HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1974-08-01, Page 13Canadian food, or go shopping
in .a boutique area offering
Eskimo and Indian artifacts?
The answer to these
questions is to be found on a
96-acre cultural and leisure
complex located on the three
Agricultural tidbits
Marketing board good or bad?
WITH ADRIAN VOS
It brought tears to my eyes when I read the anguished
cries from the president of the Canadian Food Processors
Association, about marketing boards. He repeated
statements by other foes of marketing boards that they cause
a decrease in production and so rip off the consumers. This
Mr, J. Hy Grysdale should know better, One of the boards
he attacked, the poultry board, was for limiting supply. But,
as I wrote a few weeks ago, the poultry production increased
from 175 million pounds in 1965, when this board began
operations, to 275 million pounds last year.
That's limiting? Mr. J. Hy would like to see poultry
producers cutting one anothers throats, which would give his
confederates a better chance to rip off the consumer, They
lost this chance in 1965 when this board was formed, He
contradicts himself when he says that these boards do
nothing for the producer and claims in the next sentence
that the board keeps inefficient producers in business.
My heart bleeds for the poor misunderstood processor, 14e
echoes the USDA when he claims that surplus Canadian
eggs were dumped on the American market and sold for 49c
in Buffalo. This is a half truth, which is always'worse than
an outright lie because it contains some fads. Surplus eggs
are sold to the baking industry. This makes for lower prices
for baked goods, They are sold to U.S. bakers for the same
purpose,
It appears that an American baker bought a surplus of
surplus eggs and resold them on the sheif. This was an
isolated case and the Americans tried to use it as a lever to
rescind the Canadian ban on DES contaminated beef.
After this, he goes on to describe his woes in vegetable
processing, where there is no price setting board, and where
he claims his profits are below average, It might be better for
him and his associates if the vegetable and fruit growers' did
set a price, Then he would be assured of a steady supply
with a known price based on cost or production. No Mr.
Grysdale, it seems from here that you are fishing in troubled
waters.
Truck name plate out
commercial motor vehicles
having a gross weight of not
more than 18,000 pounds, in
addition to motorized mobile
hornds and trucks fitted with
camper units which were exem-
)pted under a previous
regulation.
The new repletion is the
result of increased popularity
in the use of small commercial
motor vehicles as a means of
private transportation,
Transportation and Com-
munications Minister John R.
Rhodes has announced that
owners of small trucks are no
longer required to have their
names sprinted on the side of
their vehicles.
The amendment to the
Regulations of Ontario made
under The Highway Traffic Act,
became effective July 2, 1974.
The amendment exempts all
11 Or —400101111111101k.
Clinton, Ontario
Second Section
Thursday, August '1, 1974 109th Year No 31
Ont. Place, fun and enjoyment for the whole family
Toronto's newest fun spot is scheduled to open for the summer season on May
18 and remain in operation until September 3. (Canadian Government Travel
Service photo)
the pleasures of 10 licenced
restaurants serving a variety of
German, Chinese, Italian 'and
a screen measuring 60 to 80
feet? Where can the ,voung "get
Where in the world can lost" in an elaborate three-tier
young and old view movies on funland? Where can you enjoy
Toronto's Ontario Place: The Cinesphere predominates this aerial view of On-
tario Place, which last year set a new attendance record of more than three
million visitors. Situated in a tri-island setting on the shore of Lake Ontario,
man-made islands in Lake On-
tario, Known as Ontario Place,
Toronto's pride and. joy last
summer opened its gates to
almost three million visitors
from across Canada, Europe
and the United States,
The spherical, domed motion
picture theater--called the
Cinesphere—is considered to be
among the most advanced ever
built. Seating 800 persons, the
theater features the world's
Largest indoor curved screen.
The 1974 season, which begins
May 18 and continues through
September 3, is showing
"Volcano," a dramatic ac-
tuality of the volcanic eruption
which occurred in Iceland in
January, 1973. Screenings will
begin at 11 a.m, and run hourly
until 9 p.m.
There are also three Ex-
periential Theatres at Ontario
Place. Housed in modern steel
and glass structures, these
theaters will feature ."Ottawa--
More Than a City" and
"Kaleidoscope" from 10:30 a.m.
until 9 p.m. A new, exciting,
multi-media experience will
open in August from 4 p.m. toll
p.m. daily.
The Forum is Ontario
Place's outdoor amphitheater.
Accommodating 8,000' people--
2,000 under the translucent
vinyl canopy, and 6,000 seated
,on the surrounding grassy
slopes--the Forum spotlight is
shared equally by celebrities
from symphony orchestras,
opera and ballet companies,
and by stars from the rock, pop,
jazz, and country music fields.
Styled after the classic Greek
theater-in-the-round, the
Forum presents a wide array of
talent each evening throughout
the summer and every weekend
from Labor Day to October.
Perhaps the most imposing
structure on the site is the On-
tario Place Pavilion. Suspen-
ded 105 feet above the lake, this
moduled steel and glass
building contains nearly
250,000 cubic feet of exhibit
theaters and restaurant space.
The reception area features a
Welcome Wall and a com-
puterized •map which inform
the visitor about Ontario Place,
The "Island Ports" complex
contains three licenced•
restaurants and offers banquet
catering facilities,
If you're between the ages of
four and l4, Children's Village
is where the action is. Adven-
tures abound in this two-acre
playground, featuring such daz-
zlers as the Earth Box Crawl,
Soda Fountain Mountain and
Foam Swamp. There's a gaping
lion's jaw to explore for
cavities and a crazy caterpiller
shop, a rubber forest and a
giant trampoline. Most of the
area is covered by a bright
orange canopy. Last year, more
than 5,000 chiidren.a day "got
lost" in the Village--the only
one of its kind in the world.
The latest addition to the
Village is simply called Water
Play, which magnifies the
glories of the water pistol, the
garden hose, and the old swim-
ming hole. Up to 400 soaking,
splashing youngsters at once
can enjoy Water Play's Tarzan-
type rope swings, waterfalls
and water cannons, then can
parade happily into the mouth
of a gigantic "beastie" which
was thoughtfully built to
double as a warm air drying
room.
During the summer, yacht-
smen from as far away as
Florida berth 'their craft at the
Marina at Ontatio Place. With
a capacity of 320 boats, ranging
up to 60 feet in length, the
Marian facilities include
showers, rest. rooms, telephones
and restaurants. Open from
May 11 to October 20, reser-
vations for space should he
• made early and in writing.
For sightseers, the HMCS
Heide, a World War II and
Korean War destroyer, is per-
manently berthed opposite the
East Island. Sea cadets from
Ontario train aboard the Haida
throughout the summer mon-
ths, and last year almost
200,000 visitors toured the
shin.
For "activists", there's a
miniature 18-hole golf course to
practice on, and pedal boats
can be rented from docks on
West Island near Loon Lagoon.
The variety of cuisine at On-
tario Plate offers a price range
to satisfy all tastes. Choose
among seafood, roast beef,
chow mein and hotdogs while
enjoying good jazz, a folk
ballad, or a band. Wine and
dine on outdoor terraces or
waterside decks. The "Island
Ports" complex is another
beautiful place to gather. Spec-
tacular views of the Toronto
skyline and a variety of interior
settings offer wide scope for
guest lists of up to 800 people.
Since its first weeks of
operation in 1971, Ontario
Place has risen to become one
of Canada's fastest-growing
tourist attractions, Space-age
structures, experiential
theaters, live entertainment,
restaurants, boutiques, marina,
spectacular films, Children's
Village, and picnic areas
provide a wide range of ac-
tivities for people of all ages.
Ontario Place's summer
program is in effect from May
18 through September 2, during
which time the park is open
daily from 10 a.m. to I a.m. The
autumn program runs from
September 4 through October
14, weekends and holidays only,
and the park is open from 10
a.m. to I a.m. A winter program
featuring films and refresh-
ments runs from November
through March, "Sundays
Only."
General admission for adults
is $1.50, juniors (13 to 17) $1,
and children (12 and under, ac-s,
eompanied), are, admitted free
of charge. Ontario senior
citizens are also admitted free.
(These prices are subject to
change.)
For additional information,
contact the Ontario Place Cor-
poration, 8 York Street,
Toronto, Ontario M5J IR2, or
the' Canadian Government Of-
fice of Tourism, 150 Kent
Street, Ottawa KR 0H6.
BY STEPHEN McNAMEE
Being an MPP is a seven day a week job in his own riding
The casual visitor sitting in
the gallery at the Legislature in
Queen's Park could hear an ex-
change something like this:
Mr. Speaker: The honorable
member for Huron.
Mr. J. Riddell: Mr. Speaker, I
have a question for the
Minister of Energy. Can the
Minister - confirm the
allegations....
But the debate in the House
is only a small part of what ac-
tually goes on in the halls of
government.
As a relatively new member
to the Ontario government,
Jack Riddell, Huron's Liberal
MPP has found it a seven-day a
week job just keeping up with
everything in his own riding, let
alone what goes on in the
whole province.
Jack has been a member
since the March 1973 by-
election, held to replace
Charles MacNaughton.
"You have to be relatively
well informed about all the
By mid-June, a thousand On-
tario people had written to
CIAG Insurance to express
their views on no-fault car in-
surance ih responSe to a
province-wide consumer infor-
metion program the company
began in May.
Full-page ads in 112
newspapers provided infor-
Mation on no-fault legal con-
cepts and car insurance.
Readers were given a chance
to express their opinions and
request further information by
mail or from one of CIAG's 60
offices. CIAG, owned by co-
operative, farm and credit
union groups, is Ontario's
major insurer of automobiles.
Of the 1000 people who had
replied to the ad by June 14.
ill l•
ministries," . he said from
behind the pile of reports, ar-
ticles and letters that would
have to be read thoroughly that
morning.
"When you get up and
question a minister, you'll want
to know what the answer is
likely to be or the minister can-
cut you down pretty quick",, he
said solemnly.
"You don't learn it in one
year, you don't even learn it in
two years."
Jack starts the day early,
walking the half mile from his
apartment to the Legislature,
arriving in his office before
eight o'clock when the
Legislature is sitting, Like most
out-of-town members, he main-
tains an apartment to live in
during the week, They are
allowed $250 a month for these
accommodations,
His mornings are divided bet-
weep constituency business and
reading the endless pile of
reports and correspondence,
456 asked for more infor-
mation. Local CIAG offices'
provided information to. 321
others.
At least 91 replies originated
with lawyers and law offices, Of
these, 79 favored retention of
the present legal/insurance
system; 12 favored extending
the no-fault approach,
The balance of the expressed
preferences 'slightly favored in-
creasing no-fault benefits. The
present insurance system in
Ontario was favored by 300
respondents, while 218 would
prefer a broader no-fault plan
and 127 would like as complete
a no-fault plan as possible,
Respondents expressed
several concerns about the
present system of automobile
But this says Jack, can lead to
a conflict.
"Your constituency work
shouldn't take preference over
legislative work...Some feel
wr're here just to solve all the
problems of the riding. Cer-
tainly it is one of our major
responsibilities but the main
job is legislation that affects
everyone in Ontario. That's
why we sit in the House so
much—But then you don't win
any votes sitting in the House."
Keeping the voters at home
happy is not always easy.
"There's every type of
problem imaginable. If a per-
son comes to you with a
problem, it's generally
legitimate but some people ex-
pect you to perform miracles.
They know full well they
haven't a chance."
A family that finds itself no
longer being covered by OHIP a
mother who can't get mother's
allowance, a disabled workman
in need of a pension, or a far-
Insurance. Most frequently
mentioned; delays in settling
claims- 240; other people get-
ting my money because I've
never had a claim, 119; having
to pay a deductible when I
have a claim, 112; poor service,
282- from my agent - 34, my ad-
juster - 34, my company - 41,
another company - 85, another
company's adjuster 88.
These responses suggest
people are more satisfied when
dealing with their own ad-
justers and insurers. No-fault
plans emphasize dealings with
one's own insurer.
Other comments were: high
premiums 4 26 responses;
automobile insurance should be
compulsory 19; bad drivers
should be held responsible - 18;
mer having trouble with his tax
rebate, they all come to their
MPP.
Municipal councils also ask
for the,ir member's help to sup-
port their requests for such
"things as grants.
The problems can usually be
solved in short order by a
phone call or personal visit.
The trick though, is to know
who is responsible for what
problems in the maze of
bureaucracy.
But ministers and civil ser-
vants are generally cooperative
regardless of what side of the
House the member sits on.
While the Conservative party
has ministers for different
policy areas, the Opposition
parties appoint their own mem-
bers as critics of these areas.
Jack is the Liberal energy
critic which means he must
read all reports, newspaper ar-
ticles, periodicals ahtl be
familiar with previous
legislation in this area,
high cost of legal expense - 16;
premiums should be related to
accident record - 12; high cost
of claims settlements - 10; want
no premium increase after an
accident - 8; I'm getting good
service from my company - 8;
more severe penalties for bad
drivers (fines, suspensions, etc.)
.8; poor attitude of insurance
companies - 7; retain right to
sue - 7; do not want govern-
ment insurance , 6; Want gover-
ment insurance 5; dishonest
claimants 6.
CIAG has reported these
responses to the Ministry of
Consumer and Commercial
Relations, which is studying a
number of proposed no-fault
plans as well as those already
in ex isi eepo
"Hydro alone sends out
volumes of reports," he said.
"You have to make notes on
the things you read and clip ar-
ticles to be filed."
When energy bills come up in
the House, Jack has to present
to his party caucus meeting the
information needed to make
their policy decisions. He is
also responsible for debating
government energy policy in
committees and in the
House.Confronting your gover-
nment counterpart, in Jack's
case, the Hon, Darcy
McKeough, Minister of Energy,
is' often frustrating. Opposition
members are not blessed with
the government's research
staff, nor is the minister always
ready to answer his critics'
questions.
After lunch, if it's Monday,
Tuesday or Thursday, Jack
heads for the Legislature, On
these days, the House sits from
two till six. Wednesday is set
aside for committee meetings
and Friday, the session goes
from ten to one,
The House also sits most
evenings from eight until ten-
thirty.
The first hour of debate is set
aside for a question and answer
period which gives the Op-
position an opportunity to get
direct answers from the
Ministers.
It can sometimes be a lively
exchange. But despite what ap-
pears to be bitter enmity
displayed in the House, the
members are often on the best
of' terms the rest of the day.
Frequently the Minister has
been told beforehand that a
certain member will ask him a
question, so he can prepare the
answer. There are also times
when the Minister is not able
to answer immediately and he
will get back to the member
• outside the House.
After that first hour, many
members leave for other duties
until only a handful of the 117
seats are occupied.
"I used to think it was a case
of real irresponsibility," said
Jack. "But there are a lot of
committee meetings that go on
at the same time or something
to do for their riding,"
The Conservative party has
Tsch a majority that it allows
its members to take off one day
a week from sitting.
Although members may hot
be in the House, they are not
far away. If a bill comes up for
a vote, a bell that's heard
throughout the building sum-
mons them to the Legislature.
On one particular day, Jack
had to leave the House himself
to welcome a group of senior
students from Clinton Public
School,
It's standard procedure 'for
visiting groups to be
photographed with their MPP.
And after a guided tour, they
get a chance to sit in the
visitors gallery.
Their member will stand up
in the House and introduce
them to the other members who
thump their desks in welcome.
Jack also took time to answer
any questions the students had.
Sitting around the Liberal
caucus room they asked him
about what a minister does, is
(continued on page 4A)
Readers respond to newspaper insurance ads