HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1971-01-28, Page 1I
undreds stranded as blizzard cripples area
went to the Mt. Carmel Road to
pick up children to take them to ICI the Dufferin Hotel at Centralia.
The youngsters had been in a
farm house until the heat was
cut off, and they returned to
their bus until assistance arrived.
Even for the snowmobilers,
there were some harrowing
experiences. It took the
machines an hour and a half to
get back to Exeter from the
Usborne school Tuesday night.
One of the operators found
himself in the middle of a field
when he thought he was still on
the road.
Two or three machines
started out Highway 83 to check
on Earl Frayne who was
stranded and the operators had
to turn back at Custom Trailers
because the visibility was nil and
they were afraid of getting lost
themselves,
Mr. Frayne was found safe in
his barn Wednesday morning.
All over the district, people
were stranded. About 400 were
at the Shillelagh Motel in Lucan.
Another 25 were at the A & K
Service Centre and residents
along most roads found they had
visitors for several hours until
traffic started to get rolling.
The stranded vehicles were
the biggest problems in getting
the roads cleared and created
dangerous situations for those ON
who were attempting to drive.
— Please turn to page 3
EXETER, ONTARIO, JANUARY 28, 1971
Unbelievable!
That's the word that's being
used more and more frequently
by area residents to deseribe
Storms in the Exeter area, and
this wee',..'s storm certainly falls,
into that category.
Even those in the"older
generation" are having difficulty
trying to remember anything
quite as severe as the storm
which hit the area Tuesday
morning and was still raging as
this story was being written
The preliminary hearing into
the non-capital murder charge
against Clarence George Blyde,
RR 2 Crediton, opened in
Goderich, Friday. He was charged
following the death of Miss Pearl
Fahner, 76, of Crediton. -
A total of 14 witnesses were
called but the hearing was not
completed. The balance has been
scheduled for Friday, February
12.
Provincial Judge Glenn Hays
set what could be a judicial
precedent when he ruled that part
Incorrect name
used in report
In the account of the recent
inquest into the drowning death
of Murray Glanville, it was
reported that Lloyd Bender had
been one of the persons at the
scene and a witness at the inquest.
This was in error. The name
should have been Ken Bender.
The Times-Advocate
apologizes for the error.
Vandals damage
10 area cottages
Exeter detachment OPP are
investigating breakins at 10
cottages in the Norman Heights
subdivision north of Highway 83.
Entry was also attempted at
two other cottages in the Lake
Huron subdivision.
The breakins were discovered
on the weekend when some of the
owners visited their cottages.
Initial investigation indicates
main object of those responsible
appeared to be malicious damage.
Some liquor and a small amount
of money was taken and all 10
cottages sustained damage of
some description.
Damage estimates have not
been finallized as yet, as police
have been unable to contact all
the owners. Most are residents of
London. One of those entered
belongs to Winston Shapton,
Exeter.
Constables Dale Lamont and
Bill Lewis are in charge of the
investigation.
Saturday night a monster
banquet will be held at the Exeter
Legion hall to celebrate the one
hundredth anniversary of the
Exeter lodge of the Independent
Order of Oddfellows.
It is expected a great number
of area dignitaries will be present
along with the majority of the
fifty-year veterans including
Bros. George Hawkins, Asa
Penhale, Bert Rivers, Maurice
Quance, Roland Williams, Frank
Triebner, Jack Southcott, Louis
Day and Walter Cutbush,
Two years before the
municipality of Exeter became
incorporated into the Village of
Exeter, a charter was granted to a
number of gentlemen and a
Lodge of the Independent Order
of Oddfellows was formed.
Names such as Lambrook,
Johns, Gillis, Rollins, Stanlake,
Hoskins, Rowe , Piekarcl, Stewart,
Seldon, Howard, Stanbury, Fuke
Thursday afternoon.
Traffic ground to a halt
around noon Tuesday and travel
remained impossible in most
areas for the next 48 hours.
Hundreds of persons were
stranded throughout the area
and an indication of the low
level of visibility was the fact
that people were even getting
lost in Exeter.
At time of writing, there had
been no reports of loss of life or
serious injury, which in itself
of the testimony could not be
published or broadcast until the
accused is either discharged or has
faced trial.
He made the ruling after Jim
Donnelly, defence counsel for
Blyde said he was not aware a
representative of the news media
was present in the court during
the first two hours of testimony.
Reporters for The
Times-Advocate and The London
Free Press had been in attendance
during the testimony of the first
two witnesses heard before a
morning recess.
After the recess, when John
Blyde, brother of the accused
took the stand, Donnelly rose and
asked that an order prohibiting
publication or broadcast of any
further testimony be made.
Judge Hays questioned if the
section under the Criminal Code
provided for such an order
mid-way through the hearing.
The section states in part:
"Prior to the commencement of
the taking of evidence at a
preliminary inquiry, the justice
holding the inquiry shall, if
application therefore is made by
the accused . . make an order
directing that the
evidence . . . shall not be
published in any newspaper or
broadcast . . ."
Donnelly said if the section is
to be interpreted as meaning at
the outset of the hearing, the
word "any" should be inserted to
make the section read: "Prior to
the commencement of the taking
of any evidence..."
He also argued that the intent
of the section is to ensure a fair
trial and that his request was
reasonable.
Judge Hays concurred with
the Goderich lawyer and ordered
that from that point on, the
evidence taken shall not be
published or broadcast.
He noted that while the order
did not include testimony before
the application, he said he
"would like that no previous
evidence be published in the
interest of justice".
Miss Fahner was found badly
beaten in her Crediton home
around noon on November 21.
She. died later in St. Joseph's
Hospital, London.
and Heaman were a few of the
early members.
According to early records
meetings were held weekly in the
Fanson Block (now Gaiser). On
January 18, 1887 the present site
without buildings was purchased
for $ 750.00 from John
Smallacombe and later in the year
the present two-storey building
was erected at a cost of
$1,821.00.
Early records show that the
upper storey was in use
practically every night by
fraternal societies --COE, Sons of
England, I0F, Orange Lodge,
Royal Templars, Macabees and
others. It is noted that the first
year takes were $25,
One of the earliest, ways of
making money was to present
travelling shows, lectures and
local entertainment staged in the
Opera House, An average night
showed a net profit of
was almost miraculous.
Students at all area secondary
and elementary schools were
stranded. While students from
SUDHS found accommodation
with Exeter homeowners, the
children at the central schools
were not as fortunate,
They had to stay at theli
schools over Tuesday and
Wednesday night, and it wasn't
until Thursday that some were
taken home,
Buses were attempting to
follow the main roads to get the
majority of students to their
homes, Thursday.
Travel on Highway 4 at that
time was still treacherous and
police were stopping traffic on
many occasions in an attempt to
get wreckers through to haul
stranded vehicles off the road so
snowplow crews could widen the
track.
One of the most serious
problems during the storm was
the failure of hydro service in
many areas and people were
without heat.
Some people in Usborne were
without heat for over 24 hours
and by Wednesday morning
there homes were at the freezing
mark as the chill factor hovered
around 40 degrees below zero.
Snowplow crews were out
Wednesday morning making
emergency runs, particularly to
homes where there were small
children so they could be
transported to residences that
still had heat.
There were many anxious
moments and hours for some in
the first hours of the storm until
children arrived home or those
stranded managed to get in
touch with their families.
SHDHS teacher Vic Dinnin
was "lost" from Tuesday night
until Wednesday morning. He
had set out to walk to the home
of fellow teacher, Don Webster,
when he became lost and ended
up around the CNR tracks on
Wellington St. He finally took
refuge in a truck and stayed
there the night and it wasn't
until morning that he could get
to a house to report his
whereabouts.
Exeter police had dispatched
several snowmobiles into the
area to search for him and calls
were made to over a dozen
homes in the area to determine
if anyone had seen the teacher.
No complaints
There were few complaints
about snowmobiles during the
storm. As Chief Ted Day
remarked, "they saved the day".
Volunteers transported food
to schools, took children to their
homes and checked on
abandoned cars to make certain
Raise pay
at Stephen
At the second meeting of the
year of Stephen township
council, salaries of most
municipal employees were raised.
Permanent road employees
will receive hourly increases of
30c to $2.50 but their weekly
hours were cut from 50 to 45.
Part-time help will be paid at the
rate of $2.10 per hour.
Road Superintendent Frank
Mclsaac will receive $6,900 for
the year 1971, an increase of
$400.
The salary of clerk-treasurer
and tax collector Wilmar D. Wein
was set at $7,500 per annum for
the next two years. His previous
salary was $6,800. Miss Nola
Faist will receive $3,120 per year
as office secretary.
Clerk Wein was instructed to
write to the Huron County Board
of Education informing that
Stephen township wished no
change in the number of
education levies made each year
to the county.
In 1970, Stephen issued tax
notices to be paid on June 30 and
December 15 and council wishes
to retain this method for another
year.
Councillor Stephen Dundas
was named to represent the
township at the upcoming
convention of the Ontario Farm
Drainage Association.
A total of nine applications
were received for the positions of
building inspector and drainage
inspector for the township and
most applicants are being
interviewed this week.
twenty-five dollars.
The Brothers of those days
were very loyal to their order and
according to the minutes it was
quite the custom for various
members to sit all night with a
brother when he was sick or
indisposed.
One of the earliest customs
was for the Lodge to attend
church service on the anniversary
, of the founding of Oddfellowship
on the North American
continent, This event still takes
place the last week in April. It is
also interesting to note that the
Lodge members walked from the
present Lodge Hall to the
cemetery and decorated the
graves of departed brothers with
plants.
The lower part of the present
building has had varied tenants.
For a period after it, was built it
was used as a showroom for
— Please turn to page 8
motorists had reached some
shelter.
They took nurses to South
Huron. Hospital, took drugs to
the school at Huron Park,
delivered an oil burner to a
Waterloo St. home without
hydro, took another oil burner
to Canadian Canners to provide
heat in a box car storing canned
goods worth several thousand
dollars,
Tuesday night, snowmobilers
covered the entire Town of
Exeter to make a check and
make certain no one was
stranded in cars or on foot,
The machine operators aided
five adults and four children to
their homes.
Men in area communities
loaded food up and headed out
to the various schools to provide
the youngsters and teachers with
supplies for their stay.
Wednesdaymorning they
were out on the job once again.
Some took more food to the
schools when it became evident
the youngsters would still be
stranded for several hours and a
large group from Exeter and
some from Dashwood Industries
Limited headed out to the A &
K Service Station at the
intersection of Highway 4 and
the Crediton Road to bring
persons into town.
The service station had been
without hydro and heat.
In the afternoon, a group
•
Ninety-sixth Year
Students in most public and
separate schools in the area were
able to make it to their homes
Thursday afternoon after
Few appear
at local court
An abbreviated court session
was held in Exeter, Tuesday.
Many cases were adjourned as the
court reporter and some of the
accused persons failed to get
through the storm.
Most of the cases heard dealt
with offences under the Liquor
Control Act.
William Harry Wagner and
Frank W. Cooper, both of Hay
Township, pleaded guilty to
separate charges of having liquor
in a place other than their
residence.
Wagner was fined $35, having
been in charge of a vehicle, while
Cooper's fine was $25.
James Steven Regier, Stephen
Township, paid $40 for
consuming liquor while under the
age of 21. Two youths were fined
$40 for possession of liquor while
under the legal age. They were
James Adams, Dashwood, and
Allan William Parsons, Stephen
Township.
. Cecil Smith, Crediton, pleaded
guilty to a charge of failing to
produce proof of insurance for
the vehicle he was driving and was
fined $50.
Four Exeter youths were fined
$20 each for trespassing. They
were Ronald Lindenfield, Steven
Murley, Donald Campbell and
Larry Robert Haugh,
The court learned they had
been at the house of Douglas
Dowson, where they had a
standing invitation, but on the
Occasion in question, Dawson
Was not home.
The four youths took his
snowmobile for a jaunt and
Lindenfield, who was driving, was
assessed an additional $20 fpr
failing to stop at a stop sign with
the machine.
spending two nights in their
schools or billeted in private
homes.
As of late Thursday
afternoon, about 90 youngsters
at Usborne Central were the
only ones that were forced to
stay at the school. Most of the
children were taken home by
their parents on snowmobiles
either Wednesday afternoon or
Thursday morning.
John Cochrane, Huron
director of education said he
expected 375 students would be
spending the night in County
schools. He indicated all classes
would. be cancelled, Friday.
Efforts to have the remaining
Usborne children taken to
Exeter Thursday afternoon and
billeted in private homes were
stalled by Cochrane who said,
"They are better off in the
school than on a stalled bus on
the way to town."
More than enough billets
were available to handle the
students and plenty of
transportation was volunteered.
Cars were able to make the trip
to the school by the middle of
the afternoon.
Earlier in the day, principal
Taylor said if most of the
students stayed for another
night, he would need supervisory
help as most of his teaching staff
had little sleep in two nights.
At Hensall, more than one
hundred rural students at the
Hensall public school were
billeted in village homes,
— Please turn to page 3
"At this moment I am very
optimistic that we will eventually
have an even bigger facility at
Canadian Forces Base, Clinton,
than we have had in the past," R.
S. 'Cummings, Huron County
Development Committee
co-ordinator told Huron County
councillors Wednesday in
Goderich.
"During the immediate future
it is our intention to continue
with our contacts in the federal
and provincial governments to
ensure that before the close out
of the base in September a new
occupant is found," stated
Cummings.
Cummings said the Huron
delegation which went to Ottawa
earlier this month was assured the
base would be maintained until
another use can be made of the
facilities. The Minister of
National Defence, Hon. Donald
S. MacDonald, had stated, said
Cummings, that he would look
into and escalate if possible, the
federal government decision on
the future use of the base by
federal government departments.
At least one party was
interested in obtaining the whole
base for development as an
industrial complex, Cummings
told council, but the committee
had been advised from Ottawa
that the property was not for sale.
Since that time, Cummings
reported, the Department of
National Defence has given a
letter of intent to Crown Assets
Disposal Corporation that the
base will be turned over to them
for dispersal on September 1,
1971.
"Many, many meetings have
been held and many, many hours
spent in trying to convince
organizations that they should
establish an enterprise at
Canadian Forces Base Clinton,"
Cummings said.
New Men Speak
All new members of Huron
County Council were invited to
speak at Wednesday morning's
session in the court house.
Each new man — there are 11
— remarked at the efficiency of
the administration, Clerk John
Berry, Deputy-clerk Bill Hanley
and their staff.
New members are George
Bailie, reeve of Blyth; John
Baker, reeve of Hensall; Paul
Carroll, reeve of Goderich; Frank
Cook, deputy-reeve, of Clinton;
Cecil,Desjarcline, deputy-reeve of
Stephen Township; Lloyd
Ferguson, reeve of Usborne;
Gerry G. Ginn, deputy-reeve of
Goderich Township; Dave
Gower, deputy-reeve of
Goderich; Don MacGregor,
deputy-reeve of Exeter; John
McCutcheon, reeve of Brussels;
and Doug McNeill, reeve of
Colborne.
Okay Contract
Huron County Council
Wednesday ratified the union
— Please turn to page 3
Two crashes
before storm
Up until "storm time," the
Exeter OPP had reported only
two accidents during the past
week. They're not certain how
many accidents had occurred
after that, but they did have some
calls reporting "fender benders"
as cars collided in the storm.
However, the officers couldn't
get out to investigate and advised
those involved to get in touch
with them after the storm waned.
One of the crashes occurred
Tuesday morning as the storm hit
the area. Involved were Whitney
Coates, Exeter, and Constance
Gwalchmai, Exeter.
Their vehicles collided at the
intersection of Highway 4 and the
Kirkton Road and damage was set
at $900 by Constable Don Mason.
the other crash was reported in
Zurich on Saturday when a car
operated by Fred Elder, RR 2
Hensall, backed out of a lane and
hit a parked car owned by Frank
Regier, RR 3 Dashwood.
Damage was listed at $150 to
the latter's vehicle by Constable
Ed Wilcox.
BRAVING THE STORM — Despite the blizzardy conditions existing
Tuesday evening some hardy youngsters were able to get around the
streets. Three unidentified boys are shown braving the elements.
News ban ordered
at murder hearing
Special celebration planned
Lodge to mark centennial
LY WAY
snowmobiles,
work.
SNOWMOBILE CLUB ORGANIZED — The Exeter snowmobile club was organized at a general meeting
that drew more than 75 enthusiasts. The newly appointed executive is shown above. Back, left,
vice-president Dalton Skinner, president Jim Newby and 2nd vice-president Tom Arthur. Front, secretary
Gladys Skinner and treasurer Andrea Gaunt. T-A photo
No hardships reported
among stranded children
hundredth
CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARY — The one
hundredth anniversary of the Exeter Order of Oddfellows will be
celebrated Saturday night with a banquet at the Exeter Legion hall.
The current executive of the lodge is shown above, Back, left, Don
Btu nzlow, Leroy Edwards, Ken Broom, Gerald MeV ails, Garnet Hicks,
TO T RAVEL — The only form of vehicular traffic on Exeter streets Wednesday morning was
They were used to take food to schools, rescue stranded persons and bring some people to
One is shown heading north on Main street. T-A photo.
Price Per Copy 15 Cents
Sees 'even bigger
future for Clinton .
Fred Delbridge, Bev Parsons and Robert Glenn. Second row, Harold
Bell, Bruce Delbridge, Delmar Skinner, Percy Noels, Thomas Yellow
and Asa Penhale, Front, junior, past grand Alex Meikle, past grand
Lloyd Bodgins, noble grand NormanStanlake, vice-grand Robert Blair
and recording secretary Ben Fisher. T-A photo,