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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1977-11-03, Page 1& North Larnbton Since 1873 Serving South Huron, North Middlesex One Hundred and Fifth Year EXETER, ONTARIO, NOVEMBER 3, 1977 Price Per Copy 25 Cents 1,500 out of work Should jpush tourism • uron told to start promoting involved in agriculture. Cummings explained that Huron County has an economic base in agriculture and that the agricultural economy is fairly constant, He said he realized that were needed for those unem- ployed and for people coming into the work force in the county in the coming year. He said the jobs were for people who are residents of Huron County and were not weather conditions had a great deal to do with agricultural economy but he pointed out that the county needed a fresh source of money to complement agriculture. He said that two teeete.•- .e weelemenuselagreaMaireet , Au6.•.!-AV,A.IMr" Exeter proves an exception? 1 that one area that the county could promote itself was tourism. He said that tourism in Ontario is big business and employs about 165,000 people turning an annual revenue of $2.6 billion. He said it is hard to estimate Huron County's share of the revenue but pointed out that it is significant, Cummings referred to a recent survey done at the nearest United States entry point, Sarnia. He said that the survey shows that travellers coming through that point spend $19 million in a tourist season and that 48 percent of the tourists are from the United States, He said that the promotion of that source of money for the economy and the jobs it creates is important for Huron County: He said the county should take steps to encourage tourism by establishing new facilities and by advertising itself in newspapers, radio and television, prime areas that money could be found were manufacturing and tourism. Cummings said that that the development committee had been working steadily to en- courage industry to locate in Huron but had met some ob- stacles due mainly to a slumping economy. He said many in- dustries were staying where they were and not.expanding and in fact were just trying to make it through the year, He said three firms were planning to locate in Huron, one in Exeter and two in Vanastra, but he had no definite report on how many people they would employ. He added that oil companies had been carrying out seismic work in Huron and if oil and gas were found in substantial enough amounts to merit mining, the economy here would get a needed boost. The development officer said Huron County has to promote tourism and More industry if it wants to create needed em- ployment in the county and a fresh source of money to com- plement the county's agricultural base. Huron County development officer Spence Cummings told county council Friday that Huron has not escaped the current slump in the national economy nor the national unemployment problem, Cummings told council that the closing of three businesses in the county combined with no new industry locating in Huron has put 1,500 people out of work. He said that three firms, Textral Fibres of Goderich, J & F Farm Machinery in Exeter and Huron Acoustics of Vanastra, had closed their doors recently and no new business had arrived to replace them. He said the county already has 1,500 people out of work and jobs HALLOWE'EN TWINS — Grant Hayter and Greg Becker appeared at Mon- day's Hallowe'en party at Stephen Central School as Siamese twins, T-A photo and 83 intersection. Davis also announced that contractor J.P Ducharme intends to proceed on the erection of 16 town house units at the eastern limits of Simcoe St. Last year, building permits valued at over $3,800,000 were issued in Exeter. Mayor Bruce Shaw said this week that this year's figure could possibly exceed that if the new shopping centre is approved, Last year's total included the South Huron Rec Centre. Masonic Lodge; the completion of services for the new apartment building on Senior St. The PUC have also been engaged in providing services for the Darling subdivision south of Sanders St. at Pryde Boulevard and the opening of lots on Huron St. East by contractor Jack Taylor. Discussions are now underway on, the servicing required for the new shopping centre to be erected just east of the Highway 4 There may be a lull in building projects in some communities, but that's certainly not the case in Exeter, PUC manager Hugh Davis this week reported that his staff have never been busier at this time of year as they provide services fo new projects in the community. Among those projects are the new bank building at the corner of Main and Gidley St,; the Big "0" office facility on Highway 83 east; tile new OPP office being built on Highway 4 north by the County endorses policy on housing motion would not put the county into any position to dictate location of future units. He said each municipality would still be left to negotiate for its own unbits as the need developed, Hanly said all that would change would be the eligibility rule meaning a person in Zurich could move into a unit in Wingham if he wished without having to live in Wingham a year to become eligible. He added that the person would not be sent to Wingham unless requested and would be permitted to locate in the municipality of his choice. Hayfield reeve Ed Oddleifson said that he favored the motion provided the senior citizens still had the right to live where they chose. He said the motion was another step that would ensure that senior citizen units were used to the most advantage, He added that vacancies in the units were very costly to the municipality that built them. Stephen asks club to find new location Allowance, is increased Brand, Lot 8, concession 5 and James and Barbara Murphy and the Huron Country Playhouse at Lot 3, Concession A are to straighten up boundary lines. Six tile drain loan applications for a total amount of $73,500 were approved. Clerk Wilmer Wein said this week that some monies are available for loans at the moment as construction was slowed considerably by the wet weather. A new allotment is expected in April. Council concurred with a resolution from Dundas opposed to cutting off Saturday post office service and fedm ,Etobicdke as)ting fer, more pent-rel. „efepor- tiographiefttetial. A Dunnville resolution asking for the opportunity to make early payments on debentures on shoreline erosion was rejected. Council favours erosion control but feels early debenture payment would cause problems ,for the provincial treasury. Truck cost down slightly ,The Exeter Public Utilities Commission gave final approval for a new line truck at their Monday afternoon meeting. The chassis of the truck will be provided by Snell Bros. Ltd. and the equipment will be built by Truck Engineering. Manager Hugh Davis said the final cost has been set at $46,639.30, slightly below the previous estimate. Davis also told the com- missioners that several enquiries have been received from area tradesmen regarding the pur- chase of the truck being replaced. He said tenders for the sale of that vehicle will probably be called soon. Delivery date for the new truck is mid-February. Davis noted that a jack-. hammer was available as op- tional equipment for the truck and suggested it be considered in view of the fact this type of equipment was often required for repair of water main breaks. He said that two jack-hammers were available from local con- tractors, but often they were not in good repair during the winter months when they were most often required. "It's a serious problem if we can't get one when a break Oc- curs," he commented. However, the commissioners felt that the cost of $1,900 was high in view of the infrequent use to be made of the equipment and a decision on the matter was held in abeyance. Three fines for one man Huron Park pair bitten by dogs Two dog bites were reported in Huron Park this week. Six year-old Rick Price was bitten by a dog owned by Harold Smith and Tom Lessard, 14, was bitten by an animal owned by Floyd Riley. Both victims were treated at South Huron Hospital and released. Stephen township council meeting Tuesday night decided to ask the Exeter gun club to move its facilities from its present location, south of Waterloo street in Exeter. Council will be suggesting a more suitable location be found away from residential areas. Stephen received a written complaint from Don Hart of Exeter who resides near the gun club target range. Exeter council also asked Stephen to "consider the nuisance factor". In his letter Hart said his- family was subjected to a barrage of gun shots for more than two hours on Sunday, October' 2. Council has completed an agreement with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment whereby the prOincial body will provide a sum of $3,000 to update the Stephen waste disposal site located on Concession 14, near the southerly boundary. The meeting to consider the Maple Grove extension of the Walker municipal drain has been postponed until November 22 at 8 p.m. at the township offices in Creditor]. ' Drainage inspector Lorne Dietrich was instructed to proceed with repair of a lower portion of the Smith-Carroll drain. Decision was deferred on three applications for land severance until further study can be given to the township secondary plan. The three requests from Simon Huron County Council endorsed S a county-wide policy for senior citizens housing at its Friday session and now plans to contact each municipality in the county to see if suitable agreements can be worked out, Council accepted a recom- mendation from the executive committee that would have the county pick up any operating deficits from senior citizens residences in order to establish a county wide residency rule. The committee felt that more efficient use could be made of senior citizens units if a one year county wide residency rule was adopted. To accomplish the residency rule the county plans to negotiate with each municipality to relieve the municipalities of the responsibility of the operating deficit. It would be a county concern. Under the present system the municipality the senior citizens housing is located in is respon- sible for 71 2 percent of any .operating deficit the unit incurs, By accepting the responsibility for the operating deficit the municipality ensures that its senior citizens will get housing when needed by invoking the one year residency rule. The senior citizens must live in the municipality in which the unit is located for one year to be eligible e f or the government-sponsored ' housing. The committee felt that the residency rule could be expanded to cover the entire county if the county picked up the deficits. That way all seniors in the county would be assured eligibility for government housing even if their municipality had no housing within its jurisdictiOn. County clerk Bill Hanly ex- plained to council that if the county picked up the deficit the casts would be pro-rated across the municipalities in the county, He said that larger municipalities would pay a greater portion of the costs due to their population but added that the costs would be less than if they had to pay the entire 7 5 '2 percent on a unit in their jurisdiction. Hanly explained that the SUCCESSFUL SKATE-A-THON — More than $1,800 was raised by about 150 participants in Saturday's skate-a-thon sponsored by the Exeter figure skating club. Above, club executive members Jack Underwood, left, and Caroline Blackburn, right, chat with Ahmud Osman and Lisa Ellerington who collected the most pledges and Lisa Shepherd, the youngest skater. T-A photo Huron County Council in- creased fuel allowances for people on welfare in the county, raising the ailowance 45 per cent to cover an identical increase in the cost of fuel to heat homes. The social services committee reported to council Friday that the allowance had not been in- creased since October of 1974 and that since that time costs for home heating fuel have increased 45 per cent. The, increase raises the allowance for a one-room detached dwelling from $84 per month to $122 per month, Two rooms draws an allowance in- crease from $108 to $157, three from $144 to $209, four from $180 to $271, five from $216 to $313 and six from $252 to $365. The allowance is paid directly to the welfare recipient who is responsible for paying his own fuel costs. The committee also reported to council that the new provincial program giving financial assistance to families caring for severely handicapped children at home is now in effect in Huron County. The program provides an allowance of up to $150 a month for handicapped children receiving care at home. The monthly allowance is calculated by means of an in- come and means test applied with consideration to additional expenses which may occur in caring for the child at home. The expenses considered are those not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan or other in- surance plans and children eligible for the program are also eligible for drug and dental care. Two injured in collisions Hay secondary plan explained About 50 people gathered at the Hay Township Hall in Zurich, Thursday, to hear about the secondary plan that is proposed for the township. The meeting, which was billed as the Introductory Planning Workshop, was intended to give area residents a brief review and explanation of workshops that are planned for upcoming weeks, Reeve Jack Tinney introduced George Penfold of the Huron County Planning Department as the planner responsible for the overall structure of the plan. Penfold told the audience that "secondary plans are not new—Hay is the ninth township in Huron to have asked for assistance in the preparation of such a plan." In an attempt to gain more public input prior to the preparation of final design criteria, the University of Guelph's Rural Development Outreach Project had designed a questionnaire that was distributed to the citizens at- tending the meeting. According to Dr. Jackie Wolfe of the department of geography at Guelph, the questionnaire will be sent to approximately 100 people who live in Hay but were not in attendance at the meeting, Penfold told the audience that Huron County is "unique" in that the whole county is a planning area and has been one since 1968. Most planning areas in the province are small with perhaps four or five municipalities deciding on their own to form a planning area. Penfold said that with the whole county being a planning area a greater amount of local autonomy can be achieved. Huron County has had a county plan since 1971 with secondary plans (such as proposed for Hay township) becoming amend- ments to the county plan. Pen- fold, in response to a question, told the meeting that there is never a period of time when the township would be left without a plan. "The Huron County plan that is applicatle to Hay town- ship remains in force until the secondary plan is approved," Penfold said, "There are five stages in the implementation of a secondary plan," Penfold stated, 1- The township must take the initiative in asking for assistance in developing a plan. 2- The plan- ning department must collect information to determine the state of Hay township. 3- Public Workshops must be held to get the opinions of the residents of the township, 4- The drafting of the plan which is done by township council and myself; 5• approval by the township, the county and the Ministry of Housing." Penfold laid considerable emphasis on the public workshop aspect of the stages of im- plementation: "Make sure that A Huron Park man paid a total of $114 on three different charges when he appeared before Justice of the Peace Douglas Wedlake in Exeter court, Tuesday. Richard A. Ridley was charged in September with driving a motorcycle with no proof of in- surance, no licence and not having proper headlights. He was given 15 days in which to pay each of the fines. Steven T. Collins, Goderich, was fined $53 or five days after pleading guilty to failing to stop at an intersection, He had been proceeding south on County Road 31 and collided with a car being driven west on Highway 84 by a Peterborough man on July 30. Seven people were injured in the collision and damage was listed at over $3,000. Jace M. Livingstone, RR 5 Clinton, was fined $28 for having an improper connection for a trailer he was towing on Sep- tember 28. Doris K. Baxter, Lafroy, was fined $28 for following another vehicle too closely on October 20 and Shawn Brent Rutteau, Huron Park, was fined $78 for creating unnecessary noise with his vehicle on September 14, Riordan Car-Truck Rental of Kitchener was fined $8 for con- travening Exeter's parking bylaw and Douglas W. Crawford, Goderich, was assessed $28 for driving a motorcycle without proper headlights. Several area residents were fined for infractions under the Liquor Licence Act. They were: Larry B. McCallum, Kippen, $54 for having liquor while under the legal age; Kenneth Neil Smelt, RR 3 Zurich, $54 for having open liquor in a motor vehicle; Ronald Peicheff, London, $54 for open liquor in a vehicle, Speeding fines were also levied, including one under the metric system. Joyce. I, Masnica, Centralia, was fined $19 for a speed of 96 km in an 80 km tone, Fined under the old system Were:, Mark C. Machen, England, $13 for a speed of 60 in a 50 zone; Philip J. McLeod, ER 1 Exeter, $33 for a speed of 65 in a 50 'zone; Stephen L. S'agar, 13rucefield, $24 for a speed of 62 in a 50 tone, when thb planning is completed that it satisfies as many people as possible." Secondary plans do have some weaknesses Penfold said. A strong zoning bylaw is needed to enforce the plan and it usually takes two or three years before a plan is completed. Concern was raised about the possibility of an Ontario Hydro power plant being constructed along the Lake Huron shoreline sometime in the future and its role in Hay's plan if it was con- structed in the township. Penfold said that the Minister has the final say in any planning matter and can over-rule an official plan if he deems it in the best interests of the province. Last night's workshop on agriculture will be covered fully in next week's paper. Recreation will be the topic of discussion next Thursday night. FUNDS 11101[11SE The recent canvass in Exeter and Huron Park by students of Centralia College on behalf of the Canadian Arthritis Association realized a total of $1,832, Don Orth, director of student affairs at the College said this year's amount was the largest obtained by students since they took over the campaign in 1971, The arthritis campaign has risen steadily from the first canvass in 1971 of $318, The 1976 total was $1,758. The highest amount ever raised was in 1974 when a dance helped swell the total to $2,058. Vernon Thomson, a second year student at COAT was in charge of the campaign, More than 150' students participated, HALLOWE'EN AT SUNSHINE NURSERY — A puppet show and pop corn featured Monday's Hallowe'en party at the Exeter Sunshine Nursery School. Back, left, Carrie Lovie, Robbie Hoffman, Beckie Hahn, Michelle Coyle, Karen Robinson, Richard Phillips, Jason Heywood, Kevin Robinson, Julie memo and Mark Russell. Second row, Steven Two drivers were injured in the five accidents investigated by the Exeter OPP this week, Neither 'injury was reported as being serious, Gary Rau, RR 2 Zurich, sustained a laceration over one • eye when the vehicle he was driving on Sunday left Highway 84 east of Zurich and struck a culvert. Damage was listed at $350 by Constable Bill Lewis. The other injury was reported in a Friday accident when a vehicle driven by Florence Legault, Huron St., Exeter, went out of control on County Road' 11 and rolled over. One of the tires had blown out on the county road north of Highway 83. Damage was estimated at $1,200 by Constable Larry Christiaen. In another Friday accident, a vehicle driven by John C. Web ster, Marlborough St., Exeter, left concession 3-4 of Hay township and struck a tree. Constable Lewis investigated and set property damage at $1,200. The Other two accidents Oc- curred on Saturday, the first involving vehicles driven by Austin Sthwalm, Stratford, Robert Baker, Hensall, and John Groot, ItR 1 Zurich, They collided On YOrk Crescent in Hensall, Total damage was set at $225 by Constable Lewis. In the Other crash, the driver involved was Bert De-Bont, BB 1 Creditor, His vehicle struck a bridge on Usborne township 0 \ Kirkton Road. , sideroad 10-11 'north of the Constable Jack Straughart investigated and set total damage at $1,000, Parker, Kevin Johns, Kelly Ryan, Brett Laramie, Steven Glavin, Simon Smith, Karen Weido, Lisa Triebner and Elizabeth Coates. Front, Shonyn Baynham, Matthew Gardner, Steven Rankin, Leona Glavin, Barbie Mottley, Michelle Reeves, Lisa Hendrick, Lisa Shepherd, Leslie Breton, Julie Hayter, Jon Etherinaton and Patrick, T.A photo S