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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-11-09, Page 1Candidates speak Blyth, Hullett, W. Wawanosh candidates interviewed See page 6, 7, 8.See page 5 Letters Election dominates Letters to the Editor Choir sings Christmas concert Nov. 27 See page 27 Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships VOL. 4 NO. 45 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1988.45 CENTS k Jr Y 4 'J ■ A family of six escaped with just the clothes on their backs from this raging fire which totally destroyed their home on Morris Township’s 6th line early Friday morning. Safe in Walton for the time being are [inset] mother Teresa Van Beek and her children [clockwise from left] Amanda, 6; Billy, 11; Chris, 8; Jason, 13; and Johnny, 4r along with pets Ruby and Zada. Blyth Volunteer Fire Department Chief Paul Josling calls their escape “a miracle,” and the community has organized a massive relief drive to aid the stricken family. Family escapes early morning inferno A Morris Township mother and her five children escaped with only the clothes on their backs from a raging fire that totally destroyed their two-storey brick home in the early hours of last Friday morning. Teresa Van Beek and her children, Jason, age 13; Billy, 11; Christo­ pher, 8; Amanda, 6; and Johnny, 4; along with family pets Zada the terrier and Allie the cat, as well as a friend’s Doberman Pinscher, Ruby, wereallsafeatafriend’s home in Walton when The Citizen spoke to them on Sunday. Mrs. Van Beek attributes her family’s miraculous escape to the fire drill training they have practised several times a vear ever since one of Jason’s schoolmates in Kitchener died in a fire as a result of panic. “The kids were pretty calm about the whole thing,” the young mother said. “ We all got out through the front door, and they all went straight to the car while I had to go back upstairs to get that dumb Dobie (Ruby - who was still asleep on Johnny’s bed)." “The only thing that really matters is that we are all safe,” she said. “We really have a lot to be thankful for.” Fire Chief Paul Josling of the Blyth Volunteer Fire Department said Monday he “can’t imagine" how the family was able to get out so quickly and without incident. “We were called outat4:17 a.m., and the house was virtually gone when we got there - bricks and all. (Their) escape is nothing short of miracu­ lous,” Chief Josling said, adding that he couldn’t understand why Local elections Monday Voters in several municipalities will go to the polls Monday to elect representatives to municipal coun­ cils, school board and public utilities commission. Pollsare open from 10a.m. to 8 p.m. The biggest race is in the Village of Blyth where seven people are seeking four positions on council, all of them seeking office for the first time. Blyth voters will also choose family members hadn’t been as­ phyxiated long before the fire became so advanced. “We'll never Continued on page 26 from four candidates for the two positions on the Public Utilities Commission. (A complete rundown of the Candidates starts on page 6.) In addition Blyth voters will decide the issue of whether or not a retailoutletfor the sale of beer, wine and spirits will be allowed. Approval of such sale is necessary before a Liquor Control Board of Ontario Continued on page 5 Stockyards back in business After two weeks of turmoil it will be business as usual at the Brussels sales barns this Friday. The sale will be on again under new licences issued to McCall Livestock owned by Bruce and Ross McCall, the former owners of Brussels Stockyards Limited which lost its licences last Thursday after a hearing before the Livestock Com­ missioner of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The licences to trade cattle and operate a community sales barn had been provisionally suspended Oct. 23 after it was discovered the owner of Brussels Stockyards, Klaus Hens­ chel and his family had disappeared leaving sellers of more than 700 head of western cattle unpaid. That loss was compounded when the Cana­ dian Imperial Bank of Commerce froze all Stockyard accounts, refus­ ing to honour cheques issued to local farmers who sold cattle through the Oct. 21 sale at the stockyard. Bruce McCall said Monday that the final paperwork for the new licences had been brought to Brussels on the weekend and filled in with the licences being issued on Monday. Already, he said, four loads of western cattle had arrived at the sales barns and more were on the way. Once the word was out that the McCalls were back in the business the farming community started to rally round, he said. Some cattle producers even offered financial helptogetthe sales barn back on the go he said. Mr. McCall said the big decision for he and his son was just how involved they wanted to be, having retired from the business in May 1987 when they sold the Stockyards to Mr. Henschel. But they decided therewastoomuchatstakewhen they took intoaccountthe employees and customers and their own interest that they decided to get the stockyards back on its feet them­ selves. It is in the best interests of everyone to have the sales barn operating so the trustee for the old Brussels Stockyards firm came to an agreement to let McCall Livestock use the premises, Mr. McCall said. Meanwhile staff from the Finan­ cial Protection Branch of OMAF have begun interviews with those who have made claims for loss with the closing of the old stockyards firm, Dr. Fisk of the Regulatory Standards branch of OMAF said Monday. He urged anyone who had a cheque returned from the sale for non-sufficient funds to get in touch with the Ministry at 416-965-5841 immediately to put in a claim. Claims must be made within 30 days of the default in order for farmers to be eligibleforthe90percentofloss guaranteed under government legislation. Dr. Fisk estimated about 100 claims have been made so far. A spokesman for the Wingham Detachment of the Ontario Provin­ cial Police said Monday there are no new details in the investigation. Mr. Henschel is still believed to be at large somewhere in Germany. Po­ lice are building a case against him which will probably lead to fraud charges. Itispossiblehecouldbe extradited to face charges but until charges are issued no action can be taken.