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Backyard Touch 318 Guelph Street Georgetown 905.873.8835 HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 10 am - 6 pm; Sat. 10 am - 5 pm, Sun. 11 am - 3 pm (formerly Beachcomber) Hasnt Someone Been Extra Special This Year? PLAY NOW PAY LATER! No Interest, No Payments for 6 Months O.A.C. Tables from $2499 Set up, delivery and start up kit included. While supplies last! Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, November 14, 2007 3 Hydro One is considering some possible changes in the route of its proposed Bruce to Milton transmission line including one in the Halton Hills area. In its original proposed route, Hydro One was looking at widening the existing hydro corridor by about 175 to 200 ft. east of the existing transmission line to build the 500 kV transmission line. But now, the utility has broadened its scope in the Halton Hills area and is now considering a possible refinement of the route here along the west side of the exist- ing line. The proposed switch over to the west side would be in the Hwy. 7 area and continue on that side right through to Milton. Other possible refinements are in the Brockton, Hanover and Camp Creek area. Hydro One Project Director Gary Schneider said the refinements of the route being considered came about as a result of input from the public received during Public Information Centres (PICS) held earlier this year. Schneider said in the Halton Hills area several members of the public suggested Hydro One look more closely at the west side of the line in the area pri- marily for socio-economic rea- sons. He said retaining the route on the east side of the line through Halton Hills would result in six property buyouts because the line or its right of way would go through a home or major farm building on six properties. Some have suggested there are no buy- outs if you place it on the west side, said Schneider. The main driver is purely socio-economic. If you can avoid buyouts, and all else is equal, wouldnt it make sense to avoid the buyouts. Schneider said there would be a cost of $5 million to switch over the line to the west side, and locally it would impact between 30 and 40 properties. Halton Hills resident Bill Allison, spokesperson for Powerline Connections, a group of landowners along the proposed transmission line right of way who had been pushing for a thorough look at alternatives is pleased Hydro One is pursuing the potential refinements. We want a process where they look at alternatives and look at the least impact alterna- tives, said Allison. Until we slowed them down, they had no interest in looking at alternatives. Allison said Hydro One needs to do a full Environmental Assessment (EA), and stressed Powerline members are not NIM- BYS. He said if the analysis shows the least impact would be along the east side of the current line (where he and other Powerline members live) we will accept that. Schneider said Hydro One was intend- ing to look at the possible route refine- ments through the EA process, but that wouldnt occur until early next year. Instead they have decided to put the refinements out to the public now and will be discussing them at upcoming Public Information Centres (PIC)s. Locally, a PIC is scheduled for next Wednesday (Nov. 21) from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 197, 15 Wright Ave. in Acton. Maps showing the potential route refinements and the material presented at the PICs held earlier this year will be avail- able. Hydro One is currently developing a process to assess the refinements. Schneider said a decision on the final route alignment Hydro One intends to move forward with wouldnt likely be made until next March, and will be the first priority in the EA. The line, which is to deliver an addi- tional 3.000 megawatts to the provincial grid, is to be in service by December 2011. A 21-year-old Georgetown man is dead after the pickup truck he was driving skidded into a tree on Tenth Line early Friday morning. Matthew Chisholme of Gollop Cr., the only occupant of the vehicle, was ejected from the truck and died on impact. Halton Police report the accident occurred shortly before 4 a.m. south of Argyll Rd. and witnesses say an ani- mal ran across the road in front of the north- bound Ford F-150. Chisholme swerved to avoid the animal, but lost control, and hit a large tree on the east side of Tenth Line. Police said the point of impact was the dri- vers side door area and speed is believed to have been a factor in the accident. Travis Bland of Georgetown, a long-time friend of Chisholmes, said Chisholme was coming home from a friends house when the accident occurred. He said a deer ran out in front of his friends truck. Bland would have been with him, but decided not to go. That was the first night I said I was going to stay in, said Bland. I honestly have no idea, Bland said when asked why he didnt go out with Chisholme that night. The two have been friends for about 12 years since they met playing minor peewee hockey in town. He said Chisholme was a good hockey player going on to play either centre or defence for the Bramalea Blues, Orangeville Crushers and Milton IceHawks. Just this May, he said, Chisholme and his father Rich opened Ultimate Hockey Train- ing in Georgetown. Chisholme was run- ning the business and Bland was working there with him training kids aged 8 to 16 for hockey. I was with him 24-7, said Bland. He just became like a brother to me. Chisholme enjoyed riding his dirt bike and four-wheeling, said Bland. This August the two friends rescued another friend from Georgetown who had suffered injuries after jumping into the Speed River in Guelph. Bland said Chisholme, who graduated from Georgetown High School in 2004, was an Ontario scholar and was plan- ning to attend Georgian College this January to study marketing. He said he admired his friend for his drive, but added Chisholme was easy-going. He was always the one who would put a smile on your face when you were down, said Bland. Blands mother Dorri, who has also known Chisholme for many years, said he was a true friend (who) was there for her son in his darkest times. He was a compassionate and caring guy. There was not a self- ish bone in his body, she said. Dozens of Chisholmes friends have posted fond messages on Facebook since word of his death spread. Chisholme is survived by his mother Laura, father Rick, and sister Krissy. A funeral service will be held today (Wednesday) at 11 a.m. at Jones Funeral Home. Local man, 21, killed after truck hits tree A 21-year-old Georgetown man was killed when his truck skidded off Tenth Line Friday morning and hit a tree. Matthew Chisholme of Gollop Cr., the only occupant of the vehicle, was ejected and died on impact. Witnesses report an animal ran across the road in front of the truck. (Right) A memorial has been erected at the site of the crash. Top photo by Eamonn Maher/Right photo by Ted Brown LISA TALLYN Staff Writer MATTHEW CHISHOLME Hydro One considers changing route of new lines LISA TALLYN Staff Writer BILL ALLISON