HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1966-09-22, Page 1ALONG THE MAIN DRAG
By The l'ede4triltri
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Winghant, Ontario, Thursday, Sept, 22, 1966 Single Copy Not Over Fifteen Cents,
Wallpaper ShopSold
To Murray Gerrie
Start Survey to Examine Need
For Rental Housing in Wingham
TAINT TRUE--
There was an erroneous re-
port at the week-end that the
Belgrave Midgets had won the
Ontario O.A.S,A. champion,
ship, Though the prospects look
promising they still have a cou-
ple of teams to defeat.
0-0.-0
VERY SHARP--
The six gals at the Toronto-
Dominion Bank are looking very
attractive in their new uniforms
-- navy blue tunics and grey
skirts.
0--0--0
GETS CONTRACT--
The G. A. Gibson construc-
tion company of Wroxeter has
been awarded the contract for
removal of a bridge in Green-
ock Township which collapsed
a few months ago. Gibson's
will also construct the new span.
0--0--0
SEE YOU AT TILE FAIR--
Big event of the week takes
place in Teeswater on Saturday
when Canada's largest rural fair
will attract its usual out-size
crowd.
The time it takes to unravel
government red tape led to a
meeting of the Wingham Dis-
trict High School Board, the
Lucknow District High School
Board and the public school
boards of Lucknow and Kinloss,
at the Lucknow high school on
Monday night. L. D. H. S. Board
Chairman William Hunter was
chairman.
Reason for the meeting was
an expected delay in the com-
pletion of the new addition to
the Wingham high school to
The Wallpaper Shop, owned
and operated by Elmer Wilkin-
son for over forty years, has
been purchased by Murray Ger-
rie, The new owner takes over
October 1st.
Mr. Gerrie, who has been
associated with Red Front Groc-
ery for the past eleven years,
will leave that firm to take
charge of his new business.
Elmer Wilkinson began his
work in Wingham as a painter
and decorator in 1922, opening
the Wallpaper Shop in its pres-
ent location three or four years
later. He purchased the Greg-
ory Building, of which the
store is a part, becoming the
second owner of the property.
The original owner, Mr. Greg-
accommodate secondary school
pupils from both the Lucknow
and Wingham districts when the
two areas are amalgamated at
the first of next year.
Building committee chair-
man Ross MacRae told themeer-
ing that building plans have
been sent to Toronto for review
and word was received that the
Department of Education has
forwarded them to Ottawa for
sanction from the federal au-
thorities, It is anticipated that
it will take at least six weeks
ory, received his deed from the
Crown in the early years of
settlement here.
Over the years Mr. Wilkin-
son built up an excellent busi-
ness, due in large measure to
his own excellent taste and ad-
vice in home decorating, The
firm handles painting and in-
terior decorating work and the
store is stocked with wallpapers,
Paints. floor coverings, etc.
The new owner plans to add
some additional lines, includ-
ing drapery.
It is unlikely that Mr, Wil-
kinson will become completely
retired. During the past ten
years he has erected several
apartment buildings in town
which keep him fairly busy.
for the federal approval to
come through. The architects,
he said, are of the opinion that
it will not be possible to com-
plete plans and call for tenders
before mid-March.
As a result, Mr. MacRae ex-
plained, it appears obvious that
it is not possible to complete a
$2, 500, 000 building program
between March and September
of 1967.
The high school authorities
then requested permission from
the two public school boards for
Book Printed
250 Years Ago
A couple of weeks ago we
mentioned two 100-year-old
books which were brought to
our office, Since that time we
have seen an edition published
251 years ago, presently owned
by Rev. C. F. Johnson.
"A Defence of the Doctrine
and Discipline of the Church of
England" was first written in
Latin " for the use of foreigners"
by William Nichols, D, D. He
later translated it into English.
The copy Mr. Johnson has
was printed in 1715. The book
is precisely what the title sug-
gests and the explanation on
the title page states, " contain-
ing objections of dissenters,
fairly represented from their
own celebrated writers -- And
fully answered from Scripture,
the Primitive Fathers, and our
own Pious and Learned Reform-
ers -- With an introduction
giving the succinct history of
the separation through the sev-
eral reigns of our Kings and
Queens."
the use of the Lucknow building
for another year. The various
boards agreed that the Lucknow
schools be turned over to the
Lucknow-Kinloss board when it
is formed next year.
After considerable amicable
discussion by the four groups, a
motion was passed by the ele-
mentary boards approving the
use by the amalgamated high
school districts of the Lucknow
high school building until June
of 1968.
The view was expressed by
a number of the members that
it would be very difficult to at-
tempt to move in mid-term if
the Wingham facilities were
completed during the year.
The Ontario Housing Corpor-
ation, at the request of the Coun-
cil of the Town of Wingham is
conducting a survey to deter-
mine the need and demand for
public rental housing in the mu-
nicipality.
This proposed housing would
accommodate either families
or senior citizens who are either
living or working in Wingham
and whose present accommoda-
tion is inadequate in some sig-
nificant way. In the case of
families, the housing accom-
modation would probably be
two-storey in row or semi-de-
tached design. The size of the
units would vary according to
the needs of the community but
they could have as many as four
or five bedrooms. Rents would
be geared to the total family
income regardless of the size of
the accommodation. The rent
charged would include service
charges for heat, hot and cold
water, stove and refrigerator.
Minimum rent for families
would be $50 per month.
Senior citizens would prob-
ably be accommodated in a
small apartment, similar to the
existing senior citizens' build-
ing, but consideration will be
given to one-storey structures
which eliminate stairways. For
couples, the apartments would
consist of a living room, bed-
room, bathroom and kitchen
equipped with a stove and re-
frigerator; for single persons, a
bed-sitting room, kitchen and
bathroom. As in the family
units, the rent will be geared
to income, but, in this ease,
the minimum rent would be
$40 per month including the
above services,
The major portion of the
present survey is concerned with
identifying families who are
now living in inadequate ac-
commodation and who would
like to rent a public housing
unit. Within the next few days
most of the tenants living in
Wingham will receive a letter
Please Turn to Page Two
FIRST SECTION
Fiery Skies Startle Thousands
New Wing at High School Not Likely to
Be Completed Until Fall of Next Year
THESE UNUSUALLY large tomatoes, held by Barbara
Jones, 3, and her sister, Heather, 4, were grown by Arn-
old Halliday of Minnie Street. The tomatoes are of the
beefsteak variety. One weighed 1 lb. 10-oz,, and the oth-
er, 1 lb. 11-oz, The girls are daughters of Mr. and Mrs.
Bob Jones.—A-T Photo.
Grandstand Seats in This
Area for Meteorite Blast
Mrs. John Hanna Devoted
Life to Unselfish Service
Residents of the Wingham
area had grandstand seats on
Saturday night for a startling --
and at the time totally unex-
plainable occurrence.
At 8,50 a brilliant white
glare suddenly illuminated the
whole countryside, making al-
most daylight visibility long af-
ter sundown. In a few seconds
the white light changed to a
fiery red glow covering the
whole western sky.
After the color had died
away observers saw a trail of
white vapor or smoke high in
the night sky due west of the
town.
EXPLOSION
For about three minutes af-
ter the first appearance of the
flash there was complete sil-
ence. Then, without warning
there was the crack of a tre-
mendous explosion, followed
for several seconds by ominous
rumblings from the heavens.
Naturally enough the watch-
ers in this area believed the
phenomenon had occurred close
by, but within 30 minutes radio
reports began to indicate the
vast area from which the light
was visible.
BIG AREA.
Telephone calls from as far
east as Quebec, west to Chi-
cago and beyond, from Ohio
and Indiana in the south and
Timmins in the north all report-
ed the alarm created by the
tremendous explosion.
The explanation was aired
without delay -- the explosion
of a giant meteorite heated to
white-hot intensity by its pas,
sage through the earth's atmos-
phere.
When all reports were in by
the next day it was evident that
this section of the country had
indeed, been tight at the ring-
side, American military at
Port Huron had tracked the ap-
proach of meteorite oh its radar
equipment and reported the
main part of the mass had
plunged into Lake Huron near
Harbor Beach, Mich., which is
about 70 miles due west of
Wingham.
Sudden outbreaks of fire in
woodlands near Huntsville and
Port Carling lead to the belief
that pieces of the meteorite
were blown loose and fell in
those areas. Similar reports
came in from Midland, Ontario
and several U.S. points.
$100 EACH
The hunt is now on for ac-
tual material from the meteor-
ite. The Canadian government
offers $100 each for each of
such pieces but the chance of
finding one is remote indeed.
Two Wingham teen-agers
survived an aircraft crash on
Sunday evening in dense bush'-
land a few miles east of Bervie
in Greenoch Township. Ron
Hitchings, 19, was unconscious
for a time after the forced land-
ing and his friend, Shirley Mar-
tin, 16, escaped unhurt. Ron,
who was piloting the Cessna 150,
is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry
I litchings and Shirley is a daugh-
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Howard
Martin, R.R. 4, Wingliam,
The young people took off
from the Wingham airstrip at
the Cruikshank farm west of
town about 6.15 for a lialf,hour
pleasure flight. Ron flitchings,
who has about 50 hours' solo
time, Said that when he was
flying at an elevation of about
1,000 feet the engine of the
aircraft failed and he was fore,
ed to pick himself a landing
Most of the smaller pieces
would burn up and vaporize be-
fore striking the earth.
It is believed that as many
as 200,000 meteors flash into
the earth's atmosphere every
day, but only on rare occasions
are they large enough to sur-
vive the trip through the air to
strike the ground.
One famous landing occur-
red in Siberia in 1908, when a
meteorite estimated at a few
hundred tons flattened forests
for miles around. In 1947 a.
meteorite exploded over a sec-
ond area in Siberia, leaving ov-
er 200 holes and craters
area. There was an open field
nearby, but he judged that he
had insufficient elevation to
make a safe landing in it.
Sliding down into a wooded
area the wingtip apparently
struck a tree and flipped the
craft onto its back, coming to
rest in the treetops about 20
feet above ground, Fortunate-
ly there was no outbreak of fire,
though the plane was carrying
a 5010 fuel load, Slowly the
wreckage slid closer to the
ground and some time later
Shirley Martin succeeded in
extracting herself from her up-
side,down position and in un-
fastening the seat belt which
was holding the pilot in his seat.
The pair had to remain in
the wrecked plane until dawn,
when they made their way to
the home of Jack Forsyth and
later led a party back to the
Reeve Joe Kerr
Again Elected to
Road Committee
Joseph Kerr, Wingham's
reeve, who completed a five-
year term on the Huron County
Road Committee last January,
was re-elected to the commit-
tee for a three-year term and
the balance of this year at a
one-day session of County Coun-
cil last Friday.
Howick Township's new
reeve, Harold Robinson was al-
so nominated for the post. Vot-
ing was 13 for Mr. Robinson and
26 for Mr. Kerr.
This is the first time in the
history of the council that a for-
The alarm was spread on
Sunday evening when the rent-
ed plane had failed to return to
the airstrip and residents of the
entire area were asked for in-
formation from any person who
might have seen the craft com-
ing down. At dawn a search by
planes from Wingham, Goder-
ich, and the Air-Sea Rescue
Service at Trenton began a thor-
ough search of the section in
which the missing plane might
have crashed. The air search
was called off when a smoke
flare from tlie ground party
notified the fliers that the plane
had been located.
The young people appear to
have emerged from their fright-
ening experience unscathed.
The plane, however, didn't fare
as well. Efforts will be made
to salvage the usable portions
Presentation
FORDW IC FI—A presentation
and dance was held in the hall
here on Friday night in honor of
Mr. and Mrs. David Inglis,
newlyweds.
Mrs. Ron McClement read
the address and Mrs. Glenn Mar
tin presented the couple with a
vacuum cleaner and a purse of
money, for which Doris and
David thanked everyone.
mer member of the road com-
mittee has been re-elected to
the committee in a subsequent
year after completing a full
term of office.
The position on the road
committee became vacant whe n
Robert Gibson, reeve of Howick,
resigned his office to take the
position of road superintendent
in the township.
Hundreds of friends were sad-
dened to learn of the death of
Mrs. John Hanna on Saturday
evening at the Wingham and
District Hospital. Mrs. Hanna
was taken ill during the previous
night as the result of a heart
seizure.
The former Esther Margaret
Campbell, she was born in
Grand Rapids, Mich.. a daugh-
ter of the late Mr. and Mrs.
Colin Campbell and later resid-
ed at Woodstock, Ontario,
where she married Mr. Hanna,
She had resided in Wingham ev-
er since her marriage.
Although Mrs. Hanna was a
person who never sought public
attention, she had made a host
of sincere friends, not only in
this community, but through-
out Ontario, in the course of
many years spent in devoted as-
sistance to her late husband.
John Fianna represented the con-
stituency of Huron-Bruce as a
Progressive Conservative mem-
ber of the Legislature from 1943
until his death in 1962 and his
great success as a public rep-
resentative was due in no small
part to his wife's unceasing co-
operation. Mrs. Hanna always
superintended his correspond-
ence and looked after the day-
to-day detail work involved in
his public life.
A warm-hearted, generous
person, Mrs. Hanna was loved
not only by her friends, but
more particularly by the many
who had served as employees of
the Hanna Firm over the years.
A devoted member of St.
Andrew's Presbyterian Church,
she served in the Women's Mis-
sionary Society and the Ladies'
Aid and was a member of the
Ladies' Auxiliary to the Wing•
ham Hospital.
She was predeceased by her
husband and one son, John
Campbell Hanna, who died in a
tragic motor accident August
28, 1954. Surviving are a
niece, Mrs. 0. M. McConkey,
of Guelph; a nephew, George R.
Allen of Wingham; a great-
nephew, William Allen of Osh-
awa and a cousin, Mrs, Bert
Hall of Toronto.
Service was conducted at the
R. A, Currie qtr. Son funeral
chapel on Tuesday at two o'-
clock by Rev. G. L. Fish, min-
ister of St. Andrew's, assisted
by Rev, George Malcolm of
Hamilton, who paid tribute to
Mrs. Hanna's life of devoted
service. Interment was in the
Wingham Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Jack Lloyd,
Norman Keating, DeWitt Miller,
Barry Wenger, Alex Skinn and
Roger West, The flower beaters
Were William Walden, Wallace
Agar and George Scott.
Narrow Escape for Young Couple
Light Plane Crashes in Woods
Occupants Emerge Uninjured
MR. AND MRS. NORMAN WADE marked their golden
wedding anniversary in Gorrie last Saturday with a lunch-
eon at noon in the parish hall of St. Stephen's Church.
—Advance-Times Photo.