HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1981-11-25, Page 1122nd Year
Whole No. 5833
Christm as
plans for kids
seniors
RIGHTING RAMP WRONGS — A group of officials was in town Friday
morning, complete with tape measures, inspecting.the recently installed
ramp for the disabled at the Worth post office! Wheelchairs can't
negotiate its first turn because of the ramp's• design:, Mrs. Gordon O.
Scott, who has a ion confined to• a wheelchair, recentNi forwarded a letter
to the Expositor from W.M. MacKay, regional manager for property
administration for Public Works Canada (Ontario Region). Mr. MacKay's
leqter states: "I am asking my designers to taue arotner look (at the
Seaforth ramp) andto-recommend changes that will permit more freedom
of acceSaby those confined to wheelchairs. At the same time, we will look
into the potential danger of overhanging 'icicles.. .. I would like to take
this opportunityNto•thank you very much for bringing to my attention the
fact that we may have falleri short of the mark in Seaforth."
(Photo by Campbell)
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FIRST SECTION PAGES Al — A22 SEAPORT% ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1981 — 30 PAGES
S17,00 per year in 4108-44:0
Sinsie Copy 50 Cents
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difficulties and is considering selling a parcel
of land between the historic house and
cemetery.
Council learned ' that the land was to be
used as parkland, with a landscaped
walkway leading from the house to a historic
marker, but the Foundation may sever the
land.
Councillor Bob Broadfoot suggested that
The spirit of Santa Claus is alive and well at
the Huron Expositor. A special Christmas gift
offer, coloured yellow and red in this week's
Expositor allbws readers to give gift subscrip-
tions as Christmas presents to friends and
relatives for 52.05 off the regular price.
The 14.95 gift subscription price is for new
gift subscriptions, going to people in Huron
and Perth Counties only. You may renew or
start your own Subscription at the low $14.95
rate, as-long as you order one or more gifts.
not use them for this purpose.
At its Nov, 17 meeting, council/ warned
township farmers not to use the roads as
headlands for turning plows and stressed that
if the practice continues, farmers will be
fined.
"People don't have to use the roads."
Reeve Robert Bell said. "they can, turn on
their own land."
The main concern of council is that large
deposits of dirt and mud are left on the road
by the turning plows, causing a pdssible
ha zard to other traffic. Reeve' Bell said mud
from harvest machinery leaving the fields
does not cause as great a- problem. but noted
that bylaw is being drawn up to restrict
plow fromdepositing great amounts of dirt.
Other townships, he said, have a set charge
for and extra work required by the roads
department to remove the dirt and the cost of
the clean-up is charged to the owner.
Tuckersmith may be taking a similar route of
action to limit this problem.
In other council news. it was decided not to
build a $4.000 detour route around the Romin
Lint. Bridge. A new bridge is being
construct& but Reeve Bell said, "I think for
the amount of traffic on that road that a
$4,000 detour would be questionable."
Council agreed that it would be easier. and
less exilensive.. to re-route traffic that
regularly uses the road.
Last year, Tuckersmith Council donated
Foundation request for assistance at an
executive meeting Nov. 18. He says it's a case
of not much money, about SI 1/2 million, to
spread over ' many projects across, the
province and the heritage foundation has
already granted about $53,000 to the Van ,
Egmond Foundation during the last 10 years.
Mr. Bowes says the Egmondville. site is
certainly "significant". and the decision
does not mean the heritage found4tion is not
sympathetic to the objectives of the ,local.
historical group. Mr. Bowes says the latest
Van Egmond-request was for $20,000, but
chairman Carroll says he asked only for
"any" money and guidance, and the $20.000
criticism
e---Inside this week
The way the
bell bounces
Seaforth District High
School boys' basketball
teams began their season
yesterday, , and the senior.
Golden Bears are hosting a
big invitational tournament
this weekend. Stories and
pictures on pg. A11.
Cresswell,
paintings. sell
in .Torbitto
While prices are not as high as had been
anticipated a ready market continues for
works by Sgafortit artist W.N. Cresswell.
Paintings offered by Waddington's of
Toronto last week included a water color
"Mending Ships in a Sheltered Bay" which
sold for 51500.00. Signed and dated 1888 the
painting measured 814 inches by 19 inches
and had been expected to bring between
$2000 and 53000.00.
The second water color "Boating in a
Backwater" and a size similar to the other
brought $1300.00. It too had been expected to
bring, from $2000 to $3000.
William Nichol Cresswell, R.C.A., 0.S.A. •
born in 1822. lived at lot ,14. Con. -3
Tuckersmith in the residence now occupied
by Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Marlene. He died in
1888 and is buried in Maitlandbank Ceme-
tery.
A number of Creswell paintings hang in
Seaforth area homes, recollections of the
period when the artist I ived and worked
here.
Santa Claus won't be coming to Seaforth to
deliver his presents until Christmas Eve, but
the Expositor wants to givel Santa some hints
beforehand on what to bring with him. We've
setup a-special mail service to the NOrth Pole,
and we hdpe area youngsters will take
advantage of it.
Children can write their letters to Santa in
care of the Expositor, and we'll put a big box
in our office to drop thern,in. They can also be
sent to us through the mail and we'll forward
them to Santa.
Each week from now until Christmas,,we
will print as many of the letters as we can, and
we'll include some photos too, if space 'and
time permit.
Then a few ditys before, Christmas Eve rolls
around, we'll see that all the letters sent to us
are delivered directly to the North Pole and
given to Santa in time for the big night.
Children, writeyour letter to Santa care of
the ExpoSitor right away,• in your own
handwriting orprinting if possible. Be sure to
put your address and telephone number on
the letter so we can make arrangements for
pictures. There's a big, bright red box
waiting for - your letters right here at the
Expositor office.
Also for the kids, this week's Christmas
Gift Guide Expositor has our annual colour-
idgeontest.page. See page 7B for details on
rules, the• deadline and prizes.
Senior citizens aren't being forgotten this
Christmas in Seaforth either., Once again
Seaforth merchants are sponsoring a Christ-
nias essay contest for seniors. Anyone over 65
in the Seaforth area is invited to submit a
story on a Christmas or several Christmas
they remember well to Piet Loomarls of the
merchants' committee at Piet's Place.
The winner will receive a copy of The
History of Huron County by the late Seaforth
author James R. Scott and a copy of The Story
of Seaforth by Belle Campbell. The top prize
winning essay (and perhaps other entries as
well) will be printed in the Expositor's special
Christmas issue of Dec. 23'.
Last year's winner. by Mrs., Vincent Lane
of-St. Columban was a delightful story that
evoked rural Christmases past for all our
readers.
BY GREGOR CAMPBELL
The Van Egmond Foundation may have
to start selling itself to save itself, if it doesn't
find some money soon.
The foundation is seeking financial support
with its "first ever" direct-mail campaign, as
an alternative to liquidating some of its '
assetS, '-in an attempt' to stein a cash flow'
problem which chairman Paul Cartoll ,°now
calls -critical" and says "could precipitate
the demise of the foundation". Mr. Carroll
says minority opinion on the foundation's
board maintains it does not have the right to,
liqoidate any or all of its approximatoly
$120-thousand in fixed assets, which includes
buildings. their contents and properties.
The foundation has been experiencing
serious cash flow problems since the spring of
1980 which became a critical condition last
week when the Ontario Heritage Board
decided further funding is available for the
local historical foundation:
Mr. Carroll says that decision and its
consequences could mean the foundation's
Egmondville site wilt be diminished„from a
regionally to locally important hisiorical site.
NOT THE FIRST TIME
If it becomes necessary to unload assets:
t it wouldn't the first time a Van Egniond
estate was liquidated. Col. Anthony Van
Egmont!. a true character, largest landowner
and "father of the Huron Tract", had much of
his vast estate confiscated for the part he
played in 'Upper Canada's "rebellion" of
1837, which wasn't much of a battle but led to
self government in what became Canada. He
was scheduled for execution but died irt jail in
York (Toronto)-before the sentence could be
carried put.' was later pardoned by' British
authorities, but the confiscated portions of
his estate were never returned.
The Van Egmond Foundation is a non-pro-
fit local historical organization dedicated ,to
piecing together and preserving portions of
this pioneer family's estate. And this is why
the foundation is loath to make a business
decision at cross purposes with what it has
been trying to for the past 10 years.
RIDICULOUS
Historically speaking it's "ridiculous"
to even consider liquidating assets, says Mr.
Carroll. But he readily admits it's not a good
time to be asking fdr public donations, when
the same public isWhndering how and if it can
afford, among other things, a new Seaforth
and area arena and fire hall. The chairman
say the foundation,„hassnded up on the
"'s ort end of the stick" when asking for
fun s before, because the requests coincided
with other community projects. such as arena
repairs and improvements to the local
swimming pool. He adds this is the first time
the foundation has asked for, money without
an exchange in services., for instance at the
BY SHELLEY McPHEE
Tuckersmith Council is concerned about
the cost of constructing a new area fire hall,
and decided not to sign an agreement
approving the construction of the $295.000
Scheduled to be built in the spring of 1982
the new hall will be located in Seaforth and
will serve the town, along with Tuckersmith,
Hallett, McKillop,and Hibbert townships.
Tuckersmith's share of the total cost of the
proposed project would be $49,497, but at
their Nov. 17 meeting, council questioned
the cost of the building. Deputy-Reeve Bill
Brown, council's representative on the Fire
Area Board, suggested that council not sign
the bylaw, noting that B.M. Ross and
Associates are studying the building propo-
sal again.
"Vanastra's curling club was twice as big
and cost almost one-third the price, "Reeve
Robert Bell 'noted, and instructed Deputy-
Reeve Brown to inform the Fire Board that
Tuckersmith feels that the building cost
estimate is too expensive.
High interest rates and community
funding raising projects, like the Seaforth
pool and arena canvasses, have had an
adverse effect on the Van Egmond Fund.
The Foundation is having financial
Toxic Waste •
„
r-. Last week's rejection of a
liquid industrial waste treat-
ment and disposal complex
for a site in Cayuga may mean
the Ontario Waste Manage-
ment Corp. will take a closer
look at a previously , rejected
site inlitiron County'szAithr
\ field Township. The Huron
County Federation of Agri-
culture isn't pleased. See
pgs. A19 and B6.
annual Ciderfest promotion.
High interest rates and the lag between the
time money is granted and—paid, have
contributed to the foundation's cash flow.,
problem. the chairman says.
DIRECT-MAIL
The direct-mail campaign has been
launched in Seaforth and the townships of
McKillop and Tuckersmith. Mr. Carroll says
$10.000 would make the prospect of liquidat-
ing assetsgouch more remote.
Bob Rowes, director of the Ontario
Heritage Foundation's administrative
branch, says its executive decided to turn
thumbi down on the latest Van Egmond
BY SHELLEY McPHEE
Township roads are not headlands,
Tuckersmith council says and farmers should
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the adjoining Egrnoridville Cemetery should
have the option to buy the land triad noted, "I
. would hate to see houses there."
Councillor Jim Pappk reminded council
that there is 'Money available in the put
flind and could ife used to develop the land.
It 'was agreed to get more information on
the land and the financial-difficulties that the
Foundation is facing.
figure must have come -from John White.
chairman of the Heritage. Foundation. after a
meeting he had with him in Toronto. Oct. 22.
Mr. Carroll says the heritage board's left
hand does not seem to know what its right is
doing. He says Mr. White made a commit-
ment to him the heritage board would study
the historical considerations and significance
of the Van Egmond Foundation, and the
potential effect of the sale of property
between the Van Egmond House and
Egmondville Cemetery at that ,October
meeting, but the individual who told him no
funds were ,forthcorninglait 'week had no
knowledge otany prior commitment.
S100 to the Clinton Minor Hockey Associa-
tion. but they agreed this year not to make
this a regular donation. A request from'
Clinton Minor Hockey was turned down and
Reeve Bell said council• was not in the hab it of
donating to minor hockey because it could set
a precedent. Council understood that-la-Si
year's donation was a one-time effort to help
purchase new hockey sweaters:- ,
More than 50 people , .
recommended that Tuckersmith's councillor •
Jim Papple be,named to the board, which will
be directing the construction of the new
community arena in Seaforth.
It's proposed that one councillor and one
citizen member be appointed ' from each
municipality.
The board members were selected at a
meeting held in Seaforth and represent
Seaforth, Tuckersmith, as welt at Hibbert,
Hullett and McKillop Townships.
Binh the
board concept and the recommended mom,
hers must he approved by eachsouncil and
Tuckersmith decided to meet with the varions
councils before they accepted the appoint-
ment of Tuckersmith's representative Mt.
Rose.
• r —
Why not an Expositor
Christmas present?
Expositor gift subscriptions start with our
Christmas issue, December 23 and continue
for a whole year. There's no need to pay cash
now...we'll bill you. in January. And we'll
send a card, announcing your Expositor
Christmas gift.
Look for the yellow card in this week's
Expositor and start making a list of those you
I want to receive the gift that comes every
week. The offer expires Friday. December
18, 1981. •
Quilt quandary?
Ever wondered how to
properly care for those pre-
cious quilts? See pg, B3.
Pancake brunch
LondeStlerlqPel101eld,,L
pancake brunch orthe week-
end to help raise money for
the Clinton hospital fund.
Turn to pg. A6.
an. Egmond Foundation may sell land
Tuckertoiith: ii7sists. "Our
roads .aren't headlands'
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TREE SHARPENING — Mr". anb Mrs. Allie Hildebrand of Chalk St.-
donated a large Christmas tree to Seaforth thisseaSon, butlt didn't fit in
the hole used as a base in front of town hall. So PUC employee Dbyg
Smale toOk the chain saw, to it lor some sharpening., Dennis Medd
provides a bit of stability to the opeation. (Photo by Campbell)
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