The Huron Expositor, 1976-02-05, Page 1Whole No, 5630.
117th Year
SEAFOTTH, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1976 — 16 PAGES
$10.00 a Year in AcIvanct „
Single copy 25 cents
it
Bad weather storm-stayed a lot
of ltrivellers here Sunday night '
amPigave many Seaforth people
who were away from town for the
weekend a longer visit than they
had planned.
There were accidents on Sea-
forth streets during the storm,
caused by near zero visibility, icy
roads and ten and 12 foot high
so snowbanks, which prevented
drivers from seeing traffic at
intersections.
Many stores in Seaforth and all
schools in the area were closed
Monday. allo traffic moved
through town until late Monday
afternoon when the swirling snow
died down.
Goderich Signal Star. reporter
Dave Sykes was stranded in
Seaforth on his way back to.work
from Preston early Monday mor-
ning. Fie finally got to GoO erich
Tuesday morning. Murray
McClure of R.R. 4, Walton was
storm stayed in Winthrop and
could get to work in Blyth
Tuesday morning but couldn't get
home. He said his road was one
lane wide when he finally got
home Tuesday night.
There were three car accidents
in town because of the storm but
police chief Sohn Cairns said
there were no real emergencies,
requiring the services of snow:
mobilers during the storm., "We
were really lucky he said. •
Main roads were very icy
Tuesday morning and although
sand trucks had been out by
yesterday morning, blowing snow
was starting to fill some roads in..
McKillop township clerk Marion
McClure said that, most township
roads Were open, although some
were only one lane wide, late
'yesterday morning. •
She, said the township 'office
had many calls from 'People who
expected their.roads to be open
first thing Tuesday morning as
soon as the' snow died down a bit.
Two' weeks ..of heavy snowfalls
are going to increase otoosts io,
. Huron County's 'road , budget so
much that road constructkin and
other projects may be cuOi 1976.
That's what county engineer. Jim
Britnell toll county council on
Friday. ,.„
Cars collide,
people stuck
in snow storm
Dr. Smith in Seaforth Friday
said his concern about agriculture
at a time when few city people
know Or care much about food
production, ' is part of his
character. "1 anticipate things.
I've always been a bit. ahead• f
my time. It's the samein
psychiatry,"• the ilton
• psychiatri sa
He ays '.he decided that
agric ure will be the question of
e 'future when he asked some
60. to 50. miles, an hour.
While the province expects the
signs to be replaced early
February, continued heavy
snowfalls may mean Huron signs
"May not be up until June", he.
said.
Mr. Britnell explained to
councillors that rather than
replace the' whole sign the crews
will overlay the required limit on
the, sign, He explained it would
cost between $20 and $30,. to
replace a sign andoOrily•between,
$10 and $15, per sign for %the
overlay.
In the 1975 expenditure report
the Cost of road maintenance.. amounted to $706,640; new
machinery, $332',597; road'
construction - and paving
'$847,578. r
important.. says farming
and some 'businesses were closed and many people were storm
stayed here or out of town after a weekend away from home.
Expositor ad manager Dave Robb took an hour to drive from Dublin
to Seaforth early Sunday night. (Staff Photo)
Smith, left, 'new leader of the Ontario Liberal party •
and Huron Middlesex MPP Jack Riddell who were in
Seaforth on their way. back from a meeting at the
Goderich Psychiatric Hospital. ' (Staff Photo)
S'pentling cutbacks were a
'common bond in • committee
'reports at Huron County Council
last Friday and service cutbacks'
to residents. of HuronviewAas a
major item- of contention:
County councillors ' learned
'that-the county home for the aged
south of Clinton may be forced to
cutbalk on staff and subsequently
seevices.doe to -a ceiling on the
provincial grand' structure. The
310 bed institution is subject to a
51/per cent grant increase front
the' province.
County clerkstreasurer Bill
Hardy said that 80 per cent of the
budget was needed to cover
wages and employee benefits and
councils only alternative in the
budget was to cut staff "and
e• services to thepatients. The
management 'Of Hurohview
committee has been unable to
negotiate a final settlement with
the Service Employees Union
Local 210 involving 1.30 full time
and 50*Rartotime personnel.
Ttie • county solicitor had
recommended that an interim
increase of, 25 eents. per hour be
granted' to all'employees effective
Jan. 1, 1976 pending final
settlement. Union members-have,
agrFed not to seek compulsory
arbitration before April 1 in an
attempt to clarify Ott position of
the province and the anti inflation
el . , boa,O. .... .. ,*.i.,,O '`I't Cattity 'mina gave teritgore
approval to the budget of
$2,310,840 but while the province
is limiting its grant to 51/2 pet cent
the budget indicates 'a 13.4 per
cent increase in the provincial
share.
SEAFORTH SEALED OFF — The weather was the story of the
week as high winds and heavy snowfall blocked most roads out of
tOwn from Sunday night until late Monday-afternoon, This truck was
one of very feW. Vehicles moving on Goderich Street abotkt 2 pm
Monday, as drifting snow made visibility poor even in townAchools
New Liberal, leader in Seaforth
County engineer says
Road budget snowed. under.
The township owned grader and
two rented • plows are working
practicily aroundele clock to clear
the snow, Mrs. McClure said.
Ice on Goderich St., caused an
accident Tuesday morning when a
bank courier driving a rented car
banged into a car drived by Dr.
Paul Brady.' Seaforth police said
Dr. Brady had slowed down to let
a truck back out of a driveway
when the courier hit his car.
told police her car seemed to go
Margaret Nesbitt of Kitchener
ster.after she put on the brakes.
Se oral hundrdd dollar's in dam-
ag was done, police estimate,
Monday at the height of the
snow storm a car driven by Dr.
Terry Johnston was hit as he Was
on his way to - the Seaforth
Veterinary Clinic on North Main
Street, when a car driven by John
Lamont backed out of a driveway.
Damages were estimated at $2000
by Chief altos who said. both
cars were "in a mess".
The road was icy and with
blowing snow, visibility was nil,
Chief cairn's said. On Saturday
high' snow banks in town contri-
buted to a collision at the corner
of Victoria and Crombie - Street.
Cars driven by Irwin Johnston of
John Street, and Donald J.
Moylan of R.R. 5, Seaforth
collided. 'Police estimated
damages at $200. Icy streets
claimed' at least one pedistrian
casulty when Expositor' columnist
Pearl McFarlane fell while cross,
ing, Market Sfreet, near 'the_ The new leader of the Ontario The
Liberal party says his understand- Senior Citiz,ens Apartments
ing of the importance of agricul- where she lives on Tuesday
ture and food to our-future came morning.
from asking the.sirriple questions, Mrs. McFarlane is' in satisfac-
althouglr4-'people don't •want to tory condition in Seaforth Com-
talk about them". munity Hospital, It was feared at
Dr. Stuart Smith in his pre vote first that she had fractdred her,
speech to the Ontario Liberal hip bui hospital authorities say it
convention that , elected him may ,be just bruised.
leader said food and enough land The stormy weather forced
to produce food could be the cancelation of a number of
JContinued on Page 9) crucial issues in, Ontario's future.
Mr. Britnell said 'overtime in week, will be used -as much as 300
the past two Weeks in addition hours a week, he said.
'the same .period in 1975.
machinery, which last winter was
used an average 80 or 90 himrs a
693 hours compared with 1.20, for
to. the regular boors.— has been
Rented snow removal •
----MeK Chop Townshili. Dcptuy
-road committee going to have
to cut its budget' in a lot of
place's" because of-the silo*.
Reeve Ralph MeNichol said the
A one year agreement signed
by, the employees last year on
J110 1 meant a 40 per cent
increase in salary which meant a.
six per cent increase in the
Huronview expenditerds the
(Continued on Page 9)
•
CONGRATULATIONS LEO — Leo Hagan of
-G6Ulnlock Street, centre, had a double reason to be
,
happy on Friday. It was his 65th birthday and his last
dayfrof work, 43 years after he started at the Huron
ExptiSitor. Mr. Hagan was congratulated by Stuart
any good". They can sprawl onto
the adjacent agricultural area or
they, can 'increase population
density in the city.
The solutions all translate into
"more money for food",
according to Stuart Smith. That
means more marketing 'boards,
stabilization plans, agricultural
scholarships and "more than the
puny amount we spend now on
agricultural research."
People in the cities have to be
educated, he,says; about modern
farms and how efficient they are.
The average city person thinks of
a farmer with a couple of cows. a
couple of pigs and a few fields of
grain, Dr. Smith says, a picture
that is ridiculously out of date.
. If land is frozen for-agricultural
use. we'll have to look at-
compensation for farmers, he
Says. He-- can't blame 'rural
townships who are looking for
development, even bn their class
one and two farmland. the Liberal
Leader says. "What choice do
. they hav?'' he asks, .as long as
the return from producing food is
."We m ust make farming a
high prestige occupation", he
feels.
Is 'Ontario Hydro planning for
too much capacity, for more
power than Ontario wilOneed? Dr.
Smith says the Liberals can't .tell.
"We study their figures and they
look alright. We can't tell, la's a
guessihg game."
• ' I t seem'' Silly to imagine that
the power use boom will continue,
but it 'might, .and we want to be
prepared,"7 Libertil Leader
said.
Nobody wants a nuclear
generating Statitin near them: Dr.
Smith 'says, "and 1' can't1)11one -
it
them with the discoveries in Port
Hop::", but nuclear power plants
have to go' somewhere, he says.
Revelations about radioactive'
material used for fill and in
buildings in Port Hope will
continue, Dr. Smith predicted.
"It's only gOing to get • worse.
There's more to come out there."
1 uckersinith Township council
has hired Sander VanDorp of
R.R.5, Clinton, to sell dog tags in
the township. He-was one' of two
applicants interviewed at the.
session of council Tuesday night.
- Ben Bridges of Vanastra
appeared before council,
accompanied by- Barry Black, to
ask that the decision to close the
Fifth •Avenue entrance at No. 4
highway he reversed.The
entrance deClared a traffic hazard
by provincial police and highway
'officials, is slated for closure.'
Reeve Elgin Thompson told
him council would take no action
but said Mr.Bridges could get up
.a petition against the closing_
when Mr. Bridges asked if a
petition would help.
Mr. Bridges complained about
a large truck packing on resi-
dential streets at Vanastra. He
said the Vanastra roads were not
built for large trucks and asked
that a sign "No Trucks Allowed"
be erected.
Council was asked 'to have a
larger sign for the Vanastra Road
erected at No., 8.1-righway entrance
A/10(illop
may help
sponsor •
OHS unit
McKillop township council may
join Seaforth in sponsoring the ,„
second senior citizen apartment
building in town. At their meeting.
Tuesday afternoon councillors
verbally agreed' that they were
interested, township clerk Marion •
McClikre said.
Councillors asked Mrs.
McClure to get in touch with the
_Ontario Housing Corporation,
which builds the rent geared to /
income buildings to see what
their next step should be. 01-1C is
confronted 'to building a second
block of apartments for seniors'in
Seaforth but hasn't selected a
location yet.
Councillors endorsed two'
applications for land severance,.
They were from William R.
Whyte who wants to sever 50
acres of Con. 8E half of lot 33 for
agricultural purposes and Lewis
O'Reilly who wants to sever 50
acres of Con. 3, lot 12 also for
a'gricultural purposes.
One building permit was
approved to Steve Murray for
renovations to a house on Con.
11, E 3/4 of lot 7.
McKillop will notify the
Ministry of. Transportation and
Communications that they spent
$178,025.50 on roads fast year.
The township received $102,500
in grants for the same ,year.
Councillors agreed to grant $50
to the SDFIS girls- trumpet band
for their trip to Florida'and $50 to
thelluron Plowmen's
Associa tion.
Road accounts passed for
payment were $15,255,95 and.
general 'accounts amounted to
$1.448.36.
and that it, be illuminated. The
Ministry of Transportation and
Communications,will be asked by
council to provide this.
Among other complaints Mr.
Bridges listed was the renaming
of Quebec Road and Victoria
Boulevard. He said ' if a fire
occurred in a house on these
circular streets the firemen would
have trouble locating the house
and "would have to drive around
in cirtles looking ,forthe smoke."
Council accepted the
resignatiOn of Barbara Hodgins
from the Vanastra Day Care
Centre Board and will 'ask Mrs.
Diane Black to replace her. To fill
the other vacancy on the board
resulting from the resignation of
Mrs. Carol Munroe lasts month,
Mrs. Mervyn Falconer Will be
asked to fill -theopositiono,
While agreeing that education
costs arc getting out of :hand
council took no action on' "a
resolution presented by tbe Town
of Hanover to petition the
Province to set up a special
commission to examine all
(Continued on, pag,e 9)
"obvious questions.— "I 'know we
have to import oil. What are we
going to export?". .
The answer he came up avith is
foot( and eventually he fer the
prOVince will have a.real S-holitage
of it. In home territory, the new
leader says the Niagara Peninsula
fruit trees are soon going' to be
gone.
"When I arrived eight and a
half years ago it was all
blossoms."
"Few things get me as upset as
short sightedoess." the new
Liberal leader says. •
DoSmith realizes that his
concern for agriculture is unusual
in an urban poltheicin: "I was the
only candidate in a city riding who
would ' even talk about
agriculture in last September's
election",. he says..
"Are you crazy?' people would
say until I'd toll them that' our
whole future depends on
agriculture, Then' they might say
'Yeah, I never , really thought
about it.' "
"It's not just •agriculture, that's
• important to our future, it's
population trends generally. Even
small -town and rural people often
'don't see the whole picture", 'Dr.
Smith says. '
"HoW do we keep a viable
economy_ itio.the small villages?"
he asks. A R when rural people
move into the cities, the cities
- have two alternatives, :'neither
so much Jess than what they can
'finlike by -selling land for
development.
Staff, sqrvices at
H .uronview face cuts
His comments came as county
council approved a 1975 spending
summary which showed the
department's total expenditures
at $2.4 million.
Deputy Reeve McNichol said
• time slient clearing snow is also
keeping the department's 50
workers from attending to other
chores. •
One 'such job, he said,. is the
Oreetion of'lowor speed limit signs
on CounOv.roads to conform to a
proviinc.ftally or cl ered drop' from
Iret after 43 years
A small ad which appeared in
The Huron Expositor in November
1932 seeking the services of an
.apprentice in a printing plant
attracted Leo Hagan of Seaforth
who not -long before had graduat-
ed from Seaforth Collegiate Insti-
tute and he applied for the
position.
'Acceptance of his, application
was the beginning of a career that
extended for 43 years until his
• retirement as shop foreman at the
Expositor last week. '
With the exception of several
years during the early forties
when he was employed with the
North Bay Nugget his working
career has been' spent on the staff
of The Huron Expositor.
The retirement which coincided
with his 65th birthday was
marked by 4 Surprise Party Friday
evening when Tom Haley on
behalftLof the-staff presented him
with a digital clock radio and the
publishers presented him with an
watch and
probably will work at the Exposi-
tor a few days a week,
Since the death of his Wife a
numbet of years ago he has
resided with his son Paul , an
industrial designer' at Hensall, in
the family home on Govinlock
Street. Another son Frank is
assistant-registrar at the Registry
office •In Goderich while a
daughter Floralltirses on the stiff
of St. Joseph's Hospital, London.
Interested in sports Mr. Hagan
for many years assisted with
various Seaforth teams and• cov-
ered sports for the Expositor and
Tuckersmrth hires
man to sell dog tags
Party honours Lea Hagan
inscribed gold
cheque. .
After so many yearS- at work
Mr. licigan says his first priority
is to enjoy some holidays. • rest
and take things ca4y. 13e is
looking forward to, some travel,
particularly to Calgary to visit his
new grandson, the son of his
daughter Mary, Mrs. Norman
Speake. After holidays he says he In the thirties the duties of "an
apprentice were many arid varied
and Mr. Hagan recalls his first
task was taking out some ashes
and assisting in binding a McKil-
lop voters list. As the months
passed he- quickly gained exper-
ience' in the shop advancing to
compositor and production of
commercial work, On. the death of
the late Alex Lowery he becanie
Pressman and continued to print
increasing number of Expotitois
each week until eight years ago
when the paper went offset. Until
his retirement he continuted to
operate a Linotype,
a from time to time, also contribut-
ed oeneral interest columns.
lie has been active in the
Knights of Columbus holding a
series of local and district offices.
For. a number of years he _has
9ssisted the Seaforth Legion in'
carrying out its weekly bingo
serieS.
a
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