
total bill for 2011 will be $14,724.
“It doesn’tmake sense thatwe paymore
for sewage than water. Not all of the water
$15 million
we use goes into the sewage system. There
richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
H AWKESBURY
increase in
CINÉMA
While some Hawkesbury business people are fuming about soaring sewage and
water rates, the town maintains that its fees for the services are among the lowest in
school board
Ontario.
Acomparisonof taxes conductedby themunicipality shows that,when it comes tobasic
Grenville (Qc) 819-242-3131
LAURENTIAN
rates, Hawkesbury consumers are getting a bargain.
CINEMA
budget
TypicalHawkesburyconsumerswouldpay$506 forbothwater andsewage servicesper
En français ROY DUPUIS ALL MOVIE STARTING JULY 8
household this year, the same amount they paid in 2010, and less than the $552 Vankleek
L’INSTINCT DE LA MORT
Hill and L’Orignal residents would pay in 2011.
newsroom@eap.on.ca
Alfred, Casselman, Plantagenet, St-Isidore and Russell residents also pay higher levies
B ROCKVILLE
for the services.
Still, Hawkesbury store owner Stéphane Jeaurond is questioning the legality of the
town’s billing method. He notes that the use of the term “metered” on the sewage portion
TheUpperCanadaDistrictSchoolBoard
of invoices ismisleading because the flowof sewage is not actually calculated. The sewage
has approved a balanced budget totaling
bill is based on a percentage of the water bill.
$350.7millionforthe2011-2012schoolterm,
However, this isacommonpractice, employedbymanymunicipalities, observesMayor
increasing spending by about $15 million.
René Berthiaume.
“Our budget is balanced and is in
“Sewage meters would be very, very expensive,” says Berthiaume. The rates are based
compliance with all ministry expectations.
on the costs of the system. “Someyears, thewater rate ishigher; someyears, the sewage rate
We commend the Ministry of Education for
is the higher of the two.”
providingourboardwithspecificenvelopes
FILM QUEBECOIS
However, not all water poured from taps in town will end up in the sewage treatment
of funding toaddressouruniqueneeds such
system. That line does not hold water, contends the mayor.
asthe$2.1millionGeographicCircumstances
MER. ET JEU. À 8H45 VEN. ET SAM. À 6H30 ET 8H30 DIM. ET SUR SEM. À7HOO
The systemis fair, he insists, adding, “If thewater is consumedhere, there is a very good
Grant, which recognizes the enrolment
chance that it will enter our sewage system.”
challenges faced by small, rural schools,”
Berthiaume points out that large water consumers such as restaurant operators are
said chair Greg Pietersma. It was noted that
particularlyupsetwith thenewbillingmethod.Heobserves that everyone’sbillswill likely
86 per cent of the board’s government
decreaseastheybecomemoreaccustomedtowatermeters.Onanannualbasis,consumption
funding isdeterminedby the level of student
is expected todecreaseby tenper cent. But this is not agood timeof year toattempt togauge
enrolment at the board. Enrolment at the
changes in habits since consumption peaks during the summer.
elementaryschool level has leveledoffwhile
Basic rates for water and sewage services
secondary school enrolment continues to
Hawkesbury $506
decline because of the demographics of
Alfred $526
eastern Ontario. “That is the reality for all
Plantagenet $616
school boards in this part of the province,”
Vankleek Hill, L’Orignal $552
said Pietersma. Pietersma emphasized that
St-Isidore $1,047
www.cinemaclock.com Quebec Grenville FRI. & SAT. AT 7:00 & 8:45 SUN. & WEEKDAY AT 7:00
the budget is directly aligned to and driven
Casselman $799
by the board’s CREW strategic plan and its
Windsor $863
keygoal to achieve a 90%graduation rate by
Hamilton $574
or before the year 2020.
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