Mulmur Township Mayor Paul Mills continued his new tradition of honouring excellence in the community before Council’s night meetings by presenting a plaque to Al Clarke and Jacqueline Tilford, in recognition of the couple’s recent Niagara Escarpment Commission property stewardship award.

“We’ve tried to respect the landscape,” said Clarke in receiving the plaque, describing the heritage apple orchard, sugar bush, relocated antique barn and home on the property.

Fire Department Debate

The majority of the remaining Council meeting Wednesday night was spent discussing a request from Rosemont Fire Department Chief Wayne McIsaac for Mulmur’s blessing to amalgamate the Rosemont, Everett and Loretto Fire Departments into one Adjala-Tosorontio Fire Department.

The problem is that Mulmur Township is currently served by three separate departments, in Rosemont, Honeywood and Shelburne, paying a portion of

Mulmur Mayor Paul Mills, Jacqueline Tilford and Al Clarke

each department’s operating and capital costs. Mulmur’s portion of Rosemont’s budget is 52 per cent. If Rosemont is amalgamated with two stations that don’t serve Mulmur, those around the Council table were unsure if the same funding formula should exist.

Concern was also voiced about Rosemont’s mutual aid agreements with Honeywood and Shelburne, which frequently provide calls that those two stations rely on for revenue. If Rosemont is allied with Everett and Loretto, there’s a possibility that those stations would be called in before Honeywood and Shelburne to provide extra assistance to calls in the eastern part of Mulmur.

In the end, it was decided that Mulmur should defer making a decision until a meeting of all affected fire chiefs can be convened.