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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-02-19, Page 1• Imported Dutch Freesia 995 HWKn01 10 Cath & t'any ( DUN TRY flCWfkS Exeter Gainer -Kneel, Insurance t3tarvtots Exc•INnce Value 235-2420 North Middlesex & North Lambton Sinrf 1873 Wednesday, February 19, 1992 75 cents Bluewater What future for recycling? page 2 Carnival Grand Bend wraps up celebration page 11 Drama South Huron presenting Blood Relations page 9 Romer Hensall man back in the race Second front Former police chief facing Archie Gibbs drove his "Goosemobile" in the Grand Bend Winter Carnival through Satur- day afternoon's rain. Complete with caricatures of village -council and the Grand Bend Ratepayers' Association, Gibbs' float even had a sign suggesting council would be ready to recycle "after three years". The reference to geese was mayor Tom Lawson's own in his innaugural address to council, comparing them to a flock of geese. battle in Smiths Falls joining ,-Sr Huron busloads j SMITHS FALLS -Farmer Exet- er Police Chief Larry Hardy is fac• - ingpro some serious problems in his new career. Hardy, who left Exeter to tate over as chief of the Smiths Falls Police Force, has received a =,vote of non -confidence from the police as- sociation in the town. In turn, Har- dy has charged the leader of the po- lice, association with violations of the Police Act, including uneces- sary roughness, and for conducting a wild car chase between Perth and Smiths Falls. An Ottawa Citizen reporter who contacted the Times Advocate to ,find out about Hardy's previous ca- reer, described the police associa- tion's vote as an "outright rebel- lion", possibly due to the fact that the previous Smiths Falls chief had a more "laid back" approach to po- licing. The case will be corning before the courts this sprang. OTTAWA -Six buses.will beleaving Huron County for the nation's capital Thursday at midnight to join ttae.y protest in front of the Houses of Parliament to preserve Canada's supply management systems in face of con- tinued pressure at the GPt1 1 conference in Europe. While the Canadian government is still calling for a strengthening of Article XI in the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) which allows for the re- tention of farm produce marketing boards and supply management systems, many farmers across the country are still concerned that the—federal government's re- solve will crumble under intemational pressure. Most expect that if Canada's marketing boarAls arc dismantled and the nation's markets exposed to compe- tition from U.S. farmers, the flood of products across the border would signal the end of many of our -dairy and poultry operations. "They expect thousands of people, 1 guess," said Ge- rald Johns, one of the directors of the Huron Federa- tion of Agriculture. Six buses will collect farmers across the county for the 24-hour marathon trip to Ottawa and back. Johns said he knew of at least a dozen Usbomc Township Lucan residents lose home in Villa bankruptcy By Fred Groves LUCAN--Ten residents found themselves without a home on Friday af- • ternoon as the doors were locked at the Villa Home of Retirement. According to two staff members, they received phone call in the morn- ing saying the home had gone •bankrupt and residents would have to vacate the premises by late afternoon. "Apparently they were supposed to be given 72 hours notice," said Mari- on MacKay vitt( was the conte at the home. She -vas she -qtly _ full-time employee and there were 10 pautAime staff including Pauline Worrell. During the day, ambulances helped transport the residents to temporary lodging. Worrell and MacKay said one resident was taken to the Queens- way Nursing Home and another to a home in London. A source who helped in the moving of the residents confirmed to the Times -Advocate that the residents were moved out quickly. The home was owned by Mike and Jane Cohen from Torbnto. They were not in Lucan until after 4 p.m. Although there were only 10 residents in the home at the time of the bankruptcy, MacKay said 10 others had moved out within the last month. "There had been rumours that it was closing or sold and some had moved out." Worrell, a • guesr attendant, said the staff did not receive their pay- cheques. - "Friday was supposed to be payday and we got nothing." Both Worrell and MacKay volunteered to each take two residents home with them. "Their families know, and they are not being left alone,' said Worrell. . She added the residents jeceive funding assistance from the Ministry of Social Services so they will be all right in that regards. When asked if the residents were upset about the quick move, Worrell said most were getting over thea loss of their home. The two, said there had been no administrative person at the Villa for nearly a year. "There was no administrator. We had to run it on our own," said Wor- rell. farmers who would be joining the protest Many 4(9.-- - testers will not even be dairy or poultry farmers, but those who still'believe in the supply management sys- tem. '"You've got to show support for your neighbour," said Johns. As of press time, Ute Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food office in Clinton was still taking •reservations from anyone interested in joining the bus trip. The cost to ride is $40, and Johns said donations are still coming in to help cover the rest of the cost. "i don't know if it'll work, but it's beucr than sitting at home. I guess," said Johns. "Some people have a lot to lose." Johns admitted that the GATT protest may face some competition from western province grain farmers who would gain from a weakening of supply management systems in favour of freer trade of commodities across borders. If you wish .to join up with the bus protest, the toll- free number of the OMAF office in Clinton is 1-80°- 265-5170. Continued on page 2 Stephen increases pay for council and staff CREDITON - Stephen •Town- ship council has voted both itself and township staff pay increases .for the 1992 year. ' For codncil, the increases were between 5.7 and 6.6 percent above last year's remuneration. The reeve will receive $112 per council meeting over two hours in length, the deputy $106, and councillors $100. For shorter meetings, all receive $53, and all receive $95 for day -long semi- nars and conventions. However, the reeve's honorari- um for signing the township's cheques goes up 23 percent over last year's $222.60 to $275. Staff also received pay increas- es of between five and six per- cent according to administrator Larry Brown. Council' has intro- .duced a grid system, under which staff members are paid according to their skill level And experience. • For example the highest-paid position is the administrator's, which ranges from $4.1,600 to 548,200 in five steps.. The dep- uty clerk and deputy -treasurers' salaries can range from $23,400 to $28,000, and the water tax clerk's from $20,280 to $24,000. The road superintendent's sal- ary'has been placed on the grid at ranging from $34,400 to $40,500 and the arena manager from $31,300 to $36,800. The overall increase "is in be- tween five and six percent for the total impact of the propo- sal," said Brown of the new grid system. Reform Party bringing its message of change to Exeter ZURICH - Monday will signal a turning point in Huron County politics, according to Reform Party supporter David Schilbe of Zurich. February 24 at 7:30 p.m. at South Huron Distract High School there wi1Tbe a meeting'to build a "new Canada" sponsored by the Reform Party. Schilbc, who says he is interested in seeking the riding nomination for the party in the next federal election, which could be as early as this year, pre- dicts that the new political phenomenon will make substantial inroads into Canada's politics. He said the threat of•the Reform Party's strength is so great that the other traditional parties.aie already taking than to heart. Even if the next Prime Minister isn't Preston Manning "we're at least starting the pro- cess going," said Scheibe. That process, as he describes it, is an entire over- haul of the nation's political system, with the aim of putting more critical government decisions into the hands of the voter, and bringing more fiscal responsi- bility to Parliament Hill. Henry Trickey, like Scheibe a director at large of the Huron Riding Association, says that Canada can- not continue to enlarge 'its federal deficit, which cur- rently stands at some 5500 billion. The Reform Par- ty's mandilie is to balance the budget, mainly through cutting federal spending. Trickey predicts that up to 30 percent of the costs of collecting taxes could be GUI by t+driiiii1iaating many taxes info the income tax, swing about $300-500 million a year. "We're saying 'Cut the fat out of the system'," added Scheibe. saying the federal government is too top navy with bureaucracy. The Regatta Party main- taimt,aocial pgograins and *vim. can be kept, but at a Iowa overall cost .The piety believes 200400 peo- ple can be cut out of the civil service without loss of serwroes. pldckcy poiats out that many retired Carradans spend baif a year in the United Swim; payi@g fewer Muies,butxgll expecting full health and.,aoohtl:bene- fits. An inclusive income tax could eliminaa that un- fairness, he says. The Reform.Party also believes in frequent referen- dums to gauge public support of major government decisions. The MP would -bee obliged to vote aC rd- ing to•her constituents and not to party policy. "Any policy that makes sense to the Canadian pop- ulace could be voted on, would be voted on," said Scheibe, pointing out the GST was not voted on, but "forced down our throats". Only major issues, such as the death penalty, abor- tion, or taxation•would be topics for referendums, but once voted on, Canadians would be more supportive of the final outcome, claims Scheibe. Tnckey said he himself had never felt politically - minded in his life, but now, at 77, has decided to join this new movement against the present "dictatorship" he sees in Ottawa. Scheibe agrees, saying that out of 294 MPs in the House of Commons, only 3040 members decide par- ty policy for the entire country. "That's not democracy, that's totalitarianism," said Scheibe. Among other Reform Party policies are a rejection of official bilingualism, with French only being re- served for Quebec, and an end to multiculturalism, which Scheibe says only serves to create divisions in 'the country, not heal thgm, and are only "pet Pro- jects" of ministers trying to mere points with the gov- ernment Scheibe says•that once the party's.message is under- stood in Quebec, that province will also Come 10 un- derstandNtat "we are Canadians first and not two Gmtdas". The Lhuun Uwe Riding Aasodiation bas gone from four to 280 members in the fleet eight months. At ,Monday's meeting, they will lie sating for dona- tions to help Nippon the pity on its way to the next election. "It cons. money to ,build a .new Canute" ono Schilbc, adding that the guest speaker for the evening will prove to be a "surprise" for most who attend. The party currently has one MP, Deborah Grey who is representing the riding of.Peace River, Alber- ta after a by-election. "They expect to take the west, no doubt about it," says Trickey. "And if the message gets out there, we'll take Ontario too." 410.111i6Mwtt f(let) and Henry Trickey, directors of alien, believe the ��orm Party Is rpt to mare some inroads he Huron eiuce Ridinlg ASsoci oto Canadian polictics.