HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1999-02-17, Page 5From bush
pilot • to
board room,
Grant's life
filled with
colourful
stories
FROM Page 4
decided to call "his office in
Vancouver with a
proposition and tomy
surprise he answered his
own phone. Of course, this
'was long before the dreadful
age of taped messages and
voice mail. I was a bit
unnerved for his -voice. was
deliberate and gruff - but he
did listen to what I had to
say -and' gave me a
qualified "yes". "111 have
you transferred to my
assistant Ron Keith." Then
there was a pause. "If he
thinks LA.T.A. won't object.
we will give you 1 economy
ticket for a'press person on
each mission of ten or more
- people." After a short
con4ersation• with Ron
Keith. the deal was made.
Over the next few months
!..was able toarrange for
Devon Smith, business
editor of the Toronto
• Telegram to join' a Mission
to Europe, and on following .
trips. we sent tDon O'Heame t •
of Thomson Newspapers to
London, Jack Dennett of
C.F.R.B. to Germany, News
"Director of C.F.R.B. Bill
Hutton to Milan and P.R.
man Hugh Newton, formerly
of the Globe and Mail, to
London and Milan. It wasn't
ling, before the public
exposure of the success of
.the ,program due to the
reporters'. stories gave. the
government-sponsored sales
missions the image of a
crusade. In fact, it became
known in 1962 as "the trade '
crusade". The Robarts r
government get such strong •
public support it probably
helped him win the election
that year. The economy of
Ontario got an enormous
boost because of the
promotion of trade and the
export and sale of Ontario
products around the world.
The sales missions
continued. but I left in .1963'
to join the Department of -
Education as a spear carrier
for the newly -appointed
minister. William Grenville
Davis.
I. did have one las
interesting exchange,•
though. with Mt.
McConichie. Shortly before
I left the trade ministry. I
received a bill for a few
hundred dollars from C.P.
Air for a ticket for a reporter
who accompanied a sales
'Mission to Mexico City.
Concerned that the deal.!
had worked out earlier was
off I called Mr. McConichie
in Vancouver and questioned
-him about the bill.
He simply said, "I have no
idea. but I'II check on it and
call you back tomorrow." He
called back'thefoltowing
day. " I spoke to Ron Keith
and he told me you sent a
man from radio station
C.K.E.Y.. by the name of
Kesley Merry." I confirmed
that we did.and again asked
why—we-were asked to pay
for the seat. "Well Clare," he
said. "Mr. Merry weighed
over 300 pounds and he
occupied two seats, so
according to our deal, you
arc damn well going to have
to pay for one of them."
Mr. McConichie was an
amazing man. A Canadian
whose skill in the air was
marc than matched in the
boardroom - from bush pilot
to building one of the
world's great airlines. His
life has been described as a
"Horatio Alger Story" - the
hackneyed cliche so often
used to describe the rags -to -
riches rise of an industry
tycoon. Horatio was an
American who has been
dead for 100 years.
Maybe it's time we had
our own truism to describe
home-grown 'venturous
achievers. Instead of a
"Horatio Alger Story'....how
about a "Grant McConichie
story•
Operation of park
may go back to Optimists
BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF
Expositor Editor
Seaforth council is considering turning
the costs of operating Optimist Park, back
to the service club.
When the club disbanded about two
years ago. the task of operating the
baseball diamonds and playground
equipment there, fell to the recreation
department. -
Recreation Director Marty Bedard asked
council at its Feb. 9 meeting whether or not
it should be handed back to the club which
reformed last summer. •
That would mean Bedard'would assist
with booking and billing for the facilities
but the club would be responsible for the
operating costs.
"Are they ready to take it on? Has
anyone asked them?" asked Mayor Dave
Scott.
Bedard said he mentioned it to a couple
of the members who were going to raise
the matter at a club meeting.
The grouprecently held its -biggest fund
raiser so far in the form of a licenced
concert by various celebrity impersonators.
The club is still workingon building up its
funds and were hoping to use some of the
money raised from the concert to help pay
for new playground equipment at the park.
Bedard said the agreement last year with
the new club was that until they were back
on their feet, the club would be responsible
for the building at the park (a small•hall)
while the recreation department would look
after operating the ball diamonds.
That „meant paying $1,142 to repair ball
'diamond lights. ,
Outside those expenses. Bedard said the
park costs about $2,940 to operate. The
revenue brought in by park users sees that
it operates on a breakeven basis.
The issue will be brought to the Optimist
Club for input.
1
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, Fataruary 17, 1999-5
Seaforth Co-operative
Children's Centre
B`, LSAX HIGHLIGHTS
GH LIGHTS
March 15-19
Activities include: '
* Cooking experiences (pancakes &
gingerbread)
* Swimming & ice skating
* Visit from a puppeteer&
storyteller'
* Leprechaun hunt & crafts
Open to all
children
Kindergarten < is an
through age 12. •
Cost '15.00 per
day of '60.00 D y on drscr
for the weeks, mbtnanon
Please
pre -register by
calling 527-0682.
A parent's comments
(Dec. 1998)
"1 l eheve the Cenrr
excellent. facility, Skt%f a►e
`anng and very app►aarh.
able. They hast an excd-
lent M'toso h
tne. rood co
aitd ounloor
act, 'u, . 1 would Bight)
rcc nn ..,. j Ott Centre. " ..
Gnda. pog
9
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